They glanced at the shed at the airport and grabbed their luggage.
"That Mahal we didn't take a lot of stuff." Fili complained about the fact they had to walk there.
"You need help?" Kili asked with a grin.
Beorn was as usually silent, he was looking at the area feeling almost at home.
All of them saw the kids glare at them with curiously, it was clear the dominating population was native American. Most houses pretty poor and simple.
"Hi you must be my new guests!" A plump white woman showed up on the doorstep of what looked to be the best house in town. The house was pretty big for any standard, and it was clean and well kept.
"Hi! I'm Killian Mills!" Kili extended his hand and greeted the woman calmly,
"Please come inside you must be cold after the walk from the airport. I would have gone to pick you up, but I don't have a car like most people around here." She invited them in. "Let me show you to your rooms, and I'll prepare something to eat and tea. Would you like five rooms?" She asked looking at them surprised.
"No, three are okay." Kili added.
"If you're worried about the price I don't have any guests flying in so you might as well each get a room." She proposed. "No extra fee."
"We're fine." Fili gently hugged Kili sending a suggestion to the woman, he was bit unsure how such a small community treated gay relationships, but the woman didn't even blink. Clearly the notion of making some money was more important than scaring her guests away with prejudice.
"As you prefer." She told them with a smile and guided them upstairs. "Is there anything you might need or shall I go prepare something to eat?" She asked warmly.
"We'll be down soon." Fili assured her with a smile. "We'll just leave the luggage."
"I can't sense anything so far." Fili noticed looking at their friends.
"Just because you can't sense anything doesn't mean nothing is here." Beorn noticed.
"We'll walk to the bar later, I'll gently scan the people and see what comes up." Kili told them.
"Let's go and eat something!" Nori insisted clearly hungry again. Eating at the bar would have been more comfortable, but Kili soon realized bad food meant a grumpy Fili and Nori who were both spoiled when it came to eating.
"Thank you!" Kili smiled seeing the supper prepared in a fancy dining room.
"It's a pleasure, we rarely get guests this time of year." She told them but she didn't sit down with them. "Would you like anything else?"
"We wanted to talk with you about board." Kili suggested. "The pilot told us the food at the bar is unbearable."
"I can arrange something." The woman smiled happily. "Cooking is my strong point. What time would you like breakfast?"
"Nine am?" Kili suggested.
"Fine!" The woman wanted to leave but Fili stopped her.
"Could you please tell us more about the local customs, we don't want to offend anyone." He asked calmly. Both him and Kili were picking up that the woman was feeling uneasy.
She hesitantly sat down at the table. "It's a very tightly knit community, and some are every narrow minded." She warmed them without her usual smile. "Many tribe members do not like stranger coming here, and the fact that my late husband's family build this big house to rent rooms caused a stir among the elders."
"Are you planning to go hunting or fishing?" She asked politely.
"No, we're planning to take photos and hike a bit." Fili admitted.
"For both of those things you need a guide." She made them realize. "The area is pretty wild, there are bears and wolves. Many paths are tricky and dangerous especially those in the mountains."
"Mike said we should ask for Irniq at the bar." Nori informed her.
"That's good advice, did he give you a recommendation?" She asked.
"Yes." Beorn nodded.
"Good, he's a person of influence here and his word matters more than the word of most." She told them. "Irniq is his wife's cousin, he's a very good guide. But as much as he is good he's very conservative." She told them glancing at the two couples warily.
"Thank you!" Kili gently told her with a warm smile.
"You're welcome." She smiled back. "I'll leave you for tonight, don't worry about he keys to the house, the door is always open."
"Thank you again!" Fili told her with a smile.
"Eat up and we're hitting the bar." Fili made the call. "And keep your hands to yourself, we're just a bunch of friends on a regular trip together."
"The two of you – no fighting in public." Kili firmly told the fiery couple.
"Fine!" Nori smirked.
They left and soon found the bar. The town was tiny, and the town centre was two shops, one bar and a post office.
"There really is no need for cars around here." Beorn noticed.
"Hi!" The bartender greeted them with a smile.
"Five beers!" Fili told him with a smile.
"Coming right up!" The waiter with dark black hair assured them with a smile. Five young handsome men coming in was a rare sight.
"What all you like but have no hope…" The bartender and owner, and her father in one person warmed the girl.
"Do you know where we can find Irniq? Mike said he's the best guide around here." Kili asked the bartender.
"He's not in yet, but he should be here soon." The bartender assured him.
"Send him over when he gets here!" Kili added with a smile.
"So are you staying long?" The girl asked with a flirtatious smile.
"Just a few days." Fili replied curtly seeing the girl clearly target Kili out of the five of them.
"Hunting, fishing or just seeking an adventure?" The girl asked.
"Taking photos and hiking." Kili replied trying not to encourage the girl.
"If you need anything else just call me, my name is Melisa!" She told them and ran back to her duties.
Thank Mahal I can read your thoughts otherwise I'd go crazy. Fili noticed.
It's not my fault she seeks adventures! Kili replied.
"We might as well pretend to have a good time?" Nori noticed with a grin and sipped on the beer.
"Great beer!" He yelled at the bartender.
"A man requires three things in life – a pint of good beer, a jug of good beer and a barrel of good beer!" The bartender joked.
"Here's to that!" Fili raised his glass.
"So tell me how was university?" Nori asked a seemingly innocent question.
"You mean the actually studies or the life in town?" Fili laughed.
They chatted for a longer while, when they saw a group of natives come in. The men stared at them and approached the bar.
I sense uneasiness. Kili noticed.
They are hostile although they have no reason to be. Fili added.
One of the men made his way to them.
"Carl says you asked about me, I'm Irniq." The short native American introduced himself and sat down at their table.
"Mike said you're the best guide around, and we were hoping to go hiking and he wants to take some photos." Fili explained with a smile, trying to read the person in front of him.
"That can be arranged. Are you searching for anything in particular?" The man asked a bit more kindly.
"I want to take some shots of bears, polar bears would be best, but black or brown would also do." Kili told him slowly easing the tension in the man's mind.
He's well guarded, and he has secrets to hide… Kili informed Fili.
"I'd like to see the mountains." Nori added. "And wolves."
"How long are you staying?" The man asked.
"At least several days, we'd like to go out daily." Bofur told him.
"On Saturday we're flying around with Mike to take some photos." Kili knew using the name would ease this man a bit more.
"What time tomorrow?" The man asked with a grin.
"Ten am?" Fili suggested.
"Fine I'll pick you up at ten, I hope you have good boots and warm coats, It might get cold in the mountains." Irniq added.
"We're prepared." Nori curtly added.
"Melisa six more beers please!" Kili politely told the waiter. "So tell us more about the area here?" He insisted keeping the man with them.
The man stayed with them, he told them about the trails and paths, he told them about the breathtaking views of the mountains. He told them about the animals and wildlife. But he did not say a word about the tribe. Both Kili and Fili noticed the uneasiness anytime the man's thoughts ventured towards the tribe.