Torebras and Nob Lay Down the Law

It\'s been .. what.. a full -day-?? Keldean spent a long time in sullen silence, then started asking the guards what was going to be done. When he wasn\'t given an answer he muttered a few insults and gave up asking. Now the teen is sitting on the bed, scowling as he watches a spider slowly crawl up the far wall of the small cell.

[Torebras(#25187)] It\'s a beautiful sunny day in the world outside, and Mayor Torebras Bywater arrives on the scene puffing, sweating and red-faced. He is missing his trademark hat instead his forehead is swathed in a white linen bandage. \"I\'m here to see the prisoner,\" he tells the bored-looking Breeguard officiously. No need to say which prisoner - Bree\'s lockups are rarely used. He mops at his face with a red-and-white silk handkerchief.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob is right behind him, equally as hot, equally as red-faced. He doesn\'t say anything at all, but glares at the guard as if daring the man to tell him he can\'t go in.

[Aaron(#24624)] Right behind the mayor is Aaron Clothweaver, the one who helped detain Keldean. \"My Mayor! Glad to see you\'re all right...although I wish we could meet under better times.\" The Merchant looks around, then seems to think to himself. He turns to Torebras and frowns. \"What cell is the runt in?\" he asks, turning to look at Nob. \"Mr. Nob,\" he says cordially.

[Cordelia(#1394)] At least one of the guards here jerks up suddenly in his chair, as if he had been asleep. Imagine that! \"Right, sir, right away,\" the man says, scrubbing his face with his hand. He fumbles for keys.

Keldean hears the voices out in the hallway, recognizing them all. He gets up quickly, and presses himself against the wall alongside the door, making himself invisible from the small window.

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras eyes the guard\'s fumblings and heaves an unenthusiastic sigh - sounds like he\'s not looking forward to this meeting. Aaron\'s words are a welcome distraction. \"Ah, Mister Clothweaver.\" His hand goes up to raise his non-existent hat, meeting bandage instead. \"Do you know what happened to me yesterday?\" he asks almost plaintively. \"I remember a bit of a scuffle, and next think I know I\'m up in the Healing House with a lump the size of an egg on my head. Did- did he kick me?\" He\'s looking distinctly nervous now, and tosses in the guard\'s direction. \"Do ... ah, do you think he\'s .. ahem, safe?\"

[Nob(#16122)] Nob nods curtly to Aaron, and sails past the guard, chin high. As if he is stretching himself as tall as he can. \"And he had the nerve to come back!\" he says, over his shoulder - he doesn\'t seem at all worried if the boy is safe or not - rather he bristles at the suggestion and says grimly, \"Let him try!\"

[Cordelia(#1394)] \"He\'s safe,\" the guard grumbles, stifling a yawn. He peers into the cell and frowns. \"I swear he was in here a minute ago....\" Fumbling again with the key, he gets it into the lock. It takes a fair amount of jiggling for the tumbler to fall open, but it does with a clink--and then he pulls the door open. It makes an unearthly squeak, as if it\'s not used or oiled much.

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron grins. \"He didn\'t kick you...you were hit with a pebble. Erm, forgive me, but...I had to leave you on the ground long enough to subdue Keldean. Cordelia ran...I gave the boy to the guards and got the doctor for you. If I had gone sooner though, your lump mightn\'t be as big, you know?\" He turns to the cell and frowns. \"Sorry about your horse Mr. Nob...I had to cut his leg to get Keldean off.\" he turns as the door opens. \"Let the kid come...I\'m armed...\" Aaron murmurs.

Keldean waits motionless, listening to the key manipulated in the lock, then turn.. then the click. The loud rusty creaking has the boy tensings his muscles, and as soon as the door is open wide enough he makes his break for it. He jumps forward with his shoulder aimed to try and knock the guard off balance, and if successful he\'ll try to bolt down the hallway for the exit. Keldean is trying to take matters into his own hands, it seems.

[Torebras(#25187)] \"Oh.\" Torebras sounds almost disappointed that Keldean wasn\'t the perpetrator of his injury - at Aaron\'s final words, though he lets out a squeak. \"Really, Mister Clothweaver. I hope that won\'t be necessary ...\" He looks almost as afraid of the merchant as of Keldean. He eyes the door to the cell nervously, eyes Nob even more nervously, and settles for sidling up behind the Breeguard, who looks far less threatening than the rest of this company.

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron instinctively takes a step back towards the exit, grinning triumphantly at Keldean. \"Well now lad...you\'ve got some explaining to do. Begging your pardon Mr. Mayor, but may I ask the first questions?\" he asks politely, keeping his eyes on Keldean.

[Cordelia(#1394)] John, the guard, is somewhere in his late 40s and has spent far too much time on guard \"duty\" drinking the local ale and catching up on his sleep. He\'s a big fellow--formerly well muscled and now beer-bellied. Keldean makes a break for it, diving into the man\'s gut, and with a loud \"oof!\" followed by a \"Hey you rat!!\" John stumbles backward, air knocked out of him by a wiley teenager. And there\'s that squeaky mayor, right under John\'s feet. His arms spin for a moment in the air, then he is crashing down backwards, tripping over--and not onto--Torebras, but possibly knocking down others.

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron instinctively takes a step back towards the exit, grinning triumphantly. He lashes out with his foot, and smiles. \"Hold your horses there, buddy,\" he says as he does so, at the same time reaching for the dagger that hides under his shirt.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob is a bit behind the mayor, a bit in front of Aaron and just over to one side of the hallway - thus, he misses being bowled over by Keldean - barely squeezing himself up against the wall and trying to be as flat as possible. John stumbles and falls next, and Nob is knocked backwards - right towards the fleeing boy and Aaron beyond him.

Keldean jumps awkwardly to avoid crashing into Nob, his desire to flee, not hurt anyone. He stumbles off-balance for a step, then pushes off the wall for extra strength and runs straight at Aaron, intending to slam into the man and hopefully knock him off his feet as well. Sometimes simple plans are the best.

You attack Aaron with your Bare Hands...

Aaron dodges your attack.

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras, meanwhile, lets out a shriek rather like a kettle coming to the boil as the Breeguard\'s boot comes down upon his woolly toes. He flails his arms wildly and manages to avoid John\'s falling body - and Keldean\'s - only to catch his head against the protruding lock of that still-open cell door. \"My head! Oh my head!\" he moans, sinking to his knees. Not a useful ally in the attempt to stop Keldean, then.

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron dodges, thankfully, and smiles. \"Nice try, brat! Now stay still!\" Aaron removes his dagger and flashes it. \"You need to learn respect!\" he screeches as he lunges forward and takes a swipe at Keldean\'s leg.

Aaron attacks you with his Dagger!...

...and he misses!

[Cordelia(#1394)] John, meanwhile, is tangled up in hobbit legs, his arms flailing wildly. \"Git off me! Off!!\" He tries to brush the hobbit aside somehow, as if that will help! \"Stop!\" he then bellows, ineffectively.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob kicks, and scoots backwards, trying to extricate himself from John\'s legs, and squirm and get up again so that he can get to Keldean. \"Stop!\" he shouts also. \"Stop, lad, I just am wanting to talk to you!\" Panting, he finally gets free, staggering up. \"Don\'t make it worse by running,\" he warns Keldean\'s back.

Keldean draws back as Aaron moves out of the way and continues to bar his path. The man swipes at him with that dagger and the teen scrambles back further out of the way, barely dodging the attack. He hesitates, wary of rushing the man again now that he\'s armed. \"I\'m not going to wait around for him to cut me up!\" Keldean answers Nob in a panicked voice, his fists clenched tightly into fists as he watches Aaron. If the man comes any closer he\'s ready fight.

[Torebras(#25187)] Still holding his throbbing head, Torebras twists round to survey the scene. He lets out another moan at the sight of all those fallen bodies, and - worse - a dagger! \"Tha- that\'s right,\" he manages to stammer out in echo of Nob, desperately looking round him for something he could use to defend himself should the horrid fisticuffs move his way ... His eyes fall on the key still in the lock and he starts tugging at it.

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron does not lower the dagger, but he does step forward. \"Don\'t run then Keldean...don\'t run! If you stay in your place, you\'ll be fine! Running makes it worse! All we wanted to do was talk!\"

[Cordelia(#1394)] Tom scrambles to his knees, his fists opening and closing on nothign at all--no weapons, no club, not even a pocket knife. But there! On the table within his reach--he stretches, grabbing his mug full of ...water...yes...water... And then he throws the mug toward Keldean\'s head, the \"water\" (which smells suspiciously like ale) splattering all over those in the path of the throw. John must be well hydrated on the \"water,\" because his aim is rather lousy.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob shakes his head, trying to regather his wits, and steps forward officiously. \"There now, Mr. Clothweaver, there\'s no need for /weapons/!\" He manages to sound both horrified and aghast at the thought. \"Now, come, boy,\" he tells Keldean. \"He won\'t be hurting you. Let\'s just have a little....\" He is drenched by a flying arch of \'water\'. It drips down his face, runs from hair and ears, gathers in little puddles on his shoulders.

The mug wildly misses him and hits the wall instead. Keldean glares at Aaron as the man approaches. \"Get away from me!\" He says harshly. Then, to Nob, \"I didn\'t even do anything and he beat me up yesterday! He\'s crazy!\"

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron, surprisingly, puts the dagger away. He kneels down so as to be face to face with the boy. \"Listen Keldean,\" he begins as if talking to his own sons, \"My temper was high, boy...there were rumours about you and Cordelia...but you are a criminal, I had to do something. You tried to escape then, ya did so now! If you\'re innocent, we\'ll let you out!\"

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras is far to flustered to wonder about the sudden smell of beer in the air (or to notice the few spots that have stained his own no-longer immaculate clothing). With a mighty tug and a loud grating noise the key is free at last, and he clutches the heavy ring two-handed as though it were the last hope of safety for a drowning man. Or hobbit ... As Keldean, at last, seems to halt his mad flight, Torebras finds his (rather quavering) voice. \"Now then, Master Pinewick. don\'t you think it\'s time you and Mister Nob here discussed things?\" He keeps his distance from the youth as best he can.

[Cordelia(#1394)] John stands up, brushing off the knees of his pants. \"I\'ll take those,\" he grumbles to Torebras, stretching out his hand for the keys. \"And you, lad, will stay where you are and not run or I\'ll...I\'ll...\" Well, the man can\'t say what he will do, in fact. He just glowers at Keldean.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob takes another step, and holds his hands out, palms up. He is unarmed. \"Yes, now, let\'s just have a bit of a talk, shall we? No one\'s going to hurt you.\" He gives Aaron a speaking glare.

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron nods and hides the dagger. He stands up and joins Nob and Torebras. \"See Keldean? The dagger\'s away, and as long as you cooperate we won\'t attack you. I promise,\" The Merchant says with a half smile.

Keldean shakes his head. \"I\'m -not- a criminal. I brought back Nob\'s pony and cart, and you attacked my horse!\" Oh yes, it\'s his now. Addie is dead and he\'s laid claim to the beast right this moment. \"You wouldn\'t even listen to what I had to say, you just beat me up.\" The teen levels a reproachful look on the man, and his brown eyes flick to the exit again as Aaron puts away the weapon. He looks back at the rest in the hallway, his mind working quickly now. \"Why am I in here??\"

[Torebras(#25187)] Give up the keys? His only means of defence should youth or cloth merchant turn violent? Torebras\' eyes widen in horror, but after a pause he does indeed surrender them to John. He edges instead toward the step-stool still standing outside that other, unused, cell and lowers himself gingerly down on it. If more trouble erupts, at least he\'ll have something to hide behind.

Keldean\'s question takes him rather by surprise. \"Well now,\" he blusters int othe silence, \"There was a charge of theft laid against you. You say you\'ve returned the items - in what condition?\" He looks to Nob, managing to keep a straight face at the sign of the dripping hobbit. \"And there\'s the issue of compensation. How do you intend to repay Mister Nob here for loss of earnings due to the missing equipment?\"

[Nob(#16122)] \"You stole my cart and pony and you ask why you\'re in here?\" Nob asks, brushing ineffectually at his dripping face. Every drop he wipes away is replaced by another rivulet from the top of his head. He ignores the claim that the items were returned.

[Cordelia(#1394)] \"And then there\'s the cost of housing you in Bree\'s jail! And feeding you food and drink!\" John adds, with an eye to what remains of his beer--soaking through Nob\'s clothing.

\"What?! You throw me in here against my will and expect me to -pay- you??\" Keldean latches on to the argument with the least substance behind it while he sorts out what angle to play. \"I was attacked by a troll and you\'re all mad at me about a pony and cart that I brought -back-? I didn\'t have to! Where\'s my horse?\" He shoves a hand into his pocket and pulls out a handful of coin, a silver and a few copper. Those are shoved at Nob. \"Here! I could be dead right now and all you care about is money.. \" Oooh, it\'s a difficult sacrifice to make, but he wants to be free of the jail before they start sorting the finer details of his disappearance out.

[Torebras(#25187)] Keldean\'s lack of contrition seems to restore a little of Torebras\' courage. \"What?\" he splutters. \"Do you /know/ how much a good pony and cart costs? Three silver pennies for the beast alone. And if you can\'t pay the appropriate fine, you needn\'t think you\'re going to get free bed and board here ...\" Wait. What\'s that glittering in Keldean\'s hand? The words trail off and he ends lamely, \"Mister Nob, what do you say?\"

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron stands by with his hands folded...he doesn\'t say anything for the moment.

[Cordelia(#1394)] John grumbles some at Keldean\'s words. \"Ya broke the law, stealing the cart and pony. And you spent the night or whatever...in jail.\" The man scratches his head. \"You owe us. Wages. And Food.\"

[Nob(#16122)] Nob rolls his eyes at John. \"The boy does not either owe you your wages,\" he says. \"You know very good and well the town\'s fund pays you.\" He turns his gaze to Keldean, looking up at the lad with the same expression he would if the boy was shorter than he instead of quite a fair bit taller. And undeterred by the money in Keldean\'s hand, he says sharply, \"And you wouldn\'t have been in any trouble at all if you\'d stayed at your job and not made off with my cart and pony! And..\" and here anger vibrates with disappointment. \"lied to me, after I was willing to give you another chance. A chance you begged for!\"

Keldean runs a hand through his hair, frowning as Nob doesn\'t take the bait. \"Well.. \" Giliath\'s words are all well and good when you\'re out in the woods, with no one around and in a calm situation.. but when his back is against a wall, literally, Keldean still tends to lean towards lying. \"I was doing the work, and then some bandits stole the cart and pony! I had to track them all the way to The Last Bridge to get it back! And there was a -troll-.. He almost ATE me!\"

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras snorts. \"A likely story! Bandits here? In Bree?\" he scoffs. Of course, if there were, it would be /his/ job to deal with them ... The mayor gulps.

[Cordelia(#1394)] John just folds his arms over his chest, scowling, either at Keldean or at Nob. Perhaps at both.

[Nob(#16122)] \"Uh huh,\" Nob says, crossing his arms. \"And tell me why I should believe /that/?\" He darts a glance at the Mayor and he drops his voice to a hissing whisper. \"Did he really bring them back?\"

Good question, Nob.. Very good question. Keldean thinks for a moment, frowning. Then he shoves the money back into his pocket and reaches to pull his shirt up, holding it bunched up with one arm while he gestures with the other. \"Look. See all these healing cuts and scratches? That\'s where it grabbed me by the foot and drug me across a bunch of stone and gravel. I\'m going to have scars.\" He says that as if it\'s payment enough. Though, to Keldean\'s credit, there is evidence of healing damage to his skin, a few places still red or discolored.

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras turns his eyes away prudishly at the sight of Keldean\'s bare flesh - did he /really/ need to see that? He responds to Nob\'s whisper. \"I- I\'m not sure. Everything about yesterday is a little hazy.\" He touches his head. \"I do believe there was a cart ... Mister Clothweaver?\" He looks to Aaron for guidance.

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron looks up and nods. \"Aye, a nice big cart. I remember Nob used to push it around all the time, unless I\'m mistaken,\" he says, nodding and looking at Keldenan sternly.

[Nob(#16122)] \"Probably got in a fight,\" Nob says grumpily as he looks at Keldean\'s midriff with the kind of determined stare of one who /feels/ as the mayor does but refuses to show it. Then Aaron inserts his comment, and Nob looks at him with relief. \"Only when the pony was sick!\" he says, slightly horrified at the thought of shoving that cart around by hand all the time. Then he looks at the mayor. \"Well, then,\" he says grudgingly but determined to be fair. \"If the pony and cart are back - AND undamaged!\" he tells Keldean sternly. \"And the boy will make restitution for what was lost by his actions, then I\'m satisfied. No need to keep him in this .. place.\" He gives the cells a look of disgust.

Keldean lets the shirt drop back into place. After what he\'s seen in the last month, a few scrapes don\'t bother him in the slightest. \"What kind of restitution?\" He asks in a wary tone. Nob didn\'t want the money, after all. \"And no one has told me where my horse is.. It better be okay.\" He turns a glare on Aaron.

[Aaron(#24624)] Aaron meets the glare with a firm face. He doesn\'t smile or frown. He remains neutral for now.

[Torebras(#25187)] Now that things seem to be calming down, Torebras fidgets in his seat. \"Oh quite, quite. We can\'t keep him here forever, the public purse really won\'t stand it!\" He looks horrified at the very thought. \"I .. ahem. I really should be going, I have other appointments to make.\" Like the one with second breakfast. His stomach rumbles faintly. \"Mister Nob, have you decided what restitution you wish Master Pinewick to make?\" He peers questioningly at the beer-soaked hobbit, then blinks huffily at Keldean. \"Your horse? It\'s hardly the fault of anyone in Bree if you can\'t control it.\"

[Nob(#16122)] Nob gives Torebras a Look: Chicken, stand up and do your duty! But with a longsuffering sigh, he turns back towards the lad. \"Well, I think he should work for the month of time I lost,\" he says. \"Without pay, though I will feed him still and let him sleep in his old room. At the end of that time, if he has proven himself, I may /MAY/ consider rehiring him.\"

Keldean begins to protest some point or another, then changes his mind and listens quietly. All things considered, it\'s a rather light sentence. \"Okay.. I can do that.\" He says, finally. He\'s tempted to argue that the pony wouldn\'t have been of use all that much in the dead of summer anyhow, but even Keldean is learning to quit while he\'s ahead. \"Can I go then?\"

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras is undaunted by The Look. \"If that\'s what you wish, Mister Nob,\" he responds doubtfully to his fellow hobbit. \"Though the lad has shown little inclination to reliability before. We can hardly set someone to watch over him night and day ... Hmm.\" He purses his lips. \"I think that in addition we should restrict his movements, keep him in town. I\'ll let the Breeguard know he\'s not to pass the gates, shall I?\"

Keldean\'s own query goes unanswered the Mayor seems to be ignoring the youth completely.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob nods solemnly. \"Well?\" he asks, turning suddenly to the lad. \"Will you abide by that? If so, then you can go. But I\'ll be expecting you at the Pony tomorrow morning, first thing.\"

\"Yes.. I can do that. I\'ll be there in the morning.\" This will give Keldean time to track down the horse, as well as Cordelia and Liuni. Hopefully no one will be watching the path over the hill, because that\'s the only place he knows to meet up with his friend. \"Oh.. and.. umm.. I\'m sorry Nob.. \" He tries to sound genuine, but he\'s more concerned about finding Cordelia than the hobbit\'s profit loss in the last month. Unless they stop him the teen will make a beeline for the exit again.

[Torebras(#25187)] \"Good good, glad that\'s all settled then,\" Torebras remarks breezily. Once Keldean is out of eyeshot (though perhaps not quite out of earshot) he remarks to Nob with a shake of the head, \"I hope you know what you\'re doing there. I wouldn\'t bet on getting a month\'s work out of that one.\" Then, with a dark look in Keldean\'s direction, he too heads for the exit - and happier thoughts of things like second breakfasts.

[Nob(#16122)] \"No, likely not,\" Nob says, with a sigh. He too shakes his head, and then follows Torebras - a bit slower, but not much.