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Old 12-09-2003, 02:13 PM   #213
Mithadan
Spirit of Mist
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Tol Eressea
Posts: 3,310
Mithadan is a guest at the Prancing Pony.Mithadan is a guest at the Prancing Pony.
Sting

The Innkeeper assisted in the offloading of the wagon. He smiled when he saw the mark which identified some of the casks as being of Dorwinion origin, though he squinted and puzzled over the odd southron runes which marked the other casks.

"Master Rimbaud told me to expect you," he said. "But I feared that I might have missed the shipment. I returned to reopen the Inn just a day ago."

"Reopen?" asked Nerindel with a frown. "It has been closed? And where is Rimbaud."

"Aye," answered the Innkeeper. "The Star has been closed for some months now. Master Rimbaud went off on a journey. When he returned, he was...ill. He is now resting in the care of a healer. Perhaps someday he will return, but for now I am the barkeep and master of this place."

Nerindel nodded with a bit of suspicion, which evaporated quickly once the last cask was unloaded and the Innkeeper invited them in to settle accounts and have a drink. He disappeared into the back room for a moment as the servers quickly and quietly attended to the customers. Then he returned bearing a cloth bag which he delivered to the wagoneer. "There!" he said. "I believe this is what was agreed to. Though I'm a bit surprised at the size of your cavalcade. Will you all be staying?"

Nerindel opened the bag and checked its contents quickly. Then, with a nod and a smile, she passed it to Hámalin who fastened it to his belt under his shirt. "No...sir," she answered, realizing she had not caught the Innkeeper's name. "I will stay with Líresule, Odrin and Master Fastred, if we may. The others will stay with our friends elsewhere in the city."

"Good, good!" cried Morien. "Your first night will be on the house as will be dinner. Now where is that woman? Mellonin! Girl! Come here!"

Mellonin had been chatting with a young man, but trotted over quickly. She stared openly at the Dwarf and the Hobbit as the Innkeeper spoke. "Rooms for these four, girl. On the house for this night as will be their dinner. But not their drinks! There'll be many of those if I'm any judge." He wiped his hands on a towel and walked off towards the young man as Mellonin took the new guests to a desk to sign in.

The Innkeeper stopped before the young man. He noted that the mug of stout was nearly drained and nodded his head. A server swept by, grabbing the mug as he passed and replacing it with a full one. "Thank you," stammered the man, but the server was already gone.

"Are you new to Gondor?" asked Morien.

"Yes," answered the lad as he sipped at his mug. "At least I think I am. I'm not sure..." Morien frowned and sat down next to the young man.
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Beleriand, Beleriand,
the borders of the Elven-land.
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