written for the prompts “diplomacy” and “second age” for day 2 of khazad week. no warnings.
friendship and gift exchange between elves and dwarves, over two ages.
i do not speak khuzdul. all credit is to the dwarrow scholar, and any mistakes are my own.
Nogrod, First Age
When the Elf first arrived in Tumunzahar, Mazarzûna was eager to make a good impression on her - and a good trade deal with her - but three days into the visit, she was still not quite sure what to make of her. The Elf, who introduced herself as Ruindis, arrived at the head of the small delegation from Kallâ-buzrû beside her Lord husband, clad in all red and furs and taller than even many of her Elven companions. And when Lord Curufin helped her down from her horse- an oversized beast which Mazarzûna tried to avoid looking at- Mazarzûna saw that she was clearly pregnant.
That, she had not expected. Khazad women did not leave their halls at all once they were with child- a fact that she remembered well from her own two pregnancies- and though she had already agreed to house Ruindis during the negotiations, she was unsure that her home could safely provide for a bearing woman. And then there was the problem of her daughters.
“I didn’t even know their lot could get pregnant”, whispered Talmûna that night after the welcome feast, “I thought they grew their babies like potatoes in the ground!”
“You’re so stupid”, Kadzûna hissed back, “where were you when Mahal was handing out wisdom, in the toilet?”
“Girls!” Mazarzûna cried, narrowly resisting the urge to tug on her sideburns in frustration. The visit was stressful enough without her daughters’ nonsense.
Three days later, Mazarzûna still felt she knew very little about her guest. Ruindis had travelled in order to trade some of the Mahal-taught gemcraft she had wrought on the other side of the Sea with Mazarzûna’s own renowned goldwork while Lord Curufin her husband shared weaponry with Telchar, but so far she had spoken little and asked to see no works, and Mazarzûna was growing concerned. So on the third day, she resolved to reach out. She sat the Elf down in her kitchen that morning, and began somewhat bluntly.
“Are you quite well, my Lady?”
“Oh, yes”, Ruindis replied, a little startled, “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I’ve been a little out of sorts whilst I’ve been here. It is only…ah, it’s certainly odd to have everyone’s eyes on you as though you are some strange thing!”
Mazarzûna felt embarrassment hit her like a brick to the face. “Lady, I’m sorry! I had no wish to make you feel unwelcome here. Many of us have never seen a woman of your kind before- especially in your condition- but that is no excuse!”, she said, stumbling over her words. Her face flamed- she wondered if she could blame it on the heated stove.
“Ah, don’t apologise. I’m sure we’ll all have to get used to such interactions, rubbing shoulders with each other in this Middle Earth!” Ruindis smiled slowly, “And as for my condition- I think this will be my last adventure for a while. Not much longer until my little boy’ll be here!”
“Really? How much longer do you have?”
“I’m just over the halfway mark, so only five months left now!”, she said, laying a hand over her stomach.
Mazarzûna paused, unsure how to phrase it tactfully. “Five months- Lady, are you sure you know when you and your Lord husband-”
“Yes, five months! It takes us women of the Eldar a full year to grow a child- is it not the same for your people?”
“A year!” Mazarzûna forgot herself completely. “Mahal Almighty- I wouldn’t be you!”
Then her face turned scarlet as she realised what she’d said. To think she’d been worried about her girls- now she’d probably wrecked the negotiations herself, with her big mouth-
Ruindis was grinning. “Isn’t it true that you aren’t allowed to journey at all when you’re carrying? Perhaps I wouldn’t be you!”
Slowly, Mazarzûna started to laugh, and soon Ruindis was laughing with her. “Motherhood, eh! Who’d do it!”
—
The week drew to a close, and Mazarzûna was mightily pleased with herself. She’d managed to offload some very fine pieces of jewellery, and in turn received sapphires and diamonds cut in a way that she had never before seen, and was already considering how to use in her craft. And even better- she’d made a friend. As they’d worked together, she’d come to appreciate Ruindis’ odd sense of humour, and respect her obvious intelligence. Their new-forged friendship had even survived Kadzûna absurdly asking Ruindis if she was a witch. She’d be sorry to see her go.
As Ruindis stood at the gates of Tumunzahar, reunited with her Lord husband, Mazarzûna approached her once more, holding a small box which she knelt down to receive. She opened it to find a gold bangle sized perfectly for a baby’s wrist, engraved with Khuzdul protective runes and embedded with tiny, winking diamonds.
“For your little one”, Mazarzûna said shyly, “may it bring him luck”.
Ruindis clasped the box to her chest and grinned. “A symbol of lasting friendship between our houses!”
—
Second Age, Khazad-Dum
“It’s beautiful indeed”, Narvi mused, turning the baby bracelet over in his hands. “You said it was a gift to you?”
“That’s right!”, his strange new friend Celebrimbor said, “wrought for me as an infant. I always thought I’d pass it along to a child of my own- but I don’t suppose that’ll happen now. I had to show it to you, though, Friend Narvi.”
“You’re right about the Nogrod origin- this is classic Nogrod Firebeard style, though I’ve never seen diamonds incorporated quite like this…ah, so much was lost when Nogrod fell to ruin! Not least the great lore and arts that were wrought by our forebears!”
Celebrimbor nodded. “The friendship of our peoples too was sadly broken, even before Beleriand sank beneath the sea. That, among much else, I would see repaired and reforged, made bright and new again.”
Something rose in Narvi’s chest, and he nodded. “And in that quest, my friend, I am with you”.
