The Golden Perch Inn - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Envinyatar · 07-30-2006, 02:46 AM

Jack recalled a few of his manners and opened the door to the common room, allowing the innkeeper to pass through before him. ‘I think,’ said Jack, having given some brief consideration to the offer Master Boffin had made, ‘that I’d like to work for my room. Though, I was wondering if we might come to some agreement about having a bit of food, too.’

He looked round the common room at the guests, noting that the server lass who’d seen him to his bath earlier . . . Rowan, that’s what she called herself . . . that she’d been glancing his way and then away quickly. ‘Now I wonder what that’s all about,’ he murmured to himself. He shrugged it off and turned back to his conversation with the innkeeper.

‘So, what would you like me to do? Shall I bring the folk drinks?’ He was really hoping that he would not be asked to go into the kitchen to get food. Cela was in the kitchen, and as he’d noted before, she scared him.

Noinkling · 07-31-2006, 08:54 AM

‘Well now, I suppose we could manage a story for you tonight...’ Skirvir nodded, looking towards his cousins. ‘But dragons?’ He moved his head from one child to the other. ‘They’re great, fiercesome creatures, you know. Not given to niceties. And they’ve great long teeth, very sharp. And claws to match. Their great bellies hold a burning fire and sometimes they breathe out those flames, setting whatever is in their path on fire.’

He leaned back a bit in his chair and measured the girl and boy with the length of his thumb. His eyes gave them each a considering look. ‘Why the both of you would make barely a toothsome snack for some hungry wyrm.’

Skirvir lifted Daisy from the table and set her down gently by her brother. ‘You’re young pups, little mistress, little master. And I’m not wanting to get in any trouble with your mother or father. Perhaps you should see to asking them first about whether they want you listening to stories about dragons first. Agreed?’

He laughed and pointed to Bívor before they could answer. ‘My cousin, here, Bívor, used to get so scared when one of his uncles would tell stories that we’d have to leave two little lanterns burning at night where he slept – to drive away any scary shadows!’

Bávor chuckled at his brother’s expense while Bívor simply huffed and puffed a bit and shook his head as if to say it was all a grand lie.

Mithalwen · 07-31-2006, 02:09 PM

The boy Cir, temporarily vanquished, and ignored by his sister who was discussing details with Dick. took himself and his beer off and folding himself in to the low windowseat he nursed his pint and his sorrows. He didn't want to sing and he didn't want to play his sister's stupid whistle. He blamed himself for orchestrating their departure but he never thought that Cir would extend a couple of hours exploration into a few days absence. And now as usual he was caught.

He looked through the window watching the light fade. Wondering what would happen when the party regrouped as the stars opened to eat and sing together and they were properly missed. He didn't mind singing as part of a group so much - it was only when he sang with Cir that the now much greater contrast between thier voices seemed so conspicuous, another difference that would become more marked as they grew up. Even to himself Cir could not use the word matured.

He was tiring of always being in strife .... maybe it was time to accept the differences and become Carantilion..... however before he could get far with such an uncharacteristically serious train of thought he took proper notice of the dwarves for the first time. He sniggered to himself remembering how Cir and he had sat in the trees of Rivendell and made fun of the ones who had brought Mr Bilbo with them.... there was somthing about a dwarvish beard - and the unbelievable rumour that even dwarf women had them that just seemed too ridiculous to be true. He smiled for the first time since his sister had revealed her plan and when he caught her eye he inclined his head briefly in the direction of the Naugrim and knew she shared the memory.

Dimturiel · 08-01-2006, 01:56 AM

Meliot tried to steady her nerves. She felt anoyed with herself, falling apart like that. And worse, she could draw atention to herself. "I'm sure you look exactly like our young Tom, after he has stolen strawberries from the neighbour's garden" she tought in an attempt to encourage herself. Well, after some ale and some mushrooms, she would feel better. And a bowl of fish stew! Yes, that would make her day. She nodded to Rowan and managed a smile.

At that moment the kitchen door opened and in came master Boffin with Jack of all people! Meliot felt uneasy. He was not there to complain about someone burglaring his room, was he? But maybe not. He did not look as if he knew that someone had taken something from him. Meliot looked at Rowan, a questioning look in her eyes.

"You don't think he's here about us, do you?" she asked her friend. "You don't suppose he somehow found out about what we have just done?"

Kath · 08-01-2006, 08:13 AM

Still standing at the counter even though Dick had left her Cir looked over at her brother. She hadn't meant to upset him, she'd really thought that staying here and having some fun would cheer him up a bit. He seemed so low at the moment, though she couldn't fathom the reason. Still, maybe she should have talked to him about her plan rather than springing it on him, he always wanted to be in the know as much as she did, and tended to get equally annoyed when he wasn't.

Suddenly she saw him smile as he caught her eye and nodded toward the Dwarves sitting at the table. The mischievous glint in her eye had her remembering a few years back to the last time she had seen the race. Glad that Cir was looking happier she shot a grin at him and mouthed a few words of one of the songs she had sung. Realising what she was about to do her brother shook his head to try and dissaude her, but couldn't stop the growing smile.

Cir waited until the hobbit children had disappeared from the table, not wanting to interrupt a conversation, and then stepped up next to the Dwarves, making them jump as she burst into song.

"O! What are you doing?
And why are you staying?
If you don't plan on leaving,
We could use your help playing!"

Folwren · 08-01-2006, 09:08 AM

Daisy took a few steps back as the dwarf put her down. He smiled at the two of them. “You’re young pups, little mistress, little master. And I’m not wanting to get in any trouble with your mother or father. Perhaps you should see to asking them first about whether they want you listening to stories about dragons first. Agreed? My cousin, here, Bívor,” he added, chuckling a great, deep chuckle, “used to get so scared when one of his uncles would tell stories that we’d have to leave two little lanterns burning at night where he slept - to drive away any scary shadows!”

Dorling and Daisy didn’t know whether to believe this tale or not. All they could manage was to stare all the more as all the dwarves but Bívor laughed, and Bívor gave them a look very easily interpreted to mean ‘Don’t believe a word they’re telling you!’

Dorlind recovered his wits the fastest. “We’ll ask Papi,” he said. “I don’t think he’ll mind!”

“No, Papi won’t mind. But Dorlind gets scared, too, sometimes, when he hears scary stories,” Daisy winked slyly, a funny and unexpected movement on the part of the five year old. She grinned before turned and walking quickly away.

“I don’t get scared,” Dorlind said quickly, backing away. “I’ll ask Papi. I hope we’ll be able to hear a story. So long!” As quickly as he thought polite, then, he turned and trotted after his sister. He caught up to her quickly and whispered furiously in her ear. “I do not get scared! I told you earlier!”

“Never mind,” she said, giggling. “There’s Papi, let’s ask him!”

They ran forward, around the bar, and to where Dick stood speaking with Jack.

“Papi!” they both cried together as they ran up to him, stopping just short of colliding with him. “Those Dwarves over there?” “They know stories!” “About dragons!” “Can we listen to them?” “Please?” “I won’t be scared, I promise!” “And they said that if you said-”

“Hold on, hold on!” cried Dick, laughing and placing a hand on each of the twins’ heads. “One second and then when I finish with Mr. Jack here, I’ll hear you one at a time. Now, Jack, I think you’d be quite a help to Tollers if you worked out here. Go and try to catch up to the lad and ask him to show you how to manage things and you’ll get along capitally. Better let Tollers handle the drinks, it’s mighty tricky not to spill it sometimes when there are a great many orders. You’ll manage.

“The work will pay off for your keep and probably enough even for your food. Don’t worry about that, though. We’ll figure something out. For now, help Tollers. Thanks mightily.”

Firefoot · 08-01-2006, 12:45 PM

Cela had never quite realized just how much she enjoyed having Primrose’s – or anybody’s, really – company in the kitchen while they worked. Certainly, Dick, Tollers, and others were in and out of the kitchen fairly frequently, but by way of conversation she had little else to talk to than the vegetables. Instead, she had often found herself humming a familiar tune or talking to herself.

“Bit of this, bit of that,” Cela now murmured as she added herbs to the large pot of steaming fish stew. Tollers had brought in a more than enough fish for the stew that was smelling ever more appetizing as it cooked. Even more tempting, however, was the fry pan of mushrooms that had caught Dick’s attention earlier. Cela picked one out of the pan to taste and silently declared the mushrooms done and every bit as tasty as they smelled. Not that she had really needed a taste to tell, but she could never be too sure – not where mushrooms were concerned, anyway. These combined with the bread left from the afternoon meal completed the supper; all that remained was for it to be served.

She ducked out of the kitchen to inform Dick of this and found him talking with that Man Tollers had befriended. She hoped that Dick did not intend to set him working in the kitchens again; she had found him rather blundering with the plates, as she imagined most Big Folk like him must be, and the kitchen really was not meant to hold such large workers…

“Food’s all ready,” she said, “and if everything else is set, I can start dishing up some plates…” Then her gaze darted towards Jack and back to Dick with her eyebrows raised, silently asking if there was anything she ought to know.

07-30-2006, 02:46 AM	#1
Envinyatar Quill Revenant Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wandering through the Downs..... Posts: 849	● Jack Greymoss ● Jack recalled a few of his manners and opened the door to the common room, allowing the innkeeper to pass through before him. ‘I think,’ said Jack, having given some brief consideration to the offer Master Boffin had made, ‘that I’d like to work for my room. Though, I was wondering if we might come to some agreement about having a bit of food, too.’ He looked round the common room at the guests, noting that the server lass who’d seen him to his bath earlier . . . Rowan, that’s what she called herself . . . that she’d been glancing his way and then away quickly. ‘Now I wonder what that’s all about,’ he murmured to himself. He shrugged it off and turned back to his conversation with the innkeeper. ‘So, what would you like me to do? Shall I bring the folk drinks?’ He was really hoping that he would not be asked to go into the kitchen to get food. Cela was in the kitchen, and as he’d noted before, she scared him.

07-31-2006, 02:09 PM	#3
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,461	The boy Cir, temporarily vanquished, and ignored by his sister who was discussing details with Dick. took himself and his beer off and folding himself in to the low windowseat he nursed his pint and his sorrows. He didn't want to sing and he didn't want to play his sister's stupid whistle. He blamed himself for orchestrating their departure but he never thought that Cir would extend a couple of hours exploration into a few days absence. And now as usual he was caught. He looked through the window watching the light fade. Wondering what would happen when the party regrouped as the stars opened to eat and sing together and they were properly missed. He didn't mind singing as part of a group so much - it was only when he sang with Cir that the now much greater contrast between thier voices seemed so conspicuous, another difference that would become more marked as they grew up. Even to himself Cir could not use the word matured. He was tiring of always being in strife .... maybe it was time to accept the differences and become Carantilion..... however before he could get far with such an uncharacteristically serious train of thought he took proper notice of the dwarves for the first time. He sniggered to himself remembering how Cir and he had sat in the trees of Rivendell and made fun of the ones who had brought Mr Bilbo with them.... there was somthing about a dwarvish beard - and the unbelievable rumour that even dwarf women had them that just seemed too ridiculous to be true. He smiled for the first time since his sister had revealed her plan and when he caught her eye he inclined his head briefly in the direction of the Naugrim and knew she shared the memory. Last edited by Mithalwen; 08-01-2006 at 01:17 PM.

08-01-2006, 09:08 AM	#6
Folwren Messenger of Hope Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States. Posts: 5,076	Dorlind, Daisy, and Dick Daisy took a few steps back as the dwarf put her down. He smiled at the two of them. “You’re young pups, little mistress, little master. And I’m not wanting to get in any trouble with your mother or father. Perhaps you should see to asking them first about whether they want you listening to stories about dragons first. Agreed? My cousin, here, Bívor,” he added, chuckling a great, deep chuckle, “used to get so scared when one of his uncles would tell stories that we’d have to leave two little lanterns burning at night where he slept - to drive away any scary shadows!” Dorling and Daisy didn’t know whether to believe this tale or not. All they could manage was to stare all the more as all the dwarves but Bívor laughed, and Bívor gave them a look very easily interpreted to mean ‘Don’t believe a word they’re telling you!’ Dorlind recovered his wits the fastest. “We’ll ask Papi,” he said. “I don’t think he’ll mind!” “No, Papi won’t mind. But Dorlind gets scared, too, sometimes, when he hears scary stories,” Daisy winked slyly, a funny and unexpected movement on the part of the five year old. She grinned before turned and walking quickly away. “I don’t get scared,” Dorlind said quickly, backing away. “I’ll ask Papi. I hope we’ll be able to hear a story. So long!” As quickly as he thought polite, then, he turned and trotted after his sister. He caught up to her quickly and whispered furiously in her ear. “I do not get scared! I told you earlier!” “Never mind,” she said, giggling. “There’s Papi, let’s ask him!” They ran forward, around the bar, and to where Dick stood speaking with Jack. “Papi!” they both cried together as they ran up to him, stopping just short of colliding with him. “Those Dwarves over there?” “They know stories!” “About dragons!” “Can we listen to them?” “Please?” “I won’t be scared, I promise!” “And they said that if you said-” “Hold on, hold on!” cried Dick, laughing and placing a hand on each of the twins’ heads. “One second and then when I finish with Mr. Jack here, I’ll hear you one at a time. Now, Jack, I think you’d be quite a help to Tollers if you worked out here. Go and try to catch up to the lad and ask him to show you how to manage things and you’ll get along capitally. Better let Tollers handle the drinks, it’s mighty tricky not to spill it sometimes when there are a great many orders. You’ll manage. “The work will pay off for your keep and probably enough even for your food. Don’t worry about that, though. We’ll figure something out. For now, help Tollers. Thanks mightily.”

08-01-2006, 12:45 PM	#7
Firefoot Illusionary Holbytla Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 7,547	Cela had never quite realized just how much she enjoyed having Primrose’s – or anybody’s, really – company in the kitchen while they worked. Certainly, Dick, Tollers, and others were in and out of the kitchen fairly frequently, but by way of conversation she had little else to talk to than the vegetables. Instead, she had often found herself humming a familiar tune or talking to herself. “Bit of this, bit of that,” Cela now murmured as she added herbs to the large pot of steaming fish stew. Tollers had brought in a more than enough fish for the stew that was smelling ever more appetizing as it cooked. Even more tempting, however, was the fry pan of mushrooms that had caught Dick’s attention earlier. Cela picked one out of the pan to taste and silently declared the mushrooms done and every bit as tasty as they smelled. Not that she had really needed a taste to tell, but she could never be too sure – not where mushrooms were concerned, anyway. These combined with the bread left from the afternoon meal completed the supper; all that remained was for it to be served. She ducked out of the kitchen to inform Dick of this and found him talking with that Man Tollers had befriended. She hoped that Dick did not intend to set him working in the kitchens again; she had found him rather blundering with the plates, as she imagined most Big Folk like him must be, and the kitchen really was not meant to hold such large workers… “Food’s all ready,” she said, “and if everything else is set, I can start dishing up some plates…” Then her gaze darted towards Jack and back to Dick with her eyebrows raised, silently asking if there was anything she ought to know. Last edited by Firefoot; 08-01-2006 at 02:50 PM.

07-31-2006, 08:54 AM	#2
Noinkling Wight Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The Bird and Baby Posts: 109	‘Well now, I suppose we could manage a story for you tonight...’ Skirvir nodded, looking towards his cousins. ‘But dragons?’ He moved his head from one child to the other. ‘They’re great, fiercesome creatures, you know. Not given to niceties. And they’ve great long teeth, very sharp. And claws to match. Their great bellies hold a burning fire and sometimes they breathe out those flames, setting whatever is in their path on fire.’ He leaned back a bit in his chair and measured the girl and boy with the length of his thumb. His eyes gave them each a considering look. ‘Why the both of you would make barely a toothsome snack for some hungry wyrm.’ Skirvir lifted Daisy from the table and set her down gently by her brother. ‘You’re young pups, little mistress, little master. And I’m not wanting to get in any trouble with your mother or father. Perhaps you should see to asking them first about whether they want you listening to stories about dragons first. Agreed?’ He laughed and pointed to Bívor before they could answer. ‘My cousin, here, Bívor, used to get so scared when one of his uncles would tell stories that we’d have to leave two little lanterns burning at night where he slept – to drive away any scary shadows!’ Bávor chuckled at his brother’s expense while Bívor simply huffed and puffed a bit and shook his head as if to say it was all a grand lie.

08-01-2006, 01:56 AM	#4
Dimturiel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2005 Location: the road less travelled by Posts: 910	Meliot tried to steady her nerves. She felt anoyed with herself, falling apart like that. And worse, she could draw atention to herself. "I'm sure you look exactly like our young Tom, after he has stolen strawberries from the neighbour's garden" she tought in an attempt to encourage herself. Well, after some ale and some mushrooms, she would feel better. And a bowl of fish stew! Yes, that would make her day. She nodded to Rowan and managed a smile. At that moment the kitchen door opened and in came master Boffin with Jack of all people! Meliot felt uneasy. He was not there to complain about someone burglaring his room, was he? But maybe not. He did not look as if he knew that someone had taken something from him. Meliot looked at Rowan, a questioning look in her eyes. "You don't think he's here about us, do you?" she asked her friend. "You don't suppose he somehow found out about what we have just done?"

08-01-2006, 08:13 AM	#5
Kath Everlasting Whiteness Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Perusing the laminated book of dreams Posts: 4,533	Still standing at the counter even though Dick had left her Cir looked over at her brother. She hadn't meant to upset him, she'd really thought that staying here and having some fun would cheer him up a bit. He seemed so low at the moment, though she couldn't fathom the reason. Still, maybe she should have talked to him about her plan rather than springing it on him, he always wanted to be in the know as much as she did, and tended to get equally annoyed when he wasn't. Suddenly she saw him smile as he caught her eye and nodded toward the Dwarves sitting at the table. The mischievous glint in her eye had her remembering a few years back to the last time she had seen the race. Glad that Cir was looking happier she shot a grin at him and mouthed a few words of one of the songs she had sung. Realising what she was about to do her brother shook his head to try and dissaude her, but couldn't stop the growing smile. Cir waited until the hobbit children had disappeared from the table, not wanting to interrupt a conversation, and then stepped up next to the Dwarves, making them jump as she burst into song. "O! What are you doing? And why are you staying? If you don't plan on leaving, We could use your help playing!"