A reuniting of old friends

Minas Tirith: Drover\'s Arms

Laughter greets you as you duck through the low door. The mood here is light and jolity and levity rule! The barkeep dispenses his vintages with a cheery grin, while the waitresses glide easily through the tables and throngs of customers. Here all is merry, the cares of the world left at the door. Riders have no desire to speak of their hardships in the midst of a glass of Minas Tirith\'s finest! A heavily-lintelled fireplace stands against the far wall, crackling as it burns the day\'s logs and casting out its light and warmth over the room.

Contents:

Aearion

Elissa

Obvious exits:

Out leads to Minas Tirith: Maiden Street: Tunnel Through the Embrasure.

\"Welcome, M\'lord! Have a seat and relax. I\'m afraid we don\'t have menus yet, but our special of the day is Lobster Thermadore with a delicate wine sauce and spam. Let me know if you need anything!\"

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Weather:            Clear

Time:               Midday <13>

Season:             Spring

Date:               Ormenel - April 19, 3047

Real Time:          Sun Jun 28 10:10:06 2009

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Laughter greets everyone who enters the Drover on this day, for Aearion is here and the robust youth is one who appreciates mirth. Indeed, he is literally cracking up in the corner near the fireplace. He talks with a young, long-haired man and a pretty and portly blonde bar maiden.

\"And I said, \'Sorry Ma\' Lord, I didn\'t know snakes could crawl into your trousers. HAW HAW,\" says Aearion slapping his knee. He holds a tall mug of something in his other hand.

The noon is shining high on the street outside the Drover, and a lone man walks down the street, frowning to reduce the glare of the harsh light. As he passes the area, the loud laughs and mirth emanating from behind the door causes him to pause. A quick thought and consideration, and he shrugs, pushing the door open, and smiles, for laughter is contagious indeed. His gaze is drawn to the man at the corner, from which the cheer spreads, and his legs soon bring him in the direction of the fireplace.

Aearion looks toward the door just as he is sucking down another luke-warm mouthfull of drought, \"Holy horse crap,\" he says too soon, sending some pale ale spittling from his mouth. The younger, long-haired boy jumps up and says, \"Isildur\'s Baine, Aearion, can\'t you wait to talk until you swallow?\" Aearion of course responds, \"That\'s what I told your sister last night.\" The two young men punch each other and exchange curses in a good natured way. Then Aearion turns to Daerthor, \"Ma Lord Daerthor, join us for some ale.\"

The long-haired man\'s name is Garion. The girl is Freeda.

\"Of course, Aearion,\" Daerthor smiles as he orders a drink from the waitress who bustles by. \"I think I have not yet met your companions today, if I remember correctly - or perhaps I have, but my mind has been preoccupied for a while now.\" As the drink arrives he takes a healthy gulp of it, setting his mug down and swallows. \"That,\" he says, \"is the proper way of drinking ale and then speaking your mind! But enough of such talk. How have you been?\"

Aearion listens to Daerthor talk about proper drink etiquette and starts chuckleing, \"You have not changed a bit since our last class under old Saravus.\" He elbows Garion, who seems to have grown more sober in the presence of a noble-born . Freeda smiles and looks Daerthor over in a blusty, bar-maid sort of way.

\"This is Garion, and this is Freeda. She works here, Garion is the son of one of my father\'s workers,\" Aearion says making introductions. \"This is Daerthor of House Carmayar, he\'s a good guy when he relaxes.\"

Daerthor nods gravely at Aearion\'s words. \"Indeed I have not,\" he agrees. \"I am very much the same lad I was - perhaps a little older, and a little wiser, but nothing much more.\" He takes another drink, yet again exaggerating proper drink etiquette, and gives a short bow as the introductions are made. \"It is always my pleasure to make new acquaintances,\" he says, chuckling wryly. \"Especially now that I have few chances to do so.\"

\"Freeda, why don\'t you make Daethor more comfortable,\" Aearion says with an mischievious grin spreading over his lips. The young woman gets up and takes a seat next to Daerthor, she smiles at him flirtingly and runs her hand through his hair. Garion doesn\'t seem to like this and frowns. He says nothing, but he drinks his ale. Aearion smiles and takes another drought of ale. This time he finishes drinking before talking. \"We\'re celebrating, Daerthor, Garion here is joining the City Guard. He will be leaving tomorrow to begin his mentorship under the Master Man-at-Arms.\"

Daerthor squirms uncomfortably as Freeda makes herself comfortable with him, and offers her a quick, shy smile. \"Aearion!\" he half-shouts as Freeda touches his hair. His eyes beseech him, with a hints of panic and pleading in them. Then he takes a deep breath, as though to calm himself, noting Garion\'s expression out of the corner of his gaze. \"Garion,\" he says, changing the subject abruptly. \"I must offer you my congratulations. Which Master-at-Arms\' command are you under?\"

\"Altascion,\" Garion says simply. He brings his cup up to his lips. Aearion moves his eyes to Freeda and pats his knee as he takes a seat. She walks over to him and sits on his lap running her hand through his hair. It\'s obvious she adores Aearion. He is a mass of a youth after all. Quite manly in a sold-built, powerful sort of way. He whispers something in her ear and she gets a pouty look on her face. \"Okay,\" she says in a soft, lady-like voice. She gets up and walks over to Garion. \"Come on, lets go for a walk,\" she says. Garion\'s mood changes instantly and he is back to his bouncy self. They take their leave.

\"You seen the Old Master lately?\" Aearion says, growing more serious in his conversaion.

Watching the exchange, Daerthor drains his mug and asks for a refill of ale. As Garion and Freeda take their leave, he pauses thoughtfully. \"No, I have not,\" he says in response to Aearion\'s question. \"I have returned from Ithilien quite a number of times since I first joined the Scouts, but even so, I had very little time available - and what time I did set aside for visiting him was left unfulfilled in the end. I sent messengers to call on him, but he always said that he was busy busy with what, I have no idea.\"

Pausing for awhile to take a breath, he frowns, as though recalling a memory. \"In fact, I grew so impatient that I decided to throw caution to the wind and visit his house personally, but I was turned away.\"

\"I do not know what the old fellow is up to,\" Aearion says. \"I too have tried to see him since, but have been turned away as well. I did spy him once, he looked rather pale and ill, visiting the market. I did not speak to him.\" The youth pauses, feeling rather ashamed that his classmate of old is a scout and here, he is, still working for his father. Perhaps he would be a scout or a squire, he did not know. Squire would be more fitting for one from Dol Amroth, but his future was still undecided.

The two talk further, until the day waned and the evening bell rang. Then Aearion departs, back to his grandfather\'s house...feeling a bit buzzed and satisfied.