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Kórin wanted dearly to give Nali the punch in the face he deserved, though that he was her elder and respected by many kept her from going that far, even with this much ale in her. But in Mahal’s name, he had more to pardon for than his “frankness”! Kór felt his sister tensing next to him and saw how tightly she now gripped her mug of ale, so he quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. He ignored Nali and waited for his sister to make her decision.
After a moment, Kórin rose, and as she did, Kór saw her hand jerk slightly, causing most of the contents of her mug to slosh out in front of her onto Nali’s boots. Kór resisted smiling as he watched Kórin struggle to keep herself from doing so. She set the mug down on the bench behind her as she murmured a half-hearted, “My apologies,” and added with clear amusement, “had a bit too much it seems…”
Kórin did her best to look bored again when she turned back to the old dwarf. “So are you to escort me to this council?”
Kór stood and took the opportunity to chime in, “Perhaps you might allow me to accompany you, as well, Master Nali, simply as…ah…support?” He grinned slightly and shrugged his right shoulder in a sort of gesture toward his sister standing next to him. Kórin was a little wobbly on her feet at this point. Once again he ignored a look from his sister, as she glanced at him with a combination of annoyance and ponderousness. But she did not argue with his suggestion, for which Kór was very glad.
He supposed Kórin had been asked to the council because she was the elder, and he supposed that one of them had been asked because of their father’s history. He had a very noble career and was highly respected, which had probably made Kór and Kórin rather disappointments so far in many people’s eyes. They had nothing to their name except accompanying the Lord Balin here to Khazad-dűm – which Kór expected was why his sister had wanted to be a part of this expedition in the first place. She had always been more concerned with living up to their father’s name, though their parents had never once given any inkling that they were disappointed with their children.
“…our lord will have need of everyone before too long…” Kórin recalled Nali’s previous words. At the moment she could not wrap her mind around who that “lord” would now be. It was enough to realize all over again that “our lord” was no longer Lord Balin. Who could fill his place, especially now?
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