Nori had a lot on his mind, as both Spymaster and elder brother.

He had taken on Gíldri mainly as he was afraid of what Billa would do to him if he didn't, but he had also seen the potential that the lad had.

He reminded Nori of himself, when he was younger.

He'd had several talks with Billa, and has subsequently been told all she knew about Gíldri.

The more he learned, the more he thought of his own years in Ered Luin. It had eventually come to a point where had had to leave for the cities and villages of men, as he had become too recognizable.

Nori had always been clever with his fingers, there had been several times where Dori had tried to direct him towards the knotmaking or even locksmithing. There were a few masters who would take him on for a month before his official apprenticeship was to start. He'd always managed to avoid become an apprentice, but during those years he had learned much.

Dori had to eventually stop trying to get him to learn a trade, as not only was he running out of patience, but he was also running out of funds.

There were always many different options open to them if they ever truly needed the money.

But Nori had made it his duty to prevent Dori having to make that decision by putting both his natural and learned skills to use.

He had started simple, he would simply lift things worn in excess from obviously wealthy dwarves, probably lords. He would slip the coins into Dori's purse when he wasn't looking.

It worked for them. They were able to comfortably both dinner and Ori's apprenticeship, with a little left over.

There were times when it seemed as if they were barely scraping along. Whenever he saw Dori staring in the mirror for what seemed like too long, or fingering the beads their mother had left behind, he stayed out a little longer than night.

Dori truly was beautiful, he had inherited his looks from their mother, as well as his strength. It was their mother that made the trek to the Blue Mountains, Dori was but a babe at the time, and she struggled to take care of him.

She would have had to been blind not to notice the looks thrown her way, the same looks Dori was so often on the receiving end of. She was no longer nursing, and her son needed to be fed and kept warm. So she made the choice to craft the beads and braid them into her hair. She came home with a fair amount of money that night. Nothing was said to her, many other dwarrowdams had made the same exact choice she had, or rather, they were forced into it.

It was the reason why the sons of Ri all had different fathers.

It was the reason why Nori was so determined to keep Dori from making the same choice.

For Nori and Ori were the sons of a prostitute, and were only growing closer and closer to becoming the brother of one as well.

And that was when Nori turned what had been a means to an end, into his trade. He split his hair into three, and life went on. He built a reputation for himself, and continued to send money and other gifts home.

Dori was able to keep the restaurant, and Ori was able to continue to study.

Gíldri turned to theft not out of worry for his brother's dignity, but rather for his unborn sister's childhood.

And that is why Nori of Ri took in Gíldri son of Gundri.

But it is because Nori saw so much of himself in his apprentice that he tried so hard to keep him away from Ori.

The two younglings may not have realized it, but Nori had.

They had found their one, in each other.

It truly was a thing of joy, but he couldn't help but worry. They would be amazing together, but the job did not come without his risks. In the assassination attempts that would no doubt occur, they were expected to be willing to lay down their lives in an instant.

Nori knew that there would be no hesitation from Gíldri if and when it came to that.

And it was with that thought in mind that he stood in front of the door leading to Thorin's second study that Billa had appropriated for herself. He had long ago chosen to report to the Queen, and that was what he was going to do. He was going to share his doubts for the wedding as spymaster, as well as his concern for Ori and Gíldri as both a brother and a friend.

As far as he was concerned, he had only just reached the end of the hall leading to the room.

As far as Billa was concerned, someone had been standing outside of her door for what was nearing a quarter hour.

After another five minutes had passed, she finally opened to door only to find an obviously lost in thought Nori.

She had to physically move the taller dwarf until he was sitting in the chair across from hers. She went to the cabinet that Thorin never emptied, and poured him two fingers of whatever drink it was that was in the bottle. Obviously strong, going by the smell. And exactly what Nori needed.

She shoved the drink into his hand, and then walked around the desk until she was sitting in her own chair.

"Nori, if I did not know you and think of you as a very close friend, I would have your position taken from you immediately. What use is a spymaster that is so unaware of his surroundings that he started drinking something the moment I placed it into his hand? I know you trust me, or so you have told me, but you always check the food and drink I give you. Always. Nori, what's the matter? Please, be honest."

He had started to become aware the moment I gave him the drink, but now he was sitting straight and alert, if a little intoxicated.

"There are many things that are 'the matter', some of those things should be of great importance to you and Thorin. Others, not so much."

"And what is it that is of such great importance to you that it is affecting you so?"

He looked down into what remained of his drink for a moment, before seemingly coming to a decision.

"It's Ori, and Gíldri."

"What about Ori and Gíldri? Have they done anything wrong?"

"No, not at all! It's rather that they've done something right. They've...they're...they're each other's ones, Billa."

There was nothing she could have done to stop her smile from spreading, nor could she prevent her hands from clapping together.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Isn't it?"

He nodded, but at the same time had an almost pained expression on his face.

"Yes, in the eyes of dwarves it is most definitely wonderful. But, he's my little brother, tiny little Ori. I still see him as the young dwarfling who would sit at the dinner table with his nose stuck in a book. I know I shouldn't. He's of age, and he went on the same quest as you and I. But, I know what comes with this job, Billa. I know that the chance of Gíldri not returning home is way too high. I don't want Ori to be hurt like that."

There was no way anyone could possibly mistake the pain on his face for anything else. Nori, the one who always wore so many masks, was breaking down in front of her and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

It wasn't anything that had happened, but rather fear for what could happen that worried him so.

"Nori, I need you to tell me something. Did you ever meet your one?"

The look in his eyes nearly broke her. Billa had always been said to have a good heart, and the fact that it was Nori who was in so much pain. She couldn't bear it. Nori, who had been one of the first to accept her as part of the company. Nori, who had always been there for her when she needed someone.

It was Nori who had pushed her towards Thorin in the end, and for that she was forever grateful.

"Aye."

And suddenly it all made perfect sense.

"Did they know?"

"Aye."

"Are they still alive?"

"I, yes."

"Do they knew who you are? Did they see you?"

"No."

"You had to leave them."

"Aye."

"When?"

"The quest."

"Oh."

"They didn't know why I left. I had to leave anyways, I had stayed too long in the village. The quest was the perfect escape, and I was always going to go."

"For Ori."

"And Dori, yes."

"Nori, who was it?"

"That's where it gets complicated."

"How so?"

"You see, when I met him, I was wearing a disguise."

"Yes."

"I was actually wearing a dress, I had disguised myself as a merchant's daughter."

"Why."

"Nori of Ri was familiar to many who dwelled there, Nrín of Hín, not so much."

"Ah."

"His cousin had lost his one before Azanulbizar, so under his guidance are courtship stuck to the traditions as much as possible. Very little touching, and we were always accompanied by a chaperone - either his cousin or his brother."

"So he fell in love with Nrín, not Nori."

"Yes. Which is actually quite funny, in a way. Often times, when you follow tradition, there is a conversation at the beginning of the courtship where you describe those you have lusted and loved. This is where you tell the other how pure you are."

"How is that funny?"

"He had always been primarily attracted to males, but we were each other's ones, gifted by Mahal. He was determined to love me, all of me. Well, when we were telling tales of our previous conquests, it turned out that he had taken a bit of a fancy to Nori of Ri."

"Oh. And you never told him?"

"I never had the chance to, even were I to sneak in some time, which I was more than capable of doing, he was always with either his brother and his family, or his cousin."

"I see, and I can't help but noticing that you still haven't told me his name."

"That's because his name is Bofur of Ur."