[Jack]

A tall man cloaked in dark grey slipped off his horse and walked quickly up to the inn. Inquiring of the barkeeper the man walked up the stairs towards Éofalas’s room.

Éofalas woke with a start, someone was pounding on his door rolling out of bed Éofalas hit the floor, hard. "Ouch… how long have I been sleeping?" Éofalas moaned to himself. He couldn’t remember sleeping so hard since… oh a long, long time. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he opened the door.

“Thendrul!” Éofalas gasped. “So good to see you.”
“I wish I could say the same…” Thendrul said, a note of sorrow in his voice. “You look tired my old friend.”

“Yes I am I admit, but what brings you here of all places?” Éofalas asked.

Thendrul stared at him with his pale grey eyes. “Your grandmother wants you... Will you come back?"

Éofalas frowned his own blue-grey eyes meeting Thendrul's. "No... no not yet, not now." Éofalas sighed heavily.

"I didn't think you would... I told the poor lady so, comeing up on her sixty-eighth winter is it not?" Thendrul said sadly.

Éofalas nodded, "Give her my greetings and say I will come in a few weeks, perhaps..."

"She said to give you this," Thendrul pushed the ring into Éofalas's hand and turned abruptly and walked quickly down the hall.

Éofalas stared after him. Then he started after him, “Thendrul, Thendrul wait…” He dodged various people in the main room of the inn. “Thendrul…” By the time Éofalas reached the courtyard Thendrul was gone… Éofalas heard the sounds of Thendrul’s horse as it galloped away from the inn.

The rain pored down on him as he stared at the ring in his hand. It was silver, to dragons entwined around it, worked into the precious medal. To golden gems twinkled in the dull light.

Was it his imagination or did the rain begin fall harder. Turning Éofalas climbed the steps and went back into the inn. He felt tired again, but denying himself the right to return to his room he ordered some ale and sat out of the way to observe the people around him.

There seemed to be a market in the large room. Stalls lined the wall as hobbits, elves, and men milled around them. He saw a stall of candles; he could us one or two of the big drippy ones. Standing he made his way over to the stall.