[piosenniel]

There is an old Dwarvish saying – Tongues are wagging ‘bout you when the tips of your ears burn hot as forgefire.

Riv looked about the kitchen, noting the murmur of voices he’d heard rumbling in the room had come to an abrupt halt. Their eyes were fixed on him, their tongues still . . . but nonetheless the tips of his ears felt decidedly warm. ‘And what would you expect,’ he chided himself. ‘Your mood was black as anything when you spoke to Skald. And he’s not one to keep burdens to himself. I’m sure he spoke with Bror . . .’ He glanced at his father and gave a half grin with a nod. ‘I hope no one has put the bug in Father’s ear. He needs no more worries.’

In an effort to lighten the mood, Riv looked expectantly at his younger brothers. ‘What? No hot food fixed for the returned warrior?’ He grinned widely at the both of them. ‘Here I’ve gone and gotten all cleaned up so as to be more presentable . . . and all for nothing . . .’

Glad of something to do, one of the brothers got up and fixed a basket of thick sliced bread, a plate of good goat’s cheese, and ladled out a big steaming bowl of meat and vegetable soup that Unna had slow cooking in the iron kettle near the fire. They sat and watched as he tucked into his food with a hearty spirit. He urged them all to have a mug of ale with him and poured a round for each himself. Skald he noted only sipped a little before placing the mug on the table.

The four fell to talking about the news from Viss about Celeborn. At first Viss himself wanted to part of the escort, but he was quickly shouted down by his sons. They dared not say he was too old to go, but they played on his sense of familial responsibility. It wouldn’t be right were he not here to oversee Stonecut business while they were gone. For his part, Viss raised a brow and was about to nay-say their argument, but looking at them, he knew they were just as likely to lock him in a vault in the lower caverns and give Svala the key to let him out well after they’d gone.

Viss, it seemed, had already spoken to most of the other older men in the Stonecut Hall. And an agreement had already been reached of how many men they thought they could spare for this escort party. ‘It’s a farther distance than we’ve gone before with an Elven group,’ Viss said. ‘That and the fact that the start of the battle is very near, there are more Orc troops in the area.’

‘And other things, even more worse than foul Orcs,’ Riv put in.

‘Well, I’ve put all your names forward for the escort,’ Viss went on. ‘I’ll surely understand if you want to stay back. I know you’ve all put forth a good effort already in our efforts to aid the Jewelsmiths. You’d be just as useful here at the forge if that’s what you choose to do.’

In the end, the three brothers, after much discussion, made their decision – they would go with the Elves from Lorien and see them safely to Lord Elrond’s position.