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"Uncle, look at me!" Little Fili giggled, waving his wooden practice sword at imaginary foes, kicking up clouds of dust as he ran around the practise area. It was late, and it had indeed been a long day, but still Thorin watched with a smile, holding a wriggling baby Kili on his knee who was determined to slip free of his uncle's protective hold and join his older brother.
Darting back to Thorin's side when Kili made a plaintive noise and held his chubby arms out to Fili, the blonde dwarfling wrapped his own arms around his small brother and squeezed him gently. Fili giggled as he was then lifted up onto their uncle's other knee, fisting one small hand into Thorin’s blue tunic while holding onto Kili’s tiny hand with the other.
“Uncle?” Fili asked with a tentative look on his face. “We're pals, right?”
Thorin laughed that deep, rumbling laugh that made Fili think of a large cat. “Yes, Fili. We’re pals.”
“And we'll always be together... right?” The dwarfling’s blue eyes gazed imploringly up at his uncle, shifting a bit as Kili lifted Fili’s hand to his mouth and began gnawing on his fingers.
Thorin sighed, tilting his head up to look at the darkening sky. Fili and Kili followed suit, always copying their uncle’s every move. “Fili, let me tell you something that my father told me. Look at the stars. The great Kings of the past look down on us from those stars.”
“Really?” Fili questioned with a look of pure awe on his young face.
“Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those Kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I.” Fili nodded, seemingly satisfied with Thorin’s answer as the Durin patriarch dropped a kiss on each of his nephews forehead’s.
Kili yawned widely and slumped against Thorin’s side, eliciting a chuckle from the dwarf as he gathered his young charges up and carried them home to their mother.