Everyday started the same way. Idùzhib would get up, awaken her fiancé with a kiss and put the kettle over the fire. Then she went to awaken her eldest and then she went to visit the old nursery of her youngest son. Often, Dori would hear her singing an ancient lullaby and he would pause and listen. Olùmil would find him and exchanged a look with him.
"She's so brave." Dori said once.
"She is," Olùmil agreed, ruffling the auburn hair of his stepson. "She is indeed."
Currently, Idùzhib was poring over a map, silvery eyes darting over it as though her missing child was concealed within the black dashes and pale green of the map. "Go and visit Sannith's boys for me." Idùzhib asked, not removing her eyes. "She'd kill me for not making sure they were alright."
"Are you visiting them?" Olùmil enquired.
"No, I'm visiting that forest."
Olùmil stared at her. "You're joking!"
"I'm not."
"That forest is full to the brim with unsavoury characters. You can't go there!"
"It's the one last place that he could have taken Nori to." Idùzhib answered curtly, rolling up the map. "Get going, the two of you!"
"Amad, are you really going to go?"
Idùzhib nodded and went to place her hands on Dori's shoulders. "Your brother could be inside that forest. I need to find him." Dori thought of the huge, dark forest with the gnarly trees and Men and wicked Dwarves with leering faces attacking his mother and shivered. "I don't want you to go."
"Me neither." Olùmil added. "It's far too dangerous! Even the most fearless of our warriors don't enter that forest willingly and for good reason."
"The most fearless of our warriors don't have a son missing." Idùzhib snapped."I'll not be going for a good few weeks. Now. Will one of you do as I ask and visit Sannith's sons?!"
Glóin yawned. Óin shot him a sharp look. "Don't start going all doe-eyed on me now. It's your own fault that you're tired."
"You have a hard heart."
"Thank you. Tea?"
"Mm. Please."
Óin tsked as his brother reached for the biscuit tin. "You're lucky I'm not whapping your knuckles, you treat-stealing hooligan!"
"Dwalin will be over soon, so I'd better have some now."
Óin chuckled. "Are you suggesting that our cousin is the one who steals the biscuits?"
"I'm not suggesting it, I'm stating it!"
They shared a laugh and Óin gave Glóin his tea in exchange for a biscuit.
"What d'you want for breakfast?"
"Don't mind."
Locating the bread, Óin nearly hurled it away once he saw its colour. "It's blue!" Gingerly placing it down, he frowned at it. "Did we have that yesterday?" He asked of his brother.
"Hope not." Glóin answered, looking repulsed at the thought.
"Never mind, we've got eggs in the cupboard... No, we haven't."
"Do you want me to go to the bakery, and-?"
"No, stay there." Óin told him. "Ah!" He held up a bag of oats and smiled triumphantly.
"Is the milk alright?" Glóin asked, smiling cheekily at him.
Óin lightly tugged his ear. "You know perfectly well it is!"
He found the pot and placed it upon the bar over the fireplace before putting the milk and oats inside. "Glóin? You couldn't do us a favour and go to the marketplace could you?" Óin requested.
"What do you need?"
"Everything from bread to thread."
"You're a poet and a really awful one at that!"
"Trust you to say that. I'm going to the Healing House today, nadad. Don't get yourself into trouble."
"What trouble could I get into?"
Ladling the hot porridge into a bowl, Óin pretended to think. "Hmm. Getting lost, getting into a fight, getting into an argument..."
"I won't do nothing! I'll go get the things and come straight back."
"I believe you."
"What time are you back, then?"
"She usually lets me go by eight." Óin looked directly at Glóin. "So, I need you to be back here by half past. Will you do that for me?"
"Aye, I can do that."
Óin spooned up the last of his porridge and dumped the bowl in the sink. Sneaking another biscuit, he went to get dressed in his pale grey work tunic and returned to grab some mint to chew on and drew the housekeeping urn from behind their amad's favourite cookbook. "Hey, sleepyhead," he lightly shook his brother's shoulder. "Once you've made yourself presentable, take these coins with you. It should be enough."
Glóin stood up and offered a tired smile. "I'll get dressed and that now then."
"Good."
"Then I'm going back to bed."
"Glóin!"
