Kings and Masters

Chapter 11

   While Thorin stayed with his nephews, Bilbo took the liberty of exploring the master's home. It was large and decorated with shows of wealth and it was hard for the little hobbit to wrap his head around such an opulent display when this man's people just had their town destroyed and were living in the streets.

As Bilbo wandered down the hallways, he saw doors opened and other dwarves were recovering from battle. As he neared the back of the house, he descended a flight of stairs and found himself in a basement. There were crates and shelves full of supplies, mostly alcoholic. As he looked around, he heard voices. Moving to peer behind a tall shelf, he frowned at the sight.

Asphodel and Brenna were there, they didn't seem to notice him right away, as their backs were turned to him. "You know how he gets," Brenna was saying as she dipped a wet rag into a pail of water and proceeded to dab at something on Asphodel's cheek. "You shouldn't provoke him."

"He was being lewd and vulgar," Asphodel was saying, her voice a bit husky. Bilbo heard a sniff and his heart sunk. What had happened to this hobbit? Deciding to find out, he cleared his throat.

The girls both gasped and whirled to face him. He put his hands up, "Ah, sorry to have startled you," he said. But when Asphodel turned to face him, he clearly saw a large bruise on her cheek.

"This place is off limit to guests," Brenna said firmly. "What are you doing down here?"

"I was simply exploring the house," Bilbo explained. "I wasn't aware that you would be down here."

"Well is there something we could help you with?" Brenna asked. "Dinner isn't until later and you've all already had your tea."

Bilbo bit his lip a little, trying to decide how he should deal with this situation. He took a breath, "did the master give you that bruise?" he asked bluntly. Asphodel turned a bit red with embarrassment and looked down at her feet.

"What business is it of yours where she got it?" Brenna scoffed.

"I just overheard a bit of your conversation," Bilbo explained. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, but I don't think it's right for him to hit you."

Asphodel glanced at Bilbo and looked like she desperately wanted to say something, her eyes glistened a bit with tears. But Brenna waved her off and shook her head, "A lot of things in this world aren't right," she pointed out, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "But I doubt you have the power to change it, so why complain?"

"Ah, I suppose you are right," Bilbo said with regret in his voice. He very much wanted to get to the heart of this matter and he could see what looked like shame and fear in the young hobbits eyes, but Brenna fixed him with a stern glare that clearly said his help would not be welcomed. He felt dismayed. After all, Asphodel was his kin, a fellow hobbit. And seeing her made him realize how much he missed his home, his people.

"Well I'll be going then," he relented. "I imagine we'll be off to Erebor soon." He reluctantly hurried back up the stairs.

***

In another part of the house, the master's private office, Thorin felt his anger rise as he glared up at the master of Lake-town.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," the master said, "I'd never cheat anyone! You agreed to pay for each dwarf I'm housing here and I've only charged you what you're due!"

"You agreed to charge us three gold per night for each dwarf and twice that for Thorin and his princes," Gloin said as, Balin, Dwalin, and Thorin all stood in front of the master, each with angry expressions on their faces. He held out a piece of parchment as he read from it, "Yet I see here we are paying you 15 gold per dwarf and 18 for the lads. You've been cheating us!"