The eldest brother was already awake; Fili was quietly sitting on his bed that was pressed close to the wall opposite of his brother’s bed. Kili was still sleeping but Fili could not. No they were going to go hunting with their Uncle today. Both of the brothers were somewhere between being children and being young adults, they were getting to go on more and more hunting trips when their Uncle’s schedule would allow it and Fili looked forward to these trips the most. It was the only time he wasn’t bombarded with his responsibilities of learning under the wing of his Uncle. Fili was the oldest after all, and the next in line for the throne. From a young age he understood what it meant and how important it was for him to learn from the examples set by his Uncle. 

Fili finished brushing out the tangles from his golden hair and he began to braid his locks into their usual style. Running a hand over his chin, Fili was delighted with the stubble he found there. As he was getting older and the beginnings of his blond beard were beginning to come in he had been thinking about the style he would like to have his beard in. It was something important to Dwarves and by no means was Fili any different. Slipping out of his bed and heading to the wardrobe that was pushed against the largely unoccupied wall by the door, he pulled out a sky colored tunic and slipped it over his chest before looking at his brother’s bed. Fili smiled slightly and quietly made his way out of their room and into the kitchen where their mother was already awake and cooking breakfast for her boys. “Good morning Amad,” Fili said.

His mother smiled and turned from the counter top she had been working on, opening her arms wide to her son, the blond boy wasted no time in rushing into her arms to give her a hug. He felt a kiss be pressed to the top of his head. “Good morning Fili, aren’t you up early?” 

Fili shook his head, “I couldn’t sleep.” He said, “I am too excited about the hunting trip.”

Dis knew that her boys loved their Uncle dearly and she was thankful that Thorin had taken both Fili and Kili under his wings to teach them things that she could not. She only wished that it was their father, not her brother, who was teaching them such things. Sadly he had been robbed from them when the boys were still quite young, Fili was only able to remember that he had the same hair color as his father. Dis wondered when her brother would wake up, unless he was already working down at the forge for a while. He lived with them, Thorin did. It made thing easy on the boys. They were able to have him there and it was a plus because Fili would often be taught his lessons on learning to be a King. “Do you need help Amad?” he asked the woman. She shook her head with a smile and shooed him out of the room, muttering something about having Kili check on his brother.

Fili sighed since there was nothing to do this early. Sitting heavily onto one of the arm chairs in the living room, he looked around until his eyes landed on the portrait of his father above the mantel. He had the looks of his father but the same blue eyes of the line of Durin. Fili’s stomach twisted with the thought of his father. It hadn’t been his fault that he died on the battlefield and left them fatherless and Fili understood that war did not make exceptions for certain people. He had never been in a battle but he did hear many stories from the older Dwarves.

Dis wandered into the living room in the search of her oldest son and she found him gazing at the portrait of his father. She didn’t talk about her husband often to the boys, it still hurt too much. “Fili…” Dis said as she walked closer to him. “Did you want to help me with something?” 

“Sure Amad, you know I will always help you.” 

Fili followed his mother into the kitchen where she handed him a stack of four plates, a few cups and forks and knives. “You set the table while I check on everything.” Dis said before leaving her oldest son to his devices.