Do you have a HC for how Dweris and Fundin met? And which parent which lad will seek out for advice? (Like, my brother goes to my mother for advice without fail, even if she won’t know the answer, but I go to my grandmother).

I do indeed! Thank you for asking about it, Nonnie!

So the blurb at the top of ch21 is about Dweris, and it goes like this:

A reclusive, reticent and slightly obsessive Dwarrow, Dwerís was the daughter of Nerís, a scribe and poet, and Nár, the great friend and counsellor of Thrór King Under the Mountain. She was a huge-shouldered nonbinary Dwarrow who went by she/her pronouns. She was a mediocre smith but naturally talented with a sword, and through her skill and dedication she soon rose through the ranks in the Ereborean Army. She was justifiably proud of her skills, and practised approximately five hours every day with a variety of weapons. It soon became rumoured that Dwerís was unbeatable.

Challengers appeared, and Dwerís was obliged to see each of them beaten before she could return to her solitude and her beloved training. She had defeated ninety-nine opponents when a comfortable young nobleman, drunk and staggering, was pushed into the ring by his friends. Disgusted, Dwerís left. The noble later sought Dwerís out to apologise for his appalling state and for his friends’ actions, and Dwerís was struck by his sincerity and his way with words. She offered to train him, and so Dwerís was introduced to her future husband, Fundin son of Farin. She often said later that she had won her hundredth bout as well.

Dwerís was killed beside her husband at the battle of Azanulbizar, leaving behind her two sons Balin and Dwalin.


Of the two lads, Balin is the one who looks more like Fundin, and Dwalin is very much like his bulky-shouldered mum. Balin also has his father’s rather more pacific nature… though he has a LOT of his mum’s ferociousness as well, when pressed. Dwalin has something of his dad’s sly sense of humour: immensely sardonic and understated. 

Yet Balin preferred to seek out Dweris for comfort and advice, and Dwalin would go to his lawyerish, stolid, sensible father. 

Perhaps it was because the young Dwalin needed someone to talk to him about what it was that bothered him, to help him reason out the best course of action, to help him cool his hot head.

Perhaps it was because Balin, so incredibly clever even at a tender age, would likely already know what it was he had to do, and simply needed some silent, unconditional support as he gathered his courage to do it. 

I have a question, and I’ve been agonizing over how to ask this without sounding like a jerk. I recall during one of the chapters (pretty sure it was chapter 30-something, but I’ve just started re-reading it again, so don’t quote me) Vili accidentally calls Dwerís ‘Lady’ or something like that and they correct him and have him call them ‘Warrior’. Do you think Dwalin and Balin called them a gender-neutral term for their parent rather than ‘Amad’?

Awww, Nonnie, this is an area that I expect is different for each person and/or Dwarf. Some NB Dwarves who are parents might prefer just to be called ‘parent’? Some may prefer ‘Amad’ or ‘Mum’. 

Bear in mind please, that I am cis. My thoughts will not address the full nuance of this discussion, and I shouldn’t be taken as an authority AT ALL on this issue. Dweris is my character, sure, but she’s fictional. I would be honoured to take a back-seat to a NB person who has lived this situation, if they feel comfortable speaking about it.

I hope and believe that a Dwarf (or in our own world, any person) can be a mother, and NOT a woman. Because otherwise we start to enter into horrible role and gender stereotypes – or we start reducing the concept of ‘motherhood’ to ‘person who gives birth’ – and that way lies bigotry and bio-essentialism, and casts negative aspersions on the validity of a whole lot of adopting parents and trans people and more.

When it comes to my character of Dweris, however, she is a NB Dwarf who uses she/her pronouns, who dislikes the word ‘Amad’… but she likes the Westron colloquialisms ‘Mum’ or ‘Ma’. She is a mum, she’s Balin and Dwalin’s mum and she loves to be their mum and freely chooses to inhabit that role… but she’s not a Dwarrowdam. If we wanted to get right into the nitty-gritty of her gender identity, we could call her agender with a slight demigender bias

But yeah, she’s a warrior, first and foremost. Warrior Dweris! 

Gloin being a good and patient dad to little babies. Washing all the dirty diapers. Trying to keep all the itty bitty socks and booties and shoes on tiny baby feet. Picking up the cup only to have it thrown off the high chair -for the sixth time today. Doing the cuddle-dance-coo-song routine to stop angry baby noises. Sleeping with a baby on his chest. Feeding Gimris mashed potatoes. Gimli stubbornly refuses to sleep- at night, preferring daytime slumbers.

oh god, day sleepers… AAARGH :DDD

Doing the small, messy, boring chores associated with small kids is such a huge thing, though. It makes me grOW WINGS AND FLY ON THE INSIDE, ;ksjdhflahsfa. Like, if Mr Dets does the baby wash and organises the Dwarfling’s lunches for the week I am all

Merilin and Selga become cute marrieds and at some point have adorable babies. Laerophen is awkward but 100% wanting Merilin to be happy and have a good life. Thranduil is incensed. Legolas is all like !!!!

they would be ADORABLE marrieds, aaahhhhh – that’s so sweet, Nonnie!

Thranduil, by that stage, might actually be inured to the whole thing. “Fine, whatever, go marry a mortal, all of you go and marry mortals, see if I care.” *chugs wine*

Angst! Toddler Ori who thinks that Ori is his dad. So awkward. And a little adorable.

“No, Dori.”

Daddy!”

“DOR. RI.”

“Daddy!”

“No, sweet one, watching? Are you watching? Look here, look at me now: Dor. Reee. Dori.”

“mmaaaabaaaaa Daddy, herro! Herro Daddy!”

“You’re going to have to live with it for a while, he’s just too little to understand,” said Nori, grinning from the doorway. Dori glared up at him, little toddler arms hanging around his neck.

“Dadddyyyyyyy,” said Ori happily, and he planted a sticky kiss on Dori’s bearded cheek. 

Dori sighed and resigned himself to it. He supposed it wasn’t so bad.

Sad thought of the day: little kids accidentally calling Dis Amad. Especially little cute ones like Frerin who do it when coming up from a nap.

image

AAAAARGH NO. NO. NO. 

NO.


A sudden, sharp stab – it had faded to a dull sort of pain, but with one innocent word it is torn open and begins to bleed afresh.

“Oh, s’you, Aun’ Dish,” Frerinith yawns, and then he rolls over and holds out his arms to her to be lifted out of his cot. “C’n I have biscuits for aft’noon snack?”

She swallows it down and hugs his solid, warm little body close. “Yes, of course

Azaghîth.”

It will fade again. It always does.


Azaghîth – Little warrior