Chapter 28- Durin's Day

As expected, a team of groomers broke into the newlyweds bedroom the day after to get them ready for Durin's day celebration, as commanded by Aunt Dis. Kalvis spent most of the morning in a heated argument that ended with furniture flying outside of the bedroom to scare the imprudent groomers off. The feast was already started when they finally decided to grace the halls with their presence. Their delay was due to them making good use of every given minute with intimate liberties.

Aunt Dis intercepted them at mid hall with a tight hug to each, "There you are! I thought you would never come."

"Is this really necessary? " Kalvis was not enjoying the excessive affection from what he considered a stranger still.

Aunt Dis chuckled, "Just like your father, a grump nonetheless!"

"We are hungry, aunt. What's for eating?" Asked Kalvis.

"Of course you must be. This way!" She leaded them to the buffet area.

The halls were decked with excessive gold ornaments here and there. Dwarves did not skimp on expenses. All of Erebor was there, singing, dancing, drinking... Their ways did not cease to amaze Kalvis, who expected a crowd with refined manners. As promised, their friends were partaking of the feast as well. The first faces that Kalvis saw were those of the halflings, racing one another among the crowd to the kitchen where they began to assault every drawer on the pantry room. They had a run for their lives by the cook, cursing in khuzdul with a pan in hand. Kalvis shook his head at their antics.

Soon as his eyes spotted Eoden, he used it as an excuse to avoid Dis for a while. He skipped plenty of midgets on his way until he finally reached Eoden, smacking his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"Hey Eoden, you made it! I am glad to see familiar faces aside of my wife! Did you rest well?" He said loudly to compete with the music.

Eoden lightly chucked, "Better than I have lately, friend."

Kalvis leaned forward to whisper on Eoden's ear, "This place is full of midgets, the tallest is up to my chin. They make me feel like a giant."

"Now you know how I feel around the lot of you, being the tallest" Eoden whispered back.

"There is food here worth of a full year of work. These peoples do not hesitate when it comes to excesses!"

Aeryn made her way over to the men with a glass of wine in hand, "Wonderful feast Kalvis. You certainly seem to fit in with us stodgy royals." She said teasingly.

Kalvis raised an eyebrow at Aeryn, "Honestly, I don't understand so many garments, one for each occasion. I feel like I am wearing a monkey suit. Not to mention the daily team of groomers to bathe and dress me." An elbow to the ribs left him breathless for a moment.

"Quit protesting so much, you look handsome! Don't you all agree?" Said Fariwyn with a radiant smile, "As for the groomers, I give you that. Not even I like them"

Aeryn laughed, "Luckily I get to bathe myself. Dressing and doing my hair is usually as far as my attendants go to serve me."

"It seems that I am far more privileged, and am permitted to dress myself." Added Eoden. A dwarf passed them by with a tray of wine glasses, when he picked one and sipped from it. "I've never had Dwarven wine before. It tastes great!"

"How about we all grace the dance area? Sounds like a good idea" Said Fariwyn, already bored with the pointless conversation.

"Aye, after you!" Kalvis offered his arm to Fariwyn, leading her to the dance area in what would become their first dance as a couple.

Eoden smiled to Aeryn playfully, "Care to dance?"

"I will never turn down an offer from you Eoden." Aeryn followed him holding hands.

The feast host announced the line-up dance for all to follow, encouraging every participant to get their partners. Kalvis was nervous because royal dances were not his strong. It started with slow and easy steps. Then it turned merrier; one partner was facing forward, and the other facing back, while their arms were interlocked to one another as they hopped clockwise and counter clockwise. The only variant was two claps in the air prior to alternating arms.

"Is this a regal dance? This is no different from what I am used to!" Kalvis grinned widely.

"Apparently so" Responded Fariwyn.

"It's not that bad. I think I could get used to this" They picked up rather fast, laughing like they hadn't in a long time. They twirled, hopped and smiled as the moves became faster.

Fariwyn got dizzy after twirling a lot, urging for her husband to give her an easy break. They sat at one of the tables, "Just let me rest a little and we go again. But first, let me sip some of this magnificent wine…"

"Not so fast, my darling. Remember you are not drinking alone. You will only drink water and juice for the time being, no alcohol!" Said a very serious Kalvis, snatching the glass from her hands.

"Fine! Juice it is then!" She responded with sarcasm.

Eoden and Aeryn seemed to be enjoying themselves at the dance, picking up rather fast and enjoying the spirited steps. It was refreshing to see them happy for a change, after the many unpleasant situations of the journey.

"So now you are going to be an extension of my parents?" Protested Fariwyn.

"If that's what it takes to have a normal heir, I will. Too bad you will miss the wine upon the end of your term, because it tastes great. Mmmm!" He teased.

Fariwyn glared at him, refraining from all the words she had in mind. A dwarf passed them by with a tray of juice drinks, Fariwyn yanked a glass and downed it from three gulps.

Kalvis gazed mischievously at his wife, "I must say I have never seen you so desperately thirsty before, my love"

"Oh shut up you!" She responded.

"Make me…" He teased.

Fariwyn took his word and pulled him out of the feast halls and into a nearby corridor with stairs that leaded down. Away from peers, Fariwyn took the lead to kiss him. Kalvis pinned her against a wall where he corresponded with a hungry kiss. Fariwyn broke from it to breathe when the sight of shiny things got her attention.

"Love, look behind you" She whispered. Kalvis turned in the direction she pointed at.

They gazed at each other like kids, with wide grins. Kalvis held her hand gently as they went downstairs. The music began to die away behind them. The last two stairs disappeared under an endless pile of gold that had been hoarded for ages, since Durin the Deathless.

"Legends of this place fall short. There is no way to describe this…" Whispered a very astonished Fariwyn.

"By my beard, love, there is enough gold here to end hunger for ages! This is… this is madness!" Kalvis was equally dumbfounded.

The shattering sound of coins under their soles echoed loudly into the unbearable silence of that lonely chamber lit by sconces. Kalvis made sure no one followed, before dropping on his back over the pile as some coins bounced from his sides in a loud shattering noise.

"Come here, love! Give it a try!" He said. They engaged on a coin fight, giggling like children and dropping on the gold after.

"Your people are filthy rich. Never in my entire life have I seen an insane hoard like this one!" She said.

Kalvis sat abruptly, turning in all directions. "What was that?" He heard steps.

"What was what? I hear nothing!" She responded.

"Shh shhh shh" Kalvis gestured with his hand to hold still until the noise was over. Once it died away, they waited a few minutes more, before making their noisy exit up the other staircase. "Not a word of what we have seen until it is safe to speak of it"

"Right" Fariwyn was about to join the feast halls when he stopped her, "What is it?"

"Our eyes speak louder than words and they will suspect" Kalvis pulled her against him possessively by the waist, kissing her hungrily to disguise their gold arousal with a desire one. They were both euphoric and scared with their findings.

Soon as they rejoined the feast halls, Kalvis was not quite himself. In fact, he began to take wine goblets and down them one after another. Not like a drunkard, but like someone trying to cover up anxiety in an obvious way. After the 7th goblet, Fariwyn yanked the drink from his hands.

"I think that's enough. What's wrong with you?" She protested.

Kalvis raised one of his bushy eyebrows at her, as if he could not understand her words. His gaze was lost for moments and it began to scare her.

She ran to her cousin for aid, "Eoden, I need your help. It's Kalvis, he is acting weird. I think he drank too much. Can you help me drag him to the room?"

Kalvis began to whisper some gibberish indistinctly. Fariwyn returned to him, patting his face to bring him back from whatever trip he was at, but he grew silent while gazing through her and not at her for only seconds. His sight faded to black before he passed out nose first on the plate before him.

The shattering sound of coins followed him like something or someone was sliding at high speed over the hoards. The noise stopped every time he looked back. Something did not feel right at all. Kalvis continued to walk further into the hoard, looking for an exit, just to find another solid stone wall illuminated by sconces.

"What kind of a damned place is this? Stay close to me, do not split. Did you hear me? Fariwyn?"

She was nowhere to be found. Panic began to take over as he turned around hastily, looking for his wife to no avail. Again that noise chased him, but there was nothing upon turning. He resumed his path, when a slow and deep voice whispered behind him...

"Gold beyond measure..." Kalvis widened his eyes and turned to see a hunched figure turning slowly to him, all clad in a luxurious fur coat, with dark and silver curls that cascaded down his back and a gold casket for a crown. The lust for gold was in his blue eyes. Twin braids hung from each side of his face and one was missing a clamp at the end of it. He was an exact replica of Kalvis in a disturbing way, but shorter.

The creep played with a handful of coins from one hand to the other. He leaned forward to face Kalvis at just inches from his face, "This is what you will become. It is your heritage, my lad. It is useless to fight it." He smiled wickedly.

Kalvis began to pace back slowly, shaking his head. "No… no… I am not you! NO!" He ran in the opposite direction of the creep, stopped by an explosion of coins as he raised his forearms to shield his head from the avalanche...

Kalvis woke up abruptly, sitting on bed and panting heavily. Fariwyn was soundly asleep beside him, which made him sigh with relief. There was no way to tell day from night in that bedroom with no windows, and the only light came from the flickering flames of the hearth. With no second thoughts, he grabbed his coat and wore it over his sleep shirt, slipping his robust feet into his boots to go outdoors for a drink.

To be continued...

This is the end of the first season of Fourth Age of Middle Earth RP Group.
Stay tuned for the second season that comes with unexpected turns.