Talking of treasure ...

Garden(#31544Rto)

The vibrant greens of spring are visible clearly here in this little garden. New growths are visible everywhere one looks. Little stalks poke up and out of the ground sending out small feelers. The garden is dotted with wildflowers, spring up from the ground, and broadcasting purples, reds and yellows to the world with a wholesome smell that announces summer is not far off.

Obvious exits:

Toby Appledore's Back Door leads to Main Room.

West leads to Stone Houses.

Up leads to South Row.

================================== Bree Time ==================================

Real time: Mon Oct 27 10:24:27 2008

Bree time: Mid Afternoon <17:13:21> on Trewsday of Spring - April 18,1445

Moon Phase: Full Moon

Breelands Weather

The mid afternoon spring air is cool but pleasant around you. A light drizzle trickles from the sky.

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Spring has come to Bree, and with the warming up of the weather many folk's thoughts have turned to the Great Outdoors. Here in the public garden the spring crocuses are already in bloom, covering the ground in a carpet of purple and gold. The green shoots of the daffodils are pushing their way up beneath the budding trees, whilst the snowdrops droop sadly, their season already past. Clearly someone has been working here recently - there is the fresh scent of new-turned earth in the air, and a garden trowel and fork have been set down neatly beside one of the paths, while their owner is off on some errand.

Across the dew-wet grass strolls Torebras Bywater, a satisfied smile on his lips, head held high as he breathes in deeply. The fact that there's a misty drizzle beginning doesn't seem to deter him in the least. Not for him grubbing in the earth, however the hands clasped behind his back are pink and clean.

[Cordelia(#24827)] Would it be to the mayor's dismay that one of his constituents strolls here as well? For here is Cordelia, walking amongst the flowers, light cloak about her for the rain, but her hair unbraided and loose against the fabric of the cloak. "Good day, mayor," she waves, then walks toward him. As if...meaning to speak to him!

[Nob(#16122)] Barefoot in the damp, a young boy is squatting beside a hole in the ground. His hands are grubby, the fingernails caked with mud. If Torebras scorns digging, even with a trowel, Lek scorns the trowel. He is digging his hole bare-handed. But he leans back on his heels and watches the two adults with bright curious eyes.

"Hmm? What?" Torebras' raised head whisks round, his thoughts brought firmly back to earth by Cordelia's hail. "Oh, it's you, Miss Wood. Very fine day, isn't it, despite the rain. The gardens are looking particularly good this year, I do think." He smiles proudly, as though he were somehow responsible - then catches sight of Lek.

Smile turns to frown as he queries, "What are you doing there, boy? Look at your hands!" His brown hobbit-eyes are quite appalled at the sight.

[Cordelia(#24827)] "Mayor...." Cordelia begins rather apprehensively. "You know the supposed ghost that broke the windows at the Pony? Well, Muirgheal and I were...." The girl breaks off, rolling her eyes at Torebras's outburst. "It's only dirt!"

[Nob(#16122)] Lek looks down at his hands, rather bewildered. He turns them over to examine both sides... no snakes suddenly grown from the tops, they're still the right color (Sort of. Under the dirt.)... He is looking back at the Mayor, mouth open, when Cordelia rescues him, and the boy repeats her words. "It's only dirt!"

"What?" Torebras barks out at Cordelia's words, taking his horrified gaze off Lek for a moment. "Who broke the windows at the Pony? Why wasn't /I/ told?" Which, quite possibly, he was.

Lek's repetition recalls him to his former concerns, and he turns his frown back to the youngster. "Only? They're /filthy/! Think of all the hours of scrubbing it will take to get them clean again! What would Mister Nob say if he caught you in the Pony looking like that?"

[Cordelia(#24827)] "I don't know who broke them..folks say it was a ghost! Or at least something cold and odd feeling...but Muirgheal and I..." Cordelia sighs, exasperated as the hobbit's attention is drawn off to the boy again. "Well...you ought to pass a law that noone can be dirty," she says, rolling her eyes again, her tone with a slight touch of sarcasm--easy to miss. "That would keep all those dirty rangers out of town, too, you know. End all sorts of problem.s"

[Nob(#16122)] "I ain't /in/ the Pony!" retorts Lek, disgusted, but his brown eyes have swiveled to Cordelia, fascinated. "Ghosts?" he asks, breathlessly.

Torebras sighs. "Ah, if only it were in my power. But we're a centre of trade - we've got to be open for business. Have to let them in, we do." Pausing in his speech to frown once more at Lek, but this time without words, he prompts Cordelia gently. "Muigheal and I - what were you going to say? She's that Archet woman, isn't she?" His nose wrinkles.

[Cordelia(#24827)] "Yes!" Cordelia answers Lek, eyes wider, "ghosts! and skeletons!" She turns back to Torebras. "Muirgheal ...yes, she is from Archet and married to that ranger, Seeker. We found a body!! I mean a skeleton!"

[Nob(#16122)] The boy is on toes and knees no longer idly resting. "A skeleton!" he says, reverently. Then a torrent of words. "Where'd you find it? What did it look like? Was it a man? Was he ... killt?" The last word is almost whispered.

"Ahem." Torebras coughs delicately at the mention of Seeker, but has no need to say more - Lek takes the questions right out of his mouth. "Do go on," he encourages the woman.

[Cordelia(#24827)] Well, Cordelia just stares right back at the mayor when he gives that little cough, her look brazen, even, her chin just lifting slightly. "In any case, I don't know if it was a he or a she or if he was killed. It was just bones!" she whispers. "I mean...and there were all sorts of old jewelry and things about the bones too. Muirgheal--she didn't want to take any of it. Said a ghost was liekly to come try to claim it. But look..." With that, Cordelia draws out a very old coin.

[Nob(#16122)] Lek is on his feet, crowding up by Cordelia to see. His eyes are very wide, and he reaches out to touch the coin with a forefinger.

[Cordelia(#24827)] The coin is ancient...and dirty.

"Old things?" Torebras frowns, and his hand strays towards his breast pocket. When Cordelia pulls out the coin he trots forward eagerly to inspect it. The sight of Lek's grubby finger seems to put him off touching the coin himself instead he just peers, shaking his head at the boy the meanwhile. "Look how dirty you've made it!" he accuses the lad.

[Cordelia(#24827)] "It's old, mayor," Cordelia explains patiently. "It's dirty all by itself. But there are lots of other things there that aren't dirty. Pretty things. Gold and jewels...You could send the Breeguard out to investigate, I suppose? Or we could ride there...I know how to find it."

[Nob(#16122)] "I did NOT either make it dirty!" Lek glares at the mayor - who he is nearly the same height as - and deliberately touches the coin again. But his anger swiftly subsides as Cordelia mentions more, and a light sparks in his eyes. "There's more?"

"Hmm." Torebras tilts his head to one side, considering. "I really don't want to overburden the Breeguard, you know. Where did you say the place was again?" He pointedly avoids making any mention of the word 'ride'.

At Lek's question he darts a disapproving glance at the lad. "A young fellow like yourself really shouldn't go outside town, you know. It's much too dangerous!"

[Cordelia(#24827)] "Yes, there's more," Cordelia says, eyes gleaming. "It's...well, it's a bit of a ways from here, and I'd be happy to lead the way. If you'd like. But, well, it should be more than just the two of us. Of course, that will mean less for us to..uh..investigate...but it's dangerous!"

[Nob(#16122)] Lek bristles. "I c'n take care of myself!" he declares rashly. And the gleam in his eyes says he will be coming, if he has to sneak along behind to do it.

Torebras' brown eyes narrow a little at Cordelia's words. "You say it was just the two of you that found this tr- ahh, this unfortunate scene of demise?" He doesn't reprimand Lek again, merely does his best at a forbidding frown. It might be a little more effective if he stood a little higher.

[Cordelia(#24827)] "Muirgheal and I," Cordelia answers, not seeming at all concenred by Lek's stubbornness. "I don't think she told her husband where she was going...he'd be angry with her. So, uh, the Rangers don't know either."

"Ahh." There is a glint in Torebras' eye at Cordelia's latest information. "It's not really any of their business, is it?" He falls silent, pondering, then murmurs, "A small group might be best, really. Just a few trustworthy folk ... I'll see who I can think of. You'll let me know a suitable time, Miss Wood?" He hardly waits for an answer to that before rattling on. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to keep." Or a 'trustworthy soul' to tell, perhaps? He looks quite eager to be gone. "Good day Miss Wood, young master." He gives Cordelia a dazzling smile and Lek a tight-lipped nod, then turns from the pair to make his way out of the garden.

[Cordelia(#24827)] "Of course, Mayor," Cordelia answers, looking quite sweet and innocent as she returns his smile. "I'll send word and arrange for ..erm...transportation there." She adeptely avoids the use of the word "horse." "Good day to you, too."

[Nob(#16122)] The boy seems quite as eager to be gone as Torebras does he grins widely at Cordelia and skedaddles - the opposite direction from the mayor. There are things to be done! Supplies to gather!