IV: In the Thamas of the Mountain King

Neither Elladan nor Elrohir paid much attention to their route. Both elves were too weak from lack of food and water to care much. They only knew that they had been saved by the most unlikely band of rescuers imaginable. They were still somewhat in shock at how very close to dying they had come. They walked for some time through twisting passages that were confusing to the elves, though the dwarves apparently had no trouble remembering their route.

It was only when Elrohir stumbled with a gasp that Elladan realized that his brother might have suffered more from their captors than he and called for a halt. He grabbed his brother just before Elrohir slid gracelessly to the floor, clutching his right side and moaning. It was then that he noticed his brother’s tunic was shredded on that side. Probing further he found a deep gash that was now mostly crusted over but still oozing blood here and there.

"My brother needs attention. He is wounded," Elladan cried out in Westron and cursed himself for not noticing Elrohir’s pain before this.

"Why didn’t you say something?" he whispered, switching back to Sindarin, even as he tore a length of cloth from his already shredded tunic and tried to staunch the bloodflow.

"I didn’t want to be a nuisance," came the reply and Elladan didn’t know if he wanted to strangle his brother right then or there or hug him. He settled for accepting the waterskin that had suddenly appeared at his elbow and found Thekki looking at them with remorse.

"Goheno nin, mellyn nîn. I am sorry we have not seen to your needs before this, but we felt it prudent to return to our halls first. Drink and be refreshed. We do not have far to go. Once in Azaghâl-dûm your hurts will be seen to."

Elladan nodded and said, "We thank you, Thekki son of Thrisk. My brother and I are grateful for your assistance."

The dwarf merely nodded, though there was a twinkle in his eyes that neither elf could interpret. Once Elladan had bound the gash as best he could and Elrohir indicated he was ready to go on, they continued. Elrohir’s face was white with fatigue and pain, but with Elladan’s assistance he was able to stay on his feet. Thekki’s estimate had been correct and in less than a quarter of an hour they were entering the dwarf-made chamber.

"Anglennanc in ennyn Azaghâl-dûm," Thekki said. The twins wondered at Thekki’s command of the Elvish language but were not in a position to enquire further.

Actually it was just a single door, Elrohir noticed dimly, but that didn’t matter. Two dwarves stood before the thick oak door, weapons at the ready. When they saw who approached one of them quickly opened the door and so they passed into the dwarf-carven caverns of Azaghâl-dûm. The elves found themselves walking along straight passages the walls of which were richly carved, but nonetheless had an unfinished look to them. Thekki, speaking Westron for the benefit of his fellow dwarves, gave the twins a brief history of the settlement.

"We are originally from Khazad-dûm, but those halls were beginning to become overcrowded, so other settlements have been established along the length of the Misty Mountains. We are purposely keeping them small and we are more like colonies of Khazad-dûm than separate kingdoms."

He went on to explain that Azaghâl-dûm was still being built, having only been founded a decade before the Last Alliance.

"The first lord was Azaghâl son of Aurvang, after whom this settlement was named. He went to the Dagorlad where he died protecting an Elf-lord."

"Do you know who this Elf-lord was?" Elladan asked, wondering if it was someone they knew, or at least, knew of.

"Hmm. Let me think," Thekki stroked his beard as if deep in thought. "Methinks the name was something like Elroth or Elmond or...."

"You mean Elrond?" Elrohir interrupted excitedly. "Was the Elf-lord’s name Elrond?"

Thekki made a show of snapping his fingers. "Ah, yes. That’s the name... Elrond. Have you heard of him?"

"H-he’s our adar," Elladan gasped and looked wonderingly at Elrohir, whose expression was just as amazed.

Thekki stopped and with him the others. A smile creased his face which was reflected in the expressions of the other dwarves. "You don’t say? Then you must be..."

"I’m Elladan and this is my brother, Elrohir."

To the elves’ surprise, Thekki, Lóni and Brunir all bowed. "We are honored to know the sons of Elrond," Brunir said in formal tones. "And we are glad that we are able to repay a longstanding debt."

"Debt?" Elrohir asked, perplexed.

Brunir nodded. "All in good time, young elf-lords. First let us take you to where you may have your wounds tended. Later, I will take you to my father and you will hear the entire story."

So saying, the dwarves continued on and soon they reached the more habitable parts of the colony, having found a broad stair leading down to the next level. The two elves stared unabashedly at their surroundings, amazed at the beauty of the carvings gracing the pillars that held up the roofs of the caverns through which they passed, pleased at the feeling of openness and light that made them forget, momentarily, that they were inside a mountain.

Most of the dwarves left them at one juncture while Thekki, Lóni and Brunir led them into a small chamber. There were two cots with a small table between. There was also a wash stand and a clothes press that could, at need, serve as a seat. Braided rugs graced the tiled floors. The cots, Elladan noticed with some amusement, were somewhat on the short side.

"Here you may rest," Brunir said. "I will send for hot water and the means to bathe as well as one of our healers to see to your wounds. Give your clothes to Thekki, here, and he will have them cleaned and mended for you. I fear we have no clothing suitable for elves but we will see what we may do."

Elladan bowed to the dwarf. "We are grateful for anything you can do for us. I fear all our belongings were taken by the goblins. Even our weapons. You did not perchance come across our swords when you were fighting the goblins did you?"

Lóni shook his head. "Nay, Lord Elladan, we did not. Nor, truth to tell, were we looking for them, for we did not know you were captives until we began hunting down the goblins fleeing from us."

The twins sighed, almost as one, much to the dwarves’ amusement, but made no other comment.

"I will go now," Brunir said with a short bow and the other two dwarves followed him out of the chamber.

Left alone, the twins sat, one on each cot, staring at each other in bemusement. Finally Elladan aroused himself. "Take off your shirt, Brother, and let me see what damage has been done to you."

Elrohir nodded and started to comply but a hiss of pain forced him to stop. Elladan was by his side immediately.

"Hmm. The cloth of your shirt where it was torn has embedded itself into your wound. We will have to clean the wound first before we can remove your shirt. Ah, if I’m not mistaken, I believe someone is even now coming with water."

And so it proved. Thekki, himself, along with several other dwarves, entered their chamber. One of them was carrying bandages and salves and other medical supplies, while others lugged two metal tubs and set them in a space next to the washstand where hot water was being poured into the basin. Towels and other bathing paraphernalia were set on the clothes press.

"Hot water for bathing is being brought," Thekki explained and then introduced the dwarf carrying the medical supplies. "This is Frár, our healer."

Frár bowed. He was shorter than Thekki by a few inches, and his hair and carefully braided beard were a darker auburn. "I fear what aid I can give is little enough. Lord Elrond’s fame as a healer is known to all. No doubt, his sons are also far better healers than I."

"That may be true, Frár," Elladan said with a smile, "but my brother and I would never disparage the aid freely given to us by others. Adar taught us that."

Elladan then showed Frár and Thekki how Elrohir’s clothing was stuck to his wound and the dwarf healer tssked. "We will have to irrigate the wound and make sure no threads remain to bring infection." He went to the basin and poured hot water into it before returning to the cot where he bade Elrohir to lie on his side. If his brother wasn’t in such pain from his wound Elladan would have laughed at the sight of his twin lying on the too-short cot, his legs hanging off the edge.

Thekki, however, grinned in amusement. "I will see to having mattresses made for Men brought here, my lords, so you may sleep in comfort."

"You trade with Men?" Elrohir asked in an attempt to ignore what Frár and Elladan were doing.

Thekki nodded. "Men and Elves. We trade with the Rhúnedain of Rhovanion as well as with Lórien and Ardh Eryndor."

"That’s how you speak Sindarin," Elrohir exclaimed.

Thekki nodded. "There is at least one person in each of our settlements who speaks either Sindarin or Rhûnaic that we may trade on an even basis with our neighbors."

Thekki continued describing the various dwarf settlements and their relations with the Elves and Men of Rhovanion, for which Elladan was grateful, as it kept his brother’s mind on other than the slow, and sometimes painful, task of removing blood-encrusted fibers from the raw gash that he now could see began just below the right breast, extending to the hip. It was deep, but it was already healing. Removing the fibers, though, had forced them to reopen parts of the gash and blood was flowing from it. In spite of that, Elladan did not think stitching would be required and told Frár so. The dwarf healer looked unconvinced, but did not contradict the elf.

Meanwhile, the bathing tubs were being filled with hot water. As soon as Elrohir’s wound was free of fibers and cleaned, the elf insisted that he be allowed to bathe before they did anything else to him.

"I want to be cleansed of this goblin filth once and for all."

Frár wasn’t happy about it, but made no attempt to stop the young elf from having his way. The dwarves left them with their privacy, promising to return with food and clean clothing.

"I may be able to scrounge up some clothes left behind by some Men with whom we were trading," Thekki said.

"I will return to finish my work," Frár added with a put-upon expression and both twins smiled, suddenly reminded of their father.

Elladan helped his twin divest himself of the rest of his clothes and aided him in getting into the tub before getting into the other. Both elves sighed with relief, though the water stung their wounds. Elrohir fought not to grimace with the pain and after a few moments was able to relax. They did not linger, but quickly scrubbed away the grime of travel and imprisonment, washing their hair using the clean-smelling soap provided by the dwarves. They noted with approval that the soap was scented with lovage, rosemary and lavender, all designed to aid in cleansing and healing the body and bringing surcease to the soul.

Soon they were dried, wrapping the large towels about them, sitting together on one of the cots, helping each other with their hair. It was not long after that Thekki and Frár appeared again. Thekki carried a bundle of clothes in his arms while Frár carried a steaming bowl from which wafted an astringent smell that was familiar to the elves. Two other dwarves carried trays from which more enticing smells emanated.

Thekki spoke first. "These are clothes left behind by some Men that might fit you well enough." He placed them on the other cot.

"And this is a poultice for your wound, Lord Elrohir. It should aid in the healing."

"And, here is something to eat," Thekki finished, directing the dwarves to place the food trays on the clothes press and to remove the bathtubs.

One of the dwarves bent down beside one of the tubs and attached a tube of intestine to its side where a hinged flap lifted revealing a short pipe. The other end of the tube was then laid near an open drain in the floor next to the washstand. Then one of the dwarves reached into the tub to remove a plug. At once the water flowed through the tube to the open drain and soon the tub was empty enough to be lifted. When both tubs had been so drained, the dwarves took them along with the rest of the bathing things, leaving the elves alone with Thekki and Frár.

"Let me see to that gash, Lord Elrohir," the healer said and Elrohir allowed himself to be ministered to.

Elladan, meanwhile, was examining the clothing Thekki had brought. There were two robes and loose shirts as well as breeches. All were clean but none were what either elf would prefer to wear, but this was no time to be fastidious. Elladan thanked Thekki and donned a pair of breeches and a shirt, both somewhat ill fitting but serviceable. When Frár was finished wrapping the gash, Elrohir donned another pair of breeches but chose one of the robes to slip on, for it was easier than trying to put on a shirt. Their own clothes were placed in a hamper provided for such with the promise that they would be cleaned and mended, though Elladan doubted either of their tunics would be salvageable.

"Eat now before the food cools," Thekki implored and neither elf needed further urging. While they were eating more dwarves entered with large feather mattresses which they placed on the floor, removing one of the cots, as the other was being used as a seat by the elves.

"Lord Búri wishes to speak with you once you have rested," Thekki told them as they ate. "We are in the Fourth Hall of the South-end of the Third Rise and must go down three levels to the Throne room. The way is winding and it will take us close to nearly three hours to traverse it."

"Then we will rest as we may," Elladan said, "for in truth I am weary as I have never thought to be."

"As am I," agreed Elrohir.

"Then rest for as long as you need to. There is no rush," Frár said. And after explaining where the nearest privy was and making sure their guests had everything they needed, the two dwarves bowed and left.

When they had finished eating the elves decided to use the privy before lying down. The corridor outside their room was empty. Shortly thereafter they returned to their room. Elrohir had some trouble getting comfortable because of his wound, so Elladan offered to send him into healing sleep, to which Elrohir reluctantly agreed. Once he had seen to his twin, Elladan lay down on the other mattress and was soon entering the path of dreams.

After the elves had returned from the privy and retired, two grim-faced dwarves moved out of the shadows from further down the corridor and took positions before the door, their axes planted firmly before them.

****

"Well, Friend Thandir, Mistress Eluwen, I see your charges are being well taken care of," Lord Búri said as he eyed his unexpected guests sitting next to him. Búri stroked his beard, a darker shade of brown than his son’s, only just beginning to turn grey. His warm hazel-brown eyes twinkled with amusement.

When his son Brunir had returned with Thekki and Lóni from their foray into the nest of vipers plaguing the upper reaches of what he considered his kingdom he had never in his wildest dreams expected them to return with two elven scouts in tow. Not to mention the twin sons of Lord Elrond of Imladris. That bit of news had nearly stunned him to speechlessness, though he thought he had recovered from his surprise quickly enough.

Now, the two scouts had joined him for a latenight meal in Búri’s private chambers. Brunir, Thekki and Lóni, as well as the healer, Frár, were all there as well.

"For which we are very grateful, my lord," replied Thandir, giving the Dwarf-lord a brief bow. "I am very relieved to hear that my lord’s sons have suffered so little from their captivity, though it grieves me that Lord Elrohir was wounded as he was."

"Do not fear for the young lordling, friend Thandir," Frár said from further down the table, "Lord Elladan and I were able to cleanse the wound. I believe that with the poultice I prepared for Lord Elrohir he will be quite well by morning."

"Thank you, friend Frár. Your words comfort me." He did not feel it would be politic to point out that elves healed more quickly than mortals, even dwarves, and that it was unlikely Frár’s poultice was even needed. Best to allow the healer to think his medicks sufficient to the task.

"So, then, tell us what chance brought you here to Azaghâl-dûm," Búri asked, "and how may we serve you?"

The two elves shared a look between them before Thandir responded. "It started when young Elrohir thought it would be a good idea for him and his brother to travel overmountain to Lórien on their own..."

By the time Thandir had reached the part about the bear cub, the dwarves were laughing uproariously.

"Young indeed!" exclaimed Búri, wiping tears of laughter from his face. "Reminds me of you Brunir, when you were just a dwarfling."

"But I was never so foolish as to play with a bear cub," protested the younger dwarf, wiping his own eyes of tears.

"Perhaps not, my son," Búri allowed with a smile, "but I can think of one or two instances where you displayed remarkable stupidity in your younger years... deciding to run away to see your cousins in Belegost, for instance."

The elves were amused at the way Brunir reddened at his father’s words and smiled while the older dwarves chuckled, obviously well aware of the outcome of that particular tale.

"The very young are often foolish, my lord," Eluwen said. "It is why we are here, to see to it that the Elrondionnath do not suffer too much from their own brand of foolishness."

"Yet, how did you manage not to be seen by Elrond’s sons? You had to have traveled together back to Azaghâl-dûm, did you not?"

"Nay, father," Brunir replied. "I had Ginnar escort Friend Thandir and Mistress Eluwen by the most direct route while I and the others gave Lords Elladan and Elrohir the, er, scenic tour of the upper reaches."

They all laughed at that and Thandir picked up the tale.

"Ginnar led us to a room across the hall from where the twins were brought so we could see for ourselves that they were well. While your people were tending to our charges, we took the opportunity to freshen up ourselves before your son brought us to you."

Búri nodded. "What aid then should we offer them?"

Thandir shook his head. "Whatever aid you see fit to offer, my lord. The twins are not to know that their ‘rescue’ was anything but pure chance. I will inform Lord Elrond of the truth when we return to Imladris, but otherwise, you may provide what you wish." Thandir chuckled at a sudden thought and grinned slyly. "You may even escort them to the very borders of Lórien if you so wish, though I suspect the twins will want to decline your kind offer."

The dwarves all laughed aloud at that and the rest of the meal was spent in coming up with ways to "help" the sons of Elrond without them suspecting where the aid actually originated.

****

Elladan was the first to rouse, feeling slightly disoriented at the carved ceiling above him. Memory quickly returned and he sat up to examine his brother who still slept and would not awaken for some time unless Elladan brought him out of the healing sleep. He carefully unwrapped the bandages around his brother and upon removing the poultice was pleased to see healing pink skin. He doubted that there would be any scarring. He stroked Elrohir’s face and called to him softly, willing him to awaken. Elrohir gave a soft sigh and opened his eyes, focusing them on his brother smiling down at him.

"Good morning, muindor nîn," Elladan said. "Or at least, I am assuming it’s morning. Hard to tell inside a mountain."

Elrohir sat up, noticing the poultice had been removed and quickly examined his wound. He smiled at his brother. "Morning or night, it matters not. It’s good to no longer be in pain."

Elladan was about to respond when there was a knock on the door. He rose and opened it. Thekki and Frár stood before him and he bowed them into the room.

"Good morning to you both," Thekki said. "For it is indeed morning, though you know it not. I trust you slept well?"

"Indeed we did," Elladan answered. "I was just examining Elrohir’s wound. It appears to be well on its way to being healed."

Frár bowed to Elrohir. "If I may be allowed..."

"Of course, healer," Elrohir said graciously and rose from the mattress to sit on the cot so Frár could examine him.

The examination was quick but thorough and Frár was well pleased, though somewhat stunned at how rapidly the young Elf-lord had recovered from his injuries. Even the bruises and scrapes on both elves had nigh disappeared.

"I think you are well enough to travel," Frár finally said, sounding somewhat reluctant to the amusement of the two elves. They had often heard their adar and the other healers of Imladris use that same tone of voice on a patient who seemed to have recovered more quickly than the healers thought was prudent.

Thekki nodded. "Your own clothes will be returned to you shortly. I have ordered hot water for washing, and breakfast. Afterwards I will take you to my lord Búri. We will take our time. Lord Búri expects us for the noonmeal."

The two elves thanked the older dwarf and in minutes hot water and clothes appeared. The dwarves stepped outside to give the elves privacy.

"I will return shortly to escort you, my friends," Thekki said as he followed the other dwarves out.

The twins quickly washed and rebraided their hair, slipping out of the room long enough to use the privy before dressing, still unaware that they had been guarded through the night, for with the dawn the last of the guards had left.

As Elladan had suspected, their outer tunics had been too far gone to save, but their shirts and breeches had been cleaned and mended. They were surprised to see that other tunics had been placed in the pile with their own clothes.

"These must have been left by Men," Elrohir opined. The tunics fitted well enough, though they were shorter than elven tunics and their colors were not what either elf was used to wearing. "We’ll have to remove them before we set out for Lórien or we’ll stand out like sore thumbs," Elrohir continued with a sly grin.

Elladan chuckled but did not disagree. The tunics were rather... loud. His was a buttercup-yellow trimmed in shades of green and blue, while the one Elrohir donned was a deep wine color with silver trim. Not what one usually wore in the Wilds.

When they were finished dressing, they stepped out of the room to find Thekki waiting for them, and suddenly felt a bit self-conscious in their loud tunics. If Thekki noticed though, he gave no sign.

The journey through Azaghâl-dûm was an eye-opener for the young elves, never having seen the dwarf cities before. Everywhere they looked they saw intricate carvings on pillars, beautifully wrought gems and crystals that caught the sunlight streaming down shafts, sending color and light throughout the halls and even fountains in open courtyards, the water dancing gaily under the sunbeams falling from above. All along the way they saw dwarves busy with the task of making Azaghâl-dûm even more beautiful than it already was. By the time they reached the throne room, the elves were suitably impressed and even humbled by what they had seen.

But as marvelous as the halls through which they had traveled were, the throne room was even more spectacular. The elves stopped at the entrance, stunned. The throne room was the largest hall they had seen. The Hall of Fire, which was the largest gathering room in Elrond’s house, would have been swallowed up by this chamber. The floor was made of mithril and onyx in a geometric pattern that was too intricate to discern immediately. Intricately carved pillars held the roof up and Elrohir gasped as he looked up and saw how the central dome of the roof over the throne had been smoothed over with plaster and painted a dark blue. It was encrusted with various colored gems. It took a moment to realize that he was seeing the night sky as it looked at Midsummer. Elsewhere he saw half a dozen shafts that brought air and light to the chamber. Rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds were englobed together in open lattices of silver and placed on pillars below the shafts, sending a rainbow of light across the hall. Other clear glass globes were hung in groups of four below the gems and the elves guessed that at night these were lit to provide illumination. The throne itself was a single block of carved onyx etched in mithril and gold sitting on a dais of three steps, also made of onyx.

With a slight nudge from Thekki, Elladan began walking, followed belatedly by Elrohir. The dwarf hid a smile as he escorted them to the throne where Búri awaited them.

"I welcome the sons of Lord Elrond to Azaghâl-dûm," he said, speaking in Sindarin as he stood before his throne to greet them in elf-fashion. Elladan and Elrohir bowed.

"We are honored to be so welcomed, Lord Búri," Elladan answered for them both. "And we are grateful for having been rescued by your warriors from certain death. We are in your debt."

Búri shook his head. "A debt already repaid. Come, let us share the noonmeal together."

He led them to a dining hall where those who had rescued them were waiting. The dwarves greeted the two young elves warmly. In minutes they were being served. The elves fell to their meal at once, for they found themselves famished. The shock of their capture was slowly fading into memory and their young bodies craved sustenance. Búri limited himself to speaking in polite generalities about the twins’ family and the state of affairs in Eriador while the twins ate, but eventually, they slowed and Búri turned the subject to their own adventures.

Elladan acted as spokesman with occasional comments from Elrohir. All the dwarves present oohed and aahed at the right moments, making a convincing show of never having heard the story before.

"I regret that we were unable to recover your weapons or supplies," Búri said when Elladan had finished his tale, "but we will be happy to supply you with what you may need to complete your journey. Perhaps you will permit me to lend you an escort to Lórien."

The twins looked at one another before Elladan answered. "We thank you for your kind offer, my lord, but my brother and I would like to complete the journey by ourselves. Yet, any assistance in food and weapons you care to give will be gratefully received."

Búri hid a smile. Neither elf noticed Thekki and Lóni sharing a wink with Frár.

"In that case, I will ask that you remain as my guests for another day. We will have a feast in your honor and then tomorrow my son will escort you to the East Gate and show you the way to Lórien. With luck you can easily reach it’s borders in a week or so."

"Where exactly are we?" Elrohir asked.

Thekki was the one who answered. "Azaghâl-dûm lies above the source of the Sîr Ninglor, some forty-three leagues as the craban flies from Lórien. The High Pass is close to thirty-three leagues north of here. From what you told us, I would guess you traveled a third of that way underground before you were attacked by the goblins. Their nest was a two-day march from here."

"It didn’t seem that long when you brought us here," commented Elladan.

"It wasn’t," agreed Lóni. "The outer boundaries of our settlement lie only a league or so from where we found you. Thekki meant that it would take two days to march from the East Gate, which is located at the Third Deep, to where the goblins were holed up, well past the Fourth Rise."

Elrohir shook his head in wonder. "I did not realize this was such a large settlement."

"And Khazad-dúm is supposed to be larger still," Elladan added in a subdued voice.

Búri smiled sympathetically. "Perhaps one day you will be able to visit the Halls of Durin and judge for yourself."

"How do we travel to Lórien from here, then?" Elladan asked, for with the loss of their pack they had also lost their only map.

Lóni answered him. "There is no road that leads directly to Lórien from here. This far north, most of our trade is with the Rhúnedain and Thranduil’s kingdom. However, the terrain is not as rugged as you would find on the western flanks of the Misty Mountains so you will have little trouble I think. I can draw you a map that will show you the best way to travel from here."

The twins thanked the warrior, glad that the dwarves were so eager to help them, though somewhat bemused by it all. They both felt that, in spite of the run-in with the goblins and their near brush with death, their journey so far had been quite successful. They had no doubt that they would be able to reach Lórien without further incident.

"Meanwhile," Lord Buri said, "I will release Thekki from his duties to me and have him give you a tour of our settlement. It is still unfinished and does not have the grandeur of Khazad-dûm but we are well pleased with it."

So, after they finished their meal, the two elves followed Thekki for the next several hours through a bewildering array of narrow tunnels, caverns both large and small and wide passages richly carved, admiring the work of the dwarves as they carved out their homes. They could never have found their way back to the Throne room if not for the dwarf.

Returning to the Throne room level Thekki showed them to a chamber not far from Lord Búri’s own apartments which turned out to be guest quarters for the Men and Elves who visited. The chamber was larger than the one they had slept in the night before and was more fully appointed with two normal sized (for elves) beds, a wardrobe and a writing desk. A bathing room and privy were attached. Entering, they found a light repast of fruit, cheese, and fresh bread awaited them, which they eagerly ate. Afterwards they rested, the tour having tired them, especially Elrohir.

As evening approached, Thekki escorted them back to the Throne room where the feast would be held. They were escorted to seats of honor on either side of Lord Búri, with his son Brunir on Elladan’s right and Lóni on Elrohir’s left. Thekki sat next to Lóni while Frár sat beside Brunir. The fare was different from what would have been served in Imladris, but was nonetheless excellent and none left the table hungry.

Elladan and Elrohir enjoyed themselves very much, the weeks of traveling and eating trail food or whatever they could hunt having palled. Afterwards, there was singing and dancing and Búri was able to convince the elves to sing a few songs themselves. The dwarves appeared highly appreciative of it, especially those who understood Sindarin.

As the evening progressed the two elves found themselves sharing a quiet cup of wine with their host and a few others. At one point Elladan spoke. "What did you mean, my lord, when you said that the debt had been repaid? What debt?"

For a time Búri did not speak, merely stared into his goblet of wine. Finally, he looked up at the elves. "Few dwarves answered the call to arms issued by Gil-galad as he and Elendil formed the Last Alliance. My grandsire, Azaghâl, was one of them. He joined with Lord Elrond’s people along with a small contingent of other like-minded dwarves. There were fewer than fifty dwarves all told. Only three survived to return to their kin."

Both elves grimaced at that, for they were well versed in the history of that last desperate attempt to rid Middle-earth of Sauron. Well they knew the futility of that attempt for they believed as did Elrond that Sauron had not been completely destroyed, though he was much diminished.

"At any rate," Búri continued, "Your father was sorely pressed at one point in the fighting and would have died then and there had not Azaghâl come to his rescue, slaying a dozen orcs and Southrons before hauling Elrond to safety. The two became fast friends after that and Elrond placed himself in Azaghâl’s debt."

Elrohir’s eyebrows went up. "Adar never spoke of that."

Elladan snorted. "Adar hasn’t spoken about a lot of things having to do with the war. Neither has Glorfindel, for that matter, nor the others who fought at the Dagorlad."

"It is difficult to speak of such horrors to one’s own children, for we seek to protect them and preserve their innocence as best we can," Búri said turning an indulgent smile towards his own son who merely sighed.

"We interrupted you, my lord," Elladan said. "Please continue."

The dwarf lord nodded, taking another sip from his goblet before continuing. "Later, Azaghâl was himself beset by the enemy and there were none nearby to succor him. Just as he was about to be hewn down by an orc, though, your sire appeared and slew the orc and several others besides. Unfortunately, my grandsire had received a mortal blow during the attack. Elrond fought to heal him but to no avail. Before he died though, he told Elrond that all debts were paid. One of the other dwarves who later survived the war stood near and heard the exchange. When he returned home, he told all that had happened to my father, Bóri, who then declared Elrond and his heirs dwarf-friends in memory of his father."

The twins looked at each other in surprise, each seeing their father in a new light. "That’s why Adar has always welcomed dwarves to Imladris, the few times they have come," Elladan finally said.

"Yes, Elrond of Imladris is widely respected by the dwarves for his friendship and for his sagacity." Brunir proclaimed.

"And we are glad to be able to meet his sons and offer them what aid we can in memory of their sire’s bravery," added his father, raising his goblet in salute before drinking. The other dwarves followed suit.

"Tomorrow, we will see you on your way," the Dwarf-lord said once the toast had been completed.

****

Thamas: (Great) hall.

Goheno nin, mellyn nîn: "Forgive me, my friends."

Anglennanc in ennyn Azaghâl-dûm: "We (inclusive) approach the doors of Azaghâl-dûm."

Rhúnedain: "People of the East". Not Easterlings (Rhûnrim), but the descendants of those distantly related to the House of Hador before that particular tribe moved westward into Beleriand. Some of the Rhúnedain would themselves become the ancestors of the Rohirrim.

Ardh Eryndor: Woodland Realm; Thranduil’s kingdom.

Rhûnaic: The language spoken by the Rhúnedain of Rhovanion. It has its roots in the language spoken by the People of Hador with whom the Rhúnedain share distant kinship and is the ancestor of Rohirric. While Tolkien never specifically mentions the existence of such a language, it is safe to assume that there would be divergent dialects of the language spoken by those Men who remained behind in Middle-earth after the founding of Númenor, one of which was spoken by Men living in the Vales of Anduin, north of Sîr Nenglor (River Gladden). Over the course of thirty-five hundred years it would likely become a separate language in its own right, which I call Rhûnaic, since it is the language spoken by Men east of the Misty Mountains.

Belegost: The dwarf kingdom of Belegost, in the Eryd Luin, survived the drowning of Beleriand, though much damaged. While Tolkien never specifically names the dwarf settlements of the Blue Mountains mentioned in the Hobbit or in LoTR, it is reasonable to assume that Belegost is meant.

Elrondionnath: The sons of Elrond; the class plural is used here since Elrond only has two sons and both are being referenced by Eluwen.

Sîr Ninglor: The River Gladden.

Craban: Singular of crebain: the ravens of Dunland.

A note on the layout of Azaghâl-dûm: Azaghâl-dûm is of course an imaginary outlier of the great dwarf kingdom of Khazad-dûm. While smaller than that city, Azaghâl-dûm is still quite large. Nearly thirty miles separate Third Deep from Fourth Rise and it takes two days to traverse the distance. The Throne room lies midway between these two levels and is the main meeting place of the city. This level also contains the feast hall and administrative halls, as well as private apartments for Lord Búri and his family. All other levels are named based on their relation to the Throne room. First Rise, then, is one level above the Throne room, while First Deep is one level below. The East Gate is located in the Second Hall of the South-end of the Third Deep, approximately thirteen miles from the Throne room. Fourth Rise is another sixteen miles further up. Each level is further divided between North-end and South-end. Those halls in the South-end of each Rise lie closer to the Throne room than those of the North-end. The opposite is true for the Deeps. The twins were originally quartered in the Fourth Hall of the South-end of the Third Rise, and therefore were only about nine miles from the Throne room level. Walking at a moderate pace — for elves and dwarves, about four miles an hour — they took less than three hours to reach the Throne room.