"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"And what are you hoping to gain from this venture?"

Should she just say it or should she stop and think of something else to say nah she's gonna say it.

"A very tall girlfriend?" Whoops now she's blushing.

Grin!!!

"There's a lot of traits I'd look for in a longer term relationship beyond 'cute' and 'bold' and 'funny'... But you're certainly making an excellent first impression."

Wigglewiggle. "I have lots of hidden depths."

"I'd be interested in delving them."

"You must have a lot of experience with that kind of thing. Delving."

"In every life."

"What do you delve after? When it's not a person, I mean. Like, gold and such? Gems?"

"My people do to sustain ourselves and celebrate our heritage, and I'm skilled at it - but the greatest treasure often is the deepest knowledge."

"So there's, like, books buried underground?"

She laughs. "No. But there's things to see - and observations to make, and lines to be followed. A more hands on kind of learning."

"What kinda things? -And what did you mean by 'sustain yourselves'? Do you eat gold?"

"Not directly - but being near magic, as is found in all parts of Creation but more concentrated in some - gives us strength and vigor."

"Mostly, though, we trade."

"With who?"

"Men and other dwarves, mostly - though I'm hoping to expand opportunities..."

"Like hobbits?"

"Like Hobbits."

Eeeee that's her!

"It might be tough, we live kinda far away from here."

"We've stretched our trade routes from one end of the world to another, once upon a time."

"Shouldn't be a problem then," she giggles. "You eat, like, food though, right? That's probably most of what we have to trade, hobbits are good at cooking. And brewing. And baking. And some crafty stuff, our clothes are better than what I saw on most of the Big Folk."

"Yes. We eat food, and especially enjoy food cooked by a master of the craft."

"Maybe I could make something for you sometime."

"I look forward to it."

"And, you know, crafting things for each other is a major part of traditional dwarven courtship..."

"I'll have to keep that in mind."