An Unexpected Dwarf Journey Chapter 4
A quick update tonight. Kili finally meets his hosts and discovers that wizards, burglar hobbits and talking spiders maybe the least strange beings he's ever met. Hopefully you find this chapter a little lighter. In many ways I am poorly imitating Tolkien, trying to introduce moments of whimsy in between those of horror and adventure.
When Kili finally came to consciousness, he thought at first he must be dreaming. His surroundings seemed so, well, odd. After the subdued colors of Riverdale and the dark, horrible dungeons of Mirkwood, this was bright. The ceiling was a royal blue with bright stars painted in yellows, golds, pinks, and greens. Comets whizzed by on swirls of white, while the moon was painted with a great deal of accuracy. Before he could assess the rest of the room, the worn and weary dwarf soon stopped taking in his surroundings and yelled instead.
"Ow! What in Mannos name, Owww!" Normally Kili was not this fussy, but nothing was normal on this day. He drew is wounded leg away from the ones causing him pain.
Ade's eyes grew huge at the sound of her patient's voice. A few layers of clothing had been replaced with what looked to be a white chef's apron. Her long, unruly golden curls were held back by a red strip of cloth. Standing next to the female stood Tomtom. He had on his own white apron, but it hung from his neck like a napkin. He was wearing large cooking mitts on both hands as well. And in his hands was a tray containing various tools, such as small knives, scissors, tweezers and several small bottle of liquids.
"Oh my stars. We didn't nestize the wound right. He's awake." Ade looked shocked and sunk from Kili's view. He could not get a good look at the strange woman. Tomtom just leaned forward to stare at their guest, trying to determine if the now conscious dwarf was a threat. Ade had somehow determined he was not, but sometimes Tomtom liked to double check Ade's guesses.
All of this had Kili alarmed. He was in a strange room, with a human giant glaring at him. He scrambled up against the headboard of the bed, eyes wild and scanning for anything that could be used as a weapon. Nothing much other than a ceramic mug was within reach.
The whole room was a riot of color. Furniture and objects contained within had been decorated with bright colors of paint, river stones and seeds. It was all very chaotic, wild and somehow organic at the same time. It was the outdoors in, but not in the highly ritualized and stylized way of the elves. This was how an artist or crafter might see the world and reflect it back.
Tomtom shrugged. This person was scared but he looked too wibbly woobly to be of any danger to himself or Ade. So he just stared and made no more movement toward their guest. Ade would tell him what to do.
Ade popped up immediately to Kili's right. "It's okay. We're Friendly." She whispered into his ear. "Honest."
Kili startled. The weird woman had moved quickly and unnoticed. "What?" Was about all he managed to get out before Ade started to speak. She was now wearing the strangest hat. It reminded him of a beekeeper's hat he had once seen in the markets. Only the one Ade was wearing was slightly smaller. He could not make out her face.
"He can talk! How wonderful!. Oh my. We can have, what is it? A conversation!" She said gleefully and clapped her hands together. "But first, we have to fix its leg. That will take stitches, the red book said so. Clean the wound, be sepsis, then stitch. Steps 3 through 9." She said to Tomtom because she honestly could not remember when she spoke to anyone else.
"What?" Kili repeated because with the bump on his head, nothing made sense to the young dwarf. This was weirder than the hobbit's home.
"Uh, oh. Maybe he can only say 'What'. Like you Tomtom, you can only say Tomtom. Or is that your name? Do we say names first? I don't remember how to greet anyone. Do you Tomtom?"
Tomtom shook his head and made no reply.
"Me neither. Hello What." Her head tilted and she thrust out her palm.
Kili's brain was in overload. Nothing in all his wild travels with the company had prepared him for this. "My name is Kili not what." He managed to say. His brain decided that the two before him posed no danger to him, at least not physically.
Ade smiled and took back her palm. She shrugged, deciding she had not remembered that part of the introductions correctly.
"Hello Kili Notwhat. I'm Ade and that's Tomtom. We are your hosts and rescuers." She explained with energy. She pointed to Tomtom who then grunted. "We will be continuing the surgery then we can exchange, oh what's the word..pleasantries."
She reached out and threw back the sheets Kili had moved his injured leg under.
Kili was appalled at the lack of proper greetings, personal space and just normalcy.
He was about to explain his name was just Kili not Kili Whatnot, when the cold air rushed over his nude dwarf body.
He managed a strangled cry and grabbed the sheets back down. "What? Where?"
Ade shushed him quickly. "Whatnot, don't worry, I've practiced lots on Tomtom, myself and various goats, a cow, two rabbits and a cat. I am so glad you are not a dangerous sort. I'd hate to be doing this in the barn, with you all tied up and everything."
Kili's brain rushed to catch up with what was happening. These two acted as if they had never seen another person before in their lives. They had no idea what was "normal" around others. Including not speaking everything you are thinking. His head stopped on the 'not a dangerous sort' and Kili tried to decide if he should be insulted.
Ade had barreled onto another part of the conversation, steps of the surgery he supposed. Kili realized Ade had no real clue when to stop talking and let another speak. So he drew a deep breath and waded in.
"My name is Kili, not Kili Whatnot. Where are my clothes? Where am I? Where is my brother?" He shrugged the sheets back in place as Ade had thrown them back again.
"Questions. SO many at once. Which do I answer first?" Ade asked Tomtom.
Kili wanted to scream. His head was pounding, his leg hurt and frankly his chest felt like Tomtom had sat on it. His patience was worn thin. Suddenly the young dwarf had images of him doing similar things to adults as a young dwarf. This was his past coming back to haunt him. But he had been a young child, not a . Wait what was Ade to begin with? He couldn't make out much in that ridiculous get up of hat, apron, large clothes and white gloves.
He drew a deep breath to steady his nerves. Think the situation through, don't jump to conclusions and make it worse. That's what Balin and Thorin had tried to pound into his thick dwarf skull. This was the first time he found that advice particularly useful. Especially since no sign of Fili was to be found anywhere.
"Answer this one first, then pause a moment and allow me to respond." He stated simply. "Where is my brother, Fili?"
Ade shrugged her shoulders. Tomtom grunted. "Good guess Tomtom. Where you last left him?"
Kili slammed his palm against his head. That hurt. Obviously, Tomtom did not speak. He rephrased the question. "Have you seen anyone else other than me?"
Now Ade had his full attention and not Tomtom. "Noo. Not in." She wiggled her fingers as if counting. "Oh forty years or more. You're the first. Probably the last too. Don't think anymore will be popping in the way you did. Do I pause now? Because I really want to operate. Then talk. Infection, it can be very nasty. Once Wilbur got a nasty one on her right foreleg. Took months for it too properly heal, it did."
Tomtom nodded in agreement. "Tom." He mumbled.
"Wilbur didn't give any milk the entire time. Horrible it was for her and us too. I think I should pause now judging by the look on your face."
Kili rubbed his eyes and let out a breath. Fili and the others were not here, which meant they were looking for him. Unless.."Another question, how long have I been here?"
Ade furrowed her brow although Kili could not see it. "Approximately 18 hours. I have a clock and it works magnificently. It's amazing the craftsmanship of it. I will show it to you if you like, but really, we need to get that wood out of your leg. Why don't you want me to take the wood out? Do you like it there?"
Kili preemptively held down the white sheets as Ade's hands reached out. "No. I don't like it there. Next question," he rushed, "where are my clothes?"
"On the river bank. They were wet and nasty. Covered in blood and muck, Awful. Can't let you have that kind of stuff in the house if the others can't. I mean Blasé, Woody and Chester have been shooed out the doors in that state, it wouldn't be fair to let you. They're animals, but they have feelings too." Ade explained as if this would clear up Kili's confusion.
"You don't just undress a person! It's just not proper!" Kili complained.
"Why? Are you embarrassed? Is that it? I also had to examine you for wounds. Everything looked to be functioning properly. Proportions were a little large especially when your nethers warmed up. But you looked quite fine to me. Of course, I may not be the best judge. Is that normal for a male dwarf?"
Kili shrieked. This had to be a nightmare.