Chapter 2: Balin and Dwalin

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, brother?" Dwalin asked pointedly.

"And what exactly do you mean by that, brother?" Balin asked just as pointedly.

The two of them were walking at the head of the long line of dwarfs, plus one hobbit, that made up Thorin's company as they led them through the wilds between Rivendell and the high pass through the Misty Mountains.

"What I mean," said the younger of the two brothers, "is that you seem to be going the wrong way."

Balin gazed across the landscape before them, the rolling hillsides, the lines of trees, the snow covered mountains looming above. "Ah, well. There you must be mistaken for I know exactly where I'm going."

Dwalin shook his head. "If you knew where you were going, you'd know that we are heading too far north."

"And if you knew this area as well as I do, you'd know that we have to travel this far north to avoid a large ravine that lies directly in our path."

"As a matter of fact, I do know this area just as well as you."

"Is that so? Yet, you seem to have forgotten that I am the one with the brains in this family."

"You certainly did not get the looks," said Dwalin.

"Nor you," retorted Balin.

Dwalin scowled. "That does not change the fact I know the wilds as well as you, perhaps better."

"Aye, but it was Thorin himself who put me in charge of finding our way."

"And I would not dare question his decision, but mayhaps he hasn't been made aware of the recent frailty of your memory. As I recall that ravine you mentioned lies further south."

"In your mind maybe."

Dwalin pointed to a dried creek bed just visible in the distance. "We should head along the south side of the Dead Stream past the Many-Limbed Yew Tree, turn north east when we get to the boulder shaped like Durin's toe, and then head towards the Double-Peaked Mountain."

It was Balin's turn to shake his head. "My memory is obviously a lot sharper than yours. If we go that way, we'll have to make a wide circle around Long Lake."

"Would you rather travel through the Tangled Forest? That way would take us twice as long."

"Which is why I'm taking us up north, passed the Apple Woods, under the Long Drop Waterfall, and onto the rocky plains, and then we'll head for the Double-Peaked Mountain."

Dwalin snorted. "You clearly spent too much time tasting that elvish wine. If we go further north our way will be blocked by a cliff that is impossible to climb."

Balin frowned. "Which cliff? The sandy one just before the twist in the Loudwater River?"

"No, the one made of large boulders just before the rocky plains."

"Your mind must be becoming addled in your old age. That cliff is nowhere near us. We'd have to travel much further north to reach it."

"We are that far north. We have already passed the hill where we fought the battle of the one hundred and eleven orcs."

"Nonsense. That hill is over there," said Balin pointing northward.

Shading his eyes, Dwalin attempted to follow the pointing finger. "Where?"

"There," Balin exclaimed waving the finger emphatically. "The large hill with the rocky top and the tall trees around its base."

"Your eyesight is clearly going along with your mind. That's the wrong hill. It's that one back there." Dwalin pointed to a similar hill south of them.

"Are you sure?" said Balin with a frown.

"I had to carry your sorry hide up that hill. It's not a place I'm likely to forget."

"You had to carry him up that hill?" spoke another voice. "Why's that?"

Both Balin and Dwalin stopped. Turning around, they found an inquisitive looking hobbit had been listening in to their conversation.

"Sorry," said Bilbo blushing slightly. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. It's just you were talking very loudly, and frankly, there's not much to do out here and I was getting bored just staring at the scenery so… Why did you have to carry Balin up that hill?"

The brothers gazed at each other for a moment and came to a silent consensus.

"Have you ever heard of the battle of the one hundred and eleven orcs?" Dwalin asked throwing an arm over Bilbo's shoulder as they began walking once more.

Bilbo shook his head.

"It's a famous battle amongst our people," explained Balin. "Both us took part in it."

"There were only ten of us against one hundred and eleven orcs," said Dwalin.

Frowning, Bilbo said, "Exactly one hundred and eleven?"

The brothers nodded.

"You're sure?"

"Of course," Dwalin said. "We counted the bodies afterwards."

"You counted…" Bilbo cleared his throat. "Nevermind. Please, continue."

"We were a scouting party," continued Balin. "Sent over the Misty Mountains to clear the way for the rest of our people, one of many journeys that were taken before we found our new home in the Blue Mountains."

"We encountered a few orcs while in the Misty Mountains but we dispatched them easily enough," said Dwalin.

"Aye," agreed Balin. "But what we didn't know was some of those orcs were scouts from a larger pack. Some of them must have gotten away and alerted the rest."

"They ambushed us just over there," Dwalin said pointing to a small clearing.

"Really?" questioned Balin. "I thought it was over there." He pointed to another clearing somewhat further north.

Dwalin waved a hand. "It matters not. What matters was that we were outnumbered. We knew we needed to find some sort of advantage or we would lose the battle."

"Which is why we sought higher ground," Balin said, and then sighed. "Unfortunately, I received a bad wound to my leg before we could reach it."

Dwalin slapped his brother on the back. "He received it valiantly defending one of our brethren."

Smiling, Balin shrugged modestly. "I could barely walk on the leg let alone run up a hill so I told the others to leave me behind, but Dwalin would have none of that."

"Aye. T'would have been a noble sacrifice, but I had no intention of leaving my brother behind."

"He slung me over his shoulder and carried me all the way up the hill fighting back orcs as he did so. I have rarely seen such a heroic deed."

"You would have done the same for me," said Dwalin clasping his brother's forearm.

Balin wrapped both hands around Dwalin's. "That I would."

"So, you reached the top of the hill and fought off all one hundred and eleven orcs," Bilbo said prompting them to continue.

"Aye," said Balin letting go of his brother's arm. "We stood back to back and took down all who came near."

"The battle raged for hours," said Dwalin. "But in the end they were all dead, all one hundred and eleven, and we survived."

"Wow," said Bilbo. "That was some feat."

Balin shrugged. "We've been through worse battles."

Dwalin nodded, his eyes distant. "That we have."

Bilbo pointed to the hill to the north of them. "And it took place on that hill over there."

"No. No. That hill over there," Dwalin corrected pointing to the hill to the south.

"Actually," said Balin. "I believe I was right the first time. Look at the rocks on the top of that one." He gestured to the southern hill. "They're completely the wrong shape. They should be much flatter."

"Your head's the wrong shape."

"Have you looked in a mirror, brother? I'm not the one with the oddly shaped head."

"And I am not the one with the bad eyesight, brother. That is clearly the right hill."

"'Tis not!"

"'Tis to!"

The hobbit fell back leaving the two elder dwarfs to bicker in peace as they continued to lead the way through the wilds.

A.N.: Next Chapter: Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur