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The villagers would look down upon the heir, and laugh at his gentle soul. There were whispers in the night proclaiming how such a weak child could never harm an opponent, much less rule a kingdom.
The heir had no right to the throne.
The heir must die.
…
“He is so small my dear.” Dís looked up at her frightened looking husband, but she could not offer any words of comfort. The babe had been born much too soon, and it would be a miracle if the child lasted through the upcoming winter.
Yet the babe, however small he was, was alive and breathing, and Dís couldn’t help but feel love for her premature child.
“Small, but he lives and breathes like any normal babe would. He wants to live.” Dís gently encased the newborn’s hand within her own and tried to ignore her sadness to how small the hand was. She looked over to her brother, her king, who had yet to say anything about the birth of his heir. Dís beckons her older brother to her with a small gesture, and her husband leaves the room to give the two some privacy.
Thorin took a long look at the child. He noted the light colored curls on the child’s head, and the closed eyes that had yet to open for the world to see. He noticed how the newborn’s chest moved much too slowly for a healthy baby dwarf, he took in all his doubts and fears that this babe would most likely die in the upcoming weeks, but mostly he took in the sudden awe and love he had found himself feeling for the small child.
“By Mahal he is beautiful dear sister, truly a child to be proud of.” Thorin looked into his sister’s dark brown eyes and saw only relief. She must have been frightened that somehow Thorin would hate this child for all the pain he has caused her all these months. The pregnancy had not been easy for Dís, and there were a few frightening moments when many thought that both might die. Thorin admitted to himself that he had distanced himself from his sister during her difficulties, afraid that should he become to close the pain of losing her would be too much.
The siblings looked down at the newborn and let out gasps of awe when the child opened its small eyes to reveal beautiful blue eyes.
“He looks very much like Frenin.” Thorin found himself agreeing with Dís wholeheartedly, the child did resemble their fallen brother, though he could see a bit of his parent’s as well.
“Frenin, if he were here, would spoil this child till he was as mischievous as he was.” Dís chuckled softly and for a moment the past few frightening hours were taken over by a small sliver of hope. But just as that hope came it left when Dís had a serious look on her face.
“Thorin, my brother, my king; do you accept this child as your heir?” Thorin knew that Dís would hold no feelings of hatred towards her brother if he were to say no, a king must be a strong dwarf and the child before them had very little hope of ever growing up to be the king the people would want.
Yet as Dís looked towards her brother, she saw only love in his eyes and she knew that the newborn would be well loved by his uncle and king.
“I accept your child as my heir. May our ancestors as well as Aulë bless his body and soul and grant him the strength to lead our people.” Thorin laid a gentle kiss on the babe’s brow and gave him a silent blessing. “What name will you bestow my heir?”
“Fíli, his name shall be Fíli.”
…
Another heir was born, a proper heir. He was strong and had a fighting spirit larger than any dragon. The people were proud and they rejoiced the new heir gladly.
Yet even when his people preferred the second heir to the first, the king refused to rename his own heir.
The people became angry with the king’s blind love for his nephew and heir. They could not understand why the king could not see how the second deserved the throne.
The people, no matter how angry with their king, could never hate him though.
No, the people took their hate out on the heir.
…
“Fíli! Fíli!” The small blonde dwarf child looked up at his younger brother with a loving smile and set down his flower to better listen to his brother. Kíli, being much too excited to realize that his ramblings made little to no sense, talked excitedly about his day with their uncle; and Fíli only smile and nodded his head during his brother’s lengthy speech.
At the end of his incomprehensible speech the younger prince sat next to his brother and took out a small knife that uncle had given him earlier that day. Fíli had been given a similar dagger a few years ago but unlike what Kíli would surely do, Fíli had kept his knife in a small chest near his bed.
“You will make a strong warrior one day Kíli, a warrior uncle would be very proud of.” Kíli was too young to notice the pained tone Fíli had whenever he mentioned their uncle’s pride. What he did notice, however, was the bruise on his brother’s left eye.
“Fíli, did the others hurt you again?” The younger brother looked at the oldest with a determined look and Fíli knew that Kíli would seek vengeance upon anyone who had laid a hand on his brother in a violent way.
“No brother, I fell on a rock earlier today when I was chasing a rabbit.” It was no secret that the small heir would rather be in the company of animals to people. He would often be found playing with the livestock in men’s fields, and chasing after small animals. The small prince has a special way with animals and he had yet to find an animal that would not let him pet them.
Others did not understand the small heir’s love of animals and they often would ridicule him for it, they didn’t understand that Fíli loved all creatures big and small. Kíli tried to understand, as did the rest of the family, but no one truly understood.
“You must be more careful brother; I don’t like it when you are hurt.” Kíli had hugged his older brother gently and the two had sat in the grassy field and watched the clouds drift through the sky slowly till it grew dark outside. During their time a small rabbit had come up to Fíli’s side and had stayed there till the young heir told the creature to hop home where it belonged.
Kíli would always believe that his brother fell on a rock that day, he would never learn the truth on how the another dwarf had threw a rock at Fíli for no more reason then he had loathed the small heir.
…
The people had noticed how the small heir seemed to be able to communicate with the animals he had sought comfort from.
Those closest to the boy would call it a gift, something that would be useful in years to come.
Most called it a curse.
…
Kíli had always known that his brother was different than most dwarves; he never noticed how the others viewed his brother till now.
They hated his kindhearted brother, and that had left the younger furious in a way he had never known. Kíli had wanted revenge for how the others would beat on him and call him viscous names, he wanted more than anything was to stand up for his brother. But mostly, he wished his brother would stand up for himself.
When he had asked his uncle about what to do with Fíli, Thorin had told him that Fíli was too gentle to ever fight back one of his attackers. He had explained to Kíli that while his brother did well in academics and diplomacy he would never be a warrior.
Thorin also explained to Kíli the cruel reality that many people hated Fíli because he was this way. He explained to Kíli that Fíli had been born much too early and that as a babe he should have died during the harsh winter, and that Fíli would never be strong enough to ever fight for his own honor.
“That is why, dear Kíli, you must train to help protect your brother.”
Kíli vowed to become a stronger fighter, to make sure that Fíli would never get hurt.
…
Away from the troubles of men and dwarves, there lived a beast.
There were whispers about the beast, hushed into small children’s ears to warn them against going out into the woods.
They say the beast lives in those woods; they say the beast eats small children.
…
The old beast looks at the small child before him. He notices that the child has no fear in his eyes, only awe for the beast before him.
“You are small, young one, but I can see that you have an important future.” The child didn’t falter for hearing the beast’s voice in his mind and for that the beast had decided that the small child must be very special indeed.
“Many people would disagree with you beast.” The small child stepped towards the beast and had offered his small hand for the creature to smell. Usually the beast would have eaten the hand offered for being treated like a mutt, but the child intrigued him. He indulged the child by sniffing at his hand softly and the small child broke out into a large grin.
“Many would run away from a beast my size, yet you seem to treat me as a common pet. How people can whisper that you are an heir with no courage angers me master dwarf.” The child suddenly looked much older then he actually was and the beast could see sadness in the child’s eyes. Yet beneath that sadness laid a wonder that the beast had not seen in all its life.
“Could I feel your fur great beast?” The beast, taken off guard by the dwarf’s question, could only nod and watched as the child went closer to him and began to run his small fingers through the beast’s golden main. The beast couldn’t help but enjoy the child’s petting and he found himself enamored to the small heir.
The truth that wasn’t whispered into the night to scared children: the beast was lonely.
“Will you visit me again small one, I would much like to hear about your adventures.” The child had looked at the beast for a long time and the beast had found itself mesmerized by the child’s sapphire stare.
“I would very much like a friend outside my family. I believe my brother to be getting sick of me.” The beast had laughed openly for the first time in centuries, and it sounded like thunder to the rest of the Middle Earth.
…
And so the beast and the heir shared a strange friendship.
Both of them had become less lonely.
The beast had become protective of the child.
The beast had learned to fall in love with the child.
The beast would do anything for the child.
…
“Sweetheart, where do you wonder off to every day?” Fíli looked quiet, like he had done something wrong. Kíli had told her that Fíli had found a friend and that he was much more cheerful these past few weeks. The thought that her oldest son had made a friend, someone to call dear, made her heart soar’ but yet she was cautious.
“I go to play with the lion mama.” Dís’ hands stilled where they were braiding thick blond curls and she tried her hardest not to make a noise that showed her disappointment. Fíli had obviously felt her discomfort and he quickly hopped off the stool and went out the door without a look back.
“I will go after the boy sister, rest your eyes for a bit.” Thorin came from the den to see Fíli running from his mother and had let out a heavy sigh at the sight. The boy had been acting secretive lately, which while not unusual for most children his age, was strange for Fíli’s gentle nature.
…
The king had followed the small boy.
The boy had led him to a clearing deep within the woods. The area was lit brilliantly despite being unable to see any sky up above.
Ahead the king saw a beast only whispered in stories.
A beast, larger than any warg, a beast with golden fur.
The small child, the king’s heir, greeted the beast like one would an old friend.
The king, unable to move, watched as the beast and the child played.
The king was terrified.
…
“I forbid you from going out to those woods! You are my heir, and as heir you have a duty to your people!” The small child trembled beneath his uncle’s wrath.
“I need to see my friend or…”
“You are forbidden from seeing that beast as you are forbidden from leaving this house!” Thick tears rolled down the child’s face, but he did not argue with his uncle. Before anything more could be shouted the young child shuffled off to his bed chambers and left his king alone to seethe in his fury.
…
The king had tried to find the clearing that held the beast.
He had searched every day.
Yet he could not find the beast.
The people began to think he had gone mad for his search of a child’s fable.
The people blamed the heir for the king’s madness.
…
“Mama!” Dís turned to see her younger son distraught with thick tears streaming down his face. The child was in a panic and for a child who scared so scarcely Dís understood to regard the situation seriously.
“Fíli and I were playing just outside of town, and...” A hush came over the boy as he tried to gain control of his emotions and Dís felt her heart break in that moment. The people, her people, had always been angry with the heir. Lately, in Thorin’s madness to slay the beast, they had begun to grow in their fury till it had become violent. “Mama, Fíli’s hurt.”
…
The people, finally satisfied in their thirst for the heir’s blood cheered over the small child’s cold body.
In the distance the beast roared its pain loud as thunder.
The beast came for the people who had hurt the small child.
The beast spared no mercy and the beast left no one alive.
The small child was no more.
…
“Please do something!” The large beast turned towards the small boy, and had been about to kill the boy in anger, when he noticed that the child wore a clip in his hair, similar to the one his golden haired friend had worn. This was Kíli, the small child’s brother. The beast could never hurt such a precious person to his friend.
“If I were to help the small one, he would be different. Your brother would be the Fíli you knew no more. Do you truly wish for that to happen master dwarf.” The beast looked down at the small child before him, and he saw nothing but pure determination. The child was terrified, yet he was truly willing to do anything to bring his brother back,
“Please.”
…
The beast had taken the small child between its jaws and had run into the forest.
The beast and the child remained there for three days and three nights.
On the third night one last roar sounded through the night, and the thunder died with the beast.
When the child emerged from the woods on the fourth day, he was forever changed.
The beast had used all of its ancient magic to save the child, and in doing so had given the child its heart.
The child and the beast were now one.
…
Years later, two dwarves lay in a clearing that could only be found by the older. Both of them had been exhausted by a previous sparing match and both fund comfort in the cold grass.
Not for the first time, Kíli found himself fixated on the large scar that ran across his brother’s chest.
The scar was a reminder that he had almost lost his brother, and it was a reminder of how Fíli was forever different.
From the moment they had found Fíli stumbling through the forest to the very sight of his death, Kíli had realized that the gentle Fíli he had grown up with was no more. There was a fire to his eyes, a fire so bright that no one could ever extinguish it.
Fíli had come out of the woods stronger, faster, and wilder. He had the heart of the warrior; he had the heart of the beast.
Fíli had the heart of a lion.