The Green Dragon Inn #11 - The Last Chapter

[Firefoot]

Surprised, Lily turned around. She had spoken out of hopelessness, never actually expecting to be answered, and yet he had! She felt a sense of simple delight. He was at least willing to listen to her still; he must not have totally turned from her. She could only hope.

Lily took a bit more care hoisting herself up into the tree now that she was not alone. She gratefully took Posco's proffered hand for help in getting up to the higher branches, releasing it as soon as she was secure. She took a deep breath before speaking, trying to remember everything she had thought out so carefully only a few minutes before. It came to her in bits and pieces, but she plunged on, not caring overmuch that her speech was rather disjointed.

"Posco, I'm not angry with you, as I imagine you must think that I am. I was just a bit, er, flustered. Something I suppose you will find about me is that I do have a pretty bad temper, though I do try not to let it show," she added hastily seeing the apalled look on his face. "Please bear with me on that. So what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry if I ever made you think I was mad at you. I was confused, is all. And I still am." This last part was said very carefully but pointedly. She did not give him time to answer just yet, though. She still had more to say. "Another thing I should tell you is that I do not lie often, Posco. If I say something, I likely mean it. And I meant it when I told you that I loved you last night."

[Witch_Queen]

"Fáinu, my fate is to die by your side. I do not fear what fate has instore for me. I fear nothing now that I have the only thing I sought out for. I left Eryn Lasgalen because there was nothing there for me, I left to find you. What makes you think that I won't lay my life down for you? You are not my kin and it has been long since I have been your companion. If you care anything about me then you will have nothing against me going with you." Fáinu's words had struck a nerve. Cree wouldn't spend the rest of her life running from her curse. She wasn't going to let Fáinu get rid of her so fast. She had finally found him and didn't want to loose him again.

How can he say he cares when all he wants to do is get rid of me. His words are poison to my heart. Why do I stay here and listen to him. He talks about a fate he's not sure of. Well may his curse bring him end. I will not abandon him when he needs someone. Cree's eyes told her every thought. "Fáinu, why won't you be content with me going with you. There is nothing you can do that may change my mind. I will not let you abandon me again and I won't abadon you again." She felt Avalon's eyes on her. The bird was staring at Cree and wasn't even blinking.

Avalon not you too. I will not be subject to such thoughts. I am going, if you choose to stay here then go right ahead, but I'm going. Not you or him can stop me. Cree returned the crow's looks before she broke out in a laugh. No matter how serious she was trying to be, Cree couldn't help but laugh at the bird and herself.

[Nurumaiel]

'You do?' Posco gasped, and then he took Lily's hands in his and kissed them, his face flushed with wonder and delight. 'I am so very glad!' He hesitated for a moment then, and then he released her hands and sat more at ease. 'Lily, you have explained that you must explain, or at least all I would want of you, though I wanted nothing more than to know that you still loved me. Now it is my turn.' He sighed, and struggled with the thoughts in his mind. How was he to put this? How could he say it without offending her? Her eyes were shining; surely she would not be so easily offended!

'Lily, I must apologize for my seemingly cold behavior last evening,' he said, blushing as he spoke. 'I was raised by a father that had the highest standards of honour when it comes to a girl. I don't blame these high standards, but coupled with my awkwardness and shyness, it produces an awful effect. When you told me last night that you loved me, I replied that I thought it was nice. I did think it was nice, but I also thought it was glorious beyond belief. To learn that my dream had been shared by you... Perhaps it would have been the appropriate thing to tell you that I loved you and then kissed you right there, but it would only cause trouble for both of us. My parents would not look favourably upon it, for I would not have known you long. I do not know what your family would think about it, but it seems likely to me that they would wish to know me a little while before consenting to my marrying you. It doesn't seem right to marry you so soon after I had known you. We must seek consent from our guardians, we must go about things in a manner that will not draw attention -that is to say, we should wait until we've known one another a bit longer- and ridicule, and we must be absolutely sure it's the right thing to do. We wouldn't want to be married and regret it afterwards.

'It is a very difficult concept to explain, Lily. My father and mother met each other when they were still in their tweens, and it was love at first sight. However, being so young and so unacquainted, it wasn't consider proper for them to appear on very friendly terms. My mother hid her feelings amply, even from my father, and he made no move towards her until he was sure she loved him, and sure that he was really willing to spend all his life with her. Even then, he did not say a word to her on the matter until they were out of their tweens. By then they had known each other for some time and were quite confident that they were willing to spend their lifetimes with one another. Only then did he tell her his true feelings and ask her to marry him. Of course she said yes.

'He raised Blanco and I in the same manner. It is honourable and gallant, or that is what he said. You don't want to put a girl in a spot where she either has to refuse you or marry you and face all gossip because she is young, or because she has not known you for long, or some other such thing. And if she accepts, you'll have her in a situation where if she realizes she was simply immature and foolish she will be stuck as your wife for all time. Two or three days is not really enough time to be absolutely certain. I know girls that fall in and out of love, and only a fair amount of time could say if it's a love that will fall out or not.'

He stopped to take a breath and steady himself, for he was making one of the longest speeches he had ever made. At last he looked earnestly into her eyes and spoke the same way, saying, 'So, you see, Lily... or at least you see the point I am trying to make, even if I don't describe it right... You see, no matter what I feel for you, I can't say. Not yet, anyway.'

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Fáinu looked up at her; he showed not fear or worry. He did not want to get rid of her, merely warn her against rash deeds.

"I know that you are faithful," he said, "Many a time hath you proved so, I simply sense a foreboding. I accept that you will go with me, but you must realise, that this is an unexpected turn of events."

He tried to get rid of the thoughts Smaug had planted in his mind and re gain his own sanity. He knew his cold words had struck a nerve, and he knew he should not have said such things. It was one more thing to regret.

"You never abandoned me, Cree," he said after a pause, "I never blamed you for aught that happened to me. Nay, ever my curses fall upon Smaug and all his kin." then his hand began to burn more then ever, but he flinched not. He clenched his hand and looked Cree in the eyes.

"You have known hurt, Cree," he said gravely, "Thou hast know deep wounds, you know what it is to wander in a nightmare world, haunted and cursed. More than any other in this world, I would have you accompany me to whatever end!"

For now, it seemed he had come back to his common thinking. Why those cold words had come before he knew not. Perhaps, the memory was burned into his mind, like the wound was burned into his hand.

[starkat]

Gwenneth had not ridden far, before Elenath stumbled. After the stumble, the mare began limping so the elf maid returned to the inn. She entered the stables and began tending to her horse. Repeating a list of things that she needed, she went looking for the stable master.

She found him at a small cottage where several hobbits were working. The stable master noticed her and came over. Gwenneth asked him where to find the needed items and returned to her horse. She soaked Elenath's foot and then returned to the inn.

She walked up to the bar and ordered a glass of tea. Then looking around the room, she took a seat at an empty table.

[Primrose Bolger]

The sun was climbing high into the sky as Ginger leaned on the handle of her hoe and surveyed her handiwork in the garden. The hills of potatoes were nicely padded now with straw and all the weeds between the rows had been pulled out and a nice little system of furrows made between to the plants to channel the water. As she’d gone along, she picked a basket of vegetables for the evening meal. Cook had been simmering some pieces of old hen in the large soup kettle, with a bouquet of herbs and a fat yellow onion. She’d asked Ginger to bring in a basket filled with taters, carrots, peas, snap beans, and parsnips. Ginger sighed, knowing that all these vegetables would need to be cleaned and diced for the soup.

As she glanced around the vegetable garden, she decided her work with it was done for the day. The herb garden was smaller and would take less time – weeds did not seem to spring up in it so readily for some reason. And then of course there were the flower plantings to be seen to, but that would be a task to her delight. Ginger loved working with flowers; they were so pretty, she thought, and delicate. And so delightful to smell. These last two bits of gardening would have to wait, she decided. She was a bit hungry, and thirsty for something other than well water. Ginger walked to the tool shed and put the hoe away, thinking now of a cool glass of tea and a nice sticky bun.

In through the kitchen door she went, careful to wipe her feet on the rug before she entered. The kitchen was empty for the moment, though down the cellar stairs she could hear the sound of hammering and the slightly off key whistling of various tunes. Lunch was laid out along the cupboard, waiting to be prepared a little later in the morning – hams and cheeses to be sliced for sandwiches, crisp lettuce from the garden early that morning draining in the colander in the sink, mustards, pickles, and there on racks, cookies cooling. Ginger sat her basket of vegetables by the sink, then nosed about for a stray sticky bun. A plate of them stood on the kitchen table covered with a clean cloth and she took two big fat ones on a bright blue plate she’d gotten from the cupboard.

Now all she needed was a cool glass of tea. Buttercup came in looking for a glass of teas for a customer. ‘Here,’ she said, handing two glasses of tea to Ginger. ‘Take this out to that table near the bar. The one where one of the Fair Folk is sitting by herself. Her name is Gwenneth.’ She saw the hesitant look on the Hobbit’s face. ‘Go on now! She won’t bite. And I have things to get done in here.’

Ginger rarely visited the Inn. Her knowledge of the Fair Folk was limited to stories from her Da how he’d seen them at times at night passing through the woods going west. They seemed rather magical to her from the stories, beautiful and tall and fair of face and graceful. She peeked through the kitchen door to see where the Elf was and a nervous giggle almost escaped her. Somehow the idea of bringing tea to one of the Fair Folk seemed strange. In her images of them built off the stories, she thought that they might be above eating and drinking, so to speak. Quite unlike Hobbits. But there one sat, waiting for tea . . . ordinary tea . . . just as she was having. Squaring her shoulders, she put on her best smile and went up to the lady Elf’s table.

‘Begging your pardon, Mistress . . . Gwenneth, is it. But here’s your tea, fresh made!’ Ginger held out her plate with the two sticky buns on it. ‘And I’d be happy as ever if you’d like to share these with me.’

Oh my, now you’ve gone and done it Ginger girl! Perhaps she wanted some time to herself! she thought, turning several shades of crimson at her boldness.

[starkat]

Gwenneth had been feeling a little lonely ever since last night so when a hobbit came up to her with the tea she had ordered, the young elf maid smiled. A smell waifted up from the plate in the other's hands. Gwenneth gave her a friendly smile. "I would be glad if you would join me."

The youg elf woman fidled with the jewel hung around her neck as her new companion sat down. Gwenneth spoke first. "May I ask what your name is? Please tell me something about yourself."