Augir watched the whole scene unfold. First Thrandili was back in Kandral's arms, then as fast as the blink of an eye, she stormed back up the stairs. A few words not to her liking and she turned into a thundercloud.
”Such disrespect...” he muttered to himself. ”I must be firm with my daughter when she reaches this volatile age.” He suddenly realized he had spoken the last bit out loud and he hoped no one had heard it.
Augir strolled towards the kitchen. Inside, his wife was still busy. ”Is there any cake?” he said with a smile.
===================
"Are you sure this is the brandy from Erebor?" asked Skegrym for the third time. His wife patiently took the decanter from his hand and placed it back on the sideboard. "Yes, yes, don't worry! Everything is ready. Now just go back in your study and - and - read a book or something until he comes!"
Having been summarily shooed out of the dining room, Skegrym wandered around the vast entrance hall, picking up random ornaments and then putting them down. Where was the lad anyway! He was sure he'd said drinks at 7, and dinner at 8, and already it was - he looked at the ornate brass clock on the table by the door. Well...it was 6:30... Skegrym sighed and went into his library, as bidden. Of course Kharumi had everything ready. She always had everything ready. On the day she and her daughters had finally arrived here on the spice caravan, all the way from the Blue Mountains, she'd done a full inventory of stores, instructed the servants on the next day's duties, spoken to Asfinnur about lore instruction for the children, and gone to market to personally choose the meat for their dinner that night. A little thing like Rogvier coming to dinner, even after 8 years of absence, wouldn't faze her at all.
He looked out of the window. Twilight was falling fast, etching the high stone towers of Thorin's Hall with a ghostly violet light. His thoughts strayed to the spice business. Would Rogvier wish to finally take his place by his father's side as partner? Maybe they should change the name of the business to Skegrym and Sons now.
A loud knock jerked him out of his reverie and he hurried to answer, nearly colliding with Askar in the hall. The old seneschal raised one eyebrow before opening the front door. And there, finally, silhouetted against the pale dusklight, was Rogvier, smiling and laughing as Askar invited him in. Askar stood immovable as Rogvier gave him a bear hug, but Skegrym saw the tiniest gleam of pleasure in his old eye.
Skegrym came forward quickly and grasped his son by the arm. "Welcome home, son! It's so good to have you here with us at last." Then his wife and daughters poured in from the family room, a storm of silks, patchouli and amber. Their glad cries of welcome washed over Rogvier like a benediction. This was family! This was home!
=================
Byli idly plucked on the lute as he sat in his cell.
They had locked he and Hilfar in separate cells this time and surprisingly the lute was still propped in the corner of Byli's.
He also had the pile of blankets which he quickly shared... "It gets cold in here brother."
Hilfar nodded his thanks. "We're in a pretty pickle this time lad, I don't see how this will end but I fear for us both!"
"Byli lad, Turn round for me please lad. I'm afraid I need to use the bucket."
Byli switched ends on his bunk and started to quietly sing the song he had composed last time he was here.
"I am a hunter, I walk in the forests,
I see Mahal’s beauty in all I survey.
Mountains and rainbows, deep pools and dark caverns.
All fade to nothing when I see my true love."
"Why Byli I never realised you were a musician, That was lovely! Play the rest for me"
"Um well it gets a bit personal, It’s a love song."
"Pah! ye don't think everyone doesn't know that you and Thrandili are likely wed before the year is out! Come on lad, give us a tune. It'll relieve the boredom if nothing else and you have a fine voice too!"
Byli turned back around and struck a chord on the lute.
"I am a hunter, I walk in the forests,
I see Mahal’s beauty in all I survey.
Mountains and rainbows, deep pools and dark caverns.
All fade to nothing when I see my true love.
Thrandili's my true love, I can’t live without her,
She’ll fill up my lifetime for as long as I breathe.
She’s wild and she’s feisty and she’d give her life for me.
She swing her club for me, she’s clubbed me for sure.
Once in a lifetime, we get such a moment.
A moment to reach for and keep for all time.
This is my moment, Thrandili's the reason
This is our season, now reach for my hand"
Hilfar mopped his eyes "Why that's beautiful lad... have you sung it to her yet?"
"Nay, I've never had an opportunity to, master."
"She will surely melt in your arms when you do lad!"
Byli whispered to himself. "She has!"
===============
Judge Dronin had a reputation as a hard nose. He seldom gave less than two weeks in the mines for disorderly conduct and as for murder well the law was clear on his duty!
He looked over the high table where he sat to the two dwarves in the dock.
"The Guard commander tells me you were caught red handed in a house where murder had taken place and that you, master, had blood on your hands!
Your accomplice had a disguise of a high collared cloak and a wide brimmed hat and appears to have fought with the poor victim before the fatal blow was struck.
Now then, Master Hilfar, and you too, my young lad... How do you plead?"
===============
Downstairs, Buhni was arguing with Kandral, trying to persuade him to go back to bed, while the healer patiently interjected various good reasons why he should do so. Finally, silence fell.
Thrandili looked at the song she had mostly finished writing, and sighed.
Each of us has wounds to heal
What they said, they can't take back
Now our lives we have to steal
Trembling with their scars of love
Her adopted father did love her, she knew that. Yet it was his very love that made their home a battlefield! She'd never suffered like this, not even when her birth mother had died on the Forochel glacier, nor when her father had gone into the wight's fortress and never returned. This love she felt for Byli would consume her if she was forbidden to go to him. Buhni had told her that Dwarves love intensely and for life, but she'd never expected it to be like this, a fire in her belly and an impossible weight on her heart. She couldn't live for even one more day like this, let alone 40 years!
Her stomach grumbled and she realized suddenly that she hadn't eaten for many hours, not since trying (and failing) to eat that rock hard biscuit at Byli's house. She put her hand in her apron pocket, hoping for a bit of dried fruit, and was surprised to find a crushed piece of parchment. Oh of course! The scroll that Byli had handed her just as she ran home! Eagerly, she smoothed out the crumpled page and began to read. Her mouth opened in shock and her breath came fast.
"Thrandili's my true love, I can’t live without her,
She’ll fill up my lifetime for as long as I breathe..."
She read the lines over and over until the parchment was a mess of tears. He loved her just the way she loved him! So Buhni was right, they were meant for each other.
"Once in a lifetime, we get such a moment.
A moment to reach for and keep for all time.
This is my moment, Thrandili's the reason
This is our season, now reach for my hand."
She put the scroll in her desk drawer and dried her tears. On the top step, she listened. A murmur of voices came from Kandral's sick room and no one was in the main room. A few moments later, the front door creaked open and she was off down the road, to Byli and freedom.
But there was no one home at Byli's house.
===============
"Now don't move.. you stubborn goat!", Buhni said as she was fluffing up his pillow and helping him back in bed. Kandral was mumbling something, clearly not content he was treated like a child.
"Don't look at me like that... you'll get no compassion from me... who told you get out of bed in the first place?", said Buhni rolling her eyes at Kandral. The healer nodded, clearly agreeing with Buhni's assessment.
"Aye Lord Kandral, you really must get your rest. It is late, it has been.... ", the healer thought carefully what words he could use, "uhm.... a delicate day for you, Uzbad... now, as your healer... and I dare say somewhat of an authority on your present condition... I advise you have no less than ten hours of uninterrupted sleep.".
"Ten hours?!?" Kandral objected, "what am I? A Breelander?", he scoffed.
"Kandral!", spoke Buhni firmly, "Master Broinur is the expert and if he says ten hours then ten hours it is! Now sleep or help me Mahal I will hit you on the head with my frying-pan so hard you will sleep for twenty!".
"Now, now Lady Buhni, there is no need for violence", Healer Broinur spoke in a panicked voice.
Kandral sighed... "hmm, ten hours", he mumbled as he turned the sheets over his shoulder and laid on his side. He knew she wasn't kidding. Buhni put out the candles and she and the healer quietly left the room. "There", thought Buhni as she locked the door of his bed-chamber, "only I will get in here for his food and to empty his chamber pot. Ten hours of no arguing, ten hours of rest. Heaven", she sighed with a smile.
"I will return in the morning, to look up our patient again", said Broinur as he bowed to Buhni and took his leave.
It was getting late. No doubt Augir and his wife who were still in the kitchen would depart home again. As she thought it Augir and Hanfrere stepped out of the kitchen into the living room. Augir seemed to still be munching on something. "Now that's a dwarf that has been fed in good fashion", Buhni thought as she smiled and looked at Augir. She remembered Augir as the strapping young lad with muscles to spare. Now a married dwarf, he had gotten accustomed to the fine cooking of his wife and had piled on the customary husband-weight.
"We must be going Lady Buhni... I fear Skaril will need some aid by now... two young dwarrows under his guard after all... at his age...", Hanfrere said.
"Oh, but of course...", spoke Buhni, "I thank you for your help in this difficult time", she said rather diplomatically and gave Hanfrere a hug.
As the couple left, she turned toward the stairs and said to herself: "Time to have another talk with our new lady of the hall". Buhni knocked on Thrandili's door. She knocked again... still no answer. "Thrandili?", she said as she opened the door. An empty room. Buhni frowned, clenched her first and took a deep breath. "You are trying my patience young lady!", she spoke to herself. Quickly she ran down stairs again. "I must be back quickly... he may need me", she thought as she grabbed her cloak and covered her beard with a shawl.
===================
Thrandili crept into the Brokenspear residence and tiptoed to Byli's room.
She looked at the rumpled bed and clothing strewn around.
"Men are such slovenly creatures!" She started tidying the room, restoring order. She picked up a shirt from the floor and held it to her nose, it smelt of her love!
Not a stale sweaty smell but an aroma of woods and fields and something of him she had smelt that first time he kissed her. She lay down on Byli's bed.
"Oh Byli where are you?"
She cried softly into the shirt as she lay on the bed, the trauma and exhaustion of the day draining away as she drifted into sleep.
================
Durtin slipped along the street like a shadow, his gaze passing from one door to another. Opportunity was always just around the corner!
He smiled to himself "Ah look a door not closed and no signs of life in the house I think this is my lucky day!"
He crept up to the door listening hard... not a sound. He stepped into the kitchen.
"Lovely cakes baked just for Durtin... how kind."
He bit into the cake and a look of horror crossed his face. "That's disgusting!" He spat out the burned gooey mess into the sink "Bleugh!"
He crept to the parlour and started putting trinkets and knick knacks into a sack. "A pretty penny here, Durtin my lad, a pretty penny."
He stiffened as he heard a sigh from the room behind him, Peeping through the door he spied a lass sleeping on the bed.
A maid unchaperoned and alone in an empty house. Durtin grinned even wider.
"Murder, blackmail thievery...why not try a little kidnapping for a change?"
He picked up a heavy stick that lay near the door. The lass was sleeping heavily, no doubt dreaming of boys and ribbons and stuff. He brought the stick down hard on the back of her pretty curls. "Sleep deeper my lovely. Uncle Durtin will look after you now if your own parents can't!"
He rolled her onto her back and gasped at his prize. "The Uzbads very own daughter! My, she'll be worth a pretty penny."
He threw the maid over his shoulder and stepped out of the kitchen door. "Ah perfect!" He muttered "A handcart, just what I need!"
He unceremoniously dumped the lass into the cart and covered her with some sacking.
"Now my pretty bird where shall I cage you?"
