Eorling Mead Hall - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Folwren · 08-31-2006, 02:35 PM

Saeryn’s simple and open way of speech quickly put Medreth at her ease again. She quickly explained that Medreth would not get in the way of her duties. “Would you care to accompany me today?” she then asked, leading the way across the hall. “Or would you prefer to make your own way?”

“I should love to accompany you!” Medreth replied. “We’ve hardly met, but I’m sure we’ll get along capitally together. Besides, I’d feel embarrassed and awkward if I walked around alone,” Medreth admitted. “First, though, please allow me to put away this riding cloak someplace. I’m quite without need of it now and the day is already too warm for it.”

littlemanpoet · 08-31-2006, 08:39 PM

Falco saw that the moment Thornden appeared in the enclosure, the man's face changed. At first the man had seemed gruff but curious, and not threatening. Now his face changed into a mask of fear and rage. Fear was apparently the stronger, for the man backed away and reached out a hand to the wall to steady suddenly unbalanced legs.

As he disappeared behind the wall through the way that he had come, it sounded as if something alive was in the burlap bag, something wanting to escape.

Falco did not wait a moment, but ran far more quickly than his gerth would have seemed to allow, to the way the man had left. He looked back when he had peered around the wall.

"Come!" He waved the boy and the man to follow him.

Thinlómien · 09-01-2006, 08:41 AM

"Mum, have you seen Garmund?" Modtryth heard Cnebba's voice from the other side of the yard. Now who was looking for who...

The boy was looking at her with a rare serious expression. Lèoðern at his side was looking at least as grave. Modtryth let the food be - there was something more important now - and asked: "What is it now, dear?"

The children glanced at each other. "We are going to apologise to him." It was Lèoðern who answered. Modtryth nodded and then smiled at the children. She thought it was not a good idea to start intorregating them as they were already on their way to apologise. She knew she'd find out what had happened later.

"I have not seen him after breakfast time", Modtryth told the children. "But Garstan might know where he is. Let's go to him. And after the whole thing is solved, you'll get some lunch."

Normally Lèoðern and Cnebba would have run to the stoneshaper, but now they walked, setting their pace to Modtryth's. They heard Garstan working inside the new kitchen.

Stepping in, Modtryth greeted Garstan and then pushed the children forwards.
"Dad, have you seen Garmund?" Lèoðern asked.

Folwren · 09-01-2006, 10:36 AM

The stranger had gone! He retreated behind the crumbling wall beyond Thornden’s. But what in middle-earth did that hobbit think he was doing? Falco ran forward to the wall and peered around it and then looked back and was actually beckoning to them to follow him.

“Come!” he called, waving his hand.

“Not on your life!” Thornden replied, standing stock still. “Garmund, get back here,” he ordered as the boy started forward, more sternly than he intended to. “Falco, what are you thinking? I am not going to go hunting that man! Not when I have you and Garmund with me. Garstan expects his son back alive and undamaged, and it’s not safe to go following him. We’ve disturbed him enough. I think we should go.”

littlemanpoet · 09-01-2006, 03:01 PM

"Aye, you should stay," Falco retorted, "'tis you the man fears. He was almost kindly to the boy and me. Something about you being big I don't doubt. I'll not try to take Garmund from you, but I for one am going to find out what I can."

With that, Falco slipped through the opening in the wall and looked around. The woods were thick and closely hung with vines. A narrow path bent left and followed the wall on the other side of which he had left Thornden and Garmund. Quiet as a hobbit can, Falco crept down the path, keeping his eyes, nose, and ears as alert as he could. He'd marked that the man stank a bit, and sniffed the air for remnants of it: a man who hadn't bathed in maybe years.

The path left he curving wall and went straight toward the mountains. Two great firs stood ahead on each side of the path, which was still closed in by thick brush and overhanging trees. He crept to the edge of the fir trees and peered left, hunched over. More woods. He peered right. And met the knees of the man. He looked up. And fell on his back in wide eyed surprise.

"Who be you?" said the man.

"Aye, who?" said the other man that came out of the same pair of legs. For the man was one up to the hips, and split in two above, four arms and two heads. The burlap bag turned out to be the tunic of the new man. They were twins from head to hip, one man from hip to toe.

"Please don't eat me!" Falco squeaked.

Celuien · 09-01-2006, 08:24 PM

"Can we go? Please?" Garmund stared in the direction Falco had taken, trying to pierce the dense trees with his gaze. "I don't think the man wants to hurt us."

"No! I will not have you running into trouble. Who knows how dangerous that man might turn out to be?"

Garmund's face set. "If he is dangerous, should we not go to help Falco?"

Celuien · 09-01-2006, 08:26 PM

"Have you seen Garmund?" Lèoðern asked Garstan.

"Yes, I have. He has gone with Master Boffin and Thornden to see a ruin not far from here."

Lèoðern's face was suddenly crestfallen. "Gone?"

Garstan smiled. "Yes, gone. They are to return before nightfall and share the tales of the day with us over the meal. But, Lèoðern! What means this?"

Tears were trickling down her face, and her lip quivered. "Garmund left, and just when we were going to say we were sorry. He left us! And I'm sure he's not sorry at all."

Garstan shot a puzzled look at Modtryth and Cnebba before repeating his question.

"What means this?"

08-31-2006, 08:39 PM	#2
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	In the ruins Falco saw that the moment Thornden appeared in the enclosure, the man's face changed. At first the man had seemed gruff but curious, and not threatening. Now his face changed into a mask of fear and rage. Fear was apparently the stronger, for the man backed away and reached out a hand to the wall to steady suddenly unbalanced legs. As he disappeared behind the wall through the way that he had come, it sounded as if something alive was in the burlap bag, something wanting to escape. Falco did not wait a moment, but ran far more quickly than his gerth would have seemed to allow, to the way the man had left. He looked back when he had peered around the wall. "Come!" He waved the boy and the man to follow him.

09-01-2006, 08:24 PM	#6
Celuien Riveting Ribbiter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Assigned to Mordor Posts: 1,767	Garmund "Can we go? Please?" Garmund stared in the direction Falco had taken, trying to pierce the dense trees with his gaze. "I don't think the man wants to hurt us." "No! I will not have you running into trouble. Who knows how dangerous that man might turn out to be?" Garmund's face set. "If he is dangerous, should we not go to help Falco?"

09-01-2006, 08:26 PM	#7
Celuien Riveting Ribbiter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Assigned to Mordor Posts: 1,767	Garstan "Have you seen Garmund?" Lèoðern asked Garstan. "Yes, I have. He has gone with Master Boffin and Thornden to see a ruin not far from here." Lèoðern's face was suddenly crestfallen. "Gone?" Garstan smiled. "Yes, gone. They are to return before nightfall and share the tales of the day with us over the meal. But, Lèoðern! What means this?" Tears were trickling down her face, and her lip quivered. "Garmund left, and just when we were going to say we were sorry. He left us! And I'm sure he's not sorry at all." Garstan shot a puzzled look at Modtryth and Cnebba before repeating his question. "What means this?"

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08-31-2006, 02:35 PM	#1
Folwren Messenger of Hope Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States. Posts: 5,076	Saeryn’s simple and open way of speech quickly put Medreth at her ease again. She quickly explained that Medreth would not get in the way of her duties. “Would you care to accompany me today?” she then asked, leading the way across the hall. “Or would you prefer to make your own way?” “I should love to accompany you!” Medreth replied. “We’ve hardly met, but I’m sure we’ll get along capitally together. Besides, I’d feel embarrassed and awkward if I walked around alone,” Medreth admitted. “First, though, please allow me to put away this riding cloak someplace. I’m quite without need of it now and the day is already too warm for it.”

09-01-2006, 08:41 AM	#3
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	"Mum, have you seen Garmund?" Modtryth heard Cnebba's voice from the other side of the yard. Now who was looking for who... The boy was looking at her with a rare serious expression. Lèoðern at his side was looking at least as grave. Modtryth let the food be - there was something more important now - and asked: "What is it now, dear?" The children glanced at each other. "We are going to apologise to him." It was Lèoðern who answered. Modtryth nodded and then smiled at the children. She thought it was not a good idea to start intorregating them as they were already on their way to apologise. She knew she'd find out what had happened later. "I have not seen him after breakfast time", Modtryth told the children. "But Garstan might know where he is. Let's go to him. And after the whole thing is solved, you'll get some lunch." Normally Lèoðern and Cnebba would have run to the stoneshaper, but now they walked, setting their pace to Modtryth's. They heard Garstan working inside the new kitchen. Stepping in, Modtryth greeted Garstan and then pushed the children forwards. "Dad, have you seen Garmund?" Lèoðern asked.

09-01-2006, 10:36 AM	#4
Folwren Messenger of Hope Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States. Posts: 5,076	The stranger had gone! He retreated behind the crumbling wall beyond Thornden’s. But what in middle-earth did that hobbit think he was doing? Falco ran forward to the wall and peered around it and then looked back and was actually beckoning to them to follow him. “Come!” he called, waving his hand. “Not on your life!” Thornden replied, standing stock still. “Garmund, get back here,” he ordered as the boy started forward, more sternly than he intended to. “Falco, what are you thinking? I am not going to go hunting that man! Not when I have you and Garmund with me. Garstan expects his son back alive and undamaged, and it’s not safe to go following him. We’ve disturbed him enough. I think we should go.”

09-01-2006, 03:01 PM	#5
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	"Aye, you should stay," Falco retorted, "'tis you the man fears. He was almost kindly to the boy and me. Something about you being big I don't doubt. I'll not try to take Garmund from you, but I for one am going to find out what I can." With that, Falco slipped through the opening in the wall and looked around. The woods were thick and closely hung with vines. A narrow path bent left and followed the wall on the other side of which he had left Thornden and Garmund. Quiet as a hobbit can, Falco crept down the path, keeping his eyes, nose, and ears as alert as he could. He'd marked that the man stank a bit, and sniffed the air for remnants of it: a man who hadn't bathed in maybe years. The path left he curving wall and went straight toward the mountains. Two great firs stood ahead on each side of the path, which was still closed in by thick brush and overhanging trees. He crept to the edge of the fir trees and peered left, hunched over. More woods. He peered right. And met the knees of the man. He looked up. And fell on his back in wide eyed surprise. "Who be you?" said the man. "Aye, who?" said the other man that came out of the same pair of legs. For the man was one up to the hips, and split in two above, four arms and two heads. The burlap bag turned out to be the tunic of the new man. They were twins from head to hip, one man from hip to toe. "Please don't eat me!" Falco squeaked.