The dungeon was dank and a murky aura hung in the air - it being so beneath the mountain and under the leaking pipes of the city, mold gathered the most in the corners of the floor. The iron bars of the many ancient cells had not rot over the many, many centuries but those in the better condition temporarily kept the militia's captains.

Dwalin - having questioned these men for at least fifteen hours - flexed his hands and stared with great contempt at the dwarf speaking.

All these men were giving him the same answers of 'speak to Dain', 'I do not know', 'he never told me anything', 'we're protecting our kin' for hours - so many hours, Dwalin reckoned ages ago the sun had set. They were seriously challenging his self-control.

Captain Skamik - a grey beard with flecks of red in his mane, dulling slate eyes - was speaking. His voice raspy but laced with annoyance as if he too did not want to be there. "Why are you treating us like criminals? We're your kin for Aule's sake," he countered, ignoring Dwlain's question completely.

The bald dwarf clenched his jaw and leaned back against the wall of the cell - a substantial space, safety line as Bofur put it, between him and the dwarf in questioning as the cell was big enough. "Why are you here? Answer me that 'nd I'll answer yours."

A clear laugh left the dwarf. "Why, we've come to see our old friends, Dwalin. Surely, at one point in your life, you remember what it was like to reclaim this home. We came to see these halls, our old lovers, our true Ones that we had lost along on the road." He kept eye contact with the other. "We've come to adjust and settle."

Dwalin narrowed his eyes. "Permanently?"

"Do dwarves just come to Erebor and stay for a few days before moving on?" he asked with a hint of a smile and another laugh. "No! They most certainly do not. We are also here to stay right along with them. We - if you do not recall - all once called Erebor home before the dragon attacked."

The other didn't say anything.

"And we hold no ill feelings toward the King and his grandfather."

"Who says holding ill feelings is a crime?" Dwalin growled. He hoped he could unravel the dangling thread of this lead. "You seem to say, if-" He cut himself off before he revealed too much on their own side. He coughed - awkwardly.

"In the meantime, you've dropped by unannounced, Captain. We've had to see if there's a wolf hiding in the sheep. That is why you've been dumped off here."

Captain Skamik noticed Dwalin's slip-up but flinched at the other's sly definition for their weak tactics. He licked his lips. "How's Prince Kili?" he asked rather abruptly albeit innocently.

Dwalin nearly did a double-take but caught himself again. "Funny, and I was gonna let you leave." He stepped out of the cell, only turning to close the cell door firmly.

"What about that Ri fellow?" he went on.

Dwalin was an old friend of his - they grew up together with what little time of childhood they had - he could see the tense of his shoulders. He was clearly on edge, and with a little prodding, like all his close-knitted kin, he would break.

"What's his name? Ori? Yes," he chuckled. "How's he handling the death of his brother?"

The other didn't acknowledge Skamik. Instead he simply locked the cage up again and did the most un-Dwalin-like thing imaginable: he ignored him. Hours in this hellhole had gotten him nowhere - except to question how word had traveled.

"You can't keep secrets anymore, old friend!" Captain Skamik called as Dwalin stalked off. "You set us free or you'll have a riot on your 'ands! You can't hide!"

Bofur - standing watch at the entrance to the dungeons - was chewing his nails nervously when he heard a shout within. He watched the heavy door open and reveal a disgruntled Dwalin. He could easily tell something was on his mind. "How'd it go?" he asked quickly. "They talk?"

"Has any news come in about Nori's whereabouts? In recent days?" Dwalin asked gruffly as if Bofur had never spoken. "What do you know?" he demanded when Bofur's stride turned hesitant.

"I-I was going to tell you," he sighed when Dwalin turned to him. "Word came in last night. Just didn't know how ta say it."

"... is he dead?" Dwalin growled, anger suddenly filling his body.

The other made a noise. "The scouts haven't found a body, but they saw him go down. Said he was up against a man three times his size. He never was gonna make it."

He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "Does Ori know?"

Bofur nodded sadly. "Dori sprung it on him this morning. I guess the old fart wanted to beat you to it."

"Reckon the lad needs his brother more'n me," he finished with a defeated shrug.