[Kransha]

Tobias Hornblower hopped up from his place, still muttering quietly, and walked over to bar. He propped himself up against and, with a similarly splendid flourish, whisked the pipe back into his coat pocket. He leaned against the bar for a moment, his half-closed eyes overlooking his surroundings, and finally turned to the innkeeper and looked her over too. After a second of that, he snorted rather indignantly and spoke up, as humbly as could.

“Madam,” he said, murmuring in a gruff but meek voice, “Would you by any chance be willing to accept credit for some refreshment, or perhaps a trade? I’ve got collateral aplenty and my word should be good here.” He seemed confident enough as he spoke, even though he was obviously nervous and thirsty.

Of course, he was lying. His word wasn’t good anywhere. He was a relatively well-off hobbit financially, but he had a tendency to forget the paying of his bill. He did have collateral, though, in the form of a large pouch brimming with Longbottom Leaf. He hoped it would serve, since he had no other items of value with him. He hadn’t been in the Green Dragon Inn since before the Great War, and he distinctly remembered “accidentally dropping his hat outside the door.” He fervently hoped that this incident had been forgotten with the arrival of a new innkeeper.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 5:26 PM January 26, 2004: Message edited by: Kransha ]