The Golden Perch Inn - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Forest Elf · 10-23-2007, 06:01 PM

Gable swung the branch down just as a little too early. The wolf’s jaws opened and came around the branch, ripping it out of her grip. She kicked the wolf down to the ground, nearly loosing her balance as she did so. She pulled her foot back up before the other wolves would be able to reach it. She stood on the branch and, in grabbing the branches above her, pulled her feet up off of the branch, and shouted for help a little louder.

She closed her eyes and began praying for help. She knew that the wolves would start leaping once she put her feet back onto the branch. The bark dug into her hands and she knew that she couldn’t keep her grip forever. Even with closed eyes she could still feel the tears in them. She opened them and saw an elf she’d never met before rushing over. She just hoped that he would hurry when she looked down and saw the wolves leaping up at the branch as she placed her foot back on it, to help keep all of the weight off of her hands.

Gwathagor · 10-23-2007, 08:48 PM

He halted atop the hill. His sword was still there, stuck in the grass. As his hands grasped the hilt of the ancient sword, he breathed deep and relaxed; but only for a moment. Then he turned west, towards the cries for help. There, about a hundred yards away, on the lower slopes of the hill, a pack of four or five wolves circled and leapt about a lone walnut tree. Among the lower branches of the tree, he could distinguish a pair of feet which kicked and swung about, trying to avoid the wolves' snapping jaws. Just then, the figure slipped down, abruptly, nearly falling out of the tree. As it did so, the warrior elf got a better look at the wolves' quarry, which barely managed to pull itself up out of reach of the predators.

An elf! In the Shire, too, he thought in surprise. I have been gone a very long time.

Slowly he pulled the sword out of the dirt. It was still bright and shone with the light of the morning sun. Then, quickly as he had stopped, he began to run again, raising the sword high as he closed in upon the wolves.

The other elf's cries grew increasingly frequent and desperate, as the wolves leapt higher and closer, driven into a frenzy by their lust for blood. They were lean and their fur was matted, but their eyes burned blue with an unnatural fury.

And then, with a great cry in some unknown tongue, he was upon them. The warrior elf and his sword tore through their midst in a whirlwind of fury that surpassed even that of the starving wolves. His first blow severed the head a wolf which had seized in its jaws the branch upon which their prey stood, and hung upon it, pulling it lower. His second blow opened a gaping wound in the side of the largest creature, and a third wolf, which wheeled to face this new foe found itself impaled upon the long, cold, unforgiving steel. Without pausing or losing his momentum, the tall elf with the sword spun, pulled his weapon free, and flattened a fourth wolf to the ground with a high arc that landed between the beast's shoulder blades. The fifth and last wolf sprang at him, and he turned back again, pulling the last reserves of his strength into a mighty blow that caught the monster in mid-air and hurled it into the trunk of the walnut tree, ten feet away. The lifeless corpse fell solidly to the ground, as its blood seeped out over the crushed walnut shells and stained the green grass. The tall elf sheathed his sword and fell to one knee amid the settling dust, breathing heavily.

Folwren · 10-24-2007, 08:33 AM

Dick responded to the hobbit’s request for beer immediately. He nodded his head quietly as the hobbit went on telling him about ... what? The innkeeper looked up. Who gave the Master of Buckland water instead of beer? An amused grin spread across his face as he turned back to the tap and finished off the mug.

“How’s the business going?” the newcomer asked, turning to look about the empty common room. “I heard that in Woodhall, they had to close their Inn for a while, because the locals did not have time to visit it for a month! Imagine that! But I hope this is not your case.” He turned again to face Dick just as the innkeeper was setting the mug on the counter and picking up the coin.

“Business has been good,” Dick replied. “Lot’s of people passing through Stock nowadays. We have staying in the inn a Dwarf, even! And a couple elves. We have daily customers, too, from Stock. I’m not about to close the ol’ Perch anytime soon.

“Where’re you from, Mr....?”

Legate of Amon Lanc · 10-24-2007, 04:02 PM

"Brandybuck, Rory," the customer replied, picking up the mug. "I come from Pincup. I suppose you know where that is. A great place. My parents moved there after their marriage, when my mother's grand-uncle died, leaving them that wonderful smial. Yes, my grand-uncle, that must have been a hobbit! Rorimac Banks was his name. I was named after him, you see. My mother was his favourite grand-niece. She always visited him in that big, empty smial when all the relatives moved away... so, he left it to her."

Rory interrupted the recital of his family's history to take a drop from the mug. The cold beer for a moment choked off the stream of his words and sudden silence fell upon the common room.

"Well," the guest said after a while, wiping his lips, "this must be indeed the best beer in the Easfarthing. I have to stop here more often. I am a carter, you see - but usually my business does not lead me to these parts of the Shire." He looked about. "It's good to see that business is going well for you. You said, there is a dwarf and elves in here? Even? Unbelievable, I have to tell that in Willowbottom - they once had a Big Man there, wandering around, but elves! Are they not a little bit... hmm... strange? And where are they, anyway?" Rory suddenly turned and walking through the room to the door on its other end, before the innkeeper could react, he opened them and glanced over the hallway leading deeper into the hill. "Nice," he commented, turning back without closing the door. "In Tuckborough, they have some very beautiful smials. I once visited the Thain himself, had to deliver something to him from the Hornblowers. You won't believe how big, big hallway he has in the smial where he stays during summer. This whole room could fit into it, really."

"But you know," he continued quickly, "maybe you could make this place a little bit more... cosy. Look at that wall, for example," he pointed at the wall opposite to the bar. "It could be decorated with something... and that hallway over there," he pointed towards the opened door, "could be painted yellow and lilac. It would be nice. I could get you someone to do that if you don't have anyone. I know plenty of people." He handed the empty mug to the innkeeper to get it refilled.

Forest Elf · 10-26-2007, 07:05 PM

Gable watched, dumbfounded. She could still hardly believe that the person she had seen running was an elf. At first she didn't think much about it, but now that he was here, fighting them off, the thought finally went through her head. She put her feet back onto the branch and watched as he fought them off. Then falling to his knee. She blinked and jumped down from in the tree, landing lightly on her feet.

"Thank you sir. If you hadn't of come... then that would've been it for me," Gable said. "Are you alright?" She walked closer until she was a few inches away from him to his right. She knelt down next to him, hoping that he was alright. She could hear his heavy breathing and wondered how much trouble it was for him to of helped her.

Gwathagor · 10-27-2007, 12:54 AM

He pulled himself to his feet, and then bowed low.

"Lady, I beg your pardon."

The ground about them was strewn with wolf corpses, and the edge of his cloak was stained with their blood, as with the blood of countless other fallen enemies from other days and battles. The elf was still tired, but he stood tall and straight, his hand resting upon the hilt of his sword. If anything, he appeared somewhat stiff, slightly ill at ease in the presence of another person, particularly a young elf maiden. He was not used to society; he was used to defending it. His glance shifted away north momentarily, past the elf girl and towards the forest. He put out a cautionary hand.

"You should not tarry here. I fear that there may be more wolves close by and that these were only the advance guard of a much larger pack. These are not ordinary wolves and their leader is...very dangerous. It is not yet safe"

He paused for a moment, trying to recall all he could of the conventions and pleasantries of society. It had been a very long time.

"You are not hurt, are you? May I assist you in any way?"

Forest Elf · 10-29-2007, 12:41 PM

Gable blinked with surprise. She noticed that even though he didn't show it, he was tired. She stood and said, "I'm fine, thanks for asking." She looked around, wondering what had happened to the wolf pup she had saved several years ago.

After a little while she asked, "May I ask who, or what the wolves leader is?" She looked at him, waiting for an answer. She was clueless as to what could control wolves.

10-23-2007, 08:48 PM	#2
Gwathagor Shade with a Blade Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: A Rainy Night In Soho Posts: 2,512	The Warrior Elf He halted atop the hill. His sword was still there, stuck in the grass. As his hands grasped the hilt of the ancient sword, he breathed deep and relaxed; but only for a moment. Then he turned west, towards the cries for help. There, about a hundred yards away, on the lower slopes of the hill, a pack of four or five wolves circled and leapt about a lone walnut tree. Among the lower branches of the tree, he could distinguish a pair of feet which kicked and swung about, trying to avoid the wolves' snapping jaws. Just then, the figure slipped down, abruptly, nearly falling out of the tree. As it did so, the warrior elf got a better look at the wolves' quarry, which barely managed to pull itself up out of reach of the predators. An elf! In the Shire, too, he thought in surprise. I have been gone a very long time. Slowly he pulled the sword out of the dirt. It was still bright and shone with the light of the morning sun. Then, quickly as he had stopped, he began to run again, raising the sword high as he closed in upon the wolves. The other elf's cries grew increasingly frequent and desperate, as the wolves leapt higher and closer, driven into a frenzy by their lust for blood. They were lean and their fur was matted, but their eyes burned blue with an unnatural fury. And then, with a great cry in some unknown tongue, he was upon them. The warrior elf and his sword tore through their midst in a whirlwind of fury that surpassed even that of the starving wolves. His first blow severed the head a wolf which had seized in its jaws the branch upon which their prey stood, and hung upon it, pulling it lower. His second blow opened a gaping wound in the side of the largest creature, and a third wolf, which wheeled to face this new foe found itself impaled upon the long, cold, unforgiving steel. Without pausing or losing his momentum, the tall elf with the sword spun, pulled his weapon free, and flattened a fourth wolf to the ground with a high arc that landed between the beast's shoulder blades. The fifth and last wolf sprang at him, and he turned back again, pulling the last reserves of his strength into a mighty blow that caught the monster in mid-air and hurled it into the trunk of the walnut tree, ten feet away. The lifeless corpse fell solidly to the ground, as its blood seeped out over the crushed walnut shells and stained the green grass. The tall elf sheathed his sword and fell to one knee amid the settling dust, breathing heavily. Last edited by Gwathagor; 10-25-2007 at 02:01 PM.

10-27-2007, 12:54 AM	#6
Gwathagor Shade with a Blade Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: A Rainy Night In Soho Posts: 2,512	The Warrior Elf He pulled himself to his feet, and then bowed low. "Lady, I beg your pardon." The ground about them was strewn with wolf corpses, and the edge of his cloak was stained with their blood, as with the blood of countless other fallen enemies from other days and battles. The elf was still tired, but he stood tall and straight, his hand resting upon the hilt of his sword. If anything, he appeared somewhat stiff, slightly ill at ease in the presence of another person, particularly a young elf maiden. He was not used to society; he was used to defending it. His glance shifted away north momentarily, past the elf girl and towards the forest. He put out a cautionary hand. "You should not tarry here. I fear that there may be more wolves close by and that these were only the advance guard of a much larger pack. These are not ordinary wolves and their leader is...very dangerous. It is not yet safe" He paused for a moment, trying to recall all he could of the conventions and pleasantries of society. It had been a very long time. "You are not hurt, are you? May I assist you in any way?"

10-23-2007, 06:01 PM	#1
Forest Elf Haunting Spirit Join Date: May 2006 Location: You say your hurting is over.. It feels like you're out of reach... Posts: 86	Gable swung the branch down just as a little too early. The wolf’s jaws opened and came around the branch, ripping it out of her grip. She kicked the wolf down to the ground, nearly loosing her balance as she did so. She pulled her foot back up before the other wolves would be able to reach it. She stood on the branch and, in grabbing the branches above her, pulled her feet up off of the branch, and shouted for help a little louder. She closed her eyes and began praying for help. She knew that the wolves would start leaping once she put her feet back onto the branch. The bark dug into her hands and she knew that she couldn’t keep her grip forever. Even with closed eyes she could still feel the tears in them. She opened them and saw an elf she’d never met before rushing over. She just hoped that he would hurry when she looked down and saw the wolves leaping up at the branch as she placed her foot back on it, to help keep all of the weight off of her hands.

10-24-2007, 08:33 AM	#3
Folwren Messenger of Hope Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States. Posts: 5,076	Dick responded to the hobbit’s request for beer immediately. He nodded his head quietly as the hobbit went on telling him about ... what? The innkeeper looked up. Who gave the Master of Buckland water instead of beer? An amused grin spread across his face as he turned back to the tap and finished off the mug. “How’s the business going?” the newcomer asked, turning to look about the empty common room. “I heard that in Woodhall, they had to close their Inn for a while, because the locals did not have time to visit it for a month! Imagine that! But I hope this is not your case.” He turned again to face Dick just as the innkeeper was setting the mug on the counter and picking up the coin. “Business has been good,” Dick replied. “Lot’s of people passing through Stock nowadays. We have staying in the inn a Dwarf, even! And a couple elves. We have daily customers, too, from Stock. I’m not about to close the ol’ Perch anytime soon. “Where’re you from, Mr....?”

10-24-2007, 04:02 PM	#4
Legate of Amon Lanc A Voice That Gainsayeth Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: In that far land beyond the Sea Posts: 7,431	"Brandybuck, Rory," the customer replied, picking up the mug. "I come from Pincup. I suppose you know where that is. A great place. My parents moved there after their marriage, when my mother's grand-uncle died, leaving them that wonderful smial. Yes, my grand-uncle, that must have been a hobbit! Rorimac Banks was his name. I was named after him, you see. My mother was his favourite grand-niece. She always visited him in that big, empty smial when all the relatives moved away... so, he left it to her." Rory interrupted the recital of his family's history to take a drop from the mug. The cold beer for a moment choked off the stream of his words and sudden silence fell upon the common room. "Well," the guest said after a while, wiping his lips, "this must be indeed the best beer in the Easfarthing. I have to stop here more often. I am a carter, you see - but usually my business does not lead me to these parts of the Shire." He looked about. "It's good to see that business is going well for you. You said, there is a dwarf and elves in here? Even? Unbelievable, I have to tell that in Willowbottom - they once had a Big Man there, wandering around, but elves! Are they not a little bit... hmm... strange? And where are they, anyway?" Rory suddenly turned and walking through the room to the door on its other end, before the innkeeper could react, he opened them and glanced over the hallway leading deeper into the hill. "Nice," he commented, turning back without closing the door. "In Tuckborough, they have some very beautiful smials. I once visited the Thain himself, had to deliver something to him from the Hornblowers. You won't believe how big, big hallway he has in the smial where he stays during summer. This whole room could fit into it, really." "But you know," he continued quickly, "maybe you could make this place a little bit more... cosy. Look at that wall, for example," he pointed at the wall opposite to the bar. "It could be decorated with something... and that hallway over there," he pointed towards the opened door, "could be painted yellow and lilac. It would be nice. I could get you someone to do that if you don't have anyone. I know plenty of people." He handed the empty mug to the innkeeper to get it refilled.

10-26-2007, 07:05 PM	#5
Forest Elf Haunting Spirit Join Date: May 2006 Location: You say your hurting is over.. It feels like you're out of reach... Posts: 86	Gable watched, dumbfounded. She could still hardly believe that the person she had seen running was an elf. At first she didn't think much about it, but now that he was here, fighting them off, the thought finally went through her head. She put her feet back onto the branch and watched as he fought them off. Then falling to his knee. She blinked and jumped down from in the tree, landing lightly on her feet. "Thank you sir. If you hadn't of come... then that would've been it for me," Gable said. "Are you alright?" She walked closer until she was a few inches away from him to his right. She knelt down next to him, hoping that he was alright. She could hear his heavy breathing and wondered how much trouble it was for him to of helped her.

10-29-2007, 12:41 PM	#7
Forest Elf Haunting Spirit Join Date: May 2006 Location: You say your hurting is over.. It feels like you're out of reach... Posts: 86	Gable blinked with surprise. She noticed that even though he didn't show it, he was tired. She stood and said, "I'm fine, thanks for asking." She looked around, wondering what had happened to the wolf pup she had saved several years ago. After a little while she asked, "May I ask who, or what the wolves leader is?" She looked at him, waiting for an answer. She was clueless as to what could control wolves.