Chapter Text
Kili was only inches above the ground when he jerked to a sudden stop.
He looked up at the rope in surprise. Then he suddenly felt quite embarrassed.
When they had come to the cliff side, the first and best idea had been his: The company would be lowered one by one by rope down the cliff until only Kili and Fili remained at the top; then, Fili would go down ahead of Kili, fixing the rope to the rock face; finally Kili, who prided himself on his climbing skills, would descend, untying the knots as he went.
But the rock had been more difficult to climb than he had anticipated, and he had slipped and fallen. Now, he was stuck. With the rope wrapped around him like a harness, he had no easy way of slipping the knots that held him until he could reach the ground.
Fili gave a snort. The company burst into laughter.
“Fili!” Kili yelled, jerking on the rope. He squinted up in the dusky light and saw the source of his troubles. The rope was caught – no, had been tied– around a protruding tree root, and Kili realized instantly that he had missed the hidden knot. Kili felt his ears redden, for he had walked straight into the prank.
“Best climber, eh?” Dwalin gave Kili a jostle, sending him swinging. He bounced off the side of the cliff face, more annoyed than injured.
“Dwalin, just cut me down!” Kili kicked his feet. His toes scraped the gravel, but he couldn’t manage to gain a foothold on the ground below him.
“Nah, I think I’ll leave ye there, lad. It’s rather amusing.”
“Oh, now this is a sight!” Bofur came up and poked a stubby finger in Kili’s rib. Kili let out a squeal. The dwarves guffawed harder. “”Twas a smart idea ‘til now, Kili. Just how do ye expect to get yerself down?”
Kili scowled. He looked back up the cliff to where the rope was tied. The single crack in the smooth rock face was, in fact, no trivial climbing task.
“Looks like we’d best cut it,” Kili offered.
“And ruin our longest rope?” Balin asked. Even he looked amused.
“I think we should leave you here a bit,” Fili said, still laughing. “It’d be nice to have the peace and quiet.”
“Fili, once I get down from here, I’ll get you if it’s the last thing I do!”
“Well, that’s not much incentive for me to help you out then, is it?” Fili gave his brother another swing. Kili yelled out, growing more frustrated.
“Why don’t you just cut yourself down?” Bilbo asked, blind to the great humor that the dwarves now took in Kili’s predicament.
Kili reached for his sword, but Fili got to it first. The older brother pulled the blade from the sheath and tossed it on the ground, out of Kili’s reach.
“Now you heard Mister Balin,” Fili said with mock seriousness. “You’re not to cut the rope. But you are the best climber, or so you say! Go get yourself free.”
“Fili, this is not funny anymore! Give me my sword!”
“Now, Kili,” Thorin said gruffly. The other dwarves grew quieter, but still could not entirely stifle their laughter. Thorin’s mouth twitched in an uncharacteristically mischievous manner. “What sort of mess have you gotten yourself into now?”
“Uncle, let me down,” Kili pleaded.
“Ah, no. I think I’m with Dwalin on this one. This is rather… entertaining.” Thorin stepped back and sat on a log, propping his feet up. “Truthfully, I’m curious to see how they’re going to treat you, now that you’re at their mercy. You really shouldn’t boast, Kili. Pride does not become you.”
“Thorin, you’re right.” Kili said, only a little sarcastically. “Now please, help me get down!”
“No. As I said, this is entertaining.”
Kili grunted angrily. He sounded petulant even to his own ears. He looked back up the rock face, gritted his teeth in determination, and started to climb. He didn’t get very far before his hand slipped, he fell again, and he bounced hard in the rope harness only to end up right back where he had been – inches from the ground. His companions laughed harder. He felt the heat rising in his face and neck at the humiliation of it.
“What are we going to do with you here, anyways?” Fili had grabbed hold of his brother and was now pulling him to the side. Kili began to panic.
“Fili, don’t do that! Let me go!”
“Suit yourself! Bofur!”
As Fili let him go, Kili went swinging like a pendulum into Bofur’s arms. Bofur gave a hearty laugh and sent him flying back to Fili. Fili swung him again, and they had now made a game of it. The harder Kili thrashed, the more the other dwarves seemed to enjoy their sport.
“Come on, please!” Kili cried, getting dizzy and desperate.
Fili caught him. “Well, maybe we could make a bargain. We’ll let you down if you do something for us.”
Kili stilled. “I’m listening.”
“We’ve got this problem, see.” Fili’s voice had quieted a bit, and he leaned in close to Kili’s ear. “I think we’ve all been a little lonely lately. A little in need of comfort. It’s been a while since the Blue Mountains, and those pretty lasses with their pretty little beards… You get my meaning.”
Kili’s eyes went wide. “What’s wrong with you!?” He smacked his hand on Fili’s face and pushed himself away. Again, he went swinging.
“I could use a bit ‘o comfort,” Nori said brightly.
“Wait, what are we talking about?” Bilbo’s puzzled expression betrayed his naiveté in the ways of dwarves. Balin draped an arm over his shoulder.
“Master burglar, sometimes when a young dwarf has been especially out of line and gets himself into trouble, he finds himself at the mercy of his elders. Sometimes, we play pranks. Occasionally, we ask for favors. That’s all this is.”
“I’m not giving any favors, Balin!” Kili cried.
“How else are ye gonna get down from there, laddie?” Dwalin asked.
Kili’s ears burned more furiously now. “Just give me a chance to climb up there,” he pleaded.
“I don’t think you can climb that crack,” Fili said. He placed a hand in the crack in the wall and, using his protesting brother as a foothold, he began to climb. Fili made short work of the climb and sat, triumphant, on the tree branch. “But I can.”
“There, you see?” Balin tousled Kili’s hair. Kili scowled at him. “A favor for each dwarf in the company, and you’ll be set free. And Bilbo too, if he’s interested.”
Bilbo swallowed. “Uhh, I’m not sure, Balin.” He met Kili’s eyes with a look of concern. “Just doesn’t feel right.”
“No, it happens,” Kili spat. He’d heard about these sorts of things before, and had accepted their existence as part of Dwarvish custom. Never had he imagined that he’d be the one giving favors. He looked up at his brother. “Just one, and then you’ll let me down?”
“One for everyone, aye,” Fili grinned.
Kili gave a heavy sigh. “Fine.” He muttered.
“What was that?” Óin leaned in with his ear horn. Kili had the feeling he’d heard perfectly well.
“I said, fine!”