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Old 11-20-2002, 01:37 PM   #14
Birdland
Ghastly Neekerbreeker
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto
Posts: 1,757
Birdland has just left Hobbiton.
Sting

A tiny, evil snicker was heard from somewhere near his elbow. Mithadan looked around him, thinking perhaps a tipsy Hobbit had sidled up to the bar to regale a handy stranger with genealogical lore, but the stools next to him were empty.

"Down here, Eagle-Eyes", came a tiny voice, and Mithadan finally spotted the small, black and silver Neekerbreeker sitting next to him on the bar top.

"So, warming a bar stool instead of spending the evening with the little Elf-woman, eh Mith? Rimbaud, the usual." Rimbaud set a small saucer of ale on the counter, and gingerly plucked a rotten piece of lettuce from the garbage to add as garish. Mith shuddered as the insect extended its probosis into the foamy ale and proceeded to suck the saucer dry.

Bird, must you loiter around in that form? It really doesn't suit you, you know." The Numenorean picked up his glass and started to rise from the bar, hoping to seize the chance to mingle. But he was too late.

"What's that I hear you telling folk? Dogging my old traveling companion?" Birdie quickly leapt from the bar top to Mith's shoulder. "You know, I warned you. Your buddy Aragorn took sixty years to test the waters before he took the plunge. But 'no'. You two had to jump right to the plighting of troths and the exchanging of rings. Not to mention the two 'passengers' you picked up on the way." Birdie snickered again "That's what comes of shipboard romances, y'know. Something about the salt air just sweeps people off their feet. That and the sword-battles against impossible odds."

Mith rolled his eyes. "Bird, you know Pio is my Star, My Light, My Life. I just didn't realize she could be so...mecurial."

She's an elf, isn't she? Nobody ever said she was a day at the Gray Havens"

Mith scanned the room, hoping to find an old friend - any friend - and tried to change the subject. "Hmmmmm, the room's filling up fast tonight. Lots of new faces. Why don't you morph to woman's form, Bird, and introduce yourself around."

"I like checking things out in this form, Mith. Gives me a chance to size up the crowd." Bird waved her antenna around her head and rubbed her front legs together leisurely. "Looks like the tale-tellers are showing up from all over. That's the thing: a place gets one write-up in the penny press, and suddenly everybody has to come down and 'check it out' - Hey, Gandalf! New staff?"

The old wizard raised his pipe in salute and held out the six foot length of lingum vitae for inspection.

Birdie hopped off, and Mith breathed a sigh of relief. He had gotten off lightly, but knew that his extoskeletal antagonist would be back for a second round soon. He held up his glass to Rimbaud, signalling for the same again.
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