'Dragon' Sighting Number Two

Bree, Outside the West-gate(#9091Ranto)

To the east and north lies the village of Bree which is nestled under the western flank of Bree-hill, a grassy mass against the skyline. The East Road crosses by a causeway, but where it pierces the hedge, it is barred by a great gate. The village of Bree itself looks to have about one hundred stone houses of the Big Folk, some above a road carved into the hillside with windows looking west. On the higher slopes, above the houses of the Men, are many hobbit-holes also looking west. On that side, running in more than half a circle from the hill and back to it, there is a deep dike with a thick hedge on the inner side. There is a good assortment of traffic going through the gate: men, hobbits, and sometimes dwarves.

Traffic is starting to slow this time of evening, with many good hobbits within their homes eating a stout dinner (their second of the night no doubt). But here comes a dwarf on a pony toward the gate, not dressed particularly fine but neat enough-- Leris of the Blue Mountains.

The gatekeeper is standing idly by the gate, leaning one shoulder against the posts, and eyeing the passers-by dourly. He nods to one or another of them, says a few words to a stout farmer, and then his eyes are caught by the dwarf. Hopefully, he lifts his eyes to the western horizon, but the sun is still up. "Wanting in?" he asks, entirely unnecessarily. His voice isn't - quite - unfriendly.

[Jasper(#28985)] A young hobbitwoman emerges from inside the city. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath of the fresh air. At the guard's words, she glances up, startled, and her eyes widen at the sight of the dwarf. She doesn't say anything, just watches as the dwarf approaches.

Leris is already looking at the gatekeeper before he speaks, the pony clipping briskly closer. "Yes," the dwarf answers in a deep and smooth voice. "Thank you, master." Already the dwarf's attention turns beyond, as if expecting no trouble.

[Raugsaul(#29253)] The calm evening silence is broke in the same mannor as it has been recently. *woooosh....wooooooosh* flapping wings from an unseen air traveler.

"Any weapons?" the guard persists, straightening and stepping sideways a little, further into the path. The distant sound of giant wings makes him suddenly forget the dwarf, as he looks up nervously. There is nothing there, but... He turns in a circle, staring at the sky.

A minor flicker of annoyance passes across the dwarf's stony face. And then Leris, too, looks up. "What's this?" comes a suspicious question. "That dragon of yours again?"

[Jasper(#28985)] The hobbit, too, looks up toward the sky, but sees nothing. She glances at the dwarf and finally speaks. "If it is a dragon," she says skeptically. "Perhaps it's just the wind in the trees."

Harry's eyes dart from the one to the other - hobbit to dwarf, dwarf to hobbit - "Well, /I/ never said it was a dragon," he says, peevishly. "But I seen the cow drop out of the sky with my very own eyes. All chawed up, too. Near landed on us, it did."

[Raugsaul(#29253)] The mistaken eagle unseen glides upon the winds, but something is diffrent upon his back is a rider an elven messenger from valley to the shores o mithlond. Raugsaul carries a torch a bit of the top pulls away in a gust and it floats to the ground a small orange ball as it hands on the paved road it ignites a small pile of leaves which flame and than burn out quickly.

The dwarf is giving Harry a bit of a dubious look when suddenly fire falls from the sky. Leris jerks away in saddle, making the pony dance sideways. Wide-eyed, the dwarf looks up.

"To arms!" Leris cries. "A dragon will burn this town to a cinder with a breath!"

[Jasper(#28985)] She gives an involuntary scream and jumps back, her eyes wide with fright. "Maybe...it is a dragon," Jasper says slowly, staring at the burnt leaves.

Just as Harry is busily proclaiming his distance from all things dragon-like, the coal falls practically at his feet. He gapes at it comically, speechlessly then lifts his head to stare at Leris. "Ah.. yes. Yes, of course," he says distractedly, taking a step backwards into the town. "To arms!"

"HURRY, lad!" Leris barks at Harry while making a shooing motion. "The old wyrm ate the entire Mountain of dwarves in an hour! Everyone you know could be dead unless you run!" The dwarf's pony is kicked and away they gallop, toward the center of town.

Run. Now /that/ sounds like a reasonable and entirely sensible solution. Harry casts one more wild-eyed glance up at the sky, then turns tail and flees.

Another hobbit, happening along just then, pauses by Jasper and asks curiously, "What's going on then?"

[Jasper(#28985)] The dwarf's words only serve to frighten Jasper even more. She glares at the other hobbit. "A dragon's attacking Bree, that's what's going on!" she exclaims. She backs against the wall as if trying to blend in.

[Raugsaul(#29253)] High above as the evening sets it gets darkder and darker another sound of flapping wings than nothing for sometime but than from high above.. there is more of the strange noises like speech but unintelligible.

         And, amidst all the fleeing and apparent panic, somebody is going against the flow of traffic. Basket over the crook of her arm, flowers and herbs already placed lovingly therein, Megan Tassleberry is confronted with a scene- grown men are running back to town. She is nearly trampelled by a pony. Eyes grow wide, pass quickly over the surrounds, and her lips purse- a frown spreads over the features. Perhaps she is angry at the near-trampling. "Why, what is going on here?!"

"A dragon?" Nob's voice spirals high in astonishment, and he looks up the sky himself. There is nothing there... some sort of strange distant sound, that is mostly blocked out by the stampede below. "Nonsense," the hobbit says stoutly. "Aren't any more dragons." He looks round at Megan and bobs his head. "Well, now," he says to her, almost apologetically, "There's these folks as... well..." he waves a hand, apparently too embarrassed to say what it is that the foolish have believed.

[Jasper(#28985)] Hearing Nob's words, Jasper turns on him, angry. "Don't say that!" she raises her voice, nearly shouting now. "There are dragons, and one of 'em's attacking us!" Pointing at the burned leaves, she adds, "It breathes fire, and it's going to eat us all!"

         Megan tries to take in what's happening... Dragons? She scrunches up her nose in a thoughtful kind of manner. "Hmmm..." She at least doesn't seem to be panicking- casting her gaze skyward as though she too could see through the dark there. She studies the fallen bit of ember, takes a few steps forward and pokes it with the toe of her boot. "Well, you've all got a point... Don't reckon someone could've thrown it from somewhere? Like playin' a practical joke?" Megan doesn't sound like she believes her own explanation, and strains to hear the wingbeats above, wondering...

"Well," Nob says doubtfully. "There is a bit of burned up place, I do see that, but... surely if this 'dragon' were going to eat us all, he'd have stopped to do so? I don't see him anywhere."

[Jasper(#28985)] Jasper pauses at that, considering. "Maybe...he's gone to get his friends?" she suggests, more softly. She looks up, sees nothing. "Maybe he just wanted to scare us." She glances at Meg. "Do you see anything?"

         Megan has placed her basket on the ground now and is standing with hands on hips, looking skyward. She releases a quiet breath, then turns her attention again to the people about. "You have a point, Nob, if he were so hungry or fearful he woulda come down and swooped us up by now, bein' as how we're just standing here defenceless... Not to say it aint a dragon, but if it is, maybe it 'taint a hungry one at least..." Megan looks across to Jasper, a shrug rolling across her shoulders, "Nothin' in particular, can hear wings though...Couldn't tell you too much other than that... And I don't reckon there's enough of us to warrant gettin' a whole troop of other dragons, we aren't that much meat between us 'nless they want to eat all of Bree or somethin'" And she says all this so calmly, looking between Nob and Jasper, and the dark sky above- searching for a shape.

Nob's voice takes on a comforting, reassuring note. "Don't you worry none, Miz Jasper," he says. "As the lady says, there's hardly anything here for a dragon to want." He ignores his own, well-apportioned little frame.

[Jasper(#28985)] Jasper takes a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. "I hope you're right," she says. "Cause this ain't the first time I heard rumors of dragons."

         "Yes, but there's always rumours of somethin', and you think it it were a dragon it woulda made some sort of noise, or, or, blew out some fire or swooped one of us up to eat or somethin'... I don't know, but I do know there aint nothing we can do about it right now even if it is a dragon," Megan neglects to mention 'running', 'hiding' or 'taking shelter', and seems to take a deep breath to steady herself as she does so, "So maybe we just get everyone to be on their guard, 'n hopefully it goes away 'n doesn't bother us again... If it is a dragon. Which it just as likely ain't."

"I'll escort you back to the Pony," Nob says generously. Despite his brave words and, indeed, his beliefs, he glances up at the sky one more time before turning towards the gate, looking at Jasper to see if she is coming. He gives Megan a nod of approval.

[Jasper(#28985)] Jasper glances at the sky one last time before turning to Nob. She smiles, barely, and nods. "I would appreciate that," she says, moving towards the gate, too. She stops, turns to Megan. "You should come, too," she offers. "Whatever it is making those noises, I don't think it's friendly."

         "No, no, I have work to do. I en't afraid anyway. Not all flyin' things are unfriendly." A secret smile passes over her features, hidden as she bends to pick up her basket. "But thankyou, all the same, I should be fine."

Nob escorts Jasper through town, taking his leave of her at the Prancing Pony where he hurries in to oversee the evening festivities.