Thorin finished his knife, and began work on a pair of boot-daggers. Just to thumb his nose at Dís, he embedded chips of emerald in the handles and engraved the patterns for ‘honoured family’ along the blade. He could be decorative when he chose. He ended up gifting them to Fíli, and was therefore obliged to create a set for Kíli as well, lest he get deafened by complaints of favouritism.
And then, of course, Frerin wanted a set as well.
See what happens when you try to prove your sister wrong, Thorin? You just create more work for yourself.
Thorin had been a very active Dwarf his whole life. He had very rarely been stationary, forever journeying or working or building or planning. Remaining in one place was proving difficult. He turned his hand to more and more projects, but very little kept him satisfied. As the years turned and the second anniversary of the Battle of Five Armies came and went, he began to forge the links for an entire hauberk of mail simply to give himself something to do that was not staring wistfully at the waters of Gimlîn-zâram, longing in vain for the colours of Middle-Earth.
I have a feeling that this would happen a lot, active dwarves having trouble getting used to just…being. Not /needing/ to work or travel or anything else. They can still craft, and they do, but some of them have to get restless without a purpose. Meals are provided, rooms are provided, so anything they make is just really for fun or to be nice to their relatives and friends.
Glóin would bristle, his beard doubling in size (which was quite a sight)
Imagining that is always funny. I wonder if Legolas would’ve thought twice about taking in the Company if Glóin had bristled like that when Legolas insulted Gimli and Mizim.
His deputy was a Blacklock Dwarrowdam named Orla; stout, stern and nearly as severe as himself.
Orla!! Not going to lie, as much as I love all of the other OCs (I have lots of favorites) Orla is my undisputed favorite. She’s just so quietly badass, and she’s got a sense of humor that’s well hidden. She’s an excellent warrior, apparently a pretty fantastic cook since it’s mentioned that everyone loves the recipes that she brought with her, and she’s an amazing mother to her kids too. There’s more, tons more really, but I just really love Orla.
Dís and Mizim seemed to be getting along splendidly. It was an intimidating thought.
Thorin’s probably torn between ‘it’s nice that Dís isn’t alone anymore’ and ‘Sweet merciful Mahal, what were we thinking when we let them join forces?’.
“How many?” Glóin said, astonished.
“Eleven,” Bombur said with a little blush. “Oh, no – it’ll be twelve by now. Alrís will have given birth to the last, what… a year and a half ago?”
“It’ll be two years by the time we reach Ered Luin,” remarked Bofur.
“Sweet merciful Mahal, how does she do it?” Glóin muttered. “I could barely stand having two crying bairns in the house, let alone twelve!”
“Well, the eldest is sixty soon. She and the older lads help with the wee ones.”
“Sixty?” Glóin gave him an amused look. “You and Alrís got started early, didn’t you?”
Bombur’s blush deepened.
Bombur and Alrís are both part hobbit, that’s the only explanation. I’ve always loved the ‘Bombur has a big family’ headcanon, though, I can’t remember where I read it first, but I’ve always loved it and was ecstatic to find that Bombur has a big family here. And Bombur’s little blush when he mentioned how many kids he has, and then when Glóin teased him about how early they got started? Adorable.
“Mizim wrote. Gimrís has begun an apprenticeship in glass-blowing, and apparently Gimli has made friends with the Lady Dís. The audacity of that boy!”
“The Princess?” Bofur shared a glance with Bombur. “Now there’s a surprise.”
Whenever I read this bit, I always wonder if the glance Bofur shares with Bombur is something like ‘only a Lord’s son could manage that’ or if it’s just the two of them being surprised about what happened. I know they wouldn’t mean it unkindly, but that’s just something I’ve thought about various times I’ve re-read this.
Thorin couldn’t help but smile. This was an old argument: Second watch was the most unpleasant and least desirable of the three. No-one liked having to interrupt a sound sleep to stay awake for a few hours, and it led to itchy eyes and short fuses the next morning. In fact, on their first journey, ‘second watch’ had become shorthand for ‘bad-tempered’.
I don’t know about the dwares, but second watch doesn’t sound too bad to me. You can go to sleep earlier than whoever has first watch, and sleep later than whoever has third. Still, the fact that they traveled together long enough on the first quest to have little code words like second watch for bad-tempered? Funny, and a bit adorable.
“Lads?” Glóin said sleepily. “What’s the first thing you’re going to say to Bilbo when you see him?”
Bombur hummed for a moment and then mumbled, “ask for that cheesecake recipe.”
“How did I know it was going to be something like that?” Bofur said, grinning.
“I like cheesecake,” Bombur said with a shrug, and rolled over. “Then I’ll be huggin’ our Hobbit, and then we should have a little party.”
Bombur just doesn’t care that Bofur’s teasing him. He likes cheesecake, he likes their hobbit friend, so he’ll ask for the recipe and then give Bilbo a hug, then enjoy hobbit cooking at the party. Honestly, I think that Bilbo and Bombur would be great friends just based on how much they both like food. They’d bond over exchanging recipes and cooking styles among the hobbits versus among the dwarves…I should stop before I give myself ideas.
“Well, night lads. Tomorrow’s another day, and we’ll be seein’ old Beorn and his menagerie soon enough.”
“Green food,” shuddered Bofur. “Rest up, we’ll need all our strength.”
“Honey-cakes,” Bombur mumbled, and dropped into a snore.
Bombur knows what’s important 🙂
“What’s that then? I hope my poor plumbing is safe this time – I’ve only just got it sorted out again, you know.”
“We’re makin’ no promises when it comes to plumbing,” said Bofur, grinning, and then the three Dwarves were picking Bilbo up and squeezing him tightly in a great hug. Bilbo squeaked loudly, before throwing his arms around as much of them as possible.
Bilbo should make them help fix his plumbing before they leave this time as punishment.
Oh! Do make yourselves at home. Well, you usually do, don’t you?“ He laughed.
“Not a shy bunch, as a rule,” Bofur agreed.
Understatement of the Age, Bofur.
His voice echoed through the smial, and the three Dwarves blinked and looked around in confusion. Stone-sense and a knowledge of echoes did not exactly translate to a Hobbit-Hole, it seemed.
Okay, but imagine if Thorin had lived, and he spent some time in the Shire with Bilbo and got lost in Bilbo’s hobbit hole? Bilbo would laugh himself sick and never let Thorin forget it.
“Pass the scones?”
Bofur looked about. “What’s a scone?”
“Oh, call yourself my brother,” Bombur said scornfully, and handed the basket to Bilbo (after snagging three for himself, of course).
Honestly, Bofur, with Bombur as your brother, you really should know better. (I laughed so hard reading this bit though, especially since the first time I made scones, my grandfather asked what they were because he’d never had a scone before).
“So, how are things under the Mountain?” Bilbo took a bite of his scone after liberally topping it with jam and cream. “Everyone is well, I hope? I receive a letter now and again – it quite scandalises my neighbours when a Ranger comes stomping up Bagshot Row – but it isn’t the same as being there.”
Bilbo lives to scandalize his neighbors.
“Well,” Bofur said eventually. “Nori’s made himself a new leg. It’s quite a thing. He keeps a dagger in it, y’know. And a set of lockpicks. And a pack o’ cards. And a leather cosh…”
Bilbo smiled. “He would.”
That’s exactly something that Nori would do. Honestly, I’m surprised that Fíli was the porcupine of the bunch, with weapons everywhere, rather than Nori. Then again, he might have had just as many as Fíli, and the elves just couldn’t find them because he’s that good at hiding things.
“And how about you, then, Mister Baggins?” Glóin said, and slapped the Hobbit’s knee. “Been keeping well? Impressing all the little Hobbit lasses with your tales?”
“Ah-”
“Now, now, our Hobbit is a gentleman,” said Bofur, a twinkle in his eye. “He’d never be kissin’ an’ tellin’.”
“I, er…”
“Look at him blush!” Bombur snorted. “Red as a ruby and no mistake.”
I love how Glóin’s second question basically amounts to ‘Bilbo, are you dating anyone yet?’ and that he thinks that tales about dragons, orcs, and everything else they faced would be what would convince a hobbit, male or female, to think Bilbo’s suitable dating material. I wonder if he revised that opinion when he learned about the ‘Mad Baggins’ title? Then again, tales of battles and quests probably win over dwarves, so he just went with what he knew.
“Not a Hobbit, was he?” said Bofur softly, and Bilbo stiffened.
“I’ll… I’ll just see to another barrel, shall I?”
Subtle, Bilbo, very subtle.
“Bilbo should be used to being annoyed by now,” Bofur said, muffling his voice in Bombur’s thick shoulder.
“Believe me, I am,” Bilbo said dryly from the door, his hands wrapped around a couple of bottles.
Another understatement, Bilbo.
“Did you know?” Thorin croaked.
“Did I know what?” Kíli said, confused. “I came to get you, it’s dinner-time. You’ve missed the midday meal, and Grandmother…”
Thorin, explaining yourself first will get you better answers than just expecting Kíli to know what you’re talking about will.
“Uncle,” Kíli said, taking a step forward before halting and sighing deeply. “At least you knew him,” he said. “At least you had that.”
I wonder if Thorin remembers this conversation after he learns about Kíli and Tauriel and realizes why Kíli said that.
“You all knew?” Thorin said again, and Kíli made an irritated sound.
“Trust you to ignore everything I just said! I’m sure I’ll never sound so wise ever again. I wish Balin could have heard it.”
I wonder if Balin ever finds out about this conversation and compliments Kíli on how well he argued his point and how tactfully it was stated.
Thorin stared at him. “You… you cannot…”
“Well, if you can shout at our Maker, surely I can make a nuisance of myself?”
Thorin, you can’t argue with that one without sounding like a hypocrite, since you yelled at Mahal.
I SHALL JOIN YOU IN YOUR ADORATION OF BOMBUR AND GLOIN, JSYK (and I am wigging out a lot bit that you love Orla so much!!! THANK YOU, I am so glad, so so glad! MY WARRIOR MUM ORLA YUSSS <3)
eee yep, Thorin remembers THIS comment later on, after he hears Legolas’ confession, and it’s what prompts him to go find Kili at once. Well spotted! I don’t reference it explicitly, but it is meant to be THIS comment. Thorin has an excellent memory, heh (both curse and blessing!)
*cuddles you for an Age of the Sun* THANK YOUUUUUU
Aw Yiss 