Title: Masakkarûn
Fandom: Tolkien
Rating: G
Length: 230
Content notes: N/A
Author notes: Thanks go to Zana & Morgynleri for encouragement & sanity-checking. Title is Khuzdul from the Dwarrow Scholar's excellent dictionary, meaning 'He who continues to score'. A ficlet for the second day of Khazad November.
Summary: Gimli keeps score


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It started as a game: count the foes dispatched, and compare the numbers after. As the veriest pebble, Gimli had pestered the not so much older Fíli and Kíli until they let him play too, and their part of Ered Luin had rung with laughter and cheerful argument in their long mock war. A little older, given proper weapons-training and duties suited to their youth and growing skill, the three of them had kept score in greater earnest, counting still the rats and rabbits, squirrels and fish that they brought to table or vanquished in storerooms, but added wolves, wargs, orcs and other evil things to their tallies.

When Gimli was left behind, not yet of age to sign the kind of contract Balin had drawn up for the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, venturing to re-take Erebor, he had kept his count, though quite certain that Fíli and Kíli would be hopelessly ahead of him, what with half a world to travel there and back. In the end, Gimli never knew what their final score was, fallen in battle, though he hoped it was fearsome indeed.

Setting forth with the Fellowship (no contract, nothing but ones own will and honor to hold one to the task, and Gimli more than old enough) he began his count again, in their memory. That Legolas soon joined him in the game only made it better.