Nerin listened to Dwalin's story about himself, scratching his black beard and nodding all the while trying to make fragments of a story about himself, for there was nothing much to tell for him either.
Nerin was glad to hold a conversation with Dwalin who was on his first adventure as well, he thought perhaps that way they could relate to things more.
"It's ironic isn't it?" Dwalin said at once. "We've come all this way, and for nothing. We've almost got ourselves killed several times, and we're not even home yet. Yes, it's ironic how we as children, and adults, keep dreaming that we're far away from home. But once we truly are away from home and in grave danger, all we wish for is to be ... home.."
There was silence for a moment as each Dwarf went into his own thoughts.
"So, what about you?" Dwalin asked with a smile
He nodded sympathetically at Dwalin's earlier statement, for it was all too true. Nerin looked up at Dwalin "yes, when young you seek to be like the characters of legend or fairy tales ready to stop if it became dangerous, but in real life, in real peril you can't just wake up knowing that your safe in your bed. You have to try and get by as best you can or die in the attempt".
Nerin smiled, "but as for me my story is no better than yours, this is my first adventure as well and it isn't exactly turning out how I would have liked it", he rubbed his sore jaw and continued "I wasn't born in Erebor, but moved from the Iron Hills with my Father and Grandfather when word reached that the King under the Mountain had returned and the Dragon was defeated, of course we moved there a few years after the news when things had become more settled"
He shrugged and tossed a few twigs into the fire "not terribly exciting but I hope its a start to our friendship".
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