AN: I don't own any of the hobbit characters I am just taking them out of Tolkien's toy box and playing with them.
Of a Friendship that Spans Time.
"Come back here Nori!" His older brother's voice echoed around the walls of the human town and little Nori giggled as he ducked behind a vender selling clothing. He bumped into the legs of someone quite sturdy and fell hard onto his behind. He stared up at the human male he had just ran into and felt his eyes fill with tears and his bottom lip tremble as the grazes on his hands began to sting.
"Shush little one." This human's voice was strangely deep and rolling and Nori sniffled a bit, his lower lip pouting slightly. "Oh I am sorry little one." Suddenly the human was sitting on the ground beside him and Nori was distracted enough from his tears enough to look at him. The human was fairly young despite his massive size. "Now little one what is your name?" The human glanced around him, "and where is your family?"
Nori just stared until he realised the human actually wanted an answer. "Nori," he answered shyly looking up at the human with big green eyes. "Dori over there. Amad poorly again, but Dori says I getting little gogaz." He stuck his thumb in his mouth as he watched the human wrinkle his brow.
"A little what?"
"Oh erm I no know what it means in man." Nori blushed and hung his head feeling stupid. Tears pricked his eyes again and he sniffled.
Strong arms were around his shoulders. "Shush little one, I meant no offense." He allowed himself to be picked up and curled into the human's chest feeling it rumble as he talked. "I am Girion."
Nori looked up and rubbed his eyes. He knew that name, he'd over heard the youngest Durin talking about it to one of his friends. "You…" he paused struggling for words. "You boss man's son?" The human nodded and Nori started to panic. "No you not sit on ground with me. You get dirty. You not get dirty Nori get wrong!"
He struggled away from the now frowning human. Strong hands caught his shoulders and he looked into endless brown eyes. "Relax little one. You did no wrong."
There was a smile on the human's face and Nori relaxed a little in spite of himself. "Not get wrong?" he whimpered.
"No little one you will not get wrong." A big thumb was wiping a tear from Nori's face. "I promise you little one no one will tell you off. I am full grown in my own right despite being my lord's son." The human stood and Nori tilted his head to look up at hum. He put up no fight when his hand was taken in the human's warm one. He focused back in to what the human was saying. "Now we should probably find your Dori he will be worried about you. Especially if your Amad is sick and you are about to receive a gocak."
The man sounded unsure at the end and Nori giggled. "No gocak, gogaz," he corrected.
"My apologies little one, I did not mean to mangle your language." The big hand holding his gave a reassuring squeeze. "Now what does your Dori look like?"
"Nori? Nori?" Dori's voice could be heard clearly over the crowded market place and Nori flinched at the worry in his big brother's tone. He hadn't meant to upset him. He started towards the voice dragging the human along behind him.
"Nori there you are! What have I told you about running…Oh! My Lord Girion I did not see you there. My apologies." Dori sounded worried so Nori tried to reassure him, but a look from his brother's expressive eyes stopped him. He let go of the human's hand and waved sadly at him.
Girion did not leave though. Nori watched in amazement as the tall male sketched a bow to Dori. "Peace my good dwarf. He is a good child and it pleased me to make sure he got back to his family safely."
Dori's grip on Nori's shoulders relaxed slightly and Nori gaped as he listened to his brother. "Then I thank you Master Girion." Nori yawned despite wanting to stay with his new friend. Dori swept him on to his hip. "I am sorry Master Girion but I must get this wee hellion to bed."
"That is fine Mister Dori. It was a pleasure to meet him."
Nori waved tiredly at his new friend as he curled into Dori's shoulder and stuck his thumb into his mouth. He fell asleep before they had left the gates of Dale.
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He never saw Girion again, busy as he was, but he never forgot his first friend. He never left the mountain as his king grew more paranoid with each passing day.
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Then the dragon came and Nori watched Dale burn with tears running down his face as he hung limply in his oldest brother's grasp. Ori hung around his legs and he broke down in sobs as he remembered telling the human about his gogaz. Dori released him when he stopped fighting and he crumpled to his knees pulling his baby brother into a bone crushing hug.
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Nori the thief avoided the area around Lake-Town, the ruins of Dale and Erebor as if it was plague infected and his caution spread to other thieves and mercenaries. The area was left alone, it was the least he could do in memory of his friend.
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He stepped in front of the company to stare down the human male with the bow. He wouldn't let his brothers and comrades fall to a stranger with an itchy arm.
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"My ancestor fired black arrow after black arrow at the beast!"
Nori pushed to his feet and crowed into the youngish human's space. Brown eyes met his and he broke into tears.
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Before they left for Erebor Nori slid up to the youngest boy of the human and pressed a dwarven made dagger into his hands.
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He stood with his head bowed at the graveside of his king and princes. A heavy hand settled at his shoulder and he allowed his tears to fall.
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He chose not to remain in the mountain they had fought so hard to take back. Instead he helped Bard rebuild Dale and stood proudly in the crowd as the human took the mantle that should have been his since birth.
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Dori was buried the year Ori set out for Moria and Nori flung himself completely into helping the newest Lord of Dale.
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Old and grey he wrapped his arms around the broad shoulders of the human as he knelt by his father's grave. He allowed the young lad to cling to him, the human's sobs shaking his now frail frame. Silent tears ran down his wrinkled face and into his wispy beard as he stood vigil at the grave of his third Lord of Dale.
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He was buried in a place of honour by the fourth Lord of Dale. It was said his dwarven heart gave out from grief as the news of his youngest brother's death reached him. Girion, named after his ancestor, knelt at the edge of the grave. His young cheeks stained once more by tears.
AN: Let me know what you think please. Pretty please. You see the little box down there? Leave me a comment. Thank you.
Translations;
Amad=mother.
Gozag=Blessing.
