29. Not always a good life
Year 815 of the Second Age, Khazad-dûm:
One of the best things about being a stonemason, Narvi thought for herself as she kept working on the stone in front of her, was the physical strength she got as part of her work. A good health, often proved by strength in the body, was a sign of beauty among the Dwarven race. Anyone who thought that a skinny Dwarf to be handsome, would be viewed as having a weird taste in how a possible partner would look like. Having a ideal was alright, but only focusing of appearance or personality without thinking of how the two would mix together, was often the result of broken dreams and while marriage outside your own birth status were possible, sometimes the different standards of your new social class could become one of those obstacles that can affect your entire life.
"And of course, there is always the risk that there is different goals between family members as well."
More than one suitor from the upper classes, sent to her workshop by Odin in the hopes of that his sister would be charmed into marriage and raise in social status by her husband, had found themselves literally lifted up by Narvi and tossed out though the door before it was closed in his face. It was not that Narvi meant to be hard to charm for her suitors or that she had anything against them based on information from her fellow Dams, she simply did not feel for being one of those thankfully very rare Dams who married soon after their 65th birthday, the youngest age where a Dwarrowdam could be married in order to avoid what sadly had happened to her late grandmother Frigga. Pregnancy at a far too young age were doomed to end up with fertility issues, often barrenness after that first child that was born to a such young mother.
"Thank the Maker that Amad understands my reason for that, and can smack some sense into my brother when he fails to listen on my own words."
But Narvi knew that her mother would not live forever, and that once Ala joined the rest of their family members in the afterlife, she and Odin would most likely end up in a sibling fight that could drive them apart as a family because of any ill-spoken word that would hurt deeply.
At least she could have a safe haven from any unwanted suitors in the parts of Khazad-dûm meant only for Dwarrowdams. Not merely a large bath house spit up in several parts where up to fifty Dams could be found together and not be crowded, it was almost like a palace in itself because of the massive halls and chambers. Since the Crown Princess and Honored Lady had became mothers to a son each nearly four years ago, it was perfectly normal that they might be busy with all the joys and trials of motherhood to young children, meaning that they would bring prince Ivar and prince Rurik along whatever they would not have to be present at some important ceremony or event at court. Today, however, Narvi knew that there was a formal event for the Crown prince and his family, so none of the royal mothers were there.
"Princess consort Tora."
This was a surprise, to see the wife of prince Frerin here as she normally would be found out in the city on errands related to her charity work. She had a unfamiliar young Dwarfling in her arms, less than a decade old based on size, and a slightly older one hiding behind the extent of her skirts. Their clothing, old and worn, as well patched in a way that revealed poverty together with the unwashed and skinny bodies, revealed that something must have happened.
"A alarm about a very young miner being spotted drunk in the mines where he works. Turns out that his parents were tied in some form to the House of Frost, and lost pretty a big deal of saved money with their fall, leaving the parents to take up dangerous work for earn their daily bread. Sadly both parents passed away in a cave-in and the oldest son chose to start working despite the offers of entering a foster family, meaning that he was open for some less-than-honest person to introduce strong drinks to him."
House of Frost again! Narvi felt a old grudge in her heart at the mention of those people she hated to share the blood of, did they still manage to ruin the lives of innocents despite being dead since ten years ago? She may be the treasured daughter of a wealthy merchant, but Narvi had never been sheltered from the more ugly side of life. It was impossible, not with knowing that Frigga and Balder had only 40 years in age difference between them despite being mother and son, as well that Balder wanted his children to know that there was people even among their own race that would do dishonorable things towards others. Sadly, Dwarves who had a low social status could often become targets for such people, because they often did not have the right connections or social protections of Dwarves that was from more well-off families. A big problem was that some families could be too proud to ask for charity, not wanting to admit that they needed the help of strangers or making their rare children ashamed of being poor.
"He wasted most of his earnings on alcohol then, instead of hiring a trustworthy person or asking a neighbor to babysit his siblings?" Narvi asked carefully. She had been warned about the dangers of start drinking drinks unsuitable for young Dwarves at a too early age, how that was viewed as a path towards ruining your own life and possibly ending up dying young because the body was destroyed over the years from the damage caused by the amounts of alcohol.
"Unfortunately. And with his parents moving here from the Blue Mountains about 30 years ago in the hope of starting over, they have no close relatives here in the realm created by Durin the Deathless."
The two younger siblings had been spotted several times alone, often in not so safe areas of the city, begging for food from strangers. Finally, three adult mines had acted at seeing the youth show up all drunk at work, a alarming sign given that he was not even of age, and by them reporting the whole story to the authorities over the mine, the oldest brother had been forcefully dragged away to a charity-driven center where other Dwarves would be helped to break free of their alcoholism.
"Therefore, I will care for them together with Frerin until that we have found a good foster family. I have friends from my pre-royalty life that will help me in that search. For now, they are in desperate need of a warm bath, a health check and some food in their bellies."
Could it be that one of the siblings actually was a daughter, but the poor clothing and upbringing, with parents dead early on and the oldest sibling being the only breadwinner, had not made anyone realize earlier? That could explain why Tora was on the way to the clinic here, specializing on whatever health problems a Dwarrowdam might suffer from.
"The fall into such poverty for the family and their moving into a such poor area of Khazad-dûm, explains why there suddenly stopped being mentions of the female weaver and her oldest daughter in the previous district after the fall of House Frost…a underage, orphaned son needing to support his two sisters at a such young age and yet being too proud to ask for help...must get the youngest lass registered in her birth year quickly..."
Narvi froze in horror at hearing what the princess consort might have been intending to merely whisper for herself. Two daughters?! And the youngest one possibly not even being registered in a list of births that was created every year to keep track of the population, because the parents had been too proud to accept charity?! Had they even realised what sort of problems that could bring for their youngest child when she was a adult? Or were they the sort of family that had been fine with just one daughter, desiring a second son instead to the point of forcing her into the role of being a male? That sort of stories, where a Dwarrowdam was forbidden to act as her true gender, was extremely rare, but it also showed that no family were perfect. For all of that daughters were treasured among the Dwarves, it was sometimes inevitable that a second daughter, and the expectation of finding a good marriage match for her, in addition to the older sister, could be a disaster for an unlucky family in deep poverty and they saw no other way out than claiming that they had gotten a second son instead, because the cost of two wedding feasts would be too much for them to handle.
~X~X~X~X~X~X
Roughly a week later, Ost-in-Edhil:
As used as he was now to getting the letters from Narvi, the content of the latest letter shocked Celebrimbor very good because he honestly had never imagined a such thing to happen among the Dwarven race.
"I have heard stories about Mannish fathers dressing their daughters like sons in a desperate attempt to not be viewed with pity or being mocked for only siring daughters, but this..."
And the mention of the oldest sibling already being a victim of alcoholism despite his young age, if that did not prove that Elves, Men and Dwarves had more in common than what they knew or wanted to admit, then Celebrimbor had no idea what could be a common ground. Then again, Dwarves were seen as the odd ones among the Free peoples of Middle-earth, for being created by Aulë instead of Eru Himself.
As soon as he returned to the writing desk in his bedroom, Celebrimbor started to write a reply to the Dwarrowdam he had befriended one and a half decade earlier:
My dear friend Narvi
Seeing the ugly side of society is never a easy thing to see, not when some form of blood relatives are involved in making life harder for innocents. Recalling what I told you about the events in Nargothrond? That was the final drop that caused the cup of my patience to run over with my own family by birth.
How could he not know himself, when his own uncle Celegorm and father Curufin had made a such infamous scandal in long-gone Nargothrond? A chain of events that would cost them dearly later. Narvi hated the blood from the House of Frost in her veins, she had mentioned that several times in previous letters between them, and openly written to him that she felt tainted by having such blood relatives.
I hope that the brother will manage to become sober, and learn the horrors of alcohol thanks to the help he will be given at the center. With some luck, he might find a better trade to become his work as a adult. Princess consort Tora is a good lady, she will find a good foster family for the girls and they will have a better life than what they have lived so far. I have to agree with you, Narvi, about that it was foolish of the late parents to let their pride control their actions instead of accepting charity so their children would have a chance to break out of poverty with time.
Celebrimbor planned a new visit to Khazad-dûm soon, so he made sure to mention those plans in the letter but also that he did not know exactly which date yet for that journey.
~X~X~X~X~X~X
Author note: Since the Dwarves comes of age at 45 in my headcanons, it is still viewed as too young for a risk-free pregnancy for Dwarrowdams, who have 65 years as the lowest allowed age for marriage. Since Frigga had her son Balder at the age of 40, she was the Dwarven version of a late teenage pregnancy and it sadly ended with her becoming barren from it being a difficult childbirth as a result of that she was not yet enough physically developed to become pregnant
Given that Dwarrowdams are only a third of their race, I think the various Dwarven realms might have a place where only the Dams are allowed to enter, think something like the imperial harem in the Ottoman empire but where ladies of all social ranks can socialize without their male relatives
A daughter might bring in money to a poor family by them getting a bride price for her, but at the same time, they will lose the income she gives them by working, so for really poor Dwarven family, I think there is something 50-50 about whatever more than one daughter can be a blessing or not. Not to mention that if one daughter marries a wealthy husband, her younger sister might resent that she was not the bride in that marriage and have to settle for someone less well-off.