Not only had Kili angered Thorin, but he feared that he may have disappointed his godmother as well. The youngest heir hadn't meant to be cruel; he'd only wished to have some fun, and that had proven a mistake. He knew of orcs, yes, but he'd yet to see one. To joke about them hadn't bothered his conscious any, and to make matters worse, he'd gotten Fili in trouble, too. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut?

Inwardly, he chastised himself. Thorin would never see potential in him if he acted as a child would. If only he had a way to prove himself useful to their group; perhaps then they would see him in a new light. Kili never felt inadequate around Fili, his brother was often very supportive, but their uncle was another story. What he failed to realize was that Thorin [i]did[/i] care about them, but he didn't often show it as much as he should have.

Caught up in his own thoughts, Kili stared intently into the fire, determined not to make the same mistake twice. When he felt a hand make contact with his arm, he looked to Saeril with some reluctance, as if he expected her to scold him too. When he saw her expression, he was relieved to find that she did not seem angry. 

Balin had overheard the entire exchange, and he knew Thorin's words had been harsh, though they came from a source of pain. "Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs." The white haired dwarf looked towards their leader, and he could not help but pity him. Thorin had lost much that day -- his grandfather, and his brother, years younger than Kili was now. "After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first."

Bilbo listened intently as Balin told the story regarding the Battle of Azanulbizar; never in his life had he heard a tale of such a war, and it amazed him, yet made him realize how very fortunate he was to have lived his days safe in The Shire. 

Kili listened too, and he now understood more from his uncle's point of view. Thorin had fought the orcs; they had lost many dwarves due to them, and for him to joke about such a thing had been insensitive. While Kili felt badly, he was also amazed by Thorin's bravery and skill in combat. Even without a weapon, Thorin had prevailed, just long enough to defeat the pale orc.

"But the pale orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo found it within himself to speak up, albeit meekly. The rest of the group was awake by now, for they had overheard the story, and it was not one to be missed.

Thorin turned away from the clearing, his mind in a dark place. "He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." The words were bitter, and he brushed past the hobbit in order to return to his place of sleep. The day had been a long one, and he wished not to speak on past battles any further. "Get some sleep. All of you. There are few hours from now till dawn."