A/N: Surprise update for both hobbit fics because today is my birthday! If I were a dwarf, I would be coming of age (30) today. Also, it's purely coincidental that the chapter 8s are going up on August 8th XD
"The goblins will be here at any minute," Demelza called out. "Pile as much stuff in front of these doors as you can!"
Glancing over her shoulder, Baylee saw the last of the women and children hurrying into the great hall. Behind them, a white-haired woman and her aunt were yanking the doors shut. Both wore armor already stained with the black blood of orcs and goblins. Across the courtyard were two more women, also in armor. Both had dirty-blonde hair like her aunt, but blue eyes like her uncle; they were divvying up arrows between the two of them.
She bit her lower lip and looked over at a fifth woman who was quickly running a stone along the edges of a sword. Her hair was long and blonde and her face covered in freckles. Her green eyes—the same green as her and Will's eyes—kept glancing between the sword and the entrance to the courtyard. She then flicked her thumb against the sword's blade. Deeming it sharp enough, she hurried over to Baylee.
"Here, my filly," she said and, as she spoke, Baylee could see that she also had buckteeth, much like herself. "It's not the best quality, but it will have to do."
Taking the sword from her, she tested its weight before turning to the side and twirling it in her hand. She also took a couple of test swipes with it before looking back at the woman. "It's better than the practice sword we had in Laketown," she said, trying to bring a bit of optimism to the otherwise hopeless situation they were in. "Definitely better balanced."
The woman smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. Setting her hand on Baylee's shoulder, she pulled her close and embraced her. "I'm sorry it must be this way, my filly," she whispered. "I'm sorry you must live to see such times."
Returning the embrace, Baylee clenched her eyes shut as she felt tears beginning to well up. "Things will get better, mama," she whispered. "We're going t' win this war. I know we will."
Leaning back, she looked down at her daughter with tear-streaked cheeks. "My little ray of sunshine," she murmured, setting a hand on her cheek. She jumped as there was a loud crack that was soon followed by a crash.
"They've broken through the gate!" Demelza shouted. "Éolynna, you handle the east courtyard; Lovisa, you handle the west. Baylee, you guard the doors. I'll be in the middle. Eira, Elle—cover us from the top o' the wall!"
Éolynna kissed the top of her daughter's head. "I'll see you at the end of this, filly," she whispered, "whether here or in the halls of our foremothers."
"Be safe, mama," she whispered back as she watched her mother sprint away.
Baylee's eyes snapped open, her heart racing and her breathing ragged. She swallowed hard and raised her hands to her face, quietly cursing under her breath. After a few minutes, she pulled her hands away and sat up, looking around. The room around her was dark, though a bit of moonlight filtered in through a gap in her curtains. Sniffling, she used her hand to wipe some tears from her face before she slipped out of bed.
'That's the fifth time in two weeks,' she told herself as she crossed her room. Lifting a pitcher from her dresser, she poured herself a cup of water. 'I went nearly two years without having a nightmare and now they're coming back with a vengeance…' Sighing, she leaned against her dresser and slowly drank the water. 'At least I can still wake myself up before things get too bad.'
Tap-tap-tap
Her brow rose as she heard the sound and she paused in her drinking. She knew there was a tree that grew close to her window, but unless it was storming out, it rarely ever tapped against her window.
Tap-tap-tap-tap
Opening her eyes, she slowly made her way over to the window nearest her bed only to let out another curse. She pushed aside the curtains and unlocked it before lifting it open. As she stuck her head out, a frown came to her lips. "William Braddock, what do you think you're doing?!" she quietly hissed.
Will looked up at her as he balanced on a branch below her window, an innocent grin on his lips and a stick in his hand. "I went for a little walk, but not only did I forget t' grab the spare key, but I forgot t' unlock my window, too," he told her. "Do you think you could help your little brother out?"
Her brow rose once more as she rested her arms on the windowsill. "A little walk, eh? This late at night?" she questioned.
"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd try t' tire myself out."
"Mhm, I'm sure that's the case." Her tone made it all too obvious she didn't believe him. "I'm sure you were just taking a little walk all by your lonesome an' not with Adela Stover." She grinned as she watched Will's eyes widened and his jaw go slack.
"H-How did you-?!" he gaped, unable to form a complete sentence.
She shrugged, propping her chin in her palm. "A few days ago, Prim gave me a lemon pie an' said it was from her cousin. Now, bein' that the Stover family are our business rivals—an' dad's archenemy in Mannus' case—I wondered why Adela would give me, o' all people, a pie. Until, that is, until Prim told me she had one for you, too."
Though it was hard to see in the moonlight, she could just barely make out her brother's cheeks growing darker. "C-can we talk about this inside?" he asked, rubbing the side of his neck.
"Do you promise t' stay long enough to talk about it?"
"Aye, I do."
Leaning over the sill, she offered her brother her hand and, when he grabbed onto it, she started to pull him up. A quiet grunt left her mouth; Will obviously weighed much more than the platters of food and drink she was used to carrying. But nevertheless, she managed to pull him up enough that he could grab onto her windowsill and finish pulling himself up.
"Thanks, 'Lee," he told her, his voice quieter now. Though the walls were thick and blocked sound out well, he didn't want to risk waking their father across the hall.
She gave him a small nod and, leaving the window open, went to sit back on her bed. "Now plop your arse down and tell me just how you and the prettiest woman in Dale came t' start courtin' in secret."
He chuckled, rubbing the side of his neck as he plopped down at the foot of her bed. "She is the prettiest woman in the whole o' Dale, isn't she?" Though she couldn't see it, Baylee knew he wore a silly grin. "It's a bit o' a funny story, really…" He let himself flop backwards, his hands behind his head. "She's apparently had a bit o' a crush on me for ages now."
"An' you've had a crush on her since we were kids," she chuckled.
"Aye. But neither o' us wanted to risk telling the other since, well…da' and Mannus basically want one another dead. So, one day, I got a summons from Bard."
Her brows furrowed. "From Bard?"
He nodded, despite knowing she probably couldn't see it. "Aye, Bard. It was him requesting my assistance with some cupboards in his kitchen that were getting stuck. Being as he's my best friend, I gathered my tools and went to go see what I could do right away.
"When I got there, he was waitin' for me, o' course, but who else did he happen to have over that day? He had Adela over! She was givin' Sigrid a baking lesson, since Sigrid had apparently been wantin' to know how to make cookies an' Gwyneth wasn't feeling well that day."
A grin came to Baylee's lips. "Ahh, I see…Once she finished with Sigrid's lesson an' you finished with the cupboards, that gave the two o' you a bit of time to be alone."
"Exactly."
"Never figured Bard t' be matchmaker, but that was a very clever move o' him," she giggled. "So how long ago was this…?"
Will was silent for a moment. "…About three years ago," he admitted. "I know, I know—that's a long time of havin' a secret courtship without tellin' you an' I'm sorry. But…" He let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know. I guess I've just been nervous, since she's a Stover. I'm not ashamed that she's a Stover, o' course, but I have been a bit afraid o' the family's reactions. Yours an' da's especially."
Shaking her head, Baylee let out a small chuckle. "You have nothin' to worry about from me, you secretive arsemunch." Grabbing her pillow, she lightly hit him with it, earning a laugh from her brother. "She makes you happy and that's all that matters to me. If she were Dardana, however, then we might have a problem."
He blew a quiet raspberry at her. "Why would I ever think about courtin' the wench that bullies my big sister?" he questioned, his brow rising.
"Stranger things have happened in this world."
"Aye, but I'm not about t' let that one happen. Ever." He turned his head towards her, able to see her silhouette curled up by the head of her bed. "Any secrets you've been needin' to get off your chest?" he half-joked. "Any new crushes or secret romances o' your own?"
She rolled her eyes. "You wish," she smiled. "…T' be honest, I wish, too. But it would appear that I'm the borin' twin."
"You sure? I mean, there's got to be something, right?" His tone was a bit hopeful, though he knew he shouldn't expect much. Baylee didn't have much free time and what free time she did have, she mostly spent with Primrose or out in the fields, riding her horse.
A quiet sigh left her mouth. "I started having the nightmares again," she told him, her tone almost guilty.
Will was silent for a moment or two, processing her words; that was not the kind of secret he had been expecting her to spill. "…Are you really?" he asked, his voice soft. "They're really back?"
She nodded. "I…had actually just woken up from one before you tapped on my window." She winced slightly as an exasperated sigh left her brother's mouth.
"You went so long without one…I had hoped they were gone for good!" Sitting up, he scooted over to the head of the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, 'Lee. I—I know how horrible they are for you."
"I just wish I knew why they came back."
He gave her a gentle squeeze as she sniffled. "Do…do you think there's a chance they're back because o' the lads?"
She shook her head. "No. I started havin' them before I found out they were part o' Thorin's company." She sniffled again, though she tried her best not to. "I don't think they'd be so bad if they were just normal nightmares—you know, a scary story my mind makes up. But these are actual memories an' the fact that I keep havin' to relive them over an' over…That I keep havin' t' see mama—t' see mama—" A quiet sob left her mouth and Will brought her closer.
"And uncle can't make you any o' that special tea that makes you have a dreamless sleep because his supplies are so low." He let out a heavy sigh, gently rocking Baylee while stroking her hair. "They'll stop again soon. They have to stop again soon…"
"You weren't lyin', lad: These friends o' yours do work fast!"
Will chuckled as he watched a group of five men, all of whom he had known since childhood, spread a new layer of plaster over three of the walls. The fourth would be saved for later, as they still had to knock part of it out for the window. "Now, Bifur, why in the world would I ever want t' lie to you?" he joked before covering his mouth as he yawned.
"Oh, I know you wouldn't lie," Bifur chuckled. "But everyone has different definitions o' fast an'…well, it seems we have the similar definitions." He turned, moving to head back into the shop's kitchen with Will on his heels. The back door was wide open, letting the two of them look out into the garden while also letting in some fresh air.
Walking over to the door, Will could see Bofur across the garden, his sleeves rolled up and his hands dirty as he tugged up some stubborn weeds. "Do you need any help over there?" he called, accidentally startling the dwarf, who promptly let go of the weed and fell on his bum. "Sorry…"
Bofur let out a small laugh, using his wrist to push his hat back a bit. "It's alright lad—I should have been payin' more attention. But these buggers here," He reached out with his foot and kicked the plant, "are putting up a good fight. I already got all the smaller weeds; didn't take much to get them."
Walking over, Will crouched down and inspected the now-mangled plant. Finding that it wasn't one plant, but many flowers with their roots tangled together, his brow rose and he let out a quiet laugh. "No wonder you're having problems. These aren't weeds—they're sunflowers. For some reason, here in Dale, sunflowers spread their roots farther and they get tangled up in each other."
"Sunflowers, eh? Smallest sunflowers I've ever seen." His head tilted as he looked down at them; the only sunflowers he knew about either grew to be as tall as Men or grew to be half his height and were reddish-orange in color.
"That's because they're dwarf sunflowers." Will's cheeks then turned a bit red and he rubbed the side of his neck as he realized what their Westron name was. "But, ah, they're also the hardiest of the sunflowers! They don't have as many problems as other types."
Bofur let out a hearty laugh—mostly at Will's reaction to the name of the flower. "Looks like they'll be stayin', then," he said.
"Oh? Why's that?" He offered Bofur a hand up.
Taking the hand, Bofur got back to his feet and brushed himself off. "I love sunflowers. I know it's a wee bit odd of a thing t' say, since I'm a male, but they're my favorite flower."
Will looked down at him, a mixture of surprise and amusement on his face. "Really?" Bofur nodded. "They're Baylee's favorite flower, too. Back in the original Tankard, she had a whole box o' them growing right outside her window. Every day, she would give them a bit of water and talk t' them as if they were people."
It was easy for Bofur to imagine such a scene, despite having never seen Baylee talk to flowers. But she was sweet and friendly enough that he wouldn't doubt she had done it. "Well, perhaps I should dig some up then so they can be planted at the inn," he chuckled, not realizing his cheeks had gone a bit pink. "Or does she have any ground outside her window? If not, she could have herself a box o' them again."
As he was about to decline Bofur's offer, Will thought back to a few nights ago and how he had learned that his sister's nightmares had returned. Though she always did her best to not let them sour her mood the next day, the sight of her favorite flower just outside her window might better help make her forget the nightmares. "…You know, that would actually be quite nice," he finally said. "There's enough scrap wood and metal here that I could fashion her a decent window box…and I could do it fairly quick, too."
Bofur grinned up at him. "Well then, why don't you get started on that an' I'll find myself a shovel to properly dig some of these up?"
"And when did the toymaker become a gardener?"
Both Bofur and Will blinked as they looked over at the door only to find Nori leaning against the frame, some amusement on his lips.
"Oi, when did you get back t' Dale?" Bofur asked with a chuckle. He was surprised; it had only been two weeks since he and Dori left. Was Dori that worried about Ori?
"About fifteen minutes ago, actually," he replied. A smirk came to his lips. "Fili asked me t' be his royal courier and deliver a message t' the Tankard."
Will frowned. "The Tankard…why?"
The dwarves exchanged confused glances. "You haven't heard, lad?" Bofur questioned.
He shook his head. "Heard what?"
"In a few weeks, there's going t' be a big meeting held between Dale an' Erebor," Nori explained. "Bard, o' course, will be representing Dale while Fili—our crown prince—will be representing Erebor. An', apparently we've bragged enough about how nice your inn is that Fili would like t' be there during his stay in the city."
"Since it's annoyin', having to travel two hours to an' from the cities twice a day," Bofur added.
"Huh…I knew there was some sort o' meeting happening soon, but I didn't know it was supposed to be a whole royal thing." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Do either of you know what it's about?"
They shook their heads. "Not a clue," Nori replied. "Your da' might know something, though, since the meetings are apparently being held at the inn, too."
"Hm. Seems like I'll have t' ask da', then. Doesn't surprise me Bard wants to hold it in the inn, though. He's always felt more comfortable meeting with people in a place that's more welcoming than his hall."
"Well, your family an' him do go back," Bofur chirped. Seeing the confused look on his face, he smiled. "Miss Baylee told me about how the three o' you grew up together—even told me 'bout how she and Bard stole some of the Master's wine so you an' your other friend could have yourself a little party in the middle o' the lake."
Nori's eyes widened and a grin spread across his lips. "Miss Baylee stole from someone?" he gasped. "Why, I'd never expect that sort o' thing from her!"
"Just once an' it was years ago," Will laughed. "She an' Bard considered it revenge for a new tax the Master had made to specifically drain Bard's earnings."
"From what I remember o' the man, the Master seemed to have a special hatred o' Bard," Nori commented, his brow raised. "Is there any reason for that or was it just because the Master was an arse?"
"Both, really," Will answered. "The Master always hated Bard an' his family because they're so much more likeable than he was. Bard actually cares about people an' goes out o' his way to help them."
Both dwarves nodded in understanding. "That makes sense," said Bofur. He then looked back over at Nori. "So how long are you in Dale for, Nori? Just long enough t' deliver that message?"
He shrugged. "I'm here for as long as I want t' be," he replied. "I'm not only playin' messenger, but I'm also on assignment from Thorin." It was mostly the truth, but Bofur could tell that there was more to it than that. "On the bright side, if you need any help with the shop, I'm willin' to help. Though it looks like you've got some capable lads in there now." He watched as Will went over to the pile of scrap wood in the corner of the garden so he could start looking through the pieces.
"I'm sure we'll take you up on that offer," Bofur chuckled. "I just hope you don't regret makin' it."
"Oh, Baylee! That looks so pretty on you!"
Baylee bit her lower lip as she looked herself over in the mirror. Standing in the back of Eidel's shop with the seamstress and Primrose, she was finally getting to try on the clothes she had ordered a few weeks ago. So far, she had liked everything she had tried on, even if they were a bit fancier than what she was used to.
But now, as she looked over this last outfit, she found that she had liked it the best. It was fairly simple (more than likely why it was her favorite), consisting of a rich, fitted brown dress with slightly belled sleeves; a warm, golden yellow overdress; and a wide, olive-green sash around her waist. The colors all complemented one another nicely and, when she did a small twirl, the two layers fanned out nicely.
"What do you think o' it, Miss Braddock?" Eidel asked, a bit of amusement in her voice as she watched her do the twirl.
"I really like it," Baylee replied, a smile on her lips and her cheeks a touch pink from the Primrose's compliment. "I think I'd actually like t' keep wearin' this one if that's alright."
At that, Eidel laughed. "O' course it's alright, Miss Braddock—they're your clothes," she told her. "I'll get the rest o' these folded up an' packed away for you." She scooped up the pile of clothes and carried them out of the changing area, leaving the two women alone.
Primrose walked up behind Baylee and started using her fingers to comb through her hair. "Now we just need to get this hair of yours tamed a bit and then you'll be the prettiest innkeeper's daughter in Dale," she grinned.
Baylee snorted. "Uh, I think Adela has an extremely tight hold on that title," she chuckled. "I don't even come close t' how pretty your cousin is."
There was a teasing grin on Primrose's lips as she leaned in close to Baylee's ear. "I'm sure a certain king would like t' disagree with that," she murmured. She giggled as Baylee's cheeks darkened and went back to finger combing her hair. "You know, it's been nearly five years since his wife passed…An' he stills seems like he's quite interested in you…"
She swallowed hard and bit her lower lip again. "I don't know, Prim…I think our chance t' be together has passed. Don't get me wrong, I still care for him a great deal, but he's usually so busy with his kingly duties an' I'm busy with the inn…It's not like before when he was a simple bargeman."
Pouting, Primrose pulled back the top half of Baylee's hair, sectioning it into three parts so she could start braiding it. "The two o' you would be the sweetest couple, you know. Everyone thinks so. And what's better is that his wee ones like you, too!"
'I wasn't good enough for him before, so what would make me good enough now?' she thought. Knowing Primrose would disagree, though, she instead replied with, "We'll just have t' see what fate has in store for us, won't we? You never know—Maybe I'm fated t' end up with someone else."
"I know you know a lot o' men in this town thanks to the inn, Baylee, but I doubt any o' them would make acceptable husbands for a woman o' your status."
She blew a raspberry. "I don't care 'bout a man's status, you know that. I just want someone who'll love me an' who can make me laugh even when I'm not feelin' the best."
"Hm…I do suppose that's not quite Bard," Primrose admitted with a sigh. "Though, he would love you. And you'd be queen—how amazin' would that be, being the queen o' Dale?" A dreamy sigh left her mouth. "You'd get to wear such lovely clothes and get to meet so many interestin' people! You'd even get t' meet the king o' Erebor!"
Baylee snorted. "I'll be meetin' the crown prince soon enough, since those meetings will be held in the Tankard. But from what the lads say, the prince isn't much different from them—just younger an' in finer clothes."
Her brow rising, Primrose pulled a bit of ribbon from her pocket and used it to tie off the braid she had just made. "You've become fast friends with those dwarves, haven't you?" she chuckled. "I know it shouldn't surprise me, given how friendly you are…"
"Well, they've been livin' at the inn for just over a month now," she smiled. She started to lead her out from the changing area. "Not t' mention, Bifur an' Bofur hired my brother, all three help with the cleanin' up on busy nights, an' they help make breakfast some mornings. If anything, they're some of the best guests we've had." Seeing Eidel by the counter with her basket, which was now quite stuffed with clothing, she headed that way. "An' Ori's a sweetheart. Took him a little bit to open up, but he's been just as helpful an' full o' laughter as the other two."
"Really now? That's surprising. I would have thought it was the elves who got that honor." She stood off to the side slightly, waiting for Baylee to pay Eidel the other half of her fee before grabbing her basket and heading off—after giving the seamstress a hefty amount of thanks and praise, of course.
As they stepped outside, Baylee found herself blinking against the sudden increase of light. "The elves are nice, aye, but the lads are nicer. An' Bofur saved me from having some nasty soap burns all along my arms."
Primrose's eyes widened. "You got a bad batch of soap, too?! Adela was telling me just yesterday that poor Aunt Hilda's arms look as red as a freshly cooked crayfish!"
"Mine were, too, until Bofur applied some salve that dwarves use when mining." She hopped over a puddle; normally, she would have simply walked through it, but she didn't want to risk getting her new outfit dirty just yet. "I'm not sure what was in it, aside from chamomile and blackberry leaves, though."
"Hm. Sounds like something your uncle needs to learn how to make." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she led Baylee through the market. "How has Will been liking his new job, by the way?"
"Oh, he absolutely adores it." A broad smile came to her lips. "He comes home every night, exhausted, dirty, an' smiling like there's no tomorrow."
"Aw, that's wonderful to hear! Father was actually thinking about hiring him to build us a deck along the second story, but it seems like he thought on it too long." She glanced down at her friend, glad to see that she seemed to be enjoying her new dress. "Do you know how much longer he'll be working for them…?"
She shook her head. "There's still a lot o' work he needs to do around the place. Right now, they're havin' him focus on the important stuff—structural things, gettin' the doors t' fit more securely, buildin' a new privy…" She grinned as Primrose let out an unladylike snort. "After all that's done, he can start in on the furniture makin' an' then, finally, the small stuff."
"Sounds like he might have at least a year or two's worth of work ahead of him."
"Which is just fine with him," she chuckled. As they rounded the corner to head towards the Full Tankard, her head tilted somewhat when she saw Will, Bifur, Bofur, and Nori walking towards the inn from a different direction. "Huh…Wasn't expectin' to see Master Nori again so soon."
Primrose's brow rose slightly. "Hm? What're you talking about?"
Nodding at the group of males ahead of them, Baylee smiled. "Master Nori's back. He an' Master Dori left not too long ago t' return to Erebor, so I'm just surprised t' see him back already." She then cupped her mouth with one hand and called out, "Oi! You lads better not drink all the ale before we get there!"
The four males stopped and looked over in a mixture of amusement and surprise. They waved and waited by the archway for them to catch up, wanting to be polite.
"I see you three decided t' call it an early day," Baylee chirped when they were close enough. She then looked at Nori, offering him her usual friendly smile. "I'm surprised t' see you back so soon, Master Nori!"
"I'm playing errand boy for Fili," he told her with a chuckle, "though I will be staying a for a while again. I've also been given an assignment by Thorin."
She nodded in understanding, though she was left wondering what sort of position he held that made him get assignments from the king. "Would you like the same room as before? Or, if you'd rather, we do have some single-occupant rooms."
"I think I'll take a single-occupant room this time around," he answered. "Don't have to hear Bofur's snoring from across the hall this time."
Bofur pouted. "Oi, it's Bifur who's the snorer!" he protested, his hands on his hips. "I sleep as quiet as a lamb, I'll have you know!"
The two women cracked up at his retort. "Oh, I'm sure you do, Bofur," Baylee giggled, her brow rising. "You just talk in your sleep instead."
His cheeks turned a little red and he smiled innocently. "Only when I fall asleep at the dinin' table!"
Will's brow rose ever so slightly; a bit of color had come to his sister's cheeks as well. And there was something about the way Bofur smiled at her that seemed almost…shy? "So, judging by Primrose's presence here and that pretty new dress you're wearin', Eidel finished your clothes, hmm?"
"Aye, she did!" Primrose chirped. Like Will, she had noticed how both Baylee and Bofur had turned a bit pink, but she wouldn't mention it—not yet, anyway. "They all fit her perfectly, too, so no need t' wait around for any alterations. We even managed t' get her some colors that aren't yellow, green, or brown, despite her current attire."
"Well, now that's a feat in and o' itself," Will snorted. He then blinked, realizing that neither he nor Baylee had introduced Primrose properly. "Ah, sorry for the rudeness. Masters Bofur, Bifur, an' Nori, this is Primrose Lightfoot, one o' Baylee and mine's oldest friends." As he spoke, Primrose gave a polite curtsy.
In unison, the three dwarves bowed and said, "At your service!"
"It's nice t' finally meet you," Primrose smiled. "Baylee's been tellin' me about you lot."
Bifur feigned a look of concern. "I hope she's not told you any o' the bad stuff."
"Like how we nearly burnt the kitchen down," Bofur said, also feigning solemnness.
"Or how we broke one o' the best tables," Bifur added.
"Or how we drank until we passed out in the common room," Nori said with an affirmative nod.
Laughing, Baylee rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright—any more o' that and you may have her convinced you're not good patrons." Shaking her head, she glanced at Primrose and Will to find them snickering at the dwarves' antics. "Well, it's a bit late for lunch an' a bit early for dinner…why don't we head inside an' I'll get you lads something to snack on?"
"Sounds good t' me," Bifur grinned.
"Ooh, I wonder if there's any of your fruit bread left?" Primrose thought aloud. "It's been a while since I've had some of that."
Baylee smiled. "If there is any left, I'll be sure t' give you priority with it," she told her as the group started to walk towards the door.
Entering the inn, they were greeted by a nearly empty common room; the elves had left a few days ago, leaving the inn nice and quiet for the time being. Looking over at the bar, Will saw Warren standing behind it, cleaning tankards. His father smiled and waved at them while Baylee and Primrose separated from the group, the latter going to her usual spot by the window and the former heading into the kitchen.
"You lot are back early," he commented. "I take it the plastering went well, then?"
"Aye, Will's friends had everything done in just a few hours," Bifur replied with a smile. "We'll definitely be hirin' them when it comes time to do the last wall an' the upstairs."
"Well, they've plastered so many walls over the years, it'd be a surprise if they weren't fast at it," Will chuckled. Rounding the bar, he went over to the guest book. "How long will you be stayin' with us, Nori?"
"Ah, that I'm not too sure about, admittedly," Nori answered. "Hm. Put me down for three weeks. If I need t' stay longer, I'll just give you more gold." He looked around the common room, though he saw neither hide nor hair of his little brother. "I see Ori's out an' about on his own."
Warren chuckled. "He was, but now he's up on the third-floor terrace with a mug o' cider and his sketchbook.
Nori shook his head, chuckling. "That definitely sounds like Ori." He glanced over at Will as he saw him stand upright.
"Alright, I've got you written down for three weeks in room eight," he said, putting the quill back in the inkwell. "I'll have one o' the lasses get it ready for you."
"Will would do it himself, but he never makes beds," Warren joked. "Can't even make his own."
His cheeks turning a bit pink, Will pouted. "I'll have you know I know how t' make a bed quite well, thank you very much! I just prefer t' nest when I sleep and it's hard t' nest when your bed is made."
Bofur laughed, his brow rising. "Ah, I have t' agree with you on that. Making a bed-nest is so much easier when the blankets an' sheet aren't tucked in."
"I wasn't aware that I had a bunch o' birds staying under my roof," Warren laughed. He glanced over at the kitchen, seeing Baylee coming out with two trays of food. It was then he noticed that she wasn't wearing the clothes she had left in that morning. "Oh! I see you're wearin' one of your new outfits, 'Lee! Give us a spin so we can get a proper look!"
Bofur fully expected Baylee to set the trays down and then do a small spin like her father requested. Instead, however, she twirled around on one foot with the trays barely moving on her palms and her stride hardly being broken. As she spun, her skirts fanned out around her ankles and his head tilted ever so slightly; the brown and yellow of her dress combined with her freckled skin and her smile greatly reminded him of a sunflower.
"The prettiest sunflower I ever did see," he murmured, completely unaware that both Will and Nori had heard him.
Will's brow rose and he glanced over at Warren to see if he had heard what Bofur said. Finding that he hadn't, he chuckled quietly to himself. 'Is Bofur getting a crush on Baylee?' he thought, watching as his sister put the trays down on the lads' table. Stealing a glance down at Bofur, he could see that he, too, was watching Baylee and his head was still tilted. 'With how hard he had been making her laugh the other day, they do have the potential to be an adorable match…And they certainly get along well enough.'
As he happened to look over at Nori, Nori met his gaze, a small grin on his lips. Subtly, he raised a hand and signed, He seems fairly enamored, doesn't he?
With a grin on his lips, he nodded in agreement before looking over at Warren as his father nudged him.
"You lads go on ahead," Nori told Bofur and Bifur. "I'm going t' go see Ori, let him know I'll be here for a while. Shouldn't take me too long." After getting clapped on the shoulder, he made his way towards the stairs.
Reaching the third floor, he found himself a bit surprised by how similar it looked to the second floor: There was a walkway leading from the stairs to the far end of the building with rooms lined up on one side while the other side was open to the floors below. Going over to the railing, he peeked over in time to see Baylee bringing some drinks over to Bifur and Bofur.
'Bofur is definitely enamored by her,' he thought, a small grin coming to his lips once more. 'That's good, though…If he's getting a crush, it means Aulë's giving him a second shot at love. Not many dwarrows get even one chance at love.' Shaking his head, he stepped away from the balustrade only to walk alongside it. He reached the end and turned right, following the path to a door that led out onto a covered terrace.
Once outside, he found his brother standing against the railing, his sketchbook in hand and his pencil moving along the page rather quickly. He waited a few minutes, wanting to wait for a moment when Ori paused in his work, but it never came. So, instead, he cleared his throat and, finally, his brother lifted his head.
"Hm?" Looking over his shoulder, Ori's eyes widened and he let out a small curse. "N-Nori, what're you doing back already?" he stammered, putting his pencil down and closing his sketchbook.
"A couple o' reasons, actually. Firstly, I'm on an assignment from Thorin," he told him with a chuckle. Walking over, he rested his arms on the rail and looked down over the city. "I'm also here t' deliver a message from Fili—ah, bugger. I should have done that while I was downstairs." He shrugged. "Oh well. I've got plenty o' time."
Ori's brow rose and he found himself skeptical of his brother's answer. "Fili asked you to deliver a message here?" he questioned, his voice betraying the skepticism.
He nodded. "Aye. Like I said, I'm here on assignment from Thorin, so while I was at the palace, the lad asked me so he wouldn't have to bother one of the couriers." It was the truth, of course, though there was more to it than that—but he wasn't about to tell that to his little brother.
"What kind o' message does Fili need you t' deliver to the Tankard?"
"A room reservation for those meetings in a few weeks." He shrugged, turning around so that his back and elbows rested against the railing. "You're rather inquisitive today, aren't you?" He chuckled and reached over, tousling his hair.
"Not inquisitive. Just wary," he replied, his nose and eyes scrunching up as he tried to bat Nori's hand away. "I know you're Thorin's spymaster an' all, but you have had your slipups over the last few years…I just don't want you here because o' them."
A bit of guilt came to Nori's stomach, though he pouted. "I'll have you know that I haven't done anything illegal in ages. Dubious? Aye, plenty o' that due t' the nature o' my job. But never illegal. An' if I was wanting to lay low, I wouldn't stay here. The Braddocks have been good t' us; I wouldn't want t' sully their reputation."
Seemingly satisfied with this answer, Ori nodded and let out a small sigh. "Alright then. But if I find out you've done something—"
"Again, I wouldn't be stayin' at this inn if I had done something." He shook his head; Ori had every right to be suspicious, especially given his extra colorful past. "You worry too much, khînadad. I'm not that person anymore—you should know that."
His brow rose. "Unless you're drunk and around a gaggle of equally drunk, pretty human women…"
At that, Nori snorted. "Nothing illegal about having some fun in bed with a lass or three," he grinned. Then, shaking his head, he looked over his shoulder and towards Erebor. "How've you been enjoying your stay here?" he asked after a few minutes.
"I've…really enjoyed it, actually," he admitted. "It's been strange, not having you or Dori around, but at the same time, it's been really refreshin'. I can go wherever I like, do whatever I want t' do…Most days, I help Miss Baylee take lunch t' Bofur an' Bifur. Oh, and those two are even commissioning me t' help design their shop's sign and a mural for the main room!"
His brows rose as he looked back at his little brother, a grin on his lips. "Is that so? Well, well, well…khînadad's first real job!" Reaching over, he gently punched Ori's shoulder. "Dori's going t' be proud when he hears about this."
Ori's cheeks turned bright pink, but he wore a shy smile as he put his sketchbook back in its holster. "It's been fun," he told him. "Miss Baylee's even shown me where they keep the tea so I can help myself. Of-of course I make sure t' pay them for it! I don't just keep refilling without paying…"
Nori couldn't help but laugh and roll his eyes. "Khînadad, if there was just one person in this world who would never steal, it'd be you."