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Old 03-27-2011, 01:41 PM   #122
Pitchwife
Wight of the Old Forest
 
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Unattended on the railway station, in the litter at the dancehall
Posts: 3,355
Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.
“We have quite a lot to tell you", Harrenon said. "We seemed to have a rotten luck when we first did research for this play. I am sorry to say this, but most of what we have thought was true is actually wrong.”

That was no exaggeration. Their conversation with Bergil had been long and fruitful - so much so that Coldan had had to borrow quill and paper from the tavern's landlord to take down some notes - and little of what he had told them matched the way they had been about to represent their main characters.

"He's right", Coldan told Brinn. "Ve met an officer of the Steward's White Company who was an errand boy for the Houses of Healing during ze last days of the War and came to know some of ze Ringbearer's companions - most notably ze halflings Peregrin (who, it seems, vasn't a prince after all) and Meriadoc. According to our officer, it vas ze latter who helped ze Lady Éowyn slay ze Vitch-King; and he vas quite sure neither of zem ever mentioned an elven maid named Mary as a member of zeir Fellowship." He looked at Asta unhappily and bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Asta; I really am, but zat's ze plain truth."

"This is all very well", Brinn put in before her sister could throw another tantrum about refusing to play a halfling, "but didn't I tell you to gather information about the Men of Gondor? All of them?"

"I vas getting to zat", Coldan hastened to assure her, grateful to change the subject. "He had some very interesting things to say about the King, vich bear to be quoted literally." He leafed through the sheaf of notes he had brought with him and, having found the pertinent lines, proceeded to read. "Quote: 'Rugged and tanned he looked when I first saw him, like one long vont to sleep rough and valk abroad in every veather, and yet noble and kingly, stern of countenance but kind in his demeanor, jesting viz ze halflings even ven he vas veary from battle. Only much later did it become known to us zat he had long fought ze Shadow in many lands, even here in Gondor, under many names and guises', unquote, emphasis mine." He tucked the papers back under his arm. "Much as I hate to admit it, it looks like Branor's spy-king idea has a grain of truth in it - although our informant vas quite adamant zat ze King never had any secret traffic viz ze Enemy; he seemed to consider ze mere suggestion blasphemy." He cleared his throat. "Zere's a lot more, about Boromir and ze lord Denethor, and Prince Faramir and ze Lady Éowyn, but it's a long story, and I'd like somezing to oil my throat for ze telling."
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