Bree -- Where, oh where, have the servers gone?

At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

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The Great East Road bends around the southeastern corner of Bree-hill. The Road leads away to the west and southeast, and where it sweeps past the foot of the hill there sits a large three storey inn. The inn is reached by a wide cobblestone pathway, with two wings that run back, away from the Road to the east, on land partly cut out from the hill\'s lower slopes. As a result, the rear second-floor windows of the inn are level with the ground. A wide arch leads to a courtyard between the two wings. Above the arch is a lamp and beneath it swings a large signboard: a fat white pony rearing up on its hind legs.

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Obvious exits:

Cobblestone Pathway leads to Before the Prancing Pony.

Broad Way leads to Broad Way - North Bree.

Market Way leads to North Market.

SouthEast leads to GER: Centre of Bree.

West leads to Great East Road.

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

Real time: Mon Jul 07 10:06:13 2008

Bree time: Dusk <20> on Mersday of Spring - May 18,1444

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent Moon

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Breelands Weather

The dusk spring air is cool but pleasant around you. The day sky is cloud-filled and gloomy.

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[Nob(#16122)] The sun is setting - has set, really, behind the tall trees to the west - but light still fills the evening sky. It illuminates the undersides of the clouds and turns them a lovely shade of rose.

And, oddly for the customers he surely has thronging the Pony, here comes Nob pattering down the street. He has a worried look on his face, and looks at everyone he passes searchingly.

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Torebras Bywater, Mayor of Bree, is seemingly taking an evening stroll.He saunters down Broad Way with a smile on his lips and a pipe stuck in the corner of his mouth, pausing every now and then to blow a rather wavering smoke-ring. It\'s a beautiful evening, not a sign of those pesky dwarves or pesky rangers - and if, as rumour has it, there\'s one fewer Outsider in residence too, what of that? Spying Nob he lifts one hand in a cheery wave and calls across, \"Lovely evening, isn\'t it?\"

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[Nob(#16122)] \"Yes...\" Nob says, giving Torebras part of an abstracted smile, and then twisting around to stare after a cluster of people who walk by. After a minute, he gives a vexed sigh, and turns back towards the mayor. \"Ah, good evening Mister Bywater, I didn\'t see you there.\"

Torebras\' eyebrows lift in surprise at that. Not noticing the Mayor of Bree? \"Ah, not to worry, Mister Nob.\" He pats his fellow hobbit on the shoulder. \"Are you looking for someone? You seem a little ... preoccupied, shall we say, and as Mayor it is my duty to help!\" He beams at his own magnanimity.

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[Nob(#16122)] Nob looks pleased, and ever so slightly doubtful (at Torebras\' ability to help? Surely not!), but he nods and sighs again. \"It\'s that boy,\" he says, eyes still watching everyone who passes. \"The human one - a Pinewick, he is - he\'s gone missing! AND so has that girl, Cordelia. I\'m short-handed as it is, I can\'t have people just not coming in to work!\" For a minute, indignation replaces worry, but not for long. \"And no one else seems to have seen either of them,\" he ends. \"I do hope he hasn\'t.... fallen down a well or something!\"

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Torebras blinks. \"Miss Wood?\" he queries in faint alarm, concern on his homely features. \"I do hope nothing has happened to her. Such a pleasant young person.\" Bree\'s Mayor seems blithely unaware of certain rumours to the contrary. \"Perhaps she\'s simply been unwell?\"

After a pause, he adds blankly, \"And which boy, did you say?\"

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[Nob(#16122)] \"Mm,\" Nob says, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the Mayor\'s estimation of Cordelia\'s personality. \"Perhaps,\" he says then, dubiously. \"But no one\'s seen her, and she\'s not in her rooms.\" He heaves a deep sigh. \"Keldean,\" he repeats then. \"Keldean Pinewick, I think his family has a farm out somewheres...\" The hobbit waves a vague hand towards the north of Bree.

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\"Oh.\" Torebras gives a few thoughtful puffs on his pipe then starts to frown - the smoke-ring that emerges is less ring than blot. \"Keldean Pinewick? Now you mention it ... I did hear that name the other day. There\'s been a complaint about him.\" His tone is sour. \"A fellow in Archet said he\'d lent young master Pinewick some property and it hadn\'t been returned.\"

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[Nob(#16122)] \"Yes,\" Nob agrees darkly, but then surprise opens his eyes and he turns towards Torebras. \"He /stole/ something?\" he asks shocked. \"Well. Well! You just wait until I have a talk with that lad he won\'t be working for /me/ anymores, that\'s for certain!\" A moment of silence, broken by the chatter of several hobbit lasses, who wave and giggle as they see the mayor.

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\"Quite, quite,\" Torebras exclaims, frowning his disapproval. \"People who don\'t respect other\'s property-\" The words break off as he notices the hobbit lasses. Immediately he rearranges his features into a broad smile, and tips his hat to them before returning his attention to Nob. \"If you ask me, he\'s taken up with some of those Outsiders,\" he murmurs, dismissing Keldean with a wave of his hand. \"Now Miss Wood, on the other hand ... Didn\'t she have some family here?\" This time his frown is thoughtful.

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[Nob(#16122)] Nob casts a sideways glance at the mayor, then he too smiles and bows to the passing girls. In a low tone, he says, \"A sister or some such, I think? Little girl - I\'ve seen her about.\" And worry returns to tighten his face and darken his eyes. \"I do wish I know what has come of them!\" he bursts out finally. \"Not showing up for work! Spilling things! Arguing all the time!\"

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Torebras takes the pipe from his mouth and shakes the ash out before absently starting to twirl the stem between his fingers. \"Surely it would make sense to ask the child where Miss Wood is, then?\" he points out gently, an expression of concern on his face. Then natural hobbit-curiosity takes over and he repeats, eyebrows raising, \"Arguing?\" Now there\'s some gossip worth having ...

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[Nob(#16122)] Nob nods vigorously. \"Only I haven\'t seen her,\" he points out. \"I am out looking.\" Then he rocks back on his heels and gives in to small talk. \"Yes,\" he tells the mayor gloomily. \"Arguing! With /customers/ no less! Oh, they\'re always polite enough to me, yes Nob and no Nob and whatever you say Nob, but my lad Conall as is learning the trade, he says he doesn\'t trust them. And I myself have had complaints.\" He ponders the depths that some people can sink to - causing Customers to Complain! The Horror.

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\"Tsk.\" Torebras shakes his head in sympathy. \"Maybe you should put the word out you\'re looking for more helpers. I\'m sure you could find someone more reliable than that Pinewick lad.\" And Miss Wood? He stands still a moment in contemplation, then briskly pats his stomach. \"Now, if you\'ll excuse me, I think supper is long overdue. Was there anything you wanted me to do about the missing persons.I suppose I could organize a search ...\" His doubtful tone and his worried expression convey his enthusiasm for that idea.

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[Nob(#16122)] Nob nods. \"I think I will,\" he says and sighs. \"It\'s hard to always be training folks in,\" he complains, but then shrugs philosophically. After all, it\'s hard to be /too/ gloomy when supper is in the offing! \"I do think I heard tell of a lad was interested,\" he comments, then shakes his head. \"Perhaps if you\'d just mention it to people you see? Tell them I\'m wanting to know where they might\'ve got to, and if anybody steps forward, I\'d be pleased.\"

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\"Of course, of course!\" Torebras waves a hand airily, no doubt delighted to have got out of organizing a full-scale Search Party. \"I know that young Brandebras will keep his eyes and ears open too, and there isn\'t much /he/ misses.\" He winks. \"Don\'t you worry, Mister Nob, the Pony\'s doing just fine.\" He reaches out to give the assistant innkeeper on the shoulder, then with a final cheery, \"Good evening,\" he is trotting on his way.

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[Nob(#16122)] Nob watches after, gloomily, then brightening as he thinks of supper, then gloom descending as he thinks of the hours of looking yet ahead before he can eat, then brightens - the girl surely won\'t run away, he can talk to her /after/ supper....

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