Things of no consequence

Bree Market - South(#24374Rto)

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. Night has fallen and little can be gleaned from the pale light of distant lanterns. A few men scurry about on their business, gone as quickly as they came.

Obvious exits:

Large Wooden Door leads to The Longhole.

Sewing Shoppe leads to Sewing Shoppe.

Alleyway leads to Large Field.

Bakery leads to The Bakery.

East leads to Bree Market - East.

North leads to North Market.

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

Real time: Mon Sep 29 14:28:08 2008

Bree time: Before Dawn <05> on Trewsday of Winter - January 24,1445

Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous Moon

Breelands Weather

The before dawn winter air is cold and dry around you. A light drizzle trickles from the sky. The moon is above the horizon and in its waning gibbous phase.

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[Ada(#23113)]

The streets fill again for a mid-morning rush under the lowering gray skies, the people of Bree are adept at timing their shopping between downpours of icy rain. A cart rattles past splashing mud, behind it at a walking pace, a man pushing a cartshouts,\"Sharp..sharp..sharp...sharpen your knives, sciiiiiiiisors.\"

In the doorway of the pawnshop, Ada stands half out the door as she searches the street for someone. She frowns and tucks an errant curl back into her widow\'s cap and looks the other way.

Bree\'s Mayor, Torebras Bywater, picks his way through the mud, coat-collar turned up and umbrella held primly above his head. As a splash from the cart dampens the hem of his coat he grimaces, sighs and looks for refuge. Perhaps it is merely the hope of shelter that turns him in Ada\'s direction, or perhaps he has a sudden recollection of an unfinished errand ... \"Ah, good morning, good morning, Mistress Fiddlehead!\" he proclaims jovially, just as if he\'d intended a visit all along. He looks hopefully past her into the waiting shop.

[Ada(#23113)]

\"Best get inside quick, here comes a cart at an unmerciful speed for the mud.\" Ada regards the hobbit her eyebrows raised high in speculation, mouth pressed primly shut to keep her smile at bay and opens the door wide to usher him in.

The shop is distinctly warmer than outdoors, a bright little fire burns in the fireplace to the left. Someone has taken a cloth, featherduster and dustpan to the shop because bottles and candlesticks once obscured by grime sparkle in the candles that burn in their sconces.

Why thank you, thank you, my dear!\" Torebras positively beams as he folds his umbrella and then enters the shop, bright hobbit eyes taking in the changes. He heads immediately for the fire. \"Quite inclement weather we\'re having,\" he remarks politely. \"A body can scarcely dare venture out - even if I hadn\'t been laid up of late.\" He shudders at that, though to all appearances he\'s now in the prime of health. Not a word does he say about that errand.

[Ada(#23113)]

She returns his good cheer with a smile and a quick curtsey once he is inside the shop. \"There is an umbrella stand by the door,\" she indicates a upright wide-mouthed jar striped like a melon beside the door.

\"Laid up and sick were you? I hope you are feeling better then, Mayor. Whatever you had, has been making its rounds for certain.\" She pulls two ladderback chairs, one large and one fit for a child, away from the wall and arranges them in front of the fire. \"Here you go, warm yourself and give me your news.\"

Torebras - ever so slowly - blinks. \"That\'s what it is?\" He regards the striped jar dubiously, but after a moment trots across the floor to place his umbrella in it. \"The design is not quite to my taste, I must admit,\" he remarks as he walks eagerly back to the smaller of the chairs, wasting no time in seating himself. \"Ahh, that\'s better.\"

For a moment the Mayor is silent as he warms muddy toes and chill fingers. \"Now, as to news ... I\'m sure there\'s none I can give you that you haven\'t already heard. Fortunately there have been no more of those ... attacks. That gave me quite a turn. Laid up in my sick-bed, unable to do anything about it ... if only I had a reliable deputy.\" He prattles on. Will he never run out of conversation?

[Ada(#23113)]

Ada does not settle herself right away. \"Attacks?\" Ada would not own to knowing about attacks had she arranged them herself or...profited from them. She arranges her face in a look of horror and surprise.

\"You must think the world crosses my door. Tell me about them, if you would.\" She stands next to chair as she speaks, \"Give me a moment and I might mull us some wine in no time or some tea if you prefer?\"

At Ada\'s offer, Torebras hesitates, then eventually murmurs (a little disappointedly), \"I .. ah, I suppose, given the hour, tea might be best.\" Bree\'s sober and upright Mayor. \"And I cannot believe I am the only visitor to your fine establishment!\" He offers a thin smile.

\"As to the attacks - it was a while ago now. Nothing to worry about.\" He tries to look reassuring, though the tremor in his voice defeats his purpose. \"A couple of local hobbits on their way back to Staddle. Quite a dreadful thing to happen.\" He shakes his head.

[Ada(#23113)]

Sighing and shaking her head Ada listens to his recital, \"Well, I hardly feel reassured by that, Mayor. If there have been no more attacks its probably the weather that\'s been keeping them in and no more than that. The guard here are not worth the metal it takes for covering their thick heads,\" she adds with righteous indignation.

\"Excuse me,\" Ada goes to a door at the back of the shop, she can be heard speaking to someone and then returns.

\"Were they hurt?\" she asks solicitously as she settles into her chair.

\"Quite shaken up,\" Torebras answers worriedly. \"A whole sack of grain, those ruffians took! And some personal effects.\" Perhaps it does not occur to him that Ada might know something of that, for his glance does not even flick towards the shelves. Instead he stares toward the fire for a moment. When he looks up, his cheeks are pink. \"I really don\'t think there\'s any need to criticize the Breeguard, though,\" he remarks frostily. \"They\'re really quite excellent fellows - brave, stout-hearted ...\"

[Ada(#23113)] \"Stout-hearted when they have a stout in their hands,\" she raps back at him.

A young girl, dressed as a servant in a simple mob cap and plain gown pushes open the back door and carefully balance a tray into the room. She stops and glances around her when she does not see a table to set the tea things on. Ada narrows her eyes at the girl and silently rises to bring a little round table just big enough to place the tray on. Ducking her head the girl leaves the tray.

Ada lifts the tea cosy off, whisks the saucer covering the milk away and arranges spoons, cups and saucers in short order. Pouring the Mayor his tea, she repeats, \"Only shaken up? My, they were lucky. But the thieves didn\'t get much did they?\"

Torebras coughs into his hand at Ada\'s remark. Fortunately the arrival of the tray distracts him, and he watches in discreet silence as his tea is poured. \"Not so much, no,\" he agrees, though his tone is doubtful. \"But it\'s the /principle/ of the thing. The Breelands are a safe place - or should be.\" Quite what he proposes to do to enforce such safety he does not say.

[Ada(#23113)]

A little smile twists her lips which she hides with her teacup. \"The Breelands are a safe place. Very few leave this world that are not snug in the bosum of their families, is that not right, Mayor? Well, except for that poor dwarf, I heard rumor of.\"

\"Hmm?\" Torebras sips carefully from his own cup. \"Oh, that. Some internal feud of theirs, I\'ve no doubt. That\'s the trouble with Outsiders - they bring their less savoury practices with them.\" He grimaces, sips again.

\"Of course, there will have to be a Beating of the Bounds come spring.\" He seems to like that idea, for he sits up in his chair and goes on more boldly, \"And we\'re asking all upstanding citizens to be vigilant. Such as yourself, Mistress Fiddlehead. Tell me, do you travel outside town much?\"

[Ada(#23113)]

\"Nay, not often. Why I haven\'t been out of town this past six months! But were I to go out, I would go out with a small party of folk to protect myself. My brother, for example.\"

She lays down her cup and regards the Mayor with a studied look of innocence, just the right amount of sorrow shadowing her face, \" A widow must wait for the world to come to her door. As I have waited for you, Mayor.\"

\"Quite, quite,\" Torebras murmurs in response to those first words. \"Very sensible.\" He takes another drink of tea.

Ada\'s doleful words seem to reach him, however, for he starts (fortunately he doesn\'t spill any of the tea). \"Oh, my dear!\" he exclaims. \"I do apologize. But my recent ill-health ... and Mayoral duties, you know how things are.\" He does have the grace to look just a fraction embarrassed. Then he adds, casually, \"Were you interested in those earrings after all? I had thought perhaps the Dwarves ...\"

[Ada(#23113)]

Ada successfully suppresses a smile and shakes her head negatively, \"What would I have to do with dwarves? Oh, the earrings? You mean you have not sold them yet?\"

In the Marketplace the mid-morning rush is beginning to abate - aided no doubt by the icy drizzle that has picked up again and drums now against the roof of Ada\'s establishment. Within the shop all is warm and cosy, with two chairs drawn up to the fireplace.

Torebras sips delicately at his tea as he listens to Ada, then shakes his head. \"As I said, I have been in poor health, and what with one thing and another ...\" He lets the words trail off, pressing matters no further.

[Cordelia(#24827)] The shop door is pulled open carefully, Cordelia entering with a polite smile on her face. \"Oh mayor! The folk in the market told me I could find you here! Ada,\" she then smiles, continuing.

Brenden pushes the door open not far behind Cordelia, a man in his twenties with thick brown curls that are wet from the freezing rain outside, red cheeks behind his unshaven stubble of several days, and brown eyes that pay little regard to the room of the shop as he pulls off his coat. The door is shoved with the heel of one boot to slam closed once more and he shakes his head much as a dog might to send drops of cold water spraying all over the place with no regard at all for what may get hit.

[Ada(#23113)] Ada shrugs and lets silence fall between them. She rises and takes a poker out to arrange the fire.

\"Well, well, Cordelia! How good of you to come see us. Please come join us.

\"Turning back to the hobbit she asks with a penetrating stare, \"Did not Cordelia tell you about my offer?\" She places the poker back into its stand and gestures to the chair for Cordelia.

Torebras springs up at the entrance of the new arrivals. \"Good morning, Miss Wood,\" he greets Cordelia politely. \"Allow-\" he begins, gesturing to his own chair, only to fall silent as Ada draws up another. Probably just as well, for the seat Torebras had been occupying is only hobbit-sized. Clearing his throat, he sets down his empty teacup on the table instead. \"I don\'t believe there was the opportunity,\" he remarks delicately.

A single drop of dirty water lands on his woolly head, and he turns, frowning. \"Ah, good day, sir,\" he remarks with frosty politeness, patting at his hair.

[Cordelia(#24827)] Cordelia doesn\'t sit just yet, though. Her nose twitches in slight annoyance as Brenden sends drops splattering, and she looks the man up and down once.

\"500 coppers for the pair,\" she says to the mayor. \"I thought we could get more. Wait for spring and travelers. I\'m certain we could see them to the elves for far more. But you were ill and I hadn\'t had a chance to speak to you.\"

[<#23332>] Brenden saunters across the room as if he owns the place, drawing up behind Ada. He wraps his arms around her in a brief hug, letting his icy hands press against her warm neck with a mischievous grin for a moment. \'Good afternoon, sister. Mister Mayor. Miss Wood..\' He presses closer to whisper softly into Ada\'s here. \"... ... I ... you what ... ... ... ... ... son..\"

[Ada(#23113)]

Ada does not smile at her brother and pushes him off with a shake, not giving him the pleasure of a shriek at his cold hands. She frowns so hard her eyes narrow. \"Wipe your feet and try to have some manners around folk, Brenden,\" she says in a quick hard voice.

Taking a deep breath she walks out of her brother\'s reach. \"Tea, Cordelia? The girl brought extra cups\" she observes with one more quick glance over her shoulder at her brother and a smile for Cordelia.

\"I was feeling very extravagant when I made the offer, I don\'t regret it mind you but it will not stand for much longer. The elves,\" she repeats with a smiling shake of her head and a shrug. \"Well, the elves...\"

At Cordelia\'s words, Torebras\' eyebrows arch, and his hand drops back to his side. \"500 coppers? Those earrings are /gold/.\" He sounds quite outraged as he stares in Ada\'s direction. \"I\'m afraid I must agree with Miss Wood here,\" he tosses a fatherly smile in Cordelia\'s direction, then continues, \"If not Elves, I\'m sure that Dwarves will pass through come spring or summer. They are folk with an appreciation of fine craftwork.\" And he sniffs - though perhaps that is as much for Brenden\'s lack of manners as Ada\'s \'extravagant\' offer.

[Cordelia(#24827)] \"Indeed they are gold,\" Cordelia agrees. \"But...no thank you on the tea, Miss Ada. I fear I won\'t be staying long, since I no longer have business to conduct today.\"

[Brenden(#23332)] The man chuckles when she shoves him away and glares. He moves back to the door to wipe the slushy muck from his boots, asking in a curious tone, \"Mister Mayor.. Cordelia.. Where did you find such valuable earrings?\" Brenden returns closer to lean against the hearthstones, allowing the warmth of the fire to warm his hands further. As an afterthought he adds, \"If you would be so kind in sharing.\" A long glance at his sister.

[Ada(#23113)] Cordelia\'s words only make her smile. \"I -am- sorry to hear that Cordelia. Dwarves, elves...they are quite different then Breelanders, they have quite tight pockets and I fear that you will not be able to sell your trinkets with such ease. I thought I did you a favor of taking them from your hands.\"

All pleasantness drops from her manner when she talks to her brother, \"Serve yourself,\" she just manages not to snap at him.

Smoothing her expression she continues, \"Gold, they are...I am, indeed, feeling exravagant. And to save you time and bickering, for you seem in a hurry, I will offer you a silver for them.\"

Perhaps Brenden\'s question makes Torebras uneasy, or perhaps he too feels that he has no more business to conduct. \"Oh, outside town,\" he answers the man, waving his hand airily.

Ada\'s offer does not seem to impress the hobbit, for he does not return to his seat of earlier, and his nose wrinkles. \"Perhaps Miss Wood can discuss matters further with you, but I am afraid I really must be going. Mayoral duties, you know.\" No doubt including a spot of lunch. \"Thank you for the tea, Mistress Fiddlehead, it was excellent,\" he exclaims with forced heartiness, offering Ada a little bow.

\"Good day to you Mistress ... Miss Wood ... and you, sir.\" His nose twitches at that last appellation. Then, carefully removing his umbrella from the large melon-striped jar by the door, he heads back into the cold and rain, shivering a little as he goes.