The Green Dragon Inn - Part 4

[Nerindel]

Léspheria was once again ducking behind the bar to refill the pitcher she carried. She turned the tap in the keg but nothing came out, "empty!" a puzzled frown crossed her brow, Buttercup hadn't shown her how to tap the kegs. She looked from the keg to the tap to the staff who were busily running back and forwards with arms full of various Mathoms as Cami had called them. 'Oh! how hard can it be, I have seen it done many times'.

She rolled the empty keg down to the cellar and brought up a fresh one, heaved it to were the empty one had previously sat, then picked up the tap and a small wooden mallet that sat under the bar. "OK here goes!" She placed the tap against the keg , closed her eyes and hit it as hard as she could with the mallet.

She opened her eyes pleased to see that the tap had gone in, but as she held the tap she could feel a pressure building behind it, She looked wildly around for one of the staff, she had no idea what to do now, she wasn't aware this would happen


As she pushed to keep the tap in, thinking the pressure would break her arm, a young man clad in brown leaned deftly across the bar and put his strong hand around the tap and with his other hand slowly turned the tap, "Mug" he urged smiling pleasantly. She did as he asked. Picking up the mug she pushed it under the new tap, at first only a dark frothy foam spluttered and splurted forth from the tap, then the dark nut brown ale ran smoothly into the mug. The stranger then turned the tap off, "there, you forgot to release the pressure" he smiled.

Léspheria looked into the deep brown eyes of the man who had just aided her, she saw a noble wisdom about him, even though his outward appearance was very average. "Thank you, kind sir" She smiled back "I shall have to remember that for next time" she blushed slightly.

Remembering her manners she put her delicate pale hand out to him "My name is Léspheria", Seeing his puzzled expression, at an elven maid working in an inn in the shire, she continued " I am helping out in the inn for a time, as you can see the staff are presently preoccupied." she swept her other hand across to indicate the Four hobbit women, Aman the Red headed Rohirrim innkeeper, Vanwe, another Elf and Deufin the handyman all busily cleaning and airing various items for a jumble sale. "But I will be happy to help you, if I can."

"My name is Ruddyn and this is my sister Fendadia" he said indicating the young woman that sat patiently beside him, as Léspheria turned to greet the woman, her eyes widened in surprise the woman was so obviously his sibling they looked so alike she was suprised she had not noticed before.

She was herself much like her own brother in looks, but they were twins. Looking at the pair she was almost certain that Ruddyn was older than his sister.

Pushing her dark long braid off her shoulder she waited patiently for the pair to order. Her grey elven eyes sparkled in the light of the late morning sun shinning through a nearby window.