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Old 01-23-2004, 03:28 PM   #76
Ealasaide
Shadow of Tyrn Gorthad
 
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Sting

The coffee merchant was beginning to wear on Airefalas' patience. For one thing he stood too close to Airefalas for the northerner's comfort, placing his face within inches of Airefalas' nose when he spoke. For another thing, his breath stank. To top things off, his merchandise was of questionable quality, while being offered - very stubbornly - at an extremely inflated price. Feeling a touch nauseated from the man's rancid breath, Airefalas tried for about the tenth time to break away, but found himself blocked yet again. Clinching the muscles in his jaw, he was just about to reach out and physically put the man out of his way when he noticed a very richly dressed Umbarian youth watching him. When he saw that Airefalas had noticed him, the young man smiled infectiously. Hoping to unload the obnoxious coffee merchant on to him, Airefalas grinned back.

"Do you wish to buy coffee?" he asked, trying hard to keep the irritation out of his voice. He almost added, please, but in the end just raised his eyebrows hopefully.

"No," answered the youth. "I am not a trader, but I am eager to speak to you and learn more about your home. Tell me, are there mountains there?"

"Yes!" answered Airefalas with a little more enthusiasm than the question warranted. He edged quickly around the coffee merchant, who had dropped back a step out of deference to the newcomer. Gesturing with a nod for the obviously well-born young man to accompany him, Airefalas moved swiftly out of the range of the coffee merchant. When he thought he had reached a safe enough distance, he snagged a glass of red wine from a passing servant's tray and turned his attention back to the boy. He let out a deep breath.

"Yes, Gondor is quite mountainous in the north and the area around Minas Tirith, where I come from," he answered. "In fact, the White City itself is cut out of the side of a mountain. Why do you ask? Do you come from the mountains?"

"I am fond of mountains," answered the young man rather evasively. "And Minas Tirith," he continued. "Is it a great city? As great as Umbar?"

"Every bit as great as Umbar," answered Airefalas. "Greater, if you will pardon a man's affection for his homeland." He smiled at the young Umbarian and watched as he mulled the last bit over. Airefalas went on: "Minas Tirith hasn't the heat or dust of Umbar. On a clear morning, the spires of the citadel sparkle."

"I should like to see that someday," said the youth. "I am named Tinar, by the way. And you are...?"

"Airefalas, First Mate of the Lonely Star." He gestured vaguely in the direction in which he had last seen Mithadan. "My captain, Mithadan, is here somewhere."

"Yes, I saw him," answered Tinar. "I should like to meet him, too, before the evening is up. But for the moment -" he bowed politely "- I am pleased to meet you."

Bowing in his turn, Airefalas grinned. "Not nearly so pleased as I am to meet you. I shall be forever in your debt for your timely appearance at that pestilential coffeeman's booth. If he comes at me again, I think I shall be obliged to kill him." Seeing Tinar's shocked expression, Airefalas winked at him. "Either that or kill myself. One of the two. I don't think I could bear another session with him."

Seeing the joke, Tinar laughed. "Yes, he was a bit rank. Now, what you were saying about the citadel..."

From there the conversation returned to the topic of Gondor and Minas Tirith. Airefalas found the boy curious and very bright, asking all sorts of questions, some of which had never even occurred to him. He felt a bit uncomfortable talking so much about his homeland to someone who had been until recently - and possibly could still be - considered the enemy. With that in mind, he made certain to reveal nothing that wasn't ancient history or couldn't be learned from the deck of a ship on the Anduin, deftly turning the topic whenever the young man's questions grew too probing. Even so, he enjoyed the conversation very much. Finally, when Tinar seemed to run out of questions for a moment, Airefalas decided to ask a few of his own.

"Tell me, Tinar," he said. "Are you a relation of Lord Falasmir? I seem to remember you coming in with his entourage, though I know we weren't introduced at the time."

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 7:17 PM January 23, 2004: Message edited by: Ealasaide ]
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