Chapter Text
Moria, summer, Third Age 2576
The singular reason she wasn’t going to burn the whole place to the ground when this was over was because once a day their captors came and unlocked her and led her out to the end of the cavern so that she didn’t have to use the freaking bathroom while she was chained to his hand.
Or at least they did the first evening. It was incentive to behave herself, for fear they would cease to extend her the courtesy. She thanked them graciously, which only made them look at her like she had asked for a sacrifice of firstborn progeny. She should have paid more attention when Erestor was making them learn Khuzdul.
“Elladan will be here to sort this out in oh… four or five days,” said her cellmate cheerfully when they had shackled her wrist to his again, the chain run through a ring in the wall.
Laurelandë tipped her head back against the rock and groaned.
The chain wasn’t long enough for both of them to put their hands down at the same time, so they took turns.
“Sleeping might be tricky,” said Elrohir, tugging it so her hand bobbed up and down.
“I’ll just stay awake, thanks.”
“For five days?”
“I was kind of hoping you’d figure out how to bust us out of here before then.”
“Well, getting arrested for stealing and then escaping like we’re guilty isn’t exactly the finest display of diplomatic proficiency I’ve ever engaged in.”
She muttered, “I still want to know how those stupid mushrooms ended up in your bag.”
Elrohir looked at her keenly for a moment.
“What.”
“You really are a baby, Laure.”
“I am not!”
“Are you familiar with the concept of being framed?”
“Of course I am!”
“Think for a minute, then. Who exactly did you coldly rebuff at last night’s banquet?”
“I was not cold! I graciously declined to go look out over the mines with him.”
“Good thing too, I’d have dragged you back in front of Aulë and everyone if you’d have up and disappeared with a dwarf to stand on the edge of a great big pit.”
Laurelandë wailed into her unshackled hand, “I’m not even supposed to be here!”
“No, you’re not.”
“It’s not my fault there was a cave-in and I had to come thirty miles this way with a bunch of miners instead of back to Dwarrowdelf!”
“Well, you’re just lucky I was here so they could hand you over to me.”
She bestowed him with a black look. “I was not handed over to you. And getting falsely accused for your thievery isn’t what I would call lucky.”
He was no easier to bait than he used to be when she was a kid. He grinned at her. “You don’t have a beard to pluck out. Guess they’ll have to whack off an ear if you’re convicted.”
She tried to give him the silent treatment, but there was nothing to do.
After a while she said, “I thought we were supposed to be through the Mines and up to the Valley by Forelithe. Why were you down here, anyway? Aren’t you holding up the return?”
“Need to know basis, pal.”
“Well now you’re holding up the return.”
He tugged the chain again. Her hand bounced up and down. “Not just me, remember?”