365

mar.17.22

The dwarfs gathered in a round sitting area in Rivendale, outside and under the stars. They didn't like the chambers they'd been shown to by the elves, because they felt too closed in and trapped. With their bedding already laid out, and their pipes out and lit, the night sky looked wonderful and familiar above them. The silver stars seemed to dance in their twinkling.

Lullaby sat on Fili's woolen blankets, her boots off and beside her bag. Fili had disappeared a bit ago with Kili, in search of something seemingly secret; they simply smiled at Lullaby with childish mischief in their eyes, Fili kissed her cheek, and both disappeared in a jog.

Fili left his pipe and a small burlap pouch of sweet pipeweed with Lullaby. As she filled the pipe, Dwalin came over with a cup of tea for her, and lit the pipe. Lullaby inhaled a deep drag of smoke, exhaling black cherries and birch. She accepted the cup of tea.

"Thank you, Mister Dwalin," Lullaby said kindly, sipping the tea; it was spiced apple, sweetened to perfection.

Dwalin nodded, lowering himself to sit on the stone seat beside Lullaby and the bedding on the stone floor. "Dwalin made a batch for the Company," he said, regarding the tea. "So, where's the eldest son of Dis?" he asked, referring to Fili.

"Off somewhere, causing mischief, with the youngest son of Dis. They're loose in an elf kingdom – practically a playing ground for them," Lullaby answered, sipping her tea slowly.

Dwalin was quiet a moment. "Why do your hands shake?"

She paused at his words; the teacup shook in her hands. She set it down and wrung her hands; they felt cold to the touch. "I don't know." She took a long drag from Fili's pipe. "I trust them; those boys aren't in danger here, I'm not worried about them."

"What are you worried about?" Dwalin asked.

Lullaby exhaled slow blue smoke; the pipe shook in her hands. She gripped it tighter. "I don't know, Dwalin. I don't know." And she spoke true; her nerves wouldn't stop shaking after supper. Her mind felt fine; the monsters hadn't bothered her at all since Fili sent them away. She actually felt happy, at peace, for the first time in a long while – quite possibly in her life. She didn't know why her hands shook, why her nerves betrayed her emotions. She took a other long drag from Fili's pipe.

"I hope whatever it is that bothers you vanishes soon," Dwalin said then. "The unknown is a deadly virus that has no business here."

"I agree." Lullaby finished her tea. "Thank you, Dwalin."

He nodded once, as if saying a silent "you're welcome." He took her empty teacup back to Dori, who had made tea for everybody.

Cheering echoed off the stone walls then. Emerging from around the corner came Kili and Fili, carrying armloads of foodstuffs they must have swiped from the kitchen. Going around to the dwarfs, they passed out cookies, pastries, and glasses of berry wine.

Fili came over to Lullaby, holding a lemon cookie and a bottle of wine out to her. "We're back," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "So I see." She accepted the cookie and wine, and held the pipe to Fili. He accepted it, taking a long drag off of it as he sat down on the blankets in front of Lullaby. "Pillaged the elves' pantry, did you?"

Fili exhaled sweet smoke. "Scavenged, more like," he corrected with a chuckle. "They shouldn't notice a few sweets and wine missing."

"Hopefully not." She smiled at Fili and Kili's childish behaviors.

Fili popped the cork of the wine, and sipped from the bottle. He offered it back to Lullaby. "Did we miss anything here?"

She exhaled as she sipped the wine; her hands still shook, and she had to hold it with two hands to steady it. She shook her head. "No, not much."