My dreams have been dark indeed, full of pain and distress, of anxious voices and hurried conversations. Yet when I wake all is calm and I find that Gimli is lying beside me. What is more rather than being angry when I admit to thinking I might need the services of a healer, he is almost amused and assures me that all will soon be well.

Then he abjures me to sleep again and I find myself so relieved that whatever is amiss with my arm will now be addressed that I do slip back into sleep and this time there are no night terrors. I seem to sleep deeply and long, for although we are some way underground here in the caves my sense tell me the day is drawing to a close. I cannot understand how I can have slept so long but obviously I must have needed the rest for I feel much refreshed, and the pain in my arm is so much diminished that I can move it without too much discomfort. At least not in my arm but my bladder is signaling that it is in need of being emptied.

There is the soft repetitive sound of bone needles clicking together and I frown trying to place the noise then it comes back in a rush. Someone is knitting, I turn my head and see Mam seated beside my bed.

"Ye are awake, bless ye, here" Mam offers me a drink of cool water lifting my head so that I may swallow more easily "are ye feeling any better now Lambkin?"
"Much" I croak, "I must have slept the whole day away"

Mam laughs at that "Aye that ye could say that ye have. Now keep ye still. I told Gimli I would wake him when ye stirred."

I frown at that. Why would Gimli be asleep at this time? Is he unwell? But before I can frame a suitable question Mam has reached the door and is calling to someone beyond it to wake her son. She looks back at me and sees something apparently in my face for she steps away and lets Greirr enter having spoken softly to him before she does so.

Greirr, comes in giving me a smile.

"Amma said ye may need my help."

He tips his head towards the bathing chamber door and I am grateful for Mam's thoughtfulness. I would sooner have the help of Greirr or Gimli than Lady Vonild even though I am sure that she has done just as intimate services for me while I have been sleeping. Perhaps it is better not to think of that. I allow Greirr to help me to stand and to give me the strength of his arm as he steers me across the room. Having seen me into the bathing chamber, Greirr steps outside to give me a modicum of privacy. When I finish attending to my needs I take a moment or two to look at my infected arm. I am happy to see that the inflammation is much reduced although there are three clear areas that have more redness than the others. I inspect them more closely for I have seen this sort of injury before, indeed I have suffered from something similar when poison has had to be drained.

I have been far more ill than I realized. Perhaps my dreams were closer to reality than I first thought. I am glad of Greirr's arm and grateful to sink back down onto my bed, for I am very tired and weak.

"I cannot believe that after a day of rest I am so soon exhausted," I tell Greirr.

"Make that almost three days," he chuckles. "It is not surprising that ye are as weak as a kitten. Here let me lift your legs into the bed. Uncle Gimli will not be happy to think ye are already trying to escape."

"That he will not be!" a welcome growl comes from the main room, "what are ye thinking getting up so soon?"

I give him a look and he laughs, "Aye very well, I will let ye off this time but ye are not to be thinking ye will be leaving that bed any time soon." Then he claps his hands together and adds, "eh, but it is good to see ye awake and looking more like yourself. Mistress Lilja will be happy to see how well ye are recovering."

My nose wrinkles automatically, for Mistress Lilja and I do not get on. She may be an excellent healer but she is far too bossy and wants to know far too much about elven physiognomy for my comfort.

"It was Lilja who ensured that ye kept your arm Lamb for I will not hide it from ye that it was touch and go for a while. The poison had spread so swiftly."

I feel the blood rush from my head, leaving me dizzy. I may have feared it but to hear it spoken out loud makes me shiver.

"It was so bad?"

"Aye, I am afraid it was Lamb," Gimli pats my hand. "But by Lilja's skill and your own healing abilities all is well."

"And I do not doubt your own care," I tell him, turning my hand under his and squeezing it.

"We all played our part" he acknowledges my answer with another pat on the hand, "even Magen sat with ye through one of the nights."

My mouth drops open, "Master Magen came here"

"He was worried for ye lad, and angry that something that he takes pride in might be the cause of you losing your arm or worse. For all he is a stubborn old cuss and doesn'a like change he has come to recognize ye as a member of my kin and he will always do what he can for family. I will tell ye as well that in the morning after he had sat with ye when ye were at your worst, he went to pay a call on Floin and Dorin"

Greirr grins at me, "You could hear the cursing from the other end of the cave system."

"Aye well enough of that nephew, " Gimli silences Greirr with a frown. "Whatever was said on that occasion I do not know. I will only add that the pair of them have handed over all of their tattooing equipment to be destroyed and made a promise that they will not carry out any inking without first speaking to either Magen or Thorûr and getting their approval, so maybe some good has come from this."

"I am sorry to have caused so much trouble for so many folk."

Gimli gives me a warm but sympathetic smile, "Ye did not mean it to do so Lamb. In fact the exact opposite. All ye wanted to do was honor me, and how can I be angry when ye meant so well? I am just grateful ye are on the road to recovery."

"As am I," I whisper tears very close to falling as I come to understand how close to disaster I have come. Greirr excuses himself for which I am grateful and with his departure I hold out my hand to my beloved dwarf. He comes to embrace me and to kiss my brow and all is well with my world once more.

For two further frustrating days I am kept in bed, and no amount of pleading or explaining makes any difference to my anxious dwarven kin who are determined to see me fully recovered before I step beyond the door of my bed chamber. I find it wearisome but understandable and to be fair I am so much in their debt that to argue or complain seems very wrong even to me and everyone does their best to keep me occupied and contented during my convalescence. Greirr plays endless games of Battle, Master Magen comes to spend time with me as well and tells me much to my surprise that he has asked Dorin to show him some of his less traditional ink designs which he is thinking of adding to his repertoire. Mam and Dorbryn bring their knitting and sewing and we work together on designing the eternity knot that I am trying to create for mine and Gimli's braids, while Thorûr makes some silver braid ends to finish off the whole thing. I am looking forward to being able to present the idea to Gimli for I have been promised that I will be allowed to eat with the family for the first time tonight for many, many days.

Before then I have to rest and allow Mistress Lilja to give me one last examination. When she gives me permission to end my confinement I hurry to bathe and dress, happy that only the faintest of shades of pink on my arm show where the infection has been.

There is quite a festive atmosphere in the main room. The table is groaning under the weight of a dinner which Mam and Dorbryn have worked on all day and there is wine and black beer all set out to toast for my return to good health. Thorûr, Greirr and Magen are helping carry food and laughing at something Mam has just said to them so do not see me slip by them and knock on Gimli's door.

"Come in Lamb."

How Gimli knows it is me I do not know, but I go in to see Gimli is still brushing out his hair and beard, as I hoped would be the case. I ask to be given the honor of doing it for him, and he agrees smiling at me through the burnished copper mirror.

"Ye are looking well."

"I am all but fully recovered thanks to all the care I have received" I answer, taking a piece of Gimli's hair and beginning to plait it. Gimli watches me

"Here now is this different," he eventually says noticing the knots I am adding.

"It is," I answer feeling suddenly shy. "Since my foray into tattooing ended so disastrously I have come up with something that might in some small measure allow me to show my respect and love for you. It is a copy of your eternity knot and I thought perhaps, if you did not object we could wear to mark our special relationship. You do not mind?" I falter as Gimli examines the knot I have added to his beard braids.

"Mind" he embraces me heartily, "why is a perfect compromise Lamb, and very clever too. I wondered what all those abandoned bits of wool were for and now I know. Ye will have to teach me how they are tied."

He admires the effect in the mirror.

"Why I think it may well start a new custom for families to mark their relationships from now on, for it is something that both males and females can do. Come let us go and show Mam and the others what ye have achieved, aye and more importantly" he adds, smiling mistily, "how well ye have recovered."
Together we go to where the rest of my dwarven family are assembled and our new braid knots are duly admired then we gather together with tankards of ale for Mam to thank Mahal for my recovery. Listening to her sing the traditional song of thanksgiving gives me a full understanding of how much a part of their family I have become over the years. It is a comforting thought but also makes me sad that I have no way of honoring Gimli as a son of Aulë would by wearing a family emblem next to my heart.

Almost as if he can read my thoughts Gimli calls for silence and then takes a small but exquisitely carved box from his pocket, he slides it across the table.

"For ye Lamb."

I open it and gasp in amazement. There nestling in the velvet lining is a pendant, made of filigreed green and yellow gold and vitreous enamel inlaid with gemstones. It is an exquisite piece of jewelry and more importantly it is a perfect replica of the tattoo Gimli wears.

With shaking fingers I put the leather thong over my head and find that it hangs just above my heart. I do not know what to say but Gimli does not seem to think any words of mine are necessary for he pulls down my head and kisses my brow and as I grasp the pendant and blink away my tears a great feeling of contentment and love steels over me for I now carry the proof that I am indeed Gimli's heart son and even when I am far away from him I will always know that his love is close and will never die.