Chapter Twelve: Dori
T.A. 2873 Ered Luin
Dori doesn't come to this particular tea room very often, perhaps once a month if he has managed to put a little aside and more than that if he has a particularly well-paying commission. Since he is based in the poorer section of town that doesn't happen all that often. This week he has managed to find a few extra coins and while he knows he should put them to one side in case of disaster it has been a trying few days (Nori was arrested, again, and escaped, again, and the house turned upside down in search of him by the guard, again) and Dori needs to relax.
As chance has it, he arrives early enough to find a decent table and avoid the midday rush but late enough to avoid the early morning gaggles of giggling dwarrowdams and guffawing dwarves who like to gossip about the comings and goings of all and sundry. Dori likes gossip as much as the next dwarf, but he prefers that it be done quietly in the privacy of the home where the subject is less likely to overhear it. Today he will have some peace, and he has even brought a book with him to enjoy with his tea, a rare indulgence with Nori as a brother and Ori's excited chatter when he returns from his day as an apprentice to Master Balin of all people. His peace is shattered rather abruptly by the door slamming open and a grim-faced guard taking up position there. It's not a warm day, even for hot dwarf blood, and more than one patron turns to scowl at him. The scowls turn to stares at the sight of the dark haired dwarrowdam who sweeps in and Dori finds himself wishing he could have just a small amount of the fabric her dress is made out of as the brocade pattern is utterly exquisite. Her complex braids and vast number of beads made of gold and precious jewels marks her as one of the most wealthy people in the city (more wealthy than the displaced royal family, though that's only to be expected) and from all he has heard this can only be the Lady Ghruna. His assumption is confirmed by the dwarf who stomps in after her, his clothes at least three seasons out of fashion and well worn. Frerin, son of Thrain and distant kinsman to Dori (so distant that it's barely worth mentioning).
It's no secret, Dori thinks as he sips his tea and watches them over the top of his book, that the pair of them despise one another. He wonders why Fhrna allows it to continue, Dori has never seen a pair more poorly suited to one another (and he has the dubious pleasure of being Nori's brother and so aware of how very unsuited he is for his One). Surely it would be in the best interests of the daughter, at least, to break the entire arrangement off. It isn't like Fhrna has missed the gold he gave Thror to fund the attempt on Khazad-Dum, in truth with the rent he collects from so many of the occupants of New Belegost he has become even more wealthy than he was before the Ereborian refugees arrived.
Conversation at the table is stilted, Frerin obviously desirous of being anywhere but here and Ghruna, while a regular, obviously wishing for better company. It's nothing like the great romance that their people hoped for when the betrothal and alliance was announced. Ghruna had been barely into her teens when the decision was made, she's been raised to be the wife of a prince all her life, and now that Frerin is here it's obvious that she's disappointed with the prince he's turned out to be. Frerin is wild, Dori thinks, untamed in many ways. He has spent so many years wandering in the wilds and the lands of Men that it often seemed more like a stranger had come to the city rather than a prince. In Ghruna's place Dori would be disappointed as well.
"Bella would disagree," he hears Frerin say. Dori is just close enough that he can hear the, mostly one sided, conversation between the two.
"Of course, she would," Ghruna sneers. "Must it always be Bella? You never speak of your sister or her sons, never speak of your brother, always this Bella. Is my company so intolerable?"
Frerin doesn't reply, but he doesn't really have to. Just as all of the city knows that the betrothed couple despise one another they also know that Frerin travelled for decades with an unknown female. Rumour has it she was his One. Rumour also has it that they secretly married and Frerin is trying to find some way out of the mess he is in. Other rumours say that he never travelled with his Bella but has been raising children with her and still others imply that Bella doesn't exist at all and is simply a figment of Frerin's imagination. Madness runs in the line after all. Dori isn't sure what he believes, and he isn't about to make his mind up right now, he just wants a quiet morning and with the imminent fight he knows he won't be getting that here. He makes a quick exit and is relieved that he is almost down the street when the sound of raised voices erupts from the tea room. Honestly, someone needs to make sure that marriage never happens.
T.A. 2941 Rivendell.
Dori could often be accused of being too protective of Ori and now, given they have just narrowly escaped a pack of orcs while Ori had only a slingshot for a weapon, he would be inclined to agree with them. Unlike Nori, who knew their mother, Ori has been raised almost entirely by Dori and it's only reasonable that he would want to protect his youngest brother given how the other one has turned out. Ori doesn't have many friends, has trouble interacting with a lot of dwarves his age although that isn't for lack of trying. Robust as he is now, Ori had been a sickly child. Born too soon of a mother who was sickly herself and who should have been beyond the age of bearing, she lived long enough to see Ori weaned from her breast and then passed to Mahal's halls after years of agony and heartbreak. Dori had kept him inside and safe, had barely even let the lad attend weapons training when he reached ten although it was mandatory, and now he wonders if he did Ori a disservice.
Ori is walking with the young princes and the hobbit lass, listening to the girl talk in a voice too low for the others to really hear about what they will find at the end of this path. She knows this place, Dori concludes, or more likely has heard of it from her mother and Frerin. Dori likes the hobbits, although he's more wary of them now that they've shown they have some strange magic. They show an appreciation for the finer things that Dori enjoys and has had so little access to in his life. Belladonna is quite happy to sit for hours and discuss knitting and crochet, sewing and weaving techniques, and has even offered to teach him how to tat lace once this quest is over. There's a haunted look to her sometimes, one that Dori remembers seeing in his mother's eyes during some of her darker days. She lacks the liveliness of her daughter, but steadiness comes with age and, as Dori understands it, Bluebell is several years younger than Kili. Thoughts of Bluebell draws his gaze back to the group of four and he is alarmed to notice, as they step out into the afternoon sun, that Ori's hand is covered in blood. He picks up his pace only to be halted by a hand on his arm.
"He's fine," Nori says softly. Dori has long stopped being startled by the sudden appearances of his younger brother. Nori comes and goes as he pleases, and Dori no longer allows him the entertainment of knowing he has been surprised. "He won't welcome you dashing in and fussing over him, it's just blood."
"You don't know that," Dori hisses back. "He could be hurt."
"You think the hobbit lass would let any of them be hurt and not speak up?" Nori asks. "She's fond of all of them, for all Balin's got our nadadith playing the part of spy." Dori can hear the scorn in Nori's voice.
"I'm surprised you noticed at all, given where your attention has been these last few weeks," Dori comments. He shouldn't jab at Nori over this, not really, but it's hard to let go of old patterns of behaviour and he's been at odds with Nori for more of his life than he has worked with him.
"It won't work," he says, looking at Dwalin who has marched ahead of the rest of them. "I don't know what Mahal was thinking. We're too different."
"It could," Dori offers. "This is a fresh start for you, and you have other talents that will be useful once we're back in Erebor."
"You don't honestly believe that," Nori snorts. "Not everything's a bloody romance, Dori. Not everything works out in the end," his gaze drifts to Frerin and Belladonna who are walking arm in arm, laughing merrily. "Don't go pinning all your hopes on a happy ending, I outgrew that dream decades ago." He strides off to walk with Bofur and Dori finds himself falling in near enough to hear Belladonna and Frerin as they talk.
"Do you think he'll still have our room?" She asks.
"It's been a long time since we visited, Lindir probably had the furniture burned and the room redecorated in celebration."
"Lindir isn't that bad," Belladonna laughs. "And you always got on alright with the twins and Glorfindel when they were there."
"They always had the best alcohol," Frerin replies dryly, "and were always up for a bit of a fight when I got restless. We'll be bunking with the rest of the Company this time. Probably for the best really, not every dwarf is as refined and open minded as yours truly."
"Even that's setting a low bar," Belladonna snorts, then falls silent as they round a corner and catch their first glimpse of their destination.
Rivendell.
Thorin, naturally, is incensed. He hadn't wanted to come here, even though their hands have been forced by circumstances completely out of their control. He stops to fling accusations at the wizard and so misses Frerin and Belladonna striding past him, obviously familiar with their route. They are joined by Bluebell, who grabs Ori by the hand and asks her mother to tell them about the library. They'll have to keep an eye on him, if Ori gets into that library they might never get him out. He sees a flicker of something cross Fili's face, although he stays by his uncle rather than following straight away. Dori doesn't know Fili and Kili all that well, in fact it's only really the Ur's, Dwalin and Balin that he has any familiarity with at all, but he's been thrilled to see them take Ori under their wing as much as Bluebell has. By the end of this his little brother will likely be a completely different dwarf.
They hurry to catch up with the other four members of their party and by the time they are all in the courtyard they're all together again. Gandalf doesn't even get to approach the elf who makes his way down a flight of flimsy looking stairs towards them. Belladonna darts forward happily, followed by Frerin who sighs in resignation.
"Lindir!" She cries gleefully.
"Belladonna Took," the elf smiles at her and then looks at the rest of them. His face falls ever so slightly. "Frerin," the dwarf in question tilts his head and it's clear there is no love lost between the pair. "Your entourage has grown, Mistress Took."
"Technically, they aren't mine, we just happened to be travelling with them," Belladonna shrugs. "We've come to see Lord Elrond, of course, although you and I must have tea together if there's opportunity." Frerin's groan is audible.
"My Lord Elrond isn't here, mellon nin," the elf responds. "Although we expect him to return shortly."
As if on cue a horn sounds and a number of horses trot into the courtyard. Dori loses sight of Frerin and Belladonna as the others jostle around him but the princes, Ori and Bluebell are quickly tugged into the centre of a protective ring over the sounds of their objections.
"Oh, for Yavanna's sake!" He hears Belladonna shout when the horses stop and one of the elves dismounts to speak to Gandalf. "Really, My Lord?" She asks as the elves all move and he can see the newcomer go down on one knee to greet her.
"Belladonna," he says fondly. "It has been too long, my dear." There is a note of sorrow in his voice. "Why did you not come before?" Belladonna touches her scarred cheek.
"I didn't think I could," she smiles sadly. "I'm sorry about all the orcs that followed us here," she adds. "We were trying to lose them."
"I'm sure you were," Dori doesn't like the amused gleam in the ancient eyes that turn upon them. "Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror," he says then. "You seem to have rather a fondness for that particular line, Belladonna."
"You know how I like to collect things," she shrugs.
"Indeed," an eyebrow arches. "Well, since you're here I believe a hot meal, a comfortable bed and a warm bath are in order."
That, Dori thinks, sounds wonderful.
A.N: I loved writing Dori more than I thought I would. This chapter also allowed me to set up my ultimate favourite ship in the fandom as well, much as I enjoy shipping Bilbo with Thorin and female Bilbo with Fili or Kili (depending on my mood) Dwalin and Nori are my OTP.