The Green Dragon Inn #11 - The Last Chapter

[Gird]

Ferry trotted down the road at a quick pace, as he was late for the party. He could hear the music from the inn already, and he cursed under his breath that he had taken too long a nap. But after unpacking from the move, he was fairly tired.

He rounded a turn and the Green Dragon Inn came into sight. His eyes brightened and his heart warmed at the sight of tables full of food and ale a plenty. Ferry noticed that there were several elves and men at the inn as well as hobbits. Ah, it's a sign of a good inn when several other races travel the road to it, no matter how far away from home it may be from them.

Ferry's smile was ear to ear, as he neared the festivities.

[Witch_Queen]

He only left Rivendel to save my life??? Cree was a little stunned by Fáinu's words. All any one had ever done for her was cast her away into the mist to be forgotten with the sands of time. "Fáinu you'll always have me. You should know that." Cree had to keep from placing her hand on Fáinu's shoulder. She wasn't sure what he would have done. Fáinu had always been there for her and now was her turn to repay the loyalty. Cree could feel Avalon staring at her. "Yes Avalon I will now tell you of my struggle. I had thought I was only asleep stuck in a nightmare that was worse than the dragon itself. For some reason I was back in Eryn Lasgalen. My father was talking to a strange man. I had never seen him before, but his eyes were something I will never forget." Cree closed her eyes only to see the cold eyes of the stranger.

"It seemed only like a dream but the more time passed the more I began to realize this dream was actually memories. You see my father was a well loved elf. Everyone it seemed loved him, he nevered turned down a friend when they needed aid. Any way back to what I was talking about." Cree couldn't help but pause. Instead of fighting back anger this time she was fighting back tears.

"I had always wanted to know the truth about my father's death. Who was the person that killed him in cold blood? I know now that the person I have unknowingly hated all this time was the person I saw everytime I looked in a mirror. The person I was searching for was looking at me when I looked in the near by river. How could a person do something so horrible and not remember doing it? Evidently my "spells" was my mind trying to forget the memories of that night." Avalon could no longer hear the joy in Cree's voice. Cree's words suddenly seemed hollow.

I was hiding in the nearby bushes. I didn't know who the man was. Father had told me to stay at the house but I refused to listen. I was young and naive. My eyes were playing tricks on me. One moment my father would be standing with his back to me the next thing I knew him and the stranger had swapped places. Swords were drawn... All I had was my bow... "FATHER WATCH OUT!!!" "What have I done?" Cree seemed distanced almost like she was at the inn but not really there. Cree appeared to be looking at Fáinu but instead was looking past him at the window.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

"Where is the once joyful song of the elves?" murmured Fáinu, "While the men wander and the Dwarf delves. We long for the joy we had in ages past, seeking to come to Valinor at the last. But what ship would bear such as us, Cree? All I have done is lost, even onto thee." His voice trailed off and he looked longingly to the west. "The sea." he whispered again.

He shook his head and looked Cree in the eyes, "I see that this business with your father has deeply heart you," he said, "Perhaps you cannot feel free until you tell of all you can recall. I see that you have chains upon your mind that prevent thee from seeing the whole truth. You may break these bonds, if you wish, for you have set these bonds yourself, but I say onto you, if you seek those deep memories, it may be what you do not wish to hear." Fáinu, it seemed, had guessed the truth of Cree’s past. He had seen it in her eyes when they first met, a deep founded fear, or was it a feeling of guilt? He knew not, and had not perused it.

Fáinu looked out at the party on the front garden and smiled, "See, the Hobbits are a happy breed of folk! I wish I could know their joy. They know not the trials of the world and can dance and sing while the world falls about them. There could be war and death all about and they would still talk of ale and food. Woe to the Eldar, who know nought but suffering in the long years of Middle Earth."

[Glirdan]

"I'm fine. Now, would you please get out of my way!?" the Hobbit said rather rudely and he pushed his way past Gróin. "And here I thought that everyone in this country was nice and gentle like Lily. How very wrong I was..." he thought to himself as he made his way to the counter to check into a room for the night.

After getting his room number and key, he head along the dark passage to his room, still lost in thought. "That voice that I heard down at the Inn door. Could if have been Sarin? I'm so terribly confused. I really need to rest. After being on the road for so long, I deserve a rest. I think I'll stay here for a few days... Ahh! Here it is," he said as he reached his room. He put the key in the lock, unlocked the door and stepped into his room. It was like any other Hobbit room: Low roof (well, high for a Hobbit and Dwarf), circular window with green shutters, a cozy little bed, a bedside table with a candle and a fireplace. "Perfect!" Gróin said out loud. "Just the thing I need to relax." He stepped into his room and closed the door behind him. He lit the candle with the flint he carried around in his haversack and closed the shutter on the window. He made his way to the bed and sat on the edge, taking off his boots as he did. He slid into and thought "I wonder if she really is here? If she is, I'm definetly going to try and find her. I haven't seen her for so long and I really wish I..." and dozed off.