Title: A tale about friendship, Part 6?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 6, The journey to the village of Beleg

"During the days that followed" Melian said, "Melian was almost constantly at Thrórs side, she only left him when she needed to relieve herself and get some sleep and when she did her mother Morwen and her sister Emeldir took over. There were also visitors at his side and they would speak with Thrór and Melian about what happened in the village."

"Father took over as Dwarf in Charge while Thráin was away with Huor," Balin said "and was astonished to find a large number of children waiting to learn from us, both boys and girls and before long each of our smiths had three or four pupils. The first day the teachers spoke with the children to learn what they knew about the craft, but the following days the teachers and pupils spent all time between dawn and dusk in the smithies except when their mothers were able to convince them to get something to eat. Father would smile when he spoke about how eagerly his pupils listened to every word he said."

"Five days later" Melian said "in the afternoon Melian and Thrór spoke with Thórin, Frerin and Dis about what was going on in the village when there was a knock on the door and Boromir bursted into the room. He said that the gate guards had sent word that Huor and Thráin were on their way to the village, and they were singing as they went. Melian smiled and said that it meant that their errand had gone well. Before long they could hear footsteps in the corridor, voices singing and there was knocking on the door. As it sounded like someone knocking with an elbow Melian asked her brother to open the door for them, when Boromir opened the door Huor and Thráin came in with moneybags in their arms, putting them on the side table. When Thrór asked what it was Thráin answered ´the part of our pay that the Half dragon tried to keep from us as well as the same amount as the one we were promised as compensation for your illness. Thrór looked at them in amazement and said that it meant he could pay Melian for her care but Huor told him ´you need not worry about that, the Half dragon has paid for that as well and produced a small bag of money which he gave to Melian. She checked it and found that it was filled with coins. When Melian looked at the coins in a baffled manner Thrór offered to help her check them, and when she accepted each of them took a coin at random and bit on it. They were proven to be gold coins and Melian looked in amazement at her father, asking him why she had been given that much. Huor told her that about half most probably was meant as a bribe to insure that she wouldn't take the matter to the council. ´He thinks so? He is mistaken Melian answered, took as much of the money that fitted in her cupped hands and tried to give it to Thrór saying ´you and your people have more need of this but Thrór declined the offer, saying to her that she was worthy of it all and finally she accepted it. She put all the money back in the bag and put the bag into her chest that stood at the foot of her bed.

When that was done Huor and Thráin told them about their journey to the village of Beleg, how they had been received with joy by the people of the village and by Boromir son of Beleg ´he was worried about you father, and when I told him about your illness he was sad. But when I told him that Melian cares for you he said that you will be well soon, Melian is a great healer as well as kind-hearted. Beleg, the chieftain, was haughty and tried to ignite Thráins temper but as Thráin had been warned he didn't take the bait and Huor did most of the talking. They had allowed Beleg to rant for a while and then Huor had asked if he could see the spears and shields that the people of Thrór had made. Beleg agreed to it and when Huor had looked at them he declared them to be flawless, and said to the Half dragon that he should pay what he still owed Thrórs people. ´And what do you do if I don't? Beleg answered and Huor said calmly that they could go to his mother and grandmother, telling them that Thrór had fallen ill and also that Melian would take the matter to the council. ´She can't do that, she is too young Beleg said but Huor reminded him that she would be speaking as a Healer and then her age didn't matter. It was then he yielded and gave them not only the remainder of their pay but also recompense to Thrór for his illness. When Thráin said that it meant that his father could pay Melian Beleg had given a moneybag to Huor, saying that Thrór didn't need to do that.

Suddenly someone came into the room and a voice said ´I didn't know we had visitors, my dear and when they turned they saw Eilinel daughter of Aradan, Belegs wife. Beleg then said that they had concluded some business and Eilinel then asked her husband why he hadn't invited the guests to a meal. ´Of course Beleg answered and invited them to the midday meal which they accepted. Beleg didn't stay long and when he left Eilinel and Boromir were able to ask them about what had happened. When they left their packs had been filled with food and all the people told them would be more welcome after Boromir had taken over. The return journey had taken more time as the horses had been more heavily laden but it had been a good journey and now they were back with good news."

Bard smiled as he heard it. "I would have liked to see it, it must have been a sight to see the Half dragon quake and yield. But I hope that he wasn't let off the hook" he said and Melian answered, "he wasn't. Melian still fumed at the fact that the work of Thrórs people had been maligned in that manner and she was also angry at the fact that Beleg thought that he would be able to bribe her. She became even more determined to show him that she wasn't to be taken lightly and at the Council she proved it to him."

TBC