𝘼 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙁𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙤𝙧 || 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐢 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧

Chapter 2: Catching Up & Blunting Knives

We stared at each other in shock... Fili grabbed the Ale barrel from Kili, patted his brother's shoulder, and walked to the dining room with the rest of the group.

We looked over each other in disbelief... He had gotten taller, leaner, grown his hair out, and had stubble on his face, yet his dark brown eyes were the same ones I knew from when we were children.  The silence was broken when he looked at me with teary eyes, 

"Mini? " 

"Ki?" I responded with tears threatening to spill, his shocked expression turned into joy as he ran up to me. One of his arms wrapped around my waist and the other held the back of my head as he spun me around with a laugh, then let me stand again. He moved both of his hands to hold my face, 

"Reyna... I don't know how to explain how elated I am to see you! And look at you, you've got your own gear and learned to tame your hair! " He spoke with a beaming smile and laugh, I have him a slight shove at the tease.

"And you're no longer a boy, you're a grown young man! You've even got stubble! " 

He smirked and added, "Well, I prefer it that way, it makes me look young, unlike Fili perhaps! " We laughed together as more tears streamed down my face, his expression changed to a concerned one as he looked at my slightly wet cheeks. 

Kili looks around to see if anyone was nearby and sits us down on a bench near the front door. "Reyna? What's the matter?  " 

I shook my head, he always could tell if something was wrong. I wiped my remaining tears and said, "I just figured that I'd never see you again after you stopped sending letters... I'm just overjoyed to be here with all of you. ". 

He looked down then looked back up at me with a sad look, "Oh Reyna, no. I became a member of Thorin's Company and I lost my postal address. But even then I wanted to scour Middle-Earth to find you. " 

"It's alright, Kili, I understand... " 

He nodded and shook his head with a quiet chuckle, "It's been years... I have so much to tell and ask you but I'm not sure where to begin! "

I smiled, "Well we will have plenty of time to catch up while we travel. " 

Kili's eyes widened in realization, "Fili brought me inside because he said that the new member that was joining the company had arrived... You're coming with us?  " 

I nodded and answered, "Yeah, Thorin said he needed a new healer, so here I am! " 

"That's amazing, Reyna! " Kili's expression changed from excited to nervous as he looked off into the night sky through the window. "This quest is going to be a long and grueling one, Mini... Lots of fighting, traveling across Middle-Earth, and hardly ever stopping... Are you sure you are up for it? " Ki asked and returned his gaze to me. 

I nodded, "I'm confident in my decision... I want to aid the company as much as possible, and if that means healing wounds and fighting alongside you all to take back your homeland, then so be it. " 

Kili nodded and smirked at me, "After we take the Lonely Mountain back, the Dwarves finally have a place to call home. That includes you too. " 

I shook my head, "As much as I appreciate the offer, It can't be my home, Ki. Look at me, I'm known to be a 'mutt'! Most view me as a freak of nature... Surely others will think the same. " 

He looked at me with a disappointed look, "Do you really think that? " I nodded and looked at my lap, "Rayna, look at me. " I raised my head to see his stern expression. 

"This company knows who you truly are and will continue to treat you with respect like any other dwarf... Well, hopefully they'll be a little more respectful now that we have a lady in our presence. " I smirked and he continued, "You, Fili, and I were raised together so you already know that we don't view you as a mutt--" He paused as if the word disgusted him and rephrased, "--a mixed-backgrounded lady. So take comfort in knowing that you will always be accepted by us. "