Impatient dwarves

                              Breelands Weather                              
The mid morning summer air is very hot and dry around you. The day sky is cloud-filled and gloomy.

Infirmary
The Infirmary is an area of clean floorboards and white walls. Not a speck of dust or dirt can be found here. Three beds are available for patient's use, each one with a small trunk at its foot for the patient's personal items and a place where a medical chart can be hung. Between the three beds, two curtains have been hung on poles creating a sense of privacy for each invalid, yet allowing the healer's an easy view in. A cabinet with bottles, pouches and scrolls can be seen toward the back of the room. A small chair rests beside it. A set of wooden shelves holds a wash basin, towels and extra blankets. The single window in the infirmary looks out over the front rose garden.
Contents:
Zhi
Ovor
Obvious exits:
Curtain to Main Room


[Ovor(#20753)]      It is the middle of the morning, and already the air is hot and dry. The sky is overcast and dreary, taunting those below in Bree with the possible relief of rain that has yet to come. For some, the heat may make tempers better. For others, however, the heat does little to help.

    In the Infirmary of the healing house in Bree, there is such a person -- well, Dwarf. Standing next to the window, left shoulder bound and wrapped, is the Thane Ovor, grumbling into his beard. Bits of leather are scattered about, looking as if the Thane had been trying to get some work done, though the end result is not seen. No, the Thane seems quite content to grumble about how unpolished his Huskarls have kept their kit.

[Frarin] This morning Frarin is awake, though by no means active. His dark gaze holds still a touch of grogginess, but otherwise he appears to have been awake for some time. Indeed, he has been propped up very slightly to allow him to survey the cramped infirmary, but his leg remains held in its sling and his bandaged left side and arm look to have moved very little.

Currently the silver merchant converses with a young healer, who quietly tends to the bandage at his shoulder. She gently wets the bandage and begins to peal it away in layers so as to refrain from causing pain by pulling at the dried blood surrounding the dwarf's shoulder wound. Frarin does not look at her, but he is quietly speaking and those who pause to listen might hear him muttering, "I don't need anymore, understand? No more of this drowsy business. I won't fight you and your people to leave here, but I don't like always drifting off, hear?"

[Zhi(#32256)] "Don't mind 'im too much, lass.." Zhi stands near the curtain that partitions this room from another. She smiles at the young healer tending Frarin. "Dwarves are known for their stubbornness, aye cousin?" she smiles good naturedly, still just very pleased to see them awake. Dark eyes flicker toward the one standing near the window. "And you, how's the arm? Oi! The mess ye've made here.." she wanders slowly over, looking at the bits of leather with a tsk.

[Ovor(#20753)]      The Thane grunts, eyes briefly flickering to the bits of leather lying about. "It will be tended to." A few moments pause before he speaks again. "As to the arm... it heals too slowly for my liking." His eyes then flick to Frarin and the healer, a brief grunt of amusement coming from him. "Tired of sleeping the days away then, Frarin?"

Zhi makes a sound and crosses her arms in front of her. "Ye just make sure that it is.. Dont need these young women cleanin up after ye AND seein' to your bandages." She gives another small wink to the young healer as she peers at Zhi with wide eyes. She starts to smile but quickly looks back to her duty. Zhi returns the gaze to Ovor, "Come then.. have a seat and let me have a look at yer arm. See if I can do anythin t'help." she pats a hand once, hard, against the cot before pushing up her sleeves.

[Ovor(#20753)]      The Thane grunts and mumbles something into his beard before nodding slightly. Stepping away from the window, he sits on the cot before a hand fumbles around the pouches on his belt. With a slight chuckle, he pulls a copper-banded steel flask from one of them. Removing the stop, he takes a swig of the contents before putting the flask back. "Ah... I knew I had that around somewhere..." The words are quietly murmured.

Zhi ignores the action with the flask.. and goes to work on the bandage. "How long's it been since its been changed? Looks like its near new, 'cept for this worn place near th'elbow." she squints her eyes at him. "What've you been tryin t'do with your arm up like this? Climb out th'window when nbody's lookin?"

[Ovor(#20753)]      The Thane shrugs slightly, glancing to the bandage for a few moments. "Recently, though I do not recall when." A few moments of silence, save a snort, before he speaks again. "Hardly. I would dare say that they would notice if a Dwarf went missing: and it is hard to miss when one of us tries to climb through a window."

Zhi grins crookedly. The bandage at his arm comes off and she looks over the wound. The human healers were good, and she is grateful for the assistance. His skin is already bedeckled with a myriad of bruising colors.. with only the promise of looking much worse as the days pass. Zhi falls silent as she putters around the human healing room, looking for items of interest that may be of some help.

[Frarin] Frarin glances up as Zhi enters the room and then as Ovor addresses him with some small amusement, but the silver merchant does not reply right away, for the young healer is soon pealing away the last layer of the shoulder bandage. She frowns as she does so, eyes quickly running over the black and blue shoulder and the gash there created by the sheer force of a descending blow. Muttering only loud enough for the bedridden dwarf to hear, she is soon cut off by Frarin. In a steady, measured voice he says, "No I do not. I know very well what it looks like and I am being sensible enough. And I would be more sensible if I were not being fed a cocktail of medicine to boot."

Still grumbling, Frarin turns away from the unfortunate lass, who with wide eyes begins changing the old bandage for a new one. "You might still try," says the silver merchant, catching Ovor's last comment. "Then at least you might enjoy a pint at the Pony rather than herbs and tea. Right you are that I have no wish to sleep the day away. I do not begrudge my prescription of sleep, but when I am awake, I desire a clear head."

[Ovor(#20753)]      A snort of amusement from the Thane as he turns slightly to look at Frarin. "Once I find a manling brew that is worth it, I may do just that." A one-shoulder shrug from Ovor before he nods. "Ay, indeed. Sleep is good when it is time or needed: I would be suspicious of he who would waste the day away in a stupour induced by herbs."

[Frarin] "Ah but you give the Pony not enough credit," Frarin replies with a small smile, though it shifts to a short grimace as the young healer goes about applying her bandage. "The ale there is fine indeed. It is no dwarf brew, but a welcome draught nonetheless." At the Thane's comment about herbs and stupours, Frarin nods gently and drops his gaze thoughtfully. "Aye, my mind is your own, my lord. I am not so restless to be gone from here as before now that need is not so pressing, but these last few days have been all a fog, with dreams becoming memories and memories becoming dreams."

The silver merchant's unharmed right arm is lifted and gestures towards Ovor. "How do you fare this day, Thane? You look better than myself certainly."

[Ovor(#20753)]      A quiet laugh from the Thane. "Not Dwarf brew certainly. I will admit, they do have some brews that seem promising, but..." Another one armed shrug from Zinbar. "I, however, am restless to be away... I want to feel the Mountain under my feet again. Though, this trip did have some profit to it."

    A momentary pause. "Well enough. As long as my shoulder is healing, I am well."

[Frarin] The silver merchant nods to Ovor's words and his face grows dark, thoughtful. "I have been restless for the better part of two months," he says. "But now I think I have been so restless for so long that I am too weary to continue it for the time." And indeed, although Frarin's eyes are clear, the lines are deep about his them and about his mouth. A summer of supposed imminent demise and several months of near immobility seem to have taken their toll of him.

"Even my traveller's heart longs for our mountain halls, but it will be some time before all are made ready to travel. Myself and Thari especially." He motions towards the cot to the right of his, where Thari sleeps with her left leg likewise held in a sling, indicating a broken hip. "Too many years we have been gone now, but I fear we may yet be forced to spend another winter abroad. It would be risky indeed to brave the High Pass by the time all is made ready.”

[Ovor(#20753)]      The Thane nods, sighing quietly. "You may be right. But at the least if we make it to that valley before winter sets, I shall be happy. For there we are in mountains, and that is better than open expanse and grass lands, hm?" Another momentary pause. "And, of course, trading could be done over that winter, so it would not be a complete loss."

[Frarin] Frarin frowns as the young healer continues rewrapping his shoulder, gingerly lifting his useless left arm to bring the strips of cloth around. The silver merchant's jaw tightens at each movement of the broken arm and he squints, but he makes an effort to remain focused on his conversation with Ovor.

"Perhaps so," he says, voice rumbling low. "I would not mind a winter at Bree, though. Truly I think it a good town if one has no need to rouse it to action," and here the healer purses her lips, though she says nothing. "My last visit to Bree was some thirty years hence, but I have fond memories of it. The people here are generous, if poor. There is not much business in silver, but your leather might find a very good market. And besides that, there is yet the repair of the Last Bridge to be considered if we are to return east."

[Ovor(#20753)]      "As you said yourself, these people are poor, Frarin." Rumbles the Thane, glancing to his shoulder as something is smeared on it and wrapped. "What could they offer in return for the leather wares I might make? In either case, during the winter I would work on building up a respectable stock of goods once more. That strange manling, that... Rhifaroth, I think, gave me a good supply of leather and skins to work with in payment."

[Frarin] "Indeed?" Frarin muses as Ovor mentions the man from the south. He frowns again and his gaze darkens slightly, but that may be a function of the persistant young healer tying off the bandage at Frarin shoulder. She gives the dwarf a stern glance before rising and sweeping out of the room. "I will not dictate your business, lord," he continues, with a fleeting look after the healer. "Though I think still that leather might find a good market here. Metals and gems are too rare for most here to afford, but they are not so poor to purchase nothing."

Frarin gives a shallow sigh and allows his gaze to drift to the single window that allows light into the infirmary, where beyond can be seen the Healing House's rose garden. "And I would not be averse to a visit to the Shire. No pipeweed trader am I, but to bring back several barrels of Old Toby, now there would be a worthy venture. Ah, I have had no moment to enjoy my pipe for some time now, and foresee a longer wait still."

[Ovor(#20753)]      "It may be profitable, but I for one would not like to delay our trip longer than we have to. You may see, however, what the local vendors here in the township have. Or even see if you can catch a trader that passes through the Shire." The Thane falls silent as one of his Huskarls enters, bearing a wrapped bundle. After the Thane takes the bundle, the Huskarl makes his way back out.

    After a moment, the Thane stands, his shoulder firmly wrapped now, and brings himself next to Frarin's cot. The bundle is held out, then. "This would be for you, Frarin. I needed something to keep myself busy." A slight shrug of his good arm.

[Frarin] Again Frarin nods to the Thane, but his solemn expression is exchanged for one of mild surprise. His brows rise and the frown deepens, but he does not decline Ovor's offering. Out reaches his good right arm and it gently takes the bundle and places it across his lap. "I thank you, my lord," Frarin rumbles, nodding. "But what, pray, have I done to deserve the gift of a Thane?" He looks to Ovor with a steady, respectful gaze, but his right hand slowly begins to undo the bundle, pulling the folds of cloth away to reveal whatever is kept within.

[Ovor(#20753)]      What is kept with-in are two finely made vambraces of heavy leather, carved with runes along the edges, while at the bottom there is carved two small hammers crossed under another rune. A quiet, rumbled chuckle comes from the Thane before he speaks. "A token of friendship between you and I. You have often advised me whilst we have been here, and I do not forget such help."

[Frarin] "I am honoured, lord," Frarin replies, nodding his head where his partially-reclined body will not allow a shallow bow. "It is my nature to speak my mind, but if that has aided you, then I am glad to have done so." His dark eyes travel across the sturdy vambraces, approving. "They are excellent make, Thane, and will doubtless serve me well, if ever I walk again to use them. I thank you again."

At that moment, the young healer appears again in the doorway, pulling back the dividing curtain and bearing a bowl and spoon. The movement causes Frarin to glance towards her and, with a barely perceptible rolling of his eyes, he looks again to Ovor. "My captors return, alas," he manages to mumble before the lass comes again to Frarin's side. She gives a very small curtsy to Ovor, careful to keep the soup from spilling. "I'm sorry, Master Dwarf, but I must steal your friend's attention for a time. I've been told to make sure he sups in full."

[Ovor(#20753)]      The Thane barks a laugh, though he glares at his shoulder afterwards, before nodding. "Hopefully, doing as they say will make it all go by quicker." The Thane bows his head to Frarin before nodding slightly to the young healer. He turns, then, making his way back to the window to resume his watch out of it.

[Frarin] "Now that I do doubt," Frarin mutters. But he stops his irritable complaining and, setting the vambraces at his side, surrenders to the young healer. Soon he is accepting small spoonfuls of some sweet-smelling but ultimately quite weak soup, much to the victorious pleasure of his persistent attendant.