The next several days went by in a haze of sleeping, eating, and resting. Grumpy was amazingly comfortable, and though he was often alone in the bedroom, he found he didn't mind. He would use magic to listen to their conversations as they worked and played, gathering every detail he could about the six brothers. He discovered quite a bit about all of them.
Doc was clearly the oldest brother, and he led them with patience and care. He loved them all dearly, and though he had a bit of a strict side, he was fun-loving and tender. Even with Grumpy, somebody he barely knew, his eyes saw every grimace and flinch and he followed it up with gentle words and soft encouragement. It touched Grumpy, though he'd never admit it.
Bashful seemed to be the second oldest, and he was gentle as a dove's coo. He was the most emotional out of all of them, and he seemed to be able to read how Grumpy was really feeling at all times. It embarrassed him how much Bashful understood him, and though he continued to scowl and snap and tease him until he was redder than a rosy apple, Bashful always left the room with a smile and a wave. Sneezy scoffed at him one evening, telling him that Grumpy was picking on him, and Grumpy was shocked when Bashful answered that he was only testing the waters in his own way, that he didn't know what else to do.
"He's got no family, Sneezy," Bashful had said quietly. "He's got no idea how else to act. 'Sides, I don't mind. You all do that, too."
"Yeah? Well we're family, and he ain't," Sneezy had replied with a sniff.
Sneezy, who Grumpy thought was the third-born, was defensive, but only toward Grumpy. Toward his brothers, he was kind and loving and teasing. He would poke fun at them, and they poked back, all laughter and fun. However, when he poked Grumpy, he did it with a bite, and when Grumpy snapped back, it only seemed to solidify his belief that Grumpy was not welcome. But for his brothers' sake, he mostly left him alone.
Sleepy, the fourth-born, was very proud of their clan, and he could come alive and tell fantastic stories from the past. Great wars, forged treasures, brave warriors, and beautiful Dwarf-maidens were woven together in a wash of words that often left Grumpy feeling fiercely proud to be a Dwarf, something he'd never felt before. Sleepy was rather leery of Grumpy, but he didn't care to fight with him like Sneezy, so he stayed quiet.
Happy was the second youngest, and he was alive with energy and spirit. He was the heart of the family, always ready with a smile and a plate of good, homemade food. Grumpy had developed a taste for his excellent cooking, and he was rather reluctant to think that he would soon have to leave and live on crumbs again.
Then there was Dopey. He was seven years old, and a wilder, more spoiled child there never was, at least in Grumpy's opinion. He was fed and cared for by his older brothers, who doted on him with love and affection. It made Grumpy ache a little to know that maybe if things had been different, he would know what it was like to be raised by people who actually cared instead of being the burden he'd always felt like.
After a week, Grumpy awoke to Dopey crawling into bed with him. He cracked his eyes open and saw that it was morning. A song suddenly reached his ears, sounding almost exactly the same as the one they'd been singing the night they'd found him. After a few minutes, Doc came in to check on him.
"Good morning," he said, handing him a plate of food.
"Where're they goin'?" Grumpy asked, already chewing on breakfast.
"To the mine," Doc replied, picking up Dopey and swinging him around before setting him on the floor. "They've got the old burning fire hazing, uh, blazing, so they're off."
Grumpy had no idea what that saying meant, so he just grunted. Once he was done eating, Doc peeled back the blankets and assessed his wounds with bright eyes. After a thorough check, he finally stood back and nodded.
"How would you like to get out and get some fresh bear, er, air? The garden's awful pretty."
Grumpy studied him. "Ain't got no clothes."
"Hm? Oh, right. Sleepy's gotta bake 'em, ah, make 'em. He needs your measurements first." Doc thought for a moment then went to rifle through the pile of clean clothes. He pulled out one of his nightshirts then walked back and held it out. "It ain't gonna fit right, but if you don't mind, I think it'll shirk, erm, work."
Grumpy eyed it then nodded. He slowly pushed himself up, gasping as his sore ribs stretched then leaned back and took a breath. After a moment, he twisted and put his feet on the floor, exhaling shakily. Doc held out the nightshirt, and Grumpy shrugged into it then stood slowly, swaying as his muscles protested. Doc placed a strong hand on his back.
"Easy now. Easy," he soothed. "Just take it slow."
Grumpy took a tottering step forward and the wound on his thigh burned. "Dem," he muttered, clutching at his leg.
"No!" Doc said in a loud, hard voice.
It startled Grumpy so much that he jerked his head around to see Doc giving him a look that made him shrink away, suddenly ashamed of himself.
"What?" he asked faintly.
Doc looked over at Dopey, who was peeking out the window and lowered his voice. "Please don't cuss."
Grumpy looked at the little boy and nodded, his face warming. "Sorry. I didn't… didn't think afore…" He shifted under the scorching gaze. "I'm not sure I won't…"
Doc softened and placed his arm around him and began to help him toward the door. "Please try, at least."
Grumpy nodded as the door was pushed open and he suddenly remembered the stairs. He muttered under his breath, but he didn't say it aloud, and Doc squeezed him and gave him a pleased look. After far too long, in Grumpy's opinion, he was at the bottom of the stairs, gulping in air and leaning heavily against Doc. Doc pulled out a chair for him and eased him down.
"You just sit here and zest, erm, rest, okay?"
"Water?" Grumpy asked hesitantly.
Doc headed for the sink and pumped out some cool water into a cup then handed it to Grumpy, who took a grateful swallow. Dopey had pulled himself up to sit in his little chair topped with a large cushion so that he could reach the table. When he saw Grumpy looking at him, he wiggled his ears and grinned.
"Ijit," Grumpy muttered, but there was no heat in his tone.
Dopey shook his head and pointed at Grumpy.
"I ain't neither," Grumpy argued.
Dopey nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling as he sat up straight, thinking he'd won.
"Well, in that case, yer a doodlebug," Grumpy challenged.
Dopey looked puzzled. Then he shook his head and pointed at Grumpy.
Grumpy smirked. "Eh, so ya know what a doodlebug is, do ya?"
Dopey nodded his head then paused and screwed up his face. Then he slowly shook his head.
"How do ya know I'm a doodlebug if'n ya don't know what it is?"
Dopey blinked then turned pink and shrugged.
"Uh-huh. Well, I do knows what a doodlebug is. And so I can say that yer a doodlebug," he pointed at Dopey, "and I knows that I ain't."
Dopey playfully swatted the finger then nearly tumbled over onto the floor as he overbalanced. Grumpy caught him with a grunt and helped him to the floor, wincing as his ribs protested the quick movement. Dopey grinned and hugged Grumpy in thanks, and he murmured a soft, "Yer welcome," without skipping a beat.
Doc watched all of this with great bemusement. The way that Grumpy understood their littlest brother amazed him. He spoke to Dopey as if they were having a normal conversation with actual words. Dwarfs, while good with sign compared to humans, still always repeated Dopey's words before responding, making sure they understood. But Grumpy somehow heard full sentences when talking with Dopey, and that was something even the brothers had to learn. But if humans raised Grumpy like the brothers thought, how could he speak sign so well?
Dopey looked up at Doc and pointed at the door. Doc smiled and nodded.
"If Grumpy is steady, uh, ready, then we can go and sit in the tar den, erm, garden."
Grumpy nodded. "I thinks I'm good." He slowly stood up, grimacing, then rubbed his wounded thigh. "If'n we go slow," he breathed, gripping the table for support.
Doc was by his side in an instant, his hands steadying Grumpy as they walked toward the door.
"Open the door, Dopey," Doc said.
They stepped into the warm summer day, and Doc paused as Grumpy looked around their neat little yard for the first time. The grass was rich and dark green, stretching to the edge of the forest. The trees were old and mossy, their branches towering with dark leaves set against a perfect blue sky, with fluffs of white cloud dotted here and there. Doc watched the scowl on Grumpy's face soften as he looked around, and he saw longing in his eyes as he turned to look at the cottage.
"T'ain't much," Doc admitted.
"More'n I ever had," Grumpy said softly.
Doc ached for Grumpy as he looked away suddenly and cleared his throat, blinking quickly. "Where's this here garden?"
Doc turned and led him around the side of the house to a little path that wound through the underbrush. It ended at a white gate, and Doc pushed it open and led Grumpy to a small bench. Grumpy sat down with relief and rubbed his leg. After he'd caught his breath, he looked around. The garden was quite large, and it was growing well. There were berry bushes and rows and rows of different vegetables. It was clear they would have plenty for the next year, and Grumpy was impressed. They really knew what they were doing.
"Bashful's the one who can really stow, erm, grow things," Doc said, a hint of pride in his voice. He sat down beside Grumpy and gestured at the fence. "Though Sneezy is the stun too, ahem, one who does all the woodworking. We all strung up the pence, uh, fence."
Grumpy grunted and looked around, his expression hungry, but not for food. Doc could tell he wanted everything he saw. It was hard for Doc to read into most people he met, but this Dwarf seemed easy. Every time they came up to bed, he'd watch them tease and joke with each other with a bitter longing on his face. He wanted brothers, he wanted a family, and he was afraid that he'd never have it.
Doc pressed his lips together after a while. "Can I ask you something?"
Grumpy turned and squinted at him. "Eh?" he asked suspiciously.
"Do you have family?"
Grumpy flinched and looked away. His face was a mask of anger. But after a few moments of silence, he shook his head once.
"I see." Doc watched Dopey run around, trying to catch a chipmunk. "Well… do you have anybody at all? Friends to stay with?"
Another long silence, another small head shake.
Doc exhaled. "Mm." He paused. "Do you even know what clan you're supposed to be in?"
Grumpy shrugged.
"Do you even know what the clans are?" he asked, trying to delicately assess if he had indeed been raised by humans.
The longest pause yet. Then a small, ashamed shake of his head. Doc swallowed hard, hurting for this poor Dwarf.
"Do you want to stay?" Doc asked gently.
"Cain't ask that of ya," Grumpy said gruffly. "I ain't fit fer comp'ny."
"Oh, now I wouldn't say that," Doc scolded. "You're a bit rough, but we can polish you up. Every gem is rough when it comes out of the earth. But you can make them shine with just a little work."
Grumpy snorted. "Gonna take more'n a little."
"We're Dwarfs. We like working hard," Doc said, nudging his arm.
"Sneezy ain't gonna like it. He don't like me much."
"He won't complain. And I think Dopey would love it," Doc said gently.
Grumpy hesitated, at war with himself. He'd always wanted family, wanted a home, and this could be what he was looking for. But the bigger part of him was afraid, so very afraid, to ever get close to anybody. He was already far closer to these Dwarfs than anybody he'd ever met before, including the woman who'd raised him. He knew what she would say if she heard of this. Feelings were for the weak, but love was for the weakest. And he was feeling for them, concerned about somebody besides himself, and love was sure to follow. He was terrified of love, having been lashed nearly to the point of oblivion for one stupid act of love. And the woman hadn't even appreciated it. It was then that Grumpy had stopped caring even for the one who found him and had decided to never love again.
"Grumpy?" Doc prodded gently.
Could he ever love anybody again? Could he actually have a family?
"I'll stay through the winter," Grumpy said. He swallowed, staring at the house. "If it ain't no trouble."
Even if he was terrified, he would try one more time.
Doc smiled and wrapped an arm around Grumpy's shoulders. "No trouble at all."
His warm, pleased smile made Grumpy's fear lessen considerably. And Dopey's excited grin and happy embrace when he was told made his heart warm. He hid his face in Dopey's shirt to conceal that he was near tears, but he couldn't hide the small, nervous smile that he gave Doc. Doc knew that smiles like that were very rare, and he was a bit pleased to be the cause of the soft, almost shy expression on Grumpy's face.
"Do you want to go back inside?"
"Think we'll sit here awhile. If'n ya don't mind, a course."
Doc nodded and they sat and watched Dopey play as a soft breeze rustled the leaves in the trees around the garden.
"Sneezy won't like it," Grumpy said again with a deep sigh.
"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fighted, erm, delighted," Doc said.