T.A., 2941, April 25th - Hobbiton


"Bofur, your bony elbow is digging into my back," Bombur grumbles, shifting away from his elder brother.

The mattress shifts slightly as Bofur rolls over. "You're no dream to share a bed with either, khâzash," Bofur says adjusting the pillow under his head. His always present hat lays on the floor next to the bed.

"You could sleep on the floor," Bombur says before pulling a partial roll of bread out of his bag that hangs on the corner post of the bread.

"There's no room down here either!" Kíli protests loudly from the floor where he is bundled down next to Fíli. They had flipped for who would get the bed, and the boys had lost. Their consolation prize was the extra pillows from the bed.

"You're taking up the entire floor," Fíli says, his words emphasized by the sound of a kick to the shin, when is accompanied by a grunt from Kíli and shuffling around in the dark room. "Budge over," Fíli says, pulling the blanket away from his brother.

"There's not enough room in this bed for two people," Bombur counters.

"Blame the hobbit. I have no idea why they have such small beds. You can ask him tomorrow. Gandalf said that this hobbit was well to do, I thought he'd have more than three bedrooms," Bofur pauses waiting for Bombur's reply, and when it does not come - "Are you eating?" he asks incredulously.

"It's been over two hours since dinner!"

"You're going to get bread crumbs in the bed," Bofur whines. "Those itch when they get stuck to my skin while I'm sleeping."

"I'm hungry," Bombur states simply.

Bofur proceeds to grumble under his breath, shifting his weight violently to disrupt Bombur's contented munching.

"Bofur," Bombur says threatening.

"What?" Bofur grumbles.

Bombur shifts his weight suddenly knocking Bofur out of the bed and onto the floor where he lands on top of Kíli who squawks indignantly.

"What did you do that for?" Bofur half-shouts.

"You were grumbling," Bombur says matter of factly.

"I wasn't saying anything! I was trying to sleep!" Bofur says, standing up and stomping his feet unnecessarily loudly in the process.

"You were physically grumbling." Bombur shifts to take up the space on the bed that Bofur had abruptly and unexpectedly vacated. This left Bofur with no option but the floor.

"Move over and let me lay back down," Bofur demands shoving at his brother trying to movie him.

"Nope," Bombur says happily. "Now you won't have to worry about the bread crumbs."

The round door into the small bedroom that the four dwarves are sharing bursts open and they are confronted by a very angry looking Dwalin whose face looks all the more menacing in the light of the candle that he is holding. "Will you all shut up in here?" Dwalin growls. "We can hear your bickering at the other end of the hall. No one is going to be up at the break of day if they're kept up all night by your incessant whining."

Kíli frowns. "Bombur pushed Bofur off the bed and onto me. It hurt," he explains petulantly.

"I don't care." Dwalin's voice rumbles deep in his chest, interrupting Bofur who was about to protest and explain the position that he was in. "Sleep. Now. All of you. If I have to come back down here you four will be sleeping outside on the stoop and someone else will get that feather bed." With that, Dwalin slams the door and stalks off down the hall.

The four dwarves listen to Dwalin's footsteps receding down the hall until they hear another door slam. After a few moments of silence pass, Bofur turns to Bombur. "At least give me a blanket and my pillow if you're going to make me sleep on the floor with the dwarflings," he says with an insistent tug on a blanket that is trapped underneath Bombur.

"I'm not a dwarfling!" Kíli protests loudly, but the last word ends in a muffled grunt.

"Will you just shut up, Kí? If you can't be quiet, I'LL make you sleep out on the hobbit's stoop," Fíli says from his position sitting on Kíli's chest, his hand clasped tightly over Kíli's mouth.

Bombur concedes and lets Bofur have one of the blankets and a pillow. Bofur grumbles under his breath as he lays down and adjusts himself into the most comfortable position that he can manage next to Fíli.

Bombur's snores soon fill the room. Heavy, even breathing fills the room as one by one they all drift off to sleep.

"I'm not a dwarfling," Kíli mutters quietly.

"I know, Kí, but please go to sleep," Fíli mumbles sleepily.

Bofur's response is less polite.

A small clattering noise follows as something falls to the floor. "I've got bread crumbs in my blanket," Kíli whines, much to Bofur's amusement.