The Green Dragon Inn - Part 10

[Roa_Aoife]

Roa paused, eyes that were usually alert unfocused. With one hand she loosely held the amulet, with the other she grasped the edge of the table. Taking Galadel's advice, she handed the amulet back to SNaveling and regained control. Roa forced herself to smile, and relax. All in due time... She looked at her friends across the table; both seemed rather wary of her sudden calm. With one last glace at Galadel, she focused her attention back to her friends.

"Forgive my outburst, I was taken by surprise. That is no rare trinket, Snaveling. Be careful of whom you reveal it to." For the first time in a long time, Roa felt truly afraid. As a servant of Isuldur's heir, she would be veiwed as traitorous to the extreme by a descendant of Ar-Pharazôn. If Snaveling was truly his heir, he was her blood enemy. Oh, Bram! I wish you were here to guide me... In her distress, Roa did not notice the new presence just a few feet away.

[Archsage Isaac]

"Of course I travel alone, Eleniel. It doesn't bother me, I've no reason to be bothered. I do thank you for your sympathies, but I do not see how anyone could help me find what I need. No offense, this is my struggle, and I feel I must go alone." Isaac said, kindly. It made him feel good that she had referred to him as 'friend'.

Shaking his head, he turned to the general direction of where a woman had just went into an outburst. While looking, he saw the newly clothed Snaveling. I don't like the sounds of that at all. I only hope that no one becomes violent, not in here anyway... his thoughts were like this for several moments. He gripped his sword and waited to see where this chain of events would take them.

[Kransha]

“Umm…You’ll both have to forgive me, but I really don’t understand. All this about Ar-Phorzora or Phizaru or whatever you called him escapes me. The ways of the Shire are known to me, but this knowledge is not one of the many things I’ve learned. I caught something about Forgotten Caves, a Golden King, and something about a lapdog, but I think the rest of this is completely beyond me. Here now, let me understand. Snaveling: You are seventy-eight years old, yes?”

“Yes, seventy-eight.” responded the man of the south, looking dejected in the face of Roa, who seemed to have taken back her outburst. Toby only wished to understand what was going on. This whole thing had flown by with an incredible speed rearing it and the whole, heated discourse between Roa and Snaveling had been lost on him. He was trying now to regain what composure he had left.

“And the amulet mentioned prior is made of?”

“Mithril.” The single word of response was more than enough. Though he wasn’t wise of such things, Tobias Hornblower still had a good idea of what mithril was. Some material mined by dwarves…or was it elves? Well, it didn’t matter. The point was, it was either valuable, magical, or just very shiny.

“Ah yes, I do believe I caught that part. And Ar-Pharzaro is?”

“Not important.” Snaveling, probably impatient with the hobbit’s curiosity, nearly snapped back.

Toby felt that it probably was important, but didn’t seek the question any further. He understood mostly what had happened, though he didn’t know the details. Even though the fiery conversation was over, both Roa and Snaveling looked subdued. Toby, grumbling to himself as an odd silence tried to descend on the trio, spoke up with as jovial and jocund air as he had ever mustered. What came out sounded more like a oratory proclamation than a heartfelt request.

“Though it seems a little late to salvage the situation, I believe we should all remember that this is a party. Perhaps we should be ‘partying’ instead of sitting here and talking about such things. There is singing to be sung, tales to be told, dancing to be done, drink to be drunk, and all manner of things that could distract us from any sadness or anger within us. This is the Green Dragon Inn and celebration is afoot. For once, if you can, be merry, my friends. In the Shire, you can leave these troubles behind and join the festivities…If it’s the one favor you ever do me.” Toby chortled, even though he was deadly serious now. He was going to make sure that everything worked out this night. He hadn’t been charitable for nothing.

[Firefoot]

The tables were pushed together, and they were ready to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Aman, "We are priviledged tonight to have some extra entertainment for this party - a group of musicians to play for us. I present to you, to celebrate a new era of this Inn, Misses Willow, Daisy, Mira and Lily!" Lily blushed at the applause as Aman helped the hobbits up onto the table. Lily surveyed the room quickly, with an unaccustomed feeling of height over the Big Folk. Many of the patrons of the inn were watching them expectantly, waiting for them to begin. Lily gave one more glance at her fellow musicians, seeing in their faces a touch of nervousness and anticipation combined with just the right amount of confidence and excitement to promise a stellar performance.

"Where shall we begin?" Lily murmured to the others. "A slow one to start maybe? Like the one Willow played?" The others nodded their assent, and Willow did the honors of beginning the song. Lily joined in a few beats later, and she could hear the others doing the same. The sound of fiddles and flutes and Daisy's clear voice rose over any other noise in the inn, and at a point unknown to Lily, she became completely ignorant of anything else happening in the inn, aware only of the harmony of their music and her fiddle. She played as she had never played before, and the music became her all, the only thing that currently mattered. When the song ended, she was almost shocked to find that she was still in the common room surrounded by many other people. A big grin lit her face when she realized what they had accomplished. It had been perfect.

[Eowyn Skywalker]

Willow breathed out tightly as she realized what she had just done. It came as if a dream later, standing up there, and entertaining the entire 'Dragon crowd that day. But they were there, and playing as one.

She had started the first song, and it had went well enough, in her opinion. A smile lit across her face, as she realized that she wasn't afraid to let herself be heard by all the others at the Inn. "A faster one next," she whispered to Lily. "You played one before, go for it!"

Willow smiled openly, and let herself fall into the music, to play as she never had played before. She let her fiddle become a part of her, as if it was part of her arm, and the sound rose up, and across the Inn, the sounds of the fiddle, and flute played together. It was beautiful.

Never before had Willow let herself play in this manner, and she was enjoying every bit of it. The music swelled up from within her, and was the sweetest thing she had ever heard.

And the music filled the Inn, filling the air with music.

[Witch_Queen]

Aduthondiel
"Thank you for your help there, miss - now how can I help you?" Adu was glad that she was finally going to get a chance to talk to Aman.
"Miss Aman, I am Aduthondiel. Well Crystal and Hama call me Adu. I was wondering if there was any way I could possibly help with the celebration for the rest of the night. Crystal has gone to find Angry and Hama went back to Rohan to take over the position of General." Adu went on to tell Aman about how Crystal was told about her father's death. How Hama had decided that he was the right one to take over for General Dorian.

"All I want to do is find something to do tonight besides sit around and watch everyone else. Plus Count seems too cozy to go out for a ride tonight. I guess I have no one else to talk to so I decided that I wanted to help in any way I could." Adu wanted to help or atleast find herself to be usefull in some way. There was usually something for her to do back in Rohan when Dorian was there. Yet that time had passed and Adu didn't know what else she was going to do when Hama returned with the rightful position of General.

Hama will return and we will finally be able to move on with life. Hopefully there will not be a war for many years. Adu smiled at the thought of Hama returning to the Shire.

[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman was a little taken aback by the odd request.

"My dear, it is a party! The best way to help me would be to enjoy yourself - and I say that truly," she added sincerely, though with a smile, laying a hand on Aduthondiel's arm. "I had heard some things about Crystal, besides the parts that she had told me, but this Dorian character..." she blew out and shook her head. "All I can say is that it is well that to curse the dead is bad luck for the things I might be tempted to say!

"Aduthondiel, I...I would honestly like you to enjoy yourself. There is nothing that needs doing really, for I have three servers already," she said, referring to Hawthorne, Buttercup and Ruby. "Have a drink. Take a seat. Listen to the music. Find some conversation - there is certainly plenty! Or," she added, looking up as the music sped up into a lively jig. "find a partner, any partner, and lead us in a dance!"

Looking up at the hobbits on their makeshift stage, Aman smiled. They were all now slightly flushed but had a victorious glint in their eyes as their fingers sped over the strings or as they sang gustily. They were really getting into it, and it had lightened the mood of the Inn in a fresh spurt of merry-making - and, as predicted, the drinks were flowing as fast as the music.