Augir was gobbling up his second bowl of stew when Buhni came back to the kitchen. Hanfrere was busy handing out her stew, but Augir felt out of place. He wanted to help, but with what? He was no healer and he didn't exactly know what all the raised voices were about. He saw Thrandili in tears and knew it had something to do with Byli. When Buhni asked him to find Byl, he quickly finished his dinner and with a ”Of course! I'll bring him here right away!” he dashed out of the kitchen.
Augir quickly found his way to Byl's hall. He knocked on the sturdy door but no answer. After pounding with his fist the door swung open. Byli stood there with a red swollen nose. ”Oh, master Augir, what can I do for you?”
”By Mahal, what happened to your face, lad?” spoke Augir, utterly surprised. Byli explained how Kandrin had attacked him believing Byli had killed his father.
”Nothing about the Strongbeards surprise me today” Augir muttered. ”Where is Byl? Buhni asked me to find him.”
Byli pointed in the direction of Thorin's hall ”He's putting up posters regarding my lost geode.”
Augir's eyes seemed to almost pop out as the geode was mentioned.
“A geode you say?”said Augir with obvious excitement. He knew those were rare finds and usually worth a fortune. For a moment a large geode filled with precious gems danced before his eyes. Then suddenly he remembered his errand. ”Thorin's hall you say? Well I will go and look for him. You better take care of that nose, lad! “
Augir bowed and swiftly running he made his way to Thorin's Hall. Outside Runulf's he spotted Byl, busy with another poster. ”Master Byl...Izbad...Buhni requests your presence.” he blurred out while trying to catch his breath."
”Again? I was there not long ago” spoke Byl while hitting the last nail holding his poster. ”The whole family is in turmoil. Has Kandral's conditions taken a turn for the worse?” he continued with a worried expression. Augir gestured excessively with his hands while stressing the urgency in his request. Byli sighed deeply. ”Too much excitement for one day...”he muttered as they walked back to Ulfhirth dûm.
The old dwarf opened the front door. Skaril’s shirt was covered in something remotely looking like food. In his hands he held a small wooden bowl, containing more of the goo-like substance. The youngest child, Hvarur, clung to his legs crying. Behind him Zhidili ran around with a wooden bow and sword, playing her ”Great Huntress” role.
”Master Hilfar! Come in brother, if you don't mind the mess.” spoke Skaril with a laugh
Hilfar barely made it past the threshold when a tiny wooden arrow hit him in the chest.
”You're a dead bear now!!" shouted Zhidili and continued on her rampage.
Hilfar chuckled ”I can see you are busy, my friend.”
”While the trolls sleep, the goblins dance on the tables.” A wide grin spread over Skaril's face as he continued ”...and these goblins are the worst of them all. The trolls...I mean Augir and Hanfrere are over at the Uzbad's hall.”
Hilfar scratched his beard ”I was hoping you could help me with the theft of a geode. You seem to have a good eye for clues and such things.”
Skaril dropped the bowl, scattering Hvarur's dinner all over the floor. ”A geode!? How could you lose such a precious thing!?"
Hilfar shrugged ”Someone knocked me out and stole it! I was hoping you could help me track the thief.”
Skaril shook his head ”Alas, I have to take care of the little ones. Perhaps I can help tomorrow?"
”Tomorrow will be too late I fear.” said Hilfar with anguish in his eyes.
Hilfar waved goodbye to Skaril, standing in the doorway. It was odd to see his old scout, one of the Mithrenost champions, taking care of his nephew's children.
Hilfar dragged himself away from Augir's door. He knew it. Mahal was teaching him a lesson in humility. It all made sense now. "Yes, I know, Mahal the maker, I will do what needs to be done.., I learned my lesson". His feet took him unwillingly to the halls of the Brokenspears. He knocked on their door, waiting for someone to open it.
===============
Rogvier approached his father's home and knocked on the door with the large knocker on the grand ornate door. It was evening. His father was likely home from the shop by now. He had been asked to dinner and was looking forward to seeing his mother and siblings again.
Rogvier wondered to himself if his brother Balgryf was here still, or if he had gone traveling as he had oft spoken of, playing his fine music in taverns from Gondoman to Erebor.
Rogvier could smell food coming from the house as he waited on the porch for someone to come let him in.
==============
A hooded dwarf stepped out of the shadow, put a bag on the table and said: "Just like we agreed... 150 gold coins". Opposite the table stood another dwarf, whose dirty beaded hair and tattered cloak complimented an even fouler look. He stepped closer and opened the bag, nodded slowly and said: "Excellent... come let me get your agreed price... Durtin is a dwarf of his word".
As the hooded dwarf came closer to grab the bag of coins, Durtin sprung a dagger and plunged it into the heart of the hooded dwarf. "You dirty.... ", spoke the hooded dwarf who fell down dead seconds later.
"No, you've got that wrong... it's Durtin... not dirty... ", grinned Durtin as he casually kicked the dead dwarf to the side and greedily opened the bag, lusting at the geode. "Now to find a buyer for this... somewhere away from Thorin's.... and quickly", spoke Durtin to himself, "I know just the dwarf".
Later that day, in the Needlehole market, master Midarin was setting up his cloth and tailoring stall, displaying his goods when a somewhat smelly dwarf came up to his stall and started to inspect his merchandise. "I'm still setting up", Midarin said while unloading the goods - not looking at the customer, "but I'll be with you in the briefest of moments... do have a look at that new collection of satins that arrived", pointed Midarin while continuing feverishly.
"I don't want any satins Midi"
Midarin knew that voice. He closed his eyes. He didn't need this right now. "Durtin, always a pleasure", he said and turned with a sigh.
"Not happy to see me Midi?... Well that's just disappointing, dare I say, rude", said Durtin as he fingered some of the silks.
"Don't touch those", rushed in Midarin, quickly trying to put the silks back.
"Now, now, Midi... let's not be too rude with your customers now.... you wouldn't want the Needlehole guard to find out about well... ", Durtin grinned then sniffed at one of the silks in a dog-like fashion.
"Hush!", said Midarin, "what do you want?".
"Oh, straight to the point, I like that... well, I've got a sweet deal for you brother... feast your eyes on this." Durtin grinned as he put the bag on Midarin's display table and secretively showed some of its content.
"A geode? I'm a tailor, not a jeweler... what am I to do with a geode?", said Midarin with some defiance.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll work something out with those friends of yours... you do have such powerful customers after all.... they will be HOWLING with pleasure to see it", added Durtin in an evil whisper.
"Alright! Hush! How much do you want for it!?!", replied Midarin annoyed and cross.
"Oh, I'll give it to you for a real steal... 250 gold coins... just for you, special friend price", added Durtin with a smile.
"Oh, I bet.... 250... it may as well be a thousand", said Midarin shaking his head and grinding his teeth.
Durtin's eyes sparkled at that and said: "Oh, well if you rather it.... "
"No!", interjected Midarin, "I'll get you the coins. Now hand me that... that thing!". Midarin sighed heavily. He had no interest in what he knew was no doubt stolen. They didn't call him dirty Durtin for nothing after all. But what choice did he have? Durtin knew too much, things Midarin didn't want the world to know. Dirty Durtin had eyes and ears everywhere.
Two hours later a bag of coins was exchanged for a larger bag. Midarin closed his stall that very moment and rushed home. "Not feeling too well", he said to the other stall-keepers, who shrugged and went on with their business.
==============
Byli slowly opened the door and peered out "Master Hilfar! How nice to see you."
Hilfar took a pace back in shock, seeing the ghastly bruising on Byli's face.
"Why young Byli... that is a real shiner!"
"It'll heal in a week or so the healer tells me... How can I help you master? Where are my manners... Please come in and have some tea.”
Hilfar stepped into the parlour and took a chair, perching himself on the very edge as if about to fall off.
“I'll make some tea, won't be long."
"No Byli, please sit down. I need to tell you something."
Byli sat on the sofa and looked quizzically at the older dwarf.
Words came out in a rush
"I um, I found your geode. It was just sitting there by the side of the road so I picked it up.
I wasn't quite sure what to do with it but knew it was valuable so I had it in a bag on my table.
When I saw Byl putting up those notices I knew my duty was to return it but my heart told me to keep it.
Eventually I decided to sleep on it overnight but sleep would not come and I went back to the living room and just gazed at the jewel."
"I knew my duty and determined to return it today when there in the dead of night a knock came on my door.
I opened it, and bam! I was knocked senseless.
I woke up on the floor with a shiner like yours and no geode. So there you have it. A foolish old Dwarf has lost you your geode for a second time."
Hilfar sat back, almost as if his confession had lifted a heavy weight from his shoulders.
Byli didn't know what to say. "Well... thank you for telling me this but why not just say nothing?"
"I couldn't do that, It would not have been honourable!" Hilfar blustered.
He thought to himself "Someone would have had me neatly tied up for blackmail if I hadn't told Byli."
"And also I thought, young master, that you being a hunter and tracker and all...perhaps you could pick up a trail from my door?”
“We may be able to find the thief? I brought my axe.
