Hello everyone! I am Miss Nightshadow and a new writer to the Hobbit fandom and it's lovely to be here.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except those I create, only what I've done with the basic plot which was inspired by another series of films.

Warning! This will be a slash/ yaoi story so please go no further if this is not to your taste.

Main pairing - Fili/ Kili (not incest in this story they are not related)

Other pairings- Thorin/ Bilbo and Dwalin/ Ori.

Note: Some of the characters will be refered to, at times, as 'Carriers'. These are males who can become pregnant and carry a child to term. In races that have small numbers of females they are extremely valuable as they can breed with any sort of male creating powerful hybrid child.

Summary: The time has come for a mate to be found for Prince Kili of Erebor, as a Carrier he is expected to be pretty and do as he is told with no choice in the matter. King Thrain has decreed he who brings the greatest gift may have Kili's hand in marriage and so the 'Courting Festival' begins with suitors bringing great treasures from far and wide. This unique event creates a perfect storm for the young and ambitious Fili, who is known as the Prince of Thieves and his company of fortune seekers known as the Forty Thieves. With Erebor's doors open, all they have to do if fill their pockets and leave without being caught by the guard. However with magical items galore, dark plans coming to the foreground and a Prince who refuses to let others decide his fate things do not go to plan.

Title: Fili and the Forty Thieves of Erebor.

Chapter 1.

One month to the Courtship Festival...

The fire heights of Erebor illuminated the valley welcoming visitors from far and wide. From the battlements Thorin, Crown Prince of the great kingdom, kept watch over the gate. Messengers riding hard galloped through the great door into the mountain city, each carrying a response from wherever they had been sent to. Balin, teacher and confidant to the Crown Prince fiddled with his snow white beard whilst his younger brother Dwalin, captain of the city guard and childhood friend of the Crown Prince, openly sneered at the desperate riders.

"Guess you're glad you're not young Kili right now eh Thorin." Dwalin pointed to a particularly heavy laden runner. "Just look at that, do they really think the King will accept bribes?"

"Fathers of potential suitors do not bribe the Patriarch of a Carrier." Balin sighed. "That is merely a token of thanks for being invited."

"Our King will not be swayed by such things. Whatever contest he will choose for the festival will create enough competition." Thorin watched the rider pass praying his words are true.

"I'm sure they will be bringing princesses and carriers with them as well." Balin could not hide his smile in his beard.

"Aye, for some reason the world seems to think Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror is an excellent catch."

"Be quiet." Thorin growled at his friend. "The Courting Festival is for Kili's benefit not mine."

Dwalin snorted. "I don't think young Kili sees it that way."

"It is for the best. This is the only way to insure Kili gets the best opportunity to find a strong mate." Thorin repeated the King's words, as he often did when doubts rose in his mind.

"And what will you do once Kili's hitched?" Dwalin looked him in the eye. "You'd better have a plan or you'll be the King's next target for auction."

"Kili is not being auctioned off!" Thorin roared. "We follow our traditions Dwalin nothing more!"

Balin nodded. "Aye lad. We follow traditions even when they are wrong. It gives us something to blame our unhappiness on."

"Balin please. You know I cannot-"

The eldest dwarf present held his hands up. "Peace Thorin I ask nothing of the sort. All I ask is that you be there for young Kili. If you had been born a Carrier you would have gone through this a long time ago."

Silence fell across the three standing guard, the steady stream of riders kept coming and nothing was going to prevent their news reaching the eyes and ears of their King.

(Scene Change)

King Thrain gazed up at the Arkenstone with eyes overflowing with love. Ignoring all other details of the grand throne room including his long serving adviser, Guams the Wise the only elf to serve a dwarf lord. For an elf Guams is on the small and frail side, when his father Thror had heard of the banished elf, former adviser of Thanduril he had to meet him. In that meeting many years ago now the elf agreed to serve the King of Erebor and had done just that with great distinction and absolute loyalty.

"There is nothing that can compare it's beauty with the Arkenstone." Thrain sighed. "There is nothing more precious in the entire of Middle Earth."

Guams tilted his head to the side his golden eyes held a thoughtful haze until the flash of an idea broke the silence. "Why not find out my King?"

"What?" Thrain turned to him confusion written over his entire being. "Did you say something Guams?"

"No my King. You raised a most interesting question." Guams came to stand beside him.

"I did? What was that then?"

"You asked if there was anything more beautiful than the glorious Arkenstone, proof of your right to rule, in our world."

"There is nothing that can be compared to the Arkenstone!" Thrain clenched his fists.

"There are many mountains in Middle Earth, perhaps another has offered it's heart?"

Suspicion clouded Thrain's mind. "If one did it would not be as beautiful as the Arkenstone."

"Perhaps we should be sure. No one would dare tell tale of a stone that could potentially rival the Arkenstone. If only there was a way to force the hands of the other Rulers."

Thrain paced back and forth, his eyes kept straying to the Arkenstone as he did. When he stopped he let out a whoop of excitement. "We can Guams! We can!"

Guams schooled his features into the perfect mask. "Whatever could you mean my King?"

"The Courting Festival of course. The suitors will find many great treasures if they want to forge an alliance with Erebor."

"But Sire we would have to invite every race to the festival, even those less than desirable. Sire please for Kili's sake I cannot condone such a plan. What if stone similar to the Arkenstone was found in Mount Gundabad? We cannot allow an alliance or a marriage with an orc."

"Relax Guams I have everything thought out. I merely wish to find the stone, if it comes from a less than desirable place then I will name it a fake then send them on their way. We cannot exactly send it back with them Guams."

Guams grinned without showing his teeth. "Of course my King. Forgive me for speaking before considering the true implications of your plan. However, to whom will you be offering young Kili to?"

Thrain waved his hand in irritation. "To whoever I feel is best for us to forge an alliance with."

"Of course my King. Perhaps we should send out messengers with the details before we make it public knowledge we would not want to be seen to give anyone preferential treatment."

"We shall extend invitation to the High Merchants as well. They tend to have more treasure than a small kingdom these days."

"Excellent my King. I will put everything in order, though Dale will have a head start on all the others. They are on your doorstep my King."

Thrain shook his head. "Dale is not a proper competitor, nothing that belongs to them is of any interest to me. Now go make it so Guams."

"As you wish my King." Guams bowed low. "It will be done before the sunrises. I shall send every raven in Erebor to assure the success of your plan."

(Scene Change)

Sunlight bathed Dale in all it's glory waking the slumbering town from it's well deserved rest. Even so early in the morning the entire of Dale is alive with the news that was left on many important front doors. The most important front door upon which the message sent directly from King Thrain himself happened to belong to one Dori of Dori Inns. Intercepted by his best, or worst in Dori's humble opinion, patron and sort of boss when the whim takes the blond dwarf.

Upon gazing on the parchment, the fanciest ever held between his thumbs and forefingers, his bright blue eyes grew wider with every word.

"Fili whatever it is your planning don't." Bilbo reached up snatching the paper from him. "Oh no. Definitely not we cannot, we are not going to Erebor. That is what we all said. Erebor is out of the question. The place is like one giant safe."

Fili wrapped his arm around the carrier hobbit's slender shoulder pulling him back towards the humble table. "Now my little hobbit friend, when our company decided that Erebor was off our potential places for business it's master kept the doors shut however this changes everything."

"It's a Courting Festival for the young prince. We can't."

"Bilbo, Bilbo, Bilbo. Did danger stop us from escaping the Slaver Trolls with young Ori in tow?"

"No. Our lives depended on getting away from them."

"And when we cornered in Rohan?"

"It was a good thing you stole fast horses that day."

"What about when we raided the Lake Town vault?"

"We were nearly caught by the guards of Erebor. Who chased us nearly all the way here."

"We lost them in that troll hoard."

"Fili we didn't lose all of them. You know Dwalin from Erebor's guard is after Nori's hide from that fiasco near the Mirkwood border." Bilbo rolled his eyes. "We are only called the forty thieves because Dwalin misheard Bifur and Glion whacked his hammer off his forehead."

Fili remembered the moment well. "Yes, that Dwalin is one sturdily constructed dwarf. Any way this is a golden opportunity."

"To get arrested and thrown in Erebor's world famous dungeons." Bilbo dead panned. "Fili we can't just charge into Erebor and steal stuff."

"They will be too busy to notice a small merchant's son and his tiny entourage when there will be proper princes and Kings turning up with their heavily laden and over indulged entourages. It's only a public service to lighten their loads. Think of the hernias we will prevent and really with an invitation like this making the rounds. Dwalin will need to conserve his strength for real emergencies. It's not like we're going to steal the Arkenstone from under Thrain's nose. We have a month to prepare. With both our brains on the job Bilbo we'll be in and out before they realise anything has been appropriated for other purposes."

A wry little smile tugged at Bilbo's lips. "I have always wanted to see the magnificent city of Erebor."

"That's the spirit! Gather our company my little friend. We have the theft of the age to plan."

(Scene Change)

Watching the cold sun drift through his bedroom window. Prince Kili crumpled up the copy of the invitation that had been slipped under his door throwing it against the wall.

'At least someone thought I should know what my life is going to be.' Kili thought bitterly. 'At least I have time to think of something. A month doesn't seem to be so long at all. One thing is for sure I will not be a throphy for some puffed up swagging idiot to take home. I am my own person and that is the way it will stay!'

to be continued...