Work Text:
Slim fingers smoothed along the grain of the wood, feeling for tiny imperfections in the surface of the bark, following the whorls engraved in patterns down the length of the stick. A blunt nail gently scraped at the surface, removing a small but sharp splinter that marred the otherwise smooth wood.
A small knife was brought out from a pocket, hidden deep within the folds of a coat that lay to the side on the ground, it’s sharpness tested on a small stick that lay beneath the dappled light of a graceful oak tree.
Strands of brown hair brushed the top of the long stick as the knifes owner leant forward, bringing the knife to the end where it began whittling the wood to a sharp point. Every so often a thumb would test the growing point, small pricks against work worn skin, shallow indentations that quickly disappeared.
Turning the stick around the knife cut into the wood, creating a small notch at the top. With this done the now smoothed and whittled stick was placed carefully with several others on top of the rumpled material of the coat.
The craftsman’s attention now turned to a small pile of feathers, tied with twine to keep them together. Each feather was carefully selected and held between slim fingers as the knife stripped the soft strands from one side of the rib. This action was repeated several times; materials altered to suit a purpose.
Picking up the shaft of knife sharpened wood the feathers were placed around the blunt end, held in place by the careful fingers of one hand while the other twined thread around the circumference, fastening the two materials together to create a final product.
The finished arrow was placed carefully in a waiting quiver, the previous occupants having been lost against foul creatures who seemed determined to end their quest.
Running his thumb over the finished arrows Kili let out a gust of breath, his mind calmed by the task he had completed; a task that he had repeated often since childhood, a necessity for the only archer within Thorin Oakenshield’s company.
These arrows would be called for as they continued their journey; a fight against many foes, whether they be orcs, men or the great dragon they would face to accomplish their task.
But no matter how Kili had been ridiculed through childhood for his choice of an, as some claimed, elfish weapon, he knew that in the coming battle his skill with bow and arrow would often be called upon.
And he would always answer, quiver full of his lovingly hand crafted arrows.