The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The Green Dragon Inn

Fordim Hedgethistle · 02-11-2004, 07:36 AM

Snaveling pulled the last bits of edible bread from the burnt shell of the loaves that he had taken from the pantry and gobbled them down. He then turned his attention to the joint of meat, cutting long strips of flesh from the bone with his knife and eating them with his fingers, pausing only to lick the juices from his fingers or to sponge them out of his beard with his sleeve. The bucket lines formed and the flames were slowly beaten down, and he watched with jealousy as a halfling and a tall Woman went into the building, no doubt intending to pilfer the treasures within that Snaveling had already claimed in his imagination as his own.

The outcry had not been for him, but for a ball of flame blowing out one of the Inn’s many windows. Such mistakes were the price of a guilty conscience, Snaveling knew, having had long experience with his own. At first he had been shaken by fear of discovery, but the food and his hiding place in the trees had done much to restore his confidence, and once again his mind turned toward the guest’s belongings. The guestrooms were undoubtedly on the second floor, which to this point had hardly been touched by the flames. If he were to have any hope of obtaining the goods left behind in the panic to evacuate the Inn, he had to find some way to make sure that the fire was not put out before the Inn was reduced to a pile of blackened timbers.

Snaveling was a sneak and a thief, but he was no coward and had great cunning when it came to his own welfare and gain. So it wasn’t long before he had decided to take some of the sparks that were blowing from the Inn and use them to begin a small fire in the dried twigs and bracken in the copse of trees in which he was hiding. When that fire was well established, he took one flaming twig from the pile and rushed over to a small bush that he had burning and crackling in no time. He flit from tree to bush to copse and soon had nearly a dozen small fires in a ring around the line of people attempting to beat down the flames that were consuming the Inn. So involved were they in their own concerns, none seemed to notice him, for which he thanked his luck and congratulated his quick wit.

Having completed his task, he was forced to move into the crowd of people before the Inn, for there was no longer any hope of safety in the surrounding trees, which would soon be fully ablaze. He moved to the edges of the crowd, hoping not to be noticed. Only then did he remember the metal object he had found in the Inn, and once more he wondered what it might be - but he did not dare take it out to examine it here as who knows what it might be, or who amongst these people might be its owner.

02-11-2004, 07:36 AM	#232
Fordim Hedgethistle Gibbering Gibbet Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Beyond cloud nine Posts: 1,844	Snaveling Snaveling pulled the last bits of edible bread from the burnt shell of the loaves that he had taken from the pantry and gobbled them down. He then turned his attention to the joint of meat, cutting long strips of flesh from the bone with his knife and eating them with his fingers, pausing only to lick the juices from his fingers or to sponge them out of his beard with his sleeve. The bucket lines formed and the flames were slowly beaten down, and he watched with jealousy as a halfling and a tall Woman went into the building, no doubt intending to pilfer the treasures within that Snaveling had already claimed in his imagination as his own. The outcry had not been for him, but for a ball of flame blowing out one of the Inn’s many windows. Such mistakes were the price of a guilty conscience, Snaveling knew, having had long experience with his own. At first he had been shaken by fear of discovery, but the food and his hiding place in the trees had done much to restore his confidence, and once again his mind turned toward the guest’s belongings. The guestrooms were undoubtedly on the second floor, which to this point had hardly been touched by the flames. If he were to have any hope of obtaining the goods left behind in the panic to evacuate the Inn, he had to find some way to make sure that the fire was not put out before the Inn was reduced to a pile of blackened timbers. Snaveling was a sneak and a thief, but he was no coward and had great cunning when it came to his own welfare and gain. So it wasn’t long before he had decided to take some of the sparks that were blowing from the Inn and use them to begin a small fire in the dried twigs and bracken in the copse of trees in which he was hiding. When that fire was well established, he took one flaming twig from the pile and rushed over to a small bush that he had burning and crackling in no time. He flit from tree to bush to copse and soon had nearly a dozen small fires in a ring around the line of people attempting to beat down the flames that were consuming the Inn. So involved were they in their own concerns, none seemed to notice him, for which he thanked his luck and congratulated his quick wit. Having completed his task, he was forced to move into the crowd of people before the Inn, for there was no longer any hope of safety in the surrounding trees, which would soon be fully ablaze. He moved to the edges of the crowd, hoping not to be noticed. Only then did he remember the metal object he had found in the Inn, and once more he wondered what it might be - but he did not dare take it out to examine it here as who knows what it might be, or who amongst these people might be its owner.