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Chapter Text

"I want to thank you for your hospitality" Thorin says with a slight bow.

Since the fall of Erebor, there was tenson between the Dwarves and Elves. So when Elrond had graciously invited his company in for food and rest, it was not only seen as a surprise to the Dwarf king, but as a sign of potential peace between the two races. As much as he fought against Gandalf's insistence that they stop at Rivendell, he was grateful that the old wizard had tricked them.

Elrond walks beside Thorin as the two head down one of the many vast halls of the homestead. He takes in a small breath through his nose as Thorin expresses his gratitude. There was no hiding the fact that the Elf was not quite used to guests as unique as the dwarves but none the less, he understood that they were both from completely different worlds.

"You are most welcome" Elrond replies politely. "You and your company will always be welc-"

"Oi! Let me go!"

Elrond and Thorin both stop in their steps as two Elven guards storm into the room. Each holding an arm attached to a familiar dwarf between them. While Elrond was taken by surprise, Thorin lets out a small groan of annoyance as he immediately knows what this was all about.

"Nori....." Thorin states flatly and unamused, already well aware as to what Nori had been doing.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Elrond questions.

Nori pulls his arms free from the guards as he takes a small step away from them towards Elrond and Thorin.

"We caught this Dwarf in the east halls with elvish property" The guard on the left says firmly as he lets go of Nori.

Nori looks insulted as the elves would assume such a thing about him. He was a respectable dwarf, traveling with Thorin Oakenshield to reclaim their homeland.

"That is a lie!" Nori exclaims in a high-pitched offended voice. And as he claims innocence, the elf guard on the left tosses a leather pouch to Elrond.

Elrond arches a brow as the pouch lands by his feet, he silently crouches down to pick up the pouch. Keeping in a crouched position, he gently opens the bag and dumps its contents into his hand. Inside, three large gemstones not known to the world outside of Rivendell. He purposely stays at the Dwarfs level, looking Nori in the eyes as he calmly rolls the gems in his hand.
"Where did you find these stones?"

"I spotted them mixed in with the rest of the rocks by the gardens!" Nori quickly states, spitting out the first thing to pop into his head.

"He was heading towards the throne room" The other guard adds.

"Is this true?" Elrond questions as he stares down at the dwarf.

"I was lost! All your hallways look the same!"

Elrond lets out an unimpressed sigh as he stands himself back up straight. He could tell the Dwarf was lying through his teeth.

"Indeed" Elrond says. "See that these get returned to where they belong" Elrond adds, holding out the gems to the guard on the left.

Nori looks to Thorin who had been quiet the entire time. The king unable to even look at him in the eyes due to the embarrassment he was currently feeling. Thorin wanted to just scream. Let out the anger that was building inside of him because of Nori's stupidity but he had to hold it it. He had to remain calm on the outside and let the elves deal with this.

"I swear, your lord...El...El...."

"Elrond" Elrond says, reminding the dwarf who had allowed him and everyone into his home.

"Right, Elrond! I swear that this is all just a big misunderstanding" Nori says, turning his attention back to Elrond, looking up at the Elf. "I swear, I didn't know those were precious when I picked them up. I'm not a theif!"

As he speaks, the Elf guard on the left notices something reflecting in Nori's jacket. He steps up to Nori, reaching into his jacket and pulling out an elvish candlestick that had originally been on one of the dinner tables. He tosses it on the ground as the other elf guard also reaches into the dwarf's jacket, his hand grabbing onto some pieces of cutlery. The two of them begin searching the dwarf, tossing everything he had pocketed into a small pile just at Elrond's feet.

"I just wanted a few souvenirs?"

Elrond's patience with the dwarves was really starting to grow thin as he looks to his guards. "Detain him. I'll decide what to do with this dwarf in the morning."

The two guards each take a hold of Nori's arms, pulling the Dwarf back towards them.

"And have the other dwarves searched!" Elrond startes firmly, as he was beginning to doubt the integrity of the dwarves.

"H-Hey! You can't do this! I'm your guest!" Nori yells out as he tries to fight back against the elf dwarves. "Thorin! Tell him!"

Throin lets out a groan as his eye starts to twitch a little. Everything was going so well in Rivendell. He and Elrond were having a nice conversation, they were learning about each other, making peace. Elrond even gifted him with Orcrist and explained his fathers map to the lonely mountain. And then this happened.

"So, this is who you travel with?" Elrond questions in annoyance as Nori is dragged off. "Liars and thieves?"

".....Just one....." Thorin finally replies as calmly as he could with a small breath, watching the elves disappear with Nori. He had hoped they would all be gone by the morning but now it was clear they weren't going anywhere till Thorin cleaned up Nori's mess.

Chapter Text

Thorin had claimed he and his party were traveling to the Lonely Mountain, to reclaim their home. A noble quest that Elrond had deemed worthy of his help, but after the incident with Nori and his sticky hands, doubt was beginning to form within the Elf. While Thorin seemed pure in his intentions, thieves came in all forms. He had ordered Lindir to lead his guards in an inspection of the dwarves and their personal belongings. If one dwarf was a thief, chances are there were others in this company. It was even probable that Thorin, while a descendant of Durin, had manufactured his story about wanting to reclaim Erebor, and was actually using it as a front to rob Rivendell and possibly others of their riches.

No matter what truth became of this incident, Elrond knew he had no choice but to put his people and his home first.

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Fili and Kili were in their beds, closest to the door. Fili completely passed out, snoring loudly next to his brothers ear. Kili rolling over onto his side, trying to block out his brothers noises by holding the pillow over his ear.

In the bed next to them, Dori, who was doing a little light reading from the Rivendell library.

Dwalin sat by the window, staring up at the stars, with Ori and Balin. The three of them having never seen a sky that looked like the one above Rivendell. Bombur, Bifur and Bofur were all passed out in the corner. Bofur still holding a mug of ale in his hand, which he periodically took sips out of as he woke up randomly, falling back asleep after quenching his dreamtime thirst.

Gloin lays in his bed, staring up at the photos of his wife and Child. The two people he was doing this quest for, promising Gimli that he would one day see the great kingdom of Erebor in which he came from. And finally, Oin was sitting in his bed, shining his trumpet with a small cloth.

Suddenly, The doors into the room are thrown open. Twelve guards rushing into the large guest room that Elrond had graciously offered to the dwarves so that they may rest before continuing on their long journey. Lindir enters behind them, arms crossed as he watches the elves split up among the dwarves in the room.

"Any dwarves caught with unauthorized Elvish property are to be brought directly to lord Elrond" Lindir states firmly to his guards as the guards begin ripping each and every dwarf from their bed.

The first two guards approach Fili and Kili. Kili's eyes going wide as he sits up in a slight panic as the guard takes him by the wrist to pull him from the bed.

"What's going on?" Fili questions as he slowly opens his tired eyes. His eyes widening with even more confusion as he was pulled up to his feet. "W-what?!" He questions as the elf guard begins going through his pockets. He smacks the guards hand away from him as he takes a step away, looking to his brother with a cocked brow. His brother also swatting away at the unannounced guard just searching him without reason.

The guards say nothing as they take a hold of the brothers to finish their search, once they were convinced the dwarves had nothing on their person, they moved to their bags. Pulling out their spare clothes, food, everything and just tossing it on the floor. One guard holds Kili's bag upsidedown, shaking it, then dropping the empty bag on the ground as he moves onto the bed. He pulls each sheet off, one by one, determined to find something to incriminate the brothers.

The guard that approaches Dori snatches the book from the dwarf.

"Hey, I was reading that!" Dori exclaims as the Elf holds the book up, staring down at the Dwarf as if he were some kind of criminal.

"Where did you get this?" he questions in a threatening tone.

"The library...." Dori replies calmly.

"Who gave you permission to take this from our library?!"

"Lord Elrond. During the tour...." Dori states once again as he watches the other Dwarves arguing with the Elf guards as their stuff was being trashed.

The elf guard throws the book behind him, onto the floor as he continues on with his inspection of the Dwarf.

Dwalin, Ori and Balin all look over from the window as the elves rush in. While Ori and Balin stay where they were, Dwalin takes a more aggressive stance.

"Oi! What do ya think yer doin'?!" Dwalin exclaims in an angered tone as he watches an Elf completely take his, Ori's and Balin's beds apart while another begins dumping the contents of their bags onto the floor.

Before Dawlin could get close to the Elves going through his stuff, he was stopped by another guard. This one immediately reaching for his pockets. Not having it though, Dwalin grabs the Elf's wrist. He pulls it from his pocket before deciding to fight back. He pulls back his right arm, balling his hand into a fist as he throws it forward into the Elf's stomach. As that elf goes down, the two that were going through Dwalin's bag charge the Dwarf. As Dwalin takes a swing at them, one Elf gets him from behind. The elf reaches under Dwalins armpits, restraining the dwarf from behind while the other begins searching Dwalin for any stolen goods.

As an elf approaches Ori and Balin, the two of them just raise their arms. Neither of them seeing any point in trying to fight against them. Neither of them having anything to hide as it was clear the elves were looking for something.

"Hey! That's private!" Gloin exclaims as an Elf guard reaches into his pocket, removing the photo he carries of his wife and child.

Bifur jumps up to his feet as the Elves raid their room. His first instinct being to charge the intruders back just as Dwalin had. Though he had no idea what was happening, he just like the idea of hitting an elf.

Bombur just sat there, watching as the elves did their thing.

An elf approaches Bofur, ripping the mug from the passed out dwarfs hand. The elf then splashes the remaining liquid into the dwarfs face.

"I CAN'T SWIM!" he exclaims, tired, confused and now wet from the ale. The elf then takes the dwarf by the shirt collar, pulling him up to his feet. The elf begins searching the still very much out of it dwarf.

"I must say I'm flattered..." Bofur says, pretty sure this was just some weird dream he was having. "But I'm not really into elves..."

The elf shoves Bofur away from him, nearly choking in shock from what the dwarf had just said. And as Bofur's back meets the wall, he slowly slides back down it, drifting back asleep. "I can't help that I'm so good looking....."

"Get up" an elf demands to Oin as he sits there, still polishing his trumpet.

Oin doesn't move, or notice the elf making the order as he was looking down, focused on his hearing device.

"I said get up!"

The slightly raised voice catching his attention as he finally notices the elf before him.

"What was that laddie?" he questions, holding his trumpet to his ear, finally hearing the people in the room.

Lindir watches as each of the dwarves was searched. He was almost upset when the guards had found nothing incriminating on any of the dwarves. Nothing hidden. Nothing on hand that was not given to them. Each and everyone of them was clean. Unlike the guest room that had now been completely turned upside down with the beds, sheets and dwarves belongings thrown everywhere in the room.

"Nothing to report" a guard says as they all line up in front of him.

"Pity" Lindir says quietly as he turns around. He leaves the room without a word to the dwarves, the twelve guards following behind them, leaving the dwarves in the newly destroyed guest room. Each of them dumbfounded. Some silently glaring at the elves as they leave without word. All of them feeling violated by this uncalled for search of their belongings.

Chapter Text

The moon was full and positioned almost in the center of the sky above Rivendell. The wind gently blowing as Elrond and Thorin sit outside. Elrond quietly sitting behind a stone table on a large ornate throne like chair, two guards standing beside him. While Thorin sits in one of the many chairs lined in a row adjacent to Elrond.

Thorin lets out a small sigh as he crosses his arm, sitting in the chair as patiently as he could. His orders from the Elf Lord were to sit and wait until his guards were finished with their inspection of his company, to which he would then pass judgement as to whether or not he could truly believe everything the Dwarf king had told him at face value or not. Thorin stares ahead at Elrond, as annoyed as he was for being treated in such a way, as a fellow leader he did have an understanding as to why he would take these precautions.

"You claim that it is only one dwarf in your company who can not be trusted, yet you look worried, Thorin Oakenshield" Elrond states calmly, trying to break the silence between the two of them.

"It is not the integrity of my company I worry for" Thorin replies. "but rather what it is you plan to do with Nori"

Even if Nori wasn't the most honest of Dwarves, he was still one of the few who came when Thorin called. Thief or not, Nori was a member of Thorin's company.

"I have not decided"

Lindir approaches with two guards following behind him. He gives a slight bow to Elrond as he steps just off center to Thorin.

"Lord Elrond, we found nothing incriminating against any of the other....guests..." Lindir reports with distaste in his voice, his back to Thorin as he speaks to Elrond.

Elrond smiles as he Lindir speaks the good news. "Thank you" he replies, holding a hand to dismiss Lindir.

Lindir bows once more before finally leaving the balcony where Thorin and Elrond were having their awkward meeting.

"Well, Thorin Oakenshield" Elrond starts with his voice sounding more pleasant. "It seems you were speaking truth about your quest and that you do travel with trustworthy companions. Minus the thief."

Thorin lets out a small sigh of relief when he hears that the others were clear. Though if he had seen how they were treated during the inspection he would probably be joining Nori in a cell for how he would react.

"That thief is still a member of my company" Thorin replies, still defending the Dwarf. Even if he was furious at Nori for what he had done.

"A member of your company, yes" Elrond states as he stares across at Thorin. "But it would be in your best interest to continue on your journey without the dwarf if you wish to make it to the lonely mountain before the last light of Durin's day"

"I am not leaving without Nori"

"Elves might be swift on their feet, but when it comes to passing judgement we take our time. It could be weeks or even months before I make my final decision on what to do with that troublemaker you brought into my home!" Elrond replies firmly as he stands up from his seat. With his hands clasped around his back, Elron makes his way around the table. He stops right in front of Thorin, looking down on the dwarf. "I suggest you and your company leave at first light and focus on what's ahead"

"Lord Elrond, I know Nori did something wrong, but I need him in my company" Thorin pleas, determined to try and change Elrond's mind. "You already have proof. You have witnesses. How long could it really take to 'pass judgement' when we already know he is guilty of attempted thievery?!"

"It is late, Thorin Oakenshield and I grow tired" Elrond suddenly says, changing the subject as he turns away from Thorin, starting to walk away with. "If you wish to discuss matters further, we may do so in the morning. Though I highly recommend you and the remaining members of your company just forget the thief and leave"

Chapter Text

There was no arguing with Lord Elron. At least not for tonight, so, the only other for Thorin was to just call it a night and figure things out in the morning. After all it wasn't like Nori wasn't going anywhere and he doubted the Elves would hurt him.

Thorin makes his way down the hallways, getting lost only four times before finally making it to the room. Refusing to ask for directions as his pride as the Dwarf King would not allow him to ask. And considering how exhausted Thorin was and the fact that each and every hallway looked exactly the same as the last, four times lost wasn't really that bad.

Finally at the doors, Thorin takes the brass doorhandle in his hand. As he opens the door, Thorin expected to see the some dwarves asleep. Reading. Eating midnight snacks. The usual activities his company did at night time. But what he saw was several annoyed dwarves trying to clean the room that had been completely turned upside down.

Thorin's jaw opens with shock as he slowly steps into the room.

"What happened in here?" Thorin questions as he takes a couple steps in. Of course, he already had an idea as to what had went down. He knew the dwarves could be rowdy at times but there was no way they would destroy their own stuff and beds like this. Especially so late into the night.

Fili and Kili were in the middle of wiping down their weapons and checking over them for any damages that might had been done to them. Gloin and Dori were folding up their clothes and packing it all back up into their bags while Balin, Ori and Oin were all remaking the beds. Bombur hands a towel to the Bofur while Bifur and Dwalin stood in the middle of the room angerly talking in Khuzdul back and forth to each other. Each and ever dwarf was awake and in the midst of cleaning the mess that the elves had created in their room.

"I'll tell ya what 'appened here!" Dwalin states firmly, turning his attention away from Bifur and over to Thorin. "Those entitled pointy eared gurnvos'comys came in here and ransacked the place!"

"Yea, they just showed up and-" Ori starts with a frown as he places down his pillow before getting cut off.

"Wasted a perfectly good ale!" Bofur exclaims interrupting Ori as he continues to try and dry off.

"Nobody cares about your ale!" Fili lets out with a frustrated sigh. "They literally ripped me from my bed before throwing my stuff all over the place!"

"RUKHS SHIRUMUND CARAGU!" Bifur suddenly yells as loud as he could.

It wasn't long before all the dwarves were all talking at once. Each of them letting out their frustrations as to what had happened. Each of them exhausted and just wanting to go to sleep.

Thorin grits his teeth together as he pieces every little thing together. He had assumed that Elrond and his people would have manners. That if they were to do some sort of inspection, they would state their business and do things in a calm fashion. All he wanted to do was get some sleep and now even that was not possible. He listens as everyone's voices start to blend together into just an incoherent noise. Each dwarf progressively getting louder as they want to be heard.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Thorin suddenly exclaims.

Everyone goes silent as they stare at Thorin. The usually calm and collected dwarf, standing there with his hands in fists as he takes in a deep breath. He takes in another deep breath, slowly letting it out as he tries to calm himself down as much as he could.

"I'll go have a word with our hosts"

"By the way, Thorin...." Dori quietly calls out, stopping Thorin before he leaves. "Have you seen Nori anywhere?"

Thorin lets out another huffed breath as he pinches the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on as he turns around to leave the room. Nori. It was all Nori's fault that this even happened to begin with.

"He's fine" Thorin finally lets out flatly as he drops his hand back to his side. His expression clearly telling the Dori that Nori had gone and gotten himself into trouble. "Just get this mess cleaned up"

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Thorin storms out of the guest room.

Thorin was never too fond of elves but the hospitality and generosity of Lord Elrond was starting to wear off on him. He had actually started to think that maybe there could be some peace one day between their peoples and then this had to happen. He understood their reasoning for wanting to do what they did but there were other ways to approach the situation. Hearing that they had treated his company as though they were all criminals, practically destroying their things.

He wanders down the halls, trying to figure out which way to go.

"Do you need some help, master dwarf?" a guard questions as Thorin passes him.

Thorin stops as he is spoken to. He turns to the elf, his eyes narrowed into a glare. "I need to speak with Lord Elrond" he says firmly, with anger in his voice.

"I'm afraid Lord Elrond has retired for the night"

Thorin takes a threatening step towards the lone guard. "You can either go get him for me or I will find him myself!"

The elf guard stands with a wall behind him, unable to move when Thorin takes a more threatening stance.

"I'm sorry but Lord Elrond is-"

Thorin pushes himself into the elf, his right arm pressed against the elf's waist while his left arm was up and ready to strike. His patience wearing thin.

"I'm not asking!" Thorin replies slowly in a threatening tone.

As Thorin makes his threat, his wrist is grabbed by another Elf guard who happened to be passing when the encounter had first occurred. The second guard pulls Thorin off his his partner, gripping Thorin's wrist tightly as he pulls his hands behind his back.

Chapter Text

Thorin lets out a frustrated huff as he paces around in the cell he was thrown into for the night.

Considering it was suppose to be a prison, it was clear that they did not treat their prisoners with hostility here. The cell itself furnished with a cot complete with pillows and blankets. It was also clear that these prisons were almost never used as there was no wear or tear to be seen. No markings on the walls, no erosion or discoloration on the metal bars. Even the cots looked as though they had never been slept on.

"Pacin' around isn't going to get you anywhere" Nori comments, sitting comfortably on his cot in the cell across from Thorin. Considering he had been in and out of prisons and constantly on the run from authorities, Nori was kind of impressed with the set up. Most places were usually dark, cold and just let one with feelings of dread. This though? They clearly didn't know how to intimidate a prisoner as Nori was a little too comfortable.

Thorin stops in his steps when Nori opens his mouth. His eye practically twitching as he looks across at Nori lazing about.

"And YOU STEALING from our hosts isn't getting us any closer to Erebor!" Thorin snaps back. "A'lâju Maha"

And just as Thorin was going to continue yelling at the other dwarf, Lindin approaches. With keys in his hands, he unlocks Thorin's cell and steps aside to allow the dwarf king to leave.

Thorin shoots the elf a look as he steps out. There was complete silence as Lindin closes the door behind him and starts to walk, Thorin following behind him.

"Oi! What about me?!" Nori calls out as he jumps out of the bed, practically tripping as he jumps to the bars. "I'm here too! Come on!"

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Elrond was out on the balcony, sitting at a large white table with several elven sweets and drinks. In his hand he holds a dainty cup as he takes a sip of the sweet liquid inside as he watches the sun rise and chase away the night sky.

He gently sits the cup down on the table as he hears footsteps approaching from the hallways inside. As he turns his attention behind him, he smiles as an unimpressed Thorin is escorted to the balcony.

"Quel amrun. Elen sila lumenn omentilmo" Elrond says in a polite and calming voice as Thorin steps outside to join the elf. "Please, take a seat and help yourself"

Lindin keeps inside the hallway as Thorin approaches the table.

Thorin arches a brow when Elron speaks elvish to him as he has no idea what in the world the elf had just said to him. A part of him was even tempted to reply back with a Khazdul insult but wanting to keep the peace, he chooses to hold back his tongue. And as Elron asks him to sit, Thorin lets out a small breath. He approaches the chair, taking a seat across from Elrond.

Elrond smiles as he picks up a plate of bread rolls on the table. He holds it out to Thorin, offering him one. "Baked fresh this morning by our best bakers"

Thorin eyes the plate. The bread rolls golden with a hint of honey glazed overtop. His eyes shift up to Elrond as he takes one of the rolls, his eyes locked on the elf as he begrudgingly takes a bite. He had to admit it really was delicious but he kept his expression on the outside to be unamused.

"I do want to apologize about last night" Elrond says politely as he sets down the plate. "You could only imagine my surprise when I was informed that you were detained for assaulting one of the guards"

Thorin gives a smirk as Elrond speaks. "Yeah well, your 'guards' tore through my companies belongings like starving wargs digging through trash."

"Two of your company assaulted my guards" Elrond retorts, picking up his cup again to take a sip.

"Because they were under attack by your people! You think they would stand still and do nothing while a bunch elves broke into their room?"

Elrond looks out to the sun as it continues to rise. He takes in slow breath as he listens to Thorin go on about what his elves had done.

"Miscommunication"

Thorin stands up from his seat, slamming his hands on the table.

"Miscommunication?! My Company had no idea what your people were doing as they had questioned me upon returning for the night!" Thorin's voice was raised in an angered tone. "Perhaps if your guards had explained themselves, they would have been a bit more compliant to your search!"

"You are right" Elrond replies, looking back to Thorin. "and I will see to it that these mistakes are corrected so that they may not be repeated in the future"

Thorin rolls his eyes as Elron speaks about correcting their behavior. The dwarf believing that it shouldn't even be something he has to tell his own elves.

"I really am sorry that you spent your night in a cell" Elron says with sincerity in his voice. "Had I known, I would have sent for you sooner"

Thorin lets out a sigh as he sits back down in the seat. As much as he hated being detained, it wasn't the worst experience. Not to mention it gave him peace of mind of how Nori was being treated. At least if Dori or Ori asked about their brother, he had a solid answer.

"Now, what of Nori?" Thorin questions, wanting to just be done with this mess.

"As you saw, even though he is our prisoner, he is being well taken care of" Elron states. "Is that not enough to bring you comfort?"

Comfort or not though, as as much as he really wanted to just leave Nori, he couldn't do it. There was no way Ori or Dori would allow him to even consider such a thing. And his company was small enough as is, he needed all he could get if they were going to take back Erebor.

"He is an important member of my company, I can not leave him behind" Thorin replies as politely as possible, despite his want to just break out into dwarfish swears and insults.

"Then I suppose that means you and your company will be here a while?" Elrond replies with an arched brow. "I highly doubt he will be freed before Durin's day. Perhaps you should consult with your company before making such a decision"

Chapter Text

"Nori, why did you do it?" Dori questions as he paces outside of his brothers cell. He knew his brother was a bit of a troublemaker but he had hoped that coming on this journey would have given him some common sense. And judging by the fact that Nori was just sitting cross legged on his bed with a cup of tea in his hand, Dori was pretty sure he wasn't even learning any lessons here.

"What is wrong with wanting a trinket or two to remember ones trip?" Nori questions as he sips the tea.

Thorin pinches the bridge of his nose as he stands outside the cell beside Dori. If he were in a dwarven prison with the attitude he had at this moment, Nori would have been moved into isolation with a few missed meals just to teach him a few lessons and put the dwarf back in his place. And even that was considered tame compared to Orc dungeons and even some of the ones belonging to man.

"Nori, you do understand that Elrond doesn't plan on letting you out" Thorin hisses with frustration through his teeth.

Nori sets down the tea cup. "Well, there are worse places to be...."

Dwalin rolls his eyes as he places a hand on Thorin's shoulder. "I'll handle this" he says as he pushes himself in front of Thorin. The bigger dwarf stares into the cell.

"There are worse places to be" Dwalin says in agreement. "Like here. When Thorin leads us to the Lonely Mountain and we reclaim Erebor. Each of us reaching the end of our journey and rebuilding our home, while you stay here and rot in an elvish prison"

"I don't even know why you're botherin' with that" Fili adds from behind Thorin.

"He clearly wants to be in this tiny room surrounded by elves" Kili states as he finishes Fili's sentence. Both brothers smirking as they look at Nori who starts to shift a little in his seat.

"N-now wait!" Nori spits out, having nearly forgotten about their original mission. And while it was true that he didn't care about reclaiming Erebor in the beginning, the closer they got, the more the idea of taking back their home grew on him. Nori stands up from his bed, approaching the cell doors. "You wouldn't all leave me behind, would you?"

Thorin arches a brow as he watches Nori's body language finally change. He crosses his arms as he speaks.

"We're on limited time" Thorin says calmly. "If we wish to reach the mountain before Durin's day, then yes, we won't have any choice but to leave you here"

Nori frowns when he hears that they really would leave him alone here. "Dori and Ori would stay with me!" he replies in desperation, looking to his brothers with a hopeful look.

"My duty is with this quest" Dori says politely. "I won't abandon our king because of my brothers idiocy"

"The elves really are nice here but I'd probably starve to death here if they keep givin' me green foods...." Ori replies quietly, saying the first thing that came to mind. Even if he were to say he would stay, Dori would never allow it. "I'm sorry Nori"

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Elrond stands just outside of the door leading to their prisons. He listens in on the dwarves as they discuss their options. He even smirks when he hears Nori mention the idea of breaking him out. While a couple of the dwarves sounded like that could be an idea, he had respect for Thorin who immediately turned down that idea. Last thing the dwarf king wanted was to cause more tension between the two groups.

Elrond peers through the door, stepping fully into the room.

"Master Oakenshield" he calls out. "A word?"

Thorin looks towards the door leading to the cells. "Excuse me" he says to his group of dwarves as he makes his way to Elrond.

"How can I help?" Thorin asks as he approaches with a little bit if frustration in his voice.

"I am prepared to offer you an ultimatum"

Thorin suspiciously arches a brow to the Elf. "I'm listening...."

Elrond looks towards Nori and the dwarves as they all continue to talk. He could see that the dwarf was starting to hate the idea of being left behind.

"I already know that your friend there is going to continue taking what is not his, whether we keep him here or not" Elrond states as his eyes stay on the now smiling dwarf as he laughs with his friends outside his prison. "He does not understand the severity of his actions, nor does he seem to care."

Thorin rolls his eyes as Elrond speaks. "No offense, but you seem to be treating him better than how your elves did to rest of my company last night"

Elrond lets out a small sigh as he looks back to Thorin. "Again, I do apologize about that. And I will admit, we don't get prisoners here very often, and the ones we do get, we treat with dignity and respect"

"And how does that work out for you?"

"Rivendell is a safe haven" Elrond replies with a smile. "I'd say it's worked out fine."

"So what do I have to do to get Nori out? You want me to keep a leash on him?" Thorin replies with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I want you to carry out the punishment I have deemed appropriate for his crimes. One that will teach him that there will always be consequences for his actions." Elrond retorts in a serious tone. "Thirty lashes across the back. "

Thorin goes silent when Elrond speaks. He looks back to Nori, watching as he smirks to his brother. It was obvious that he wasn't learning any lessons here. And to be fair, even all the times he had gotten caught by authorities back home, he'd still continue with his thieving and mischief the moment he was freed. And chances were he had already been flogged before as punishment for his actions but it clearly wasn't enough to stop him from stealing in the future.

"Or you can just leave him to his comfortable life in confinement while you continue without him."

"And why not just have one of your elves carry out the punishment?" Thorin questions as he looks back to Elrond. "It was your laws he broke. This is your prison. He is your prisoner. "

"But you are his king." Elrond replies. "He acts as though nothing is wrong and will continue to do so unless you step up to your role and put him back in his place! He must learn that he can not take as he pleases and what better teacher to show him that than you, Thorin Oakenshield. "

Thorin takes in a deep sigh as he looks back to the Dwarves. He hated that Elrond was probably right on this matter. He hated that Nori had to treat this like it was a game.

-----------

"What do you think they're talking about?" Nori asks as he looks to Thorin and Elrond with a smirk on his face.

"He's been trying to come to an agreement with the Elf lord" Balin says calmly, knowing how frustrated Thorin has been with Nori.

As they talk, Thorin returns to the group with a small sigh in his voice.

"Well?!" Nori asks with excitement. "Did you get them to let me go?!"

Thorin looks to Nori with exhausted eyes. This whole mess just mentally draining the dwarf king.

"Yes" Thorin states flatly.

"Thats good!" Nori exclaims. "Alright, come on open the door!"

"Under two conditions" Thorin adds, watching Nori's excitement slowly disappear. "One, Dori, you are to keep a close watch of your brother. I don't care what the circumstances are, he is to remain under your supervision at all times."

Dori looks to Thorin with a slight nod. He already did try his best to keep an eye on both of his brothers. His priority of the two being Ori as he was the youngest and quite impressionable. His only hope being that this would not take away from his watching over Ori.

"Of course" Dori says with a slight bow.

"And second" Thorin starts with slight hesitation in his voice. "He deemed a punishment of thirty lashes appropriate"

Thorin takes in another sigh as he speaks that second part, choosing to leave out the part about how it would be him to carry through with it. Something that he himself was still trying to process the idea of. Apart of him not even sure if he would be able to go through with it.

"Thirty? Seems a bit harsh..." Balin states with a little concern in his voice.

"Elrond stated that Elves prefer taking their time when deciding punishments. Allowing the prisoners time to reflect on their crimes while in confinement and allowing them to not have to deal anything too harsh in the end. But because we're wanting Nori out so soon, he believes that this punishment will be adequate enough to teach Nori the wrongs of his choices"

Nori swallows nervously at the suggestion of the whip. He had been dealt similar punishments before in the past but never that high of a number. His stomach was actually starting to churn as he thought about it, the thoughts almost being enough to make him regret his choices to try and steal from the elves.

"It's up to Nori though" Thorin says, looking to the nervous looking dwarf behind bars. "You can either stay here for who knows how long and risk never seeing Erebor or you take the punishment and we can leave in the next couple days"

Chapter Text

The sun was beginning to set over Rivendell as Nori is removed from his cell by two elf guards. One standing on each side of him as they lead him out of the lower levels of Elrond's house. Nori keeps a calm composure as they make their way up several sets of stairs and out to the balcony where Elrond usually holds his counsels. The cool breeze from the air brushing on Nori's face as they step outside. The bright rays from the sun beaming down on a stone pillar that had been placed in the middle of the balcony like some sick omen.

Nori stands just on the bordering line between the outside and inside of the building as he looks around.

Two rows of chairs were set in front of the pillar, Oin was sitting in the front center. Not because he wanted to watch his friend go through this torture, but because the healer in him felt it was his duty to stand near and be there for him. Beside him Ori and Dori who had placed his hand overtop of his younger brothers hand. The dwarves given the option to be there if they wanted, and Ori insisting he be there for his big brother. On the other side of Oin was Dwalin and beside him an elf healer.

In the second row was Bifur, Bombur, Fili and Kili and a couple elves. Both Fili and Kili staring at their uncle, almost disappointed that he had agreed to such a barbaric action.

Beside the pillar was Thorin, a thick leather whip in his hand as he lets out a nervous breath. Elrond might had said this was because it would be more impactful but Thorin knew he too was being punished. Punished for bringing Nori into his home knowing full well who the dwarf was. All the kindness and hospitality from the elves was nothing but a show as this was a cruel punishment, not just for Nori but for Thorin and all his company.

"You sure you're ok with this?" Balin asks quietly as he places a concerned hand on the nervous Thorin's shoulder. "I know we don't want to leave Nori behind but maybe leaving him would be best"

"Nori chose this" Thorin replies. "We're not leaving him behind."

Behind the two rows of chairs was Elrond, sitting in his large throne like seat. He sits calmly as he stares ahead. Lindir standing to the left of his seat with his hands clasped behind his back.

Bofur stood just on the inside of the house of Elrond. His back against the wall, just beside the large opening that lead to the balcony. He couldn't stomach to watch what his best friend was going to go through, but he also didn't want to leave him alone. With his eyes closed, he takes in a small breath. His arms crossed as he hears Nori and the two guard approach. He opens his eyes with a faint smile as he looks to Nori.

He had seen Nori go through something similar before, having been in trouble countless times before but this was the first time he could tell his friend was actually scared. Even if Nori's face didn't show it. Nori flashes a look to Bofur, giving a small smirk in response.

"Bring forward the accused" Lindin calls out from beside Elrond.

Nori takes in a breath, quickly letting it out as he steps forward. The two guards following behind him, keeping close. Butterflies fill Nori's stomach as he approaches the middle of the balcony, stopping in front of the audience. His mouth starting to feel dry as he tried to act like this was nothing.

"Nori, you have been found guilty of attempted theft of Elven property" Lindin starts firmly. "You were found with several cutlery pieces from our kitchen and three sacred white stones"

"If I may, I didn't know those stones were sacred...." Nori states trying to at least defend himself a little.

"Does that matter?" Lindin replies calmly. "You were still found with stolen property"

Nori lets out a small sigh as he looks down. "I guess it doesn't"

"The as punishment for your crimes against the elves will be thirty lashes across the back, carried out by Thorin Oakenshield" Lindin finally states as the guards firmly take a hold of of Nori's arms, pulling his tunic off and over his head.

"Wait, nobody told me Thorin would be doing this!" Nori half protested as his shirt was ripped off his body and passed to Balin, who was still standing by Thorin's side. "I change my mind!" Nori calls out as he was pulled and turned around towards the pillar. Nori's face is pressed against the stone as his arms were pulled around to the other side and secured with metal manacles. Nori pulls his wrists, unable to move as his body was securely fastened to the pillar. "I said I changed my mind" Nori calls out once again.

He didn't care if it was an elf or something but Thorin? That just seemed a bit too cruel in his mind. Thorin was a king, this kind of action was beneath a King's duties.

"It's fine Nori" Thorin says with a huffed breath of hesitation.

"No it is not!" Nori turns his head on the pillar to look towards Thorin. His eyes pleading for him to reconsider as he can see it in Thorin's own eyes that he didn't want to be doing this to begin with. "I would not have agreed to this if I knew you'd be doing it" Nori states as firmly as he could as he hugs the cold stone.

"And that is why I did not tell you" Thorin replies flatly as he looks away towards the Elves. His eyes almost forming into a glare at Elrond for making this decision as he walks towards the center of the balcony, between the pillar and everyone who was watching. Thorin closes his eyes as he takes in a deep breath from his nose. His right hand gripping the whip tightly as he slowly exhales.

Thorin's heart pounds against his chest as he stares ahead at Nori's naked and exposed back. He could see some remnants of Nori's past, light scars that lined his back already from pervious punishments the dwarf had received. Everything went quiet as he stands there with hesitation.

"Is something wrong, Master Oakenshield?" Elron asks as he notes the hesitation from the dwarf.

"No" Thorin replies without any thought.

"Then begin"

Thorin keeps his focus ahead as he brings up the whip, snapping his wrist forward. The leather strap making a clean slice cross the center of Nori's back, spanning from the right to the left.

Nori clenches his hands into fists as he takes in a pained gasp. His eyes closed tightly as he arches his back. Then there was a second hit. A welt forming in seconds from his right shoulder down to his left hip. It wasn't until the seventh hit that Nori finally lets out a loud agonizing scream as his back started to burn. Nori plants his forehead onto the stone pillar as his arm hug the stone tighter. His shoulders pulling together as he arches his back with each burning strike. He takes in slow controlled breaths as he tries to not think about what was happening.

Bofur stays standing against the wall, his arms crossed as he closes his eyes. Each crack of the whip and scream from his friend causing the dwarf to flinch.

Ori begins tearing up as he watches his big brother in pain. Even if his brother did something wrong, Nori was still his brother. Dori gently squeezes Ori's hand as he notices the younger dwarf starting to cry. "It'll be over soon...." Dori whispers calmly to his youngest brother. Ori shakes his head when Dori tries to comfort him. The young dwarf hating that he was sitting here helplessly watching his brother be tortured. When Nori lets out another scream from the strike, Ori stands from his seat. His heart unable to allow him to watch and do nothing to help his brother any longer.

"Ori! What are you doing?!" Dori exclaims as Ori pulls his hand out of his comforting touch.

Thorin was about to do his nineteenth strike when he heard the noise coming from behind them.

"Ori, please stop" Dori calls out as Ori dashes from his seat over towards Nori.

Ori swings himself around to the other side of the pillar, taking Nori's hands into his as he rests his head on them. "It's going to be ok" He Ori says, his voice trembling as he tries to hold back the tears. "I'm here...."

Nori leans his face a little to the left, so that it was no longer planted against the stone, but rather able to look at his baby brother. His own eyes red. His face dripping with sweat. His forced smile unable to hide the pain surging through his back.

Thorin lowers the whip as Dori gets up from his seat to grab his brother.

"Ori-" Dori calls out as he approaches, placing a hand on Ori's shoulder. "Come on, you can't be there"

"No!" Ori replies, fighting back. "I'm not moving"

"Ori, I'll be fine" Nori chokes out as he tries to fight through the pain. "I've been though much worse."

Ori grips Nori's hands tighter as he starts to full cry, unable to hold back the flowing river of tears.

Lindin looks to the guards, gesturing his head towards the two disruptive Dwarves. The two guards that had escorted Nori approach Dori and Ori. One placing a hand on Dori's shoulder as he begins pulling him away. The other wrapping his arms around Ori's shoulders as he begins lifting the dwarf up off the ground.

"Let me go!" Ori cries out as he kicks the air around him. "I'M NOT LEAVING MY BROTHER! LET ME GO!"

Thorin watches as Ori tries to fight the guard. All the dwarf wanted was to be with his brother. His heart completely sinks as he sees how pained Ori was, screaming as he was being dragged further from Nori.

"WAIT!" Thorin calls out firmly, almost like a command as he looks back to Elrond. "Have you no sympathy?!"

Elrond watches as Thorin speaks to him in such a tone. His eyes shifting over to the guard who was in the middle of forcefully removing Ori, while Dori followed, not wanting to cause any trouble. It was easy to see how much pain this was causing the younger dwarf.

"Let him stay" Elrond says calmly, knowing that Ori was not intending to cause trouble, that his actions was simply out of a brotherly love.

On Elrond's word, the guard lets go of Ori. As Ori drops to the floor, he scurries over to Nori as fast as he could, taking his brothers hands into his as he squeezes them tightly. Dori lets out a small sigh as he knows its best to not leave Ori alone. He himself joining Ori on the other side of the pillar with a hand placed on Ori's shoulder as he too took one of Nori's hands, giving a gentle squeeze.

"Continue" Lindir suddenly says in an uncaring tone.

Thorin turns back to face Nori, holding the whip up slightly. He raises his arm up as he snaps the whip across Nori's already scarred back. The leather cutting across the existing welts.

Nori pulls his face back against the pillar as he lets out a loud scream. His hands tightly squeezing Ori and Dori's. His nails digging into them, nearly breaking the skin. Nori's legs start giving out, his body slipping a as his feet struggle to support his weight. The only thing keeping him up at this point are the manacles on the other side.

Thorin holds up the whip, hesitating as he prepares to strike for number twenty-one. His body starting to shake as he watches not only Nori trying to keep upright against the pillar, but Ori struggling to be strong for his brother. The young dwarf completely falling apart at the sight of his brother suffering. He takes in a deep breath as he closes his eyes. Just as he was about to snap the whip, Thorin opens his hand and drops it. His heart unable to continue.

"What are you doing?" Lindir exclaims as Thorin drops the whip.

"He's suffered enough" Thorin replies, with his gaze at Nori, Ori and Dori. "He can't even stand!"

Ori wraps his arms around his brother from the side, careful of his back as he gently places his arms across him. He rests his head on Nori's shoulder as he continues so let the tears flow from his red eyes. Nori hangs his head low as he continues to take in small breaths as sweat drips from his nose, his legs still struggling to hold him up as the manacles begin cutting into his wrists from the pull of his weight.

"That is not your decision to make!" Lindir states firmly in response to Thorin's protest. "There is still-"

As Lindir speaks, Elrond holds up his hand, signaling for Lindir to stop talking.

"I think I am going to agree with Master Oakenshield" Elrond states, taking the dwarfs side rather than his own advisor. His eyes locking on Nori who just let his lower body hang as the manacles held him up. His brothers, especially Ori, the youngest one taking an emotional toll from this whole experience. His respect for Thorin having grown stronger as he had chosen to stand up to Elrond rather than force himself to continue. "I think it is safe to assume that Master Nori here has learned his lesson?"

Nori slowly nods his head as he hangs there, tilting his head slightly as he leans it against Ori. His body aching all over as his back continues to sting and burn from the whip. The world around him slightly spinning as he was starting to feel as though he was going to be sick.

Thorin takes in a deep breath as he drops to his knees, his stomach feeling sick for what he had done to Nori. His own body trembling as he watches the two elf guards uncuff Nori, releasing him the the pillar. His body immediately dropping as they catch him and pull him up to his feet. They drag Nori off of the balcony, Ori and Dori both following them as they remove Nori. Oin immediately jumping from his seat, wanting to keep close to Nori. Despite the fact that the Elves were known to have great healers, he didn't trust they'd take good care of him. No.

"Nori is a strong and stubborn Dwarf" Balin says as he places a comforting hand on Thorin's shoulder. "He'll be back on his feet in just a few days."

"It's not Nori I'm worried about" Thorin replies, knowing that Nori could overcome anything. Ori on the other hand, he was young and hadn't quite seen the cruel realities of this world yet. And now, because he didn't fight harder for Nori, Ori had to watch his own kin suffer at the hands of someone who was suppose to be his king.

Chapter Text

Nori lays on his stomach the plush bed provided by the elves. He rests his chin in the crooks of his folded arms that lay under his head as he stares ahead at the wall.

"tssss" his hisses through his teeth as he feels a slight sting through his back. The elven healers doing their thing to patch up the dwarf, while Oin watches them. Noting each and every things they did, ensuring they were actually helping his friend rather than trying to make this whole experience more agonizing for him.

"What is that?" Oin questions as he watches the elf rub some leaves over the wound, causing Nori to let out another hiss as he tries to bare with the pain.

"Athelas" The elf healer says flatly as she continues to do her thing, trying hard to ignore the dwarf that was looking over her shoulder.

"Athelas....?" Oin questioned, holding up his trumpet with an arched brow.

The healer lets out a sigh as she finishes cleaning and stiching the wounds on Nori's back. "Kingsfoil" she finally states as she rolls her eyes. The healer than picks up a roll of bandages from a small table beside her. She pulls out a strip, holding it over Nori's back.

"Wait!" Oin suddenly calls out, stepping in front of the Elf. Oin leans over Nori, eyeing the open lashes and welts across his back. His entire back red and raw but no longer bleeding. He couldn't help but admire the stitch work on the few lacerations that were in need of sutures. Satisfied they had taken good care of Nori, he takes a step back.

"May I continue?" The elf questions with annoyance in her voice at the older dwarf.

"You may" Oin replies as he stands to the side.

She then turns her attention back to Nori as she begins gently placing the bandages across his back, applying only the needed pressure to secure them. She carefully pulls the roll across his back, patting it down as the ointments hold them in place. Once finished, she places a gentle hand on Nori's shoulder. "Bandages will need to be changed every few hours and I recommend resting here for at least a day" she says before finally leaving Nori and Oin alone.

"How you holdin' up?" Oin quietly asks as he looks to Nori who was still just laying there with his chin resting in his arms.

"I'm pretty sure I will live" Nori says with a light smirk as he tries to sit up, only to stop as his back muscles tighten. He lets out a frustrated sigh as he slowly brings his head back down to the pillow.

"Best listen to the elf" Oin says as he pats Nori's shoulder.

"Where's Ori?" Nori questions as he rolls his head to the side, looking to Oin. "He doing ok?"

"Ori was asked to wait outside, you know, to let the healers do their job"

".....so why were you in here?" Nori immediately questions as he half taunts the older dwarf.

"I'm a healer!"

Nori snorts when Oin gets a little defensive. "All I saw was an old dwarf questioning each and everything the elves did" he adds with an even larger smirk.

Oin shoots Nori a small glare before finally just laughing. He was happy to see Nori back in good spirits. At least someone was as everyone else was taking this whole thing a bit too hard.

"Well, if they're finished, Ori can come visit" Nori finally says, knowing that his brother probably wanted to be here.

"Of course" Oin replies with a slight bow to Nori. "I'll go fetch him"

------------------

Nori closes his eyes as he lays on the bed, his back covered in white bandages.

"Nori!" a familiar voice calls out with excitement.

Ori runs into the healers room, practically diving at his older brother. Unable to give Nori a proper hug, Ori wraps his arm around Nori's arm. "I was so worried!"

Nori smiles as Ori holds him. His baby brother has always been a gentle soul. Always wanting to see the best in others. Always looking for the good in this world. He had an innocence that had yet to face the realities of this world. Wars. Famine. Poverty. Hatred. Evil. All things that Ori had never been exposed to while living in the blue mountain. It was a wonder that Ori continued to look up to Nori, despite knowing his history with authorities.

Nori's back was already starting to feel better. The ointments soothing the burning sensation of the scars, making him a little more comfortable. He leans into the hug from his brother with a soft sigh. Nori actually found himself more worried about Ori than anything. He was used to harsh punishments. This was the first time though Ori had been there to see one. "you doing alright?"

Ori pulls back from the hug with a confused look on his face as he tilts his head slightly. "Why wouldn't I be?" He questions. It was his brother who was just stuck across the back twenty times, not him.

"Ori..." Nori stresses as he arches a brow to his brother. "You know I can handle this."

"I know you can, but I still worry!" Ori replies with a faint smile. "I'm allowed to be scared for you!"

What made Ori a little more unique from the other dwarfs was that he wasn't afraid to admit when he was scared. Dori had taught him that. Dori had taught Ori that emotions were not a sign of weakness. Being empathetic to others was not a weakness. Crying especially did no make him any less of a dwarf. They were traits that most dwarves and men considered weak, even Nori at times.

"Ori, may I have a moment?"

While the two brothers talked, Thorin made his way into the room.

Ori turns to face Thorin with a polite smile on his face. "Y-Yeah!" he says as he pulls away from Nori. "I'll go find you a snack or something!" he quickly adds to Nori as he turns to leave.

When Ori looks to him, Thorin turns his gaze away. He glances at the floor, finding himself unable to look at the young dwarf in the eyes. He felt horrible for putting him through such a thing. The whole situation eating away at him with guilt.

"h-how are you doing?" Thorin finally questions, raising his glance to Nori, still with a nervous frown on his face.

Nori considered messing with the dwarf king a little. Making a joke about the agonizing pain he was in, but held his tongue as he could see how much this was hurting Thorin. When he had agreed to this punishment, he never actually considered how it would affect the other dwarves. Ori for seeing his brother go through all this pain. Thorin, for having to inflict the pain.

"I'll be fine" Nori finally replies softly. "And look, I'm not holding any of this against you...I got greedy. I paid the price. Life goes on" Nori quickly states, trying his best to help Thorin get rid of some of his guilt.

"I failed you" Thorin replies with a defeated sigh. It didn't matter if Nori held no grudges, he shouldn't had accepted the offer so hastily. His nephews each protested his decision when he had told the rest of the company. Both of them telling him that he should try and talk Elrond into something lighter. Both of them disappointed that he had gone through with it. And even though he had stopped when he did, they were still disappointed that he had gone that long to begin with. "I should have tried negotiating for a lighter sentence. I didn't even try!"

"You did not fail me" Nori stated firmly, almost yelling back at the dwarf king. "If anything, I failed the company! I was the one who tried stealing precious gems and trinkets! I betrayed the trust of not just the elves but of you and the company! You recruited me and I vowed to help reclaim Erebor and follow your lead. I strayed. I stole. I got what I deserved! These scars on my back? They'll heal. They always do. And you might not think you stood up for me, but you did! You could have kept going but you stood up to Elrond and called it off when you could have submitted to them and finished the task. This not the first time I've gone through something like that and knowing me, it won't be the last! Thorin, I failed you. I failed everyone. And I will continue to do so even after we reclaim Erebor."

Thorin goes silent as Nori raises his voice to him. His eyes locking on Nori's as he speaks with intensity. He knew that Nori had a criminal past but he never once considered Nori a failure. No one in his company was. Why? Because they were the ones who came when he called. It was the other dwarves that failed him.

"You-" Thorin pauses a moment as he takes in every word spoken. It as a much needed lecture from Nori. While it didn't get rid of the guilt he felt inside, it did help bring him back to the reality of the situation. But the more he looked at Nori, the more he saw how strong a dwarf he really was. He played this off like it was just another day, knowing that life will just go on. "You're right" he finally lets out with a light smile.

"I usually am!" Nori replies with a smug grin on his face. "If any of the other dwarfs give you a hard time for what you did, send them to me. I'll set them straight"

Thorin smirks at Nori's cocky attitude. He almost admired how quickly Nori's spirits had raised after everything. "Sure" he replies, even though he had no intention of doing so. What was done was done and nothing could take it back. "Think you'll be ready to leave in two days?"

Nori smirks when Thorin switches the topic back to the quest. "I think I'll be good by tomorrows eve" he states, kind of wanting to leave as soon as he could stand.