A/N: Sorry for the late upload. Fanfic dot net has been having some issues making it hard to upload. The website also has been failing to let me know when i get comments, so I'm sorry I haven't replied as much lately. But with all that in mind, I'd like to remind everyone that I also upload over on AO3~
Half an hour later found Bofur and Baylee leaving the crafting district. With a bit of help from Bofur, Baylee and Cynyr agreed on a design that would take one of the existing spears and modify it for her. However, the modifications would take all day to complete, so she would have to either come back tomorrow or have it delivered.
"Oh, it is so nice to be away from all those hammering sounds," she sighed in relief. "It was startin' t' feel like there was a tiny hammer in my ears, just goin' crazy."
He gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, lass. I guess I should have brought some waxed fiber t' put in our ears. That would've helped a lot."
"It's fine," she assured him. "I'm sure neither o' us expected t' be there as long as we were." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with her free hand; once again, the two of them had held hands as they made their way back from the smithing district. Though it seemed neither was quite ready to unclasp the other's hand just yet. "Well, with that done an' over with, where will you be takin' me next?" There was excitement in her voice, which only made Bofur's chest fill with warmth again.
"I was thinkin' the market. That way, you could, hopefully, get some ideas for a present for Will." He glanced over at her, smiling. "Unless, o' course, you were startin' to feel hungry. If that were the case, we could head over t' the Ur mansion."
Baylee thought for a moment. She was starting to feel a bit peckish, which she knew would soon turn into outright hunger. "Hmm…I am startin' to feel a little bit hungry," she admitted. "So maybe lunch first?"
He let out a small laugh. "If I'm bein' honest, I was hoping you'd say that. I've been feelin' mighty hungry ever since we arrived."
"Why didn't you say anything, you silly dwarf?" she laughed. "I would have happily gone t' get food before goin' t' get the spear!"
There was an innocent smile on his lips as he shrugged. "The whole reason we're here is for that spear," he told her. "I figured it'd be best t' get that out o' the way. Anyway, it's not like I'm starvin'—I'm just eager t' eat some o' that soda bread, even if it means fightin' the wee badgers t' get a piece."
She snorted. "If you'd like, I could balance the basket on my head—they won't be able t' reach it there."
He let out a hearty laugh, his brow rising. "Sadly, lass, you're wrong about that. Sanna, the second youngest, is a bit o' a climber. She'll find whoever's tallest in the room an' climb up them like a squirrel does a tree." His smile suddenly faded a little bit.
"Is somethin' wrong?" she asked, concern coming to her features.
"Oh, no, no—I just remembered that Buruz, Grid, an' Sanna aren't exactly fluent in Westron yet," he explained. "They understand it well enough—well, Buruz an' Grid do—but speakin' it is still hard for them, since they're young yet. But that shouldn't be much o' a problem, since you know Iglishmêk." He looked over at her, a mischievous grin now coming to his lips. "Come t' think o' it, you're going t' be the first human they've ever met."
Her head tilted in curiosity. "Really?"
"Mhm. An' they're goin' t' be mighty surprised t' find out you know Iglishmêk. As far as they know, it's like Khuzdul: Meant only for us dwarves t' use."
"I didn't know Khuzdul was meant t' be spoken only by dwarves."
He nodded. "Aye. Mahal crafted it for our tongues an' our tongues alone. Iglishmêk, however, can be used by anyone, though it's mostly used by us." He brushed one of his braids over his shoulder. "But, aye. You'll be the first human those three have met. Baraz, Berez, Biriz, and Boroz, though, have all met humans. But being that it's the middle o' the day, I don't think most o' the badgers will home. They'd be off at their lessons. Buruz, Grid, an' Sanna will probably be the only three you get t' meet today."
"What age do lessons start for dwarves?" she questioned. By now, Bofur was leading her down a quieter side street; there were less dwarves here and most of the ones they did see were young children playing about.
"Ten. Buruz is only nine, Grid's seven, an' Sanna's five, so it'll be a while yet before they get t' know the joy o' sittin' through lessons." He quietly laughed, shaking his head. "An' aye, Sanna's a climber. So, I apologize in advance for when she warms up t' you an' starts climbin' all over you."
She quietly giggled. "It's alright. Bain was a climber when he was a wee thing, too. Though, I was just the steppin' stool for him t' get onto Will or papa's shoulders."
Bofur snorted, his brow rising. "That's not hard t' believe," he chuckled. "Them bein' giants and all." Still laughing, he glanced down at their hands. his cheeks turned a bit pink when he realized that he was still holding onto hers; being that she hadn't tried to pull her hand away yet, though, he said nothing. "T' be honest, I don't know if they'd be able t' stand upright if ever they visited the Ur mansion. It's got tall ceilings, aye, but I'm not sure they're that tall."
"I'm sure if ever they visited, they wouldn't mind havin' to lean over a wee bit," she assured him with a laugh. "It's the doorways they're goin' t' have to be careful around!"
"Aye, that's true," he grinned. "They're a wee bit lower than those beams in your cellar, that's for certain, an' we know what Will's record with those is."
Silence then fell between them—not an awkward or tense silence, but a content one. Bofur would occasionally steal a peek at Baylee to find her looking around, wonder on her features. Aside from the initial awe of first seeing the enormity of one of their cities, he had never seen a human so interested in a dwarven city. Nor had he ever met a human who was so interested in dwarvish culture; but given how her father was apprenticed to a dwarf and a half dwarf cared for her in her youth, he knew he shouldn't have been surprised.
'She's practically a dwarf by association,' he thought with a small chuckle.
Soon enough, the pair was stepping through the door of the Ur mansion only to be greeted by the smell of something delicious cooking. At this point, Bofur let go of her hand so that they could remove their cloaks and hang them up on the hooks beside the door.
"Anyone home?" he called out. "Sure smells like it!"
"Bofur!" they heard a deep, feminine voice reply. At the end of the hall, Baylee watched as a lovely, auburn-haired dwarrow dame stepped in from another room. The dame's eyes widened in surprise, but a pleasant smile came to her lips and she started to walk towards them. "Oh! I see you've brought a guest!" When she was close enough, Bofur walked forward and gave her a big hug. Then, as he stepped away, Gerdi put her hands on her hips and looked Baylee over. "Judging by your lack of beard and lack of height, you're the lass Bifur an' Bofur have been telling us about."
Her cheeks turned a bit pink, but Baylee smiled and curtseyed. "Baylee Braddock, at your service," she said. Then, holding the basket out, she added, "An' I've brought your family some soda bread."
"Oh, thank you!" A broad grin came to her lips as she took the basket and, moving the cloth aside, inspected the contents. "I was only able to get one piece of the fruit bread Bofur brought us last time, so you can bet that I'll be takin' advantage o' most everyone bein' out or asleep right now."
"Ahh, Grid, Sanna, an' Buruz are down for their naps, then?" Bofur chuckled.
She nodded. "Yes. They went down just twenty minutes ago, so it'll be a while before they wake. Which is perfect, since it means Sanna won't be crawlin' all over you."
"Bofur made sure to warn me about that," Baylee told her. "An' I told him it was fine; my own nephew was a wee bit o' a climber when he was her age." She found it hard to not stare at all the jewelry Gerdi wore; she was certain there had to have been at least twenty pounds worth of gold and gems strewn around her neck, around her wrists, and in her hair. "They just like t' feel tall at that age, I suppose."
Gerdi laughed and nodded in agreement. "Ah, yes, that's so true…have you two eaten by the way?"
"That's actually why we're here," Bofur admitted with a cheeky grin. "I knew you an' Bombur would have somethin' tasty simmerin' away, so I offered t' introduce Baylee here t' both you an' your wonderful cooking."
"Well, then, right this way, you two!" Still smiling, she turned and started back down the hallway. As she turned, the two could see she had a child strapped to her back—Edda. She had a mass of gingery curls atop her head with gingery fuzz on the edges of her cheeks and her brown eyes were wide as she watched the world around her.
"Ooh, now isn't she just adorable?" Baylee cooed.
"Aye, isn't she?" Bofur agreed. "She's got her mum's eyes an' nose an' her dad's hair an' chubby cheeks."
At that, Gerdi snorted. "Bofur!" She looked over her shoulder at him. "She's a healthy dwarven child—o' course she's going to have chubby cheeks!" Shaking her head, she led the two to the end of the hall, where she turned left into the kitchen.
Baylee's eyes widened slightly; this kitchen was even bigger than the Tankard's! There was an enormous fireplace to their left, but in place of the cooking hearth she was used to seeing, there was an enormous iron box. Its top was flat with, from what she could see, removable disks dotted across it. On its front, there were three doors: At either end, the doors were solid and she recognized them to be smaller versions of the large oven door she was used to. In the center of the contraption was the third door, this one grated with a coal fire burning away behind it. What also took her by surprise was, directly across from the thing was an enormous window.
Bofur lightly nudged her, drawing her out of her thoughts. "Feelin' a bit envious, lass?" he teased.
"Wh-what is that?" she questioned, her head tilting.
"Hm? It's a coal stove," he explained. Then, remembering that humans didn't have stoves like dwarves and hobbits, he chuckled. "Ah, that's right, humans don't really have these."
Gerdi glanced over at them. "You've never seen a coal stove before? That's a shame! They're wonderous things, really. Not only can you use your pots and pans on them, but you can bake an' roast things at the same time!"
"How does it work?" Baylee questioned, letting Bofur lead her over to it so she could get a better look.
"You've got a central fire here in the middle," Bofur began, "that's usually made o' coal or wood; we prefer coal, since it's so abundant here. The back o' the stove is connected t' a chimney that, like a normal chimney, helps the airflow an' keeps it safe t' use—you need good ventilation with these things, since burnin' coal can be deadly without it. Anyway, the fire heats up the air inside the stove an' it circulates around an' around, maintainin' a relatively steady temperature with help from the chimney's flue.
"On top here, you've got these things call hot plates. Like their name suggests, they're hot—even though the whole top is hot, really. But you put your pans an' pots on these for cookin'. The hottest ones are in the middle while the coolest ones are on the sides. If you want t' heat things up quicker, you can use this hook here—" he pointed at a hook that hung on the wall, "—to lift the plate up an' put the pot or pan directly over the heat."
She nodded slowly as she listened to him, watching as he pointed out the various parts and demonstrated how the air current moved around inside the thing. "What Galiene, auntie, an' me wouldn't give t' have one o' these back at the Tankard…" she murmured, making the two dwarves laugh.
"If your chimney is sturdy enough," Gerdi said as she walked over to them with two bowls in hand, "then it shouldn't be much o' a problem commissioning one—if your father allows it, o' course." Setting one bowl down, she used a ladle to begin filling the other with a white soup. "There are a few downsides to it, of course, with the main one bein' that it's hot. You have t' be careful around it, lest you accidentally burn yourself. An' Bofur's already told you the downside t' using coal if your ventilation is poor. Bofur, be a sweetheart an' get some drinks for you an' the lass?"
He nodded, moving to go grab some mugs. "What would you like, lass? We've got all the same drinks as the Tankard."
Finding it a bit odd and humorous that she was the one being served for once, she replied with, "Cider, please. What kind o' soup is this?"
"Sausage soup," Gerdi answered, handing her the now-full bowl. "It's got spicy sausage, bacon, onion, potatoes, kale, chicken stock, an' cream in it. Along with seasonings, o' course."
"It smells an' sounds delicious! I don't think I've ever had a pale soup that had sausage as an ingredient." She watched as dwarrow dame pulled a spoon from her apron and put it into the bowl.
"Oh, then you're missin' out," Gerdi chuckled. "It's surprising how much flavor sausage can bring t' a milder broth—especially if you've got a spicy type o' sausage." Her brow rose as she heard Bofur snort loudly. "Bofur, I know you're not having dirty thoughts back there," she said, her tone was a bit on the scolding side.
"Me? Havin' dirty thoughts? Why Gerdi, I didn't know you thought so lowly o' me!" Bofur proclaimed, wearing a cheeky grin. He laughed, fending off a dishtowel as Gerdi started to playfully smack him with it.
Baylee quietly giggled as she made her way over to the table, which was under the massive window. Though she knew she was in a dwarf's home, she couldn't help but find it odd that the table and chairs fit her height. Normally, her feet would be dangling an inch or two off the ground or the table would be sitting more level with her lower chest than her mid-stomach. Even better was that, as she turned to look out of the window, she didn't have to sit up straighter in order to get the best view.
Gathering up a spoonful of the soup, she lightly blew on it so that it wouldn't scald her mouth. As she did such, Bofur walked over, their drinks in one hand and his bowl in the other. He set her cider next to her bowl and she thanked him before popping the spoon into her mouth.
Gerdi came over and sat down beside Bofur; both saw that she had brought Edda out of the wrap and the child was now resting against her shoulder. She had moved the wrap so that it covered her shoulder and a good portion of her many necklaces, not wanting any of the gold to accidentally pinch her daughter's cheeks or fingers. "Judging by how dry the two of you are, I take it you got here before the rain started?"
Baylee nodded. "Aye. It got here while we were stabling our steeds," she answered before taking another bite of the soup. It was both creamy and spicy, a combination she wasn't used to, but was quickly coming to enjoy.
"We're hopin' it lightens up a bit before we leave," Bofur added. "Which won't be for a few hours yet, since I plan on showin' her around a bit more."
"Hmm…I hope it lightens up, too, though, from what I can see, that's not very likely," Gerdi said. "I hope Thorin an' Fili didn't get caught out in it."
"What were they doin' out o' the mountain?" Bofur asked. He took a drink of his ale and looked out of the window; though it looked east, he could see a bit of the sky to the south. Just the sight of the rainstorm made him feel cold.
"They had to go to Ravenhill," she answered. A small smile came to her lips as she watched her brother-in-law reach over and tickle Edda's cheek. "Roäc finally passed on, so they went to renew the Old Treaties with his daughter, Arcah."
"A shame, that. Roäc was a friendly bugger despite his old age," Bofur said with a small frown. Seeing the look of confusion on Baylee's face, he gave her an apologetic smile. "Roäc was the leader o' the ravens at Ravenhill," he explained. "They act as messengers for the royal family."
She nodded in understanding. "That makes sense," she chuckled. Then, looking at Gerdi, she said, "This soup is delicious, by the way! I've never tasted anythin' like it."
A proud smile came to Gerdi's lips. "I'm glad you enjoy it, dear," she chirped. "It's one I always like t' make on rainy days like this. It warms both the body an' the soul while filling the stomach."
"It most certainly does," the human heartily agreed before eating more of it.
Shifting Edda around slightly so that she now cradled the child in the crook of her arm, Gerdi glanced at Bofur again. "How is yours an' Bifur's shop coming along?"
He hurriedly finished chewing a bit of sausage and potato so he could answer her. "It's comin' along real well! Almost all o' the renovation work is done on the building itself thanks to Baylee's brother an' all his craftsmen friends. We're just waitin' on the nice wood t' arrive so he can get started on buildin' the furniture. Oh, an' the glass an' metal bits for the new window we're puttin' in."
"I hope that tarp you've got coverin' the hole is able t' hold back this weather," Baylee commented.
He nodded in agreement. "Aye. But, if it's not, Bifur an' Will are there t' do something about it, at least." Once more, he reached over to tickle Edda, this time going for her little foot. "But aye, it's going well. My guess is in another two weeks or so, dependin' on how fast Will is at makin' the shelves an' tables." A grin came to his lips as Edda made a noise and started to kick her feet.
"I know humans can be pretty fast when it comes to working with wood; almost as fast as dwarves with metal," Gerdi chuckled, her brow rising as she looked down at the squirming child.
"It might take him a little longer at first, as it's been a few years since he's made furniture as opposed t' repairin' it," Baylee said, "but I remember him being able t' get basic tables made in about a day. Basic chairs, he can get three or four in a day…We don't really have display shelves like the shop's going t' have, so I'm not sure how long those would take him, but I'd guess around day for those, too. Maybe half a day if they're short."
"Oh, that's a lot faster than I was expectin'!" Bofur laughed. "I was thinkin' it'd take him a few days for a set o' shelves or a table!" As he looked back at her, Gerdi noticed how his expression had softened a bit.
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, Baylee reached for her tankard. "Ah, don't worry. Most people think that. But if the woodworker has sharp chisels, a good lathe, an' brains, they can whip furniture out real fast. If you're wantin' something more ornate, though, like the banquet tables at the Tankard, then you're talking at least three days, but that's because he comes up with custom designs for them as well as carves details into them."
"Ahh…Well, I don't think Bifur an' me are needin' any carved details, so there will be some time saved." He popped a spoonful of soup into his mouth, savoring the mixture of its flavor and its heat. Looking out of the window again, he could see even darker clouds peeking out from behind one of the mountain's arms; he started to wonder if they'd be forced to stay the night in Erebor. 'We've plenty of guest rooms if that's the case,' he thought.
The trio fell silent for a while, Gerdi staying quiet in order to let Bofur and Baylee eat. She knew how pleasant it could be to just enjoy a meal without needing to speak—it was such a rare thing in the Ur mansion, though, she didn't get to experience it much anymore. But when she saw that their bowls were nearly empty, she spoke again.
"Would either o' you like seconds?" she asked, starting to stand up.
"Oh, aye—an' thirds an' fourths," Bofur grinned. "I'll trade you, bowl for baby." All too happily, he reached up and carefully took his niece from Gerdi's arms. "Hello there, my littlest badger," he cooed.
Gerdi laughed and lightly shook her head. "What about you, dear? Would you like seconds?" she asked Baylee.
"Oh, no thank you," she replied. "As delicious as it is, I'm not sure my stomach could handle much more."
"She's got a tiny human stomach," Bofur lightly teased. "Come t' think o' it, I think that's the most food I've seen you eat in one sitting, lass." He grinned as a playful pout came to her lips.
She cocked her brow, handing her bowl over to Gerdi while thanking her. "You don't see me constantly snackin' throughout the day whenever I'm fetchin' orders," she told him with a small laugh.
"Aye, I'll admit that that's true," he chuckled, admitting defeat. Carefully adjusting Edda, he rested his elbows on the table while holding the child on his forearms. Edda looked up at him, her eyes still wide as she tried to focus on his unfamiliar face. "You have the biggest eyes o' any bairn I've ever seen," he cooed, his voice surprisingly soft. "Bet it doesn't help you're wonderin' who this stranger is that's holdin' you, does it?"
Edda grunted, her little hands curled into fists as she fidgeted slightly. Being only a few weeks old, she didn't really have much control over her limbs. Bofur leaned over, nuzzling his nose against her chubby cheek; she squirmed a bit more and nearly went cross-eyed as she attempted to focus on him.
A soft smile came to Baylee's face as she watched Bofur interact with his niece. For some reason, the sight made her insides feel as if they were melting a bit. 'He's being so gentle with her,' she thought. 'Even more gentle than when he was putting that salve stuff on my arms.' Though she wanted to reach over and gently tickle Edda's cheek, she resisted; she knew it was more than a little impolite to touch a near-stranger's child without their consent. 'He'd make a good father someday…almost makes me wonder if Rán is any good with children.' Her cheeks turned a bit pink at the thought.
"Here you go, Bofur," Gerdi said, bringing over his refilled bowl. She was sure to place it far enough away that Edda wouldn't accidentally knock it over should one of her limbs flail. At the moment, however, her daughter was attempting to reach for his mustache, though her arms weren't quite doing what she wanted, making her grunt in frustration.
"Thank you, love," Bofur chirped. He leaned in a bit closer to Edda. "Here, let me make it a wee bit easier for you," he told her when he saw her struggling to both extend her arms and open her fingers. A tender smile came to his lips when she was finally able to grab hold of his mustache; he wasn't worried about her pulling on it too hard just yet. "There you go! You just needed a wee bit o' help, didn't you?"
"Was Bofur like this when all o' your children were newborns?" Baylee asked with a small chuckle.
"It took him until Biriz to get really comfortable around them, but he was the complete opposite o' what you're seeing when Baraz was born," Gerdi replied. Having brought over some tea for herself, she took a sip of it. "He was utterly terrified o' the wee thing! Can't blame him much, though—it was the first time he had been around a newborn."
"Bifur was a natural, o' course, since he was used t' being around kids. But I was a nervous wreck," Bofur laughed. "I was terrified that I was goin' t' drop the wee lad or hurt him somehow."
Baylee smiled, nodding understanding. "I'm fairly certain that's a fear most people have when holdin' a newborn for the first time. I know Will an' me were jittery wrecks when we held Bain for the first time."
"Will's large enough, I'm sure he could have held the lad in just his hand," Bofur joked.
She snorted, her brow rising. "He's not that big. Though, he might be able t' hold little Edda there in just his hand."
"If he's as big as Bofur claimed he was, I don't doubt that," Gerdi smiled, her brow also lifting. "How tall is he compared t' you?"
Baylee thought for a moment. "I think there's about four inches between the top o' my head and his shoulder," she answered. She watched as Gerdi's eyes widened and her jaw go slightly slack.
"And Baylee here is the older twin," Bofur grinned. He nuzzled his nose against Edda's, feeling her little hands let go of his mustache in favor of trying to grab his face.
"Was your mother a tiny human, too?" Gerdi questioned, trying to wrap her head around someone being that tall.
Baylee shook her head. "She was about a head taller than me. We joke that I didn't get t' bake long enough, but Will got an extra hour, so he came out nice an' tall."
"I still say you're just a wee bit under-proofed," Bofur stated, tone matter-of-fact, "an' Will's over-proofed. Neither o' which is a bad thing in your cases. Though, it does make for some rather hilarious moments when you're tryin' t' scold the lad for something." Kissing Edda's forehead, he finally handed her back to her mother so he could eat more soup; the sight had made Baylee's insides grow warm once more. "Mostly because you have t' climb on a table t' be eye-level with him."
"And even that still doesn't work," she grinned.
"Bof?" A tiny voice from the doorway caught their attention and, as the three looked over, they saw Sanna standing there, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with one hand while the other clutched a doll to her chest. She had shoulder-length, auburn curls like her mother and her cheeks were covered in soft, auburn fuzz. "Irak'adad Bof!" she squealed upon seeing that it was her uncle at the table.
Bofur barely had time to set his spoon down and turn to catch her as she rushed forward. Laughing, he gave her a big hug. "Why, hello there, little badger!" He then blinked as Sanna promptly took his hat from his head and plopped it atop her own. "You lil' thief."
Baylee quietly giggled at the sight; she remembered Bofur telling her how much Sanna enjoyed stealing his hat and how it was adorable to see her try to wear it.
Gerdi started to speak to Sanna in Khuzdul, her tone a bit scolding. She then wagged a stern finger at the little girl, who merely continued to wear a big grin as she clung onto her uncle. Then, remembering that they had company, Gerdi sighed. "My apologies; Sanna doesn't know much Westron, so we have t' use Khuzdul when speaking with her."
"It's quite alright," Baylee assured her with a smile. "I understand completely."
Turning slightly to see who her mother was speaking to, Sanna's eyes widened as she saw the human. She whipped right back around and asked Bofur something—more than likely, asking who she was, Baylee thought.
Bofur answered his niece in Khuzdul, though Baylee recognized the word 'Iglishmêk'. Both Sanna and Gerdi seemed confused by his reply but, her curiosity getting the better of her, Sanna turned around once more.
'Who are you?' she signed.
Baylee smiled, signing back, 'My name is Baylee. I'm a friend of your uncle's.'
Both Sanna and Gerdi stared at her with wide, shocked eyes. Bofur grinned broadly as the two dwarrow dames looked at him, confused.
"You didn't tell me she knew Iglishmêk!" Gerdi gawked, making both Bofur and Baylee laugh.
"I wanted it t' be a surprise so I could see how shocked you'd get," Bofur snickered. He let go of Sanna for a few seconds, letting her turn around on his lap so she could face their guest—as well as steal a bite of his soup.
'Where's your beard?' she signed with one hand, the other gripping Bofur's spoon as she went in for a second bite.
'I'm a human. Human women don't have beards.' She giggled when Sanna's brows furrowed in confusion.
'How do you know Iglishmêk?'
'I had a nanny when I was your age who had no voice. She taught my whole family Iglishmêk.'
"Was your nanny a dwarf?" Gerdi questioned, watching their conversation. Part of her wanted to scold her daughter for being so inquisitive, but Baylee didn't seem to mind in the least. "I ask because I've never heard of any human knowing our sign language until now."
"She's a half-dwarf, actually," Baylee told her. As she spoke, she signed the same thing to Sanna.
'There are half-dwarves?'
'There are at least two in the world. My old nanny is one and there is another one staying at my family's inn.'
At the mention of Rán, Bofur's brows furrowed and he frowned; Baylee didn't see it because her focus was on Sanna. Gerdi, however, did see it and made a note to question him about it later.
'What's an inn?'
'It's like a big house with lots and lots of rooms. People who are traveling can pay to get a good meal and to sleep in one of the rooms. A lot of times, when people don't feel like cooking, they'll go to an inn and get their dinner there.'
'Fili and Kili do that! They come here a lot because mama and papa always have food cooking.'
Gerdi chuckled and lightly shook her head. She said something to Sanna, making the girl pout. "I'm sorry for her inquisitiveness. You're the first human she's met, so she's extra curious."
"I warned her that she'd be the first human Buruz, Grid, an' Sanna would meet so she could be a wee bit prepared," Bofur said. He managed to get his spoon back from his niece so he could eat some of his soup.
"And I don't mind answerin' her questions," Baylee chuckled.
"Well, if she gets too pesky, feel free t' tell her such. She can sometimes be too curious."
'How tall are you?'
'Not very tall for a human. I'm only a few inches taller than your uncle.'
At that, Sanna frowned in confusion. 'But humans are supposed to be really tall!'
'My twin brother took all the height. He's really tall. He wouldn't be able to stand up in here.'
The little girl's eyes widened as she looked up at the ceiling. It was a good six feet tall, which was gigantic to her. Now knowing that there was a human taller than the ceiling left her in awe—so much so, that her hands fell 'silent'.
Outside, there was a flash of light, making them all look out of the window. The dark clouds were still off in the distance, but it had started to ran harder. About a minute and a half later, they could hear the faint sound of thunder outside.
"An' that's what I was afraid o'," Bofur sighed, a frown on his lips. "I think we're going t' have t' stay the night here, lass." He looked at Baylee, an apologetic expression on his face. "I don't think it'd be very safe for us t' travel back in a thunderstorm."
She nodded in agreement. "Aye, it'd be a bit foolish. Especially since there isn't much in the way o' cover."
"You don't mind, do you?" he then asked. "I mean, I know you weren't exactly plannin' on staying so long…An' it's not like we'd make you go t' one o' the inns. You could stay in one o' the guestrooms here. Mahal knows we've got enough."
"I don't mind at all," she smiled. "If anything, it means we don't have t' rush t' do anything."
He smiled, the look a bit softer than usual. "Aye, that's true," he chuckled. "Though, now that this little badger is awake, there's a chance she's goin' t' try to tag along with us."
Gerdi nodded. "Bofur is her favorite person," she explained, "so whenever he's here for a visit, she tends t' cling to him and be a nuisance." Then, seeing Sanna reaching for her uncle's spoon again, she gave her another light scolding in Khuzdul.
"Ah, she's not a nuisance," Bofur grinned. Lifting her up slightly, he blew a raspberry against her cheek, making her squeal and squirm. A mischievous grin came to his lips and he started to whisper in her ear.
Her eyes widening and a grin coming to her lips, Sanna nodded. As Bofur told her something else, she nodded again before looking at Baylee. 'Do you want to go see our garden?' she signed.
Baylee's head tilted in curiosity; there were gardens in the mountain? 'You have a garden?'
'Yes! We have two, but I can only show you one because of the storm.'
Glancing at Bofur, Baylee saw that he still wore the mischievous smile. She wondered just what he was up to, so she decided it was best to play along with whatever potential prank this was going to be. 'Alright, I would love to see your garden then.'
Sanna giggled and slid off Bofur's lap before going over to Baylee. As the human stood up, Sanna grabbed her sleeve and started to lead her off.
"That'll keep the wee lassie occupied for a while," Bofur snickered, speaking in Khuzdul now. "And it means Baylee gets to see glow-shrooms."
Gerdi cocked her brow. "She's never seen a glow-shroom?"
He shook his head, chewing a bite of soup. "Humans don't really know about them. And, to be honest, I don't think most would really care even if they did know." Reaching for his mug, he took a long drink from it. "But Baylee likes plants. I thought about taking her to a glow-shroom farm so she can see all the different types we've got down here. But that was when I was expecting us to only stay here about an hour at most."
She nodded slowly in understanding and, pulling the wrap from her shoulder, started to wrap Edda to her front. "There is something I wanted to ask you about, by the way."
"Hmm? What would that be?"
"Earlier, when she told Sanna about the half dwarf staying at her family's inn, you…didn't seem to like that very much. Is there something wrong with that half-dwarf?"
Bofur was quiet for a minute, lifting the bowl and drinking some of the broth straight from it. Setting it back down, he let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair. "There is, but at the same time, there isn't. He's…" He rubbed the side of his neck, trying to think of the best way to tell Gerdi the news about him finding his Second Chance. A defeated chuckle left his mouth and he shrugged, a halfhearted smile coming to his lips. "I guess the best way to say it is the most straightforward way: Baylee's my Second Chance and that half-dwarf is my romantic rival."
Gerdi's eyes widened and her jaw fell completely slack as she stared at her brother-in-law. After a moment, she shook her head and managed to compose herself. "Y-you're serious? You've been blessed with a Second Chance?" Bofur nodded and she leaned back in her seat, pausing in her wrap-arranging. "But, Bofur, you've only known the lass for a few months. Are you certain she's your Second Chance?"
He nodded, chewing another bite of soup. "I'm positive. The way Kaia made me feel…Baylee makes me feel the same way. Lately, I've been wondering if what I feel for her is stronger than what I felt for Kaia. But the problem is that me and the half-dwarf both fancy her and she fancies both of us." He closed his eyes for a moment, sighing. "He's got quite the leg up, though…The git's handsome. Real handsome. He's got all the young, single women swooning over him."
At that, Gerdi pursed her lips in a determined pout. "Now don't you go thinking like that, Bofur! Just because he's that handsome doesn't mean the lass finds him such. For all we know, you're the one she finds incredibly handsome." Getting Edda secured to her chest, she tied the wrap in place. "And it's quite clear that the two of you are already good friends. You act as if you've known each other for years instead of just months."
His cheeks turned a bit pink. "That's because we talk a lot," he chuckled. "I wake up early so I can go talk with her in the morning before everyone else is up. I make myself some tea while she makes the first round of the daily bread." Finishing off his cider, he let out a small burp and excused himself. "We've come to learn a lot about each other thanks to our morning chats…I even found out she and I share a favorite flower. Though, admittedly, I got that bit of information from her brother."
"Sunflowers? That's surprising, since I haven't seen many up here."
"Oh, they're here—they're just not the big ones that we're used to. They're little things, called dwarf sunflowers." A soft chuckle left his mouth. "Her brother and I made her a window box and filled it with dwarf sunflowers as a surprise for her. He's supposed to be installing it today…" His voice trailed off slightly as he thought about how happy Baylee would be when she found the window box and its little occupants.
Gerdi wore a small smile as she watched him; as he spoke about the human lass, he looked quite lovesick. After how he had lost Kaia, she felt more than a little elated to hear he was getting a Second Chance. "If she loves sunflowers as much as you do, then I'm sure she'll love it," she then said, standing up. "Would you like thirds, dear?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at her with a wide, cheeky grin. "Yes, please!"
Contrary to popular belief, it was entirely possible to have a garden inside a mountain. While they didn't contain the same sorts of plants found in gardens outside, they did have their own array of mosses, fungi, and algae. And, unlike most plants on the surface, many of these subterranean plants glowed with a gentle blue or green light.
The Ur family's garden, Baylee found, was in a wide chamber. The floor was covered in soft moss with bits cut out to mimic stepping stones. There were three 'trees' dotted around the chamber with long sheets of moss hanging from their branches. Sanna insisted that, at one point, these trees had been actual, living trees, but they had been turned to stone somehow. At the base of the trees and scattered across the floor in large patches were all sorts of mushrooms. Some glowed brightly while others put off only a little bit of light. Some of the moss, too, glowed, though the glow from it was mild and scattered about in tiny dots; they made Baylee think of stars on a clear night.
'What do you think?' Sanna signed, a broad grin on her little face. 'Pretty, isn't it?'
'It's very pretty!' Baylee replied. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she looked around; it was hard to believe that the plants were actually glowing. 'I guess Bofur wasn't joking when he called them glow-shrooms…'
'Mama says plants on the surface don't glow like this. Is that true?'
'It is. Or, at least, I haven't seen any that glowed.'
'That's sad. All plants should glow!' She giggled, pushing Bofur's hat up out of her face so she could see the path. 'They'd be really pretty then!'
'I'm sure they would be! A lot of surface plants, though, are already pretty, even if they don't glow. They've got lots of pretty colors to make up for not glowing.'
Sanna's head tilted slightly; the only plants she had seen aside from the mosses, fungi, and algae had been in her mother's vegetable garden and they didn't seem very colorful. 'How many colors?'
'Lots! There' are as many colors of flowers as there are colors of gemstones."
The little girl's eyes widened as she tried to comprehend just how many colors that was. 'That's…a lot of colors…'
'It is, isn't it? A lot of them can be used to make dyes for clothes, too.' She chuckled quietly; Sanna's expressions were adorable.
'Is your dress made with flower dye?'
'Maybe. It might also be dyed with onion skins. Or maybe even both.'
'…You can make dye from onion skins?' An adorably skeptical look came to her face. 'But wouldn't that leave the dress really stinky?'
At that, Baylee had to think for a moment. Would onion skins leave a dress smelling bad until it had been washed…? 'I honestly don't know.'
"There you two are." They looked back towards the mansion only to find Bofur strolling towards them. "I was beginnin' t' wonder if the wee lass had kidnapped you t' go play dollies with her."
Sanna pouted up at him and asked him something in Khuzdul. Her expression brightened, however, when he shook his head and replied, also in Khuzdul.
"She asked if we were leaving already," he translated for Baylee. "I told her just for a little bit, but that we'd be back and staying the night."
'And then she can play dollies with me!' Sanna signed, a big, mischievous grin on her lips.
Bofur and Baylee both laughed at her cheekiness. "We'll see, little badger," Bofur chuckled. "By the time we get back, Miss Baylee might be too overwhelmed by all your siblings."
Pursing her lips in a pout, she blew a raspberry up at her uncle, once more making the two adults laugh. 'How long will you be gone?'
"A few hours at most. We'll be back before dinner." He reached down, patting her atop the head; he lightly shook his head as she held onto his hat, fearing he would take it away from her. Then, scooping her up, he blew a raspberry against her cheek, making her squeal. He spoke more Khuzdul as he set her down before watching as she ran off back towards the mansion.
"You were right. She is a wee cutie," Baylee smiled, her brow raised.
There was a broad grin on Bofur's lips as he nodded in agreement. "Aye, she is. I still have yet t' figure out why she's got such a fascination over my hat, though." He started to lead her back up the path, but instead of taking her towards the door of the mansion, he guided her towards a gate. It was partially hidden by a hanging curtain of moss, making it almost impossible to see if you didn't already know it was there. "Bombur thinks it's because it makes her think o' me; Gerdi thinks it's just because she's a little stinker."
"Or it could be both," Baylee smiled. "It's cute on her, though, given how big it is on her." As Bofur both opened the gate and held the moss out of the way for her, she thanked him and stepped through.
"That's probably the most likely answer," he snorted, closing the gate behind him. He heard the 'thunk' of the lock falling back into place and started to lead Baylee off once more. "I should get her a hat o' her own just to see if she'll still end up stealing mine."
"That would be a good idea. An' even if she does still end up stealing yours, at least she'll have her own while you're not here." She brushed a bit of hair behind her ear; she was starting to wish she had had Will braid it for her that morning. 'Oh well,' she thought. 'Maybe while we're in the market, I'll buy a ribbon and braid it back myself.'
"That's very true, lass," he smiled. As they reached the end of the short tunnel, he once more opened the gate for her and let her step through first. "Maybe while we're out, I'll pop into a haberdashery an' order one for her."
Baylee's head tilted in confusion. "A…haberdashery?"
Glancing over at her, he saw the confusion on her face and gave her an apologetic smile. "Aye, a haberdashery. It's a shop where they make hats. The hatmaker's called a haberdasher."
"I've never heard a hatmaker called that before," she giggled, her brow rising. "It's a funny sounding word."
"We dwarves stole it from the hobbits," he told her, matter-of-factly. "There aren't too many dwarvish haberdashers, admittedly. Thanks t' our preoccupation with braidin' our hair an' using beads an' gems in it, most dwarves don't like t' wear hats." As he spoke, he peeked down at her hand. Subtly, he started to move his hands towards it. "Usually, those o' us who're lower in social class wear them an' it's mostly because they've got jobs that either take them down into the mines or take them outside." His pinky made contact with Baylee's and he unconsciously held his breath as he continued to slip his hand into hers.
Feeling his 'subtle' effort to hold her hand, Baylee smiled shyly as her cheeks turned pink. "I can understand the goin' outside bit, but I thought dwarves wore helmets in the mines?" To let him know it was alright, she slid her hand further along his palm until the two of them were properly holding each other's hand once again.
His own cheeks growing pink and a bit of a shy smile coming to his lips as well, Bofur gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It depends on the job you have down in the mines. The helmets are mostly worn by those who are makin' the paths or are mining in vertical tunnels. The ones who are doing the careful chiseling away o' gems or hauling rubble out in carts don't usually wear them, though. They get in the way then, since their heads are movin' around so much. Sure, we strap the helmets into place, but they've still got that candle atop them an' the last thing they need is for hot wax t' slosh out an' down into their face. An' I'm rambling again. Sorry, lass." He frowned slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Don't be sorry," she chuckled. "I've told you before: I like hearin' you ramble. Whenever you do it, it's informative or entertainin'. Usually both, though." She gave him a reassuring smile, her cheeks still slightly flushed.
"Well…if ever it gets tirin', feel free t' tell me t' shush," he said. "I don't want t' be annoying."
"You're far from annoying, Bofur." She gave his hand a small squeeze, the smile still on her lips. It was then, however, that she came to realize he was leading her on a different path than the one they had taken to get there. "Is this a shortcut?"
He made a noncommittal sound as he wiggled his free hand up and down. "Somewhat. This path just takes us past where all the food an' produce vendors are. It'll start us off in the fabric vendors, though I doubt you'll find anything Will-sized there. You might find somethin' you like, though," he chuckled.
She snorted, her brow rising at the mental image of her brother attempting to wear dwarvish clothing. "Hey, now: He might be able t' wear a dwarrow dame's dress as a tunic."
"Aye, that's true," he agreed with a grin. "Though, somethin' tells me he won't look nearly as lovely in it as a dwarrow dame would."
"You're right. He'd need t' grow a beard first. Then he'd look as lovely as a dwarrow dame." A broad grin came to her lips as Bofur burst out laughing.
Just over twenty minutes later found the pair wandering through the market. As they walked, vendors called out in hopes of luring them—and the tens of dwarves around them—to their stalls and shops. Some of them were calling out in both Khuzdul and Westron, which intrigued Baylee a bit, considering how she had seen, at most, five other humans in the market.
"Some o' them are always callin' out in both languages," Bofur explained. "It's t' make themselves look like they'll be better for humans t' do business with. Most o' the time, though, it's the opposite: The prices they call out in Khuzdul are almost always lower than the prices they call out in Westron, since a lot o' humans don't really know the worth o' dwarvish craftsmanship compared t' human-made stuff."
"Then I'm even more thankful I asked you t' come along," she chuckled. "I'm already bad enough at hagglin', so I've no doubts I would have gotten cheated out quite easily."
"Haggling is a delicate art that not everyone can master, so don't worry if you're not good at it." He glanced over at her, slowing his pace somewhat when he noticed that, as they passed by a jewelry shop, she was gawking at the wares. "Spotted somethin' you like, eh?" he asked, amusement in his voice.
"Just a few necklaces…but they're too elegant for me." She shrugged, continuing to look at the lovely pieces of jewelry. Even in the shops back in Dale, she hadn't seen this much jewelry in one place. "They'd need t' be on someone like Prim or her sisters." Her cheeks turned a bit red as she spoke; she had always wished she had more jewelry to wear, but aside from her ear cuff, she owned none. 'They'd probably look ridiculous on me, anyway,' she thought.
Bofur leaned back slightly, peeking past her to see what sorts of things she was looking at. To his great surprise, the pieces she had said were 'too elegant' were, in actuality, quite simple, even by human standards. There were silver and gold chains of varying thicknesses with a pendant or three meant to hang lower on the neck and chest as well as necklaces strung with metal or glass beads (sometimes both!) meant to be worn at the base of the neck or as chokers.
There was one in particular, he saw, that he knew had to have caught her eye: A gold chain with a sunflower-shaped pendant, its petals being formed by either topaz or yellow citrine while the seedpod was formed by a piece of smoky quartz. The metal used for the gems' settings had been oxidized so that they were black, making for a lovely contrast between the bright stones and the metal.
'She needs that,' he thought, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Standing upright again, he found that Baylee was still looking at other pieces the shop had on display, these ones actually being elegant. "Thinkin' about gettin' your brother one o' those fancier necklaces?" he joked, chuckling.
She snorted, her brow rising. "No, no—one o' those fancy headpieces," she jested in return, nodding at some of the jewel-encrusted bands that were meant to sit atop a dwarrow dame's hair bun.
"Ooh, I think he'd look might nice with that amethyst one there." He pointed at one that, even by dwarvish standards, could be considered outrageously extravagant.
"Hmm…I actually think that one would suit papa more." She giggled as Bofur paused, mentally imagining her giant of a father in a headpiece. He then burst out laughing, which only made her giggle more.
"Somethin' tells me your da' isn't really the type t' do his hair all fancy, which is a shame, considering those are meant t' sit atop buns," he told her, still snickering. "Will, though…Will I can see doin' his hair fancy."
She snorted. "I can't quite see it, but I can see him doin' his ladylove's hair all fancy an' buying her one o' those pieces t' wear."
His eyes widened as he started to lead her off again. "Will has himself a lass?"
"Aye, but ah, don't be lettin' papa know. She's the daughter o' his rival."
"You mean that Stover fellow?" She nodded. "Ahh…I see why Will's keepin' it secret then. But she must be a beauty if she's makin' your brother o' all people sneak around."
"That's a major understatement," she chuckled. "Adela is, hands-down, the most beautiful woman in the whole o' Dale. There's hardly a single, woman-lovin' lad in town who hasn't tried t' win her over."
"Funny how such a rotten man can have such a lovely daughter."
She nodded in agreement. "His son, Ned, is just as attractive an' is the heartthrob o' Laketown. An' they both get their looks from him, as Mannus is, sadly, as handsome as he is rotten." She shook her head, sighing.
"Is there any reason why the bloke was obsessed with your mum?" he questioned, his brow rising slightly. "Or was it just love-turned-obsession?"
"Most definitely love-turned-obsession. An' it didn't help that the git thought mum was Nessa herself in mortal form because o' how well mum could dance."
"She was a good dancer?" Baylee nodded. "Hm. I have t' admit, that doesn't surprise me very much."
She looked at him, her head tilting in confusion. "Hmm? Why's that?"
He shrugged, smiling. "The way you an' your aunt moved around one another when you were sparrin'; you had t' have inherited that grace from somewhere, after all. Aye, you were fightin', but it also looked like you two were dancing. An' it only got better once you got that spear in your hand."
Baylee felt her cheeks grow hot at his words and she shyly glanced away. "We-well, mum an' auntie always said that fighting is like a dance. I suppose I just fancied the dancing part more than the fightin' part." She felt Bofur give her hand another little squeeze and, peeking at him from the corner of her eye, she could see that there was an amused smile on his lips.
"Nothin' wrong with that, lass," he assured her. "I'd rather see you wearin' that pretty smile o' yours on the dance floor than see you done up in armor an' dancing 'round the battlefield." His smile turned cheeky when he saw how much redder her cheeks became at his compliment.
They spent nearly three hours in the market, Baylee trying her hardest to find some sort of gift for her twins. The chisel set, she and Bofur decided, would be best coming from him and Bifur; it'd be a bit strange for her to gift him such fine chisels when it might be a few more months before they asked him if he'd like to be a toymaker. But while she didn't find any gifts for him, she did get a few ideas.
When they had finished browsing, Bofur temporarily left her to sit in the square for a bit so he could grab a few things Gerdi had requested. Being that he knew the market like the back of his hand, though, he was gone only about ten minutes. When he returned, he had a large ham wrapped in brown paper tucked under one arm and half a wheel of cheese tucked under the other arm. Baylee offered to carry one, since she wasn't carrying anything, but he refused, telling her he had a good hold on both.
Upon their return to the Ur mansion, they found that Bombur and the rest of his children were back. Bombur, Baylee found, was much wider than she could have ever anticipated. He also had a much bigger beard than his older brother; it was so long, the braid it made started on the left side of his face, looped nearly all the way down past his stomach, and came back around only to be seamlessly braided into the whiskers on the right side of his face.
"So, you're the innkeeper's daughter Bofur and Bifur have told us about!" he said after Bofur had finished introducing Baylee to the rest of the family. "Gerdi was just tellin' me how the two o' you stopped in for lunch and ended up deciding to spend the night due to the weather." He took a step back, looking her over. "I must admit, I thought those two were overexaggeratin' your shortness! I daresay you're about as tall as Dwalin!"
"He's the tallest dwarf in Erebor," Bofur quickly explained. He passed the ham and the half wheel of cheese over to his brother.
She nodded in understanding, her cheeks a touch on the pink side again as she chuckled. Her mouth opened, as she had every intention of replying, but, instead, she let out a small squeak of surprise as she felt someone suddenly cling onto her forearm. Looking down, she saw Sanna (who still wore her uncle's hat) cheekily grinning up at her as she started trying to climb up her side.
"Sanna! Don't be climbing on our guests!" Bombur scolded.
"It's quite alright," she assured him, holding her arm out a bit to grant the dwarrowling more of a handhold. "Bofur warned me that she does this. An' my nephew used t' like t' climb when he was younger, so I'm fairly used to it." There was one main difference between Sanna climbing on her and Bain climbing on her, however, and that difference was about ten pounds. She knew dwarves were denser than humans, but hadn't expected the little lass to weigh as much as she did.
Bombur still seemed a bit cautious for that very reason. "Are you sure? I know dwarrowlings are a bit heavier than human children."
"Aye, it's fine, I promise," she smiled. "She's not too heavy at all."
"Baylee's a strong lass," Bofur chuckled. He smiled fondly as he watched Sanna manage to climb up and get herself situated on Baylee's shoulders. "She works in an inn all day, remember? She's used t' carryin' loads o' food all over the place." Hearing a small giggle that didn't come from Sanna, he spun around just in time to be knocked to the ground by a pair of dwarrowlings: Grid and Buruz. "I was wonderin' when I'd see the two o' you!"
They excitedly started to speak to him in Khuzdul, both trying to talk overtop the other. In their effort to talk over their sibling, their voices were steadily getting louder and louder. That is, until Bofur reached up and clapped a hand over both their mouths.
"Calm down, you two!" he laughed. "I'm going t' be here all night, so there's no need t' try an' say everything all in one go, alright?" When they nodded, he moved his hand away from their mouths. "Now, why don't you let me an' Miss Baylee go get somethin' t' drink and we'll meet you in the living room? Then you can talk my ears off."
Grid and Buruz blinked before looking up at Baylee. They had been told that a human guest would be spending the night, leaving them to imagine someone tall and who didn't look anything like them. So to see someone nearly the same height as a dwarf, just much skinnier and without a beard, was almost disappointing to them.
A skeptical look came to Buruz's face and he asked her something in Khuzdul.
"He asked if you're sure you're not a dwarf," Bofur translated, snickering.
"Aye, I'm sure I'm not a dwarf," she smiled. "I'm just very small for a human."
"You one who make bread?" Grid asked in broken Westron, her head tilting slightly.
Baylee nodded. "Aye, I am."
"Is very good! Need make more."
"Grid!" Bombur scolded, though there was a bit of laughter to his voice. "Don't just tell our guest to make more bread; that's rude!"
Bofur nodded in agreement. "Aye. You have t' ask her nicely." He grinned as Bombur used his foot to gently nudge his shoulder. Then, sitting up, he chuckled as Grid and Buruz went rolling off of him. He stood and brushed himself off. "On second thought, why don't you badgers show Miss Baylee t' the living room while I got fetch her an' me some drinks?"
The pair nodded and, given that Baylee already had Sanna's approval, Grid took her hand and started to lead her off. She was mindful when they came to doorways thanks to the little girl on her shoulders and, even though she had quite a bit of clearance, Baylee still crouched down a few inches just to be safe.
"How know Uncle Bof?" Buruz asked as they guided her into a large, open room. There was a fireplace in the center of the room, with many chairs and couches arranged around it.
"He's been stayin' at my family's inn," she answered. A quiet laugh left her mouth as Grid pointed at one of the more plush chairs before motioning her to sit. "That's where you'd like me t' sit?"
Grid nodded, a broad grin coming to her face.
"Alright. Just a moment." Baylee reached back and, lifting Sanna up, brought her down off her shoulders. When she set her down on her feet, she saw that the littlest girl was pouting now. 'Let me sit down and then you can climb up again. Is that alright?' she signed.
'Yes!' Sanna replied, now also wearing a grin.
As Baylee sat down, she heard the three starting to talk in fast Khuzdul to one another. Just when she got comfortable in the chair (which wasn't hard, as it was a very comfortable one), Grid and Buruz looked at her questioning. 'If you're going to ask if I can use Iglishmêk, the answer is 'yes',' she signed before they asked, a cheeky smile on her lips.
Buruz's eyes opened wide in shock and Grid started to giggle. 'How does a human know Iglishmêk?' she signed.
'I had a half-dwarf nanny who had no voice, so she used Iglishmêk to communicate. My whole family knows it.'
'I thought humans aren't allowed to know it?' Buruz signed, his shocked expression turning to one of confusion. Grid said something to him; Baylee supposed it was something along the lines of 'That's only Khuzdul, dummy', because Buruz blew a raspberry at his sister.
Sanna giggled at her siblings before starting to climb up into Baylee's lap. Once she was properly situated, she signed, 'Are you and uncle really staying the night?"
Nodding, Baylee smiled and signed back, 'Yes, we are. The weather outside is too frightful for us to go back to Dale.'
'Why are you so small?' Buruz asked. Seeing that Grid was dragging a footstool over to sit on.
'Because my twin brother stole all the height from me.'
'How big is he?'
'Too tall to stand upright in here.'
Once more, Buruz's eyes widened in shock. 'That's…big…'
She nodded, watching as Grid and Buruz moved to sit on the footstool.
'How did you get so good at making bread?' Grid signed, wiggling backwards slightly so that she wasn't on the edge of the stool.
'I make it every single morning for our inn. Sometimes, I have to make it two or three times a day.'
'Why so much bread?' Sanna asked, tilting her head back to look at Baylee's face.
'People really like our inn, so they come and eat meals there instead of cooking for themselves.'
Grid tilted her head in curiosity. 'Do you cook all the meals?'
'No. We have two cooks who do it for us. I usually make breakfast, though, since that meal isn't too popular. It's usually only our guests who are present for that meal.' She brushed her hair behind her ear again, this time taking a few seconds to weave it around the metal of her cuff to keep it in place. 'Your uncle helps me make breakfast sometimes, too.'
All three of them looked shocked by this information; their parents (and sometimes Berez) were usually the ones who did all the cooking at the mansion. None of them could ever remember seeing their Uncle Bof cooking.
'Uncle Bof can cook!?' all three of them signed, almost at exactly the same time.
"O' course I can cook!" They all looked over at the doorway to find Bofur entering. He held two tankards—which Baylee recognized as the ones they had used at lunch. "I may not be nearly as good as your mummy and daddy, but I can cook a decent meal. I'm better at choppin' vegetables an' meats though. Which is what Miss Baylee here usually has me do." He came over, handing Baylee her mug. "Sorry, lass. I forgot t' ask what you wanted to drink, so I got you more cider."
"That's fine," she smiled, happily taking the mug from him. "I would have said cider if you had asked." She was careful to not bonk Sanna in the head as she took a drink from the tankard.
"I hope these three aren't botherin' you too much." He moved to sit down in the chair beside hers.
Grid pouted at her uncle, refuting him in Khuzdul. She crossed her arms over her chest and blew a raspberry at him.
"Careful, wee lassie—I might have t' tickle you if you start gettin' an attitude," Bofur jokingly threatened. Using his foot, he dragged over another footstool and propped his feet up. "Or worse: Dangle you upside down over the soup pot!"
Giggling, Grid partially shielded herself behind her big brother.
Baylee also laughed, her brow rising. "Dangling them over the soup pot? Now that's a new one. I might have t' use that against Sigrid an' Bain at some point."
'Who're they?' Buruz asked.
"They're my niece and nephew—sort of. Their father is a really good friend of my family's, so his children have adopted me as their aunt." As she spoke, she signed at the same time, just in case any of the three had trouble understanding everything.
"They're also the prince an' princess o' Dale," Bofur added, copying Baylee and signing as he spoke.
'We know princes, too!' Grid excited signed. 'Fili and Kili! But they're not little.'
Buruz shook his head and added, 'They're adults. Fili's almost a hundred!'
"He's ninety-two," his uncle chuckled, his brow rising. He took a drink of his cider.
"He's got sixty-two years on me, then," Baylee stated with a small laugh. "I'll only be thirty in two months." She took a drink of her own cider, enjoying its flavor; it was a bit sweeter than the one they had at the Tankard.
The three children stared at her in shock.
'You're still a kid!?' Grid signed, her eyes wide.
"No, no—Humans come o' age much sooner than dwarves," she explained. "We come o' age at sixteen."
'Boroz just turned sixteen!' Buruz grinned. 'So he's an adult in human years!'
'Why do you come of age sooner?' Sanna asked, her head tilted as she looked up at Baylee once again.
"Because we don't live as long as dwarves," she told them. "Most o' us only live t' see seventy-five."
While the children looked perplex by this, Bofur felt his stomach sink. He had almost entirely forgotten that humans had such short lifespans compared to dwarves, who usually lived to be over two hundred.
'It's not like I'm much of a spring chicken,' he told himself. 'I reckon I've got only a handful of decades left, so if she did pick me, maybe there's a chance we'd be able to grow old together…? But, even if we didn't, I'd still be more than happy to spend what time she does have left with her…'
"Bofur? Is everything alright?"
He blinked, looking over to find concern on Baylee's face as she watched him. "Oh, aye!" he said, an apologetic smile coming to his lips. "Sorry about that; I got lost in my thoughts for a moment. What were you sayin'?"
"I wasn't sayin' anything, but your badgers were," she told him, her head tilting slightly. "Are you sure you're alright?"
A cheeky grin came to his lips. "Aye, lass, I promise," he told her. "Was just gettin' sappy thoughts about how quickly these three are growin' an' how, soon, wee little Edda will be crawlin' around, chasin' after them."
Buruz groaned and spoke in Khuzdul; he earned another set of raspberries blown at him by both Grid and Sanna.
"He said that his little sisters are no fun an' having Edda around will only make things less fun," Bofur translated with a snort. "By the time Edda's old enough t' be crawling, lad, you'll be startin' lessons, so you won't have t' be home t' play with her most o' the day."
Buruz stuck his tongue out in distaste before speaking in Khuzdul once more. Bofur's brow rose and he reached over with his foot, using it to nudge his nephew's leg.
"If you're goin' t' talk in front o' Miss Baylee, use Iglishmêk as well, lad," he gently scolded. "It's rude t' speak in languages guests can't understand."
'Sorry, uncle and Miss Baylee,' Buruz signed with a slight pout as his sisters giggled.
Some hours later found Bofur holding an oil lamp as he led Baylee down the hall of a dark and seemingly unused portion of the mansion. Once in a while, they could hear the faint rumble of thunder, letting them know that the storm was still raging outside.
"I'm a wee bit surprised. Storms have normally blown themselves out by now," Bofur commented as he opened a door. "But this one seems t' be lastin' for quite some time." As he stepped into the room, he turned the lamp's wick up a bit so more of the room could be lit. "Even that one we had a few weeks ago blew itself out in a few hours. This'll be your room, by the way."
"This storm's also a lot slower movin'," she reminded him. As she looked around, she found that the bed, which only had sheets and pillows on it at the moment, had been carved into the wall. Over the bed was a large window overlooking the western slopes of the mountain and the lands beyond. Just as she looked out of it, lightning streaked across the sky. "Ooh, that's a nice view," she murmured, a grin coming to her lips.
Bofur chuckled, watching as she crawled onto the bed to see more of the storm. "I thought you might like this room for that reason," he told her. Setting the lamp down on the bedside table, he hooked his thumb in his belt. "Now, I'll go fetch you some blankets so you don't freeze durin' the night. Would you like one or two?"
"Hm…Maybe two, just t' be safe?"
He nodded. "Two blankets, comin' right up." Turning, he left the room and walked back the way he and Baylee had came; he didn't mind the darkness, as he had walked this path thousands of times before.
As he walked, he thought about how dinner went and how she seemed to fit in so well. Baylee had done her best to keep up with all the food tossing, which both impressed and amused his family. She was also a good deal more polite, being that she said 'please' and 'thank you' more than the others—namely the younger children, who were too busy shoving food in their mouths (and getting scolded by Bombur, Gerdi, Bofur, and Baraz for their behavior).
'I think the lads and me have got her well versed in the art of passing food around,' he said to himself. 'Though, I do think the poor lass was a bit overwhelmed by just how many people were present and how much food was being thrown around. Can't say that I blame her, though—I'm related to all of them and I still get overwhelmed at times!'
Reaching the linen closet, he opened it up and felt around for the softest blankets. 'I know Bombur and Gerdi had a hard time resisting the urge to pile more food onto her plate…Poor thing barely had enough room for dessert—and that was after waiting an hour.' He shook his head, chuckling quietly. 'She did good, though. It was certainly the most I've ever seen her eat…Though, I am glad she didn't eat herself sick. I was worried that might happen, since Bombur and Gerdi want to make sure everyone eats their fill.' With the blankets in hand, he closed the door and headed back down the hall.
As he returned to the guest room, he stopped in the doorway, his eyes widening slightly. Baylee had removed her sash and overdress, leaving her in just the fitted brown dress; she didn't seem notice him as she pulled her hair over her shoulder, tying it into a loose braid just to keep it out of the way. It was then he realized that he had never actually seen her in fitted clothes—all her clothes seemed to be on the somewhat baggy side, which he quickly discovered had hidden a set of curves he had not been expecting to find on the lass.
'Oh…now those are quite a lovely surprise,' he thought, his cheeks growing warm. Realizing he was staring, he forced himself to look away. "I've got the blankets for you, lass," he told her, acting like he had just come back. He stepped into the room, moving to put the blankets on the bed for her.
"Thank you," she said, smiling tiredly at him. Before he could get halfway across the room, however, she took the blankets from him. "Ooh, these feel amazingly soft!" she murmured, her eyes widening.
A grin came to his lips as he watched her raise them up so she could nuzzle her cheek against them. "Aye, I got you the softest ones I could find," he admitted. "Do you need anythin' else, lass? Maybe a nightshirt, so you don't get your dress all wrinkled?"
There was a half-minute pause as she mulled over the offer, but in the end, she shook her head. "No, thank you. This'll do just fine."
He nodded. "Alright. If you do need anythin', my room is directly across the hall. An' if you need the privy, it's the last door o' this hallway."
"Last door, got it," she chuckled, setting the blankets down on the bed. She glanced over at Bofur, a gentle smile coming to her lips. It had been nice, spending the whole day with him and getting to meet his family; yes, it was a touch overwhelming at times, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. "Actually, there is one thing I could use."
"Hmm? What's that?"
"A hug."
He blinked, a bit surprised by her answer, but after a couple of seconds, he grinned. "O' course you can have one, lass."
She walked over to him, her eyes closing in content when she felt his arms wrap around her. "Thank you for the wonderful day," she murmured, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"I'm glad you had fun, lass." He unconsciously started to stroke the back of her head. "An' I'm sorry if my family was a bit…much at times."
"Don't be. Aye, they could be a bit much at times, but I enjoyed meetin' them nonetheless." Unaware of her own movements, she turned her head and nuzzled it into the crook of his neck.
Feeling her head against his neck, he smiled and left his eyes drift shut. This felt…right. "Buruz, Grid, an' Sanna can be quite excitable when they're meetin' someone new an' the fact that you're a human made that excitement triple, it seems. But they seemed t' like you well enough. Sanna, especially."
"They're sweethearts," she murmured. "A wee bit hyper, aye, but sweethearts nevertheless…Just like their uncle." She felt her cheeks grow warm as the words left her mouth.
"Ah, that's only because I show you my good side," he joked, his cheeks having turned red as well. "The others get t' see my grumpy side."
"You? Have a grumpy side? Now that I doubt," she quietly giggled.
"Hey now, I've got one o' them," he grinned. "It's rarely seen, but I do have one. Now, you on the other hand—I'm certain you don't have one."
"If you could see me in the wee hours o' the morning, havin' t' help haul Will's arse in through my window because he forgot t' grab the spare key for the third time in a month, then you'd know I have one," she quietly giggled.
His brow rose and he snorted. "Ooh, so sneakin' out t' meet his ladylove makes him a wee bit airheaded, does it?"
"Aye, it does." As much as she wanted to stay there in his arms, Baylee forced herself to end the hug. "Though, speakin' o' wee hours o' the morning, we should probably get t' bed before it gets that late."
Nodding in agreement, he hoped that his disappointment at the hug ending wasn't obvious. "Aye, that's a good idea," he chuckled. "I hope you sleep well, lass."
"I hope you do, too," she smiled. "Goodnight, Bofur."
"Goodnight, lass." He shut the door behind him as he left.
While arranging the pillows and blankets to her liking, Baylee let out a content sigh. She laid down on her side so she could watch the storm outside. All the while, the smile never left her lips.