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Old 09-07-2003, 05:11 PM   #18
Snowdog
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: The Western Shore of Lake Evendim
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Pipe

Hanasian in the Forsaken Inn:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I could see my brethren eye Vanwe in various suspicious ways, for the likeness was great. But I could still see the face of Naiore as she grinned at me, sacrificing her cohort upon my sword. And how she looked as she took down Farasan... It is no doubt that much has been done by Naiore to countless others, each affecting scores of others.

I smiled at Vanwe as she stood as if frozen, a nervous shaking I could detect as we considered her and her words. It was Amandur who broke the ice as he recommended the stew. I replied to Vanwe,

'Aye miss, the lamb stew with some cheese and bread will do, thank you.'

A look of a guarded relief came over Vanwe, and soon Maethor, who also had just arrived at the Inn, requested some fare as well. Rauthain was fresh off a ride, and ordered as well, and Vanwe seemed somewhat relieved she could turn away from the table. I watched her turn and walk away, thinking of our converse a couple nights ago, and knowing she holds the key to finding Naiore. My bretheren considered her as well in their own ways, but for the moment after Vanwe's departure from our table, only the words of our meeting was heard between us. But in our minds we thought of Naiore, and the likeness that Vanwe held of her, and each of us watched her in a guarded stealth of surveillance, with the exception of Maethor whose back was toward her route about the common room. But he studied our eyes one at a time, reading on his own that which his mind spoke of our thoughts which our eyes gave away.

I sipped again my tankard now that Rauthain had the foresight of getting a pitcher of the heavy ale, and I spoke quietly of her,

'She does look like Naiore, but she is just an elf-maiden who works here. She is young in the accounting of years of elves, only being I would guess as old as a single generation of the Dúnedain. Naiore is an ancient elf, though I would not use the term maiden in her reference. Vanwe spent time in the south, and has recently returned north. I believe she knows of Naiore, and may be kin, and in fact may be tracking her as well, though I think it is only, as it is for most of us, due to an evil inflicted by the Ravener.'

I did not let on right now that she was indeed the daughter of Naiore, for I feared their reaction. But I would let them know once we were away from the Inn.


The aroma of Amandur's pipeweed caused me to reach for my own pipe, and I tamped a pinch of the Southfarthing leaf I acquired in Bree. Leaning over to fish out a twig from the kindling box by the fire, I then jammed it into the simmering orange coals in which the dry stick ignited. I lit my pipe and drew some, and held it over to Amandur who was looking to re-light, and soon or table was amidst a thicker cloud of smoke. I then said in response to Rauthain's toast,

'To the King!'

No, I did not toast ourselves as the others did, for it was true we were Dúnedain Rangers who served still the King, but since the war some stayed in service as I and my brethren here, but some did not. I also knew my mission....

My mind then thought of Kaldir, and I knew that Amandur knew of him as well, for he was the one who first met the five of us near the North Downs in 3009 of the last age. It was five who returned from Raven Falls upon the upper Mitheithel. Our party was seven when we rode out, I being then a young Ranger on one of my first extended rides. It was hard to return without Kaldir or Elendir, and worse yet was we knew Elendir was slain, but we did not find Kaldir's body. So it was a calloused joy that I found him here, not the man I knew and rode with for a short time then, but alive. But darkness filled his eyes, and rightly so seeing how he looked now.

'You know I saw and talked to Kaldir here a couple days ago.'

I said to Amandur as my pipe burned itself out. I had been puffing in thought for a bit here, remembering. He looked at me, and I nodded.

'I didn't recognize him at first, but later I spoke and it was he. He don't look too good. I believe he hunts bounty, and seemed to be interested in ....'

I broke off. I thought now of Benia, and the fact she was not here, or Kaldir, or Gilly for that matter. I boiled in concern, though I knew the mission was to find Naiore. I could not allow harm to come to the fair woman whose voice sang to my memories of my days away south. There was something in the air alright, and it was not good. I again sipped my still-near-full tankard and looked about. The folk there seemed the regulars, and some travelers who could not make it to Bree proper and the fine accommodations of the Prancing Pony, and the shadier ones who usually gravitated here to avoid the scrutiny of the King's Constable in Bree. I looked at one who seemed shady who stood at the bar(Avanill), and I knew this Inn had changed little since the King came to power. But their business was their own until it crossed the line of lawlessness, right now, I wondered of the Lady Nightshade so I could pass to her news of Bree, when Vanwe came balancing a large tray with hot stew and a loaf of sourdough and some cheese...

Last edited by piosenniel; 05-11-2006 at 10:35 AM.
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