The Green Dragon Inn #11 - The Last Chapter

[Firefoot]

Lily could not help but feel sympathy for Gróin, who had gone through so much moving around and hardship. He had said his tale was not so full of woe, yet it really was. She had listened intently, and had done well with her vow, right up until the end. Such similarities… “Lily? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Slightly exasperated, Lily said, “My goodness, yes. Or if I am not, there is nothing that can be done about it right now except hope to forget about my problems until something can be done.” She laughed slightly to take off any edge there might be to her words. “And you, Gróin, might do well to forget that there are problems at all. I think that you worry too much, though perhaps this is a habit you have gotten through long years of hardship. The night is fair and there is a party here. Enjoy yourself for once.” But the words sounded hollow even to her. Good advice, maybe, to herself as much as to him, but rather futile. After all, Posco was still here but inside, and Marcho sat alone across the lawn. Her gaze wandered over to the band playing a lively tune. A bit of dancing, perhaps? Would that lighten the mood? So risky, though – it would not do for Marcho to see her. And her heart would not be in it, either.

She sighed. “It doesn’t really work that way, does it? For I am a worrier, too, and forgetting does not come easily. What I really need is someone with information… but someone who will not inform him that I am here. His traveling companion – or perhaps guardian – Marcho is sitting over there, but I believe that he would let promptly let him know I was here.” Lily realized that she had not yet told Gróin Posco’s name, and found that maybe it would be easier to keep it that way. “And at this rate I will never find what I seek, because for it to work out I need help to fall into my lap.” And as much as she did not want to, she knew that in some strange way she was asking Gróin for help he could not really give. She did not see how he could help her at all, in fact, and she hated dragging him into her problems when he had enough of his own.

She was tired of this whole thing. She only needed to know one small thing, and then she could go home. But she already knew, didn't she? "Listen to me prattle on - all this worry to find out something that I have already found out. If what I have heard is true, then I have no business here. Perhaps I should not have come."

[Witch_Queen]

The door opened from the party outside. Avalon flew in the back door. She had traveled all the way from Rohan and now she was back in The Shire. Avalon had been alone since Cree's depature. She had flew around Middle Earth searching for any sign of Cree. Her search unfortunately was coming to a dead end. She saw new faces and heard new voices, indeed she had been gone for a long time. Avalon spread her large white wings allowing her to land softly on the end of the bar. As she landed a few "unknown" people tried to shoo her away. "Crows don't belong inside the inn." "Begone you animal." Avalon knew times had changed, but this was still her home.

Cree had left Avalon here to help in any way she could. Avalon remembered helping hang objects from the ceiling when a festival or party was going on. Now she was back to fullfill her end of the "abandonment." Avalon heard voices outside, laughter and music. A party... Indeed I arrived later than intended. Avalon flew back outside to see she was right. Everything was beautiful. Yes she saw faces she didn't know but there was the few that she recognized with ease. She flew over the party to see if she might find a very familar face... But there was no sign of Cree. Avalon flew to an empty seat to rest her wings. Before she could even get settled down someone almost sat down on her. Avalon screeched a warning. This was her seat for the moment. Her warning was a friendly one but still she knew she probably scared someone.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

With a hand still tightly bound in an old bandage, a grim faced Elf sat in the corner of the Inn. How long he had been there, none could guess. His eyes were full of memory and wonder, so many things had passed his sight, yet it was not all good. The Elf held in his hand a large mug of Shire ale, he held it aloft towards a picture of a Green Dragon, hanging on the wall.

"Here’s to you," he said quietly, "may you rot." he laughed heartily and drank deeply. Some Hobbits eyed him and shook their heads. Those crazy outsiders were at it again; they decided and paid no more heed to the Elf.

Fáinu's adventures since he was last in the Green Dragon had not quite gone as planed. Cree had been helpful; there was no denying it, yet ever as the road had gone forth, a foreboding had gone with him. Leaving her in Rivendel had set his mind at ease. Dragon’s spells were terrible things; surly the Elves there had the skill. Or at least, more than what he had.

Leaning back he produced a long wooden pipe from his coat and lit it, the tobacco burned and he puffed out several smoke rings. Most refreshing. Since the Dragon burn, he had never smoked. But now, he was free. Or rather, free-er. The dying breaths of that foul creature, that deceiver that-

This wasn't helping. Nor was the ale, as he came to think of it. The sound of the party outside, encouraged him to go and see what was what. So he rose and looked out of the window. The happy folk seemed so far from the troubles and wars... and Dragons. But one thought remained in Fáinu's mind: "This bandage is itchy."

[Salacia Deloresista]

Left foot. Lift. Forward. Drop. Right foot. Lift. Forward. Drop. Breathe. There had been yelling, loud, angry words. Noises, crashes that made her flinch and want to cry. Rough hands reached for her. Anger, spit, and a smell like old vinegar few at her face. The hands drew back, and in the pain that followed, her twelve year old mind could only retain one thought. She had to leave. And so she left, waiting until he was asleep then, wrapping anything edible she could find in the house into a bundle, she waked out the door.

The terror of the next few days overwhelmed her. Alone, across unknown wilderness, she wandered, her destination that mythical place in her imagination known only as "away." It was a place without fathers, without beatings or fear. She traveled only at night, dreading the light of day that would reveal her to the eyes that were surely looking for her, and the hands that would follow to punish her daring bid for freedom. Every moan of the wind was the sound of the dogs on her trail, every snap his footstep, every breeze his breath. He was cloaked in every shadow, hidden behind every tree. She ran when she could, walked when she had to and crawled before exhaustion forced her to collapse and sleep through another day. How could she know that the drunken stupor in which she left her father would be the one from which he would never wake up?

She walked. Tangles of brush became woods, woods became fields, fields became farms and the hills...houses. Her first coherent thought burned itself across days worth of terror. People live in those hills. But any one of them could turn her in, pick her up, take her back. Left foot. Lift. Forward. Drop. Right foot. Lift. Forward. Drop. On and on, step after step, until one day, at last, she heard laughter and singing, smelled food. The light streaming from the windows pierced the darkness of her mind. The sign outside the building glinted green as it swung in and out of the light in the window. A figure...some kind of lizard...a green dragon.

[Witch_Queen]

Avalon looked around, still no sign of Cree. She flew up in the air to get a "crow's eye view" of all the festivities. She thought she saw a very familar face. "Fáinu?" Avalon dived towards the ground, she knew where she was going this time. If he was back then there was the chance that Cree had returned as promised. Avalon landed on the ground in front of the elf. "Fáinu!" but she knew all he could hear was "SCREECH!!!!" "Where's Cree? Why isn't she here with you? What happened to her?" Even though she knew he didn't understand her Avalon couldn't help but worry about her friend.

What's the use of the questions? He couldn't understand me if I drew him out a map. But if he's here then where is Cree. I hope nothing bad has happened to her. Come on Fáinu tell me something. I need to know where is Cree?