Coming Of Age – Chapter 3
JoraLee made his way down to the Great Halls in search of Balin and Prince Frerin. He had watched those two earlier and figured that they were Thorin's so called right-hand men.
He spotted the two men dining with the other dwarves he couldn't identify.
As he approached them, Jora overheard them, "Dwalin, I'm telling you, I saw the looks on his face. Then again, that was before she socked him in the face." The rest of the dwarves guffawed hard as they raised their mugs of ale to their Prince.
"I hope she didn't damage his pretty face too badly." Another round of laughter sounded.
Then they noticed JoraLee's presence.
Balin squinted at JoraLee and almost squeaked, "Egads! She's a he! Or he is a she? I…I…who….what…Look here, who are you?" he pointed at Jora with his stubby fingers.
Jora bowed low and said, "Forgive me, Master Balin, my name is JoraLee. The young lady is my twin sister, ThoraLee. Um, I don't know how to put it but Prince Thorin is currently uh…indisposed…in, huh…in…my…"
"Oh, do spill it out, don't be afraid, laddie!" Dwalin insisted."
Jora nodded and took a deep breath, as he let it out, "Prince Thorin is unconscious in my Uncle Crimm's quarters."
Well, this got the attention of Frerin, Balin, Dwalin, as well as a few others as the head table was quiet.
Jora looked about him; suddenly conscious as so many pairs of eyes were upon him, "Well, he went looking for my uncle…" he began telling them what Lee told them.
In no time, the entire table was reduced to raucous guffaws and laughter and banging on the table tops. As Balin wiped the last of his tears, he stood up and looked at Dwalin, "Come on, let's go rescue our sad friend before this fine laddie's sister inflicts more pain on him. She might put him out of his misery before he could find a mate!" Then he turned to Frerin, "Frerin, you might be beholden to keep the line of Durin yet!" The two older Dwarf clapped JoraLee's shoulder as they pulled him away from the Halls.
As they made their way to the valet's chambers, Balin happened to spot JoraLee's sword; always having a fine eye for fine things, he couldn't help but kept looking at it.
Jora noticed Balin's constant glances were beginning to make him feel uncomfortable, finally he asked Balin.
Balin pointed at the sword and asked if he could look at it.
Embarrassed that such a skilled Dwarf such as Balin asked to see his simple-made sword, it was an honor for Jora to present it to him.
He handed the sword to him, added "This is actually crafted by my sister, a gift from her." He said shyly.
Balin and Dwalin stood by a candle light inspected the backsword and nodded and as they ran their callused but experienced thumbs over the blade, they admired the fine etchings on the metal as well.
Finally they handed the sword back to Jora and said, "This is a very fine work, indeed. Very fine work. Your sister is very skilled for one who is still so young. What about you, young man?"
JoraLee smile, "My work is similar as hers, only finer." He said proudly.
Balin and Dwalin exchanged looks. "Very well, we better get going."
As they neared the chambers, they could hear noises, loud unhappy shouting noises.
The three quickened their paces as they rushed in and saw a very bruised Thorin and a very angry ThoraLee in a shouting match, Crimm in the middle of them.
Lee was looking around her uncle to glare at Thorin, "You thought I was seducing my uncle! How could you say such a disgusting thing? Only an eel and a slime ball would say such lowly words like that!"
Her uncle tried to get a word in, "Really, Lee…he said he didn't mean…"
"You were here alone in his room dress like…like…that!" Thorin waved his hand at her, they had ignored Crimm's presence entirely as they carried on their argument, "AND I DIDN"T KNOW HE WAS YOUR UNCLE!"
"I HAD ON CLOTHES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! YOU PERVERT!"
"YOU WERE IN YOUR UNDERCLOTHES, HOW WAS I TO KNOW?"
"THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO PAW AT ME!"
Jora and Balin exchanged looks and their eyes widened; apparently Lee didn't tell him that part. JoraLee didn't know about this part as his sister had omitted this part earlier.
Thorin replied, "FOR THE THIRD TIME I DIDN'T PAW AT YOU."
"YES YOU DID! YOU WERE OGLIN AT MY CHEST AND THEN YOU…YOU…KISS ME!" she blushed.
"AGAIN, I SAID I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO KISS YOU. I THOUGHT YOU WERE A HA…" he clammed up.
ThoraLee stared at him, "I WHAT?"
"NOTHING." He looked down on the floor.
"IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME, SAY IT YOU SCUM!"
Insulted, he snapped his head up and yelled, "A HARLOT!"
The rest of the men gasped a loud. "Thorin!" Crimm gasped as he held his chest.
Thorin glance at his valet and was immediately guilty, "My apologies, Crimm. I said I was sorry. I didn't know…"
Before he knew it, ThoraLee flew at him and began hitting him again, "You fink! You low down scum of scums!" She hit him again and again as if her life depended on it.
Balin, Dwalin and JoraLee hurriedly grabbed a hold of her and pulled her away from Thorin who was covering his face, protecting his already bruised face.
"Keep that crazy wrench off me!" Thorin was yelling. As soon as he realized he was not longer being pelted by angry fist, he stood up and angrily said to her, as she was being held by her brother and his friends, "You are lucky I don't hit women." Leaning closer to her, "I came this close," he showed her his thumb and forefinger pressed together. "This close to changing my mind, starting with you." Straightening he said to Dwalin and Balin, "Take her to the dungeons. Let her spend a night there."
Balin and Dwalin gasped, "No! Thorin! We do not treat our women like that."
"What woman?" He said to them angrily. "I don't see any woman here. Just an annoying gnat."
"GNAT! QUIT CALLING ME NAMES, YOU, YOU SLIME SCUM!" She yelled at him.
Thorin looked at Balin, "See, all I heard was an annoying gnat buzzing around."
"ANNOYING? I JUST POUNDED YOU TO THE GROUND, YOU SCUM!" She was squirming to free from JoraLee and Dwalin.
"Come on Balin, take her to the dungeons. Are you disobeying me?" He glared at his friend. "Very well…Guards!" He yelled out loud. A pair of royal guards came in. "Take this woman to the dungeons."
"Wait!" Jora shouted.
Balin shook his head sadly; the Prince had given an order.
"I will take her place."
Thorin looked at him and blinked his eye, shook his head again. He stepped close to Jora and then looked at him, then at Lee, then at him again, and groaned, "Oh my gods, by Durin's tomb, there's two of you...wait. There are two of you?"
Crimm nodded his head, "Thorin, this is JoraLee he is ThoraLee's identical twin."
Thorin shook his head, "Twins. Double the trouble. I hope he does not give anyone as much trouble as that one does. I've just had enough of them."
Balin said sadly, "Thorin please reconsider."
"No." Looking at the guards. "What are you waiting for?"
The guards nodded but hesitated as they stood before Lee and Jora.
Again, JoraLee tried to plead for her but her pride prevented her brother from doing so. "Don't, Jora. I will go. I hit him; I will accept my punishment willingly." glaring at the prince. "However unfair the punishment is, I will take it like a man." She turned to the guards and guards and said, "Let's go gentlemen." She placed an extra emphasis on the last word to the guards. The guards tried not to shake their heads as they led her away.
"Damn her eyes!" Thorin muttered.
"And a pair of very fine eyes she has, I might add." Dwalin tease his cousin.
Thorin turned to glare at him.
His cousin shook his head and laughed.
Jora spoke, "Your Highness, how long will you be holding my sister?"
Thorin looked at the young man and replied, "Until she apologizes to me."
"Apologizes to you?" JoraLee said.
Thorin nodded.
Jora couldn't help but began to laugh.
Thorin frowned, "What? What are you laughing?" Somehow he didn't think he was going to like the answer.
Jora shook his head, "Well, your Highness, I think my sister is going to be in the dungeons for a very long time. She does not apologize easily, especially when she is not in the wrong."
"Well, I guess you'll be a single twin from now onwards. Enjoy the night, young man." He nodded to Jora and left the chamber.
Jora wanted to chase after the prince but Balin and Dwalin held him. "Hold it, young man. I know what you're going to say. Don't worry; we'll try to get your sister out of the dungeons soon. I know she will spend a night or two, but I'll make sure she will not be mistreated." Balin promised.
JoraLee nodded; he trusted the older Dwarf.
Balin continued, "Where do you live, young man?" JoraLee quickly told him the address. Balin nodded; he knew who his father was.
"Be expecting us tomorrow. Oh, and we'd like to see some of your works as well."
JoraLee nodded as he bowed to them before he bade his uncle a good night and left.
Crimm nodded his head to Balin, "What do you have in mind with my nephew, Master Balin?"
Balin shrugged and smiled, "That young man has some potential in smithing but he needs an extra hand in honing his skills further. If his father doesn't mind, I know of someone from the Misty Mountains that might advance his learning. His work is in the apprentice level now but with the proper teacher, he will be a teacher himself in ten..oh, twenty years' time. What do you think, Master Crimm?"
Crimm smiled, "I thank you, Master Balin for taking an interest in my nephew. He does need a good teacher. My brother is getting on in his years. What about the girl?"
Balin shrugged. "She is too skill for anyone to teach. And I don't know who can advance her learnings. I'd have to look into it more, if she wants to. But most women are much more interested in getting married and having babies, so I'm not sure if we should put so much interest and time in advancing her. "
Crimm shook his head, "You don't know my niece, her head is in her crafting, she showed no interest in becoming anyone's wife. My brother had to practically drag her to this ceremony."
"Oh? How interesting. Most unusual young woman."
"Aye, you have no idea, ThoraLee is like no other. But living in a house with her father and twin brother, most times she thinks and dresses like a man, so many times I cannot tell them apart save for their eyes."
Balin nodded, "Well, in a few years, you'll soon be able to tell them apart easily when JoraLee begins to grow his Manbeard."
Crimm stroked his own trimmed one and nodded, "Aye, so it will be, so it will be."
Dwalin then added, "Now, you do know Thorin will not forgive your niece so easily, not after she hit him in front of everyone. By now, word will have spread over Dale about Thorin and you niece."
Crimm said, "I'm afraid you're right, Master Dwalin." He sighed.
Dwalin continued, "I might have as solution."
The other two dwarves looked at him.
"Enlists the help of the King."
"The King! How? May I ask?" Balin asked his friend.
"Let me ask you Balin, my astute brother, did you notice the way Thorin looked at the fair and fiery ThoraLee?"
Balin nodded thoughtfully as he tried to recollect the events of the events; so much had happened.
"It was when the maidens were arguing, and ThoraLee called the other maiden fat…well, not actual words." Dwalin chuckled.
Balin began to nod as he recalled he events as well.
Crimm said, "My niece called someone fat?"
"Well not exactly…" he tried to tell him the events leading up to how Thorin ended with a shiner.
"Oh my lord, I'm done for. It's a wonder I still have employment here." He put his head in his hands. "I probably might as well start packing…over 100 years…I've served the Durin family."
Dwalin leaned over and patted the elderly valet's back, "There, there, no worries old friend. We may save your job as well too"
"Anyways, back to the plan; if we put the seed to the King's ear. The King might have some idea of match making in the making. Especially when he's hungering for those grandchildren of his. What do you think, Balin?"
Balin clapped his hands, "Oh! I do think it is a marvelous idea, brother. I don't know about you, but I do think Thorin had finally met his match in ThoraLee. I do like that young lady already. She is not like those weak namby-pamby fawning maidens the King kept throwing in Thorin's path."
Crimm chuckled, "I just remembered; I told Thorin this morning that he's going to meet someone this morning who's going to knock him over. I didn't think it's going to be ThoraLee or that she'll literally knock him!"
All three dwarves began to laugh heartily.
Then Dwalin and Balin stood up and bade the older dwarf a good night and left the chambers, leaving the old valet to worry about his future the rest of the night.
….
End of Chapter 3