Epilogue

Kili had not forgotten his promise to accompany Nÿr to the naming ceremony of a certain newborn. Two weeks after the birth of a child was, after all, the traditional time for it.

Wali and Rúna named their little snowmelt lad Alvar, and were thrilled to see their Prince and their midwife in attendance.

On the way back, Kili strolled alongside his intended through Erebor's hub, grateful for a chance to be out on the open-air walkways in the quieter time of the evening. It glowed with a beautiful, soft golden light from long strings of suspended oil-lamps and felt like being inside a vast, glittering jewel. They made their way to a particular balcony, the one with a view twenty levels straight down, dotted with light sparkling into the depths.

"Will that be us someday?" Nÿr asked, standing beside him, their hands clasped tight.

"At a naming ceremony?" Kili smiled. He looked down at her. "If you want to. Erebor's got plenty of heirs. I think this is your Choice, sweetheart."

"What do you want? One? Two? None?"

Kili grinned. "What I want…" he mischievously took both her hands and backed her playfully against a pillar, leaning forward to kiss her deeply. His hands came up to tilt her head so he could nibble her ear.

"Yes?" She snaked her arms around his waist, pulling him closer.

"What I want," he went for her neck now. "Is however many you want."

She laughed, "Good answer, I suppose." She reached into her pocket for something she had purposefully put there and pulled out a small dragonstone raven. She handed it to him. "Did you know that Skirfir is getting harder and harder to find? I think you're working that lad far too much."

Kili grinned. He reached inside a pocket for something he'd obviously put there and handed her an odd, old key on a blue silk cord.

They both laughed, then he brought his nose close to hers, peering into her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she giggled.

"Checking your eyes to see if they're dilated."

She laughed and pushed him back an inch. "Whatever for?"

"Fili says it's a dead giveaway. He's been coaching me."

Nÿr frowned now. "Giveaway for what?"

"Fili calls it…" he started laughing.

"What?"

"Fili says it's the first sign of broody mama time."

Nÿr gasped. "He does not…!"

Kili shook his head at her. "But you're not there yet. Your eyes look pretty normal to me."

"Well I've got news for him," Nÿr giggled. "It doesn't happen the same way for any two ladies…so he can coach you all he wants…"

Kili just raised an eyebrow.

She took his hand now, leading him to the stairs. The rest of this conversation would be much better held under entirely different conditions.

"Out of curiosity, what else does Fili say?"

Kili kept his expression bland. "To never talk about it. Can't let the family secrets out. Erebor would be over-run."

Nÿr still looked puzzled.

"The lad's got four children, Nÿr. He must be doing something right."

"Three," Nÿr said suddenly.

Kili looked at her, not following.

"Children. Three. That's enough. And I've already got the names."

Kili's eyes went wide, and he stopped halfway down the staircase. He started to reply, then didn't, as if suddenly understanding that fatherhood really was part of the whole marriage contract thing.

"Oh, love. Your face! Priceless."

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**Hey, all. Thanks for reading Kinseekers, which really was all about kin and children, and ends on a related note with this little fluffy bit. I am declaring that story complete!

And here's a tease for the first chapter of the NEXT story, which you will see is decidedly NOT-fluffy and offers a complete change in tone. The new story is titled Warhammers…and I invite you to mosey on over, take a look, and give it a read!

Mahal's blessings…**

Preview for

Erebor 3022: Warhammers, a Courtship Year Story (Number 4)

Chapter One

Skirfir, young Lieutenant of the Erebor Guard, had never seen anything as frightening as the lightning fast, towering, ugly, many-legged thing coming at them.

But from the wide-eyed alarm on Kili's face, he was certain his prince knew exactly what it was.

"Run!" Kili pushed him to the side. They ducked under a downed tree and took off, Kili in the lead. Skirfir followed, forgetting about careful footholds as they slid recklessly down a bank into a stream.

They pounded up the narrow gulch, shot up the steep bank on the other side and hurdled over the underbrush. When Skirfir started right for the cadet camp, he felt a solid hand on his collar, swinging him left instead.

"Away! Lead them away!" Kili veered him south and sprinted ahead, his sword in his hand. Skirfir put his head down to follow, arrow in one hand, bow in the other. They charged on at a full run.

And then one was ahead of them, blocking their way with a hissing screech and a threatening array of waving limbs. Skirfir could see Kili's blade whirling, pieces of giant spider leg flying…but the damn thing had too many. The loss of one or two didn't slow it down.

Skirfir put the brakes on and knocked an arrow.

"Go for the eyes!" Kili yelled, jerking his sword free of pincers and swinging for the head.

Skirfir shot. The target moved far too fast for any hope of a clean hit, but he managed three more arrows. At least two caused damage—but like it's many legs, the thing had a cluster of eyes…not just two.

But it bought Kili enough time to aim for the space under a leg joint and thrust his blade deep, pull it back, and swing it around for a death blow.

"Behind you," he shouted, spurring Skirfir back into action. They headed for a rocky formation not far off.

"What the hell are they?" Skirfir shouted as he followed.

"Mirkwood spiders…" Kili called back, shouldering through leafy undergrowth. "They shouldn't be on the western slope."

Skirfir winced as a branch of leather-leaf slapped his face. "Someone's routed them?"

"Yes!"

They charged across a small clearing. Skirfir could see Kili scanning the sky as he ran.

"Raven! Need a raven!"

Two spiders emerged right behind them.

"Cave!" Skirfir called, spotting an opening in the rocks ahead. They charged full-bore up a rock face, then Skirfir felt Kili hook his jacket and pull him under an overhang. Together, they plowed to the back wall, getting as much distance from the spiders as they could get. They both stopped, heaving for breath, but spider legs reached in after them, stabbing and feinting.

Kili severed two, and Skirfir shot blindly for the body.

He was running out of arrows.

**The new story and entire first chapter has been posted—so come on over!**