[Arry]

‘Ah! You’re a welcome sight, little brother!’ Skald clapped Bror on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow. ‘We’re setting up camp over here . . . we Dwarves. Rori’s volunteered us to help with the first watch – it being, he said to the Elven captain that we need a little more sleep than they do.’ Skald laughed at the picture of the tall Elf, his brows raised at the abrupt announcement by the Dwarf captain. ‘Then, of course, we Dwarves gathered around began to laugh and even Rori cracked a smile. The Elf, of course, soon realized we were having a bit of fun with him and laughed himself.’ He paused, his brow wrinkling. ‘Now that’s the second thing I’ve found out about Elves today! They have a sense of humor under all that piercing-eye-serious-stuff. Second . . . and I can’t wait to shove this in Riv’s face for misinforming me . . . they have actual babies! They don’t just appear out of thin air. Hmmmph! Amazing, isn’t it!’

He looked back over his shoulder to catch Bror’s expression at this revelation and noted his brother was not following along behind. ‘Well! What are you just standing there for?’ he asked.

It was soon sorted out that one of the Elves from Elrond’s forces had found Bror and told him to hurry back . . . The Lindon Elves and the survivors would soon be moving out he had told Bror. ‘Well that might well have been the plan,’ Skald said. ‘So he told you what he knew, the Elf did. But it was just very recently that word came down to us here that we’d be spending the night.’ He looked to the center of the camp being established, where the supply wagons and the survivors were gathered. ‘I’m supposing, and I don’t know this for a fact – can’t read minds like the Elves do . . .’ He shuddered at the thought, thinking what Elrond or Celeborn would do if he had the skill to do it and tried it on them. ‘Anyways, a lot of the Elves, survivors and warriors, need fixing up a bit I’m thinking before we move on. Rori’s even sent some of us to get bandaged up by the healers.’ He looked to where Lord Elrond was standing talking to a couple of the bowmen. ‘ ‘Course that’s just my opinion . . . could be we’re spending the night so as the Elves can figure out some plan for our next move. Guess we’ll learn about it when they tell us.’

The two brothers had reached the area where the other Dwarves had gathered. Rori Ironfist was in the midst of them, letting them know how their injured fellows were doing. He advised that they all roll out their bedrolls and rest a while, then eat. There were still some Elves out scouting for survivors, but he wanted his company to stay in camp for now. ‘Joke aside . . . we will take the first watch for the evening, alongside some of Lord Elrond’s troops. We’ll need to keep a sharp eye and ear out for any Orc that might come sniffing round.’