AN: Ha! Mithril gardening equipment would be so much more useful to a hobbit. What would a hobbit do with armour and chainmail? Hang it up on their mathom-keeper, no doubt.

Chapter 52: Moments Together

Dwalin bit into the biscuit tentatively. Malin tried not to appear interested in his reaction and busiest herself with wiping flour off the table where she had been mixing it. Baking whilst sitting was not the easiest take, but now she was putting off the crutches more and more and tried limping around, much to Dwalin's worry.

His eyes brightened. Dwalin wasn't much one to comment on food, but the fact that he immediately reached for more was a good sign.

"These are really good," said Dwalin, "I never thought I'd be happy to have a sister."

Malin rolled her eyes, "Even Dori can bake just as well as I! Now don't you finish them all, I have a friend coming to tea today... Really, I can't imagine what you and Balin lived on for years."

"Bachelor's food..." Dwalin mumbled with his mouth fool, "Taverns... Sometimes Thorin fed us."

"Poor Dis" was all Malin had to say to that.

Turning back to the kitchen, the sight of the washpan full of dishes brought back memories, filling her eyes with tears. Malin felt slightly disorientated for a brief moment, before she realized that with being busy baking, she had forgotten to drink her afternoon mug of lumberberry tonic, and she hurried to remedy that.

Baking.

Something Malin hadn't done in years. Today, she had kneaded bread and made of a batch of honey and seed biscuits, all the while trying very hard to concentrate on the task and hand and not wander back in time... These were recipes from the Iron Hills.

"What's the matter, Malin? Are you feeling well?" Dwalin wanted to know, sensing something was wrong.

In a fit of kindness, he went towards the washbasin. If he couldn't help Malin by being comforting and supporting or whatever, he could at least do the dishes. In fact, that was a very good way to help.

Malin started to clear away dishes. Slowly she sniffed less and less, but her eyes were still red (she hid them from Dwalin). Instead she busied herself keeping the packages of flour and sugar, wiping the table, and passing him dishes.

Dwalin just silently kept doing the dishes and praying that all would be well.

"You're not well," Dwalin broke the silence, "You can have Pearl over another day."

"No," Malin put herself together as she usually did, sublimating her feelings, "I'm feeling a lot better."

That came out as a snap, and Dwalin turned about with concern to observe her limp briskly out of the kitchen, squaring her shoulders.


Malin hobbled over to the sideboard to fetch the plate of biscuits she wanted to offer her guest. Pearl glanced over concernedly and quickly got up to help her,

"I'm all right," Malin insisted, trying to hide the gasp of pain she felt when putting pressure on her mending foot,

"I don't think so," insisted Pearl, "You are putting too much strain on your feet, you should be resting."

"I have to use it," complained Malin, "To get it to work again. Oin said so."

Pearl rolled her eyes - Dwalin was worse than this when we was ill.

"MALIN!" exclaimed Dwalin, coming into the parlour just, "I told yer to stay off yer bloody broken foot!"

Malin spun around guiltily, but Dwalin bounded across the room in two steps and was going to

"I'm ssssooorrry..." Malin said slowly, "I'm trying to help it heal."

"Yer makin it worse..."

"Since when do you know anything about recuperating..."

"Ahem," Pearl coughed, "I think we all should sit down and have some more tea, or perhaps I should inform Dori what both of you are up to."

Dwalin flinched like he had been slapped.

"Right," he mumbled, picking up the protesting Malin like a baby and depositing her in one of the chairs, "Lets have tea."


"MAHAL! MAHAL!" roared Dwalin two hours later. It really was stupid, and pointless. He had gotten into an argument with three young lads he was training, and promised to slaughter their "elven" behinds in the arena, but in a moment of lapsed concentration, he had tripped over the first one, landed on the second one's axe, and had the third one crash into his back. All four fighting dwarves ended up with some serious bruises, but Dwalin got the worst of it - a twisted arm and serious back-pain.

Dwalin's back had been giving him trouble ever since the Battle five years ago, but he had never admitted it or paid any attention to it. Oin had warned him to stay off his back, but Dwalin had, of course, simply ignored the healer's instructions, heading full-on into spars and wrestling challenges like he had all his life. But the twist in his tailbone was persistent and annoying.

He felt like cursing until the mountain reverberated with bad air.

The healers were sent for, and Elekh came. She did up Dwalin's arm and sent him home to rest.


Malin limped to where Dwalin was brooding in front of the parlour fireplace.

"Take care of yourself, huh?" she teased, "Look at us."

"Don't... let... Dori... find... out." Dwalin instructed slowly, with dread.

"I won't."

"Balin doesn't hear of it..."

"I can't lie to one brother for another!"

"Aye, but you can keep yer pouting lips pressed together."

"I'll see... if you promise to stay away from the training arena until you are healed..."

"Aye."

"And promise to take me there with you to train once I am healed."

"What?"

"Deal? Or else I tell Balin. And Dori. And Oin. And..."

"Shut up... I'll do as yer say. Just don't ask fer anymore."

"By Durin's beard?"

"By Durin's Beard."


Dwalin was enjoying being laid up. All the dwarrowdams who came regularly to see his sister were pleasant company - they couldn't hold a candle to Pearl, but, well, they were a welcome relief. Dwalin just made sure to stay out of Dori, Ori, or Nori's way.

Drat that thief...thought Dwalin... he'll have heard and... might come around asking for things... and I can't beat him up with one arm... or can I?

Dwalin had settled the other dwarves at the arena by making a great, falsified, show of himself being unharmed.


"What are you doing!" Malin exclaimed, horrified by Dwalin's grunts as he rolled on the floor of his bedroom. She had just heard strange noises and came in to check.

"One arm push-ups," he grunted, "Haven't done them in awhile..."

"Isn't the Crown Prince expecting you in ten minutes?"

"Oh, aye," Dwalin scrambled up with some difficulty, "I forgot."

Dwalin met with Fili and Gloin every day now to keep up to date with latest developments, most to keep up-to-date on issues and to give advice. However, Gloin was in his true element - doing everything himself, and Dwalin was left with just attending court and entertaining Fili through the long hours of inactivity.