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1. Dori
Little Ori ran tore through the house, slingshot in hand. Dori was almost tempted to stop him, but hey, he wasn’t actually shooting anything so what was the harm?
“I’m going to be a fierce warrior!” Ori announced, taking aim with his slingshot. “And I will defeat the orcs and the dragon and everything else that stands in my way!”
“Of course, Ori,” Dori said, continuing his knitting. “You and your little pea-shooter will get them.” He tried not to sound condescending, but really, how could he not?
Ori looked at him with suspicion. “You don’t think I can do it?” he asked.
“I’m sure you can,” Dori said. “You’ll bring them down with those sweet little puppy eyes and cute little freckles.”
Ori pouted, which only made his eyes wider. “I’m not cute!” he said. “I’m fierce!”
“Of course you are,” Dori said. “Now come over here and let’s make sure this sweater fits.”
2. Nori
“Don’t wander off,” Nori told Ori. He wasn’t usually so patronizing, but his little brother was the most precious thing in the world.
“I won’t!” Ori protested, but he did hold onto Nori’s cloak a little tighter. “I know better!”
“I know you do,” Nori said. “But you’re such a cute little thing, anyone might snatch you up.”
Ori looked up, his brows furled. “I’m not cute!” he protested. “I’m a tough dwarf, like Dori!”
Nori chuckled. “Oh, really?” he said. “So you won’t squeak when I do this?” He reached down and poked Ori’s stomach, making the little dwarfling giggle.
“Stop that!” Ori protested. “I’m not cute!”
Nori shook his head. “If you say so.”
A guard standing nearby laughed, and Ori wished that he didn’t have brothers.
3. Fili and Kili
“Who’s this, then?” the golden-haired prince asked, eyeing the awkward tween next to Balin.
“My apprentice, Ori,” Balin said. “Ori, this is Fili and Kili, sons of Vili.”
Ori bowed awkwardly, trying not to drop the scrolls in his arms. “At your service,” he murmured politely.
The princes both grinned, mischief shining in their eyes. “Sure know how to pick them,” Kili said, circling around like some sort of wolf.
Ori blushed and Balin gave Kili a severe look. “He’s one of the best apprentices I’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching,” Balin said, making Ori blush more. “You could learn a thing or two from him, Kili.”
“I’m sure we could,” Fili said, circling in the other direction, making Ori want to just disappear. “Oh, he’s just adorable!”
That did it. Ori glared at the princes, which probably wasn’t very polite, but he was not going to be teased by these two idiots! “I am not adorable,” he snapped.
Fili and Kili stopped their circling and grinned wider. “Oh, he’s precious!” Kili squealed. It was almost like he’d found a puppy. “You are going to keep him, right?”
Ori glowered at them and even Balin was looking stern. “Did you two need anything?” he asked pointedly. “Or are you just here to cause trouble?”
The princes looked slightly mollified and started discussing their business.
4. Thorin
Ori had known what he was signing up for when he joined the company of Thorin Oakenshield, but to be in such close proximity to a king! That was enough to leave him flustered.
But he had to prove himself. Had to show that being a scribe didn’t mean he wasn’t a warrior. So maybe his declaration that he wasn’t afraid of a dragon was a bit over-done, but he felt sure that it was enough to convince the magnificent king that he was worthy of being part of this venture.
Until later that night, when Ori was creeping down the hall in search of another candle and overheard Thorin talking to the guard Dwalin.
“Some of them are barely more than children,” Dwalin murmured lowly. “Your nephews…that scribe my brother brought on…this won’t be easy on them.”
“They’re enthusiastic, at least,” Thorin murmured back. “And Fili and Kili are good warriors…can’t speak for the boy, of course, but Balin wouldn’t have recommended him if he didn’t think he could handle it.”
“Enthusiasm will get them killed,” Dwalin growled. “The way he declared he wasn’t afraid…more good warriors die of courage than of cowardice.”
“All bluster,” Thorin said. “He’ll get a dose of reality soon enough.” There was a pause before Thorin continued, “Besides, you have to admit that was adorable.”
“A bit,” Dwalin admitted. “But being adorable won’t win a war.”
“Maybe not,” Thorin muttered. “But it might win a warrior.”
Ori slunk off then, feeling his cheeks burn with shame. If even Thorin Oakenshield thought he was just adorable, how could he hope to prove himself a warrior?
5. Beorn
As uncomfortable as constant travelling was, and as terrifying as orcs, wargs and goblins could be, there was an upside to it all.
No one was calling Ori cute when he brained a warg with his slingshot.
Nor did they call him adorable when he grabbed Dwalin’s war hammer and knocked a dozen goblins away.
And there was certainly nothing precious about setting an orc on fire with a magic pinecone.
Ori was finally starting to feel like a real warrior, a fierce dwarf worthy of the line of Durin, no matter how distantly. (And maybe worthy of certain warriors, though he did not mention that out loud.)
But then they reached the house of the skinchanger and while Bilbo was certainly the favorite, Ori had heard from just about everyone at some point that his freckles were apparently irresistible.
Normally, Ori wouldn’t mind being fussed over too much (he did live with Dori, after all) but being called “kitten dwarf” was really, really unwelcome.
“Kitten dwarf!” Beorn called. “Would you like to join us?” He and Bilbo were sitting outside, apparently eating honeycakes and discussing something about gardening.
“No thank you,” Ori said, barely keeping his temper under control. “And I’m not a kitten!”
Bilbo and Beorn exchanged a glance. The skinchanger looked rather confused at the statement. “But you have the wide eyes of a kitten, and the soft whiskers of a kitten, and you curl up like a kitten with your book…” Beorn said.
Ori huffed and stomped off to find Dwalin, who would never, ever compare him to a kitten.
Which was only a point in his favor.
+1 Dwalin
If there had ever been any doubt in Ori’s mind that reclaiming the mountain would be worth it, they were shattered the day Dwalin, quite suddenly but not entirely unexpectedly, showed up at the door to ask permission to court.
“I thought of it the moment I saw you at the burglar’s house,” Dwalin said. He had obviously prepared this speech, possibly with some help from Balin, so Ori was going to do him the courtesy of listening to it. “You were so young and sweet looking…and then you declared that you weren’t afraid and I…”
“Thought it was adorable?” Ori asked, a note of bitterness creeping into his voice.
It was beneath Dwalin’s dignity to blush, but he came close. “A bit,” he admitted. “But I’ve seen you throughout this journey, and I saw that you really were brave, and strong, and as fierce as any warrior. Who else could be my perfect match?”
Ori smiled a bit, his eyes down. “I’ve never been called fierce by anyone,” he said. “They all just think I’m cute.”
“Well, you are,” Dwalin said. “But there’s no reason you can’t be both cute and fierce.”
Ori’s smile grew, and then he was in Dwalin’s arms, and maybe, just maybe, being cute could be a good thing.
But he would still fight anyone else who said so.