MASQUERADE

Chapter 4

Bilbo was standing over the food table, mulling over which delicacy he should try next when he caught sight of two dwarves down the end of the long table that were muttering quietly together. He cocked his head at the pair and smiled. Ori and Nori.

The sticky fingered, tri-lobbed ginger haired dwarf was staring into a pot of steaming stew and appeared to be only half listening to whatever his younger brother was saying. Bilbo was quite impressed with his mask though. A delicate rounded nose and puffy cheeks. At first he thought it was a chipmunk but then he realised once he took in the rounded ears. A monkey. He stifled a chuckle with his hand. Nori was sly, sneaky and sticky fingered at the best of times. So very like a monkey was he indeed.

Bilbo found himself thoroughly confused as to what Ori's mask was meant to be. It was feathery, much like Balin's, but it was decorated with sleek white feathers and a pointed yellowy beak. Like Balin's it was cut off around his mouth but it had larger eye holes. He would not have known the dwarf to be Ori if it were not for that tell-tale cut of his beard and the nervous twisting of his fingers, Bilbo reflected.

He ambled over the two and laid an apple upon Ori's plate. "A little healthy food little dwarf, or you won't grow big and strong like your fellows" he said kindly. When Ori jumped and whirled to face him Bilbo chuckled. "At least you won't have to throw dishes around my kitchen to clean up this time" he mused.

"Bilbo!" Ori cried, hugging him and smiling widely. "We heard you might have been coming but we did not know for certain!"

Bilbo hugged Ori back and relaxed slightly when he realised that the younger dwarf was much more relaxed now. "It is good to see you Ori" he said, nodding genuinely at the feathery masked dwarf. "Ah Nori!" he greeted, glancing over at the monkey mask.

"Bilbo, our supposed burglar!" Nori greeted genially, clasping forearms with the hobbit. The ladle he had been holding slipped back into the soup and the pickpocket of the Company moved forward, ushering Bilbo and Ori away from the dining table. "It is good to see you, friend"

"Likewise old friend" Bilbo replied, turning a stern gaze on Ori. "Now Ori eat that apple up, it's good for you"

The young dwarf only pouted for a moment before biting into the sweet red fruit. Bilbo shook his head and turned back to the tri-haired dwarf. "Your mask is shockingly accurate Nori" he said, chuckling when Nori nodded vigorously.

"I thought it would be deviously sneaky of me to dress as exactly what my dear old mother used to call me" Nori chortled, adjusting the furry mask.

"A rude little bast –"

"Now Ori" Nori said forcefully, clapping a hand over his brother's mouth. "We must not teach Bilbo such profanities. In fact Dori would be most displeased if he caught you saying such words"

"Get off me Nori" Ori snapped, having managed to shake his brother off and was now fixing said brother with a very dark glare.

Best to smooth things over quickly, Bilbo realised. He placed a hand on Ori's shoulder. "I say Ori, for the life of me I can't quite figure out what your mask is meant to be!" he said, shooting Nori a pointed look over the younger dwarf's head. Tonight was not the night to be having brotherly quarrels.

Ori perked up instantly. "Oh my mask is that of an egret of the east, Mister Bilbo" he said cheerfully, tossing the apple core into a nearby waste-bag.

"Again for those of us who aren't versed in a Hundred Animals of Middle Earth?" Nori mumbled under his breath as Bilbo let out a 'oh' of realisation.

"Very clever Ori!" Bilbo said delightedly. Ori beamed at him and he went on, ignoring Nori's confused mumblings. "I say it is a very fine mask indeed did you make it yourself?"

"Oh yes" the scribe said enthusiastically. "I went feather hunting with Balin especially"

Someone called Ori's name from across the room and they looked up to see Dori beckoning the young one over with a hand. Ori bowed and scuttled away, Nori and Bilbo watching him as he flitted through the crowd. The little dwarf was still not entirely comfortable with large crowds it would seem. Nori sighed.

"I apologise Master Baggins" Nori said. "Little Ori's been spending rather a lot of time around the throne room, he is royal scribe after all. Dwalin and the other guards often give their reports their and it appears Ori has picked up some of their language"

"I actually think it's quite nice that he's learning to stand on his own two feet" Bilbo mused, grabbing an apple for himself. Nori shifted uncomfortably at that and Bilbo softened his gaze. "Say Nori, was it you who suggested Dori's frog mask?"

"Oh no that was Ori" Nori admitted, grabbing a tankard of ale from the nearby table.

"It's a very good match I must admit, he does sound like he's croaking at same points" Bilbo said genially.

"You should have heard what dear old mother used to call him!"

-x-

Bilbo had snuck out for some fresh air when he nearly ran head first into a dwarf wearing a furry mask that had thin, wiry whiskers. He stumbled and would have fallen flat on his backside had the dwarf not reached out an arm and caught him just before he hit the stone floor. Bilbo allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and began stammering out apologies, dusting himself off all the while not looking at the dwarf he had ran into. The dwarf chuckled loudly and Bilbo froze, he knew that laugh.

"Bofur?!" he asked, lifting his head to stare incredulously at the cheerful dwarf.

Bofur was without his customary hat tonight and his dark hair was neatly pulled back into intricate braids that Bilbo quickly dismissed in favour of assessing his mask. Bofur's mask was also furry, like both his cousin's, but it was of a dull red colour and had a small nose with wiry whiskers. A white dot was resting atop the forehead. A squirrel mask?

"Bilbo Baggins, so Bifur did speak the truth! You really are here!" Bofur bellowed happily, clapping him on the back.

"It has been too long" Bilbo said, smiling as best he could from behind his mask at Bofur.

"Aye, last time I saw you was when you were covered in orc guts and fleeing from the battlefield for fear of Thorin waking up to find you there" Bofur mused, leading the way back towards the party. At Bilbo's scandalised squeak he laughed. "Such a shame what happened between you two lad, a right shame indeed"

"I don't follow"

"You were the only one brave enough to stand up and look Thorin in the eye when he was tainted by the sickness of gold!" Bofur explained, throwing his hands up. "And that my friend is something none of us, not even Balin and he's known Thorin for years, could have done"

"Someone had to" Bilbo mumbled.

"Yes but you cared enough that even after you did the right thing and he threatened to throw you to your demise that you returned and saved his life" Bofur said, grabbing Bilbo by the shoulders and forcing him to look him in the eye. "We all knew what you felt for Thorin"

"What I feel for Thorin will have no bearing on what happens tonight" Bilbo said quietly. He looked away, scanning the room. He could see Bifur speaking to Nori, Bombur right beside them and chuckling merrily. He wondered what that was about. "In fact I rather think he will have me thrown from Erebor, as good as his word is"

Bofur sighed. "You may have been able to see his sickness but you could not see his health before that Master Bilbo" he said cryptically. "On to happier topics then!"

"I wonder what Bifur is talking to Nori about?" Bilbo asked, relieved for the change of subject offered.

Bofur turned in the direction of his cousin and a low noise that Bilbo didn't recognise passed between his lips. The merry dwarf stiffened his posture.

"Bofur did something happen that I should know about?" Bilbo asked cautiously. It was most unlike Bofur to act so out of sorts, so uncomfortable almost. "Did you and your cousin have an argument?"

"Oh Mahal no!" Bofur exclaimed. "It is almost impossible to be mad at my cousin, not when I have such respect for him as a dwarf of courage"

"Ah so Nori has set your anger ablaze then?"

Bofur mumbled something unintelligible and shoved his hands into the pockets of his large dinner coat. Bilbo frowned, he rather thought Nori and Bofur got along very well at the best of times. He had seen as much when the two often started the singing when they had camped for the night, all those weeks ago on the quest to save the halls in which they now stood. Stranger still, Nori had been staring at Bofur all night.

"It is nothing for you worry about Bilbo" Bofur said finally, a false lieu of happiness in his voice. "Nori and I had a difference of opinions, nothing more. It is best if we avoid each other, Nori has a frightful temper on him if the right fuse is lit"

With that said Bofur clapped him on the back once more and slipped off into the crowd, ignoring Bombur's call. Bilbo watched his friend go with that same frown upon his face. Well now, that was indeed a strange thing. He hadn't picked Bofur as one to lie.

-x-

Dwalin couldn't quite put his finger on what those two shady boys were up to. He was sitting at a table, one leg crossed wide over the other and a tankard beside him whilst he watched Fili and Kili mingle with others. Though they did their duty as princes he could not help but feel the two dwarflings were up to something. Dwalin smiled to himself, true though it was that they had not been classified as 'dwarflings' in a long while – hell even Ori had come of age three years prior. He had seen those mischievous grins before now, it never meant anything good.

Thorin hadn't gotten the stench of eggs out of his hair for weeks.

"Mister Dwalin?"

He looked up, he recognised that voice. He had to smile when he realised who it was. Ori looked – well he looked very good to say the least. "Ah Ori, your mask is very well done" he rumbled, leaning back in his chair. "What pray tell is it?"

Ori smiled shyly. "My mask is that of an egret of the east" he said slowly. "They are simple birds; they live near the wetlands and keep mostly to their own company"

"Very much like you" Dwalin finished with small chuckle.

"Are you . . . are you enjoying tonight Mister Dwalin?"

"Aye that I am, although I keep having to make sure that Thorin remembers to enjoy himself. Stubborn fool would go right back to work if Dis and I were not watching him" Dwalin said, casting a fierce gaze to where Thorin stood chatting with his sister and Balin. "What about you little scribe?"

Ori tilted his head. "Very much so" he gushed, wringing his hands. "My brothers and I have never been to such formal parties before you see; I am most honoured to be invited"

Dwalin fixed Ori with a stern look for a moment, causing the young dwarf to shift uncomfortably. "Ori, you were a member of the Company – you sacrificed nearly everything on that quest including your life" he said shortly. "That makes you every bit worthy to be here, it should not make you feel honoured but proud" he added, softening his gaze. "Besides, it is good for all of us to have a good time"

Ori laughed and the tattooed dwarf beside him relaxed, the little happy laugh lulling him into content. Ori had the ability to calm Dwalin without even realising it, this Dwalin had realised after too many occasions of stomping into the throne room in a foul mood that could only be compared to that of a goblin without blood. Ori would merely greet him with a happy smile and a polite greeting before turning back to his notes.

The spot of ink on his small ear was definitely not cute Dwalin maintained, even if he was adorable as he worked so hard.

"Mister Dwalin?"

"Why do you call me that?" Dwalin asked abruptly.

"Pardon?"

"You always address me as 'Mister', when you have no need to Ori" Dwalin said softly, leaning forward and laying a large hand across Ori's interlaced pair. "Just Dwalin will do lad"

Ori was blushing, as much as Dwalin could see anyway and the tattooed dwarf smirked. He was no fool and unlike some stubborn Kings who he wouldn't name he could see when someone was attracted to him. Rare was it though that Dwalin would find himself reciprocating said affections. Flirting with Ori was always enjoyable, he was very much attractive when he blushed deeply or simply smiled. Dwalin had no plans of letting Ori's affections go unrewarded, he knew what he wanted.

As they slipped into a deeper conversation Dwalin caught sight of the two dwarvish princes that had retreated to the corner and were whispering quietly together, dark haired Kili snickering every so often whilst Fili's form took on that smug stance Dwalin knew well. Those two were definitely up to something, he'd have to keep an eye on them.

Right after he was finished talking with his little scribe.