Thorin winced heavily as he watched, while Dwalin's left temple twitched a few times. The older warrior clenched his jaw just as young ten-year old Kili plunged his wooden training sword into the training dummy.

"I did it!" The dwarfling jumped up in excitement, his grin wide and joyous.

Thorin rubbed his beard tiredly. "Seven?"

"At least nine." Dwalin said, his muscled arms crossed over his chest, staring.

Kili's grin wilted slightly even as he reached over and patted the hilt of his wooden sword where it still rested inside the training dummy. "I won."

"Left yourself open to counterstrikes at least nine times." Thorin's eyebrows furrowed. "You wouldn't have lived to finish him off like that." He frowned and pointed. "And why can't your braids ever stay?"

Kili's dark eyes clouded as his excitement dimmed. His hands went up to his braids, making a face to realize that one was halfway loose and the other was missing, having already fallen out. While dealing with his messy hair, he snuck a quick glance at the adult dwarves and received a nod from Dwalin. The young dwarf waited until Thorin turned to speak with the large warrior and moved to get his real weapon.

"Fili wasn't that much better when he first started." Thorin sighed. "It's just that Kili hasn't got the same breadth to his chest that his brother had at that age. Although he has better agility and footwork. But Fili could have cleaved that dummy in half by sheer strength."

"You know my thoughts." Dwalin grunted.

Thorin couldn't help his slight frown that was almost a sneer. "Bows are for hunting."

"You'll admit that your ten-year old nephew is a better hunter than most full grown dwarrow." Dwalin pointed out. "That agility and footwork you mentioned."

Thorin made a conciliatory hand movement to acknowledge the words, but that he had further reservations. "Archers are effective, in large groups. Hunting, sure. But for warfare what good is a single archer? Can't do a barrage."

"I can think of many good uses for a highly skilled archer." Dwalin spoke firmly, but without heat so it remained a discussion and not an argument.

Thorin made a gesture at the various training dummies in the open meadow that he'd set up for his nephews. Then blinked as every dummy suddenly sported an arrow to the forehead, the last one still shaking from the force of the shot.

Turning, Thorin stared at his grinning dark-haired nephew. Fili at his side, also grinning. The prince in exile sighed and shot a glance at Dwalin, who while not grinning did look a bit too satisfied. "Is this a conspiracy?"

Dwalin shrugged lightly. "Maybe."

"I don't ..." Thorin stopped as Kili reached back into his quiver and pulled out an arrow and shot it, then two more in quick succession. Each striking right next to the arrows already embedded in the training dummies. "Huh."

"His aim is damn near perfect, his eyes are sharp and he's more than strong enough for the bow he has." Dwalin stated mildly. "Although as he continues to grow he'll need to learn how to make his own and fletch arrows suited for his style of shooting."

Thorin threw up his hands in mock surrender, making both of his nephews fairly jump up with excitement and glee. "He doesn't stop training with a sword." His eyes narrowed. "Kili? You didn't purposefully leave yourself wide open with that attack earlier, just to get me to allow this bow nonsense?"

Kili's grin dimmed a lot and he shook his head, chagrined. "No sir."

"Never neglect your blade work. Quivers do empty out you know." Thorin's voice hardened, pointing emphatically at his youngest nephew and heir.

Dwalin grunted in satisfaction and then eyed Thorin as his prince gave him a cautionary glance. "I'm still not completely sure this is a good use of training time." He said quietly.

The larger warrior nodded once, to show he'd understood.

Thorin sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "An heir of Durin. An heir of mine. With a bow."

Hearing his uncle, Kili's excitement lost some of it's shine, until Fili nudged him and gave him praise on his fine shooting.

o.o.o.o.o

o.o.o.o.o

"Please uncle?" Fili's bright blue eyes fairly pleaded. A young and handsomely braided seventeen-year old dwarfling. No, not a dwarfling for too much longer, Thorin mused. Getting close to twenty.

Thorin eyed the youngster as a pang of bitterness flew through him. If Fili had been raised as a proper prince of Erebor, he'd not be subject to helping out his uncle at the smithy like this. He'd have filled his days learning how to rule, how to manage, how to ride, how to dance, how to negotiate, and he'd not have faced hard work just to put food on the table and clothes on their backs.

Yet here was Fili manning the bellows for him, sweat making his shirt stick to his muscular back. A shirt with several patches. And there was even younger Kili sharpening farm impliments and stoking forge fires, his braids from this morning already a lopsided mess.

His nephews knew more about human plows than they did about gauging the impurity levels in gold or mithral. A sad state of affairs for the royal family of Erebor. And hardly an impressive showing for the heirs to the throne.

Saddened, Thorin sighed and seriously studied the two dwarflings. At seventeen and twelve they were far too young to go off on their own. Especially in a human town. But Kili had just hunted an eight point stag yesterday and Fili had helped haul the extra meat to the local inn to sell. Then both lads had contributed their profits to a local dwarrow family in need. Like princes should.

"I'm swamped with work." He said, trying to think of a way to grant the lad's request.

"I'd be with him." Fili pointed out, sensing there was a chance and that their uncle wasn't dead set against the idea. "And it's right across the road. If we yelled, you'd hear."

Thorin didn't point out that if he was hammering on the iron works, no he probably wouldn't hear.

"My draw is too light." Kili piped up, talking about his bow. He'd grown taller in the past two years, as well as gaining in strength. "But the new bow I made can't take a heavier draw without warping."

The older dwarrow eyed his younger nephew with a sigh. "Your braids are shaming. Again."

Kili made a resigned face and reached up, pulling his braids loose. It took no time, since they were more than half-way out anyway. His dark hair just simply refused to be tamed.

"An hour." Fili tried again. "Just to look at the bows and see how they're made."

Kili nodded, quickly redoing two small braids and pulling his hair back in a simple clasp. He didn't want to spend the time to do anything more intricate. Besides, they never stayed.

Thorin sighed heavily. Human town or not, he and his family had been here for years. It wasn't too bad as towns went. But trading routes went through here regularly. Which meant strangers. Human strangers. He made a face, clearly torn.

"I could hunt better game with a better bow." Kili rushed in, sensing weakening resolve.

Taking a deep sigh, Thorin eyed the two young dwarrow. "Kili doesn't speak to the humans."

The dark-haired dwarfling brightened, then frowned lightly. It wasn't anything new, he had never been allowed to interact with the humans when they were in town. Fili had even been the one to negotiate with the innkeeper on the price of the meat. Something he'd only been allowed to do in the last few months out of need, not that Thorin wanted Fili talking with the humans either.

Fili glanced at his younger brother. "What if he has questions about the bows?" The blond knew next to nothing about using that weapon. He'd tried, and it wasn't for him.

Thorin wouldn't budge on this point. "Look only. If you have questions, you come to me. Give me your questions and we'll go over together."

Kili and Fili shared a look. They'd take what they could get.

"Behave!" Thorin admonished both of them as they took off before he could change his mind. "Don't shame your line."

o.o.o.o.o

o.o.o.o.o

"They're back."

Fili and Kili stayed silent, as usual. Watching the humans as they worked with the various weapons on sale. All different types of bows including short, long, and cross bows.

Arnor, the bowyer, eyed the two young dwarves. The two had been coming around for several months now. The blond would sit and sometimes watch, and sometimes pull out some wood and do some carvings. Runes mostly.

The younger dark-haired lad would watch avidly. That one's wide eyes took in every move, every word. But he'd never speak. Sometimes though, after Arnor knew the lad had overheard or seen something new, an older dwarf would come by and ask some questions.

Arnor had once asked this Thorin person why the lad couldn't ask his own questions, but had been told that the young dwarf was just that. Too young.

At first the human bowyer had been a bit annoyed, but the lads never interfered and the younger one seemed so interested. In fact, he would come in periodically with new bows he'd obviously crafted himself. And Arnor was amused when the dwarf lad would impliment something he'd seen or heard at the bowyers.

"How often do they come by?" Asked a human male named Custis who headed of one of the troops of mercenaries that hired out to traders for protection.

Arnor shrugged. "Once a week at least, sometimes twice. Never stay more than an hour really."

"What do you think of the new guys?" Custis dismissed the young dwarves and turned instead toward some possible recruits.

Arnor shrugged, looking at where the two human males joked and fiddled around with choosing a proper bow. "I hope they're better with blades." His tone told how he doubted they'd be much good as archers.

Custis shrugged. "Good help is scarce these days." He looked over at the two males. "Shoot."

The first male, a huge specimen of solid fat rather than muscle, belched and gestured for the thinner man to go first. This one had greasy hair tied back neatly, although balding on top.

Neither missed, but didn't hit center even once. On a stationary target. Not great. Decent enough, but not for a professional guard or mercenary.

But Custis sighed, he already had serious misgivings about both of these newcomers. Arnor gave him a sidelong look. "Heard they brawled at Patrice's last eve. Slapped one of the barmaids."

Arnor grimaced. "Never a good sign."

Custis nodded, and eyed the targets. "Not good at all."

The two human male recruits, obviously trying to overhear, bristled with temper. "It's more than decent shooting."

From the side, watching, Kili sniffed. Barely a sound. Fili smiled, not looking up from where he was practicing carving dwarvish runes. The younger dwarf looked up at the sun and sighed. His hour was up. He nudged his brother.

Fili stood and put away his blade, watching as Kili resettled his new maple bow. The duo turned and found themselves the subject of intense glaring.

The recruits were snarling, blathering on about how the two youngsters had either mocked them or distracted them while shooting. Kili couldn't figure out which human was saying what, their accents were odd to him and they were speaking all at once. He shook his head and looked at Fili for guidance.

Fili put his hand on Kili's shoulder, pulling him back slightly. Thorin would be pissed off if they became embroiled in human arguments.

"Those boys never say anything." Arnor said quickly, not liking the signs of rising temper in the seedy looking males. "Leave them be."

Fili said nothing, keeping his blue eyes on the strangers, and not moving. He didn't correct the bowyer that 'boys' was a human term for young males. Not Dwarven. Properly they were dwarrow, dwarflings, or lads. Instinctively he knew the human bowyer meant no insult, not like the two who'd just been shooting.

Kili shifted his weight, uncertain. He liked coming over here and listening to Arnor talk about maple versus yew, and how to find the 'natural belly' in a curve for crafting a good bow. It would have been better if he'd be allowed to actually talk to the man, but he knew better than to cross Thorin on this point.

"Can she even shoot that bow she carries?" The bulkier human deliberately insulted Kili, who managed to hang onto his temper rather easily. It helped that he was a bit too shocked to really react.

Fili stepped in front his younger brother protectively. His blond beard was filling in nicely, although still a bit patchy due to his age. While Kili had barely a dark shadow on his chin and cheeks.

"Wonder what she'd look like in a proper dress?" The thinner male leered suggestively.

Custis sighed unhappily. "I can't use you. Either of you."

"Why? Because you think a girl dwarf can shoot better'n me?" The thinner male reached out and grabbed Kili by the hair. Yanking.

Fili snarled, stepping in the way. But he was a seventeen year old dwarfling, which due to the variances in in dwarf to human aging, made him appear even younger to the males despite his beard. A punch to his chest had the blond stumbling back. His hand went to his blade. But it was only a wood shaping tool, not a proper dagger. Silently he swore he'd never leave home without a good dagger, or three, ever again.

"Leave off!" Custis barked.

"Aw. Just wanting to prove a point. This ...lass ...shoots better than me? Fine." The thinner male sneered and shoved Kili forward.

Arnor couldn't say he wasn't curious to see if the eager young dwarrow could shoot, but not like this. "Enough."

"Indeed." The deep voice had everyone turning. Thorin stood there, magnificent in his temper, a massive hammer across his broad and muscular shoulders.

Fili relaxed a bit at the sight.

Thorin eyed his nephews, taking in Fili's nervousness and relief. Then at Kili. The younger lad was holding onto his bow with a death grip, ignoring the large human who still had a hand in his dark hair.

Kili winced, sure that this was all going to end up his fault.

"Just want to see the gal shoot." The fatter human grinned and winked. "That's all."

Thorin's eyebrows rose. Gal? He saw the shame and blush on Kili's face. He weighed the moment and then grunted. He settled his gaze on his nephew. "Well, go on. Shoot."

Kili's face shot up in shock, then saw the look on his uncle's face and knew what Thorin wanted him to do. He pulled free of the human, ignoring the pull on his hair as he turned.

"Well, do you need help setting ...up?" The thinner male stared in shock at the arrow now buried more than half-way into the target. Center.

Arnor's eyebrows rose.

Custis grinned. "Now him, I'd hire. How old is the dwarrow?"

Thorin grunted, at least one human was being respectful. "Too young. Needs some years."

Kili smiled, pleased. Right before things went dark.

Fili leapt onto the human who'd just knocked his brother down, striking him on the top of his head. His own fist coming down hard on the balding, greasy hair.

Custis drew his sword and stepped in front of the fatter human, the point of his blade at the man's throat. Dumb or not, the male wasn't stupid enough to press his luck.

Thorin snarled, but couldn't swing his hammer with Fili on top of the thinner of the two human males.

"What is going on?" Two guardsmen arrived, looking ill tempered, next to them was Arnor's young apprentice. The bowyer nodded, pleased.

The human male, although thinner than his companion, still towered over Fili. The young dwarrow got in several strong blows before being thrown down onto the ground.

"HOLD!" The guard yelled.

Everyone stilled. Some happy at the interruption, some breathing hard, and some glowering.

The guards looked around, seeing the downed young dwarflings and the menacing form of their uncle. They eyed his huge hammer and simmering temper with caution. "Who started this?"

"Dwarves." The fat male spit on the ground, barely missing Fili as the blond sat up, shaking his head.

Custis twitched his blade and the fatter male backed off, hands up in the air. "These two troublemakers. Throw them out of town."

The guards looked at Arnor, who nodded.

The fat male sneered. "You'd support dwarves over good humans? What kind of man are you?"

"One who doesn't strike children." Arnor sneered back. "And who knows which side of the truth you sit on."

The guards jerked the groaning man that Fili had hit over to the side. Custis let his sword down as they came to collect the fatter male as well. But the big man wasn't ready to go just yet. He shoved the guard and then moved to kick Fili in the ribs.

He never connected.

The bigger male howled and fell, an arrow buried in his large posterior at least half-way up the fletched shaft.

All of the adults, human and dwarven, turned and stared at Kili. He was standing more or less straight, a dribble of blood dripping from one nostril and both eyes already starting to swell and color.

"He shot me!" Wailed the human male. "Grab him! Damned brat!"

The guards laughed and kicked him lightly. "Serves you right."

Custis walked over to Thorin, eyeing the dwarf carefully. "How long before he's old enough to hire?"

The dark-haired prince and current smithy sighed, watching as Fili tended to his younger sibling. Kili's head was back and the blond was checking him out. "He's twelve."

Custis' eyes shot wide as Arnor sucked in a surprised breath. In terms of dwarves, the lad wasn't more than a child yet. In human terms, around six or so, though it was hard to tell with dwarves being so private. Still, it would be decades before they'd be considered old enough to hire out. "Shame."

Thorin grimaced. He didn't like having his young nephews in town with him. Maybe they'd be better off with Dis at home still. "I am sorry if they've been a bother over here."

"Never." Arnor assured him. "In fact, if they ...I don't even know their names."

"Fili is the elder. Kili the younger." Thorin offered the names almost grudgingly.

"If Kili would like, I could teach him a trick or two about making his own bows and arrows." Arnor made the offer, prepared to be turned down.

Kili came over, his eyes grossly swollen already. Thorin frowned, sure that Dis would have more than a few words to say about her son's injuries. He put his hand on his nephew's head, running his fingers through the tangled braids that were already falling out. He grunted in approval.

Kili gave him a wide smile, only a bit marred by his bruising.

"He's been quiet and attentive. Smart. Good shot. And he has never spoken a word." Arnor said that, thinking it was a good tactic. "Wasn't sure he could speak. Either of them."

Thorin actually gave a rough laugh. "I said that once. Trust me. He can talk. A lot."

Kili ducked his head and shuffled his feet, really wanting this.

"Fili stays with you. Speak with no one else." Thorin admonished sternly. "But not today. Get you both on home. Dis will have something to say about this, I'm sure."

Both dwarflings winced.

"Are they yours?" Arnor asked.

Thorin looked at the two, who were stalling as they listened. He grunted. "Yes, they're mine." He claimed them. His heirs, both of them.

Puffed out with pride, the lads headed home.