The White Horse Inn, Act II

[Amanaduial the archer]

Scanning the crowded room quickly, Hisimé saw nowhere he could sit, and the woman he had guessed to be the Innkeeper was now readying herself to speak anyway - it would be impolite to start moving around when she was making an announcement, and impolite the soldier certainly was not. So, leaning against the wall, a look of mild interest on his features, he crossed his arms and waited.

"Hear now! Oi, listen up!" The young woman's shout as she got onto a stool to address the whole room eventually caused the chatter around the room to stop, although a few murmuring voices continued stubbornly. Hisimé glared at the back of a particularly rowdy man's head - from the way he was speaking as if his ears were plugged with cotton wool and his mouth was half full of honey, the Gondorian guessed he had had a drink too many. A fight he was not afraid of, but neither was he searching for one, and it was probably best that the man's companions, embarrassed, managed to shush him before Hisimé did it for them.

Looking back up to the woman, he listened to her announcement with even more interest and, as she finished, the chatter began once more, much louder in volume, and food began to get served from in the kitchen, the tantalising whiffs catching Hisimé's nose and stomach. Certainly if the food tasted half as good as it smelt...

The woman who had made the announcement was now talking to a crowd gathered around her, and before Hisimé got close enough to talk to her, she disappeared into the kitchen. The man sighed, but shrugged - no matter, it was doubtful he would miss anything until after lunch, and she would still be here. So, ordering himself a meal, he found himself a seat by the wall, he looked in on the room, content after his journey to eat and do a spot of 'poppling'.

~*~

The meal proved to taste every bit as good as the smell had promised, and, with his plates cleared away, Hisimé stood once more as he saw the woman who had made the announcement - he needed to find out her name! - come back out. Starting towards her, the Gondorian caught her eye halfway across the room and smiled politely, inclining his head, and as he reached her he touched his forehead couteously.

"Good day to you, ma'am," he started, then faltered slightly, realising that after the Inn's recent disaster, these may not have been the best words to use. Apparently sensing his slight stop, the woman grinned, shaking her head to clear any embarrassment.

"Good day. I am Aylwen, the assistant Innkeeper. May I help you?"

Ah ha! I have a name for her now! "My name is Hisimé, I am a soldier from Gondor, but I believe I can help you - I have the some experience in carpentry, and I gather that would not go amiss around here, as well as some experience with horses, if it would be useful. And as to how you can help me - I don't suppose there is a room free?"