Masquerade - Chapter 11

MASQUERADE

Chapter 11

Ori had never felt like this before. The ice cube of fear that had slipped through his body was no closer to melting, even as he watched Nori pace back and forth at the foot of Bofur’s bed. The curtains were drawn across the bed but the young scribe could still see Dori’s shadowy form as he bent over Bofur’s prone figure. The medical bay was filled almost to bursting with members of the Company, the only beings not present was Thorin and Balin who had left for an emergency meeting of the royal advisors.

The look on Nori’s face was none that Ori had ever seen before. Terror and sadness were flitting across Nori’s damp eyes and the master spy was paler than he’d ever been before, wringing his hands and pacing constantly about the medical wing. Bilbo had tried to offer some comfort to the ginger haired dwarf but had shied away when Nori had simply refused to speak and continued pacing. Ori wished he could do something to comfort his elder brother, as he had once done for him. It had always been Dori and Nori protecting him and now, when they needed him most, Ori was incapable of helping them.

He felt Dwalin stiffen beside him and leaned thankfully into his partner’s touch. Though his brothers had yet to allow Dwalin’s courtship the tidal wave of emotions in the room had shoved any thoughts of that away. Ori was just thankful to have Dwalin close by. He nuzzled into the crook of Dwalin’s shoulder, murmuring;

“I’m worried about him” in the lowest undertone he could manage.

“Aye” Dwalin grunted in reply. There wasn’t really much he could say. “They are both strong lads, don’t forget that little one”

Ori nodded silently, lifting his eyes to trail around the room. Dori and Oin were both behind the curtain, working tirelessly over Bofur. Bifur and Bombur were standing shoulder to shoulder, neither speaking nor blinking, as they waited for news of their beloved cousin and brother. Gloin hovered by the window, puffing on his pipe with Dis close by, staring out the window in deep thought. In the furthest corner of the room Kili and Fili stood, the eldest brother keeping a firm arm around the younger’s shoulders. Fili had always been protective of Kili, the mere thought that someone could have taken his brother was weighing heavily on the prince’s mind. Ori knew them better than a lot of the other Company members, he was a similar age and they had spoken many times during their journey and return to Erebor.

“Hey Ori, would you like me to help you with your aim?” Kili asked kindly, adjusting his seat on the pony he rode.

Ori ducked his head. “What good is a slingshot in battle?” he murmured in response.

“Well it can create diversions for your comrades for one” Kili said, as though this were the most obvious thing in Middle Earth. “Long range warriors like you and I are essential to the success of many battles”

“If it bothers you so much I can teach you a bit of swordplay” Fili chimed in, smiling comfortingly. “We young ones can’t let those old bags have all the limelight you know” he added, winking at Kili and Ori.

They had become fast friends, their easy going natures proving to be a flame that set alight their strength of bond. As such Ori found he could read them with ease.

Bilbo was seated beside Ori, a serious expression on his face and yet he seemed to be relaxed in his chair, despite Thorin’s absence from the room. Bofur had been a very good friend to Bilbo, this Ori knew well for their sunny natures were very much alike and they both endeavoured to cheer people up be it through song or story.

Bilbo turned a tired smile on Ori then. “Everything will be okay Ori, don’t you fret about that” he said softly. He leaned over and patted Ori’s knee, allowing the young scribe to see the worry etched into his face. “Bofur’s a strong dwarf and Dori is head of the medical team for a reason. Everything will work out in the end, trust me”

“He’s right laddie” Dwalin said, rubbing his thumb over Ori’s shoulder. “Have faith and things will work themselves out”

“How is he?” Thorin asked as he and Balin swept into the room. He looked to Nori but yet again the dwarf seemed incapable of speech so Gloin stepped forward to start telling the king of what was happening.

“I must say brother I am impressed with the way you kept your cool back there” Balin said, settling himself on the bench beside Dwalin. He smiled and his eyes twinkled at Ori. “I might also congratulate you on your courtship brother, Ori”

“Thank you” Ori squeaked in reply. “But I rather think that now is not the time . . .”

“Nonsense lad” Balin interrupted, leaning back against the wall and interlacing his fingers. “Bofur would want you to be happy my young friend . . . . Oh don’t even give me that look Dwalin. I am still your older brother”

Dwalin grumbled something incoherent and pulled Ori closer. Said dwarf smiled and laid his hand over Dwalin’s thigh in comfort. He turned his gaze, just in time to see Thorin sink down next to Bilbo and drop his head into his hands with a soft groan of exhaustion and guilt. Bilbo’s hand came up and began to thread through the thick tresses, humming soothing words under his breath for their King to hear.

“I had thought we would be allowed at least a season of peace” Thorin said, his voice muffled. “And now a failed assassination attempt on my life has landed Bofur back in the medical bay”

“It is not your fault” Dis said, turning to face the room at large. She crossed her arms over her body. “The only people to blame in this instance have been captured and are imprisoned below us, let us just be sure their justice will be received well”

“And still I cannot shake this feeling of guilt . . .” Thorin breathed, raising his head ever so slightly.

“I don’t blame you for this” Nori said suddenly, his voice hoarse. His eyes were sunken in now; he looked as though he had aged before their very eyes. “Neither will Bofur” he added belatedly as the cheerful miner gave a painful groan from behind the curtain. “I do however expect full reign with that pile of orc shit once this is over” Nori said nastily, his hands clenching.

“Get in line” Bombur said lowly, jabbing a thumb at himself and then at Bifur who let out a string of Khuzdul curses that had Ori’s ears turning pink. “Couldn’t have said it better myself my dear cousin” Bombur added, clapping Bifur on the shoulder.

The curtains parted then and Dori moved out to join them. Nori surged forward, eyes widening with his silent plea. Dori sighed as Oin came up beside him and closed the curtain behind him. “He’s alive and resting for now” Dori announced. “And he is to stay that way little brother” he added to Nori. “You may sit with him in a moment”

“His arm, what of his arm!?” Bombur pleaded, Bifur nodding his agreement.

“He’s regained feeling” Dori replied, tucking his thumbs into his suspenders. “However he will have a little trouble using some of his fingers, an easy fix with some gentle exercises” he added, looking at Thorin. “I suspect the cold may bring the worst of it, his joints will ache faster than others and he may develop problems in his older age but aside from that he will make a fairly good recovery”

Nori seemed to deflate and he would have sank to the ground had Ori not bounded forward to offer his shoulder as a leaning post. His elder brother sagged against him, a sob of relief tearing from his lips as Bombur and Bifur disappeared behind the curtain to have a few private moments with their beloved family member. Ori wrapped his smaller arms around Nori’s broad shoulders and nudged his brother’s cheek with his nose. Nori turned and smiled wetly at him.

“He’s going to be okay Nori” Ori whispered.

“I know” Nori replied, just as softly. He gripped Ori’s arms closer to him and hugged his little brother closer. “I know”

-x-

Fili kept one eye on Kili and the other trained on the three criminals from his position to Thorin’s left in the dank interrogation rooms, deep beneath Erebor’s floors. The deep seated anger that was on his uncle’s face told Fili much without the King even speaking a single word. Thorin was worried. If the two dwarves were aligned with those of Firebeard origin then it could mean that this would be the first of many attacks upon Thorin and his people. Fighting off endless assassination attempts was not something Thorin needed at this point, especially not with Bilbo back in the picture. And, if he were being truly honest, Fili wanted none of those orc humping bastards anywhere near his family. Especially not Kili, not after the last time someone made an attempt on his little brother’s life.

Fili would gut every single one of them with a rusty knife first.

“I know your plan was to assassinate me” Thorin said lowly, stepping forward and examining his dagger under the lantern light. “I will ask the why later, what I wish to know first is why you needed to drag two of my Company members into this?”

Lesur did not speak, opting to stare stonily past them as though he were far away in another place. The human shifted his emotionless gaze to Thorin and raised an eyebrow. “My only quarrel was with you, son of Thrain” he said blandly. “It was their job to create the distraction and mine to slit your throat”

Straightforward bastard aren’t you, Fili thought idly as Dwalin ground his teeth. The blonde dwarf stepped forward and leaned in close to Huran, whose head was hanging in pure misery and his shoulders sagging forward.

“Bofur wasn’t part of the original plan” Fili stated. The desperation that Huran had displayed a scant few hours ago was not borne from days of planning. Had it been, Fili was certain they would have wrested Bofur from the scene quick smart. “Answer me Huran; I’m sure Mister Dwalin would like to see his knuckle dusters get a bit of action this morning”

“You are a blind fool” Lesur snarled suddenly, turning to glare at Huran. “I told you that miner was beneath you and what did you do? You went ahead anyway; you are naïve enough to think he would have chosen you? Fool of a brother!”

Fili raised an eyebrow. Brothers never spoke to one another that way. It was an unspoken way of things in dwarvish culture. Hell he’d gladly throw himself off the top of Erebor if he spoke to Kili that way. Was Lesur really that embarrassed by Huran’s actions?

Said dwarf had raised his head to meet Fili’s eyes, no life left in his hazel irises. “It was not part of the plan” he intoned. “When the King stripped me of my status amongst the miners it left me with little chance of courting Bofur. I was angry and even more so when I heard that he had interest in that thief”

“So you plot to kill the King?” Kili questioned, his own eyes hard but furrowed in confusion. “That’s a big jump”

“I never wanted you dead” Huran admitted, turning to face Thorin slightly. There was truly no life left in him now, no spirit to speak of. “I was angry you took my honour but I never wished your demise” he continued, curling into himself. “I was burdened by what my family deems is my path, one that I could not break free from”


“If I had my way I would have had you in your grave much sooner” the man said. “Were it not for these two, they insisted on this big spectacle” This last part was said with a glare in Lesur’s direction. “It is he who hired me and it is he who offered me a just reward”

“What boon could this traitor possibly offer you?” Thorin snarled.

A beat of silence and then; “The great Arkenstone of Erebor”

Fili felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. The Arkenstone had not been seen since the Battle of the Five Armies, surely Lesur knew this. Then – Fili made a noise of recognition and then burst into laughter, angry though it was. He took the blade from Thorin’s hand and strode over to Lesur, pressing the flat of the blade against the other dwarf’s cheek. Fili offered a feral smile.

“You make me sick” he said, a cheerful falsetto in his tone which soon dropped with his next words. “You knew that Bilbo had the Arkenstone and once my uncle was dead you were going to have him killed and take the Arkenstone for yourself, I doubt the human would even know that you had it!”

The temperature in the room dropped suddenly, a sharp intake of breath coming from Kili’s direction. Fili ignored him for the moment, turning back to look at his uncle who wore an expression of pure fury and hatred. Fili turned back to Lesur who had paled ever so slightly at the killing intent radiating off Thorin.

“Scum like you should never have been allowed back into Erebor, let alone on the Royal Council” Dwalin growled, massaging his knuckles.

“I’m wondering whether to let my uncle kill you now or have my own retribution first” Fili mused dangerously. He pressed the blade harder against Lesur’s skin, producing a faint white line. “Of course neither of which would sate my desire to properly punish you for what you planned to do to our hobbit”

“You never spoke truer words brother” Kili said darkly.

“You think that the hobbit and your pathetic king were the only ones to be disposed of?!” Lesur sneered. “You have always been a fool, son of Dis! I know that Thorin’s death would pave the way for you and your brother to take the throne, young though you are”

Fili’s eyes widened but Lesur kept on speaking. “Why do you think this was the second attempt?” Lesur continued vindictively, his eyes glittering madly.

“Second attempt. . .” Thorin murmured, trailing off.

Then it was happening again before Fili’s eyes. His brother’s screams and pleas. The days of his mother crying while Kili was nowhere to be found. Finding his little brother tied to an abandoned mine shaft and half dead with hunger. Learning that they had planned to kill Kili even after the ransom had been handed over. Fili felt his hands begin to shake and dimly, he heard Thorin bellowing for guards.

He could sense Kili’s fear radiating through the room and though Fili wanted to go to him he could not tear his eyes from Lesur’s, the deep hatred and malice pulling him deeper and deeper. Fili saw red. He raised the knife and brought it slamming down, through the other dwarf’s bound arm. Then there were hands on his arms, dragging him off the yelling prisoner and Fili struggled against them. He wanted to kill him, he would kill him. For Kili.

And then he was thrown out into the hall, his heart pounding in his chest and his breath coming in short, harsh gasps. His vision cleared and he looked up, seeing Kili huddled in a corner and curled into a ball, staring blankly at the wall. Fili stumbled over to him, and pulled him close.

“Fi . . . it was him wasn’t it?” Kili whispered. “He was the one who . . .”

“Yes” Fili said shortly. He would not lie to Kili, not regarding something like this. “Don’t be afraid now” he pleaded, using his hand to cup Kili’s chin and force his brother to look at him. “I will never let him hurt you, do you understand me?”

Kili nodded, using his nose to nuzzle Fili’s cheek. “I never thought. . .” he trailed off and then started again. “They would have killed Bilbo and Uncle, gotten away with it too”

“There is no way in hell that Thorin would let them near Bilbo, he’d skin them alive first and as for you they’d have to get through Thorin, Bilbo, Mother and most of all me” Fili said sternly, while offering a smile to calm his young sibling. “Men lananubukhs menu Kili” he added softly.

Kili smiled softly and burrowed into Fili’s side. “I know” he said.

-x-

Gloin shrugged out of his large overcoat and hung it neatly in the open closet. If he angled his head just right he could see through the doorway into Gimli’s adjoining room. His son was sprawled across the mattress, blankets half falling off the bed and his pillow tucked neatly under his head. Gloin shook his head in amusement, his son always slept with such reckless abandon. It would prove difficult if he ever travelled outside Erebor’s gates. Right now though, Gloin was simply thankful that his son was alive.

He padded silently into the room, lifted Gimli’s arm and tucked him neatly back into bed, drawing the blankets up to his chin. Gimli had been ecstatic when he had started to grow the first beginnings of a beard that would be as wild and red-haired as his father’s. Gloin watched his son breathe, deep in slumber, for a little while, mulling things over in his mind. He could not explain how grateful he was that Gladril had taken him off to bed when she did. Gloin did not even want to think of what might have happened had Gimli remained in the hall.

He would never forgive himself if something were to happen to Gimli or Gladril.

Gloin moved off back into his room, locking eyes with Gladril who was seated on their bed, legs crossed and hands interlaced on her lap. They simply gazed at each other for a while, neither speaking but Gloin could see the thoughtfulness in his wife’s eyes.

“I heard about what happened” she said softly, getting up and smoothing down her nightdress. Gloin nodded. “Dis told me when I came out to see what all the ruckus was”

“The King is safe and so am I” Gloin told her, shedding his armour. He moved towards her and led back to the bed, kneeling before her and gripping her hands tightly. “Bofur is injured but should make a full recovery”

“That is not what troubles you though”

“I am merely grateful that Gimli was not there” Gloin whispered. “I do not think I could live with myself if something happened to him, or you” he added, hanging his head. “And yet I should feel anger for what has happened to Bofur and what nearly happened to Thorin but I . . . all I can feel is relief”

“None shall begrudge you that dear” Gladril said, pulling on his hands and leading him back onto the mattress. She pulled his head onto her lap and began threading her fingers through the knots in his hair. “And if they do it is because they desire what you have”

“But.  . .”

Gladril rapped him sharply on the head. “No buts Gloin” she reminded him, her eyes sharp. “I have no shame in admitting that I am pleased it was not you those traitors attacked nor do I feel shame about feeling grateful that Gimli is alive and unburdened by the horrors you saw those past few hours”

Gloin sighed in content, his wife’s fingers were expertly massaging into his head. “You are right” he murmured softly.

“Aren’t I always?”