The Shire is not looking it's best when the remaining five dwarves and their carts roll into Hobbiton. Fortunately, nothing that they are carrying is immediately perishable and that which will not last the winter can probably be sold to the hobbits at the very least. The smaller race like their food and drink, and while they do not often travel Nori knows that they are occasionally open to trying something new purely through her own experiences. Food, after all, is food.
Although it is not as late in the year as it has been on previous arrivals, it already feels cooler than Nori remembers. It is, perhaps, just some lingering weakness as a result of going through most of her recovery on the road. She suspects, however, that this is likely to be another hard winter. Not as harsh as the one that the hobbits like to call the Fell Winter, she knows from the stories that snow was already thick on the ground by the harvest festival. Judging from the bare fields, that has already happened, though it is easy to lose track of time on the road, and so the Shire is not being shown in its best light to the three who are unfamiliar with it. Kíli is obviously eager to reach their destination, although they are going to have to figure out what to do with their carts and goods before getting settled in. The majority of the non-perishable goods had been left in three of the five carts in Bree under guard of the six remaining caravan members and a stablemaster who had been told that each cart had been carefully inventoried and would be checked upon their return after winter.
It is not unusual for caravans to find themselves delayed enough that they have to winter in Bree or another village on the way to The Blue Mountains. This is not due to poor planning, the dwarves know the roads well having run caravans through this region since before the sun shone in the sky and the elves had made their return from the West. Any number of factors can delay a caravan, from damaged carts, to attacks by bandits or orcs, to a sudden turn in the weather. The larger towns are set up for such eventualities after long years of becoming a shelter for caravans which have hit a problem which has delayed them for too long, but the hobbits have no such infrastructure.
Which is why they have two carts of semi- perishables and the last of the non-perishables that they could not fit onto the three carts they had left behind. Briar should know where they can sell the various preserves, fabrics, leather, and exotic tea and coffee that makes up the bulk of the contents of these two carts. Sela was the sort to buy wagon loads of incoming goods and then sell them on in other settlements so there is even a good amount of excellent quality Iron Hills steel and iron. Most of that was left in Bree, but Nori has brought a small amount to the Shire with her, the hobbits have Blacksmiths, after all, and the steel they usually use is the lower grade stuff that often comes out of Ered Luin. For the moment, they bring the carts into the field that holds Briar's pony, throwing the bad weather tarps over the top of them then moving some heavy stones to hold them down against the winds that Nori knows blow through at this time of year. Briar will likely know someone who will allow them to use their barn or outbuilding for the winter, but for the night this will do.
Kíli bounds off as soon as Nori declares that they have done a good enough job, eager to see his lass, and the other four follow at a slower pace.
"It's a right warren, this," Dwalin comments as they come to the gate, "wonder any of them can find their way around."
"It's their home," Nori shrugs, "but I've sometimes wondered if hobbits aren't connected to the earth like we are to the stone. They certainly seem to be able to grow just about anything."
"Kíli seems eager to get there," Hela comments softly.
Nori looks at her sharply, almost expecting the same xenophobic judgement on Hela's face as had coloured the early interactions of the Company that will one day be. Instead there is nothing but curiosity and a half knowing smile.
"They're close," Nori replies shortly.
"So I see," the other 'dam laughs, nodding in the direction of the door where Kíli is very enthusiastically greeting Briar.
"I'd be pretty eager to get somewhere if that was the greeting I expected too," Fíli tells her, though his brow is slightly wrinkled in what Nori recognises as concern.
Briar is blushing furiously when the remaining four dwarves get to the door, Nori with a wide, sharp, grin as Dwalin cuffs Kíli about the back of the head with a fond smile.
"Sorry to drop in unannounced," Nori tells the hobbit, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet. "We hit a snag on the way home."
"Snag," Dwalin grumbles, "you were almost killed."
Briar pales.
"I think you had better all come in," she says. "You know where the kettle is, Kíli, the ale too. Weapons in the chest by the door, boots off. We can do introductions inside where it's warm and dry."
"I like her," Dwalin mutters softly as they all troop inside, "spine of mithril in that lass."
"You think anyone I took into my family would be a mouse?" Nori grins back.
It takes a little while to convince the others that they are perfectly safe in the Shire. Nori decides not to mention the fact that neither she, Briar nor Kíli need weapons to kill any of them should the desire arise. The fact that Nori is so happy to disarm convinces Dwalin to do the same, and seeing his brother cheerfully place every weapon he has into a chest near the door convinces Fíli. Hela still hesitates for a beat, blue eyes following Briar's movements as the hobbit lass follows Kíli deeper into the smial. She glances at Fíli, who nods reassuringly, then carefully lays her hand axes into the chest with his collection of swords and daggers.
"You've lost weight," Nori comments once she has offered her condolences on Belladonna's passing as she greets her sister with a brief hug.
"Seven meals a day seems a lot when it's just me," the hobbit shrugs, lavender fabric rustling. "I'm down to three right now, four on a day when I have visitors but the mourning year means they only really come a couple of times a week. I'm happy with that."
Nori hums. "Don't cut them all off, lass, you'll be miserable without them."
"I won't," Briar promises. "Kíli wouldn't let me anyway," she adds. "Won't you introduce me to everyone? Fíli I already know." The blond prince gives her a brief bow and a wink.
"Hela, Daughter of Sela," the mithril haired 'dam introduces herself.
There is a familiar catch in her voice as she says the words, one that Nori has heard far too many times in the voices of people she cares about. Dwarves mourn their familial losses for five years. Hela and Fíli will be able to continue their courtship, since it is well established at this point, but for their people proposals of a new courtship or marriage cannot take place during that time. Much as it is for the hobbits, Nori suspects, although she knows that the Men will often ignore the custom. Sometimes, their customs have been all that they have left when they have been driven from their homes and the dwarves cling to what they can, even if some of their lore has been inevitably lost due to the untimely deaths of loremasters and the loss of libraries.
"Dwalin, Son of Fundin," Dwalin also bows to Briar, although his is a little lower and more respectful.
"Briar-Rose Baggins," the hobbit grins brightly, bobbing briefly before looking at Nori. "Your Dwalin?" She asks her dwarf sister.
"Aye, my Dwalin," Nori smirks.
Briar looks him up and down, then winks at Nori and flounces off to find Kíli, indigo skirts rustling.
"That the same hobbit lass who had Balin in such a snit when you took Kíli on?" Dwalin asks. Nori nods. "Not sure what I was expecting," the large guard says, "but that wasn't it."
"What did Balin say about her?" Nori grins.
"That she was a menace with the spoken word, lethal with the written one, and could probably riddle with a dragon without getting caught out," Dwalin responds.
Nori blinks.
"Odd way to put it," Fíli comments. "Although she's easy to underestimate."
"Dropped you on your arse," Nori reminds him. "I was so proud."
Fíli glances at Hela and blushes furiously. The younger 'dam giggles, looping her arm through Fíli's and the three follow Nori to the sitting room where Briar is bustling around a tea set although she has several larger tankards on the table as well. Larger than Nori remembers her having anyway. Kíli appears a moment later, a small ale barrel rolling in front of him and he shoots his brother a playfully annoyed look.
"Want to help?" He asks. "Or have your ancient bones given out on you?"
Fíli makes a rude gesture, but goes to help his brother anyway with a grin, lifting the barrel onto a stand that Briar has apparently added to her sitting room and then holding it steady while Kíli taps it.
"Help yourselves," Briar tells them, "no sense in standing on ceremony with Nori here," she gives the thief a wicked grin.
"I'll get you for that," Nori promises.
"You'll try," Briar shrugs loftily, "I've been practicing. And Kíli taught me some new things while he was here last year."
"I'd be upset if he hadn't," Nori nods and Kíli flushes, then looks at Hela.
"I know you enjoy tea," he says, "the hobbit blend is actually quite nice."
"Thank you, Kíli," the 'dam smiles as she settles into one of the armchairs. "I miss tea when I'm on the road."
The comment distracts Briar for a while as she pours a delicate cup of the steaming beverage for her new guest, focussing on how Hela takes her tea and talking softly about the conditions of the road while answering any questions that Hela asks about the things the group saw on the way into the Shire. Nori knows that Briar is a far more skilled hostess than the unexpected arrival of the Company in her first life would have led the thief to believe, but then the arrival of thirteen unknown dwarves would fluster anyone. Especially a lass who may have been assaulted at some point in her life. This younger Briar exudes confidence and familiarity as she putters around the room ensuring that everyone has something to drink and disappearing for a moment to find a freshly baked cake so that everyone can have something to nibble on as well.
Although dwarves have never nibbled.
The cake is welcomed, especially by Dwalin who has always had a sweet tooth and an appetite to rival any hobbit. For a while there is no other noise in the room other than the sound of eating and drinking, Briar curls up on the floor next to Kíli's legs due to lack of chairs and Fíli does the same with Hela.
"So," Briar says once they have all taken a moment to eat and drink, "this nearly lethal snag?"
A.N: So, Wednesday's update may be delayed. My exam results come out on Tuesday so I'm having a quiet meltdown over that. To top it off, Nori has gone off on a very smutty tangent in an entirely different universe and is demanding I write that (for the record my inner Nori is now female and only female and good fucking luck to me getting around that so that I can write the second part of my Jewel of Durin series). So it's entirely possible that instead of posting Wednesday's chapter I will instead be diving into the depths of "What are Dwalin and Thorin doing to Nori?", because that mental image assaulted my brain and won't go away. Lucky me. I might risk the wrath of the fanfic. net gods and post it on here. But if I don't, if said smut ever gets posted because I'm very out of practice writing it, it will absolutely go up on AO3 where I can get away with a whole heap more.