[Chathol-linn]

Hi - I tried editing the RPG thread at the Save place but it would not let me. Here's the post. Please feel free to post it or edit it as necessary.

Harald Organizes the Fire Fighting

Harald’s first breathless stop was the Town Hall. It was a fortunate location - most of the way down town and not too far from the Pony. The Captain of Guards was already there, as were many of the townsfolk, Big and Little, resident and guest, who had been roused from their beds by the alarm. Harald could see Berilac the Hobbit Ranger running full speed up the street.

Behind the Town Hall, Bree kept a shed and in it they had fire fighting tools, for fires were a deadly menace whether in heat of summer, drought of fall, or cold of winter when every fireplace was roaring. The Breelanders all knew this and had taken precautions.

“We are lucky that many of our roofs are made of slate, and our houses of stone,” said Telien.

“True,” said Harald. “But there is much that could burn. The Pony is close to the Hedge and is made of a lot of timber.”

“You might have to pull it down if the fire makes it to the Hedge,” said one of the town council members.

“I will if I have to,” said Harald, thinking of a time a hundred years ago when, his Mum had told him, a Mayor had refused to do just that, and Bree had burnt to the ground. They still called that one ‘the fool mayor.’ “But let us make sure we do not have to.”

Harald jumped to the top of the steps that led to the Hall. “Breelanders All! I call on you to fight this new threat of fire. I need three heads of household from the lower town, now! And someone from the Prancing Pony. Ban, it is you.”

A goodwife and huge Uther of the Big Folk stepped forward, together with Elmerith, Telien’s second in command. Ban from the Pony came too, looking as if he were dreaming or wished he were. The smell of smoke came on the morning breeze, and the crackle of fire sounded like a battle. The sun rose red in the sky.

“After all our work to repair it, that Hedge is not coming down,” Harald told them. To the four he had called forth he said, “Each of you – get ten of your folk and make a bucket brigade line from each of the downtown cisterns to the Hedge. Portion out the Hedge and wet it down. Don’t stop. Thank all the powers that be for the heavy rain we had a while back. The wells and cisterns are full.”

Dantha arrived, panting. “What can I do, Harald?”

“Go in the shed, get the buckets, and pile them in four piles in front of the cisterns.” Dantha ran to the shed and found the buckets. There were other, more ominous tools there: axes, ladders, hooks, chains. But she kept up her courage and grabbed buckets by the handles, and brought them out to the cisterns.

“We need more hands, Harald!” she shouted over the roar of crowd and flame. “If the fire crosses the Hedge, we will be open to any bandit on the East Road or the Greenway!”

“Worse,” said Telien. “If it hits the smith shop next to the Pony, the charcoal will burn hot enough to melt all the iron in Bree.”

“I will get the lads and lasses,” said Dantha, and she dashed away. Soon she returned with at least two dozen youths and maids, and then the bucket brigades went faster.

Harald was thinking of taking a calm breath when he saw Berilac pushing toward the Town Hall steps.

“The children in the cave!” he was shouting. “What about the children!”

“Oh, no,” said Harald. “I forgot Willofain’s message. Telien! Open the North Gates. Get them wetted down. See to Berilac – he knows where they are!”

Then Harald abandoned forever any reservations he might have had about the Little Folk. He turned to the Hobbit Ranger.

“Berilac, Bree is already in your debt for your help on the Hedge. While you’re looking out for the youngsters, might the other Hobbits try their hand at fire-fighting? I've seen Hobbits stamp out a fire with bare feet.”

A burning branch separated from its burning tree and landed wind-borne on the street in front of them. There it lay as a symbol of all the rancor and trouble that had separated the two folk, and it was Harald who held his breath and waited.