[piosenniel]

Dwalin sat in the staircases. He looked downwards trying to get a satisfying look of his short brown beard. Too bad it isn’t longer, he thought being disappointed. Everyone else had long beards. However, what annoyed him the most was the fact that he couldn’t actually get a proper look, or any look, of his chin; and therefore not where his beard started. The dwarf started making odd grimaces, turning his gigantic head in all directions. Nope, his chin couldn’t be seen. No matter what methods he used, it wasn't possible to get a glimpse of it. Chins are only an illusion, he thought, smiling. Dwalin giggled. He had in fact never thought of this before. It was indeed brilliant.

The dwarf soon remembered why he actually was sitting here, and he felt the hunger of gold and treasures lurk inside of him. Why was he sitting here, looking like a complete idiot, when there was gold to find, and adventure to start and the finding of Rhûn? However, in order to start his adventure, he needed companions; which, by the way, he already had arranged. Now he just had to wait, wait for them to come. No more ‘chin-nonsense’, he thought. He put up a grim face and started waiting instead.

Not long had passed before his brother, Bali, came hurrying down and found Dwalin. Dwalin had now settled by a table, with a huge map covering the table’s surface. They chatted for a while, looking at the map and discussing further. Dwalin paid attention, but in the back of his mind memories from his childhood disturbed the conversation he had with his brother. As a child, he remembered he thought of days like these; when he would at last would travel and find riches. He had dreamed long of an adventure, this adventure. However, Dwalin didn’t have the slightest idea of how it was going to be like; what he would experience or what they would find in the ancient kingdom of Rhûn.

The feeling of wind, cold as ice, ran down his back and the dwarf jumped up, eyes wide open. Bali turned towards his brother, “Nervous, Dwalin?” He giggled, but the anxiety in his voice could clearly be heard. Dwalin lied and said no. Bali, who could see through this lie, giggled some more. “Aww, it’s alright to be nervous, afraid, scared, ‘jumpy’, and all those things on ones first adventure,” he said, pitying him, but still enjoying this a bit. Big brothers were supposed to ‘tease’ the younger ones once in a while. Dwalin didn’t care and ignored Bali, who was only trying to try his humour on somebody.

They exchanged a few words, both rather excited now. Dwalin felt the urge of running out of the Hall and start his adventure at once, but this of course would lead to disaster. Bali looked at Dwalin, reading him as an open book. “We have to wait, dear brother,” he said, comforting.

Dwalin giggled as he heard footsteps…