The Green Dragon Inn #11 - The Last Chapter

[starkat]

Gwenneth smiled at Ascasir as he bowed. Temporarily at a loss for something to say, she took a sip of her cider and looked around the room. She watched a new elf come in and take a seat.

Isilmë cleared his throat and Gwenneth turned back to her companions and apologize. “I did not mean to let my mind wander like that. Please forgive me. Since it sounds like both you have not seen much of the Shire, why don’t we go riding? I have yet to take my mare out today and the weather appears to be nice."

[Witch_Queen]

Adu looked at him. My hurt? She wasn't sure which problem she should tell him about. "Its a long story. One that may take a while. Fáinu, I was fell victim to an evil tyrant which luckily is now dead. It all happened many years ago. You could almost say I was too young to know better. I allowed my heart to choose what I did. My father wasn't even as good as he claimed." She went on to tell Fáinu about her journey from what was then Mirkwood to Rohan. "I traveled at night and didn't worry about sleeping during the day. When I arrived in Rohan I had over-heard someone talking about the "shield-maiddens". So of course I just had to try something new. I hid my identity. For I was afraid of what would happen if they knew I was an elf." Adu paused. Yes but I even hid myself from me.

"You could almost say I didn't even know myself when I finished. I learned to use the sword and bow. Finally General Dorian took me under his wing. He was like the father I always wanted." She talked about the love she had for him and his children. To her they were just like her own. While Adu was in Dorian's "army" she met a man named Jack Sloll. He took control of her heart and then abandoned her when she needed him the most. "I woke up and he was gone. No note, no nothing. It was as if he was never there. Then Dorian blamed me for Jack's leaving. I ended up spending a week with the children and wasn't allowed to leave the house. It was like a prison. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months and the months became years. I fought by Dorian's side. It didn't matter, I would die for him."

Adu stopped for a moment. Her throat was dry and all she needed was to wet it a little. So she got up and walked to the counter, grabbed another mugg of ale before going back to her seat. "Finally Dorian and his daughter Crystal was at odds. She left home and came to the Shire. Unlucky me was sent after her. Dorian gave me my horse, my sword, my life and now he expected me to take the life of his daughter. I couldn't so we faked her death. Dorian was going to come to the Shire to take my horse and everything he gave me away. Fortunately he was killed. Now I am waiting on my old companion to return from Rohan. Perhaps now there will be a general in Rohan worthy of my sword." A tear rolled down Adu's cheek before she made the attempt to wipe it away. It escaped her hand and continued to roll. "There, Fáinu, now you know my troubles. Now you know my pain. Physical pain can sometimes go away but when it comes to the emotions of my kind, I would rather be dead instead of living my life knowing my life and emotions was stolen away from me."

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Fáinu sat a while in silence, not sure of how to react to this tale of grief and misery. He sat back in his chair and thought, the crackle of the fire seemed to be growing to an eerie echo in his mind and he looked unhappy.

"Physical pain, can go away," he echoed, "But grief will not. Still in my dreams the words of the Dragon and the screams of Dale go on, gnawing at me. But now, I am rambling."

Fáinu smiled at her hoping to cheer her, he knew how hard it was to retrieve old hurts from afar. He knew, if a little, of the pain she bore. For he had to watch his family being consumed in flame, and that was a nightmare that marred his sleep.

"What do you plan to do now?" he asked, though he knew he could not answer if she asked the same of him, "I wish that I could go back to the house of Elrond, but something draws me away, and it is not longing for the sea."

Adu sat quite still, this slightly surprised Fainu, for on many occasions where he had mentioned the sea, elves would become mournful and regain their longing. She perhaps had too many hurts and did not believe that there was healing in Aman, or maybe, she had been told false stories of it. He could not tell.

Fáinu got up and asked for another drink form the bar, he received one and sat back down by the fire. He drank a little and then sat back, the sound of Hobbit talk seemed to be growing. A few were getting drunk and singing. Adu smiled a little at this as some acted foolishly. Fáinu leaned forward and looked at her.

"Where do you live now if not in Rohan?" he asked, "Here in the Shire?"

She at first made no answer; perhaps she was distracted a little by the merriment and silly behaviour of the surrounding Hobbits. The sounds of an argument could be heard in the kitchen, Still the Hobbit was being told off for forgetting about the kettle.

[Witch_Queen]

"Where do you live now if not in Rohan?" Fáinu asked, "Here in the Shire?" Adu sat there silent. Though she knew none but few felt the way she did. "I live no where now. I'm only staying here for a short time. Rohan is no longer my home." Her words echoed in her heart. But Rohan is everything I have now. "The sea only tells me to stay away. For I am not worthy to be around the glory of the elves. Why leave a world that still needs me?" The only thing Adu knew was that her father had left these lands and she wasn't wanting to join him. "I could never live in the Shire. Too much merriment for me. After all it only reminds me of how gloomy my life is already. Why should I be reminded of it all? Why should I be tortured everyday?" Her words were swallowed up by the sounds in the room.

What once was a whisper had become a full out right shout. Adu could choose to leave and go some where else, but where would that be. She feared staying in a place for too long. Adu slipped her hand in her pocket and felt of the ring her friend had given her. Jack had left her once and then came back to her. The only thing was... Jack had changed and Adu didnt' know him any more. Why should I suffer while everyone else gets to be happy? What is left for me in this life? Do I just stand around and do nothing but soak up my undieing defeat? I have got to do something now. I can't just setting her moping.

Adu looked down into her mug. The ale reflected her face. For once in her long life Adu finally saw the scars she had acquired. These were not physical scars these were the scars on her heart. "My heart is probably dead to everything," Adu figured Fáinu had over heard her words. "After all who can keep their own heart from withering away? I have seen my own "friends" find happiness in others. For me I do not believe that is so easily accomplished." Adu looked up at Fáinu and smiled. "Oh forgive me I am going on and on about my troubles. Few care and then again few do care at all about me."

[Hookbill the Goomba]

"Come," said Fáinu, "That cannot be true, what of Crystal? For I perceive that she was a dear friend. Surely she cares for you?"

Fáinu wanted to encourage her; he did not like to see any elf so sad and gloomy, even though he knew the same was in him. She stared into the fire and Fáinu once again withdrew his glaze from it. A few hobbits began to sing and dance on top of tables; they sung silly songs about ale and climbing over hills.

"Think yourself lucky," Fáinu said at length, "You have companions, I have not known good company for a long time. Once I rode forth with Elodan and Elrohir, but that was long ago, and I have not seen them for a long time. I doubt even if they would recognise me."

Adu looked still into the fire; as if some concern had suddenly dawned on her. Fáinu wished he could help, but knew that he would probably make things worse. He knew not his place in the world, now that Smaug was dead; he saw no means to go on living. Before he had thought to gain revenge on Smaug for the destruction of lands and the murder of his family. When news of Bard's victory came to him, he was struck as one who has a stone thrown at them. The pain in his mind was dimmer when Smaug died, indeed, Fáinu knew the very hour that it happened for the pain on his mind was lifted a little.

Yea, Sorrow never dies, and if one has companions, it is dimmed to a mere flicker in the dark, but when one is alone, it grows.

His thought trailed off, as he looked about the room, the sun was streaking through the round windows and many Hobbits were leaving to get on with duties elsewhere. Fáinu became aware that Adu looked to have dimmed her sorrow for now and was smiling lightly.

[piosenniel]

NOTICE OF TIME CHANGE COMING FOR THE INN

Tomorrow, late Sunday Pacific Time U.S., I'll turn time forward a little in the Inn.

It will be nearing evening and suppertime.

Until then, please finish your interactions that take part during this day in the Inn.

Thanks!

~*~ Pio, Shire Moderator

[Arry]

The afternoon passed in a pleasing manner for Andwise. His small, thick-fingered hands, moved easily over the cabinet facings – taking off the old paint, smoothing out rough patches, filling in dents. Each one, when done and declared ready by him, was lined up against the side of the cottage away from where the addition was going on. Ferdy, would then take them up two at a time, to the saw-horse table he’d put together for himself, and sand them even more finely, then would come the stain and finally the rubbing of each to a soft luster.

By the end of the day, they should have the cabinets all done. Tomorrow, Ferdy could begin work on the window and doorway mouldings. They were in fair repair and shouldn’t take long. Andwise, as he worked along in his methodical manner, had begun thinking already of the main door to the cottage. It was a thick oaken door – but as plain and serviceable as its former owner. It wouldn’t do, he thought, for the stablemaster and his new bride. Andwise whistled a bright little jig as his hands moved over the wood before him and his mind moved over the design that had begun to form in his mind.