When Nori ushered him in, Bul was instantly greeted by many stares; Nola, with Sada sleeping in her arms, looked to Bombur who turned and headed into the kitchen.
Bifur let out a growl and went about completing his newest, oddity of a toy while Nori closed the door and said: "Sorry to send for you at such late hour. But he was insistent and we're hoping He'll finally come in. He's been out there all day."
Bul nodded and looked over at Nola with a half-smile; "Thorin's beginnin' to wonder if ye'll ever get back," He explained, "Wanted to see if I could persuade ye to come home."
"Later," Nola whispered, shifting Sada in her arms, "The funeral took a lot out of Bofur and, besides that, Solara's pregnant again and I don't want Sada disturbing her."
Bul nodded and didn't press the issue; knowing he was there for an entirely different affair and so asked Nori where the one, who'd sent for him, was.
The dwarf jutted a thumb over his shoulder and whispered: "Out back. Crying and grieving and pretending we're not here."
Anticipating another heated argument, Bul took his time removing his cloak before, with a deep breath, venturing outside in search of the one that had sent for him.
Bofur, seated upon the tall grass of his family's back yard, had yet to wipe the tears from his cheeks. Nor did he acknowledge in any way the approaching footsteps.
It wasn't until Bul had sat down beside him that he even moved; looking blankly at the other dwarf who looked quite concerned about him and his haggard appearance.
"Here," Bul offered holding his fist out, "there's little comfort I can give you but…He had no family and I thought you might like to have it."
Bofur held his hand under Bul's fist and the elder dwarf delicately placed the necklace in his hand.
"Warg fang," Bul pointed out, "Musta been a family heirloom. Kran wore it, I think, it's been many years."
"It…It was," Bofur concerned as he observed the fang in his palm, "Thank you."
The two sat in the grass, listening to distant conversations and the gentle wind, until Bofur at last looked at Bul with deep, desperate eyes.
"I've been thinkin'," He confessed, and waited until Bul nodded for him to go on.
"It doesn't make sense, him hanging himself and all o'er somethin' ye said he denied doin'. He didn't even fight it like he had been fightin' everything else."
"Bofur," Bul moaned, anticipating another argument, "Please. This is a time of grief and~"
"I know," Bofur interjected, "But I want to say…Th-that…talking to Nola and Nori…there's no way any one didn't notice or even hear ye asking a stranger to purchase girls fer ye that ye later…supposedly killed…and it is odd…him showing up just when children are found murdered just to tell me that Sada was in danger...I begin to think, I wonder, if he had all this planned out from the beginning. It all seems to fit after all."
Bul plucked a blade of grass and put it between his lips, nodding over all that Bofur had been saying.
"I've been a fool haven't I?" Bofur asked, "I read Dain's letter and it just seems, that when he realized he had no support, he…just gave up. Gave up! After everything he said and swore was true! Besides that he tried to tell me Da' had been meant to take o'er fer that Kran fellow…Da' would have never done tha'!"
Bull reached over, gently patted Bofur's shoulder, and said: "Calm yer self. He was a dissident of those that opposed my leadership; rose from infancy to believe that I was a demon that killed Kran.
I've come to wonder if those who linger on their hate and thirst for revenge…don't essentially go mad trying to prove true their own opinions and whatnot. I'm just sorry that you got brought into all 'o it…and that I couldn't save him. I felt rather sorry fer him."
Bofur whimpered and made to toss the necklace over the rotting fence when Bul caught his fist; "Don't," He implored, "Ye won't fergive yer self in the end. Ye weren't a fool Bofur! He did care fer ye…matter of fact he pleaded with me to keep you safe in the end."
Studying Bul's steady gaze he finally dropped his hand back into his lap with a huff; "I'm sorry," the younger dwarf offered, "fer the way I've treated ye. Ye weren't wrong about Dain or Staric…I should've listened to ye."
"Well…I am a greedy, bullying, dickhead after all," Bul admitted, "There were times when I was harder on ye than I needed to be."
Bofur rose to his feet and Bul did the same and after they'd dusted themselves off Bofur asked: "Are ye still lookin' into the matter with the drowned children?"
Bul nodded and tossed his long braid over his shoulder with a sigh; "Though I fear, if not Sol in a moment of desperation, the true killer has fled by now."
"Perhaps ye should get Thorin to send word to the other kingdoms…as a warning and also to see if any other murders like the one that happened here, have happened else where?"
Bul smirked and huffed pleasantly; "Are ye offering me advice, lad?" He inquired, "If ye are I appreciate it. It's a good suggestion."
A silence passed between the two when suddenly, shaking his head as if unable to believe his own actions, Bofur hugged Bul briefly and tightly before pulling away from him and heading inside without another word or gesture.
Bul stood stiffly; not in shock or in disgust. But instead, as the grin spread over his lips, he relished the triumphant joy that overtook him as well as the sense of relief that had finally come after such a very long time and after so much careful planning.
In truth, with Solara carrying a child that was not Thorin's, now that Bofur had finally conceded and accepted Bul's truth…the feyd leader felt very much like a king with all the riches of Middle-Earth at his feet.
From inside the house, a pair of eyes spied the grinning feyd captain, and a deep, distrustful moan escaped their lips as they watched Bul trek back inside.