Authors Note: Whoops! I get writing and not paying attention to word count at all, when I finely do I'm up to 7k. So two more chapters involving Dis and the dwarves after this one before we are back in Mirkwood. I don't like having monster chapters and I'm sure I'll draw some ire over ending the chapters as I do but a 7-9k word chapter is just too much. This chapter is a bit lighter, it gives some more insight into the individual personalities and histories of the dwarves and of course more Dis. Not fluff but yet another transition chapter. Thank you for all the great reviews for ch. 47. Thanks for reading and please review!
-O-
Chapter 48 – Suitable gifts
Dis
They were almost to Caras Galadhon, Dis happily climbed out of the carriage and stretched her stiff legs. She was tired of sitting for hours and she was especially tired of being cooped up in that stuffy coach. Galadriel had been in one of her moods the past few days as well, that made the trip all the more tedious. The Lady of Lorien was having problems with her mirror again, it was cloudy; no clear visions could be seen. Compound that with the fact the dwarves have not been able to find their elf maidens in their dreams for the past several nights, it all had left Galadriel's mood foul. They had stopped a few leagues from the city to rest and await for an escort from the Marchwarden. Dis noticed that the six dwarves were at the top of the hill pointing and talking enthusiastically, she decided to go see what all the fuss was about. She was still a ways away but she could hear a few of them laughing, Dis smiled as she continued to walk towards them; they must be so excited to be this close, she thought. Even Dax looked less gloomy, the dwarf lad had been worrying over this day… he must be relieved that it was almost over at least. She knew he was troubled about Sabyn rejecting him, Dis wished she could tell him that his fears were unfounded. In a few short hours they will be there, hopefully she could have a chance to talk to this elf maiden before Dax. She was sure that she could get the maiden to see reason where the lad was concerned. As she neared the group of dwarves Lindir met up with her, he smiled at her and offered her his arm.
"May I escort you my lady?" he asked smoothly. Dis felt her cheeks warm a bit as she took his arm. Things have gotten strange with the elf since they left Rivendell, he was always escorting her places even if there was no reason to. She did not understand if it was just elven courtesy or something more… she was far too wary to ask if it was indeed something more. It wasn't that she didn't find the elf attractive, all elves were handsome and beautiful; it was just strange to think of herself with another man besides Brandr, even after all of these year. She did enjoy Lindir's company though, he has been a good guide and friend since she started this maddening journey. They were almost to the dwarves, they were too engaged in their conversation to notice them. Dis couldn't help but overhear part of the discussion.
"You really think it will be that easy?" Niko asked skeptically.
"Sure," Lars said dismissively. He didn't notice that she and Lindir were behind him, Dax noticed though and smirked. The solemn ranger had touched her heart with his story, she had gotten to know him better over the last week and couldn't help but feel a little maternal regarding him. "All women are basically the same… It doesn't matter if they are dwarf, elf or a human woman. Elf maidens are probably the easiest to deal with out of them all though. They are so sweet and delicate… I bet they don't even argue." Before Lars could say anymore, Dis could not contain the hearty laugh that formed at hearing his words. The dwarves startled when they heard the sound of her laughter and turned giving her wide-eyed looks. "Lady Dis… I did not see you there," Lars said sheepishly. Dis continued to laugh and pulled her arm from Lindir's to retrieve her handkerchief from her pocket so she could wipe the tears from her eyes. She hasn't laughed that hard in a while, but she hasn't heard anything that asinine in a while either.
"Oh please carry on… don't let me interrupt you, I would love to hear more of your extensive knowledge of elf maidens and women in general," she said still chuckling. The tall dwarves face started to turn red and he began to rub the back of his neck nervously. When the Lars didn't say anything Dis raised her eyebrow. "Perhaps if you explain the context in which that statement was made it will sound better. You know… less chauvinistic," she said as she gestured for him to continue. All of the dwarves shifted awkwardly under her gaze.
"Uh… Lars was just telling us some tips on what we should say and do when we see the maidens tonight," Gavin said innocently. Dis' lips curled slightly at the obvious discomfort her presence was causing them, it reminded her of several times she interrupted her sons when they were having one of these enlightening conversations.
"Really…" she said as she looked at the tall dwarf. She glanced at Lindir who had an amused look on his face. "Besides Dax have any of you courted a woman before? And I don't consider a large tip and a roll in the hay with a tavern wench as a form of courting," she said as she gave Lars a pointed stare. The dwarves looked at each other and then shook their heads in obvious embarrassment. "That's what I thought…" she said with a chuckle. "Well, do you at least have gifts for the maidens?" The dwarves nodded their heads, a few were digging into their pockets to show her. Niko was the first to step forward, he held a small wooden box in his hand. He gently placed the box in her hand and smiled.
"I found this in the mines years ago… My father wanted me to sell it but I saved it, I always hoped that I would have someone special to give it to," he said, his smiled faded a bit. "I really hope that Miriel likes it." Dis slowly opened the box, inside was a brilliant fiery opal that shimmered in the sunlight. It was a beautiful stone, she could not find any flaws but she did not have Balin's skilled eyes. The wily old dwarf would love to get his fingers on a gem like this.
"It's beautiful Niko, she will love it," Dis said truthfully as she placed the gem in its box and hand it back to the young dwarf. Lars was the next one to show her his gift, out of his waist bag he pulled out an odd shaped item that was wrapped in silk. He carefully handed it to her as if it was very fragile, she slowly unwrapped it. Inside the silk sleeve was an intricately carved rose, it was perfect and each petal looked as delicate as that of a real rose petal; the leaves on the stem even had tiny veins carved in them. Dis looked up at the gruff dwarf in shock. "Did you make this?" she asked in an awestruck voice. The tall dwarf's cheeks turned pink and he looked away embarrassed.
"Yeah… I'm a woodworker, we tend to whittle when we don't have anything better to do," he said as he held his hand out for the wooden rose. Lindir leaned over to get a better look.
"Very impressive… you have skill that rivals our elven woodworkers Master Lars," he said graciously. The dwarf seem taken aback by Lindir's compliment. He muttered his thanks and waited for Dis to wrap it back up. She handed it to him and smiled as she watched him gently place the rose back in his bag. Perhaps under his brutish exterior was a dwarf with a big heart, maybe even a bit of a romantic too; she would have to see how he behaved around his elf maiden to be sure. Gavin came forward next, he had a small silk pouch clenched in his fist. A shout rang out across the clearing, it appeared that the elven escort was approaching. Lindir reached over and took her hand.
"I have to greet the Marchwarden my lady… if you will excuse me for a few moments?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.
"Of course Lindir," she said politely. Dis was shocked when he brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles causing her to blush. They locked eyes for a moment as he let her hand slip from his, then he bowed and quickly walked over to the carriage where the other elves were gathering. Dis noticed the dwarves were giving her curious looks, she felt her cheeks darken even more. She cleared her throat and tried to avoid making eye contact with the young dwarves. "Ok, Gavin… what is your courting gift?" she asked as she tried to regain her composure. A conversation with Lindir seemed unavoidable at this point, that look he just gave her was more than friendly.
"When I told my parents about the dreams and about Bethyl, they didn't believe me," he said softly. "It wasn't until I had my bags packed and was ready to leave that they started to think that maybe she might actually be real. My mother gave me this… she said if Bethyl did exist that I better have a proper gift for her," he gave her a small smile. "It was one of several gifts my father gave my mother when he courted her," he said as he handed Dis the pouch. She undid the string and dumped the contents onto her palm. Her eyes widened when she looked down at her hand.
"Is this mithril?" she asked as she untwisted the delicate necklace in her hand. Gavin nodded.
"Yes, and the beads woven in are sapphires," he said as he pointed at the blue stone beads. "My father courted my mother for five years, by the end the gifts had grown quite extravagant," he said with a nervous laugh. "Will she like it?" he asked as he looked at her with worried eyes. Dis smiled and put the necklace back in the pouch.
"Absolutely," she said, Dis handed him back the necklace then patted his cheek. Gavin blushed a deep red and hastily stuffed the pouch back into his pocket before he quickly stepped behind Lars. Dis chuckled, she wondered if he was going to be too shy to even utter a word to his elf maiden. He was a sweet lad though, he will make his elf maiden very happy.
The next dwarf to step forward with his gift was Raglor, he handed her a small wooden box. She was shocked when she opened it to find a perfect deep red ruby. The stone had been cut and painstakingly polished. It was a jewel fit for a queen, it shocked her that this reserved young dwarf possessed such a treasure.
"Over the years I have collected gems from the mines that were discarded by the other miners. They said that they were flawed and worthless, but I could always see a way that they could be cut to bring out their beauty and remove the flaws. I've used these gems to practice the art of cutting and polishing… this one is my greatest work," he said proudly. "As beautiful as the stone is, it pales in comparison to Adara's beauty," he said as his cheeks flushed. Dis gave him a soft smile and handed him back his gem then patted his arm.
"She will love it… especially if you use words like that," she said encouragingly. There was definitely more to this responsible and pragmatic dwarf than she initial thought; an artist whose canvas was the stones of the earth lay beneath his stoic exterior and perhaps maybe a bit of a poet. The next dwarf to step up was Mal, he placed a small linen pouch in her hand. Dis unwrapped the string and pulled it open, inside was a silver brooch of a dragon fly. It had small chips of gemstones embedded in the metal, when she held it up in the sunlight the piece came alive with shimmering colors reflected from the chips. "It's beautiful," Dis said as she held it up admiring the craftsmanship of the piece.
"My great grandfather made this for my great grandmother… it was her courting gift. My mother gave it to me some time ago, she hoped that someday I would marry. I honestly didn't think I would, there were not that many maidens in our village and the few that were there had their eyes set on your sons… not someone like me," he said wistfully.
"Gwyneth will love this Mal, I'm sure of it. And I'm glad things worked out the way they have… for all of us," she said as she handed him back the brooch. Mal was such a sweet and earnest man, it made her happy that someone like him was one of the chosen dwarves. It would have been such a waste for him to grow old and alone, unfortunately that was the fate of the majority of dwarf men. She pushed those depressing thoughts away and turned to Dax next, the young dwarf looked dismayed and disheartened as he glanced at the other dwarves and their gifts. "Your turn Dax, what is your courting gift for Sabyn?" she asked. The dwarf looked uncomfortable, he reached into the neck of his shirt and pulled out a leather cord necklace. Dis took a step closer to get a better look. It was a strange stone, almost completely clear and about the size of a robin's egg. In the center of it was another stone, as if an emerald had been encased in glass. She had never seen anything like it, it was some type of quartz; the inner green gem seemed to glow in the sunlight.
"Where did you get that stone?" Dis asked in awe as she watched him quickly place the necklace back under his shirt.
"About thirty years ago I found it in the woods just east of Harlindon at the base of the mountains. I was digging a fire pit and found the stone… it was only buried an inch or so deep. I've worn it ever since that day. It is the only thing I truly own that would be an appropriate gift for Sabyn, I left everything else behind. It is not a grand gift though… I hope she will accept it," Dax said, his voice full of worry. Dis smiled reached over and grabbed the young dwarf's hand.
"You have nothing to worry about, Sabyn will love it. Your doubts are unfounded, she will be thrilled with a gift that you obviously cherish," she said as she let go of his hand. She turned to address the rest of the dwarves. "The maidens will love all of your gifts, this is one way elf women differ from races. I have yet to meet a selfish or materialistic elf woman, I'm sure they exist but they appear to be far from the norm. Yes they are sweet and delicate," she said as she gave Lars hard stare. "But they are also strong and independent… every single one of these maidens has been trained with a sword and a bow. Never think of them as weak and docile because that is just not the case," Dis said as she gave them all a stern look. "I grew up with Lady Eliana and I can tell you that elven women are very loving, compassionate and loyal… but they are also fierce, protective and brave. My other daughter-in-law Laurwyn is very similar, she looks up to Eliana… all of the little elf maiden's do as well." Dis wanted to tell them more, especially about what it meant to bond with an elf and how that affected the light of an elf but she didn't want to upset Dax more. She knew he felt terrible about Sabyn, telling him about how elves can fade from despair would cause him unnecessary worry. They had not bonded yet so she was sure his elf maiden was ok, she wished Galadriel could check her mirror to be certain. It was all a moot point though… in a few hours they would be in Caras Galadhon.
"Bethyl told me she could use a sword… she wants to duel me," Gavin said with a grin. Dis had to chuckle, that was a fight she'd love to see. She wondered just how skilled these maidens were, Eli had centuries on them so she would have to see them fight to know for sure.
"That is a really bad idea… it sets a bad precedence. What if you lose?" asked Lars as he shook his head. "You don't want to start out a relationship like that, a woman can't respect a man she can dominate. And what if it causes the other maidens to want to duel the rest of us as well? If we refuse we look weak… and if they beat us? Well then we look even worse!" The other dwarves nodded and murmured amongst themselves about appearing weak. Dis had to chuckle… typical men, she thought. She was just about to make a few choice comments about egos when she noticed Lindir approaching, he had a tall blond elf with him who was followed by a small elf maiden with fiery red hair, she was dressed similar to the other elves, in a long tunic and leggings. Dis had smiled at Lindir but it had slipped from her face when she saw his grave expression.
"Lindir?" she asked when the elf and his two companions arrived. The dwarves instantly straightened up and acted more reserved when they saw the elf maiden. Dis didn't recall her fitting the description of any of these dwarves' maidens… at least she didn't remember one having hair this color. The maiden was quite beautiful with her long fiery curls, but she looked tired and drawn… something Dis was not use to seeing in elves. The maiden also looked a bit angry and annoyed, it reminded Dis of Eli after her and Thorin would fight.
"My lady… this is the Marchwarden Haldir," he said as he gestured to the tall blond elf. "And this is Lady Vivien…" The elf maiden pushed past Lindir and stepped towards the dwarves.
"Which one of you is Dax?" she demanded briskly. The dwarves stepped out of the way and Raglor nudged Dax forward.
"I'm Dax…" he started to say but was cut off when the elf maiden stepped forward and grabbed his wrist. Dis was shocked at the tenacity of the elf maiden as she started to forcibly pull the young dwarf along. "Wait…" he tried to say as the elf maiden tugged on his arm.
"No time… Sabyn needs you, she's fading!" the maiden said curtly. Dis gasped and covered her mouth, for a brief moment her eyes met Dax's before he was led off by the maiden. The tall blond elf bowed hastily and rushed after them. The dwarves were confused and upset as they watched their companion being pulled over to an area the where two horses stood.
"Come my lady," Lindir said as he gently grasped her hand. "We need to go… Lady Galadriel will explain everything." Dis let the elf lead her towards the carriage, the five dwarves followed along behind her.
ooOoo
