"Glug, glug, glug... ah!"
Having finished his work, Beorn drained a large mug of mead with relish, then smiled at Allen. "Allen, I hear you're heading off on another long journey? You don't seem to have rested since we came back from the Lonely Mountain. You're far too busy. You need to look after yourself."
Allen likewise emptied a mug of mead, then shook his head with a smile and said:
"I can't sit idle. Whether it's the Old High Pass or the Mirkwood Road, there are urgent matters to deal with. The sooner they're finished, the better. Still, things should get much easier once I return from the Lonely Mountain this time."
Thinking back over his busy days, Allen said, "This trip to the Lonely Mountain can't be helped either. Thorin is going to become the King of Durin, and as his friend, I have to attend his coronation. I'm planning to take Grim along to see it, though. How are things at home? Can you manage? Do you need me to send a few people over to help look after Marian?"
The nursing classes Jeremus had started recently were proving quite effective. Having those women assist with deliveries might still pose a few problems, but caring for mothers after childbirth and babies barely a month old was well within their abilities.
The main concern was that Beorn's wife, Marian, had only just given birth and was still recovering. If Grim went to the Lonely Mountain with Allen, the burden of caring for his wife and daughter would fall entirely on Beorn.
Beorn also had to attend to the two tasks Allen had entrusted to him, so Allen was a little worried that something might go wrong at home.
Beorn poured himself another full mug of mead, then laughed