[Garen LiLorian]

Ned was bored. Admittedly, he spent a lot of time in that state, but that was no excuse. Since Fin had wandered off, he'd sat in a corner, and watched the procession of would-be heroes approach Gaddy and be welcomed to the expedition. He was glad to see that some in the group, namely a young dwarf, Ned thought he had heard the name Bailin, but couldn't be sure, and the waitress Nariah, along with a cheerful looking hobbit and Fin, had started to come up with some plans for the actual adventure.

Ned was just going to join them, when he noticed the old shepherd, Elfred, enter the Prancing Pony. He looked awful. There were some discolored stains on his hands and clothes and he looked as if his old granddam had just died. Even his sheepdog looked depressed. Ned looked interestedly at the stains for a moment. "Dark. I wonder if-" then he broke off, with a shudder. The first seeds of doubt entered his mind. This is no place for me, he thought to himself, This is a job for Fin, and Gaddy. I'm just going to be a nuisance.

He dragged himself over towards Gaddy, in time to hear Elfred's closing words. "...all slain, as well as Gaffer Heathertoes Tig. I'm that sorry to have to tell ye." He shuddered again. He knew very well what this meant. Normal wolves wouldn't kill a whole flock of sheep, and certainly not a dog as vicious as Tig. He considered for a moment that his opinion of Tig might be a little harsh, as his only experience with the dog was when old Heathertoes had set the creature on him, for tresspassing and using his sheep for target practice, but the thought was lost on him.

He returned to the matter at hand. "Wargs!" He thought to himself, excited now, "I'm going to be fighting Wargs!" All fears vanished. Immediately, he was in his own world, a world where he dispatched a dozen Wargs with one swing of his axe, and single-handedly saved the rest of the group from sure destruction. He imagined pretty Autumn throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek, tall Findorfin and Celebmornie asking humbly if he would deign to accompany them on thier next adventure, Gaddy looking at him as an equal! No sir, you couldn't pay me to stay behind now! He thought triumphantly.