Chapter Text
Although Thorin did not care much for Gandalf’s burglar, the little hobbit, he did not like the fact that his young nephews had made the hairy footed creature’s adventure thus far a trying ordeal. From the moment Mr. Bilbo Baggins joined their company Kili and Fili decided they found someone to play games with. For the most part Thorin let most of the childish prodding go since Bilbo seemed to take it all in stride.
“Do not worry, it is no bother to me,” Bilbo told him, “I myself have young relatives who are full of mischief just like Kili and Fili.”
But now Thorin felt he had to step in. His sister’s sons certainly could push the limits. Tonight he would show them his. Perhaps he felt if he stepped in when the teasing started, things would not have gotten out of hand.
*****
There was no mistaking the sound of the wargs and the orcs off in the distance. As the night grew darker the sounds seem to wail ever eerily into the wind. A foreboding of sorts Thorin thought knowing that sooner or later they would have to contend with the creatures in some sort or other.
Bilbo stood wide eyed and nervous as the sounds were carried on the wind. Kili nudged Fili with a grin when Bilbo asked what it was that made such an awful noise.
“Those would be the orcs, and their wargs Master Baggins.” Kili said.
“O...or...cs? W...wa...args?” Bilbo squeaked, stuttering out the names.
“Aye,” Fili added slyly, “those are the sounds of orcs. They are on the hunt”
“Lookin' for a meal I imagine they are.” Kili added with a nod to his brother.
Both young dwarves snickered to each other as the hobbit became a bit untied and began nervously walking to and fro in their little camp wringing his hands and muttering something about not sleeping at night and wishing he was back in his hobbit hole in the comfort of his own bed.
“Do...do you suppose now that they may see....us? Perhaps smell us?” Bilbo inquired.
“Aye,” Kili said, “they have a pretty good nose for smelling things.”
Fili nodded, “Must be, as they are always hungry and looking for things to eat.”
“Though I would say our good Master Baggins here is not much more than a mere snack,” Kili added.
Bilbo swallowed back his growing fear, clearing his throat he looked around. “I imagine we are quite safe here...up...up, on this hill.” He nodded more to himself walking to the edge of the cliff and peering over the edge. “Yes, we... are hi...high enough.” He looked at the brothers, wide eyed and shifted from one foot to the other scratching his head.
Fili tilted his head “Well, you see Master Baggins,” he began as he nudged his younger brother. “The thing about them wargs now is...” he paused with a half grin
“Wargs are really good at climbing up things.” Kili finished.
“Oh... I see.” Bilbo said rising up on his toes. “I...” he was cut off by a stern deep voice.
“Fili, Kili!” Thorin growled sharply.
Both dwarves’ smiles faded and Fili cleared his throat. “We didn’t mean anything by it, just teasing.”
“As it is young dwarf,” Gandalf replied looking a bit annoyed at the discomfort the two had caused Bilbo, “You both should know orcs are nothing to tease about. Especially given what happen with them.”
“Oh,” Bilbo said, although the quaver in his voice betrayed his true feelings on the matter. “I...it...is... is quite alright.”
Thorin took in a deep breath and let it out. The look Gandalf had given him told him he should see to his nephews. He did not care much for Gandalf’s hobbit. He did not dislike him but as it were he could not figure out of what use the hairy footed creature would be for the company. Things had gone too far with his nephews’ teasing as each incident had been admonished with nothing more than a firm gaze, Thorin could see it slowly escalating and he could ill afford discord among the company no matter who was in it. Turning he allowed his grey blue eyes to penetrate the pair until they shifted uncomfortably on their bed rolls. “Kili, Fili walk with me.”
The brothers scrambled to their feet and hastily followed their uncle out of the camp.
Bilbo looked after them with a questioning stare then turned as he felt Gandalf’s hand on his shoulder as he started forward. Perhaps to follow, he did not know.
“Do not worry over what will happen to Kili and Fili, I am sure Thorin will see to them and perhaps they will come back in a better frame of mind.”
“But they meant no harm really.” Bilbo said quietly. “I did not mind their teasing..... really,” he added after a moment.
“Come sit by the fire and warm yourself. They will return soon enough.” Gandalf said kindly.
Bilbo did sit down but in his heart he wished nothing bad was to happen to the youngest members of the company. He already knew the dwarves did not look kindly upon him being there and he had no wish to give them reason to dislike him more.
“Do have a pipe with me Bilbo,” Gandalf said, handing the hobbit a pipe packed with fresh pipe weed. “All will be well you will see.”
*****
Thorin led his nephews up over the hill and through the trees to a brook where he knew the water would mask the sounds of his discussion with the pair. He could tell both knew they were in trouble just by the way they shifted their feet and their gaze from him to each other.
Stopping in a small clearing where fallen trees lay, the leader of the company turned and folded his arms. “I want you Fili,” Thorin began. “To explain to me what it was the pair of you hope to accomplish by teasing the hobbit tonight. It was not just teasing I might say as much as it was cruel. You frightened Master Baggins to the point he may leave us during the night and go back to his home. The truth is I have no idea of what use he is to us and if it were up to me I would send him back.” Thorin paused. “Yet Gandalf feels he is of importance to our journey and he may yet prove himself.”
Fili looked to his brother and swallowed. “We were only teasing, you know joking. Master Baggins assured us it was no bother to him.”
Kili nodded and opened his mouth then closed it. He was not sure if he should speak though he did inch closer to his older brother.
“No bother to him!” Thorin almost shouted. “Did the pair of you fools miss the look on his face?! His whole demeanor! He was frightened half to death! Teasing and joking is one thing,” Thorin said in a quieter tone after getting his temper back in check. “You both went too far. You frightened Master Baggins tonight. It does not become well of you to do so and you both know better. Frightening someone is not a game nor is it teasing. It is cruel. I have myself to blame for this. I should have stepped in when your teasing first began. As it is, I am stepping in now. Each of you will look for a switch. You have ten minutes to do so.”
Fili and Kili did not need to ask what the switch was for nor did they dare. As they walked away from their uncle, Kili nudged Fili.
“Do you think if we were to say sorry uncle would forget about the switch?” Kili asked in a whisper.
Fili shook his head. “No, not this time little brother.”
All too soon they were back before Thorin holding two stripped bare branches they chose.
“Kili, you will sit over there and not move.” Thorin said quietly pointing to a tree stump. “Fili, you will come with me to the fallen log. There you will bare your backside.”
“Uncle,” Fili begged. “Please don’t switch Kili, he....”
“He is old enough to be on this journey, he is old enough to be switched.” Thorin replied firmly in a tone Fili knew left no room for arguing as the switch was taken from his hand. Fili nodded as he looked at his younger brother who turned his own switch tightly in his hands.
Within moments Fili had his breeches pulled down followed by his woollen long underwear exposing his bare bottom to the cool night air.
Thorin took a moment to place his hand on his nephews back and raised the switch. Then he let it fall. Thorin was never one to do things by halves and set to the task at hand. He covered the bared bottom before him with a series of stinging stripes firm enough to be felt and raise some welts, yet not enough to break the skin. Fili went from a sudden gasp at the first strike to a whimper before he cried out in earnest. Thorin moved from the buttocks to Fili’s thighs then paused. The soft under curves, the place where the bottom met the thighs usually got a share. Thorin needed Fili to be able to ride and switching that particular area would make it impossible for more days than Thorin had time to give. Throwing the switch aside he brought his hand down firmly on to the sensitive spots heating them up before stepping back and giving Fili a moment to gather his wits about him and stand.
Fili hiccupped on his sobs. “I am sorry uncle. I will not tease Master Baggins again.”
Thorin placed a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “I know you are indeed sorry.” Giving Fili a moment to reorder his clothing he then took his nephew into his arms offering him the reassurance that he was forgiven for his wrong doing.
Fili straightened his shoulders and nodded as he swallowed back his tears. “Uncle,” he began casting a glance at his younger brother, “Kili...he...”
Holding up his hand, Thorin looked to Kili. The youngest of the company and his youngest nephew looked as though he was ready to cry. Kili always hated to be punished even as a dwarfling he usually was already crying before the first swat was landed. Even so Thorin would not back down. “Kili will receive his share Fili.” Thorin said quietly. “He has reached an age where his brother needs to step back and allow him to face up to his wrong doings by himself. Sometime we have to let little brothers grow up.”
Fili ducked his head and nodded. “Yes sir.” He then stepped ever so gingerly to the side.
Thorin regarded Kili. “You need to come to me.”
Kili jumped up and started towards his uncle nervously looking at his older brother who stood off to the side sniffing quietly.
“Kili,” Thorin said as he pointed to the stump his nephew had been sitting on. “You need to bring me the switch.”
“Oh,” Kili managed “yes, the...sw...Switch.” He managed to say, “of course.”
Fili watched his younger brother pick up the flexible strip of branch then look questioning at their uncle as he hesitantly stepped up to him and held the switch out.
Thorin waited. “Do we need to go over why you are here my nephew?”
Kili stared at the switch in his hands. “N...no sir.”
“Then let us be done with this before night falls completely upon us.”
Thorin set to his unpleasant task and soon he held his repentant nephew in his arms. Releasing him he then looked at the pair. “Your foolishness on this quest will stop. We do not have the time for it. Should it continue I will assure you it will be my leather you will feel on your bare hides. You will apologize to the hobbit and treat him better.”
Both nodded.
*****
Thorin led them back to camp where once they had apologized to Bilbo and to the rest for their unbecoming behaviour, they were sent to their bedrolls for the rest of the night. To keep them out of mischief, Thorin assigned them the task of looking out for the company’s fourteen ponies starting the next day.
Come the first light Kili and Fili were up early rounding up the ponies, then saddled them and placed packs upon their backs. The other dwarves tended to the cleaning up of the camping site and Bilbo, not wanting to be seen as a burden did his share helping where needed and took it upon himself to roll up the bedrolls. Each of the dwarves thanked him some saying they had never seen more nicely rolled up bedrolls. It did make him feel a bit better although he cringed when Kili and Fili finally mounted their ponies and shifted uncomfortably on more than one occasion.
Thorin sent the brothers ahead to scout for a good water supply for drinking and deep grass for the ponies to eat. Thorin knew in time Kili and Fili would begin to grumble for having to take care of their mounts which required a lot more work than one can imagine.
TBC...