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Old 08-21-2003, 02:34 AM   #158
piosenniel
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Hilde Bracegirdle's character - Gilly

NAME: Gilly Burrows Banks

AGE: 45

RACE: Hobbit

GENDER: Female

WEAPONS: Gilly has a knife, which she views as a tool rather than a weapon. At need she is more likely to impress the mundane objects around her to serve as weapons than to remember it’s existence.

APPEARANCE: Gilly is a middle aged and middle class hobbit as is reflected by her appearance. She is of average height and sturdy mature figure, though by no means overweight. The long braid of her wavy light brown hair is shot through with gray and tied in a knot at the back of her neck, curling wisps framing her broad face and dark brown eyes. She wears a simple homespun white blouse under a long dress of coarse dark green stuff that is edged with her own tatting work. At her waist is a wide belt of brown leather and around her shoulders a loosely woven shawl of varying shades of brown and tan knobby wool.

PERSONALITY: Gilly is a peaceful, practical sort. Her joy in life is maintaining a pleasant well-managed household and so she is typically trying to smooth out rough patches and looking for a better way of doing things. She has a narrow set of friends mostly in her own neighborhood, and while it takes time to win her confidence once you have it she is a devoted and loyal friend. Gilly is governed by a strong set of principles and is known to cast reason aside to do what she feels is honorable and right. She is quick to smile and has a sense of humor.

STRENGTHS: Her strengths lie in her perseverance and kind heart.

WEAKNESSES: It is her weakness to be overly suspicious, and to act before thinking things through to their logical end.

HISTORY: Gilly comes from the Burrows family of Bywater and spent a happily uneventful childhood on the family’s farmstead outside the town proper.


When she was in her tweens she had stumbled upon the plight of Jack Nightshade and his small family. Convincing her parents of their need, the Nightshades had been the Burrows’ guests for sometime before moving secretly onward. During this time a strong friendship had formed between Jack Nightshade’s daughter Benia and the hobbit, Gilly; and Gilly had in turn became aware of the troubled world outside of the Shire.


Immediately preceding the war, Gilly was married to Carl Banks, an oil merchant from Bywater and moved into his small living quarters just over the room housing his oil press. They lead a peaceful life until the war brought grief to the Shire and the young Banks’ business was burned down as a result of an “accident” involving Sharkey’s men. Gilly and Carl then had moved in with Carl’s parents.


Carl took part in the Battle of Bywater as a guard at the barrier on the road to Hobbiton, a point of pride for Gilly.


After the war the young Banks’ slowly rebuilt the business and were blest with 3 children. Life had settled into the comfortable pattern of domestic turmoil when a letter from Benia arrived asking Gilly if she would be willing to travel beyond Bree for a time to visit her old friend. A bit taken back at the mention of The Forsaken Inn, Carl and Gilly responded in a positive matter on the condition that Miss Nightshade would watch over her friend in Carl’s absence. It was then planned that Carl would accompany his wife to the inn and leave her there for a week while he visited some distant cousins in Archet. The children would in turn be visiting their Grandmother Banks. At the very most, they planned to return to Bywater within three weeks.

_____________________________________________

Hilde Bracegirdle's post for Gilly

(note: to follow Benia's immediately)

Eyes narrowed, trying to pierce the evening gloom, Gilly came to a stop behind the thick trunk of an ancient and sickly tree, it’s dark leafless branches uplifted, casting a claw like silhouette against the sky. The hobbit shuddered involuntarily in the cool dew-laden air. At the edge of the village sparse trees, disfigured by a seemingly desperate search for firewood grew among the derelict buildings, reminding Gilly of the refuse left on the shore after a great
storm. Disagreeable confusion. It reflected her own weary state of mind.

Before Gilly the object of her attention, Kaldir, an ominous presence in the rising mist, walked purposefully through the darkness, disappearing into the shadow. A flood of panic swept the hobbit along as she swiftly ran to follow this quarry. She could not afford to lose sight of Kaldir. He was her best chance at finding Miss Nightshade. Her only chance quite likely. And she must find her. Quite foolishly she had not told anyone as of Miss Benia disappearance last evening. It had been her wish to have gained Miss Léspheria’s council, but seeing her in such distress in the morning she was fearful that Miss Benia’s assailant might have attacked her as well, and did not wish to bring her further suffering. So she alone tried to piece together what exactly had transpired. It was obvious to her that it had not been the lady’s own volition that had taken her out of the window at the inn, but rather a man or less likely an elf that had forced her to take this undignified exit.

Who this person could be was a matter Gilly had pondered tirelessly, coming up with two suspects and one possible accomplice. The chief suspect was the man she followed, a ranger with a rather menacing disposition, who had lately arrived at the inn disrupting the calm of Miss Benia and Gilly’s visit rather much like a horse stepping in a still puddle. Nothing was clear. Their ease was taken from them completely when he had unceremoniously posted himself by the stair leading to the quarters Benia and Gilly shared. And he had been possessed of a stealthy sort of aggression and a confidence that the hobbit found most convincing. But this morning, when she found that Miss Benia had disappeared in the night, Gilly was dumbfounded to find Kaldir still about the inn aiding the elf Léspheria. It just didn’t fit. If not Kaldir then who would have done such a thing?

The other figure who featured in Gilly’s internal debate was Hanasian, another ranger who had come to Benia’s assistance when she was injured while seeking the sanctuary of her room, away from Kaldir. Though initially wary of any ranger, Gilly found herself weakening in her resolve regarding Mr. Hanasian’s case. But then, had she not seen him speaking late last evening with the strange southerner Vanwe, and quite close to Benia’s open window? She perhaps, would have heard of the price for bringing down a member of the Painted Sand tribe. Then again, all these three might be in league with one another. After all Hanasian apparently was on familiar terms with Kaldir. Or then again it could be someone Gilly had not spotted. She began to feel dizzy again, faint with hunger and weary of the circle her mind was describing.

Gilly’s thoughts turned outward once more as Kaldir passed through the door of one of the abandoned structures. She heard a low metallic scrape as a bolt was drawn and wondered if Benia might indeed be found alive in this very building. But perhaps it was the nest of thieves. She must be cautious.

After a pausing a few moments Gilly followed Kaldir over the threshold, desperately hoping that the ranger wasn’t poised just inside the door, waiting for her. A deep voice faintly could be heard beyond a heavy wooden door. And there, A female voice!

Planting herself in the deepest of shadows in the empty room, Gilly began her vigil, knowing herself no match for a ranger, she must needs wait until he departed again before she could effect Benia’s release.

Thinking back over the last few weeks, it seemed ages since Gilly received the letters that initially disrupted her otherwise peaceful existence. The first being from her sister-in-law the contents of which in effect was politely discerning if her family could move in with Gilly’s while relocating back to Bywater. Sylvia had been of the growing opinion that Brandy Hall was no place to bring up children and if hers were to be taken as examples of that region’s youth Gilly was inclined to agree. And the vague reference in regard to the purposed end of their stay she had found quite trying.

And again, the very next day the postman had delivered a second letter addressed in a rather flowing decorative script. This from Miss Benia Nightshade. Gilly had fondly recalled the slight, kindhearted lass with large amber eyes. She had had no word from her since the days before the war and slowly had come to fear the worst had happened to the dear girl and her family. They had been like green leaves blowing about before the wind in those pre war days, just one step ahead of the storm brewing in Harad. Indeed that is how they had become acquainted, Gilly pleading their case to her father until he agreed to shelter them on his small farm until the danger of their southern pursuers had past. But that chapter had long since been closed. Miss Benia had grown to be a fine woman albeit to Gilly’s mind a bit outlandish to set eyes upon. Still she had her father’s wit and fortitude alongside her mother’s appearance, and it proved a pleasant combination.

In her letter Miss Nightshade had relayed that she would be in the area near Bree and would like to see Gilly again if Gilly could manage to find her way there. She would be staying at the Forsaken Inn. The hobbit in hindsight regretted ignoring the misgivings she had upon reading the name of the inn, but at the time she had feared bed bugs and stale toast rather than the exploits of bounty hunters such as the one she now found herself trailing. (That had changed quickly upon her arrival). And at the time she was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing Miss Benia again, so much so as to press her husband Carl to agree to the journey.

Carl had accompanied Gilly as far as the inn before turning toward Archet to stay with distant cousins. He had arranged to meet Gilly in a few days time for the return trip home. Meanwhile, Miss Nightshade had promised to keep a watchful eye on her friend, keeping her out of mischief. Never before had she seen the Brandywine let alone crossed over the Greenway, and the hobbit felt herself ill at ease as well as excited. Accordingly, she had had a sense of apprehension even amidst her marveling at the sights and curious ways of her fellow guests, some few of which brought to mind once again the ill treatment she and Carl had received at the hands of Sharkey’s men, and was rather sad to learn that Benia’s troubles had not ceased after the war….

Gilly woke suddenly to the sound of footsteps ascending the stair. She couldn’t have been asleep over long for it was still mercifully dark in the room. Of this Gilly was grateful, for at the door there soon appeared Kaldir’s dark form hurriedly shooting the bolt home before stepping outside and across the road. The hobbit sat silently counting to what she thought was a large number before allowing herself to race to the cellar door. Heart racing as she unlocked the door, Gilly found it an awkward task descending the steep stairs with Jack Nightshade’s sword strapped to her back, and stumbling down the last few she called, “Miss Benia! Miss Benia, are you here?”

“Yes Gilly, I am. Just over here my friend, see here in the corner,” came a soft reply. “But you should not have come to visit me today. Carl would not be pleased to hear that I had taken you to such a place as this!” Benia gave a dispirited smile. “You must go directly, for I assure you the ranger will not be long gone!”

“Oh no Miss Nightshade, I will not go. I mean to get you out of here. Ach, now who would go and tie you up like this? As if you would be causing harm to anyone!” Gilly came forward to free Benia using a small knife, but her friend stopped her and looked her in the eye.

“Gilly, please listen! You must go now. Kaldir will be back and we will both be trussed up like this before we have gone a mile if we leave now. If you truly wish to help me, go back to the inn and gather my things bringing them here. I will need my boots to travel any distance quickly, and a think we shall gain a good lead if we wait until the ranger goes to fetch his horse as he plans tomorrow.”

“Then I will do as you ask, but please take my knife while I am away. I would feel better for your having it.” She paused thinking the plan through. “Am I to go with you then?”

“I won’t have you stay here, for Kaldir to toy with!”

“Then I suggest we head for Archet, Carl is there and will be able to help us.”

“Very well, just hurry and be careful.”

Gilly made her way up the stairs again, bolting the door behind her before slipping out into the night. She fairly ran to the inn, climbing the vines to enter Benia’s room though the open window. Collecting the few things her friend had left, she put her meager handful of pocket money on the table hoping that it might cover the cost of their stay, before throwing the rucksack out the window and climbing down after it.

Soon Miss Benia would be safe again, and she and Carl would be on her way back to Bywater. Very soon this would be only an unpleasant memory, but it could not be soon enough for the tired hobbit.
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