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Nori didn’t much like flying.
To be stuck in a metal cage some thirty-thousand feet above ground with people he didn’t know - and probably didn’t like - without the possibility to get away if he so wanted - unless he took drastic measures - wasn’t his idea of a great time. But occasionally his work required him to travel long distances quickly and the best way to do that was via plane.
Nori knew all the logic reasons, of course.
Still didn’t mean he liked it.
He also knew that his passport was an excellent fake, and together with the credit cards, insurance and business papers his fake persona of Denton Smith, Head of Sales of a small but prestigious gentlemen’s outfitter in the mountainous kingdom of Erebor was airtight and foolproof. Thanks to the excellent services of one Akim, son of Akkam, the best forger in all of Arda, and Nori’s older brother Dori, who had taught Nori everything there was to know about fabric and tailoring. And even if Nori didn’t like making suits from scratch and hadn’t done it in years he knew how to do it - and if put to the test he’d be able to waffle for hours about the advantages of woolen weave, charcoal grey versus navy blue, peak lapels versus notch, single-breasted or double-breasted jackets, two buttons or three, paisley lining ... The point being that he could well be Head of Sales of a prestigious gentlemen’s outfitter if he wanted to, thank you very much. What he really did, however, when he travelled to one place or another, was digging up information of the more unsavoury kind or even quietly getting rid of someone who had too much dirt on their hands or put their nose where it didn’t belong.
All legally and strictly by the rules, of course. It was a long time ago now that Nori worked for the wrong side of the law and he still hadn’t quite gotten over the fact how illegal measures suddenly were sanctioned by the King of Erebor and his closest advisors, giving him a license to spy and engage in a number of other things literally nobody could question him for.
The quirks of being a Royal Spy Master.
Today he was catching the early flight out of Rivendell, where he had met a ‘colleague in the suit-industry’ but really to exchange some sensitive information that needed to be exchanged in person. It had been a quick and easy affair. Now he was ready to board the short flight to Gundabad, where he would catch a connection flight to travel back home to Erebor. All in all a trip that wouldn’t take longer than half a day.
But for now: Rivendell.
Nori didn’t much like Rivendell. Generally, people there were a bit on the aloof side and Nori had a hearty dislike for the city’s spindly architecture. He preferred solid buildings, made of sturdy blocks of carved stone, with proper doors and windows that could be barred if needed.
In the end he had only spent a day in Rivendell - which was plenty of time if anyone cared to ask his opinion - and now couldn’t wait to get on the plane for the first leg of his journey back home.
He had many faults, Nori was well aware - and Dori would attest to that - but one of his few virtues was that Nori was never late.
For the very reason that he liked to be early.
Because being early gave him a chance to position himself somewhere to the side and watch people arrive, observe them, form an opinion about them and assess his own safety accordingly.
Being early had saved his life a fair number of times.
So now he found himself a seat on one of those spindly benches at the far end of the departure lounge, the ones that seemed to mimic the interwoven branches of white trees, sipped on a truly atrocious flat white and pretended to read the paper.
First to arrive were some senior travelers and families with young children. A lady with a walking stick slowly made her way inside, a grey-haired gentleman submerged himself immediately in a thick, large-print crosswords puzzle book, an elderly couple perused the juice bar. Several strollers, nappy bags, various tired, bleary-eyed or energetic, loud toddlers and slightly more sensible primary school aged siblings were wrangled by more or less harassed looking parents. Businesspeople who likely had important meetings somewhere were next, with their carry-ons and laptop bags, sipping their airport coffees with a resigned air and tackling a few emails before boarding. Tourists usually came last, strolling in, relaxed and with that nothing-can-phase-me-because-I’m-on-holiday expression. They lugged around their backpacks and neck pillows, slouched on the seats in their jeans and sneakers after taking selfies at the long row of windows that provided a splendid view over the city nestled between the mountains.
None stood out to Nori as being a danger or for any other reason.
None but a young woman who came in sometime between the businesspeople and the tourists. Petite she was, dainty even. Her hair the colour of Dori’s caramel fudge and her curls were the natural kind. She did not buy any food or coffee - a wise decision, Nori thought, when he took another sip from his - instead she slowly made her way to the end of the departure lounge and chose a seat not far from where Nori was sitting, like him looking out over the room at large.
Brief eye contact told him she had hazel eyes framed by long eyelashes, a visible smattering of freckles over her nose and smooth cheeks told him she wore no make-up. She was not what people would call a classic beauty, certainly not supermodel material, but she was pretty, in a cute, adorable way that made him smile when he looked at her. Their eyes met a couple of times as she made herself comfortable and she blushed every single time.
So she was shy.
It made her even more adorable.
She wore sensible flat shoes with arch support and a straight cut dress in deep green that ended just under her knees, revealing suntanned shins and well-formed calves. Nori concluded that she wasn’t a runner, but that she walked a lot. Nori couldn’t help but wonder what sort of job she had, maybe she had to stand all day? It would explain the shoes. Then again, very few women chose to wear heels while going on a plane trip.
She wore a knitted cardigan in a deep red colour. Nori knew his brother Dori would swoon over it. Now, Nori knew enough about knitting to recognize that the pattern of that woman’s cardigan also looked complex and ... intricate. Not the chain-store type he would guess. Maybe handmade? Yes, she seemed the type to have that sort of skill, just like his brother Ori. The white, lacy collar of a blouse peeked over the carefully buttoned - real pearl buttons, if Nori was any judge - neckline of the cardigan. A fluffy sort of wool. A cashmere-mohair blend probably. Not the cheap sort, but it did look very soft and comfortable.
Unlike many other women who seemed to have half their belongings in their supersized handbags, this woman only had a small handbag that she carried slung across her shoulder. Her carry-on was also on the smaller size. After she’d taken her seat and primly folded her legs at the ankles, she didn’t take out a book or a magazine and didn’t fiddle with her phone or handbag. Instead she sat quietly and calmly and watched people with her hands folded neatly in her lap. Not for the same reason Nori watched them, he could tell, because she smiled softly while very obviously observing parents and children, kind and approving when the old lady received assistance from a well-meaning fellow traveler to heave herself up from her seat, and with an amusing sparkle in her eyes when she took in a group of very young female tourists hovering at the large scale windows, nearly giddy with excitement about the view over Rivendell, which was - Nori grudgingly had to admit - spectacular.
Twice she got up and went to the nearest restroom and took her phone out only for a brief moment when she sat down again after the second time.
When it came to boarding she waited patiently, like Nori, not among the impatient first to line up to board the plane, but not among the dawdling last either. Making sure not to draw attention to himself Nori managed to be only two behind her when they waited to be boarded, sneaking glances at her back and profile.
Both were nice to look at.
When she smiled at the member of the ground crew that scanned her boarding pass he saw the crow’s feet in the corners of her eyes. She had an easy, sweet smile, that the airline person readily returned.
Nori lost sight of the little woman on the plane, much to his disappointment; her seat was farther to the back while he sat near the front. After the usual bla and run-through of safety and emergency proceedings the plane took off. Nori sat in his seat and suppressed a sigh.
He hated flying.
At least he had an aisle seat, where he had some freedom of movement to one side and at least the illusion of being able to walk away from any forced confinement if he so pleased.
The tiny bag of vegan and nut free crisps was quickly eaten and they were pleasant enough; he took the offered water gladly as well. Anything for a distraction. He really needed to get over himself, Nori thought, grumbling internally. It wasn’t as if he’d not lived through far worse situations than having to endure a few hours on a plane, for Mahal’s sake!
Yet, he barely managed to stop himself from shoving people out of his way when they had landed in Gundabad and he was finally able to get off that winged metal prison.
Nori saw the little woman with the caramel curls again as they were making it up and down several escalators and down a few long corridors. When she compared the flight number written on top of the gate with her ticket and gave a satisfied nod he realized they would be on the same plane once more.
Maybe he would be luckier this time and sit closer to her, or at least have her in his view. It would be a nice distraction to pass the hour to Erebor indeed.
She turned off at the restrooms and Nori went walking. Twice he strolled around the terminal as far as he could go, making sure to adopt the slow steps of one just stretching his legs and trying to kill time, and time to kill he had, with the flight scheduled to leave only two hours later. There were fewer families, far more businesspeople and what seemed to be at least two busloads of members of Gundabad’s elite and highly acclaimed sports academy, all wearing their silver-grey uniforms with the bright orange G. They were a well-mannered, disciplined lot, most of them wearing headphones of some sort, absorbed in whatever they were listening to, altogether blessedly restrained and far sturdier than the philosophical types that sailed around in Rivendell.
After he walked past the same little bistro-thingy twice, eyeing the food in the vitrines, Nori decided to take a chance. He ordered himself another flat white and a ham and cheese croissant. And a double choc muffin because why not, and he found himself a seat in the very corner of the bar, with a column in his back and a good view over the place at three sides to his front. The coffee was actually alright and the croissant fresh and Nori took his time chewing and swallowing and pretending to be absorbed in his task and not observing people, even though there was quite a bit to observe as the little place filled up with travelers within minutes. Nori congratulated himself for coming in when he did because all of a sudden it was rather crowded, and it took the waiting staff a little while to get through the orders.
Nori learned that the older waitress with the grey bun always added a large marshmallow to the order when a kid sat at the table and the tired looking one with the thin ponytail triple-checked every order before carrying it out, whereas the young, chirpy one with the crimped hair who was in charge for coffees had a obsession with wiping every cup twice with her tea towel if the coffee was for a female customer but not if it was for a male customer before setting it down at the coffee machine. Nori internally shrugged at himself; he just didn’t have it in him to miss things like that. Of course, he also didn’t miss the little woman. She hesitated for a while before coming in, hovering just outside the bistro. Likely because there was only a table for four left, but in the end she did cautiously make her way through the crowed, dragging her carry on behind her, prompting the two tourist buddies to move their backpacks for her, and the middle-aged business guy to shuffle with his chair to the right a bit, before she finally managed to sink down on one of the seats and peruse the menu. When the tired waitress came to take her order she spoke animatedly and Nori indulged in watching her.
She was cute indeed, moving her hands as she spoke, but not so much that she looked like she resembled a windmill. Definitely had a friendly disposition. The airline staff had smiled at her. Yes, they did smile at everyone, but that smile had been honest. The tourists hadn’t hesitated to move their stuff and the businessman had been almost eager. The waitress also smiled, and Nori watched her putting an extra crispy rasher on the egg-and-bacon roll before bringing a rather large order over to the little woman. A fruit juice and water, a little salad and hot chips, the egg-and-bacon roll, a small fruit salad and a double choc muffin.
Nori couldn’t help but wonder if she ate like that all the time, and if she did where she put it all, petite as she was. She neatly lay her napkin on her lap and arranged the plates to her liking before she began to eat. The food at this bistro was nothing spectacular, by no means, and Nori had to bite back a laugh when she sniffed the salad dressing that came in a little plastic sachet, wrinkled her nose and put it aside with a small shudder. But it was good fare by airport standards, certainly better than at other vendors, and it was fresh, at least, since they seemed to have a rapid, steady turnover. The little woman seemed to agree as she happily munched on her salad and took neat bites from her roll. As she sat there and ate slowly but meticulously it was almost as if she was in a little bubble of food-happiness. She may have been really hungry, of course, but Nori rather thought she simply liked to eat. She ate very neatly, taking her hot chips carefully with two fingers only and spooning up her fruit salad and it was very cute.
Yet, Nori could not help it: when she wiped a little bit of sauce from the corner of her mouth with her finger and popped it into her mouth to lick it his thoughts went places that were decidedly far away from planes and airport bistros. His mind tried to imagine what she’d look like in the morning, straight after waking. How she’d move in the kitchen, making tea, maybe with her curls slightly damp from a bath and her skin still rosy. And when she smiled warmly at a young couple and moved the free chair beside her to make room for them to move past with stroller and child Nori couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if she’d smile like that at him.
The crispy-haired waitress clanking cups and saucers about maybe a little too forcefully was probably a good thing because it brought him back to the present. He had no business thinking thoughts like that! He wasn’t the domestic type and a woman like that was too good for him. With all his flaws and his restlessness he’d bring her nothing but worries and misery and for that reason alone he’d stay well clear, but then there was always the danger of some of his enemies finding out he cared about someone and that they would chose to go after that person to get to him. It would be most unwise of them indeed, but it was ever a possibility, and it was a fear that gave him enough headaches when it came to his brothers; Nori could not imagine what it would be like if he truly would have a woman or even offspring in his life.
Focusing back on his meal Nori was just about to peel the paper wrapping off his muffin when two more customers came into the bistro.
Two women.
They were the sort that immediately drew everyone’s attention. For all the wrong reasons. Both were not young. One wore a golden sequin dress that was way too tight for her body type and way to revealing for her age, the time of day and the place. Her hair was too blonde to be her real colour, her makeup was thick, her rich burgundy lipstick too shrill to be pretty. She balanced on high heels and swung a Gucci bag that was as fake as the large golden jewelry she wore. Her coral haired friend wore a an equally unfortunate dress - praise Durin it was devoid of sequins - but it was a screaming purple that clashed spectacularly with her hair and nearly made Nori’s eyes water. She was obviously less into gold and more into the dark colours and seemed to have tried some sort of goth look: her eyes were painted smoky black with lots of deliberate smudging but at least she had decided on a nude lipstick, thank Mahal for small mercies. She wore black ankle boots with almost reasonable heels and her earrings were solidly crafted onyx dangles.
Neither of those ladies were the type Nori would approach at any time of day for anything, not even ... no, let’s rephrase that: especially not if sexually desperate. They were nothing but trouble. Loud, obnoxious, not the brightest. Nori didn’t have a type, per say, but he liked a woman to have at least the ability to appreciate intelligence, and he liked them natural. Those two were neither.
Even though there had been some comings and goings in the bistro at present only the table of the little woman had free seats. If they wanted to eat here they had no choice but ask if they could join her.
Only they didn’t.
The little woman had just stacked her empty plates and bowls when the two simply plonked themselves down at two of the free chairs. The little woman blinked. Nori sighed. There was no pretending that he was busy with his food and didn’t see those two. Everybody saw them. And everybody heard them because they were either hard of hearing to raise their voices like that or they just felt they had to make sure everybody knew about their friend Gillian and the thing she had with her boss.
It was quite an ordeal to watch the little woman withdraw into herself at the rude treatment and lose all joy at her meal. She sipped at her coffee as the tired waitress took the women’s order, looking even more tired all of a sudden. When their conversation turned up in volume even more once the waitress had left - ‘have you heard of Josie’ and ‘oh, my gosh, I would never have expected it’ - a deep line appeared between the little woman’s perfectly curved brows. She finished her coffee without touching her muffin and when the waitress came with the loud ladies’ order - beers and glasses of champagne as well - she addressed her with a friendly smile. The waitress lost a margin of her tiredness once more, Nori noted with satisfaction, and took the plate with the muffin, moving a chair when the little woman got up, slung her handbag across her body and began moving her carry-on towards the bar without so much as gracing the two loudmouths with a look or a word, the waitress in her tow. Anger simmered cold and dangerous in Nori’s gut when the two didn’t even pretend to stifle their smug laughter or muffle their derogatory comments about ‘grandma’s cardigan’.
At the bar, Nori could read the waitresses ‘I’m so sorry’ from her lips and the little woman’s ‘don’t worry about it’ before she offered another kind smile and got her muffin packed to go. The old waitress shoved a marshmallow in the bag and the young one added two extra napkins. After another brief exchange of smiles and friendliness and an easy wave the little woman left the bistro and went left and out of Nori’s sight.
Nori slowly finished his muffin, wiped the crumbs from his fingers and focused his attention once more on the loud women. They were still exchanging the latest gossip about mutual friends and ordered some more champagne. Nori contemplated briefly if he could and should slip one of his many useful powders into their drink. Not to cause them any more harm than an upset stomach and a missed flight, to be sure, and it certainly was tempting.
Very tempting.
But, seeing as the sequin one had propped her elbows on the table which caused her cleavage to turn into something as dark and deep like the old, abandoned mines of Moria, there now were a fair few of male eyes on them, drooling. Well, if they were into that kind of company Nori wouldn’t hold it against them - business men who had to travel a lot for work led a lonely life, he knew - but it would also draw way too much attention.
Therefore deciding against against retaliation in defense of the little woman’s honour - was he getting wise or soft he mused - Nori left the bistro for another stroll around the transit lounge. It was rather busy now and just when he began to worry about not finding her petite form in the crowd he saw her coming out of the restroom. Her face was a little flushed and she had taken off her cardigan. And as she cautiously dragged the carry-on around a group of hulking Gundabad students Nori got the full view of her profile and even without her hand smoothing down over her blouse he saw what he had missed before: the small bump of her belly.
She was pregnant!
Immediately Nori felt utterly disgusted with himself. Ogling a pretty woman and indulging in some secret thoughts about getting to know her intimately or wondering what she’d look like in the morning, hair tousled from sleeping and love-making, were one thing. It was another thing entirely to ogle a woman that carried another man’s child.
The slight glow of her skin, the careful way she moved, the frequent bathroom breaks ...
Nori shook his head at himself. He was getting rusty, missing a thing like that. Then again he wasn’t really very acquainted with how pregnant women ticked. What he shouldn’t really be surprised about was that this particular woman was obviously taken. Because she was so pretty and obviously well put together and oozing warmth and kindness that it would be insane if she didn’t manage to catch the heart of some man somewhere.
Lucky bastard, whoever he was.
With another half hour to go until boarding Nori expected her to make her way to the gate of their flight but instead she moved to the one next to it, where a flight from Ered Luin had just landed and the airline personnel were getting ready to receive those passengers on it that were catching a connecting flight into the transit lounge.
The little woman began craning her neck and rocking up on the balls of her feet to get a better view over the crowd and Nori realized that she was waiting for someone. Just then the doors were thrown open and a steady trickle of passengers began to make their way inside. That trickle swelled for a couple of minutes but when it lessened once more the little woman’s expression turned from excited to anxious to worried. She began gnawing on her bottom lip and clutched at the handle of her carry-on. Nori was almost relieved when she - finally - began reaching for her handbag, ready to fish out her phone most like, to shoot a quick message two whomever she was waiting for.
That’s when Nori felt more than he saw the hulking figure of a man come down the lounge towards them and he instinctively ducked back behind a brightly lit advertising board to snuck a look at the man from his changed position.
The man was tall. A prominent bald, smooth head covered with tattoos sat on a thick neck and broad shoulders. A set of massive biceps was barely contained by the arms of a very good quality and likely custom made black button shirt, and the rolled up sleeves revealed strong, veined forearms, the smooth fabric just emphasizing the very well toned chest and stomach. Thick dark hair barely hid the tattoos snaking around said forearms and more hair poked out from the unbuttoned top of the shirt - where it was not covered by the thick, very well groomed masterpiece of a beard which was liberally streaked with silver and grey. Bushy eyebrows hung over deep set eyes, and even a slightly misshapen nose could not distract from he fact that this man was a very impressive specimen indeed. By the way he moved alone Nori could have told he was someone who knew how to handle himself and who had learned to read the lay of the land in a heartbeat.
A man like that may have been able to blend in at a military base or camp. At the airport, amongst civilians he stood out. He drew attention. As it happened, also the attention of the gold-clad lady and her purple goth-friend, who obviously had finished their drinks in record time and now stood smack-bang in the middle of the way. Goldie broke off in the middle of whatever she was saying and stared at the man coming towards them, elbowing her friend almost painfully and not so very subtly.
The man strode forth, unperturbed by people’s stares. His sharp eyes took in the room and glanced over the crowd. His purposeful stride slowed a little while he obviously searched for someone.
Enough for gold-dress woman to step into his path. She put her weight on one heeled leg and puffed her chest out that her generous bosom nearly busted out of the confines of the sequins. Blinking her false lashes at him lasciviously it was very clear what message she was trying to get across (and Nori almost felt sorry for the lads that had been drooling over her before at the bistro). The man, however, barely acknowledged her, stepping around her in two large steps without even the slightest pause.
Nori nearly laughed at her stunned expression. Clearly, the old cougar was not used to that sort of treatment. Served her right though, Nori thought. That hunk of man clearly had come with a purpose, and finding a quick shag was not it. Nori shifted slightly behind the magazine rack and watched as the man strode a bit farther into the area, scanning the crowd, looking for someone. Then his taut, expectant body language changed and with a new sort of hurry he walked towards ... the little, pregnant woman.
Nori tensed.
If that guy had come to the airport with any ill intent, and against that little woman no less, Nori would interfere. He did not normally like to interfere in other people’s business and as a rule avoided it like the plague, but this would be different.
Because she was different.
She stood where she had been all along, looking towards the gate where the occasional passenger still made its way into the transit lounge.
The man stepped up behind the woman and said something. She startled a bit, which made Nori’s heart clench and he was moving before he realized it, ready to jump to her defense if needed.
But then she turned around, her face split into a wide smile and she flew into the man’s arms.
It took a few moments before Nori realized that his jaw had dropped and that he stood there like an idiot, frozen, and with his mouth open. Giving himself a little shake he forced himself to blink a few times before changing his position again. From behind some large artificial greenery Nori took note of several more wide open hanging mouths and astonished eyes - including sequin lady and her goth-friend - and watched the man engulf the little woman in his bear-sized arms. He could easily crush her, but he held her gentle, like a piece of precious treasure. The little woman’s face was buried in the shirt collar and with her arms around his nape one of her hands was dug into his burly neck, the other in his muscly shoulder, and she held on to him tightly.
As Nori couldn’t see her face his gaze was focused on the man’s expression: he momentarily had his eyes closed and there was no mistaking the relief, joy and love in every line of his features.
You are in idiot, Nori chastised himself, shaking his head.
This was a happy reunion.
And he knew this man.
Or had known him some years back, in the Blue Mountains. And even though the circumstances of their meeting and subsequent working together had been rather strenuous, that man was not one to attack anyone without provocation, certainly not someone who was far weaker than him, and least of all a woman.
No, that man, by the name of Dwalin Durin, had astonishingly high moral standards for someone working in government security, even though Nori knew it would sometimes have been hard for him to stick by them, dedicating himself wholeheartedly into the unpleasant task of flushing out the big guns of the underworld in Ered Luin. He had been successful too, on many occasions, occasionally assisted by Nori, who also had high moral standards, even though he considered himself a criminal and had far less scruples to blur the lines of what was reconsidered good and proper and legal. That was many years ago now, from before a change in government had brought Nori to Erebor while Dwalin had made his residence in Ered Luin for good, and, in fact, Nori wasn’t sure what Dwalin did with his time these days.
The couple - because that very obviously was what they were - stood like that for a while, before she slowly extracted herself. She said something and wiped at her eyes, and Dwalin chuckled, leaning down to kiss her, without ever letting go of her. Immediately, she reached up to run her hands over his smooth pate and leaned into him, tilting her head up and kissing him right back.
It was a thorough kiss, a very thorough kiss indeed, just this side of appropriate for the public setting.
Eventually it was Dwalin’s turn to carefully extract himself from her embrace. He stepped back a little and dropped to one knee, which brought his chest just slightly above her belly. Holding her steady with one large hand on her hip and laying the other gently on her abdomen he bent his head and kissed the bump. Then he spoke to it, grinning, making her laugh.
It was bloody adorable. Tooth decaying and call-the-dentist sweet, but adorable. That hunk of a man and that tiny woman who obviously carried his baby.
And they were in love.
Nori released a breath he didn’t register he was holding and forced himself to relax his clenched teeth.
It felt strange in his gut, to watch them like this, he realized with surprise. Analyzing that feeling briefly he came to the conclusion that he was jealous.
Blast it.
But yes, he was jealous. Not in a fiery, boiling sort of way, but in an almost nice, gentle way. Because Nori was well aware that he was not the domestic type and while he didn’t mind children he would loath to be tied down by any of his own. Even if he would love the mother.
Dwalin Durin on the other hand was perfectly suited for a homely life, Nori had always instinctively known that. So whoever this woman was, his wife or girlfriend or partner - these days you couldn’t be sure and assuming things could get you into quite a social pickle - had found herself a man who obviously worshiped the very ground she walked on and would turn himself inside out in a heartbeat to see her happy. And their child.
Dwalin stood again and had her in a gentle embrace, pressing her against his broad chest, with her arms winding around him to hug him back. He turned his body and when sharp grey eyes met Nori’s the thief-come-spy bit his lip, realizing he had been taking too long to change his position again and Dwalin’s solid instincts, honed over decades of dangerous work, had felt the eyes on him and found him out.
Sloppy, Nori chastised himself.
Over the woman’s curly head Dwalin’s eyes bore into Nori’s, hard and questioning at the same time. There was a threat there, no doubt about it, and Nori knew that Dwalin would smite him if he so much gave the slightest impression he was a danger to his woman and his child. But also hesitation, because Dwalin knew that Nori’s heart was not all black as the darkest pitch of hell.
So to soothe the big man’s nerves Nori held his gaze and gave a deliberate, slow blink, followed by a little smirk and a minute incline of his head, hoping it conveyed ‘she’s cute, you’re a lucky bastard and I’ll never do anything to let them come to harm’.
Obviously understanding the wordless message Dwalin’s hard eyes softened.
Lifting a hand to stroke his beard Nori flicked his fingers quickly to add a signed message: ‘Congratulations’ and ‘friend’.
Dwalin’s chin dipped briefly in acknowledgement.
Then woman in his arms lifted her head and said something to him, and while Dwalin looked down at her to respond Nori slipped behind a group of tourists and disappeared into the crowd behind.
He had a flight to reschedule.