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"Good morrow, friend. Why look so glum? Surely my company is not that unbearable, is it?" Malí looked over at the fellow traveler, pointing at herself to make certain that he'd been addressing her. Do I know him? she asked herself, shaking her head for her forgetfulness. With no trouble at all Malí could recite every base equation, every great trade made by the dwarves of Erebor in recent memory, but for her own life she could never remember names or faces. "Flori Bronzeshield, at yer service. What name do you go by?"
Malí hesitated, looking at Flori. Would he recognize the name she gave, if she gave one at all? Probably not. Hopefully not, Malí corrected her own thoughts. It didn't matter anyway. If they were going to be the dwarves to reclaim Moria, Malí figured they all better get used to each other's company. They'd get used to her. They'd eventually learn to live with her stubborness and her constant need to be ahead of schedule and always be correct with calculations of every kind. In turn, Malí would force herself to get used to the others.
"I am called Malí," she informed Flori, taking his hand in a firm handshake. "I am here as the mathematician. I'm here to be a perfectionist. It is what I do as a living, and hopefully it will help in this mission of ours. But what brings you here, on this quest of Balin's? Why have you come along, Flori Bronzeshield?"
"Warriors need no other reason than the promise of another chance to do what they love, for the things they love," Flori explained. "It is something few understand, I suppose. Colors are more distinct, scents are sharper, oxygen is more refreshing, and it is how I know life is meant to be. It makes one crazy and yet strangely sane all in the same moment. That is why I am here."
"I see," Malí mused, smiling softly as she mulled over the words of Flori. The way he felt about his duty, his passion, was how Malí felt about her equations and calculations. Everything made perfect sense even in its abstract essence. If done correctly, everything worked out like a puzzle. Like a game. Malí loved playing the game of wits and intelligence with something that could always be beaten if carried out the right way. Malí looked back at Flori. "I see, and I understand."
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