The clanging of metal on metal rang out through the still afternoon air.
Nori sat on the edge of the well, his pipe in hand as he watched Demelza and Baylee spar. Baylee had definitely improved over the last two weeks; she was keeping up with her aunt and was even starting to win more matches. But there was something about the way she moved that didn't seem right to him. Normally, she was quite sure footed and even graceful, but when sparring, she seemed almost clumsy at times.
Demelza, on the other hand, was moving so fluidly, she looked as if she were dancing.
His brow rose as he saw Baylee tumble out of the way when Demelza came charging at her. Hopping back to her feet, she swung the sword and smacked it into the back of her aunt's legs. Demelza came to a stop, panting slightly as she turned.
"That's a win for you, sweetie," she told her, resting a fist on her hip. "Two to two. We're tied."
"Let—let's get a drink o' water before—before we do the tiebreaker," Baylee puffed, shoving the sword back into its sheath. "Please."
Though she wanted to do the tiebreaker right away, Demelza relented and walked with her niece over to the well. By the time they got there, Nori had already started turning the crank to bring up the bucket. "Enjoyin' the show, Master Nori?" she asked with a breathless laugh.
"I have t' admit, I didn't think human women could make good fighters," he told her, "until I've watched the two o' you these past two weeks. Where did you learn t' fight like that?"
"My late sister and I were shieldmaidens o' Rohan," she explained. "Warren's also a fighter, so the three o' us made sure to teach our children how t' fight in case they ever needed it."
Baylee quietly thanked Nori as he pulled the bucket over to rest on the stone wall. She grabbed the ladle and started to drink the cold water.
"That explains it," Nori said with a small chuckle. "The way you fight is unlike any type I've seen before—an' I've seen lots during my lifetime." He tapped his now-extinguished pipe on the stone near the base of the well, watching as the dead ashes fluttered to the ground.
"Aye. It's because we have t' know how to fight both on our feet an' on our horses. An' if you're a person who wields two weapons at a time, you also have t' learn how t' ride without using the reins."
His brows furrowed at this information. "That sounds dangerous."
"It can be," Baylee piped up. Her shoulders were still heaving with the effort of breathing. "You have t' have good leg strength, because you're holding on with your thighs an' using your feet t' steer the horse."
Nodding in understanding, he leaned against the wooden beam. "I take it you also know how t' fight from horseback?"
Baylee nodded. "I'm better with a sword when I'm in the saddle, but when I'm down on the ground? Not so much." She chuckled, rubbing a spot on her side where Demelza had landed a good blow earlier.
"Well, why don't you fight with somethin' else, then?"
Demelza wanted to say that Baylee was too small to use any other weapon, but she refrained, as Baylee was about six inches taller than Nori. "A sword makes better sense for her, given her strength," she said instead. "She could do with a smaller shield, but that's the smallest we've got."
"Have you tried pole weapons or bludgeons?" he then asked. "Maces, spears, halberds…? She's got the balance; she could be quite good with them." Glancing past the two women, he saw Ori walking into the courtyard. He gave a small wave to his younger brother, which made Demelza and Baylee look over their shoulders.
"We haven't tried any o' those with her, no. Will an' Warren use them, though," Demelza replied, also giving Ori a small wave.
"My mace is in the stables. If you'd like t' try it out, I'd be more than happy t' let you use it," he said, looking at Baylee. He saw her cheeks darken ever so slightly as she glanced at Demelza; something told him that she was more used to being assigned a weapon than making the choice on her own.
"It's your choice, sweetie," Demelza told her.
"Well…I suppose if you're offerin', it wouldn't hurt t' try—except when auntie lands a blow on me."
He snorted as he stood upright. "Well, maybe that'll happen less often with a mace. Be right back." Turning, he headed to the stables.
"Where's he going?" Ori asked, taking the two women by surprise. His cheeks pinkened slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry. I didn't mean t' startle you."
"It's alright, Ori," Baylee assured him.
"Your brother's going t' let Baylee try usin' his mace for fighting instead o' a sword," Demelza explained. She stepped forward, taking the ladle from the water bucket and getting herself a drink.
"Oh? That's goin' t' be interesting t' watch," he grinned. He let out a small laugh as Baylee lightly nudged him.
"How was your little holiday back home?" Baylee then asked, chuckling herself.
"It was surprisingly nice! Dori wasn't nearly as fussy as he usually is, which was a bit o' a welcomed surprise." He pushed one of his braids behind his ear; as it was moved, Baylee could see a red mark towards the back of his neck. "Oh, an' I brought you some chocolate, just like I promised!"
She perked at this. "Ooh, I can't wait t' try it!" she smiled. "It'll be a good pick-me-up after all this sparring. Is it the kind that you drink or is it in that bar form you were talkin' about?"
"Bar," he answered, "but it can be melted down and turned into hot chocolate. I got a plain bar just for that, actually. The other's got bits o' fruit in it an' has already been sweetened."
"What's this chocolate stuff you're talkin' about?" Demelza questioned, her brow rising.
Baylee looked over at her aunt. "It's apparently a hard-t'-get treat that Ori an' Nori's brother imports all the way from the eastern parts o' Middle Earth."
An impressed expression came to her aunt's face. "Huh. That's probably why I've never heard o' it, then," she chuckled. "Maybe the Lightfoots will get some in stock one day, since they're in business with your brother now?"
"Maybe. It's definitely one o' his more expensive items; it's up there with ice wine."
Someone cleared their throat behind them and, as they turned, they found Nori standing there with his mace in hand. "Sorry. I didn't want t' interrupt," he said with a bit of a sheepish grin. He then held the weapon out to Baylee. "You can use it one or two handed, but I recommend two handed for you, since you're not quite as strong as us dwarves."
She snorted as she took the mace. "Now that's an enormous understatement," she joked. As she held the weapon in her hands, she found that it was heavy, but not quite as heavy as she was expecting. It was also nicely weighted, with the bludgeoning end being nice and heavy. She was glad to see that, while the head of the mace was spiked, the spikes were dull. Despite that, however, she knew they could still hurt mighty bad. "Should we wrap it with some cloth, auntie?"
"Aye, we should," she said with a nod. "I'll go fetch some—"
"Here!" Ori pulled off the scarf that hung loosely around his neck and stepped forward, beginning to wrap it around the weapon.
Baylee frowned. "But Ori, that's your scarf—what if somethin' happens to it?"
"It's fine," he promised. "I don't really like this one anyway. The only reason I was wearin' it was because Dori made me." He shook his head.
Nori let out a small laugh. "Aye, he hasn't really left the mountain since he returned from Dale," he explained. "So he's a bit behind on his seasons."
Demelza chuckled, her brow rising. "Well, thank you for the sacrifice o' this scarf nonetheless." She then looked at her niece. "Are you ready for our tiebreaker?"
"Aye, I suppose we should get it over with," Baylee said with a small chuckle. Ori and Nori could tell that there wasn't very much humor in the sound.
"One thing before you get started, Miss Baylee," Nori said before she could walk off. "While you can use either an underhand or overhand grip, I recommend keepin' whatever hand's near the bottom as an overhand grip. An' don't have your hands too close together, either."
She nodded, taking in this information. While she had seen maces and pole weapons being used before, she had admittedly never really paid much attention to how they were used, so his advice was helpful.
The brothers watched as the women moved back to the center of the courtyard and took their positions. Demelza called out 'Go!' and the duel began.
"Why did you offer to let Miss Baylee use your mace?" Ori asked.
"I've been watching her an' her aunt spar on-an'-off over the last two weeks an' every time, something just seemed off about Miss Baylee usin' a sword," Nori explained. "I knew axes weren't goin' to be a good weapon for her, since she doesn't have the strength, nor would a pair o' knives work for her. But after I thought about it for a bit, I realized she's got good enough balance that she could do well with somethin' closer to a pole weapon. I'd actually like t' see about gettin' her to use a spear—I think that'd be a very good weapon for her."
"Hm." He watched as Baylee used the mace to block a flurry of blows from her aunt before trying to sweep her feet out from under her with it. "She does seem to be a bit more offensive with it than with the sword."
Nori nodded in agreement. "And she's balanced better. She doesn't have to worry about carrying a shield that's almost too heavy for her t' use effectively."
"Aye, I agree. I don't think it helps that her aunt is so intense about this, either." He shifted the strap of his satchel. "I get that she wants t' make sure Baylee's back in fighting shape, but does she really have t' push her so hard?"
"Bofur, Bifur, an' I agree. Don't know 'bout Will or Warren yet, though." He pulled his pipe back out along with his tobacco pouch. "But, this isn't an affair for us t' meddle in." He cocked a brow as Demelza hooked the staff of the mace with the beard of one of her axes. She tried to yank it out of Baylee's grip, but the younger woman merely let go with one hand and slipped it free. "How was your visit with Dori?"
Ori glanced up at Nori. "It was actually fairly nice. He…he didn't mother me too much. And I asked him about the possibility of goin' to Laketown."
At that, Nori's brows furrowed and he looked down at his brother. "Going t' Laketown? This is the first I've heard about that."
An innocent smile came to his lips and his cheeks darkened. "I've been thinkin' about going down there with Miss Baylee and her uncle, but I wanted t' clear it with Dori before I brought it up with anyone. You know, just in case he forced me t' stay here."
"Judging by your chipper mood, he said you could go?"
"Aye, so long as I promise t' be careful."
A genuine smile came to Nori's lips—a rare expression for the ex-thief. Reaching over, he tousled Ori's hair. "Look at you, khînadad! Finally comin' out from under our brother's thumb!" He was about to pull Ori into a hug when there was a cry of pain from the duelers. They looked over in time to see Demelza drop to one knee, her left leg outstretched as she rested her weight on one hand. The other gripped the knee of her left leg.
"Auntie! What happened?!" Baylee yelped, dropping the mace and rushing over to her aunt. "Did I hit you too hard?"
Her face contorted in pain, Demelza shook her head. "N-No, it wasn't you, sw-sweetie," she said through gritted teeth.
Nori and Ori hurried over. "Wh-what happened?" Ori squeaked.
Baylee, who was in the middle of helping ease her aunt down so that she was laying on her side, looked up at them. "We don't know. Ori, can you go get my uncle or my da'?"
Nodding, he bolted towards the door of the inn.
"Is there anything I can do t' help?" Nori questioned. He could see that Demelza was now gripping her calf with both hands; he was certain her knuckles were white inside of her gloves.
"Can you get her boot off?" As she spoke, she was reaching under Demelza's chin, undoing the buckle of her helmet.
"Guðna fjandinn! Fóturinn minn líður eins og hann sé á eldi!" Demelza hissed out. "Fjandinn, fjandinn, fjandinn!" Baylee was thankful that Nori didn't understand Rohirric.
"What is she sayin'?" he asked, doing his best to be gentle as he unwrapped the strips of leather holding the sides of her boot up.
"Some very colorful words an' that it feels like her leg is on fire." Getting Demelza's helmet off, she let it roll to the side while gently supporting her head in her hands. "Just breathe, auntie. Focus on your breathin'." It was something her mother and her aunt had taught her to do if ever she got injured in battle, but had to keep fighting.
Demelza clenched her jaw and started to loudly inhale through her nose.
Getting her boot off, Nori's frown grew. "Her ankle's already swelling up."
Baylee glanced down at the ankle, cringing somewhat. "That's…not good."
The kitchen door opened and both Warren and Ori came racing out. "What happened?" the former demanded, eyes wide as he knelt down. His brows furrowed deeply as he saw her swollen ankle.
"We're not sure," Baylee told him. "She had just landed a few blows against me when she cried out in pain." She watched as her father gently started feeling along the back of Demelza's calf.
He wore a look of concentration as he did such; as he neared the source of the pain, she swore more and tried to hit him in an attempt to get him to stop, but he merely grabbed her hand, holding it out of the way. After a long moment, he let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temple with his free hand. "Demelza, did you feel a popping sensation right before the pain hit?"
She nodded.
"That's what I was fearin'," he mumbled. "You've torn your tendon."
Baylee's eyes widened. "Do-does that mean auntie won't be able to walk anymore?"
"She'll be able t' walk—so long as she lets it heal properly," Warren explained. "It's going t' take some time for that t' happen though."
"It'll need t' stay splinted," Ori said, "with the foot tilted down a bit." When the others looked at him as he spoke, he shrank back slightly. "I-I tore my tendon durin' the war. It took forever t' heal. Remember, Nori?"
Nori nodded. "Only a wee bit. I got hit on the head pretty hard that day."
"H-How long…will it take?" Demelza managed to ask. "Co-couple of weeks?"
"Try months, Dem," Warren sighed. "After a couple o' weeks, should you follow my instructions, you should be able to walk again—but not much." Being as gentle as he could, he picked his sister-in-law up off the ground and got to his feet. "Could one o' you get the front door for me? I don't want t' take her in through the kitchen, lest I bump her leg."
"I'll get it," said Nori before hurrying towards the door.
Sighing, Baylee rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, at least it's nothin' she can't heal from," she said. "With how she was swearin', I could have sworn it would be somethin' that left her lame."
Ori lightly patted her shoulder. "Torn tendons are more annoying than anything," he assured her. "She'll ache for a long while, but like your father said: If she keeps t' his instructions, she'll be walking just fine again by winter." He offered her a reassuring smile before leaning over and picking up Nori's mace. "How did you like usin' this, by the way?" he asked, hoping that the change in subject would make her a little less worried.
"I actually liked it a lot," she answered, a small smile coming to her lips. "It's a little short for me—which feels odd t' say—but I liked it much better than a sword an' shield."
"You looked like you felt more comfortable with it." Both turned to find Nori walking back towards them. "I think the sword an' shield left you too encumbered. With a bludgeon or pole weapon, the weight is more evenly distributed between your limbs."
"I could see better, too," she chuckled, rubbing the side of her neck. "That's one thing I don't like about usin' a shield—it gets in the way at times. Well, that an' its weight." She crouched down, picking up her aunt's axes as well as her helmet and boot. "Maybe I'll ask da' about buyin' a mace or spear o' my own t' practice with." She then frowned slightly. "…Not that I'll have anyone t' practice usin' it against now."
"We can spar against you," Ori chirped. "It's not like either o' us has anything better to do."
Nori looked at his brother, a bit surprised; but then he chuckled and nodded. "Aye, we could."
Baylee's eyes widened slightly as she stood upright once more. "Wh-what? I couldn't ask that o' you two! You're guests here, after all!"
"You're not askin' us, Miss Baylee," Nori told her, amusement still in his voice. "We're offerin'. Anyway, it'd be good for you t' go up against different sorts o' weapons. We wouldn't want you t' get used t' only fighting against axes, after all."
She chuckled, her brow rising slightly. "Aye, I suppose you're right," she agreed. "Once da's got auntie all tended to, I'll tell him about your offer. For now, though, I should get these put away…Auntie will have my hide if I forgot them somewhere." She moved to start walking towards the door.
"While you're doin' that, maybe I'll go ask Miss Galiene if I can borrow a pot t' make the hot chocolate," Ori said, starting to follow after her.
"So, Dori actually let you take two bars o' chocolate from the store?" Nori questioned, his brow cocked.
"Mhm. It took a wee bit o' buttering him up, but he relented." He quietly laughed. "I appealed t' the mother hen in him."
Baylee laughed, her head tilting slightly. "An' just how did you do that? Brought him some eggs to sit on?" Nori and Ori burst out into a fit of laughter at her comment, bringing a proud grin to her lips.
"That was good, lass! We're goin' to have to tell Bofur an' Bifur that one!" Nori cackled.
Ori nodded in agreement, still laughing. "One o' us might have t' try sneaking some eggs into his bed now."
Snorting, Baylee lightly shook her head. "Don't blame me if he doesn't see them an' ends up squashing them," she giggled.
Nori excused himself for a moment, having to go take his mace back to the stables.
As she and Ori entered the building, Baylee let out an amused sigh. "Go ahead an' get yourself somethin' to drink. An' tell Nori that, too. I'll be back out in a few minutes, alright?"
"Alright. Take your time," Ori chuckled.
Crossing the common room, she waved at a few of the regulars as well as the rangers who were off duty that day. A few of them chuckled as they saw her in the slightly too-big armor and her arms laden with the axes, but she didn't mind—she knew she looked a bit ridiculous. When she reached the door to the private quarters, she tested the door knob to see if, perhaps, her father had left it unlocked in his hurry to get Demelza some medical attention. Finding that he had, she let out a small sigh of relief; she didn't want to have to finagle the key out from under her shirt and into the lock while holding so much stuff.
The first thing she saw as she entered the private quarters was the surly, pained expression her aunt was wearing as she sat in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. Sitting on a stool in front of her was Richard, who was currently setting a damp cloth over her swollen ankle. Warren stood next to Richard, a measuring tape in hand as he took some measurements of Demelza's leg.
"I take it you're goin' to be makin' her a brace, papa?" she asked. Setting the helmet down on a different chair, she took the axes and, having to stand on tip toe, returned them to the plaque on the wall where they normally sat.
"Aye. I figure she can't break metal near as easily as she can break wood," her father joked. "In all seriousness, though, she's goin' to need something that'll endure her busy lifestyle. Even if she does have to slow down a bit until she's fully healed."
"A bit?" Richard repeated, his brow rising. "Try a lot." He then looked his wife in the eye. "I don't want you walking on this for at least two weeks. And I'll most definitely know if you didn't do as I said." Normally, he was a soft-spoken man who wasn't the least bit threatening. Now, however, his voice was filled with a rarely-heard sternness that made even Demelza nod in defeat.
"Aye, I won't be standin' on it," she grumbled. "I want it t' heal an' walking on it too soon isn't going t' help with that…Sweetie, you can just toss the helmet onto my bed." She gave her niece a small, but pained, smile. "I hope I didn't scare you too bad out there…"
"It's fine, auntie," she promised, a reassuring smile on her lips. "Once papa said you'd be able t' walk again, most o' that fear went away." She turned, leaving the family room to walk down the short hallway to her aunt and uncle's room. Opening the door, she was greeted by the strong scent of basil and lemon—her aunt's favorite incense. 'I think they'll want to open a window before they go to bed,' she thought.
Setting the helmet on the bed, she glanced around; she didn't often come into this room, so whenever she did, she always took a moment to stop and stare at the various Rohirric banners hanging from the walls. Many of them had scorch marks and a couple were even half destroyed by fire.
'Sometimes I still can't believe that enough of the original Tankard survived Smaug's attack that we were able to salvage some things. That fire had been so hot and traveled so fast…' she thought with a soft sigh. She closed her eyes a moment only to gasp as, for a split second, she saw the terrifying face of the dragon. Under her breath, she muttered, "Fjandinn," and shook her head, leaving the room.
She had gone down the other hallway and was about to enter her room when her father stopped her.
"'Lee?" he said, watching as she turned around. "With your aunt unable t' walk for a while, could you ask Prim if she or any o' her sisters would like t' earn some extra pocket money by taking her place for a few months?" he asked.
"O' course, papa," she smiled. "I'm fairly certain Prim wouldn't mind helpin' at all, especially if it means gettin' to eat fruit bread."
A tired smile came to his lips. "Anything helps—especially with the crown prince coming t' stay soon. We're going t' need the extra help." He then rubbed the side of his neck, his smile fading. "I suppose this means you're off the hook for sparring sessions, though."
"Actually…Ori an' Nori volunteered t' help with that."
His eyes widened slightly, but he let out a laugh. "Is that so? Those lads just keep surprisin' me with what they're willin' to help with," he chuckled. "It'll be good for you, getting the chance t' fight against folk who use different weapons."
She nodded in agreement. "That's what Nori was sayin'. He let me try out his mace for that final round with auntie, also."
"That's what she was sayin'. Said you were more offensive with it than with a sword an' shield…but how did you like it?"
A bit of a sheepish look overtook her features. "Enough t' know that I'd like t' get a spear an' practice with that instead o' a sword and shield."
Warren looked more than a little surprised by this news. "Is that so?" She nodded. "Well…I've got an old spear in my smithy you can use. I'm not sure how blunt the spearhead is, but I can easily take it down if there's any sharpness. If, after a few sessions, you still like it more than the sword an' shield, I'll buy you a new one."
"That sounds good," she smiled. "I did really like usin' the mace, though—I could move better with it." Her nose scrunched up slightly as Warren knocked the top of her helmet.
"Whatever actually gets you excited for your sparrin' sessions is fine by me," he chuckled. "I know you don't like them, especially with how hardcore your aunt can be. But it's good for you t'—"
"—Know how t' defend myself should ever the occasion arise," she finished for him. "Aye, I know papa. But no one ever said I had t' like fighting."
He smiled, patting her shoulder. "That's my girl. I'll leave you be now. I know you want t' get this armor off an' get back to servin' folk."
While he walked off, she headed into her room. Making sure the door was shut and locked behind her, she stripped out of the armor and out of her sweaty clothes. Then, lifting her arm, she sniffed to see how badly she smelled; though there was a bit of an odor, it wasn't too bad. Regardless, she pulled a clay jar from the drawer in her nightstand and opened it to reveal a lightly-scented sage paste within.
After applying some of the paste to her underarms, she put the clothes she had worn earlier in the day back on. A sigh of content left her mouth; these were much cooler than the combination of armor and wool she had been wearing just a few minutes ago. Before leaving her room, she applied a bit of her almond-scented perfume along the side of her neck, wanting to make doubly sure she didn't smell bad.
By the time she got back out to the common room, Nori was sitting at the usual table with a mug of alcohol and some bread. Not seeing Ori, she figured Galiene had allowed him to steal a bit of stove room to make the hot chocolate. She did see Wenna tending to Abbot and Bill, though, which made her smile slightly. As the younger woman came walking towards the kitchen, two empty bowls on her tray, she started to walk alongside her.
"You heard about auntie, aye?" she asked.
"Aye, I did," Wenna replied, frowning. "That leaves just you an' me to tend t' customers. I hope it doesn't get too busy tonight."
She gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll be hirin' on extra hands in the next day or two," she explained. "But aye, tonight, we're on our own—unless Will wants t' help us, which I doubt." Pushing open the kitchen door, she let Wenna go in first.
"He's not too bad o' a temporary server, though," she said. "An' we've been able t' count on him during busy times before."
"Aye, but he's been workin' on building the roof for the top balcony o' Bofur an' Bifur's shop. He's going t' be too tired tonight."
"That's true…At least he only has to build the frame; the tilers will be able to finish the rest," she said with an understanding nod. "Should we ask Prim if she'd be willing to help out for a bit?"
Baylee chuckled, her brow rising. "I already planned on it. Dependin' on how that goes, I might also ask Yllka, Vesna, an' Jaka."
At the last name, Wenna gave her a confused look. "Jaka? I wouldn't have expected you to consider him for a server." She set her tray down near the stove and picked up one of the bowls. "He's always seemed fairly clumsy t' me. Hello, Ori." She smiled at the dwarf, watching as he stirred the contents of a pot. "What're you makin'?"
"Hot chocolate," he replied. Baylee giggled softly when she saw that he was standing on a stool.
"Ooh! Hot chocolate's delicious!" she grinned.
Both Baylee and Ori gave her a confused look. "You've had hot chocolate before?" Baylee asked, her brows furrowing slightly.
Wenna nodded. "Oh, aye—my da' made sure t' bring some chocolate home whenever he visited Dorwinion. He could never buy much, o' course, given how expensive it is, but he did bring enough that we were able t' have it a few times during the winter." She grabbed the ladle for the soup so she could refill the bowls. "Are you makin' it with milk or cream?"
"Milk. I don't want t' make it too rich for a first taste." As he looked over at the two women, he grinned. "Oh, I'm finally taller than Baylee!"
Rolling her eyes, Baylee gently nudged him. "Only because you're on a stool," she chuckled. Then, turning around, she looked at Galiene and Gawen. "Is there anything the two o' you need help with?"
"Aye, there is, as a matter o' fact!" Galiene grinned. Setting her knife aside, she crouched down and, with a small grunt, hoisted up a basket filled with apples and pears. "Tamás brought us some goodies—freshly picked from his trees this morning. He said he'll bring us more as the season wears on."
Ori blinked. "There are fruit trees within the city already?"
"Just a handful an' they all belong t' Tamás," Gawen told him. "He had some saplings growing on the shores o' the Long Lake when we all came up here, so after the war, he went back an' got them. They've been producin' fruit like crazy!"
"The soil up here is quite good, that's why," Wenna explained. She set the first bowl down and grabbed the second. "Once you get the earth aerated, you can grow lots o' things up here. O' course, you have t' make sure to rotate your crops at the end o' the season so you don't drain the earth o' its nutrients, but that isn't too hard."
Cross the room, Baylee started to wash her hands. "Wenna's family owns one o' the bigger farms along the southern edge o' the mountain," she explained to Ori, who looked rather impressed by Wenna's knowledge. "Can I steal some o' the apples for the cobblers, too, or do you need them for somethin' else, Galiene?" With her hands now washed, she went over to the knife drawer and pulled out a paring knife.
"Mmm…you can take five o' them," the cook replied. "I do need the rest, though."
Wenna glanced over her shoulder at her, a hopeful smile on her lips. "Are you goin' to make apple fritters?"
A coy smile came to Galiene's lips. "You'll just have t' wait and see, now won't you?" She set the basket back down on the floor as Baylee used her foot to drag over a stool. Picking up her knife, she went back to thinly slicing parsnips.
"You are going to make fritters!" It was a good thing she had set down the second bowl, because she did a little hop and excitedly clapped her hands together.
"Calm down, lass," Galiene laughed, her brow rising. "It won't be today, that I can promise you. But, aye, I will be makin' the fritters in the near future."
Still beaming with joy, Wenna picked up her tray. "Waitin' for them is going t' be hard, but I'll do my best t' be patient," she grinned before heading out of the kitchen.
Ori chuckled while he continued to stir the contents of his pot; inside, the milk was finally beginning to turn brown as the chunks of chocolate began melting. Not wanting it to scorch, he had set the pot over the coolest part of the grate. "I've never seen anyone get so excited over fritters before."
"Oh, just wait until you try my aunt's, then," Gawen grinned. He was using his hands to mix stale bread cubes, oil, and some herbs together in a bowl. "Hers are unlike anyone else's. They're so light an' fluffy an' she cuts the apples into small pieces so you get one in every bite. Then she goes an' coats them in sugar that's been so finely ground, it's basically powder."
"That…does sound really good," he murmured, feeling his mouth starting to water. Quickly swallowing the drool, he looked over his shoulder; he could just barely see the top of Baylee's head as she sat at the far end of the island, peeling and coring the pears. "I don't really remember the last time I had a fritter, but I know it had t' be back when I still lived in Ered Luin."
Baylee chuckled. "Well, you're goin' t' be in for a treat, then," she chirped, having to speak up a bit in order to make sure he could hear her. "At least, you will be if you manage t' get ahold o' one before they all get eaten." Setting a peeled and cored pear into a large, wooden bowl, she grabbed the next one.
The doors swung open as Wenna returned. "Bofur, Bifur, an' Will are back," she announced, moving to grab a clean set of bowls.
"They're early," Ori said, his brow rising. "They're normally not back until dinner."
She shrugged. "I'm not sure why they're back so early. I do know that Will's on his way t' take a bath, though. He looked mighty sweaty an' smelled it, too." Bringing the bowls over to the stove, she started to fill them with soup.
"There haven't been many days when he hasn't come back sweaty," Gawen snickered.
"It's good for him, though," Galiene said. "Means he's gettin' plenty o' work to do. The Valar only know how bored he got last year when he didn't have any work."
Baylee snorted at that. "He took up embroidery, he got so bored."
Ori nearly dropped the wooden spoon he was using. "Wh-what?! Will knows how t' embroider?" he stammered in surprise.
"Aye, he does. And he got quite good at it, too!" Setting her knife down, Galiene lifted the corner of her apron and held it out, showing Ori the embroidered 'G' with surrounded by pots and pans. "See how lovely o' a job he did?"
Once more, the dwarf looked impressed. "That is very nice!" he agreed, his brows rising.
"He still does it from time t' time," Baylee smiled. "Nothin' too intricate, o' course. He can't get too detailed with a needle like he can a chisel an' hammer."
"I would have never thought him the type t' do embroidery. Knitting, maybe. But not embroidery," Wenna chuckled. With the bowls filled, she grabbed a pair of spoons and a nice, crusty loaf of bread before excusing herself and leaving the kitchen.
Looking back into the pot, Ori smiled; it was dark brown in color now and the majority of the chocolate chunks were gone. He reached over and grabbed a small cup of sugar Galiene had given him, sprinkling some of it in. Dori had always taught him to add the sugar in at the beginning so it could melt as everything heated up together, but he much preferred to gradually add it in once everything else was nice and hot, since he didn't like his nearly as sweet as Dori did.
A quiet fell over the kitchen as everyone tended to their separate duties. Galiene continued to slice parsnips, carrots, and turnips; Gawen finished coating the bread cubes in oil and was now toasting them in a wide, flat pan; Ori was slowly stirring the hot chocolate while gradually sweetening it; and Baylee was making quick work of peeling and coring the pears and five apples. Wenna would come in now and then to fetch some food or to put some dirty dishes at the sink—she would clean those in a bit—before going back out to tend to customers.
Within half of an hour, Baylee had five large, deep baking dishes filled with fruit, seasonings, and cobbler batter. She didn't put them in the oven just yet, however; she would do such closer to dinner, as they didn't take long to bake. They were best when served warm, anyway. She was just about to grab a tray to go see if anyone needed anything in the common room when Ori held out a mug to her.
"Ooh, thank you," she grinned, taking it from him. She sniffed the drink first, her brows rising in pleasant surprise. Having never smelled or tasted chocolate before, she found herself unable to come up with any similar scents to compare it to. She blew across the top a few times in a futile attempt to get it to cool down faster only to give up and dare to take a sip anyway.
"Well?" Ori asked, watching her. "If it's not sweet enough to for you, I could add a bit more sugar."
"Oh no—this doesn't need more sugar," she said, a silly grin coming to her lips. "This is delicious!" Taking another sip, she closed her eyes. "Galiene, Gawen, you need t' try this. It's like drinkin' a hug!"
At that, Ori laughed. "That's the first time I've heard described like that," he snorted. "But now that I think about it, you're right: It is like a hug you can drink." Shaking his head while chuckling, he filled up four more mugs—one for him and three for the other dwarves. "I made plenty, though, so if anyone else wants t' try some, feel free. And there's still plenty of the bar left if you'd like to make more. I put it in the pantry, by Baylee's candy jar."
Her brow rose. "Just how big are these bars you brought us?" she then asked. "Because it looks like a lot o' chocolate went into this drink."
"It actually doesn't take much t' make hot chocolate, since it's mostly milk or cream," he explained, hopping down from his stool. He scooted it back under the island, where he had found it. "And the bars were three pounds each."
Baylee's eyes widened in shock. "They're that big?! I'm surprised Dori let you part with one, let alone two!"
"Like I said, I appealed t' the mother hen in him," he grinned. Carefully, he grabbed all four mugs and headed for the door. With Baylee tagging along after him, he made his way over to their table.
"Ah, there they are!" Bifur grinned as he saw them. "We were startin' t' wonder if Miss Galiene had roped you both into helpin' with dinner."
"No, no, just dessert," Baylee smiled. She glanced around the common room, finding it almost empty now. The only occupants were the dwarves, Nakara, Girish, and Wenna, who was wiping down one of the tables. As such, she sat down at the lads' table.
"Ooh, what'd you make for that, lass?" Bofur asked. His brow rose slightly as Ori placed a mug next to his tankard of beer. "An' what's this, lad?"
"Hot chocolate," Ori replied, setting a mug next to Bifur and one next to Nori. Both Bofur and Bifur made excited 'Aha!' sound before picking up their mugs. "Baylee's never had it before, so I made her some."
She giggled, her brow rising as she watched the cousins take sips of their hot chocolate and wince at the heat—only to do the exact same thing again a few seconds later. "An' it's pear cobbler for dessert tonight."
At that, Bifur grinned. "Pear cobbler? That's one o' my favorites," he told her.
"Eh," Bofur said with a small shrug. "Not so much a fan o' pears. Now blackberry cobbler—actually, blackberry anythin' is a winner in my book."
"Then you'll be happy t' hear Baylee makes a damned amazing blackberry pie." They all looked up as Will walked over. He had a small towel wrapped around his neck that he was using to dry his hair. "Come summer, no one wants her bread because they're all wantin' her pie. An' with how abundant blackberries are up here…" Using his foot, he pulled a stool over and sat down beside his sister.
Baylee's cheeks turned a bit pink. "Now that's an over exaggeration if ever I heard one," she chuckled. "It's good, but I wouldn't say it's 'damned amazing'." Her brow then rose as Will grabbed the leg of her stool, dragging it so that she now sat in front of him.
"We'll be the judges o' that once it's blackberry season," Nori said with a small grin. He took another drink of his hot chocolate as he watched Will start to undo Baylee's braid.
"More like, Bofur will be the judge o' that," Bifur chuckled. He looked at the human siblings. "We told you both how much Fili enjoys cranberries—well, Bofur's that way with blackberries."
A cheeky grin came to Bofur's lips. "Doesn't help that my mum used t' make the most delicious blackberry pie when she was still alive." He shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth. The flavor was an odd contrast to the thick, sweet chocolate he had just sipped.
"Baylee's pie may come very close t' it then," Will told him, trying to make his sister seem like even more of a romantic catch for the dwarf. Getting her hair unbraided, he did a quick finger-comb job on it before starting to section out the locks. "'Lee, do you want a single braid or pigtails?"
"It doesn't matter. You know I'm not fussy 'bout my hair." She took a sip of her cocoa; it was still fairly hot and she didn't want to burn herself.
He pouted at his sister. "I know, which is why I'm always braidin' it for you—it's borin' otherwise."
"Says the lad who doesn't braid his own hair," Ori joked. "I've only ever seen it hanging loose or pulled back in a ponytail."
"That's because human lads aren't exactly known for their extravagant hairstyles," Nori reminded him. "For humans, it's the women who should have the fancy hair."
Will nodded in agreement. "Otherwise, I'd happily have some fancy braids in my hair. Er…that is, if I knew how t' do fancy braids. I only really know how t' do a plain three-strand braid an' a three-strand under-braid."
At that, Bifur tilted his head. "You don't know how t' do a lace, waterfall, ladder, or fishtail braid?"
Baylee's head tilted slightly. "I…don't think we've even heard o' those types of braids," she admitted with a chuckle.
All four dwarves looked shocked by this confession. After all, in their culture, everyone knew how to do at least five different types of braids by the time they were ten.
After a few seconds, Bofur cleared his throat. "Guess that just means we'll have t' show you, doesn't it?" he then said. Looking at Baylee, he gave her an almost shy smile. "Lass, is it alright if I use your hair t' show your brother how t' do the braids?"
"Feel free," she replied, smiling as well. She wasn't sure if it was just the lighting, but she could have sworn he had started to blush. 'But why would he be? It's not like asking to touch someone else's hair is considered flirty.' Despite her thoughts, she felt her cheeks turn the slightest bit pink as he started to finger-comb her hair a bit more thoroughly than Will had.
Will, Nori, Ori, and Bifur exchanged knowing grins.
He was in the middle of showing Will how to do a ladder braid when Bofur saw some movement in the corner of his eye. Glancing at the door, he watched as Rán, Ashailyn, and Kreine entered the inn; the three of them were laughing and joking around. As the trio started to head towards their table, however, Rán slowed his pace when he saw that Bofur was braiding Baylee's hair; his eyes narrowed somewhat and a frown came to his lips.
Meeting his gaze, Bofur merely offered a friendly smile and a small wave before showing Will how to use the 'rungs' of the hair ladder to make the bottom braid.
On the inside, though, he felt a strangely vindictive sense of gratification.