hsavinien

Title: A Cross-Country Move for Job Related Reasons

Author: H. Savinien
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1103
Disclaimer: Middle-Earth is Tolkien's. God bless him that he graciously encouraged others to play in it.
Author's Note: For yuri_shoujo, who likes dwarves and is less fond of elves. Iglishmêk is the Dwarven sign language that they use to communicate secretly while non-dwarves are present. Set post-Hobbit, pre-LotR.
Summary: Two dwarves and their dog, mid-journey.

***

The dwarf's axe thunked into the stump, splitting the firewood with a sharp crack. Stooping, Nithi gathered the pieces, then stacked them next to the others. The fire crackled behind Nithi, the tang of burning wood mingling with the cloying smell of rot from the forest. The northern reaches of the Greenwood were still recovering from the blight of the Necromancer.

"Haven't you finished yet?" Nyi demanded. "Supper is nearly ready and the water fetched."

Nithi grumbled, "I set up the camp first. I just wanted to make sure we had enough wood to last through the night. I don't want you running low and having to cut more while I'm trying to sleep."

Nyi sighed. "Eh, sorry. I'm short-tempered today. The trees give me the shivers."

"Aye, me too." Nithi whistled for Rakki. "Come, you horrible smelly beast! Come. The forest shall mind itself. Come here!"

The black dog gave the Greenwood's edge one last sniff, then bounded back, tail wagging furiously.

"Agh!" Nithi dodged, scolding, "Maker's breath, it's like you've a whip attached to your hindquarters." Rakki, undeterred, nuzzled into the dwarf's chest. He would have knocked a less-sturdy being to the ground, but Nithi stood fast. "Oh, not the beard. Lummox! Uncle just plaited it for me last month." Nithi wiped slobber off the three dark brown braids and their silver clasp and scratched the dog resignedly. "You had better show your rabbit-hunting skills worth the bother."

Nyi laughed. "Oh, as if bringing him along wasn't your idea in the first place, you besotted creature. He's a good alarm system, at least. Anyone approaches this camp and he'll know it before we will."

Rakki rolled on his back to show his white-marked belly and the white diamonds on the back of each waving paw, his broad head scruffing up the leaf litter. Nyi scratched the dog's chest absently with the toe of a boot and checked the stew, sipping from the ladle.

"Eh, that should do it." Nyi plopped two healthy servings into their bowls and offered the small packet of salt. "I think the seasoning's enough, but it shan't hurt my feelings if you disagree."

Nithi sat beside the other dwarf, grabbing a bowl. "What's in it?"

"Venison, barley, onions, carrots, the last of the tomatoes and celery from home, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and a little of the dried ground peppers we traded from those Southerners."

Nithi blew on a spoonful and tasted it. "It's good. Enough for luncheon tomorrow, as well?"

"Aye, plenty." Nyi took a bite. "Should be fair weather tomorrow."

Nithi cocked an eye skyward. "I think so. Fed the dog yet?"

"Not yet. Pour broth on some of the waybread and he'll be happy enough." A bit of carrot caught in Nyi's light brown mustache and the dwarf licked it out. "Do you think we'll make good time to the Iron Hills? It would grieve me to lose this apprenticeship with the loremasters there for want of quick feet."

Nithi's nose wrinkled. "They know the distance we have to travel. They know your uncle has no horse or pony to carry you. You're no wizard to travel there by Eagle's wings."

Nyi nodded. "Aye, I suppose."

The dwarves applied themselves once more to their food, then Nithi relented to the dog's pleading eyes and gave him more supper than he really needed. "You'd think he'd never known food nor love," the dwarf grumbled, pitching a scrap of venison Rakki's way.

Nyi chuckled. "First watch yours?" The dwarf hummed a walking song, tidying the food away.

"Aye," Nithi sighed. "I'm useless in the morning elsewise." The two of them shifted closer on the folded cloaks, Nyi's arm about Nithi's shoulders. "I look forward to sleeping in beds again," Nithi added.

"In sleeping at the same time, in safety," Nyi retorted. "And in one bed. And other things besides sleeping."

Nithi grinned. "That as well."

Rakki chose that moment to jump to his feet, growling in alarm. Both dwarves tumbled to their feet, Nithi lunging for the axe still in the stump and Nyi grabbing a sword from beneath their cloaks.

"Hold! What business have you so close to the Greenwood?" an auburn-haired elf demanded, bow drawn and aimed at them. Both dwarves froze.

"We...travel," Nyi said. "To the Iron Hills for work."

"Dog, elf boots shiny. Piss on," Nithi instructed in iglishmêk. Rakki whined, tail wagging worriedly. Nithi glowered at the elf.

Nyi smacked Nithi surreptitiously and signed Rakki to, "Hold!" as urgently as could be concealed.

"You come too near our land. We are at peace, but your presence is unannounced and secretive."

Nyi set the sword down slowly. "We are unimportant, traveling on no one's warrant, under no great duty. I did not know Thranduil King's territory extended into the open lands between the Greenwood and the Grey Mountains and that our passage through it would be cause for concern. I go to take apprenticeship in the Iron Mountains from our kin there. My friend accompanies me, that I might not travel alone."

The elf relaxed her hold on the bow. "Have you proof of this?"

Nithi growled.

Nyi sighed. "None but our word. We are two dwarves and a hound. What trouble could we make?"

The elf's mouth quirked sadly at the corner. "Oh, more than you imagine, I'm sure." She nodded at them. "Stay clear of the trees. Cut no living wood, kill no more creatures than you must to feed yourselves." She vanished into the forest.

"Bloody elves." Nithi glared after her.

Nyi sat down again with a plop and resheathed the sword properly. "I would be nervous too with strangers wandering around near our home."

"We're not that close!"

"And now they'll not bother us," Nyi said.

"Probably. But I would not put it past them watching."

"Undoubtedly."

Nithi sighed. "May they be set upon by spiders and up all night slaying the beasts, then fall in a stream and mess their pretty hair."

Nyi smacked the other dwarf gently, then tugged at the triple-braided beard. "Calm down. I need to sleep and you need to be alert for your watch, not jumping at elf-shadows in the moonlight."

Leaning close, Nithi kissed Nyi, nuzzling into the mutual scruff of mustaches against each other, then tipped their foreheads together. "You're right." Nithi sighed. "Sleep, dear one."

Nyi kissed back. "Good night."

They settled in for the night. Nyi slid into the bedroll, curling up with a hand on the sword-hilt. Nithi sat, back to the fire, with Rakki's head plopped on one knee and looked out at the night.