Fill: Practice Makes Perfect, 4/?settiaiJanuary 17 2013, 21:38:07 UTC
Bilbo brought his sword up hurriedly, blocking Fíli's thrust the way Bofur had taught him. It wasn't as smooth as it had been when Kíli had demonstrated the move, nor was it as effective. If it had been a real battle, Bilbo had no doubt that he wouldn't have stood a chance. Still, it was more than he had been able to do just a few hours earlier. He couldn't help but feel just a little bit of pride when he heard the clang of metal when Fíli's sword connected with his.
"That's more like it," Bofur said, clapping his hands together. "We'll make a proper swordsman out of you yet."
Bilbo sighed as he let his sword drop back down to his side, reaching up with his free hand to brush a few strands of sweaty hair out of his eyes. "Let's not exaggerate," he said lightly.
Kíli grinned at him as he walked up and threw his arm over Fíli's shoulder. "Don't doubt yourself so much, Mr. Baggins," Kíli said.
Bilbo frowned at him. "I'm not a swordsman," Bilbo protested, "and I don't think that I want to become one even if I could."
Fíli pushed his brother's arm off of his shoulder. "Well, what matters is that you at least learn how to block and thrust properly. And you're getting there, Bilbo."
"Slowly," Kíli added teasingly, rather unhelpfully in Bilbo's mind.
His brother apparently felt the same, as he elbowed Kíli in the side. Kíli let out a soft "oomph" as Fíli's arm connected with him. "What?" he asked with a scowl. "I didn't mean it as a bad thing!"
Bofur chuckled, shaking his head as he glanced up at the sky. "It's getting close to midday," he said thoughtfully. "I should probably go see if Bombur needs help getting the next meal ready."
Bilbo couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that the training was over already, since he actually had been making some progress. He was careful not to let it show on his face, however, as he shot Bofur a tentative smile. "Thank you for the lesson," Bilbo said. "I appreciate it."
"Anytime," Bofur said with an exaggerated bow.
Fíli saluted him. "Don't worry, Kíli and I will take over from here."
Bilbo froze, remembering very clearly Fíli and Kíli's teaching attempts from the night before.
Bofur apparently recognized the look on Bilbo's face for what it was. He slowly raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you're up for some more training, Bilbo?" he asked, his eyes asking more than his tone of voice. "It's been a long morning. You must be tired."
Kíli's face fell.
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Fíli said, not even trying to hide the disappointment. "Did you want to stop then, Bilbo?"
Bilbo knew he was being played. No matter what some of the others might think, he wasn't a fool. He could see the sparkle in Kíli's eyes that the dwarf wasn't quite hiding, just like he noticed the way Fíli's mouth twitched slightly as he carefully didn't glance at his brother.
Still, it wouldn't hurt him to get some more practice in. Besides, at least now he had a slight idea as to what he was doing thanks to Bofur's help.
Bilbo bit his lip. "No, I'm fine," he said slowly, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. "A little more training wouldn't go amiss, I think."
Fíli and Kíli's faces both lit up. Bilbo couldn't help but feel a little bit of apprehension at just how eager they were to try to teach him again, but he wasn't going to back down now.
Bofur shook his head in amusement. "In that case, I'll leave you in the lads' hands," he said as he turned and started back toward the camp. "Good luck."
As Fíli and Kíli turned toward him, identical grins on their faces, Bilbo had a feeling that he was going to need it.
"That's more like it," Bofur said, clapping his hands together. "We'll make a proper swordsman out of you yet."
Bilbo sighed as he let his sword drop back down to his side, reaching up with his free hand to brush a few strands of sweaty hair out of his eyes. "Let's not exaggerate," he said lightly.
Kíli grinned at him as he walked up and threw his arm over Fíli's shoulder. "Don't doubt yourself so much, Mr. Baggins," Kíli said.
Bilbo frowned at him. "I'm not a swordsman," Bilbo protested, "and I don't think that I want to become one even if I could."
Fíli pushed his brother's arm off of his shoulder. "Well, what matters is that you at least learn how to block and thrust properly. And you're getting there, Bilbo."
"Slowly," Kíli added teasingly, rather unhelpfully in Bilbo's mind.
His brother apparently felt the same, as he elbowed Kíli in the side. Kíli let out a soft "oomph" as Fíli's arm connected with him. "What?" he asked with a scowl. "I didn't mean it as a bad thing!"
Bofur chuckled, shaking his head as he glanced up at the sky. "It's getting close to midday," he said thoughtfully. "I should probably go see if Bombur needs help getting the next meal ready."
Bilbo couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that the training was over already, since he actually had been making some progress. He was careful not to let it show on his face, however, as he shot Bofur a tentative smile. "Thank you for the lesson," Bilbo said. "I appreciate it."
"Anytime," Bofur said with an exaggerated bow.
Fíli saluted him. "Don't worry, Kíli and I will take over from here."
Bilbo froze, remembering very clearly Fíli and Kíli's teaching attempts from the night before.
Bofur apparently recognized the look on Bilbo's face for what it was. He slowly raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you're up for some more training, Bilbo?" he asked, his eyes asking more than his tone of voice. "It's been a long morning. You must be tired."
Kíli's face fell.
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Fíli said, not even trying to hide the disappointment. "Did you want to stop then, Bilbo?"
Bilbo knew he was being played. No matter what some of the others might think, he wasn't a fool. He could see the sparkle in Kíli's eyes that the dwarf wasn't quite hiding, just like he noticed the way Fíli's mouth twitched slightly as he carefully didn't glance at his brother.
Still, it wouldn't hurt him to get some more practice in. Besides, at least now he had a slight idea as to what he was doing thanks to Bofur's help.
Bilbo bit his lip. "No, I'm fine," he said slowly, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. "A little more training wouldn't go amiss, I think."
Fíli and Kíli's faces both lit up. Bilbo couldn't help but feel a little bit of apprehension at just how eager they were to try to teach him again, but he wasn't going to back down now.
Bofur shook his head in amusement. "In that case, I'll leave you in the lads' hands," he said as he turned and started back toward the camp. "Good luck."
As Fíli and Kíli turned toward him, identical grins on their faces, Bilbo had a feeling that he was going to need it.
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