The Green Dragon Inn #11 - The Last Chapter

[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman inclined her head with a slightly bemused, polite smile. "A...pint of ale and some tea, coming up, sir," she replied, as if this was the most ordinary request in the world, before she turned towards the bar to fulfil the request.

Having come down from the roof with Snaveling about half an hour ago, Aman had been surprised and relieved that Ruby did not actually intend to skin her alive - indeed, the hobbit actually seemed gratified that Aman was still in Middle Earth, as she had been utterly unable to locate the Innkeeper. As for Aman, despite having been Innkeeper for what amounted to many months at the Inn, she was not entirely sure about who was actually in charge, her or her hobbit servers, and was strangely glad that Ruby hadn't told her off, something she had, ironically, expected.

It had taken some doing to get Snaveling down from the roof - he had been slightly worse at descending than ascending even, and once more had nearly fallen. He had certainly left the Innkeeper with a few things to muse on, anyway - for one thing, what was that secretive, knowing smile he had given her when she had said he 'couldn't be much older than she was'. Most odd.... The Man had taken his leave of her not long afterwards, vanishing, and Aman had not seen him since. Neither had she seen Bredan - and that was disquieting. She was worried about the impulsive Gondorian man...

Taking the pretty, dinky clay kettle off the stove just inside the kitchen as it came to the boil, Aman poured some into a teapot and let the brew stew for a few moments while she drew a pint of ale - this new man's second request. Taking teapot and cup in one hand and pint in the other, hooked a ready milk-jug with a spare finger before depositing the lot elegantly before Umarth and rearranging them into a neater order. "There you go, sir, some of the cook's finest Mulberry tea."

"Mulberry? Hmm." The single syllable seemed approving as the man took the cup, although his smile seemed rather worried still.

"Shall I put it on a tab, sir?"

A pause followed. Umarth seemed entirely taken up by stirring his tea.

"Sir?"

Evidently, there was something hypnotic about the stirring. However, much as it may have been Aman's heart's dearest, deepest wish to stand and watch the man stir his tea, the Innkeeper could feel her tired mind slowly being dragged into it's steamy depths... She tried again.

"Umarth?" she ventured this time. The man jerked up as if suddenly waking, looking a little confused for a split second as he peered at Aman. "A tab, sir?" Aman prompted.

"Ah yes....yes," he replied vaguely. Aman withdrew the hefty logbook from under the bar and slipped it onto the bartop in front of the man, to one side of his various beverages, producing a pen from her skirt and flicking deftly to the right page. "Alright, if you could sign here, and put your name in the Common...are you sure you're quite alright, Umarth?" The last part was added as she peered at the man's face. Frankly, she was curious - there was something very odd about this stranger. No doubt he'll fit right in...