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Old 01-14-2008, 06:34 PM   #33
Gwathagor
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: A Rainy Night In Soho
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Gwathagor is a guest of Elrond in Rivendell.Gwathagor is a guest of Elrond in Rivendell.Gwathagor is a guest of Elrond in Rivendell.
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Brown didn't have anything against ladies as a rule...but so many of them in one place made him slightly nervous. But, being a polite and good-natured fellow, he complacently shook hands obligingly, participated in the necessary introductions, and so made the acquaintance of Bunny, who was evidently a friend of Tansy, Fred's sister. However, when he was called into the kitchen by Fred, it was with a certain degree of relief that he obliged. All too soon the girls trooped in, and the conversation quickly rose to a busy, bubbly crescendo. Brown tried to block it out while pretending he was listening. He had just finished studying the wood grain of the table, and was about to quietly suggest to Fred that they wander off to the library or the parlor for a quiet chat, when Fred spoke up. Brown settled down in his chair to wait out the conversation, which would probably be about the weather or mutual friends.

"So you're leaving tomorrow morning, are you, girls?"

Brown pricked up his ears. This was more in his line of interest.

"Where're you off to, then?” he asked. "Anywhere I would have heard of?"

"Aye,” said Fred. "Brown's a great traveler, he is. He hiked the Bounds Loop when he was not but a lad."

"It wasn't THAT long ago", responded Brown, slightly embarrassed.

Tansy and Bunny cast each other brief, furtive glances, as neither wished to reveal the true nature of their trip. Fred solved the problem for them.

“From what Tansy’s told me,” said Fred, “They’re headed up to the North Farthing to visit some friends near Oatbarton.”

Bunny looked at Tansy questioningly. Tansy shrugged and smiled.

“Oh, to be sure. Oatbarton is a lovely area, I’ve been there several times. Very friendly folk.” Here Brown looked over at Tansy and Bunny. “How long do you plan to be away?” There. He had made a concerted effort to be involved in the conversation.

Tansy and Bunny responded simultaneously, one with “Yes”, and the other with “Oh no.” Fred and Brown looked at each other, and then back at them.

“That is to say,” Bunny blurted out, “That we don’t really know yet. We haven’t decided for sure…”

There was a moment of awkward silence as Fred examined his sister Tansy with a shrewd eye.

“Tansy,” he said at last, “Where are you really going?”
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