In search of the past: The fight that wasn\'t

Common Room

This large and rectangular room serves the purpose of Common Room for the Prancing Pony. Large windows along the western end of the room peek out over the Great East Road which runs outside the Inn. There are long tables with bench seats for the patrons in the centre of the room. Nestled into the wall is a large fireplace with several bundles of wood piled next to it. Overhead, lamps hang down from roof beams, but their light is dim and half-veiled in smoke. The corners of the room are wrapped in shadow.

Obvious exits:

Out

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

Real time: Tue May 19 15:21:54 2009

Bree time: Before Dawn <05> on Trewsday of Winter - December 21,1446

Moon Phase: First Quarter Moon

Breelands Weather

The before dawn winter air is cold and dry around you. The dark sky is overcast and dreary. The moon is above the horizon and in its first quarter phase.

===============================================================================

Winter has arrived with a vengeance. It is bitterly cold outside, and the days are at their shortest. Even now, at midmorning, the sky is dark and dreary. Small wonder that for many Breefolk, Big and Small, the Pony has become the focus of attention. A group of local farmers are enaged in the thrilling topic of how best to feed pigs - turnips? Potato peel? Old apples - now, that\'s fine if you happen to have an orchard. For the little folk, Ma Thistleroot\'s pie seems to be the subject of much enthusiasm.

Between the busy tables a solitary figure wends his way. A young man, swarthy of skin, with his features half-hid behind a mass of dark curls that clearly haven\'t seen a good brushing for weeks. What can be seen of them is fixed in a scowl as first one group and then the other is passed.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob himself is bustling about happily, in his element. \"No, no,\" he stops to argue. \"Old potatoes, them\'s the best.\"

At another table, he puts in, \"Oh, now, have you ever had Missus Appledore\'s pumpkin pies? Now /there\'s/ something like.\"

He notices the newcomer and heads towards him. \"Drink? Stew? Bite of cheese?\"

The newcomer tilts his head downwards, and carefully smooths the scowl away. \"Uh. Ale. And whatever\'s cheapest. And - who here has travelled?\" He glances round the room, frowning. His Westron is singsong, though he seems to have no problem with the words.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob\'s face has frowned a little in automatic response, but he smiles politely. \"Ale,\" he repeats. Then, \"Traveled?\" There is a bit of consternation in his voice. \"Not me! Well, that is, I\'ve been to the Shire..\"

The response is seized on. \"Shire,\" the stranger repeats blankly. \"How far? Are there men there?\"

[Nob(#16122)] Men. Nob looks disgusted for just an instant. \"No,\" he says. \"There are /hobbits/ there.\" He looks the man up and down, and apparently decides he is ignorant, not insulting. \"Like me?\" he adds.

The stranger mirrors Nob\'s motion, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. \"I know what \'hobbit\' is. Don\'t think you\'d be much use in a fight. \'Sides, it\'s not your fight anyway.\" He shrugs, then probes. \"What about other travellers? Get many of them?\" Seems he\'s in no hurry for that ale.

[Seregithil(#19197)] Tucked away in a corner near the halfling servent and the man he speaks to, a table occupied by three cloaked figured huddled closely together over flasks shakes as one leans back in his chair to better observe the happenings of the room.

[Nob(#16122)] \"Fight?\" Nob says, his eyes opening wide. \"No thank you, you can just take your fights somewhere\'s else!\" He moves as if to usher the man directly to the door, right then and there. Hastily, he answers the next question, still hovering, hands shooing a little. \"No, I mean, yes, some. Sometimes.\"

The stranger glances toward the table that shakes, one brow tilting as its occupants are the subject of a moment\'s scrutiny. There\'s not much to be seen, with those concealing cloaks.

Nob\'s flapping draws his attention back, and the man lets out a chuckle, quickly stifled. \"I\'d rather not have one today, though thanks for the offer.\" He hesitates a little, regarding the hobbit dubiously, then asks casually, \"Don\'t suppose you remember seeing a pair of my folk through here? It would be a few years back. The man had a split lip,\" he pauses to gesture to his own, \"the woman wore rings here,\" he gestures to his lower lip and then ear. \"Young, fierce .. quite a looker,\" he appends to the description.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob stops trying to shoo the man out, but he keeps a wary eye on him. \"There\'ve been some of you folk up,\" he says slowly. \"Fellow wanted a bunch of pies... he didn\'t have anything wrong with his mouth though.\" He himself seems to come up with no other person that might answer the descriptions, but one of the younger men at a table nearby adds his own information. \"And /what/ a looker!\" he says to the man with him, and both of them chuckle. \"Wouldn\'t want to get near her, though!\"

\"Pies?\" the stranger repeats, then snorts disinterestedly. Pies can wait ... if not other things. \"I\'d not mind that ale,\" he remarks deceptively casually, leaning forward a little so that he looms over the hobbit. His hand goes to his belt - is he planning to draw that dagger? But no, he simply pulls a few coppers from his belt pouch, and turns them between his fingers.

At the young fellow\'s comment, he turns and demands eagerly of the trio, \"You did see them, then? When? Where did they go?\"

[Nob(#16122)] Nob moves away, a little slowly, watching the stranger cautiously. He is gone a little while, before returning with a foaming tankard of ale. He accepts the coins, and hovers. Despite his disclaimer, who knows if the man might start feeling lonesome for a brawl!

\"Wasn\'t no \'them\',\" the younger man replies. \"Just that gal. Fancy her, do you?\" He leans closer and shakes his head a little. \"Don\'t go trying anything, that\'s my advice. Nice looking bit of goods, but handy with a knife.\"

The stranger accepts his ale, and lifts the mug to his lips - noticeably, he sips, not gulps.

At the young man\'s advice he eyes the fellow, and one brow quirks up. \"She\'s hardly the only one.\" He pats the dagger at his hip. \"And no, she\'s not my type. Don\'t fancy wrapping my tongue round all that metal.\" He smirks, but that quickly fades. \"Just her? Then where /is/ she?\" His voice hardens.

Belatedly he notices that Nob is still hovering, and irritably he turns back. \"Yes? What is it?\"

[Nob(#16122)] Nob looks slightly more alarmed - and determined. \"Nothing,\" he says. \"I work here. My job to see all goes well.\" And he lifts his chin, staring back at the man. Don\'t try anything, his look says.

There is much smirking and nudging among the men at the table. Then one looks back at the other fellow. \"Haven\'t seen her for a bit,\" he says, shrugging. Clearly, he doesn\'t care. \"Saw her around that one lady lives out somewhere\'s around Archet,\" pipes up a second, helpfully. \"Been a while though...\"

\"Archet,\" the stranger repeats. \"How far is that?\"

Looking back to Nob, he snorts. \"To make sure I go well? Well away, you mean? Maybe I would, if someone round here actually answered questions. Kiern! Someone told me Breefolk welcomed travellers.\"

[Nob(#16122)] \"We have been answering your questions,\" Nob says indignantly. And to prove it, he says, \"Archet\'s but a walk less than a day. Maybe shorter for you with your long legs.\"

The stranger grunts at that. \"Fine.\" After a pause he tosses in a \"thanks. In that case, I\'ll head that way in a day or two. Know anyone who\'d show me the way?\" Without waiting for an answer, he mutters. \"Never mind. I\'ll find someone - after I\'ve finished this ale.\" Pointedly ignoring the hovering hobbit, he returns his attention to his drink. If the rate he\'s sipping it now is anything to go by, Nob might be in for a /long/ wait before he\'s rid of his unwelcome guest.

[Nob(#16122)] Nob doesn\'t wait that long, really. He stands around a bit longer, until he seems satisfied that nothing untoward will happen, and then he begins to circulate again drinks here, food there, chat here. At one point, he comes back to the stranger to say, \"There\'s a boy here, lad name of Lek. We could spare him a day or two, he\'ll take you, if you like. He\'s a good lad.\" And then he is off again.