Hey, I'm back again. Sorry for the wait, hehe. Here's the next chapter to this story. Hope you all like it!

Leona2016: Here's one of the prompts you gave me. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit. If I did, Nori would just steal the title from me and hand it over to Tolkien.

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I.

Nori stared at his target, following the poncy noble with a-size-too-large blue tunic and gaudy jewelry in his beard with his eyes as he roamed around the market, absently patting the bundle he carried on his back. Said bundle wriggled around slightly, cooed, and drooled on the redhead.

(Why, in Mahal's sake, did he even agree in taking care of his tiny brother? Sure, Dori actually had a job now and no one was available to watch over the babe (not that they could afford it anyway) but surely the weaver knew of his little hobby? What was he thinking?!)

"Shh, little Ori. Big brother is going to snatched us some money, eh?" the thief whispered when green eyes slowly opened. "Jus' go back ta sleep."

The baby dwarfling did just that, content with letting the redhead carry around, feeling very safe and warm.

II.

"Is this really OK, Nori?" Ori looked up at his older brother, green eyes wide with disbelief and, somehow, trust. "I don't feel like we should."

(It pulled at Nori's heartstrings to use the smart lad's innocence but what could he do? He was just doing his job in order to feed the family.)

"Tsk, tsk," the thief chided, shaking his head, emphasizing his fabulous hairstyle (it was far more grand and dignified than that gruff guard dog's mohawk, if he says so himself). "Those dwarrows dun' need tha' money, Ori, they can afford to... misplace a few coins. Or money bags. Tha' works too."

"But –" Ori started protesting, looking very uncomfortable with the fact he was letting Nori steal something.

"Just stay here, OK, lad?" Nori cut the dwarfling off before he can change the thief's mind more. "Ah'll be back soon. Jus' stay put. Call meh if yeh need help."

The dwarfling nodded shyly, mumbling so softly that Nori almost didn't catch his reply, "Okay..."

"Good lad."

(Dori was going to kill him for leaving their brother alone, even for a few minutes, if he ever catch that small info. He'll have to treat Ori to some sweets later.)

III.

Nori quietly snatched the purse from his target when he brushed past him in order to get to his crying brother, the target none the wiser. Said target just continued on, not wanting to deal with the lower class.

(Damn these rich bastards who think they're so better than everyone else!)

The crowd quickly dispersed when they saw that the commotion was solved, some dams giving his twenty-one year-old brother a small smile as they left.

(He better watch out for them. They tended to steal the dwarf's time and attention, and he rather not want to rescue his brother from some well-meaning dwarrowdams when he was supposed to watch him in the first place – despite the sweets Ori usually got for being so cute.)

"Nadad! There you are! I was looking everywhere for you!" Ori wailed, looking very much like he was really lost and relieved to see his brother. How did it go?

The thief hugged his brown-red-haired brother, simultaneously slipping the money bag into Ori's satchel. "Ah'm here, little one. Dun' run off 'gain, OK?" It went well spectacularly. Nice acting.

"OK, nadad," Nori wiped Ori's fake tears away. Thanks.

(Nori was glad that he taught the smart kid the temporary code phrases. Otherwise this coup wouldn't work as well as it had. Plus, it gave the thief some new info about his brother. He hadn't known Ori could act like that!)

The two quickly left the busy market as there was a sudden undignified squawk from behind them.

(They didn't need to look to know it was from their unlucky target. Anyone could recognize the voice of Master Bhadrin, one of the sleaziest dwarf in Ered Luin. No one liked him much, so Nori doubted anyone would really help him.)

IV.

Ori waited patiently at the park, reading the books assigned to him and the other dwarrows aiming to become a scribe. He was being watched by Nori again, as Dori was going to be at work all day and he had no classes and why won't Nori and he have some little bonding time together? It was the perfect plan! If it wasn't Ori watching over Nori, as said thief scuttled around, stealing jewelry and money bags off people.

A slap resounded in the small park followed by hurt hissing he recognized from his brother. Sure enough, when the scribe-in-training looked up from his work, Nori was rubbing his very red face (with an interesting hand-mark), looking at the human girl that was stomping away.

(The scribe wondered what the female of the race of Man was doing in a village of dwarrows. Perhaps the girl was with family, trading? It seemed likely; he hardly seen Women and their families, much less Women alone in an unknown area.)

The thirty-six-year-old rolled his eyes, and returned to his book. Nori deserved that slap for touching that dam's bum. Especially during his job.

(Ori just hoped he wouldn't get into trouble again. He rather not want to bail the thief out again, and Dori would be so displeased with the both of them.)

V.

The russet-haired dwarf watched his baby brother follow in his footsteps. Not that Ori stole money; no, the lad b still had his morals. Nori made sure of that (Dori would kill him otherwise while lecturing the scribe). Ori just swiped a couple of apples and chips in the market once in a while, enough that the vendors won't notice.

(It made him proud – sort of – that Ori could steal and lie in a pinch. It would be a great fallback if the lad couldn't find a job, but Nori hoped it didn't go that far, Mahal forbid it.)

Nori grinned, bittersweet. If Ori did follow hin to the end, Dori wouldn't be happy with either of them and it would place the smart dwarf against the law. Thieving wasn't the life for smart, sweet Ori.

(The lad had too much to offer and thieving wouldn't bring his gifts out. Plus he had seen how his nadad looked at the guard dog. As much as he hate to admit it, if he wanted to pursue the dog, then he should, but stealing wouldn't catch his attention. Not positively, anyway.)

Nori decided then and there, as the younger brother swiped some more chips, he wouldn't bring the lad to any more outings.

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Nori: Why meh again?

Shadow: Cause I promised and I already wrote this down. Why? You don't like being in the spotlight? How about you, Ori?

Nori: Tha' defeats tha purpose o' bein' a spy, yeh know.

Ori: I d-don't mind, really. It was nice, s-sort of.

Shadow: Thanks, Ori. I knew I could coubt on you. Speaking of... Nori!

Nori: What?

Shadow: You left Ori around when he was a kid! That was really irresponsible of you! Don't you know how to take care of a child?

Nori: Yer tha one who wrote this! Why are yeh blamin' meh?

Shadow: I can totally see you do this. You'll probably say, 'But there were other dwarrows around; who'd kidnap someone in daylight?'

Ori: I agree, actually.

Nori: One, Ah'll never say tha'. Two, yer accent is horrible.

Shadow: I know.

Nori: Why are yeh pickin' on meh anyway?

Shadow: Cause its fun!