Kili slid his gaze surreptitiously to the side, taking in the falsely casual glances heading toward he and his brother. "The elves."
The brunet didn't have to specify anything. Fili grunted in understanding, deliberately looking anywhere except at the elves leading the band of Rangers. "They're smart, they know we hide something."
Kili's lips thinned and he turned to stare into his brother's eyes. "Don't upset her."
Tauriel. Fili grunted again, shaking his head slightly. "She took a big risk, and didn't ask any of us our opinions before she acted."
"It was the right call." The dark-haired dwarf groused protectively. "I'll speak with her."
This time the blond dwarrow gave a grim chuckle as he again shook his head, with more emphasis this time. "You can't talk to her without turning mushy and sweet."
Mobile lips drew up in a snarl, but Kili did not contradict his brother's comment. "Just, don't upset her too much."
Fili reluctantly nodded as he started to move away, still keeping a careful watch on everyone, not just the elves. "Too many people already know."
Reaching out, Kili caught his brother's arm in a hard clasp. "This is not an excuse for you not to tell Teldu!" He hissed.
The blond shook off his sibling's hold, frowning sharply. "She knows."
Dark brown eyes widened with concern, then the younger brother winced. "You told her and she didn't take it well?"
Fili rubbed his mouth and shrugged helplessly. "She guessed, and we're still working through how she's taking it. Tried some nonsense about how she wasn't good enough to marry into our line."
Kili made a disparaging face instantly, making his older brother's features smooth out into a thankful look. "We will work it out." He avowed. "And, it won't be too hard on your wife either."
The dark-eyed prince gave a short nod of gratitude even as some members of the town guard approached the duo to seek orders.
o.o.o.o.o
o.o.o.o.o
"Understood."
The two orcs watched uneasily as the wizard they served just sat there. Staring at the palantir though the suffocating presence on the other side was now gone. With Sauron's Eye was gone from the far-speaking stone both climbed slowly to their feet, cringing and rubbing their hands but no longer cowering on the cold floor. They awaited their orders.
None came.
Both orcs usually fought between themselves, each claiming to be the master's "favorite" and the leader. Yet now, both were giving each other gimlet eyed stares, trying to get the other to speak first.
Tap.
Both orcs froze, ducking in anticipation of some blow or another. Nothing happened. Wide-eyed, they looked toward the White Wizard. He was still staring at the palantir, though the stone was empty of any other presence at the moment.
Tap.
The orcs flinched slightly, then relaxed. The wizard was merely slowly tapping his lengthy fingernail against the table.
"Er …master?" The larger of the two orcs finally interrupted the awkward silence.
Not to be outdone, the second orc cleared his throat and gave a weak grin. "What word, master?"
The first orc jabbed the second with a bony elbow, now that he'd spoken up he didn't want the other male to get any of their leader's attention.
"Our friend to the East does not want the female destroyed, not yet." Saruman's voice spread out through the room without effort, his silken tones lost on the two brutish orcs who were looking confused. "The dwarrowdam." He clarified.
"Oh, right, right!" The second and smaller orc nodded.
"We're supposed to let her go, after we kill the others?" The first asked, looking lost.
"Fool!" Snapped Saruman, gaining his feet in a swirl of fine robes. "We need to send word to those lying in wait to let the group pass by, unmolested!"
"Right! Right!" The small orc bobbed his head comically, looking like a bird. A smelly, ugly, obnoxious, and vicious bird. Right up until the point where his fellow orc reached over and shoved the back of his head down with a snarl. "Hey! Stop that you!"
The larger orc scratched his head in confusion. "But we wants the Line o' Durin dead, right?"
The White Wizard shrugged, as if bored. "The Great Eye knows that she will bear no further fruit. Ending her does nothing for us. Indeed, it draws unwanted attention our way. Letting her live out her days will be a meaningless mercy."
The two orcs shared an uneasy look between them.
"I will cancel out the storm, it will still continue, but not as fiercely as before." Saruman said casually, waving his hand while flicking his fingers in an absently graceful manner. "You two will go and cancel the ambush."
"Maybe you wants to wait to cancel the storm until we is on our way, so we won't be too late." The larger orc bobbed down into a low bow.
"Perhaps you two should scurry as fast as you are able and not let me down!" Barked the irritable wizard suddenly, his smooth countenance breaking into an ugly snarl as he turned on the two servants. "Fail me, and I will use your blood to clean out the garderobes and chamber pots!"
The two orcs literally fell over each other in their haste to leave.
Saruman sighed unhappily, watching their antics as they unentangled themselves and finally took their leave.
The wizard frowned, thoughts rushing around within his mind like ants scattered when their mound is destroyed. That's how he felt.
Saruman had taken the initiative to waylay the Lady Dis on her way to Isengard. Only, Sauron had other plans. It wasn't so much that the wizard disagreed with The Dark Power, but he didn't like his plans and ideas swept aside as if they were nothing. Accounted for …nothing.
The wizard sighed heavily. In the end, what choice did he have? He could not stand against Sauron, which was the whole reason he'd fallen in with the Great Eye in the first place.
Though. Saruman paused, his eyes blank for a moment. Sauron was so sure that King Dain now held onto the position of being the last in the Line of Durin. The portents and omens all claimed the Line was growing, continuing. And now there was word from Gandalf that the Queen was with child. It made sense.
Still. There was a lingering doubt in the back of Saruman's mind. A discordant note.
Gandalf.
Saruman grimaced at the name even spoken only in the silence of his mind. Gandalf was sure that the Line of Durin continued, that was clear in his last missive. That had convinced Sauron. Yet the White Wizard didn't fully trust. Not in Gandalf, whom he'd hated ever since Cirdan had gifted the Gray wizard with an Elven Ring of power. Not he. Gandalf. Always Gandalf. Even that witch Galadriel preferred the Gray One over he himself.
Was it simple jealousy? Saruman straightened his shoulders. Such was beneath him. Besides. With Thorin and his heirs dead and buried, who else was there to carry on the Line except for King Dain?
Putting his swirling and chaotic thoughts behind him, Saruman began his preparations for calming the storm outside. The one inside him continued unabated.
o.o.o.o.o
o.o.o.o.o
Fili stayed silent as he looked at the female gracing his private study. He allowed nothing of what he was thinking to cross his facial features, especially not the surprise. Instead he deliberately turned his back to her in order to divest himself of two scabbards, not that this disarmed him but the sword and long dagger would not have made sitting behind his desk comfortable. Though there were several more blades hidden among his clothing and leathers. Not that he didn't trust Tauriel, but simply Fili never went anywhere unarmed.
Tauriel said nothing as well, coolly watching the blond dwarf with her green eyes. She too kept her thoughts to herself.
Fili walked around to the other side of his desk, sinking into his chair and straightening a few items. He finally looked up at the she-elf currently awaiting his attention. Unsure what to say, he pulled a trick out of his Uncle Thorin's book. He simply leaned back, steepled his fingers together and deliberately raised a single eyebrow. Something that had always worked on HIM as a dwarfling when faced with his uncle.
Apparently it actually worked on elves. At least in this instance.
"I thought you might have something to say to me." Tauriel said evenly, her vocal tone giving nothing away.
"Something not to be said in front of your husband?" The blond guessed, with a speaking glance toward the closed study door.
The red-head nodded slowly, not lowering her eyes. Fili admired her silently for a moment, seeing the strength and will behind the grace. She wasn't beautiful to him, not on a base level. But he could appreciate that Tauriel was beautiful in the abstract and he knew his brother found her to be nothing less than gorgeous. Like any good dwarf, he could appreciate fine craftsmanship. Fili blinked slowly, a small smile toying with the edges of his lips. "Did you think I was going to yell, is that why you sought me out in private?"
"I was the one who told the elves about the hidden passage out of Brookshire." Tauriel said without a hint of deference.
"I know." Fili nodded at her. "I might have done the same. Eventually. Perhaps."
Tauriel tilted her head slightly at him, the long length of her silken hair falling forward though not hiding her face. "It should have been your decision."
The blond prince-in-exile nodded, pursing his lips slightly. "True."
"Are you not yelling at me because I am pregnant? Or that it would upset Kili?" The red-head asked rather bluntly.
Fili snorted very lightly, shaking his head as he deflected the question. "Are you feeling any guilt?"
Tauriel drew back a little, her eyes widening a bit. She considered the question for a moment, then shook her head. "I think not. But while I stand behind my decision, I recognize that I crossed a boundary."
Fili leaned forward, his blue eyes intense as he suddenly stared at his brother's wife. "Why?"
She did not pretend to misunderstand. And though she did not answer immediately, her left hand moved involuntarily toward the beginning curve of her belly. As if realizing the movement was telling, Tauriel quickly dropped her hand back down. She lifted her chin, almost in defiance. "You can yell."
"It would change nothing." Fili admitted, then sighed. He really hadn't felt like yelling at the elf in the first place. What she had done wasn't in any effort to harm the dwarves, and he was well aware. "Instead, all I want from you is for you to consider …why did you do it? What made you decide that these strange elves we've only just met are more worthy of your trust than I am?"
No amount of yelling could have had the same impact as that ultra-serious question. Tauriel's jewel bright gaze actually dropped, and the breath she drew was less than calm.
"Do you miss the Mirkwood so much?" Fili asked almost gently.
Her response was an immediate shake of her head. She raised her eyes back up to meet his gaze. "No."
"You are the only elf living in Brookshire." Fili pointed out the obvious truth aloud. "For a dwarf living alone like that? It would be torture."
"Not for an elf." Tauriel replied, then hesitated, looking unsure in a way Fili had not seen from her before. "I would not have thought so."
Fili fell quiet, letting her puzzle through her thoughts in her own time. He watched as the red-head finally took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. She looked at him and nodded almost regally.
"Worked it out?" Fili asked her.
Tauriel shook her head. "Not entirely. But I do trust you."
That last line caught his breath in something akin to wonder. It pulled a surprised laugh from him as he shrugged at her. "Good. Next time, don't trust the lives of me, Bofur and my brother whom I do know you love as well as your unborn child to strangers without at least checking with me first? Yes?"
Tauriel stared at him for a moment, holding her breath for several seconds before nodding. "You are distressingly direct. I think I would have preferred you just yelling at me.
"Just for your personal awareness." Fili gave her a quick look with a grin. "I didn't yell at you because not only are you pregnant with my brother-son, but I would then have had to contend with everyone who would have skinned me alive for distressing you at this time."
Tauriel dipped her head, a smile in her eyes if not yet on her lips. "Kili."
Fili snorted in derision. "Kili, Bofur, Mirrenda, Erestor, Arrenis, Dern, Nurbera, Cleadeth and Teldu would have my head on a platter. That's just the immediate list. We can add to that every one of the young Men you've been training with me, all the merchants who fall all over themselves to tempt you with wares, the elder dwarrowdams …" Suddenly the blond gave a huge mock-shudder. "Oh what the dwarrowdams would have said to me would have made torture look easy."
The red-head actually laughed at the faked fear in his voice.
"Uldane would have smashed my head in for even raising my voice at you, much less yelling."
Tauriel paused, both of her eyebrows arching up over her jewel-bright eyes. "The blacksmith you work with?"
"He has a soft spot in his stout heart just for you." Fili waggled his own eyebrows at her as he picked up a quill and started sharpening the tip.
"You jest." The she-elf looked unsure, as if what the blond was telling her might be a joke, or it might not.
Fili shrugged and didn't tell her that no, he wasn't lying. The hulking smithy definitely perked up whenever Tauriel came around to the blacksmith's work area. Though the dwarf judged the human to be harmless in his feelings. Unlike one of the local barkeeps. That human's oily gaze followed Tauriel's form wherever she went. Fili knew his brother was keeping a close eye on that one, to be sure.
"Tauriel, I am not angry with you. Just, be careful what you choose to share with others. The fewer that know, or have any of the puzzle pieces from which to guess, the better and safer we all are."
"Is that why you haven't told Teldu? I thought you trusted her?"
Fili sighed heavily, slumping back in his chair. "She guessed." He tossed the writing quill back upon his desk.
Tauriel brightened immediately. "I knew she was clever!"
Fili growled low in his throat. "Not that I mind Teldu, but if she can put the pieces together, so can others."
"Like Erestor and Arrenis." Tauriel nodded slowly, her excitement dimming a bit. "I see your thoughts on this."
"They too are clever. And not our friends. Just because they're elves doesn't mean that they are our allies." Fili paused for a telling moment. "I know they're honorable, and they fight against Mordor, which is no small thing."
"But Mordor wants you, us, dead." Tauriel said with finality, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. Slowly, her eyelids blinked down over her green eyes as she took a deep breath. "Should we leave Brookshire?"
"Not now, not in winter." Fili said cautiously.
The she-elf's hands went protectively to her belly. "My fault again."
The blond stood, circling around his desk as he took his sister-in-law's rather chilled hand in his own. "In this I count my brother at fault." He tried for a joking tone, but his efforts fell short.
Tauriel shook her head at him. "I can travel." She avowed.
"No." Fili denied her offer outright. "Taking off in winter and in secret? Sure ways to call attention to ourselves. No. We stay here. We just have to be more cautious. Mister Dwalin will be here as soon as he is able. Besides, we might be overthinking what Erestor and Arrenis might or might not have guessed. They're of Rivendell. What do they know of Erebor or her heirs?"
The red head nodded, her eyes grateful, and her hand warming in his grip. Fili smiled at her gently. "We can send word to your family. Those elves I would be willing to trust."
Tauriel's eyes widened and she actually laughed. "My cousin and I don't get along well. My brother, well, I would trust him but I have not seen him in over a hundred years. He lives much deeper in the woods than Thranduil's palace."
"Is there anyone, any family or friend, that you would want to know of your whereabouts?"
Tauriel eyed her husband's brother, letting a soft smile touch her lips. After all his talk of safety and keeping their secret, he was offering to expand their circle in order to allow her to feel less alone. "I have my family with me." She said, her voice firming with every word.
Fili looked unsure, so the red-head smiled wider. "Son, husband, brother, uncle, sister-in-law, friends …"
"Uncle?" The blond laughed suddenly with surprise.
"Would Bofur prefer cousin?" Tauriel asked teasingly.
The dwarrow shook his head, his smile making his mustache beads move slightly. "Not actually blood related."
Sobering, the she-elf still smiled even with a touch of sadness. "I think we have shed enough blood together that that no longer matters. In the Mirkwood, we used to say families are born, then later forged."
Fili blinked rapidly three times in a row, then gave a rough chuckle. "Blood lines are incredibly important to Dwarves, but I do understand the meaning of your elvish saying. The word in Khuzdul that you are seeking is barful."
"Barful?"
"It means familiar, family-like." Fili smiled widely. "As in a dwarrow so close to you that they become family without actually being blood related. And before you ask, you are not barful."
Tauriel stared at him a moment, reading his rather open expression. She smiled back at him.
"Sister."
She squeezed his hand, grateful.
Fili leaned in close. "And age differences be damned, I'm still head of this family and you need to clear things with me first. Like telling outsiders our secrets."
Tauriel nodded, knowing intuitively that he included her when he used the word 'our'.
o.o.o.o.o
o.o.o.o.o
Arrenis sat on the edge of the bed, one boot off and one in his hands. Idly he brushed his fingers over the leather that was aging quickly with rough use. "This used to be so fine that it felt soft as butter."
Erestor glanced around even as he settled the blankets on the travel cot the Coppernose brothers had provided. It wasn't much, but with the inns rather full and the council chambers being used as a quickly converted prison for their would-be invaders, it was pretty decent. "What is on your mind?" He asked, knowing that his friend was just as tired as he was and the state of his boots was not something to keep awake worrying over.
"Who are they?" Arrenis asked bluntly, removing the second boot.
"We are in their home." Erestor replied.
"Doesn't answer the question."
"Does it not?" Erestor turned, quirking up one eyebrow. "We are trusting ourselves to them, in their home, as their guests. I assume that you, such as I, would not do so unless we felt safe doing so."
"Tauriel knows who they are." Arrenis replied, stating his guess as if it were fact.
Erestor pushed one long strand of his dark hair behind his ear. "I feel the same, she does know."
"She told us of the way outside the walls." His companion pointed out.
"No." Erestor shook his head. "I do not feel she is willing to share all their secrets with us."
Arrenis nodded in agreement. "Wood Elves are ever secretive." He said quietly. "What do we know?"
"The brothers are …"
"Are they brothers?" Arrenis interrupted. "Or just call themselves such? Is the relationship of blood?"
Surprised and taking the question into consideration, Erestor began again. "Two dwarrow, possibly brothers, one married to a she-elf of the Mirkwood." He held up a hand to forestall his friend's next interruption. "Her accent is clearly of the Greatwood."
Arrenis gave a tight nod to continue.
Erestor turned and sat on the travel cot, divesting himself of his own boots as he thought aloud. "Well versed in battle strategy and weapon training."
"Wealthy." Arrenis added, thinking of the mithral shields hidden beneath thick wrappings of white leather.
"Hiding." Erestor made a slight face of confusion and shook his head. "Why?"
"Because of the Younger's marriage?" Guessed Arrenis. "Perhaps his family is not keen on the idea of a wedding with an elf-lass?"
The darker haired elf nodded sagely. "They did say they sought privacy and safety. Though I cannot help but feel there is more to all of this."
"I too." Arrenis agreed, but then went on to add another thought. "I do not feel they are in line with Mordor."
Erestor thought about it a moment, nodding as he did so. "I still think it would be wrong to repay them by sending word to Lord Elrond. I believe we should inform him in person upon our return to Imladris."
"Messages have a sour way of going astray, especially now that Mordor is up and active once more." Arrenis shrugged thoughtfully. "I sense no immediate threat to or from the Coppernose brothers. I do not think this an immediate issue."
"Nor I." Erestor agreed, continuing to get ready and rest for the night.
o.o.o.o.o
o.o.o.o.o
Generally speaking, dwarves did not get overheated easily. They were built to withstand the temperatures of forges after all, excluding dragon fire. Thus sleeping attire was a matter of personal choice. In the summer months linen and cotton were the norm, and in the winter they turned to woolens.
All of that had changed for Kili of Durin's Line from the moment he'd become hand-fasted, and later, married.
What it came down to was the fact that Tauriel loved to wend her fingers through her husband's chest hair. And it turned out, Kili loved to be petted.
The duo had gradually moved from their normal sleeping attire to less and less clothing as it became obvious they loved the skin to skin contact, even when simply sleeping next to each other.
So it surprised Kili when he slipped into his already wife-warmed bed and leaned over to give her a goodnight kiss, to find his hand on cloth, not skin.
"Cold?" He murmured, knowing her pregnancy would sometimes make her feel the weather more than she normally might.
Tauriel murmured something incoherent and turned her head into her pillow, away from him.
Kili frowned, rubbing her shoulder and forearm a bit more vigorously. "I can grab an extra blanket." He offered.
Red hair moved side to side as his she-elf shook her head negatively.
"Are you feeling alright?" The concerned brunet asked, pulling slightly on her shoulder. She resisted. "Tauriel? Love?"
"Sleepy." Came the snappish response.
Dark eyes widened as Kili recalled how Nurbera had warned him of swift mood changes in pregnant females. Though he'd not seen too much of that with Tauriel. Suddenly his brows furrowed. "Did Fili upset you?"
"No."
Kili waited, but she said nothing further. He bit back a foul oath, not sure what to say or do next. He didn't want to upset her, but he didn't want to seem uncaring. He reached over and trailed the back of his hand over her soft cheek, though he couldn't see her expression with her back toward him. He wanted to see if she was feverish.
"Stop that!" Tauriel swatted at his hand.
But she was too late. Kili pulled her over onto her back, staring. "You've been crying!" He looked both shocked and horrified.
"It's nothing." The she-elf sighed, glaring at him from her position on her back.
Looming over his wife, Kili's expression darkened with sharp anger. "He said he wouldn't upset you!"
Tauriel sat up as her husband leapt out of bed, grabbing his trousers as he headed out the door shirtless. "Kili! Don't!"
o.o.o.o.o
o.o.o.o.o
"I'm off to bed …again." Bofur yawned. "Last time I was interrupted."
Ignoring the chiding grump, Fili grinned. "Did I tell you, Tauriel basically named you 'uncle' today."
The hatted dwarf chuckled, then shook his head. "Not related."
"Barful." Fili said pointedly, surprising the older dwarrow.
Bofur couldn't keep the smile from his face from growing. He bobbed his head, pleased.
"I'll let you find your bed and …." Fili and Bofur both stilled as they heard stomping noises heading their way. Both started to stand.
Kili threw open the door, glaring around the room until his gaze settled on his older brother. He pointed viciously at the blond. "You said you wouldn't upset her!"
Fili's jaw dropped open at the implied accusation. "And I did not!"
"She cried!"
The blond looked stunned as he spread his hands. "Not in here, not with me."
Kili continued to glare at his brother, but knew him well enough to realize Fili was telling the truth. "Then what?" He demanded.
"Then I got pregnant." Tauriel said from the doorway, tying a robe on about herself. Her face was a bit splotchy and her eyes were slightly reddened. "Kili, I said, nothing's wrong."
The put-upon husband stared at her as if unsure whether or not to take her words at face value. "You cried. You never cry."
"I cried when I thought you dead, after the battle."
Fili and Kili both startled a bit. Bofur nodded, pointing at himself and then to the she-elf. "She did. Saw it myself."
The dark-haired husband shifted his weight from side to side. "Oh." He didn't quite know how to respond.
"I've cried once or twice since becoming pregnant. The dwarrowdams assure me it is normal."
"That can't be right." Fili said, sounding unsure.
Bofur scratched his chin and shrugged. "Bombur's wife cried buckets with at least two of her babes. With the third one though she turned sweeter than honey, scary it was."
"I'm really fine." Tauriel held her hand out to Kili. "I just didn't want you to see me cry."
The young husband took her hand, tugging her closer. "I wouldn't have you crying all by yourself." He reached up to cup the side of her face, tracing the line of her cheek with his thumb in a gentle caress.
"Lad, sometimes a female likes crying alone." Bofur shrugged as if to say it was all a mystery to him.
"What were you crying about?" Kili asked, his temper having completely fled.
"No." Tauriel shook her head, flushing slightly. "It's silly."
"Love?"
The red-head shook her head. "I will not tell you, it's silly and embarrassing and complete nonsense. I just cried, can we not leave it at that?" She was starting to sound a bit like she was finding the temper that Kili had just let go of.
The dwarven male wasn't stupid. "That's fine. Cry or don't cry, just, don't forget I'm here for you."
Bofur bit back a laugh. "Lad, fine offer. Just don't complain when she remembers it especially when the babe wakes up at two in the morn wanting to be fed."
"It's past that now." Kili shrugged. "And I'm used to being awakened for watch shifts."
Tauriel started to smile at him when they all heard a knock at their front door.
Kili shot a look at Fili, who grimaced. "What now? Like you said, it's past two in the morning. Which means there's a problem." He gathered his sword and long dagger as he headed toward the door.
Tauriel let go of her husband's hand, silently telling him to back up his brother. Not that Kili needed the permission nor reminder, he was already moving and made a noise at Fili, who tossed the sword back toward him. Kili caught it easily.
Tauriel glanced at Bofur, who had his arms crossed and was rocking back and forth on his heels. He was obviously staying put in order to protect her.
Bofur started cursing as he simply blinked and the elf was half-way out the door, leaving him to try and catch up. He followed her towards the voices at the door, only relaxing as he noted there were no sounds of anger nor fighting. He nearly slid to a halt next to Tauriel, who was on the receiving end of a chiding glance from both Fili and Kili.
"Deven." Bofur greeted the young guardsman who was looking embarrassed. "Problems with the prisoners?"
Fili growled and shook his head. "Deven was just explaining that the Easterlings already had a few hostages, probably to sell off to slavers or sell back to their families …depending on who could pay more."
Bofur nodded. "Makes sense."
"I asked the guardsmen to question everyone thoroughly, to make sure none of the Easterlings were posing as prisoners to avoid our wrath." Fili continued.
Deven nodded eagerly, looking worried. "Couple of dwarves. Figured we'd start there. Three of 'em."
Bofur glanced at Fili's closed off expression, getting a bad feeling about this. "Dwarves?"
"Seems they were making their way here, when they got captured." Deven continued, explaining in a rush of words. "Said they were on their way to Brookshire."
"Hamnar's cousin." Fili said slowly, with deliberate weight. "Our cousins, actually."
"Only he says his cousin had no sons." Deven blushed, looking down at the ground. "Insists on it, but then he's a prisoner, and he'd say anything, right?"
"And you believe him?" Bofur asked, trying to mask his shock and worry.
"Doesn't matter." Fili interrupted. "He's made the claim, and I want to see this cousin of mine. Lead on, Deven."
The young guardsman blushed again, dipping his head in apology.
o.o.o.o.o
o.o.o.o.o
"I'm sure you're mistaken." Mirrenda said, her fingers unraveling a loose thread on her sleeve in agitation. "Coppernose the Elder will straighten all of this out."
Ingvar Coppernose glared at the human woman with all the dignity he could muster. "Hamnar had no sons! None! Whomever you have here claiming to be blood is an imposter! I would so swear!"
o.o.o.o.o
o.o.o.o.o
A/N: Back from vacation and trying to find the discipline to write again. Sorry for the delay! It doesn't help having weird computer problems and a laptop that won't stay connected to my wifi. Sigh. Anyway, hope you enjoy the new chapter!