A/N: Many of you said you didn't mind long chapters. Well, this one is 20 pages! Next ones may be longer, who knows? Anyway, there's a couple of things about this chapter that made me a bit nervous. First of all...This is my first time writing any sort of slash pairing using characters created by other people. I know some people won't like the pairing but...Well, I'm giving it a shot anyway. Secondly, I had to write a song for this chapter. I'm...not terribly good with any form of poetry, so I was quite grateful that most of Tolkien's songs for the dwarves used a simple four-to-five line stanza and AABCB AABB rhyming style. Anyway...Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter Ten

"Honestly, Baylee, I don't know how ya managed t' get the luck o' catchin' his eye."

"An' I honestly don't know what in Yavanna's name you're talkin' about, lass."

"How can you not notice!? He's always talking with ya an' he's havin' you be the one tendin' to him an' his rangers!"

"Maybe that's because you've been flirtin' a lil' too much with them, hmm?"

Wenna glanced over her shoulder at Baylee, forgetting for a moment about the vegetables she was trying to pick out for Galiene. "I haven't flirted with them in nigh three days an' you know it."

She rolled her eyes, lifting a winter squash and carefully looking it over. If it had even the slightest of marring on its surface, she knew Galiene wouldn't use it –that was how nervous she was about hosting the king that night. "I know, Wenna. It's called a jest." She put the squash in her basket. "Have you noticed the scarrin' on his lips?"

Her brows furrowed. "He has scars on his lips?"

"A few o' them do; like they had been sewn shut. It's odd."

"Maybe it's a mark of the Dorwinion rangers?" She turned back to the vegetables, looking for something bright and colorful that Galiene would like. "Mouths sewn shut for silence…rangers are meant t' be silence when out in the wild…Makes sense."

"Sounds painful. Don't get those; we've plenty o' carrots."

Setting the carrots down, Wenna sighed and pushed some hair from her face. "Even you've admitted he's handsome, though." She produced some coins from a pouch at her side and handed them to the owner of the stall. "So that must count for something."

"Aye, he is handsome. Has a bit o' a weak jaw though…" She paid for the squashes and followed Wenna towards the pre-cooked end of the market. "Have ya noticed that?"

Wenna nodded. "Aye. An' he is a wee bit short."

"Short?" Baylee asked, her brow rising.

"You haven't noticed?"

Baylee laughed. "He's taller than me, that's all I know."

"Baylee…anyone who isn't a dwarf is taller than you. Though…Mister Dwalin is almost as tall as you."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Ha, ha."

"In all honesty though," Wenna continued as she stopped at a stand selling hand pies, "Rán isn't much taller than you. He's…actually, you remember how tall Lovisa is? Two, please. One apple, one cherry."

Baylee watched as the stand owner exchanged the two, still-warm pies in exchange for four copper coins. Wenna handed the cherry one to her. "Ooh, thank you. An' of course I do. She only watched over me an' Will for thirteen years."

"Well, he's between her height and your height."

She frowned, the hand-pie almost in her mouth; she lowered it. "You're jokin'."

She shook her head. "No, I'm not. Haven't you noticed? He's the shortest o' the rangers." She took a bite of her pie, steam billowing out into the morning air. "Not tha' that's a bad thing, mind you," she quickly added, her mouth full of pie. "It makes him all the better t' cuddle in my opinion."

"I guess I never really noticed…I mean, until last night, I only ever see him sittin'." She finally took a bite out of her pie as she and Wenna sat down on a bench. The younger woman gave her a confused look and she hurriedly finished her bite. "Last night, I was closin' up and putting the chairs on the tables when I slipped in someone's spilled ale," she explained. "He caught me before I could fall."

Wenna gawked at her; Baylee was thankful that she had remembered to swallow her food before her mouth had fallen slack.

"What?" she asked, blinking.

"He…caught you?"

"Wenna, it's not that big o' a deal, alright?" She sighed. "Truthfully, it was awkward. He just sort o' held me there for a few minutes until Bofur came down for water." She was about to take a second bite. "Oh! That reminds me. Who was in charge o' rooms yesterday?"

"Me," she answered through a mouthful of pie.

"Well, you forgot to refill his pitcher.

It was Wenna's turn to frown. "No I didn't. I always start at that end o' the inn an' make my way backwards. I know I filled it."

Baylee's brows furrowed. "But he came out last night an' had to get it filled. He said it hadn't been filled."

"Baylee, I wouldn't lie 'bout doing my job like that. His is the second room, right next t' Nori's. Nori even saw me come out of the room after filling it."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Then I don't know. Maybe he had been up there earlier in the night and drank it all and forgot?"

Wenna shrugged, finishing her pie. "I think he just wanted an excuse to stay with you longer."

At that, Baylee snorted. "Well if that's the case, then he must have been disappointed because Bofur was there as well." A warm smile came to her lips as she brushed the crumbs off her dress. "That reminds me…I need t' get some sweets for him."

"Who? Rán?"

"No, Bofur."

"Oh…Why's that?"

Taking the last bite of her own pie, Baylee stood up and grabbed her baskets. "He sent me t' bed last night an' cleaned up the spilled ale an' swept for me."

Wenna blinked, her head tilted. "Really? But he's not staff…" Her brow rose as she saw a bit of color on Baylee's cheeks.

"No, an' he only told me that he'd clean up the ale…So, let me get some sweets for him an' then we'll stop by his an' Bifur's shop on the way back t' the Tankard."

Within ten minutes, the two young women were backtracking through the market. As they neared the shop owned by Bifur and Bofur, they could see two carts filled with crates parked outside of the door. Baylee raised her brow, wondering what was going on. As they drew closer, however, the two of them could see that the crates were being taken into the shop.

"Ah! They've bringin' in their toys," Baylee thought aloud.

Wenna chuckled. "Well, that means they'll be opening soon, right?" Baylee nodded. "Ah, good! I'll tell my sister so she can get her wee ones some toys soon."

Baylee nodded as she opened the door to the shop for Wenna. 'That's actually not a bad idea. Maybe when they open I'll buy a few things for my wee cousins,' she thought, following the younger woman into the building. She was rather surprised to see that the front room of the shop was no longer white –save for the ceiling. On all sides, they were surrounded by bright blue and green that was broken only by the brown trunks of trees that Ori was now painting. "It's lookin' quite nice in here, Ori!" she chirped.

Ori glanced over his shoulder as he stood on a stool, his cheeks flushing. "Th-thank you, Miss Baylee," he smiled. "Do you need anything?"

"We've brought lunch," Wenna answered, looking around. This was her first time in the shop and, while it did not look like much yet to her, she had a feeling that it would end up being quite a nice place since Will was helping. "Where are the others?"

"Oh, they'll be back down soon enough," he answered. "They're just packing things away upstairs."

Baylee perked. "So…Will isn't here?"

He shook his head, climbing off of his stool. "No. He's off gettin' the shelving and tables."

The thudding of footsteps coming down the stairs was heard.

"Ku'zu aglâb?" Bifur asked before he and his cousin entered the room. "Ah! Az-Baylee, Az-Wenna," he smiled. "Tanakzu tashfab ablugur?"

Bofur lightly smacked his shoulder, grinning. "Of course they came with food. Baylee always brings us food!"

It was about then that the two females noticed that the two dwarves weren't wearing shirts. Instead, they were clad in just their vests, which they had fastened shut for decency's sake. They could see why they were shirtless, however: Both were quite red in the face and had sweat rolling down their skin from hauling in the crates and having to go up the stairs.

Baylee tilted her head slightly, her eyes following along the intricate blue and green patterns tattooed into the skin along Bofur's shoulders and biceps. "Er, aye! We brought food!" she chirped after a moment. She had thought only powerful dwarves like Dwalin had tattoo…seeing that Bofur and Bifur had some as well made her wonder if Nori and Ori also had the markings. "An', actually, I was wanting to talk to you lads about somethin' since Will isn't here."

Ori glanced over his shoulder, a slightly worried look on his face. "Is he in trouble?" he asked, eyes wide. Wenna couldn't help but giggle at his look; it was adorable.

"No, he's not in trouble," Baylee reassured him as she headed for the backroom. They had a table set up in there. "It's our birthday next month an' well…I was wonderin' if you three had any ideas about what I should get him?" Setting one of her baskets down on the table, she started to lay out its contents for the three dwarves.

Bifur scratched his beard. "Ghiluzûrk? Hmm…"

"Well, the lad's already got himself a fine set o' carving tools," Bofur told her. "So no need for some o' those…" He scratched the top of his head, trying to think.

"Khulhu nik zurkuri?"

"What sorts o' things does he like?" Ori translated as he came into the room. "Ooh! Chips!" He hurried over to the table and hurried grabbed a handful of the fried potatoes from a bowl. "And they're still warm!"

Wenna giggled again; Ori was always so happy when chips were present. "It's hard t' tell with Will. He's always helpin' others, I don't think he really has time to do things he wants to do."

Baylee frowned slightly. "Not true. Whenever he's missin', he's usually in his room readin' or sneaking off t' see-" She caught herself before she could spill her brother's secret, "the stars," she managed to lie.

"Gimil?" Bifur asked, tilting his head. "Iranak uhi…"

Bofur nodded in agreement. "Wouldn't have thought him t' be a stargazer myself," he chuckled. "Though, if anythin', I'd say the lad needs a new pair o' boots. I've seen the state his are in an', from what I've heard, he's travelin' a lot durin' the summer autumn an' winter, so a new pair would do him good." Reaching over, he plucked a carrot from the table and started to munch on it.

Ori nodded in agreement, trying to add in helpful insight, but his mouth was full of chips, leaving his only accomplishment to be spraying Bifur's beard with wet crumbs. He grinned sheepishly as Bifur's brow rose while he brushed the crumbs away.

Baylee also nodded. "Boots may be good," she murmured. "An' a new cloak for when he does travel in winter…" A grin slowly spread across her fates. "Aye! Those sound perfect. Thanks for the help, lads!"

Wenna's brow rose as she watched Baylee hug the three dwarves. Was Baylee going to forget the sweets she had gotten for Bofur or…?

"Oh!" Baylee chirped, as if reading Wenna's mind. "Bofur, could I ah…talk with ya in private for a moment?" Neither she nor Bofur noticed as Ori and Bifur glanced at each other, grinning.

He nodded, crunching on a bite of carrot. "Sure, lass," he smiled before leading her out into the backyard. It had been tidied up some since she was last out here, but not by much. Someone had cleared away the dead plant life from around the plum tree's trunk. "What is it ya wanted t' talk with me about?"

Baylee held out the small, cloth bag full of sweets to him. "Thank you for sweepin'," she said, her cheeks still a bit flushed. "Ya really didn't have to do it."

Hesitantly, he took the bag from her, tucking the carrot into his belt. "It was nothin', Baylee," he told her with a warm smile. "You were exhausted an' I had more rest than yo-" He peeked into the back. "-Ooh! Hard candies!" he cried gleefully. Forgetting all about the carrot in his belt, he tipped the sack over into his palm, urging a few of the candies to fall out.

Giggling, she lightly shook her head. "Regardless, thank you; it was a big help t' me."

"Like I said, it was nothin'. I'm sure Bifur or Ori would have done the same," he grinned. He popped one of the candies into his mouth and offered the other one to her. "Anyway, it's good t' do work like that. Aye, we're payin' your father for us t' live there for the time bein', but helpin' out with even just the smallest of chores helps make it feel less of a burden on you lot."

She shyly took the candy offered. "You lads would never be a burden on us. You're too amusin' an' nice."

He quietly laughed, feeling his cheeks turn red. "No, I think it's you who's too nice, Baylee. An' I'm quite sure we went over this very subject last night, Miss Ray-of-Sunshine."

Her cheeks flushed darkly and she laughed. "Aye well…I'm not the one who's the Hero o' The Full Tankard," she teased as she shyly looked at her feet. "Savin' damsels from droppin' a tray o' food from her head."

"Well, it'd be a mighty big waste o' food otherwise," he laughed. "These are good candies…where did ya get them?"

"There's a shop about the middle of the market," she explained, "an' it's open only twice a week, so you've got t' get there fairly early –on a normal day. They're Dale's only candy-makers."

He fished around in the bag for another candy. "Well, it's good t' know that I'll be livin' so close to one," he chuckled. Wenna poked her head out of the door and he leaned over, glancing at her.

"Baylee, we should head back. Galiene's going to have our hides tanned if we don't get these baskets to her," she said, watching as Baylee turned around.

She nodded. "I'm comin'," she smiled. She glanced over her shoulder at Bofur. "I'll see ya at dinner?"

He grinned. "O' course."

The two women left the toyshop just as Will was arriving with a cartful of furniture. They waved at him and let him know that his lunch was waiting for him before continuing on their way.

"So, did Bofur like the candies?" Wenna asked, wincing slightly as she felt her shoulders beginning to ache. Their baskets were almost overflowing with all sorts of vegetables, herbs, paper-wrapped meats, and even some winter fruits, making the loads quite heavy.

"He was gobblin' them up when we left," she chuckled, reaching over to take one of Wenna's baskets from her. "Wasn't the place lookin' nice, though? They've put so much work into it…"

Tucking some hair behind her ear, she nodded. "I supposed it looked like the rest of the buildings when we came here?" she asked. Baylee nodded. "Well, then it is coming along nicely –and quickly! They've barely been here two months."

"They're dwarves; they work faster than us humans."

"Would you two like some help?"

Stopping, they glanced over their shoulders and saw Rán and one of the female rangers –they knew her name to be Ashailyn- walking towards them. Baylee cocked her head; Rán was short. How had she not noticed before?

"Some help would be lovely," Wenna answered, smiling shyly. Ashailyn reached over, taking two of Wenna's baskets –a large one and a small one. Rán took two of Baylee's; the heaviest two.

"Thank you," Baylee smiled, starting to walk again. "So, you two out explorin' the city today or did you have business t' attend to?"

Ashailyn flicked a braid over her shoulder. "A bit of both, actually," she answered, her accent thicker than Rán's. "Scouting out places to buy supplies for our return while exploring city."

Wenna nodded in understanding. "You're leaving soon, then?"

"Four days," Rán replied. Baylee thought his voice sounded a bit higher than normal, but he was also having to raise his voice thanks to the noise of the crowded street. "We only wait on the weapons we've bought from the dwarves of Erebor."

"At least you'll know they'll be of quality," Baylee chuckled. "Even their worst smiths are better than most human smiths I've seen."

Ashailyn tilted her head curiously. "You've seen many?"

"My father used t' be a smith," she explained, "so he knows most o' the smiths in Dale an' in Lake Town. When he bought the inn, they would always come an' eat there; eventually, they became sort o' like aunts an' uncles to me."

Rán looked at her, more than a little surprised by her words. "Aunts? There are female smiths?"

It was Wenna who answered this time. "Lake Town had two female smiths, a mother and daughter. They didn't make swords or axes, but daggers an' cutlery an' jewelry."

"I do not think I have ever heard of a female smith," Rán murmured. "Interesting. Do you know if they are still around?"

"The mother passed on two years ago," Baylee replied as they turned a corner. The Full Tankard stood before them, welcoming them back with its cheery look. "An' I don't quite know if the daughter still smiths; I'll find out next week."

"You…are going south with the caravan?" Ashailyn asked.

"Aye. My uncle needs my help in bringin' all his medicines back up this way. Plus, I'd like t' see my cousins again." As they reached the front of the inn, they stopped. "We can take the baskets from here," she smiled.

Handing the baskets back, Ashailyn and Rán both gave deep bows to the two women before giving them each a kiss on the back of their hand. As they saw their cheeks turn deep red, they grinned and bid farewell to Wenna and Baylee before disappearing into the inn. Wenna began to quietly giggle while they walked into the inn yard, the laughter having a sort of dreamy tone to it. Baylee gave her a little shove and rolled her eyes, though she giggled as well.

"There you two lollygaggers are!" Galiene cried as they came into the kitchen. She and Demelza were bustling about the room, tending to various pots and pans on the two hearths and things that were baking in the oven.

"Sorry, Galiene," they apologized in unison.

Demelza walked over, taking the basket of squashes. "My, my! What's got you two lasses in such a flush?"

Wenna's eyes widened. "N-Nothing!" she lied.

Baylee cocked her brow. "Rán an' Ashailyn kissed the back o' our hands an' we got a bit giggly," she answered truthfully. Setting her baskets down on the counter, she started to empty them. "We got everything you asked for –even managed to get the last o' the spicy sausage."

Coming over, Galiene inspected the food that they had bought. "Good, good…I've already got the pig over the fire," She absentmindedly waved towards the outside door. When they had come into the yard, the two women had seen a stretch of the yard that had been dug up and covered with damp burlap sacks. They knew that, under those sacks, was a two-hundred pound hog, vegetables and dried fruit shoved into the cavity of its stomach. "I want you two t' eat some lunch an' then Baylee, you're on desserts. Wenna, you're on…"

"I can't cook," Wenna quickly told her. "Remember when I tried t' make porridge? It caught fire. It's liquid an' it caught fire!"

Galiene gave her a surprisingly gentle look for being so worried about that night. "I know, lass. You're goin' to be on serving duty with Peter."

Her eyes widened. "P-Peter is on serving duty? But he's the stable hand!"

"We're busy, lass, an' we're not expectin' any horses t' come in today. Warren will be out helpin' with the serving later, when Baylee's sitting in on the meeting."

She looked up from getting her and Wenna a loaf of bread. "What? I have t' go to the meeting?"

"You're going to Lake Town, aren't you?"

"Well, aye, but I thought Uncle was the one who…"

Demelza laughed. "Lass, you're an adult now. You get t' sit in on the boring adult meetings that come with traveling in groups."

She let out a sigh. "Well, at least I have somethin' t' look forward to, I guess…"

"So, how did yeh manage t' talk Dori into lettin' yeh stay away from home so long?"

"Well, the first time, I had Nori's help. He kept teasin' Dori and calling him a mother hen until he finally relented and told me I could stay."

"An' the second?"

"We…had a small argument a couple of nights ago. I sort of…blew up and yelled at him." Ori felt his cheeks turn red and he glanced at his feet, still feeling the shame of that night. He let out a small noise of surprise and was barely able to catch himself as Dwalin let out a loud laugh and heartily thumped him on the back. To his luck, his pencil hadn't been on his sketchbook, leaving it free from any stray marks.

"Good job, laddie!" he laughed. "It's about time yeh spoke up for yerself!" He wore a proud grin as he looked down at the younger dwarf. "Now, if yeh did that more often, I'm sure yeh'd be travelin' all 'round Middle Earth like the rest o' us."

His cheeks turning red again, Ori bashfully smiled. "I'm fine with seeing Lake Town again for now," he told him. "You never know –by the time I come back, I may want to stay cooped up inside the mansion with Dori," he joked.

Dwalin shook his head, still quietly laughing. "Yeh may have the mind o' a scholar, Ori, but I know yeh well enough. Yeh've got yerself the heart o' a traveler." He leaned back against the ruined part of the building he and Ori were sitting on, staring up at the midday clouds while one of his legs idly hung over the edge of the wall, swinging. Tucking his hands behind his head, he grinned. "Before we went out on tha' journey, yeh may have been entirely a scholar, but yeh had that look about you."

"What look?" he inquired, turning his attention back to the parchment. He glanced up only to check an angle or how a certain part of the city looked.

"The look o' curiosity. Yeh an' Fili an' Kili had it." A quiet sigh left his mouth and he closed his eyes. Of all the dwarves in Thorin's Company, save for Thorin and Balin, Dwalin had been the closest to the two young princes. He had taught them how to fight, helped Balin with their lessons, and even watched over them when Dís or Thorin were unable. "Yeh three were the most optimistic o' the group. I don't think any o' us save for yeh lot were really expectin' t' get the Mountain back."

Ori's pencil paused on the page as he heard the note of sadness in Dwalin's voice. Daring to glance at him, he could see that Dwalin had his jaw clenched tight and he was breathing deeply as he did his best to not shed any tears. Putting his pencil in the crook of his book, he closed it and set it aside.

Dwalin's eyes snapped open as he felt arms wrap around him and he looked down, seeing Ori holding onto him. He felt his cheeks grow hot in embarrassment and he sighed, burying his face in the younger dwarf's hair. "I'm fine," he murmured. "I just miss 'em."

"We all do," he mumbled, his voice muffled by the fur around Dwalin's shoulders. "But you have it the hardest." Dwalin let out a shaky sigh and closed his eyes again, pulling Ori closer to him as he quietly sniffled. "It's alright to cry. I won't tell anyone."

"'M not goin' t' cry. Just got the sniffles."

Ori smiled, knowing that he had pouted slightly at the mere idea of him crying. "Need a handkerchief?" He felt him nod and he reached into his pocket, pulling one out.

Dwalin took it and pulled back, blowing his nose. The noise was like a trumpet in Ori's ears and he winced, being taken by surprise. Twice more, Dwalin blew his nose before wiping his face clean. Just as he was about to hand the handkerchief back, he thought better of it and grinned sheepishly.

"I'll ah…wash this an' give it back later," he murmured, tucking it into the back of his belt.

Opening his sketchbook again, he chuckled and started to draw again. "It's not even mine, really. I nicked it from Nori this morning."

His brow rose. "Did yeh now?" he asked, drawing his knee to his chest and resting his arm on it. "An' I supposed he had nicked it from someone else?" Ori nodded and shifted his position. "Still nickin' stuff when he's got all the gold he could ever want…" He shook his head.

"It must be an odd form of the Dragon Fever," he commented. His head tilted slightly, finding that his pencil had left the sketch of the city in favor of doodling portrait of Dwalin. A warm smile came to his lips. "But he's been getting better about it. It's been awhile since he's done anything horrible." He used his pinky to do a bit of shading. 'Except for sleeping with that human's wife…' he thought.

"That's always good t' hear." He stood up on the wall (which annoyed Ori, as he had been trying to perfect the pose) and started to walk along its length. "Do yeh come up here often?"

"Not often, but I have been here once or twice," he answered, continuing to work out the pose, even if Dwalin had moved. He was determined to get it right.

He looked down at the city. From where he stood, he could see that the city was built over the top of a large hill, it streets rising and falling with its uneven peaks. There were two especially tall slopes –atop one sat King Bard's palace; atop the other was the Full Tankard. He chuckled, thinking he could see Baylee or Will leaning out of a window to shake out a blanket.

It was obvious where the city was populated; the buildings looked to be in better shape and there was fuller, healthier plant life. The rest of the city was surprisingly barren, though sections were slowly being repaired. King Bard was doing his best to not empty the city's treasury on the repairs; there were so many other things that needed to be done alongside fixing up buildings.

Directly below him, however, there were no buildings. The wide, curved boughs of peach trees in full blossom shaded the headstones and tombs of the ancient dead. Shaking his head, he turned around and hopped off of the wall. Ori didn't look up; he was too absorbed in his drawing. With a small grin, Dwalin crept up behind him and rested his chin on his shoulder, peeking at what he was doing.

"Lad, I've got bigger muscles 'n that," he teased, seeing the small portrait.

His cheeks flushing, Ori snapped the sketchbook shut and clutched it to his chest. "Who said I was drawing you?" he squeaked, glancing up at him. He wore a defiant pout that made Dwalin laugh. "It could have been some…other muscular dwarrow, you know! You're not the only-" He was silenced as Dwalin leaned forward, stealing a kiss from his lips.

"Yeh cannae fool me, Ori," he murmured with a grin. "Yeh like me too much t' go off an' draw other blokes." He kissed him a second time, his large hand rising up so that his thumb could lightly stroke his cheek.

"Just don't tell Dori 'n Nori," Ori lamented against his lips. "They'll have my hide if ever they found out about us."

Dwalin easily lifted Ori and took his seat, placing the other dwarf on his lap. He buried his face in his neck, his eyes closing as he quietly breathed in his scent. "They won't find out, not until yer good 'n ready. Alright, lad?" Ori felt him smile against his skin. "We'll jus' keep goin' off at different times like we do…Though, I'm pretty sure Nori has a feelin' o' what's goin' on betwixt us."

"Why do you say that?" He started to toy with Dwalin's beard, combing through it with his fingers.

He let out a quiet, though deep, chuckle. "He glares at me whenever he sees me talkin' t' yeh or whenever yeh an' me return from bein' out t'gether."

Ori frowned. "Well, that'd make him a bloody great hypocrite, wouldn't it?" He shook his head and sighed, starting to braid Dwalin's hair. "The only reason they wouldn't like knowin' about us is because you're so much older 'n me…"

"Bah! Yer mum was nearly twice the age o' yer father. They shouldn't have a problem."

He cleared his throat. "That's…exactly why, Dwalin. Since he was so much younger…He um. Well, Nori and I have half-siblings elsewhere. He and our mum never married, either…so…" His cheeks turned red and he shifted uncomfortably; his father had always been a sore spot for him.

"…Oh. Well…they won't have t' worry about that with us. I'm not 'bout t' go runnin' off on yeh." He glanced down, watching as Ori started to deftly braid a section of his beard and he smiled. "Don't make 'em too intricate…Nori'll know."

"Not that they'll stay long. I have no way of tying them."

Dwalin shrugged. "They'll stay long enough," he told him. "At least through dinner." A mischievous grin came to his lips as kissed the tip of Ori's nose. "Maybe I'll have yeh redo 'em afterwards?"

Ori's cheeks turned bright red at the suggestion. "Nori would kill you!"

"That's why I was jus' jestin', lad."

"Oh…"

Baylee slowly took a drink from her mug of ale as she sat across from her uncle in the middle of the inn's longest table. King Bard sat at the end of the table, his form given an ethereal glow by the fire behind him. He was a grim man to look upon, despite his youth –he was barely ten years older than Baylee and Will- though he knew his people well and treated them all with fairness. At the moment, he and the rest of the table's occupants were discussing the trip down to Lake Town and what precautions they would take to ensure that raiders would not be able to get the best of them should they happen across some.

But Baylee could not, for the life of her, manage to pay attention.

Being raised as hostess, she found herself glancing around the inn, wanting to get up and help Wenna, Demelza, and Peter. She also had the urge to get up and refill the tankards and chalices lining the table. Not to mention, the dwarves seemed to be having quite a bit of fun entertaining some of the guests by tossing plates and food around; they dropped no crumbs or dinnerware. Ori, she saw, sat a little ways away from his fellow dwarves, his dinner sitting before him as he focused on sketching something in his sketchbook, his head slightly cocked to the side.

More than once she found herself forced back into listening by Richard, who lightly kicked her shin.

The fourth or fifth time she got her shin kicked, she hid her embarrassed blush behind her mug and glanced at the king. He was slowly chewing on one of Galiene's honey biscuits, nodding as he listened to the man closest to him.

"So, y' see, milord," spoke the man, his voice timid, "that by sending out a few of our most reputed soldiers with the group, the raiders would be less inclined t' attack to attack them. No raider in his right o' mind would want t' fight against a fully armed soldier, especially one who's trained with bow, sword, an' spear."

Bard nodded slowly, setting his biscuit down. "From the reports we've heard," he told the man, "the raiders are a rabble of men and goblins, most –if not all- of whom are warg riders. I do not think that a few soldiers would put them off to attacking, should they venture this far west."

Baylee frowned at this. "Goblins? I thought the few who survived the War had fled into the Withered Heath?" she thought aloud. Her cheeks darkened as many of the men glanced at her, their brows raised in mixtures of annoyance and surprise. She shrank in her seat slightly, earning a pitied look from her uncle.

Bard's face seemed to soften a bit as he looked at her; she was the youngest person amongst their group and only one of three females going on the trip. "You are correct," he told her, "but these raiders do not hail from our lands or any lands this side of the River Running-"

"They're a mixed rabble o' Easterlings, goblins, an' rejects from Dorwinion, lass," another man interrupted, his voice gruff. "The men pay the goblins with gold an' the bo-"

"Enough," Bard commanded. He gave the man a dark look, causing him to look down at his plate. "There is no need to stir up fear amongst those seeking to see family and friends." He took a long drink from his mug, glancing around the common room. It was a full house tonight, with even the private rooms overflowing with guests. "As I was saying, these goblins come from beyond our borders to the east. They were not present in the War, nor do they have much care for the defeat of their brethren, Miss Baylee."

She nodded slowly, fiddling with the handle of her mug. It was loose. She would get papa to fix it later. Across the room, a burst of raucous laughter erupted from the dwarven table; men were betting on how far of a distance could be put between Nori and Bofur as they tossed hard-boiled eggs into one another's mouths. She smiled fondly at the two, but her attention was quickly drawn back to the matter at hand as Richard cleared his throat. Glancing up, she watched as he leaned an elbow on the table.

"Milord," he began, "every report we've gotten about the recent attacks state that the victims were one t' two days away from the city."

Bard nodded. "That is indeed correct."

"Well, wouldn't that be an incorrect measurement of the distance then?" He ignored the strange looks he received from the folk around him. Bard lifted his brow, a sign that he should continue. "The caravans that were attacked used all speed granted t' them in order t' arrive at Dale quicker once they were attacked. A distance that would normally take a single, casual rider an entire day t' cover would easily be traversed over half a day by a group of wagons fearing for their lives." There were still some confused glances and murmurs being thrown about.

"Meaning that the raids are actually taking place at a greater distance than what we had originally thought," Bard explained. Richard nodded and a small smile graced the king's lips, managing to soften his appearance greatly. "That is indeed true, Healer Harrison, and I entirely forgot to take that into account."

A chorused of relieved sighs filled the air around Baylee and her uncle and many of the men relaxed in their chairs.

"But it would still do well t' bring some soldiers along with us," the timid man from earlier spoke up. "Just on the off chance, sir."

"There'll be plenty o' young lads willin' t' strike somethin' with their bows 'n spears," the gruff man half-snapped. "Even a ninny like you can use a bow."

"His concerns are legitimate," Bard scolded, putting the man in his place. "There is no road yet leading between the two cities –which is why I am sending a cartographer and an architect with the group, as well as some soldiers that I will personally choose."

"E-excuse me?" Baylee leaned forward, her eyes widening a bit as she spotted the blondish-brown top of Ori's head near the king. "I was wonderin' if there was, perhaps, room enough for a dwarrow on this venture?"

Baylee frowned as she heard the man beside her start to snicker. A few spots down, the other two women were quietly giggling and whispering to one another how 'adorable' it was that a 'wee dwarfling' wanted to go on such a big journey.

Bard, however, gave Ori a respectful nod. "Master Ori. It has been a long while since last I saw you. How are your brothers?" This took many of the sniggering men by surprise.

"Quite well, my lord," Ori answered, giving him a nervous smile. His hands were fidgeting with his gloves. "Dori's opened trade with some cloth merchants here in Dale an' Nori's actin' as his negotiator."

"Good to hear. And yes, of course there's room for a dwarf such as yourself. Though, I must ask, how did you come to know of it?"

Ori glanced down the table, motioning at Baylee. "You see, my lord, I've been staying here at the Tankard for a few weeks now and Miss Baylee and I have grown to be quite good friends, so I heard of it from her an' her uncle. I think it would be nice to visit Lake Town again and see how it's been rebuilt."

"I see." He threw a small look at the young woman and she thought she could see a hint of a smile. "I would have you know, however, that there are concerns of raiders-"

Ori nodded quickly. "I know, my lord," he interrupted, his cheeks turning crimson, "I've…ah…been listening in, to be honest. I didn't want to be rude and interrupt important discussions, so I was just waiting for a time to ask…"

At that, Bard let out a surprisingly pleasant laugh. "Were you now? Well, eavesdrop no more and come join us, Master Ori. Our discussions are almost over, though, so you need not worry about having to sit too long."

Some room for the dwarf was made as Richard and another man scooted apart, letting Ori climb atop a stool that was too tall for him to reach the floor. Baylee quietly giggled; he seemed so happy and excited to be joining them on such a small quest. Before long, the discussions were finished and things were settled: The group would leave in a week's time, in the early morning. They would travel down the river on three sturdy rafts and stay in the city for a week. After that, they would return to Dale via rented horses, ponies, or on foot. They would be back within two and a half weeks.

As dinner drew to a close and bellies were feeling full, Bard stood up, toasting the hospitality of Warren, his family, and his staff for such a magnificent meal and the wonderful company. Everyone drank to their health. Then, he clapped his hands together and called for the dishes to be cleared, tables and chairs to be moved aside, and for musicians to ready their instruments.

"Another party?" Ori laughed as Baylee stood, starting to gather up the dishes.

"Two in the same month! Normally this doesn't happen!" she laughed.

Turning, Ori whistled to his fellow dwarves. They looked up, a little startled by the sudden noise, but they grinned as he tossed a plate at his brother. Nori easily caught it, his braided eyebrow rising as he flicked the plate to Bifur, who caught it in his out-stretched hands. Above the noise, Bofur's voice broke out:

Hey! Ho! The Tankard's brimful!

Tables and chairs together we'll cull.

Gather the plates and snatch the mugs,

A party we'll have tonight!

Clear a space and don't be slugs!

Dump the bowls, empty the plates,

Wash 'em up and stack 'em straight!

Collect the mugs and fill them all!

But don't you let a single drop fall!

Let the music fill the room,

Let it chase away any gloom!

Flutes be heard, harps be strung,

A party we'll have tonight!

Let all the songs of old be sung!

Watch the pretty ladies dance

While the men stare in a trance!

Their skirts twirl round 'n round

As they spin across the ground!

Hey! Ho! The Tankard's brimful!

Let the music fill your skull!

Come dance with us until the dawn,

A party we'll have tonight!

When you'll fall asleep on the lawn!

As the group of dwarves sang, they ran around the common room, tossing plates, bowls, and cups to one another, perfect stacks filling their hands. Once they could hold no more, they handed the stacks off to Demelza, Peter, Wenna, and even Baylee, who hurried them into the kitchen. Such amusement the five dwarves brought to the curious humans that even Bard was laughing –a hard feat to achieve.

What was most surprising to the staff of the Tankard, however, was when they poked their heads into the kitchen, Bifur was standing at the washbasin, surrounded by heaps of cleaned dishware.

Leaving the kitchen for the final time, Baylee let out a small curse as Will snatched her up, bringing her onto the dance floor. She laughed as the two of them twirled around the room, her being just able to keep up with her brother's much longer strides. As they danced around, the music of various flutes, clarinets, and fiddles filled her ears as well as the sound of laughter.

It was a most welcome change from the dreary meeting.

The music started to go faster and she suddenly found herself dancing with one of the Dorwinion rangers. Despite him not being from Dale or Lake Town, he was able to keep up with the dance, a large grin on his lips. He twirled Baylee around in a circle, his head tilting as the other men did the same with their partners; all the colors of the swirling skirts looked like a tornado of flower petals spinning around.

When they switched partners again, Baylee found herself locking hands and spinning in a circle with Bifur. She thought he looked very much like an excited mastiff with his black-and-white braids swinging back and forth. He tried to tell her something, but a mixture of the sound around them and the Khuzdul language rendered him unintelligible to her ears.

The song finally ended and many people were left staggering about, laughing in their dizziness. Bifur managed a polite, although wobbling, bow to Baylee, who somewhat managed to curtsey. Giggling, she stumbled over to a spot in the corner where her father sat, blowing smoke rings into the ceiling. He shook his head, quietly laughing as she flopped down in a chair, her vision still swirling around.

"Havin' fun?" he inquired, watching as she slightly wobbled. He cocked his head as a new song started to play. It wasn't nearly as fast as the last one, nor as loud, though it was still a fun tune.

"Oh, aye," she grinned, "gettin' out o' cleaning duty an' bein' yanked into a dance by my clumsy brother all in one night?"

Warren ruffled her hair. "He's not that clumsy. He's never stepped on your foot has he?" He shook his head and chewed on the end of his pipe. "How did the meeting go?"

She glanced away innocently. "It was boring…I kept gettin' distracted, so uncle had to keep towing my attention back t' the matters at hand."

He nodded in understanding. "You're young," he told her, "an' not used to dealin' with such matters. Maybe with the next meetin', you'll be better prepared?" He grinned teasingly at her as she cocked a brow.

"I hope I don't have t' sit through one of those meetings again," she told him, her vision finally holding still. She brushed some hair from her face, watching as Will skipped by with a very curvy, red-haired woman. 'Ooh, Will, lad –you're being dangerous there,' she thought, her eyes widening. 'Dancing with Adela in the inn…' She stole a peek at her father, seeing his brows knitted together before turning back at her twin. A small smile came to her lips, despite the risky situation; the two of them looked so in love…

"Wasn't that Stover's daughter…?" he inquired, chewing on the end of his pipe.

She shrugged. "Hard sayin'," she lied. "I wasn't paying attention."

Across the room, Bofur was sitting with the Dwalin and taking a drink from his fifth ale that night. He was only just starting to feel a bit tipsy, but it was working to put him in quite a content mood. Ori, Nori, and Bifur were lost somewhere in the crowd of dancing folk; he thought he could spot glances of Bifur every now and then, if only because of the ax.

"Yeh know," Dwalin chortled, "I half expected t' see yeh out there, dancin' about."

He shrugged. "Maybe with the next song," he grinned. "I'm tryin' t' see if'n there's anyone around our height t' dance with."

Dwalin let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, aye, in a city o' tall, northern men, yeh'll certainly be able t' find some short lasses!" He took a drink from his beer.

Bofur grinned mischievously. "I never said it had t' be a lass! I may want t' dance with Ori!" he teased. He started to laugh heartily as Dwalin tensed and threw a bone-chilling glare at him. "Calm down, lad!" he cackled. "Ya know I'm not into the lads an' I know full well you've claimed Ori as your own."

For the first time ever, he saw Dwalin blush. The warrior glanced away, trying to hide behind his beer. "An' just what makes yeh think that I've got a claim t' Ori?"

He leaned back, crossing his legs. "Well, for one…you smile a lot more when he's around –That's not a bad thing, either," he quickly added, seeing the frown coming to his face. "Another way is the fact that you two seem t' go off at odd times, but always return together."

Dwalin let out a curse. "How can yeh tell from that!?"

His brow rose knowingly. "Dwalin, I was engaged once. I know full well tha' couples try t' sneak off for a wee bit o' alone time an' private snuggles," he told him.

He glanced at Bofur; this was news to his torn ears. "Yeh were engaged?"

"A long while ago, but now isn't the time for tha' story." He emptied his mug into his mouth before setting it down and standing. The song was ending. "However, now's the time for us both t' go out an' dance. Look –Ori's free." He nodded towards the young dwarf. "An' Nori's not in sight, so you may be in luck." He gave a teasing wink to Dwalin before going off to find someone to dance with.

Rán leaned back against the bar, his elbow resting behind him. His companions were having the time of their lives, dancing around with the men and women of Dale. Taking a drink from his wine chalice, he chuckled as he watched Garussian, the group's best archer, trip over his own feet as he danced with the young maid, Wenna. She giggled and continued to let him attempt to lead her around the dance floor.

He was a good archer, but a horrid dancer.

Ashailyn walked over to him, which surprised him.

"I thought you were dancing?" he asked, speaking in their native tongue.

"I was," she replied with a shrug, "but these dances are too foreign for me. I'd rather listen to their music."

Nodding in understanding, he offered her a drink of his wine; she gladly took it. "I quite like this place," he commented after some minutes.

She nodded and handed the cup back. "As do I. The weather is favorable and the people much nicer than our home. It's a shame we'll be leaving soon."

He shrugged. "You could stay if you wish. I've noticed how much you've grown to enjoy this place."

Ashailyn sighed and hopped up, sitting on the bar. "It's so green here…and we're not getting orders constantly barked at us from the Chief. We're allowed to be people for once, instead of cattle." She looked down as Rán set his hand on her thigh.

"Do you want to stay here?" he asked, looking her in the eye. "I could tell the Chief that you had an injury and could no longer travel or that you-" He fell quiet as she placed a finger on his lips.

"We both know that Nakara would rat us out," she stated. "That's why the Chief sent him, isn't it? To keep an eye on us and make sure we did nothing out of line."

Rán let out a defeated sigh. "Ashailyn, I know you hate this life we lead. I just…I just want you to be happy. You're the only family I have left and I don't want to lose you to unhappiness."

She let out a quiet laugh. "The life of a ranger may not be a pleasant one, Rán, but you're forgetting that you're my only family as well. We've only got two years left –I think we can handle that much service, don't you?" She smiled at him before letting her gaze return to the dance floor. "Anyway, it wouldn't be fair of me to stay here while you leave."

"Why is that?" His brow rose as he finished his wine.

"Because it would mean that I'd be the one close to Baylee and not you." A mischievous smirk came to her lips and she braced herself as her brother gave her a small shove. "What? You know I'm into lads –anyway, I'm not a fan of her teeth. They make her seem…squirrely." She got shoved again and saw a dark look on Rán's features. "What? She's got cuteness about her, but not too much beauty."

He rolled his eyes and set his chalice down. "She's certainly far better looking than that stable-hand you tried to seduce the other day," he grumbled, starting to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Ashailyn frowned. "I didn't mean to offend you!"

"I'm going to find her and dance!" Walking into the crowd, he found this to be a rather difficult task. Everyone was taller than him, save for the dwarves. He walked about on his tiptoes, trying to peer over shoulders and around heads, but it was proving to be useless. 'I wonder if she feels this small every day?' he thought, stepping out of the crowd on the far side of the room. He blinked, seeing Baylee sitting in front of him as she talked to her father. They had opened the window they were sitting near, allowing for a cool draft to enter the quickly-warming inn.

He would make this a bit of a difficult task. Warren was the largest man Rán had ever seen and, even when he smiled, he was intimidating. And here was Rán, about to ask his daughter to dance with him.

And it was Warren who first spotted the ranger.

"Ah, good evenin', Rán," Warren quipped. Rán had always found it amusing that he and his family took the time to remember the names of their patrons; it was also a bit comforting to know they cared so much about making people feel welcomed. "Enjoyin' the sudden party?"

A friendly smile came to his lips, despite his nervousness. "I am," he replied, "as are my companions." He motioned behind him towards the crowd before turning slightly to Baylee. "I was wondering if Miss Baylee would care to dance?"

He could see Warren's brow rising, though it was not in distaste. The older man wore a small grin as Baylee stood. "A dance sounds good," she smiled, not noticing the look her father gave her as Rán led her off.

"Do these sorts of occasions happen often?" Rán asked as the music started. It was a slower song than the rest, though the dance was still a somewhat lively one.

She shook her head, chuckling. "Not terribly often," she explained. She could see that he was glancing around, watching the men around them to see how he should step. "Though, they do happen more durin' the summer when everyone's feelin' giddy because o' the sun."

He smiled handsomely as he twirled her first away from him, and then towards him. "And I suppose those times, the inn is left overflowing as well?"

Baylee laughed. "Actually, those times, all the inns are overflowin' and the streets are filled with musicians an' dancers an' even lots o' food. They're quite fun, though you're left worn out the next mornin' an' there's a whole room o' people needin' t' be served."

"I would imagine!" he laughed. They swung one another side-to-side before locking arms and hopping three times to the left, then four times to the right. "I must say, I do prefer northern dances to the ones we have back home."

"Oh?"

"They are slower; I can actually keep up!"

She laughed again as they spun in a circle, their arms still locked. Then, to Rán's disappointment, he found himself holding the arm of a new partner, Baylee lost to the crowd behind him.

"Evenin', Baylee!" Bofur chirped as he found himself holding onto her arm.

She was a bit thankful that her cheeks were already flushed from the warmth of the room as she saw him. "Hello, Bofur," she smiled. "Havin' yourself a bit o' fun, I see."

"As are you –which is a nice change from the bored look ya were wearin' earlier!" He stood on his tiptoes as he twirled her around him. "Nori was bettin' on you fallin' asleep durin' tha' meeting tha' was goin' on!" He didn't notice or care when his hat got knocked askew by his arm.

Her blush got a little deeper. "An' here I thought ya lads were havin' too much fun throwin' food an' plates at one another t' even glance over at us borin' folk!"

He shrugged slightly. "Bifur 'n me were thinkin' about seein' if anyone would notice us draggin' your chair away with you on it t' rescue you."

"Aw, how thoughtful o' you two!" she giggled as they swung each other and lightly kicked outwards.

Bofur playfully winked. "What're heroes for if not for rescuin' damsels in distress?"

She giggled again. "How's the shop comin' along, by the way? I know I stopped by earlier, but I'm sure more work got done on it since then."

His eyes widened and his grin got larger –how that was possible, Baylee would never know. "We'll be openin' the day after tomorrow!" he told her. "Ori's almost done paintin' an' then we just need t' stock the shelves; neither should take very long."

"Ooh, I can't wait t' see it all full an' bustlin' with people!" she rejoiced. She let out a surprised squeak as Bofur suddenly picked her up by the waist and spun them around before setting her down. It earned a few amused glanced from the dancers around them as the song ended.

He grinned apologetically. "Sorry; I guess us dwarrows like t' end with a bit more flair than humans."

She shyly smiled and glanced away. "It's alright," she breathlessly told him; holding a conversation –two, rather- while dancing was never a good idea if you didn't want to be winded afterwards. "I think it's a better ending than the human dance. Less borin'."

"Aye. Always nice t' add a lil' spice t' an otherwise calm dance," he chuckled. He led her over to the bench where Dwalin had been sitting, though he had left and Nori had taken up the spot instead. He gave Baylee a small nod before drinking some of his mead.

"So, Ori's goin' with you lot down to Lake Town," he stated as she sat down. Bofur went off to get her a mug of ale. "Strange seein' him becoming so independent o' Dori."

Baylee gave him a reassuring smile. "Everyone's got t' grow up sometime, I guess," she offered. "Ori just chose now, it seems." Something in the corner of her eye caught her attention; it was Dwalin and Ori. They were sneaking out of the dancing crowd, the younger leading Dwalin towards the door. Her brow rose as she saw the flirtatious grin that he wore as he glanced back at Dwalin. 'I…would not have guessed that,' she thought, finding herself rather surprised. 'Kind of adorable, though…'

Nori hadn't seemed to notice; did he know…? "Can I ask a favor o' you, Baylee?" he suddenly asked.

She nodded slowly; he looked concerned. "Anythin'."

"Ori's still a youngin' for a dwarrow," he told her, "only about a lad in his late teens for you humans. This will be his first time away from his entire family an' any other dwarrows. He doesn't know the world too well, even after being a part of Thorin's Company –that much you can blame on Dori and his overbearing motherliness."

He paused a moment, shifting uncomfortably. She knew well enough by now that Nori was not the sort to really ask favors of people, let alone favors regarding his brothers. From things she had been told and overheard, she had figured out that he was the sort of dwarf who had ran away from home as soon as he was able and normally shunned any assistance offered to him. "So…I was wondering…that is, if you want to or were able…could you…maybe watch after him and make sure he does alright?" he finally asked. He seemed embarrassed to ask.

"O' course I will," she responded gently. Nori glanced at her, finding a reassuring smile on her lips. "I'll watch over him as best I can. I can't guarantee that we'll always be near each other, but I'll try t' keep one eye on him at all times."

Nori nodded slowly and smiled in relief, his body relaxing. He hadn't even realized he had been tensed. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble." She looked up as Bofur returned, two full mugs in hand.

"I don't remember which one is the beer an' which one is the ale," he admitted, looking between the mugs. "I just know that both are good!"

Using her finger, Baylee swept up a bit of the foam from the side of one of the mugs. Tasting it, she pointed at the mug. "That one's beer," she told him.

"Then this one," he crossed his arms, offering her the other mug, "is yours." As she took it, he sat down on the other side of her and drank from his beer. "Ahh…good strong lager on a night like this…Almost would think I'm back home in Erebor."

Nori snickered. "Except everyone's taller 'n you."

"Ori isn't."

"Except Ori."

"Hey! Baylee's got a mustache!"

She blinked, looking up with wide eyes. It took her a moment to realize he was talking about the white foam resting under her nose from when she drank her ale. "Aye, an' it's a mighty tasty one, too," she joked before licking it away. What she didn't know was that a bit of the foam had gotten on her nose as well.

Bofur reached over and used his thumb to wipe it away. "There you go. Don't need you havin' a foamy nose," he smiled.

Again, she was thankful for her already-flushed cheeks. "Thank ya," she shyly smiled. She tried to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, but through all the dancing, it had become almost painfully ensnared by her ear cuff. "Confounded cuff…" she mumbled, setting her mug down and beginning the fight to untangle the locks.

"Would ya like some help, lass?" Bofur questioned. He could tell that she didn't want to remove the cuff –why, he didn't know- which left her unable to see where all the hair was caught.

"Yes, please," she winced, accidentally tugging a bit too hard on some finer hairs.

Setting aside his own mug, Bofur scooted closer to her and began helping her unravel her hair. "It's caught in all the leaves," he told her, "an' 'round the vine a bit."

She chuckled. "Aye…if the darned thing weren't so pretty an' useful, I'd wear somethin' much simpler."

Nori raised his brow as he glanced at her. "How is it useful?" he inquired curiously.

Biting her tongue, she glanced away. "I've…got part o' my ear missin' thanks t' the War."

He winced slightly. "I'm sorry; I probably shouldn't have asked."

"Curiosity gets the better o' us sometimes," she reassured him.

"There we go," Bofur suddenly chirped. It seemed that he was too busy fiddling with her hair to pay attention to her words. He clambered over the bench and stood behind Baylee, starting to comb his fingers through her hair. His cheeks were deep red and only got darker as he saw Nori grinning at him. "Let's get all this out o' the way so ya won't have t' worry about it gettin' caught again."

"Thank you," she smiled. She sat still, feeling his fingers make quick, but gentle, work of straightening out her locks. He started to separate them out and she wondered just how many braids he planned to put in her hair.

Nori leaned back, one hand resting on his thigh, the other keeping a protective hold on his beer. He kept his brow cocked as he watched Bofur braid Baylee's hair. Half of him wanted to tell Baylee that this was how dwarves flirted with one another; after all, she already knew that someone in their group fancied her. The other half argued that it was Bofur's job to tell the lass about his feelings –though that same half also believed that Bofur didn't quite realize that he fancied her just yet.

'Then again,' he thought, sneaking half of Bofur's beer into his own mug, 'what do I know about love? I'm an expert on lust…' He suddenly realized that his eyes were drifted over the crowded room, spotting the most attractive women in there and wondering if they had husbands somewhere nearby. He scolded himself. 'No. You're on your good behavior when around Ori. You don't want to disappoint him any more than you already have.'

Baylee barely noticed when Nori excused himself. The mixture of quiet music –the musicians were letting the dancers rest by playing some old ballads- and Bofur's constant, but gentle, combing of her hair was working to lull her into a trance-like state. She closed her eyes and unconsciously leaned back slightly, feeling her shoulders rest against the dwarf's chest.

When she leaned back, he had just finished the last braid in her hair. He looked down, a little startled by the action. For some reason, though, he did not try to push her up or give her a shake. Instead, he unconsciously shifted so she would not have to lean so far back. Closing his own eyes, he remembered how he had often stood just like this so his late fiancée could rest herself after a long day of being huddled over her embroidery work in the dressmaker's shop she worked at…

He was just barely able to keep himself from wrapping his arms around her, mentally scolding himself. 'She's not Leticia,' he scolded, 'so don't you even try, Bofur. Leticia's long gone and you've moved on from that part of your life.'

"You're a humble toymaker now," he mumbled under his breath. "Let go of the past." It was a mantra he had told himself many times over the years since Leticia's passing. At times, he was even able to convince himself that he had let go of the past. But times like this…He shook his head before lightly shaking her shoulder. "Baylee? Are ya awake, lass?"

She turned a bit, but did not open her eyes or say anything. He felt his cheeks darken as he looked around, trying to spot someone familiar that could fetch Will or Warren for him. Rubbing the back of his neck, he let out a small, though amused, sigh.

"Well…I guess I'll have t' be a hero again an' watch over you," he murmured, gently moving her so that she was lying down on the bench. He sat down on the end and lifted her head so that she could use his leg as a pillow. There he waited, slowly sipping his beer (he couldn't figure out why it was almost gone already), and watched over her until someone could take her to her room.