Chapter 22
Tarin woke up with the sun streaming on her face. She rolled over, and groaned, then sat up; the hangover hit her like a tidal wave. She fell down again with the force of it. Nope no way I'm making it to breakfast she rolled over again, covered her face with blankets and tried to get some more sleep as she rode out the hangover.
Gimli was at breakfast early, much earlier than he'd ever seen Tarin get up before. He was eager to prove to himself that he hadn't dreamed last night. He waited, and waited, she never came and breakfast was almost done. Nalin had come in earlier and had eaten with him. He was relieved to hear her bring up Tarin and ask after her; at least it proved he wasn't mad. "I haven't seen her at all today; the last I saw of her was when I walked her to her rooms. She was a little unsteady." Nalin frowned, "hmmmmm I don't know what is wrong, don't worry, I'll go check on her." With that Nalin left, Gimli hadn't seen her or Tarin since. He was starting to truly get worried when Mundin sat down. Mundin was smiling widely, "good morning Gimli!" Gimli gave a distracted nod and smile at his friend as he sat down, "good morning Mundin." Mundin studied Gimli, "my friend you seem elsewhere today, what is wrong, you had a glorious feast yesterday." Gimli nodded again, his eyes still searching the many entranceways, "Tarin hasn't come to breakfast yet." Mundin scoffed, "she is fine, do not think about her. Have some fruit." Gimli ignored the last part his eyes fixed on Mundin's, "you know about her? How?" Mundin smiled like he had just put Tarin into a checkmate's position. Yes he knew where she was and what exactly was wrong with her. He shrugged, "come with me then." Gimli got up and walked beside his friend as they made their way down the hallways. Mundin quietly began to speak, "she will be fine. She just proved herself inferior to the dwarven race last night. She was drunk Gimli and she suffers from the effects of it unlike you and I. The fact that she is not one of us has left her with what is commonly known to them as a 'hangover'" The last word was spoken with a sneer as he pushed open the door to her room.
While both dwarves inside the room heard the door crash against the stone wall Nalin was the only one to look up. Tarin instantly went from slowly sipping the broth Nalin held for her to covering herself with the blankets in an attempt to nurse her ringing head. While Mundin stood gloating in the doorway Gimli crossed the room and looked from the bundle of blankets that was Tarin to Nalin, who was glaring at Mundin. "What is the matter with her?" Nalin looked up at Gimli, concern tinting her eyes, "I'm not sure Gimli, she complains of a headache and keeps insisting she'll be fine but she can't stand bright lights or," a glare at Mundin, "loud noises." Gimli planted his feet apart and faced Mundin, "help her." "Noooooooooooo," Tarin moaned from under the covers, but Gimli wouldn't be persuaded, "help her Mundin." Mundin gave a short bark of laughter, to which Tarin pulled the covers even further over her head and moaned. Mundin ignored her and spoke with contempt and scorn in his voice, "she is weak Gimli. Look at her! That!" he indicated with his hand to the figure on the bed, "is brought about by the wine she drank last night. She is a weak human and as such she gets hangovers, a mortal problem that those that can't handle too much wine get. She will be well later. But now she is weak and helpless! She is no good for you or for anyo-" That had snapped Gimli. He had punched his friend in the face. The dark dwarf spun around and barely managed to stay standing up. He turned to face an enraged Gimli. Nalin rose swiftly before the two friends could hurt each other anymore. Even though he was a trained and skilled healer Mundin was by no means weak or helpless. Nalin shoved a still recovering Mundin out of the door. With a look of worry back at Tarin she went outside herself, closing the door behind her.
Gimli's chest still heaved with contained anger, slowly however his breathing calmed and he slowly unclenched his hands. He turned towards the rumpled bed and slowly crept towards it, "Tarin?" Her hair appeared over the covers and slowly the blanket was lowered to show her face. Gimli sighed in relief that she didn't look in any immediate danger, "what is wrong?" Tarin gave a weak smile, "Just a hangover, I'll be up and fine in an hour or so." Gimli smiled, "alright then, I'll leave you now." "Wait. . . Gimli." Gimli turned back to her, "yes?" Tarin swallowed, "you can't fight with Mundin like this. I won't cause a separation in friends." Gimli shook his head, "Tarin I will not let him insult you, no matter what." Tarin looked very sad, "no Gimli don't, maybe we should just leave for awhile, until Mundin calms down. Then you two won't fight . . . and give me a headache." She smiled slightly as a plan formed in her mind. Gimli looked at her in confusion, "where would we go?" Tarin smiled fully, her hangover put aside for the moment, "I've never seen these Glittering Caves that you are forever bragging about. I'd like to compare them to my beloved Mammoth caves if they even can compare!" Slowly Gimli's face lifted up into a smile, "yes Tarin they do, and I shall make you forget that there were ever caves you held in regard before you saw the caves of Helms Deep!" Tarin grinned and shouted, "we shall see!" Then her hangover came back to her in a wave and she collapsed on the bed, in pain but still smiling. "Alright," she whispered, "now get out of here so I can nurse my pathetic self back to health."
Tarin woke up with the sun streaming on her face. She rolled over, and groaned, then sat up; the hangover hit her like a tidal wave. She fell down again with the force of it. Nope no way I'm making it to breakfast she rolled over again, covered her face with blankets and tried to get some more sleep as she rode out the hangover.
Gimli was at breakfast early, much earlier than he'd ever seen Tarin get up before. He was eager to prove to himself that he hadn't dreamed last night. He waited, and waited, she never came and breakfast was almost done. Nalin had come in earlier and had eaten with him. He was relieved to hear her bring up Tarin and ask after her; at least it proved he wasn't mad. "I haven't seen her at all today; the last I saw of her was when I walked her to her rooms. She was a little unsteady." Nalin frowned, "hmmmmm I don't know what is wrong, don't worry, I'll go check on her." With that Nalin left, Gimli hadn't seen her or Tarin since. He was starting to truly get worried when Mundin sat down. Mundin was smiling widely, "good morning Gimli!" Gimli gave a distracted nod and smile at his friend as he sat down, "good morning Mundin." Mundin studied Gimli, "my friend you seem elsewhere today, what is wrong, you had a glorious feast yesterday." Gimli nodded again, his eyes still searching the many entranceways, "Tarin hasn't come to breakfast yet." Mundin scoffed, "she is fine, do not think about her. Have some fruit." Gimli ignored the last part his eyes fixed on Mundin's, "you know about her? How?" Mundin smiled like he had just put Tarin into a checkmate's position. Yes he knew where she was and what exactly was wrong with her. He shrugged, "come with me then." Gimli got up and walked beside his friend as they made their way down the hallways. Mundin quietly began to speak, "she will be fine. She just proved herself inferior to the dwarven race last night. She was drunk Gimli and she suffers from the effects of it unlike you and I. The fact that she is not one of us has left her with what is commonly known to them as a 'hangover'" The last word was spoken with a sneer as he pushed open the door to her room.
While both dwarves inside the room heard the door crash against the stone wall Nalin was the only one to look up. Tarin instantly went from slowly sipping the broth Nalin held for her to covering herself with the blankets in an attempt to nurse her ringing head. While Mundin stood gloating in the doorway Gimli crossed the room and looked from the bundle of blankets that was Tarin to Nalin, who was glaring at Mundin. "What is the matter with her?" Nalin looked up at Gimli, concern tinting her eyes, "I'm not sure Gimli, she complains of a headache and keeps insisting she'll be fine but she can't stand bright lights or," a glare at Mundin, "loud noises." Gimli planted his feet apart and faced Mundin, "help her." "Noooooooooooo," Tarin moaned from under the covers, but Gimli wouldn't be persuaded, "help her Mundin." Mundin gave a short bark of laughter, to which Tarin pulled the covers even further over her head and moaned. Mundin ignored her and spoke with contempt and scorn in his voice, "she is weak Gimli. Look at her! That!" he indicated with his hand to the figure on the bed, "is brought about by the wine she drank last night. She is a weak human and as such she gets hangovers, a mortal problem that those that can't handle too much wine get. She will be well later. But now she is weak and helpless! She is no good for you or for anyo-" That had snapped Gimli. He had punched his friend in the face. The dark dwarf spun around and barely managed to stay standing up. He turned to face an enraged Gimli. Nalin rose swiftly before the two friends could hurt each other anymore. Even though he was a trained and skilled healer Mundin was by no means weak or helpless. Nalin shoved a still recovering Mundin out of the door. With a look of worry back at Tarin she went outside herself, closing the door behind her.
Gimli's chest still heaved with contained anger, slowly however his breathing calmed and he slowly unclenched his hands. He turned towards the rumpled bed and slowly crept towards it, "Tarin?" Her hair appeared over the covers and slowly the blanket was lowered to show her face. Gimli sighed in relief that she didn't look in any immediate danger, "what is wrong?" Tarin gave a weak smile, "Just a hangover, I'll be up and fine in an hour or so." Gimli smiled, "alright then, I'll leave you now." "Wait. . . Gimli." Gimli turned back to her, "yes?" Tarin swallowed, "you can't fight with Mundin like this. I won't cause a separation in friends." Gimli shook his head, "Tarin I will not let him insult you, no matter what." Tarin looked very sad, "no Gimli don't, maybe we should just leave for awhile, until Mundin calms down. Then you two won't fight . . . and give me a headache." She smiled slightly as a plan formed in her mind. Gimli looked at her in confusion, "where would we go?" Tarin smiled fully, her hangover put aside for the moment, "I've never seen these Glittering Caves that you are forever bragging about. I'd like to compare them to my beloved Mammoth caves if they even can compare!" Slowly Gimli's face lifted up into a smile, "yes Tarin they do, and I shall make you forget that there were ever caves you held in regard before you saw the caves of Helms Deep!" Tarin grinned and shouted, "we shall see!" Then her hangover came back to her in a wave and she collapsed on the bed, in pain but still smiling. "Alright," she whispered, "now get out of here so I can nurse my pathetic self back to health."