Taxing the Dwarves

Common Room(#32029RM)

This large and rectangular room serves the purpose of Common Room for the Prancing Pony. Large windows along the western end of the room peek out over the Great East Road which runs outside the Inn. There are long tables with bench seats for the patrons in the centre of the room. Nestled into the wall is a large fireplace with several bundles of wood piled next to it. Overhead, lamps hang down from roof beams, but their light is dim and half-veiled in smoke. The corners of the room are wrapped in shadow.

[Keldean(#23332)] It's twilight in Bree, and the late autumn air is unseasonably warm. People are venturing out for drinks in the taverns and evening walks. And who walks into the Common Room of the Prancing Pony? Why it's Mayor Brenden Ferny. He's recognizable by his mop of brown curls that hang around his face and has an evening shadow on his chin. Before he even searches for a place to sit, the mayor pulls aside a server and orders a pint of beer. ((RE for Nob)

[Jasper(#28985)] Jasper enters the room and goes to sit at the bar, ordering a half-pint. She sips it gratefully, glancing around the room, hoping to see a familiar face.

A couple of dwarves are already here at a table in a darker corner. Leris is brooding over a cup of beer and jabs a finger insistantly into the boards. "I'm telling you, it was a dragon. I've no idea what it would want with this town but we've got to get out of here. We've been here too long!"

[Keldean(#23332)] When the hobbit makes her way into the room, Brenden glances over and graces her with a friendly smile. "Good evening!" The man says cheerfully, moving over to lean against the bar. "How fares one of the small folk tonight?"

[Jasper(#28985)] She looks up suspiciously. "I'm doing quite well," she says. "Aside from nearly being burned to death by a dragon a few days back, that is." She takes another drink of her ale and glances over her shoulder at the dwarves.

[Keldean(#23332)] "Dragon.. All this talk of a dragon! Rest assured that your mayor is taking care of the problem. I have the best minds in Bree investigating into the incident, and there is -nothing- to worry about." Brenden gives her a winning smile and then turns his attention to the dwarves in the corner. He lithely pushes away from the counter and approaches the stout khazad. "Speaking of length of visits.. Good master dwarves, your camp has been sitting outside of our walls for quite some time. How much longer do you intend to grace our home?"

Oskar snorts quietly into his beer. "Dragons," he says scornfully. "Y'know very well there's no more dragons about." His good eye lifts to meet Leris's. "Did y'see it? Yer ownself?"

[Jasper(#28985)] Jasper orders another half-pint, mumbling to herself, "Nothing to worry about! He wasn't there." She glances up again as the mayor goes over to the dwarves' table, but stays at the bar.

[Leris(#30166)] 

"It was night, Oskar, of course I didn't hardly see it," Leris retorts in an exasperated tone. "I heard wings on the night and then a fireball came out of the sky and lit the ground on fire. What do you suppose it was?" The dwarf's hands spread out.

[Keldean(#23332)] Brenden closes the distance to the table of the dwarves and clears his throat, hoping to gain their attention this time. "Hello. I'm Brenden Ferny.. the mayor of Bree." There's a hint of irritation in his voice for having been ignored the first time. "The matter of the dragon.. Who knows better than honorable dwarves of such things?"

"Maybe someone knocked a lamp out of their window," Oskar says stubbornly. "If there was... " He twists his head to stare up at Brendan, his good eye glittering. "Ah. Hello. Mister Mayor."

[Ada(#23113)] Ada stands just inside the door, her white cap with its flounce of lace and the white of her underblouse catching the light and leaving her sharp little face and mouse brown dress in shadow. She searches the room with a frown until her eyes find her brother, the mayor, and the frown deepens as she watches him approach the dwarves.

[Jasper(#28985)] Picking up her mug of ale, Jasper approaches the dwarves and humans. "If it was a lamp, then where'd the wings come from? I heard 'em, too, plain as day," she says, glaring at Oskar and Ferny.

[Leris(#30166)] 

Leris, obviously involved in the discussion with Oskar, has attention suddenly jerked toward Brenden. "Oh, hallo master mayor. Aye, I was there and a dragon certainly flew over Bree. I've no idea why you're all still alive, but there it is."

[Keldean(#23332)] "Certainly flew over.. Certainly.." Brenden speaks quietly, then leans back against a support pillar for the inn, casually crossing his arms. "You and your kin will be here for the winter? Right? I have a proposal."

"Perhaps," Oskar grunts, cautiously. If it's possible to grunt cautiously. His eye slides towards Leris then returns to Brenden. "What proposal might this be?"

Leris meets Oskar's glance but says nothing, looking back to the mayor instead.

[Ada(#23113)] The pawnbroker crosses the room with swift sure steps ignoring other patrons. She heads directly for her brother and taps his shoulder but doesn't speak, crossing her arms and waiting as one of the dwarves speaks to him.

[Jasper(#28985)] Jasper steps back, watching the conversation with mild interest. She signals to a server and orders another half-pint as she empties the mug in her hand.

[Keldean(#23332)] Brenden glances over when his sister taps him on the shoulder, expecting it to be the server that he ordered the pint from earlier. Oh, but no! It's Ada. The winning smile fades from his face as he recognizes Ada, but he looks back to the dwarves as he lowers his voice. "You see.. normally.. I would be forced to tax you for the use of that land as your camp for such an extended period of time. Policies, you know?" He holds his hands up in a shrugging manner as if he has no control over such a thing, "But, if you're willing to do a real investigation into this dragon business.. I would be willing to cover that tax for you and you can stay here in Bree without charge."

Leris answers nothing, but the dark eyes slide thoughtfully toward Oskar again in the silent pause.

[Leris(#30166)->Nob] There is a slight shift of Leris's shoulders. "Taxes? Have you heard of this?" the motions ask. Lips slightly purse, there is a jutting out of the chin. "If we find a the dragon we can always leave. No need to solve their problems for them."

Oskar looks back and moves his shoulders digruntledly. "First I ever heard of 'taxes'," he says slowly. "Hasn't ever bothered nobody to have us here before." A pause. "Fact is, folks seemed glad to have us around. Happy t'do business with the likes of dwarves." His voice hasn't gotten louder it has fallen actually, into a deeper, quiet rumble. "Now if that isn't the case any more, you just say the word, Mister Mayor, and we'll be off, not bothering you folks any more." To punctuate his meaning, he lets a gold coin fall from one large hand. It bounces on the table-top and lands to glimmer in the firelight.

[Ada(#23113)] Despite a real desire to look unruffled and business-like Ada's eyes widen as the coin spins on the table. She sidles up behind her brother and whispers, "What taxes?" She does not say, "You fool," but it might be construed from her tone.

[Keldean(#23332)] Brenden's eyes follow the coin, but his head doesn't move. When it settles his gaze lifts to Oskar again. "If there really is a dragon, who better in our lands to look into it than dwarves? It affects us all. I have heard the stories of Lonely Mountain.. and there is no mountain in Bree." When his sister whispers into his ear he scowls and tries to surrepticiously push her away.

"You folk can look for a dragon as easily as we can." Leris's voice is calm and smooth. The gold catches a light which reflects onto the dwarf's beard. A brief glance for Ada, then back to Brenden. "The shirefolk had no taxes. Perhaps we should take our wares to them for the winter."

Oskar lets out a brief sharp laugh. "Looking for a dragon? Who's crazy enough to go /looking/ for a dragon? If," and he glares up at Brenden and over to Ada and then his eye moves back to Leris, "and I say IF there is a dragon around, only a fool's going to go looking for it." He settles back in his chair, the wood creaking slightly. "Give your thanks it didn't stop and eat you all," he says, "And let well enough be."

[Keldean(#23332)] Brenden's face grows sour, some of his good humor slipping away. "You would travel all the way back to the Shire on winter's doorstep?" Some sense seeps into his thick head and the man purses his lips. "Look, we're happy to have all visitors. I'll see what I can do.. don't worry about it." Then the mayor shoves away from the column and starts walking away, searching for the server that never brought his drink. Ada is left with the dwarves, unless she follows him.

[Ada(#23113)] Two can play that game and as siblings they have had practise at it. She smiles and jabs her brother hard in the rib with stiff fingers as he walks by all the while keeping a pleasant expression for the dwarves. "Folk from that mountain of theirs bring business and trade to Bree," she announces to no one in particular but vaguely nods to the dwarves. "So we were lucky! So you really think it was a dragon, sirs? And /shouldn't/ go looking for it?" She loses a lot of her hard won air of worldly woman of business as she looks at them wide-eyed.

[Leris(#30166)] 

Leris is deeply frowning and shaking head as Brenden walks away. "If the dragon is near enough to be worrying about, stirring it up will do ye no good. I would say the best you could do is hide your riches, what you have, so the dragon can't see 'em."

"Try and look skinny," Oskar adds. The fire flashes in his eye it even brightens (or tries to) the black patch over the other. Has he just made a joke?

[Keldean(#23332)] Brenden twitches when she drives her fingers into his side, but doesn't give Ada the satisfaction of even a scowl. Instead he waves down the server and asks where his beer is, crossing to the other side of the room and away from the conversation.

Leris spends a level moment looking at Oskar, then half-smiles as well. Dark eyes go back to Ada. "'Tis the only reason a dragon would come, is for your treasures. Unless it's particularly hungry."

A curve of a lip beneath all that beard. "Aye," Oskar says. "No need to tempt the poor beastie!" He lifts his mug and takes a long swallow, sighing pleasurably as he sets it down again, and wiping foam from his mouth with the back of one hand.

[Ada(#23113)] "Ugh," she shudders. "Burned up, eaten up and robbed. I thought those were old wives tales."

"Not a bit of it!" Leris insists, finger jabbing at the table. "Many a dwarf has lost his life the very same way! Forbid that it should happen again!"

Oskar nods solemnly, and eyes his mug. To have another or not to have another, is there even a question?

[Ada(#23113)] Ada hugs herself and shudders deliciously at the thought of dragons but her better sense comes to the fore. 

"Well, I will believe it when I see it. Just as long as it is not too close."

Ada eyes the dwarf's tankard and nods her head. "If you'll excuse me, good sirs. I hope you decide to stay. I have the pawnshop in the market if you find your way down there you must stop in and take a look at my treasures. Just as long as you don't bring any dragons with you." She smiles encouragingly - she may have just made a joke as well. "A good night to you both." She bobs a slight curtsey to them.

[

Leris(#30166)] 

Leris gives a polite nod to Ada. "And a good night to you, madam," the dwarf offers in a rumbling, low voice. Leris falls silent afterwards, looking broodingly at the cup of beer again.

Oskar looks up from his absent beer, to give Ada a nod as well. Being crustier and grouchier, and older, he doesn't say anything else - the nod will surely do for all that may need saying.