A/N: I'm glad you guys liked the first chapter!
Warrior's Bride
The Took and the Thief.
"Bella, my ruby!"
Belladonna laughs as she's lifted, and spun around, and around.
"Nori, you overgrown dwarfling, put me down!" she laughs.
"But, it's been so long since I've held you in my arms!" Nori pouts, once he stopped spinning.
Belladonna smacks the Dwarf on the arm, a smile still on her face; Nori gives a grin of his own before setting the woman on her feet.
"Bilbo!" he then says when he notices the other watching in the doorway, "my little burglar!"
Bilbo squeaks, and makes a run for it when the Dwarf moves towards him, intent on giving him the same treatment as Belladonna, he doesn't get far.
He's not too upset about it.
"Pardon me"
Nori stops in mid-spin, and looks at the doorway where four Elves were crowding, with varies expressions of amusement.
"Be nice" Belladonna gently scolds, when Nori's eyes narrow.
It probably be more effective if her eyes weren't twinkling.
"Shall we start bringing everything in Belladonna?" asked the Elf who had spoken earlier.
"Yes, thank you Legolas" Belladonna said the same time Nori growled "No"
"I told you he'd still be upset" said Legolas as he motioned for his fellow Elves to enter with packed items in arms.
Nori grumbles in Khuzdul as the Elves move about his house, looking down in his arms when his beard was firmly tugged on.
"Can you let me down?" Bilbo said, his dangling feet kicking a bit.
"No" Nori says, and hold him tighter.
Bilbo looks over the Dwarf's shoulder and gives his mother a pleading look, his mother merely giggles, smiling when her son gives her a look that promises revenge.
"Where are Dori and Ori?" Belladonna then asked as she directed the Elves where to place the items, "down there please"
Keeping one eye on the Elves in his house, Nori finally puts Bilbo down before answering his friend.
"Selling at the market, they'll be back for supper"
"Maybe we'll visit later" Belladonna hums, as she leaves the house, she doubts it though; already she could feel today's travel catching up to her.
Out front was a cart filled with packed items.
"Nori, come help!" she calls as she grabs a bag.
"Don't wanna!" is her reply.
"I'll tell Dori!"
There is silence then Nori comes out, "No need to get dirty" he mumbles as he grabs a medium size box from off the cart, "what are you lot looking at!?" he then barks at the staring Dwarfs, "you Dwarfs act like you've never seen Elves and Hobbits before".
They actually never have seen Hobbits before, no one decided to mention that.
"Would you like to stay for tea?" Belladonna asked Legolas and the other Elves after all her's and her son's things were brought in.
Bilbo isn't sure what Nori said, but judging by his mother's raised brow it was both impressive, and rude.
"I'm afraid we must return to Greenwood" Legolas politely declines, lips twitching, eyes twinkling with amusement at the upset Dwarf.
"Of course" Belladonna say, her own lips twitching, "send your father and Tauriel my best".
When Dori and Ori return from the market, purses satisfactory filled, they are welcomed home with a Hobbit feast.
"Bella, Bilbo!"
"Ori, you've grown!"
Greetings and hugs were exchanged, before everyone settled down at the dining table, and tucked in.
"How was the trip here?" Dori asked.
"An adventure, as always" Belladonna smiled, "not sure who had more fun, me, Bilbo or Gandalf"
"Gandalf is here?" asked Ori, eyes lighting up at the wizard's name.
"Afraid not dear, he and a group of Rangers escorted us all the way to Rivendell; he stayed there while Elrond's men escorted us to Greenwood. From there, Legolas and his men escorted us all the way here"
"Blasted tree-shaggers, stomping around our house" Nori grumps around a mouthful of roast.
Belladonna didn't even bother to be subtle when she kicked him, her eyes narrowed when she was kicked back; Nori merely raised a brow in challenge. Dori, Bilbo and Ori watches as a dinner roll is thrown, and hits Nori in the face.
Challenge accepted.
One food fight later, and after everything and everyone had been cleaned up; Ori listens with wide-eyes as Belladonna regales him with one of her earliest adventures. Nori sitting next to her, smoking his pipe, while Bilbo sat at Dori's feet, the Dwarf putting plaits in his hair.
"Thank you" Belladonna says, after both her son and Ori had headed off to bed, both yawning.
"For what?" Dori asked as he straightens up the sitting room.
Pausing in his stretching of stiff muscles, Nori looks at her.
"For letting us stay here"
Dori pauses, and looks at the Hobbit.
"I know it's a big change" she continues on, "and I promise, Bilbo and I won't be any trouble, and once we're settled, we'll help—"
Belladonna suddenly finds herself in Nori's arms (she had missed the looks the two brothers had shared), her face pressed against the Dwarf's face
"You don't' have to thank us" Nori said, "you our sister in all but blood, a Ri"
"Oh dear" the Hobbit says, her voice muffled.
"Oh hush, like a Took is any better"
Belladonna laughs then hugs the Dwarf, if he noticed how tight her grip was he didn't say anything, she bids the goodnight and heads to bed.
"Do you think I did the right thing?" Nori asked softly, still looking at the hall the Hobbit had went down, "convincing her to come live here, I mean".
"Despite your many faults, you have a good heart" Dori answered, "and yes, I believe you did the right thing, we both know they couldn't say there any longer".
Nori and Belladonna met when the Hobbit was two years into her tweenhood, one moment she was exploring the woods, the next she was staring at a Dwarf with the oddest hairstyle she had ever seen.
"You have odd hair" she had said after a moment of staring.
"You have big feet" the Dwarf had said back.
The next, they were up in a tree, hiding from some very angry Men.
"So who, and what are you?" the Dwarf had asked after the Men took they're search elsewhere, though they had yet to climb down from the tree.
"I'm a Hobbit" Belladonna said, "Belladonna Took, at your service"
"Nori, at yours"
"What did you do to make them so angry, if I may ask?"
"I showed them just because Dwarves are small, does not mean we are terrible card players….or always honorable players"
"So you cheated, and got caught" Belladonna translated.
"I cheated and got caught" Nori nodded.
She invited him to tea.
During his stay (hiding) in Hobbiton the two became friends, despite Nori's always being suspicious of her (it will take two years, a kidnapping, two bruises ribs, six stitches, and the mother of all scolding for Belladonna to gain Nori's trust and friendship. It'll take a little longer to gain the name Sister Ri), and when he finally left, Belladonna went with him. Much to her Took family's amusement, and others horror.
Nori did eventual return her.
The first time she met Dori, the Dwarf was suspicious and confused, (he never seen a Hobbit before and couldn't imagine such a small and innocent looking thing causing so much trouble like his brother) despite that though, Dori didn't take long to warm up to her. Belladonna had a feeling it had something to do with her convincing Nori to stay at home more, the teas she brought probably helped too. Ori was another story all together, the young Dwarf adored her, and whenever she visited he was always eager to hear about her adventures or stories about the Shire, and she always had made sure she had a book or two to gift him with.
They had many adventure together, becoming closer in friendship, and when Belladonna finally settled down and married Bungo Baggins (Bungo and Nori got along surprisingly well), Nori was there for the wedding.
He may have cried.
Despite married life, Nori came over to visit as often as he could, (and considering the type of trouble Nori got into it, was often) occasionally with his brothers, but most often by himself. It caused much rumors in Hobbiton, the most popular had been if perhaps the friendship between Belladonna and Nori was…more.
It didn't help that Nori called Belladonna his "ruby".
Bungo thought it was all hilarious.
"Nori and my Bella, are more brother and sister then lovers" he would say, before a sly smile grace his lips, and his eyes turned mischievous, "besides, Nori calls me his sapphire".
Bilbo was born, and was soon obvious that he adore Nori as much as his mother did.
The days were always happy ones.
Then the Winter Fall came. Bungo died that season, and when he was buried, Nori's arms were the one she cried in.
It didn't get better after that.
"Bella, I love you"
"I know"
Nori hummed happily around his fork, Belladonna merely shook her head before eating a stripe of bacon
"What are you doing today Dori?" Bilbo asked.
"Going to the market for more sells" Dori said, "Nori and Ori are going to help you, and Bella unpack and settle in"
"Oh, we don't want to trouble you" Belladonna said.
"It's no trouble at all" Dori reassured, giving a look when Nori opened his mouth.
After breakfast, Dori left for the market, the four then started unpacking. They didn't have much, despite having their things in a cart which was mostly used for Belladonna and Bilbo to ride in, and between the four of them they were done by noon.
"Alright let's go"
Bilbo and Ori look up from the young Dwarf's journal they were looking at, to Belladonna who emerged from the kitchen.
"Go where?" Ori asked.
"To have lunch with Dori, where's Nori?"
"I saw him near the rooms" Ori answered.
Belladonna nodded, and made her way to the room, the Ri brothers had three rooms. Ori was sharing his room with Bilbo, and Belladonna took Nori's. Belladonna had worried about taking her friend's room, but the Dwarf reassured her it was alright.
"I don't use the room as often as I should as it were" he had said.
Belladonna said nothing else on the subject.
Ori and Bilbo's room door was opened, and there was no Nori in there, Dori's room was also empty, that just left hers.
"Nori" she calls, knocking on the closed door.
There is shuffling and a muffled curse before the door opens, body blocking the doorway, Nori smiles innocently at her, a smile that Belladonna has seen enough of to not be fooled.
"Do I want to know?" the Hobbit asked.
"No" Nori asked.
"If I go in there, will I have to kill you?"
"…..Probably"
Sighing in exasperation, Belladonna decided to deal with it later; sometimes it was the best way to deal with Nori.
"Right then, come on, we're having lunch with Dori"
Probably because he had done something wrong, Nori doesn't put up a fuss and silently takes the large basket Belladonna hands him. They leave the apartment and head to the market.
It was hard to imagine a whole city inside what many consider a really big rock, hard to imagine going through the large gates, and upon looking up seeing walkways that go higher and higher. Walkways leading to apartments, barracks, mines and anything else you can imagine; and in the middle of it all was the throne room.
Bilbo was seeing it, and couldn't even believe it.
"The library is on the third level" Ori said, "if you want, I can take you there, maybe today after lunch".
"I would like that" Bilbo nods.
As they descend to the second level, where the market was (they're apartment was on the fourth), Bilbo noticed that Dwarves that passed gave them curious looks. Which is to expected he suppose, Hobbits were not known to leave they're homes, and as far as he knew, his mother is the only Took who traveled pass the Misty Mountains.
Seeing not one, but two Hobbits must be quite the sight.
The young Hobbit looks at his mother walking a bit of a distance away with Nori, the two were talking, his mother's eyes were alight and a bright smile on her face, it's been a long time since he's seen her like that.
A group of Dwarves walk round the two, and the young Hobbit didn't think much of it until Nori showed his mother a purse, no don't filled with gold, and a wicked grin on his face. His mother raises a brow, before showing the dwarf a purse and two sapphire bracelets, Nori pouts while Belladonna just grins in triumph.
Bilbo shakes his head, recognizing the game the two were playing.
"Ten coins say Bella gets the most by the time we get to Dori" Ori whispered quietly to him, having also recognized the same thing.
"Ten say Nori" Bilbo whispered back.
The game in question was basically who could pick-pocket the most items, and not get caught of course. If the person did get caught the other won. It was a game Nori and his mother often played, (and mostly on Elves and Men) if Bilbo remembered correctly, it was a tie at the moment.
Dori is both surprised and delighted when they come with lunch, upon seeing Nori's sour mood, becomes curious.
"Mother won" Bilbo said when the Dwarf asked about it.
The older Dwarf decided he didn't want to know; instead he placed a sign that told customers he was out for lunch, before ushering them to the back of the stall and behind a hanging curtain. There weren't any chairs to sit on but no one minded sitting on the floor, especially after a blanket was placed down.
"You really need to teach me how you make these cakes Bella" Dori moans over a forkful.
"I gave you the recipe"
"But they don't turn out the same"
"That's true" Ori pipes in, "Dori's always come out kind of lump and dry, I didn't even know cake could get lumps like that"
"There was also the time he baked cookies, and they came out as hard as rocks" Nori said licking his fingers.
"You ate them" Dori sniffed.
"And damn near broke a tooth"
"Leave your brother alone, no one is prefect" Belladonna intervenes when Dori throws a leftover roll at his brother, "I nearly burnt down my parents' kitchen the first time I made that cake that you all devoured".
"Considering you burnt down that house in Bree, I'm not surprised" Nori said dryly.
"For the last time, that wasn't me".
"And for the last time—".
"You should sell them".
Both Hobbit and Dwarf look over at the Ori, who had now finished his cake, a smudge of icing on his face, "your desserts I mean" he continues on, "I think they'd sell really well".
The young Dwarf scrunches up his face when Dori leans over with a napkin and begin to wipe off the icing.
"Huh" Belladonna says after a moment of thinking it over, "there's a thought".
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