The advantage that Nori and Kíli have is their soft boots, lighter and more flexible than the usual heavy capped dwarf boots that their people wear. All working thieves wear such boots when there is a risk they might be caught and need to run. They tire far more slowly running in something that might as well be made of air in comparison to normal dwarf footwear. Both of them still have light enough beards to tuck into dark light knit scarves which they pull over their noses to hide their lower faces while tugging their hoods down over their eyes. Nori has not asked why Kíli keeps his neatly trimmed, longer than that of his uncle and mother but still short for a young dwarf eager to impress the people around them. That said, Fíli still keeps his fairly short as well so perhaps it is simply a family preference and short is still better than almost entirely clean shaven as Kíli was for years. In fact, for this particular job Nori has insisted that all of her people dress the same way. For the others, who all currently have fuller beards, this has meant wearing tight braids to allow more ease in covering their lower faces and heads. It is not necessarily the most comfortable way to do their hair, but it is a small sacrifice for the sake of anonymity. No one except Thorin, Dwalin and her pack should know the identity of the Wolf and Nori intends to keep it that way as much as possible, up to and including changing her voice and accent for the night.
Kíli is not the only one skilled at mimicry after all.
The clothes they all wear are a mix of deep blue, violet and black to help them better meld into the shadows. Dwarven darksight, good as it is in the deep darkness of the inside of a mountain, can still be fooled by shadows and dark clothing, especially if anything lighter or shiny has been covered. Darkness does not, as a rule, bother them. They were created in the time before the sun and moon, before even the trees. They were awoken in a time when even those pale lights barely reached the shores of the land that they lived on, land mostly abandoned by the elves who came before, and so they were created to see in the almost total absence of light, for the stars offer little to see by. They do not see in colour in the darkness but even so their fondness for fire lies more in the things that it allows them to do rather than in the brilliant jewel tones that it permits them to see. A dwarf will always be far more comfortable in the darkness of the mountains than they will under the sun.
Not that they will ever allow the other races to know that.
The only thing that Nori and all of her people wear that could identify them is an enamel pin, an expense that Thorin had grumbled about at length before giving in. The pin is of a wolf's head, the black of it almost lost in the dark shades of their clothing, but it will allow any pack member to be identified while working on an official job should it be necessary and with far greater ease than waiting for Nori or Trygve to be free to vouch for whoever it might be.
Breaking into Audhild's residence is easy. Like many merchants who arrive in a town and decide to spend more than a season there, Audhild has rented a small townhouse which looks rather more grand on the outside than it is on the inside. Being near the small palace that houses Thorin and his family, this is still a good part of town. Like much of Ered Luin, however, external grandeur hides the ever increasing internal struggle. They are not poor here by any stretch, not this high up the ladder in any case, but Nori knows well that this is not Erebor and mountains do not heal from trauma the way that woodland and forests do. The bad and damaged rock runs far beneath them inland and their numbers have become great enough to begin to put pressure there. Caravans continue to come and go, but the amount being shipped out is beginning to decrease slowly, though not yet enough to be noticeable to most. Which has little bearing on those who rent out these townhouses, who simply want to focus on making what money they can while they can without replacing more than they need to.
That happens to include the locks, which are all old and basic enough that Nori can let Kíli pick it with no difficulty at all. For one apparently so fixated on her own safety that she brought her own spy, Audhild has left herself remarkably unprotected this night, apparently over confident. Nori loves it when the people she is targeting get over confident, it makes her job so much easier. The door swings open on silent hinges, the furnishings inside might be old but the landlords maintain these buildings well, and both she and Kíli step inside, soft boots silent on the cool stone floor. The lower floor is dark, the doors on one side of the corridor closed with no hint of even candle light. They check each room anyway, revealing a parlour, dining room and kitchen on this floor. Then they move quietly to the stairs, testing each one as they go and moving carefully while quickly. It is not easy, but a combination of a summer in the Shire and their light clothes and minimal weapons mean that they are able to achieve it.
On this floor they can see evidence that someone in the house is awake, the door to a room at the far end, likely a private office, is open and a fire burns in the hearth there throwing eerie shadows into the hall. It makes it easier for Nori and Kíli to slip quietly towards the chamber, listening carefully for sounds of conversation from the room or the arrival of Thorin and Dwalin, which has to happen soon.
Audhild's voice reaches them first, curses and angry mutterings spilling from her lips as she reads the forged letters which Ori had produced for his sister after Kíli had fished some information about the visiting 'dam from his mother and Balin. Balin had, perhaps unsurprisingly, known quite a bit about Audhild and her family given the years he had spent in the Iron Hills as a child as well as his own position as the Master of the Merchant's Guild. Nori has referred to him as a wily old goat a few times and she would not be at all surprised if he is already aware that Nori is now the Wolf even though no one but Dwalin and Thorin should know her identity. Balin always seems to know more than he lets on.
The letters that Audhild is currently cursing are supposedly from Dáin in which he is responding to a suggestion from Thorin that they merge the diverged elder and younger line of Durin once again and strengthen the blood of the heirs to the throne. Dáin has no daughters, but he has a sister who has a daughter of her own who might well do for Fíli if he can be convinced to give up his attentions on Hela, something which had been a topic of discussion at dinner that night which had tipped Audhild off enough to send her spy looking for these documents. The young lady in question is the daughter of Audhild's brother and her fury at not being told of this development, false though it is, is clear. The fact that Audhild has sent her tame spy after these letters so soon after hearing about them tells Nori a number of things and that information makes her wary. It will make it that much harder to predict what the 'dam will do when she realises she has been caught.
The first thing it tells Nori is that Audhild has either hired an ametuer spy or she has refused to listen to advice. Everyone knows that as much as you might want to get your hands on an item or piece of information you do not do it within hours of being told about it. It puts the suspicion directly on you when that thing turns up missing. It also tells Nori that the 'dam lacks patience and she is easily swayed by the most transparent lies if she thinks that Thorin and Dís would discuss marrying Fíli off in front of a visitor, meaning she is likely not as intelligent as she likes to pretend.
Nori turns her gaze to Kíli and begins to gesture in hurried Igliskmêk. They need to get into that room so that they can grab the pair before Thorin arrives and Audhild has a chance to destroy any evidence. She will take the 'dam. Audhild is older than both of them and while Kíli is highly trained it would be better if Nori handles her. It has nothing at all to do with wanting to get a few lumps on the one who is trying to steal Dwalin from her. Or, at least, she will not admit that it has anything to do with that. Fortunately, Kíli will not call her on it or mention it. Much to her amusement, the lad knows better.
They slip into the room, lit only by the fire and a low lamp on Audhild's desk, their dark clothes keeping them hidden until they are both completely through the door.
"Who are you?" Audhild demands, rising from her seat behind the desk as her companion turns.
"Shadow, the thief!" Nori barks in a thick Ered Luin accent, as opposed to the careful Ereborian accent that so many of those descended from those displaced by Smaug's attack have maintained and taught to their children in Thorinuldum.
"On it boss," she cannot see Kíli's grin under the scarf he wears over his face, but Nori would wager good money on it being there.
Confident that Kíli will do his job, Nori turns to Audhild who has begun to frantically gather up the papers in front of her.
"Your little friend caught my attention," she says, darting around the two lads, "sort of disappointed to find that someone my employer's sister considers a friend would betray her like this. Still, makes my job a little easier doesn't it?" Below them, the door opens and Nori sees Audhild flinch, the papers in her hand crumpling. "Sounds like he's here," she adds, noting that Kíli has already managed to subdue the paid spy, which is somewhat disappointing. "Don't go trying to do anything stupid," she adds, seeing the 'dam reaching for a small wooden box on the desk. "Destroying evidence isn't going to get you anywhere."
"How dare you?" Audhild gasps, hand shifting as her eyes dart towards the two lads, the sound of their scuffle already over and Nori can hear Kíli order the boy to sit still.
"It's my job," Nori tells her, dodging to the side to avoid a clumsily thrown blade and is relieved when she hears heavy footfalls on the stairs. The sound distracts Audhild and she turns a triumphant grin in the direction of the noise, only to curse when Nori leaps over the desk and grabs her. "Sorry, lass," the thief purrs. "Not today."
"Well done, Wolf," she hears Thorin say from the door as he enters, her hands already moving in search of extra blades. "Provided, of course, you have proof?"
"The carved box on the desk," Nori nods towards it. "The letters from your desk are in her hand."
"I hardly wanted to believe it," Thorin says sadly as he pries the papers out of Audhild's hand. He reaches and picks up the box as Dwalin comes over to take the still struggling 'dam from Nori so that she can examine the wide eyed young dwarf who is being held by Kíli.
"Any Guild marks, Shadow?" She asks the lad carefully.
"None," Kíli confirms.
"You Guild, Boy?" Nori demands. The lad is young, clearly old enough to be with the caravans although she would not discount the idea of him being an orphan who might have taken to stealing in order to afford to eat. It happens rarely, dwarves value their children, but that does not mean that it does not happen at all.
"No," he shakes his head. "I heard of them," he adds, "but I never trained."
"How did you come to be doing the job then?" Nori keeps her voice, though deepened, gentle as she helps the boy to sit up and stands just enough to the side that Thorin and Dwalin can see his face as Kíli holds him.
"Lady Audhild caught me," the boy replies, "said she wouldn't turn me into the guard if I stole for her."
"That's a lie," Audhild spits, jostling as she fights Dwalin's grip on her. "I have no idea who this urchin is."
"Funny," Dwalin comments with a raised eyebrow, "I've seen him at your side during a number of meetings with my brother at the Guild Hall. I'm sure if we ask him he could clear up the association."
"She tells me to steal things," the boy continues, "papers and letters and contracts and things. So that she can always get the best deal. And not just here. She's done it in all the towns we've been to in the years I've been working for her. She…"
Dwalin grunts, a pained sound that Nori recognises well from her past and their future. She looks away from the boy, sees Dwalin gritting his teeth as Audhild manages to break free from his grip. This time the 'dam's blade does not miss, narrowly passing Nori by and slamming into the boy's chest. Thorin's face hardly changes, although she sees his jaw twitch momentarily as Kíli's grip gentles. Her young companion shifts to cradle the boy, though the light had left his eyes almost instantly, and Nori knows that beneath his mask and hood Kíli's face will be a picture of the anguish that the rest of them are too trained and jaded to show. Thorin's sword is at Audhild's throat in a moment.
"Dwalin?" He asks. His cousin has his free hand pressed tightly against his side, his jaw working.
"A scratch," the guard replies.
"Aye," Nori snorts, "and I'm Mahal." It comes out harsher than she means to, having to stamp on her worry out of a need to conceal her identity and their relationship. "Shadow, go and let the others know what's happening."
"We have more guards outside," Thorin says, "send them up, they can take this filth to be locked up. And send one for Oin, our family physician."
"As you will it," Kíli lays the boy gently as he speaks, barely concealing the tremble in his voice.
"I hope you try and escape," Nori hisses as she takes control of Audhild once more. "Just to give me a legitimate reason to gut you."
A.N: I had to give Nori a moment. It had to be done, just a shame that Dwalin was the one who had to be got. The chapter I'm writing right now (72) just took a bit of a curve at me as well. Got some time skipping coming up in the next chapter as well. I'm hoping to reach the quest before I hit chapter 90, otherwise I'll be here for the next five years but all the same let me know if there's something you want to see of have clarified. I'm ahead in my chapters, but I have enough flexibility in them to add bits here and there if I need to.