Fanfictions

Wandering Child

"AAAAAAAACCCCHHHHHOOOOO!!!!" Nori covered his face as people pass by, some looking at him with concern. Concern not for him but whether or not that they would catch whatever he has. This stinks! Here he was trying to 'work,' but he had to catch a stupid cold. Why him, of all people?!

The thief rudded at his noise miserable, making it burn and itch even more. He could be in a warm inn resting well; he recovers from whatever this is. 'Could be' being the keywords here. Nori was out of money for a room, and no one gives someone free lodging, especially not to a sick dwarf. So here he was out and about looking for some work. So far, no one had caught his eyes... until this one menfolk. He was clearly someone of importance by his clothes' state and how he just screamed wealth—perfect target for a dwarf in need of some cash.

Slowly, he crept forward, pretending to be just another passer-by. Nori stays right behind the man, just enough to get closer and not be seen as a threat. Closer and closer, he inches until Nori is only a few feet away. The lad was about to reach out for that little bag of goodies when it happened. That all too familiar itch. The need to turn his elbow up and sneeze into it.

'NO! Not now! Why now!?' Nori mentally berated himself as he failed to hold back the sneeze. And it was a big, loud one.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

The noble flinches, spinning around to see where that loud sneeze came from. His eyes dart left, right, and then downward to find a dwarf rubbing at his nose. But that was not what made the man agitated. It was the fact that one of the Dwarf's hands was outstretched. Outstretched towards his gold pouch. Nori cast a glance at the man and gulped at the heated glare he received.

"Aaa... You had a spider there.." Nori gave a lopsided smile. He would often use this smile to flirt with girls and make him seem unthreatening when he was up to no good in reality. But it did not fool his target. Nope, not this time. The proof, the man slowly gripped his coin pouch and held it up for Nori to see.

"Is this what you want. Thief." Nori made a little chuckling sound, which turned into a cough before turning and bolting the other way. Not carrying for the man's shouts or the strange and worried looks of others who heard the word 'Thief' come from the noble. Nori just ran until he was safely away. He would wait for a bit, then tried again.

Later that day, the thief gives up. Instead of finding an inn, Nori makes do in a little damp cold cave. He sits, cold, sick, and hungry. Having not found anyone else, he could steal from after the nobleman. The thief was left empty-handed for any food or proper shelter.

"This stinks! Why do I have to get sick!? I travel the most! I should be immune to this stuff!!!" Nori grumbles, "Dori never gets sick!! He is always healthy!! ALWAYS!!"

Slumping down, Nori wraps his cloak around him. He was still grumpy about it even as he started to ponder what it had been like with Dori. Dori, the fussy sort he was, would freak out over one sneeze or cough. 'Okay, maybe not over one,' Nori rolls his eyes and chuckles, which shortly turned into a cough.

When Nori was little and would get sick, Dori would hold him and sing. He could remember curling up in his brother's arms, feeling safe and protected, well listening to that wonderful lullaby. Even now, Nori would still sing to himself softly. Sometimes it helped him feel calm and other times, a nice little reminder of home.

Dori did the same thing for Ori too. In fact, he would always sing them to sleep. It was on one stormy night shortly after their mother's passing that Nori remembers. A loud thunderclap rocked the sky, and when lightning flashed at the same time, Nori was sure it was the ghost of their mother come back to haunt him. He had bolted to the safety of under the couch. That was where Dori had to spend most of the time moving it around and trying to get Nori out. But when he did, Dori did not let go. He would cuddle Nori close and softly reassured him that everything was okay. And that if their mother did come back, she would not want to harm her little gems.