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Blaine blinked in surprise. The forester was no stranger to Nori’s gaming room; indeed, many of the residents of Dale and the surrounding areas visited the establishment when their business brought them inside the Lonely Mountain. She was taken aback by who seated across the table from her, and by how the game before her presented this final series of moves.
Normally Blaine wouldn’t be rubbing shoulders with dignitaries, since those simply weren’t the circles she usually interacted with. However, due to a rather extraordinary string of circumstances since Erebor was successfully reclaimed, she found herself acting as an ad hoc confidant and troubleshooter to several members of the dwarven Company that had won back the Mountain. Up to and including her current opponent; and who else could claim to be invited to try their best against Thorin Oakenshield in a game of tables, or “backgammon” as King Bard kept calling it.
This game, though, was proceeding far from the usual trouncing that Blaine happily received from the Dwarf King. That was the root of her disbelief, but someone across the table from her beat her to the chance to vocalize that surprise.
“Tsk, you call this a game? Poor board placement for you. Too many moves needed to count out.”
“Nonsense. This layout has its advantages.”
“Suit yourself, but that is not a good setup.”
Thorin raised an eyebrow at the hobbit who settled into the seat beside him, eyes mischievous. “And I suppose you could do better?"
As Bilbo expounded on his own approach to the current move, counterpointed by Thorin's dismissals and denials, Blaine leaned back and took a long drink from her mug to hide her grin. Listening to those two bicker and banter over a game of strategy never ceased to amaze her. And she wasn’t the only one; she glanced over to the next table, where Balin and Dori had paused in their card game to watch this latest round of dwarf versus hobbit. Balin shook his head and murmured something to his partner; Blaine couldn’t quite catch the words, but the tone was clear. Bemusement.
Sensing someone by her shoulder, the forester glanced up and smirked at the proprietor of this establishmentas she waved her hand languidly at her opponent. “This time, I had no part in starting their debate.”
The derisive snort was answer enough. Nori looked down at her game of tables, glanced over at Bilbo and Thorin who were now completely engrossed in their debate, and gave Blaine a wry look. “Lass, you might as well get yourself another ale, and get me one too while you’re at it; at this rate, these two will be quibbling about the finer points of every game ever created next.”
Bilbo, without missing a beat, rounded on Nori as the dwarf sat down to Blaine’s left. “But I know I have it right! Look at this mess! How is Thorin supposed to manage a win? Blaine could rob him blind with the right roll, he has so many pieces clustered here!”
Gloin, leaning over Blaine’s right shoulder for a look at the game, glanced up at his king. “Huh, walking into the same trap that Dwalin used so successfully against you last time?”
Thorin paused, blue eyes turning icy as he glared at Gloin, but his retort never found its mark as his target retreated, chuckling as he went and calling for Dwalin to come witness what was going down at the gaming night. Instead, the dwarf king turned his imperious gaze to Blaine. With a thump, he set the dice down in front of her and pointedly ignored Bilbo’s cautions. “Roll.”
Doing her best to not burst the majestic bubble across the table, and with only the briefest of glances at Nori, she rolled the dice and gave a startled laugh at what they showed. She didn’t dare look up at her opponent, instead matter-of-factly moving pieces and claiming several of Thorin’s as she did so.
The hobbit leaned back, crossing his arms smugly. “I did tell you so, Thorin.”
“Bilbo, do shut up.”