The Price Is Right Sometimes

North Market

This section of Bree comprises Market North, on a street running north-south. To the north is the Great East Road and the well-known Prancing Pony. South are more shops and stores, as the market continues on in that direction. This area is quite noisy from the many traders, vendors, and other folk about. The smell of fine food drifts through the market, attracting more hobbits than Big Folk.

The murky sky is overcast and dreary. The mid afternoon winter air is cold and dry around you.

Contents:

Loudo Silvertongue, the Town Crier(#26804VM)

Tunnelly Pipeweed Wagon

Bree Market - South

This section of Bree is known locally as Market South. There are shops lining both sides of the road, selling a variety of wares and services. Here, at the southern end of Bree\'s Market two roads meet, one from the east and one from the north. The market is rather noisy and filled with activity, as people buy, sell, trade or simply browse the goods available here. Along with the items for sale, different aromas from the foods being sold blend together to add another dimension to the market.

Another break in the gray Janauary skies has brought out the good folk of Bree to buy vituals for the day. Merchants chant their wares with extra energy glad for the sun. Late cabbages, dark green kale, apples wrinkled but sound are piled high in pyramids. The hot pies wrinkle passerbyers noses with pleasure and attract the stray dogs that the pie seller chases away with her apron.

The pawnbroker has even opened her door to air the store and bring in a little of sunshine despite the cold air. Dust dances in the air as she attacks one shelf after another cleaning what looks like years of accumulation of grime.

\"Good day,\" comes a pleasant female voice as Cordelia enters the shop. \"Wonderful weather, isn\'t it?\" She smiles and looks around, the hood of her cloak pushed back off her head and her black hair hanging free.

\"Ah.\" Cordelia purses her lips at Ada\'s change of expression. \"I wanted to speak more about the earrings. And...Muirgheal and I thought you might be of assistance on another matter.\"

Dustcloth in her hand, Ada approaches Cordelia and gives her a searching look under the guise of a smile. \"Decided to sell them then? And what other matter?\"

\"Haven\'t decided anything yet,\" Cordelia shrugs, returning Ada\'s look with a blank stare. \"Obviously you think that I stole them from someone...and that, goodness, the Mayor stole the earrings too? And that I\'m connected to bandits? and ghosts?\"

The pawnbroker gives Cordelia a little smile and a shrug of her shoulders, staring up at her with frank appraisal. \"And I am wrong? Someone just gifted you with something as precious as the earring and now you would like to turn it into cash after having it - for how long?\"

It is the humming that first betrays Hector Appledore of Combe amidst the crowds of busy shoppers this afternoon in the market. He does not look to be in quite his usual mood of excitable eagerness, but he is nevertheless weaving about with a contented little smile on his face until his steps bring him to the open pawnbroker\'s door.

Shifting the worn leather bag over his one shoulder, the old man steps through and blinks in the dimmed light, adjusting a heavy coat worn over all. After a second, he bobs a nod. \"Hullo hullo, how are we this arternoon then, mm? Oh Cordelia my lass, good day to you! Hardly the place I expected to run into you, but well then, here you are after all.\"

Ada breaks off her questions to nod her head in welcome to the newcomer. Taking a step back from Cordelia she glances from one to the other eyebrows raised in look of interest.

\"Yes, actually, you -are- wrong,\" Cordelia smiles to Ada. \"I found one earring in a field last year and didn\'t think to sell it until the mayor turned up with his matching pair. After all, what good is one earring? Can\'t be sold. And...\" her eyes narrow...\"if you are accusing me of tryign to sell stolen goods, then you also accuse the mayor.\"

Cordelia breaks off, turnign at the sound of Hector\'s voice. \"Uncle,\" she beams at him. \"I\'m trying to sell the earring I found. What brings you here?\"

The old man\'s brow wrinkles in interest as he catches Cordelia\'s last few words and he moves farther into the store. He gives an assuring smile and a good-natured shake of his head. \"Sell stolen goods? Oh dear, dear me. In Bree? I should hope not. But I must say I hardly thing someone wouldn\'t notice such a thing in the town, aye I must say.\"

To Cordelia Hector gives a modest little grin and flips open the flap of his bag. \"Well, see, I\'ve this candlestick here, pewter it is. Belongs to Mrs Pickthorn - Delilah Pickthorn, that is - from up the top of Bree Hill. But it\'s missin\' its base, see.\" He holds up the broken candlestick for Ada to observe. \"And I thought, well then, I might as like see if there might be somethin\' worth fixing it with here, afore I took it back to the shop.\"

\"Well, then, perhaps I don\'t accuse but it is suspcious and as your uncle says, that kind of thing doesn\'t happen much in Bree. But robbers we have,\" her merchant\'s smile disappears into a thin lipped frown that transforms her face into sharp angles.

\"So, I have the whole family coming to my doors. Fortunate, I am. let me see what we could repair that candlestick with. Pewter, eh?\" She goes behind the counter and pulls down an undusted box turning away to blow the worst of it off before opening it and squinting at the contents.

\"I\'ve got an old silver foot, a brass one -too big. And this,\" she plunks an ornate pewter foot on the counter next to her. \"So what about the earrings then?\" she asks Cordelia with a conciliatory tone.

\"I\'m not selling stolen goods, Uncle Hector,\" Cordelia protests. \"You don\'t doubt me on that, do you? Not after I just spent months working for the healers because of that...misunderstanding...with the elves?\" She pleads with the man.

\"As for the earrings, I\'d like to sell them to you, Ada. That is, if the Mayor agrees.\"

\"Oh no!\" Hector assures Cordelia, shaking his head. \"Dear me no, I only thought a shame that these terrible expectations follow you.\" And turning to Ada, he adds, \"Why, Cordelia here has lived with my family and I in Combe for fully four months now and we\'ve not had a single problem! Gracious me, tis a terrible shame.\" But the old man quickly breaks off once Ada brings the pewter foot out and he holds his candlestick up to it, hmming to himself. \"Well well, let me see. Tis rather ornate, do you know. But well then, I could file down that bit there and polish this and--aye, I think this should do fine. How much, madam, mm?\"

Ada shrugs noncommittally, \"You both need to agree, one earring does me no good. But I can give you a good price for the two.\"

Dealing is her pleasure or so her smile would seem to say narrowing her eyes in a show of careful thought she says with a nod, \"Why I could give you that for 5 coppers seeing as you are Cordelia\'s uncle.\"

\"Fine, give me your price for both earrings and I\'ll talk to the mayor,\" Cordelia says, sounding a little exasperated at Ada, but sparring a warm smile for her uncle. \"I\'m trying, Uncle--ask Muirgheal, even. She agrees.\" She glances now sharply to Ada again. \"Five coppers! That\'s outrageous!\"

Hector whistles through his teeth at Ada\'s price, nodding at Cordelia. \"Five coppers, my my. I\'ve got to make a profit on repairin\' this, see, otherwise there tain\'t much of a point, see. And I pay five coppers to buy the new foot and charge another two for me work, Mrs Pickthorn, bless her, will sure enough tell me to keep the silly thing! How\'s about two, me lass?\"

To Cordelia he offers a reassuring nod and reaches out to gently pat her arm. \"Never you mind, my dear. I\'m not blamin\' you in the least. Tis Bree, sure enough, and that naggin\' suspicion of outsiders. Tell \'em a hundred times that you\'re family and they\'ll still find reason to blame you for all gone atray. Dear me, tis ridiculous, I say.\"

Ada graces him with a tight smile, \"Ridiculous, you say? Well, I would not want to give you a ridiculous price. What would appear ah, more serious to you, sir?\"

Fixing Cordelia with bland innocence she says, \"I might say the same to you. A 100 coppers seems a serious price for the two.\"

Leaning forward, Cordelia quickly kisses Hector on the cheek--it would seem she has a genuine affection for her uncle. \"Liuni and I are so grateful you took us in,\" she tells him before turning to address Ada. \"As for the earrings, they are rare. Not made in Bree. Not elven made. Not dwarven made. I would think that you could get a fair price--quite a princely sum, in fact, if you sold them to a passing elf. Next time some wander through.\"

\"Two coppers, say I,\" Hector says, rapping his knuckles across the counter with what he must consider a very haggle-savvy expression, but he instead only manages to look rather ridiculous. \"Two coppers, aye. I\'ll be filing parts down anyhow, I don\'t want to be paying five coppers for all that, see.\" He cranes forward a little to get a better look at the pewter foot, completely oblivious to the continuing conversation about the earrimgs.

Satisfaction nearly swells into a smile but that would be bad business. Ada narrows her eyes, \"Ah, you drive a hard bargain but you know a good thing when you see it, eh? I\'ll take your two pennies for friendship\'s sake and seeing as you\'re new to my doors. Want you coming back. Two it is.\"

A frown from Cordelia as Ada accepts that price--she is watching the woman carefully, a look of mistrust on her face. \"I think..\" she says after a moment, \"that the mayorand I will sell our earrings to the orcs. Yes, yes.\"

\"To the who?\" she yelps with laughter. \"One minute it is the orcs and one minute it is the elves. 500 coppers is a price you will hear no where else, my friend, and the orcs will slit your throat for you free in the bargain.\"

\"Orcs! Oh gracious, forego the very thought, if you please,\" Hector sputters, treating the subject like a ghoulish childhood legend. \"Orcs, would you imagine!\" This time he laughs a wheezy laugh before he plunks two copper coins down on the counter. \"Much appreciated, me lass. And aye, don\'t you worry, I\'ll be back, either buyin\' or sellin\', never you fear now.\" He gathers up the pewter foot and tucks it safely into his bag. Then he bobs a nod to Ada and starts to head for the door. \"Cordelia my lass, will you be home for supper tonight? Holly\'s making chicken and cranberry pie, so she says!\"

\"Orcs?\" Cordelia is wide eyed with fear at the thought. \"And have you ever met an orc, Miss Ada? I have..on the road. Along with a troll! I don\'t ever want to meet either kind again. But...the elves will buy the earrings. Mark my words.\"

\"Oh you were meaning elves then maybe. Do you think they would pay for those trinkets or just say they knew the rightful owner and take them?\" the pawnbroker asks with an arch smile.

With a quick practised curtsey Ada smiles Cordelia\'s uncle to the door and then returns to Cordelia. \"Well?\"

\"Chicken and cranberry pie--I\'ll be there,\" Cordelia smiles as Hector leaves. \"Be careful going back to Combe, though--there are bandits about!\" She returns her attention to Ada after he leaves.

\"I will take my chances with the elves. And yes, I meant elves, though the bandits make me think of orcs for some reason. For one thing, though, I know the elves don\'t lie.\" She smiles. \"Good afternoon to you.\"

\"Aye aye, I\'ll be plenty careful. Cheers for now, my dear!\" And with that, Hector is shuffling out of the shop.