MASQUERADE
Chapter 5
Thorin could not shake the feeling that someone was watching him as he conversed with Balin, Dis and a few of the royal council. The hairs on the back of his neck were tingling and he rubbed at them irritably. He had been searching all night for a sign of Bilbo Baggins and as yet had found no trace of him. He had suspected his nephews had invited the hobbit. Thorin was disappointed, though not surprised, that Bilbo had not shown up. Frankly Thorin felt that he did not deserve to see Bilbo at all, his behaviour towards the burglar had been most unbefitting for a king.
But this feeling of someone watching from afar was starting to unnerve him; he knew not who watched him and he a bad feeling that this was not a friendly stare.
A sharp grip around his wrist brought him back to the present and Thorin looked up into Dis' eyes. He had barely registered her gaze before she was pulling him away to one side and he had little time to act before her hand connected behind his head in a short slap.
"What in Durin's name is the matter with you?" she hissed. "This is your party Thorin and yet you are staring off into space, not even remotely paying attention to your well-wishers"
"There is no need to berate me in front of them sister"
"That is beside the point brother" Dis said softly. "What is the matter with you?"
"It is nothing" he mumbled. "Please do not worry yourself" He paused and then something flashed past the corner of his eye and he turned his head so quickly he felt his neck crick. Yet there was still no one watching him, all guests were chattering amongst themselves or eating.
By Mahal I need to get a hold of myself, Thorin thought as he allowed his sister to drag him back towards the conversation they had left. And remove any and all thoughts pertaining to the hobbit.
-x-
Bilbo was currently following two dwarves through the crowd as they talked loudly at the top of their lungs. He had been trying to garner their attention for the last five minutes and as such, due to the lack of hearing in one case, they had not noticed him. The grey haired dwarf was holding an ear trumpet out towards a ginger haired dwarf. It wasn't until they had reached a small table, at which sat a broad dwarven woman wearing a cat mask and a young dwarf with red fuzzy hair and a lamb mask did Bilbo catch up with them.
"Gloin dear, that fellow behind you has been trying to get your attention. You should not be so rude" the woman said haughtily. She got to her feet and arranged her skirts before bowing low to Bilbo. "Gladril, daughter of Klio at your service"
"Bilbo Baggins at yours lady dwarf" he replied politely, bowing in return.
Gloin cheered up instantly, slapping his brother across the back and chortling. "As I live and breathe, Bilbo Baggins has returned to Erebor" he crowed. When Oin leant his head in closer Gloin rolled his eyes and raised his voice. "Brother, Bilbo is back!"
Oin's face broke into a cheerful grin and he leaned across Gloin to grasp Bilbo's hand. "Good to see you laddie" he said simply. He always had been a dwarf of a few words.
"Likewise" Bilbo replied. He examined Oin's mask for a moment and allowed himself an inner chuckle of laughter when he realised what the mask was meant to represent.
Sleek and shiny black with fur and a curved snout, Oin's mask had tiny black ears affixed to its top and to small fangs around the mouth hole. If Bilbo didn't know better he'd hazard a guess that Oin was wearing a bat mask. Ironic indeed, bats had fantastic senses whereas Oin's hearing left little to help anyone.
Gloin was a different matter. His was sleek with fur but was white and a pink tipped, elongated nose area. There were two short horns at the top of his mask alongside two small ears. It took Bilbo a moment to think until he realised that the mask was that of a goat. He smiled.
"Your masks are rather well done" he complimented.
"Oh thank you!" Gloin replied heartily. He seemed to fairly bouncing with joy at this point and Bilbo had a strong idea as to why. He turned and knelt down to child level, coming face to face with the lamb masked little one.
"Well hello young master dwarf" Bilbo said kindly. "By your handsome head of hair I'd say you are Gloin's son, am I right?"
"Aye!" the child replied. He had quite a deep voice for his age. "Gimli, son of Gloin at your service Mister Bilbo Baggins!"
"Pleasure to meet you young master Gimli"
The young dwarf rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet for a moment, his eyes darting between his parents and Bilbo and then; "Is it true that you took on three trolls on your own?" Gimli burst out.
Gladril leaned over and brusquely flicked her son's ear, earning a yelp from the unsuspecting dwarf. "That is not very polite, I'm sure Mister Baggins does not want to be pestered by your questions Gimli!"
The red haired dwarrow seemed to sink into himself but Bilbo held up a hand, offering a conspiratorial nudge to Gloin's side. "Well I wouldn't say that I took them on" he mused, sinking down into a nearby chair. "But I did outsmart them"
"Really? How?!"
"Come sit with me lad and I'll tell you all about it" Bilbo said, smiling. He waved away Gladril's half formed protests. "You and Gloin should go have a dance together; I'll keep an eye on Gimli for the time being"
"It has been awhile since we danced my sweet" Gloin said, drawing his wife into his side.
"Gloin . . ." she warned.
"I will be fine; I used to babysit my young nephew Frodo and his friend Sam all the time" Bilbo said.
"Well I suppose so . . ."
"Ha-hah!" Gloin cheered. "Come along my dear, let us enjoy the dance"
And with that said he was gone, dragging Gladril behind him. Gimli paused only to giggle at his parent's antics before settling in on Bilbo's lap for the story. Oin seated himself beside them and leaned back, eyes closed. He may be half deaf but he liked a good story as much as the next dwarf. As Bilbo launched into the tale of trolls Oin found himself wondering whether Thorin was aware that Bilbo had arrived. He resolved to seek out the King later on and inform him.
-x-
"Is everything ready?" the otter masked dwarf asked, plucking disdainfully at the curly whiskers on said mask.
"Of course" the man hissed in reply, lifting a hand and pulling up a piece of black cloth to cover his mouth and nose. "You forget that I have taken care of many kings in my time"
"None as protected as this one!" the dwarf snarled. "Thorin Oakenshield is no ordinary king you fool! He is a king that has just reclaimed his home and is followed everywhere by the members of his Company – including Nori the Sneaky!"
"I thought you were supposed to be taking care of him" the man said.
"I'm working on it – I've laid the foundations now all that's left is to spring the trap"
"You better not let me down"
The dwarf let out a feral growl, grabbing the man by the front of his loin cloth and slamming him against the nearby stone wall. "I don't threaten but I feel I must remind you that I am the one paying for your services and I could reveal you at any moment" the dwarf snarled. "You work for me, understand?"
The man shook him off and straightened his all-black attire. "It shall be done oh dwarf, you shall have your vengeance and I? I shall have my reward"
-x-
Gloin had just returned to pick Gimli up, depositing the half asleep child into his mother's arms before she swept away to put him down for the night when it happened. Bilbo had gotten up and stretched, realising that Oin had gone to sleep when a familiar tattoo caught his eye from across the room. He turned his head ever so slightly and realised it was not just one tattoo but many, stretching out over this dwarf's arms and his shaved head. Bilbo smiled thankfully, he had found Dwalin.
Said dwarf was sitting at a small table and was deep in conversation with Ori. Bilbo squinted, trying to discern what mask Dwalin was wearing and when he realised he almost fell over with laughter. As it was a small snort of this laughter did escape him and Gloin gave him a strange look before returning to shaking his brother awake. Dwalin's mask was a grey-black colour with sleek fur and a square-rounded nose, painted to look somewhat moist. On either side of this mask were two impressive horns, intricately carved and jutting out to the sides with impressive sharpness. Bilbo had to hand it to Ori, intentional or not this was classic. Dwalin was wearing an ox mask.
He excused himself to Gloin and his half-awake brother and scooted over the room, bringing a hand down on Ori's shoulder. "This is where you've been hiding Ori" he said cheerfully. "I – hello! Dwalin!"
The large dwarf, who had looked thunderous at the interruption, did a double take and cocked his head to one side. "Might I be asking you who you are?" he asked gruffly. "This is a private function you understand"
"Oh Dwalin . . ." Ori started, trailing off when he caught sight of Bilbo's little knowing smile beneath the juncture of his mask and neck line.
"I have an invite master dwarf" Bilbo informed him and then chuckled. "Do you really not know who I am?"
"I have no clear idea laddie this is what I told those two louts!" he growled, turning to Ori. "People in masks, it's downright stupid. You can't define who someone is or whether they are to be trusted and – why are you laughing at me?"
"You have not changed at all Dwalin"
"I beg your pardon?!"
Bilbo laughed heartily and tilted his mask slightly to reveal his face for a moment. "It's me!" he said. "Bilbo Baggins at your service"
Moments trickled by and Bilbo could almost see Dwalin blinking behind his mask, a dumbfounded expression on his face. Then the big dwarf moved, getting to his feet and peering at Bilbo, putting his face right up close to the hobbits. The next thing Bilbo knew a large, muscled forearm came around his shoulders and Dwalin was chortling with laughter.
"By Aulë little one!" he sniggered. "You had me fooled for a moment there!"
"I always had trouble getting one past you" Bilbo said, leaning into the embrace and sweeping his eyes up and down the dwarf. When Dwalin released him he smiled. "It's nice to be one up on you"
"Aye but as sure as I'm standing here it will not be happening again so quickly oh hobbit" Dwalin said, offering Bilbo a seat and the two sank down.
"I must say Dwalin your mask is quite befitting, a strange coincidence almost" Bilbo mused, shooting a sly smirk in Ori's direction.
The little scribe flushed red to the roots of his beard. Dwalin, always oblivious, seemed not to realise and launched into a rant about his dislike for the whole mask wearing business. Bilbo could tell, despite Dwalin's complaining, that he was actually quite enjoying himself and was merely disgruntled at the idea of a celebration that was clearly not in dwarvish traditions. Bilbo smiled, he had so missed these dwarves very much.
-x-
Nori was at a total loss as to what he was going to do about a certain happy go-lucky, furry hat wearing miner. Throughout the course of the journey they had taken, by Mahal had it really been so long since they set out, Nori and Bofur had become quite close. They often shared watch and Nori was quite content to listen to Bofur's songs, ones that he had often written himself and on the fly, or his tales about living in Erebor. Nori and his brothers had lived with their grandfather down in the city of Dale; they were not quite well off enough to have lived in Erebor.
Dori and their grandfather had taken care of running the family business, a small pottery house in the centre of Dale whilst Nori had enlisted in as many odd jobs as he could such as farm chores or escorting humans to the gates of Erebor for trade purposes. The money he earned, when he did earn some, went towards Ori's education. Their grandfather had insisted that at least one of them should be able to read and write and since Dori and Nori were too old to learn it was quiet, gentle Ori who had been sent off to school.
Nori actually found Bofur's company to be very comfortable and he often sought out the miner for a good laugh or, if they were particularly quiet, just a comfortable silence that neither could break for fear of upsetting the other. Up until that point Nori thought he could read Bofur rather well and very much appreciated his friendship. But there was something more, something he couldn't quite put a name to. During the Battle of the Five Armies, Nori shuddered; Bofur had saved his life with nary a thought.
Arrows were flying everywhere and there was the foul tang of blood in the dry air. Sweat was plastering Nori's tunic to his back and his hair had long since lost its tri-lobbed do. He swung his sword around as yet another goblin fell upon him, cleaving off its head with one blow. He didn't hear the orc coming up behind him until he registered a screech of pain and a soft curse.
He turned and gasped. "Bofur!"
Said dwarf was standing behind him, battle hammer in hand and hat askew. There was blood trickling down his chin and a fresh arrow in his side. He turned and faced Nori, offering his trademark smile. "I got your back my friend" he said.
"You should not injure yourself on my account!" Nori insisted, moving to help Bofur remove the arrow. When the miner shook his head Nori clicked his tongue in exasperation. "Bofur we have to get you to a healer, these arrows may be poison tipped!"
This only brought a hard steel into Bofur's large brown eyes. "I am fine Nori" he said, turning back to the skirmish that lay ahead. "Let's watch each other's backs until the end, yes?"
Since then a strange feeling had taken up residence in Nori's heart. Warmth of affection, something he had not felt towards anyone. Then of course this whole masquerade business had come about and somehow, Nori wasn't quite sure how, he'd managed to anger Bofur when he was only trying to get to know him better. Although, though he would never admit it aloud, Nori rather thought that Bofur looked quite attractive when he was all fired up like that.
He wasn't pleased when one of Bofur's band mates, a dwarf called Huran had taken up the task of cheering Bofur up. He had even intervened when Nori had tried to talk to Bofur, the cheek! He was about two steps away from socking Huran when Bifur appeared at his side and all but manhandled him to a corner.
"Have you not yet figured out why it is you are so determined to please my cousin?" Bifur asked in Khuzdul. Nori thanked Mahal he could still speak it or else he'd be requiring a translator.
"It is none of your concern" Nori replied stiffly.
"You feel for him" Bifur said simply. "No do not deny it, you can pretend to chase the women folk all you like and hide away your feelings but I can see what you refuse to see"
"It is pointless anyway" Nori sighed, sinking a little. "He is not interested"
Bifur was quite for a moment and then poked Nori in the side. "Well he was until you said something that clearly angered him you great fool!" he chuckled. "My cousin has never fancied women, in fact as soon as he met you I'd rather say he does not wish for anyone else"
"What am I to do, I can barely get near him without that accursed dwarf Huran getting in my way" Nori pouted.
Bifur scowled ferociously, Nori only knew this by the growl that burst forth. "He is a shady character and I do not trust him" he said stiffly. "I would keep two eyes on him if it were me. As for Bofur I would start by not ogling women as you do" he added thoughtfully.
"I know, I guess I have some begging to do" Nori sighed. "I am not good with apologies"
"Be sincere" the old warrior suggested. "That is all I can offer you, my cousin is a simple fellow. Honesty and love warm his heart"
Now Nori was more determined than ever to fix things and, hopefully, take them further than platonic friendship. He spied his opportunity when Bofur laid down his flute and moved off towards the courtyard to eat in peace. Nori grabbed two tankards of ale and scurried off after him. He didn't have a plan as such but since most well thought plans often went to hell he figured he'd be better off without one.
One had to only look at their plan for getting into Erebor to know how true that was.
Author Note: So yes Dwalin is an ox. Do we understand why Ori's mask is an egret now? Egrets are mainly solitary birds that perch themselves on the backs of oxen for comfort and protection ^^ Appropriate no?