The Green Dragon Inn #11 - The Last Chapter

[Esgallhugwen]

"Maybe so, but what then has come over her to make her act so?"

Esgallhugwen gazed off in the distance, lost in thought. Her own mother slain, her father did nothing, lost in the dark, alone, crushed.

She couldn't allow it to happen to another, especially Uien, because of what they had faced along with Lira and the others. The bond between them had become stronger with the Osanwe Kenta, and Esgallhugwen would not let another fall to oblivion.

"Past regression perhaps. To know for sure I must make a journey, and I will need your help Falowik, I will need your help in order to come back."

Falowik looked at her distraught, "What do you speak of?", she didn't look at him at first concentrating on the distance, on the horizon. Was she looking for something?

"A journey to the shadows, which my Kin rarely undertake due to the danger of descending far enough down that we are utterly diminished and only a shell remains, a shadow of our former self".

Eswen's eyes expressed strict determination as she turned her far reaching gaze on Falowik, "Will you help me Falowik, mellon?"

I come I come to barrow mounds, white flowers bloom, war horns sound.


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~*~ Pio

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[littlemanpoet]

"A journey to the shadows," answered Eswen to Falowik's query, "which my Kin rarely undertake due to the danger of descending far enough down that we are utterly diminished and only a shell remains, a shadow of our former self." Her eyes expressed strict determination as she turned her far reaching gaze on Falowik. "Will you help me Falowik, mellon?"

Falowik's eyes widened. Her Kin. Elvish ways, dark and strange. Falowik's skin crawled. He had seen Uien in the midst of such a moment back at Deadman's Dike, when the stones had spoken to her of death; at least, that was how Uien had put it. Falowik could not imagine what they were talking about, only that it must be darksome, thoroughly Elvish, and therefore a thing that a mere human had better stay far from. Yet Eswen asked for his help.

"How can I help you, Eswen? I am no Elf."


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Please check your PM's.

~*~ Pio

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[Anguirel]

Artifondo couldn't help but laugh at Edan's turn of phrase. Disfortunate dispositions, indeed...but the essence of Edan's theory was good sense. There were now no Wizards left with the power or will to disrupt the humdrum peace of the Shire, either for better or worse.

He smiled at Edan. "I'm the opposite of you. Reading is my escape. My father and sister are always dragging me out of some history or book of poems, sending me off to harvest artichokes, or buy some twine, or deliver a letter, or collect levies from our tenantry...I can tell you, there are times when I sorely wish we Hobbits wore shoes, for my soles feel like the hide of an Oliphaunt..."

He sat back in his share, his meal finished, his belly pleasantly full. This was all very agreeable, but when was the Cook planning on turning up? Though she'd probably turf him out on his ear...if she had any sense...still, he had to make the sale, unlikely as it seemed, or he wouldn't be able to justify spending Dwellover money on lunch at the Green Dragon...

[Kath]

"I may be older than you master hobbit but I am not deaf!" Astilwen replied, spearing Woody with a look that had him squirming where he stood.

Satisfied she had made her point she turned to Hanson and smiled back. "Maybe she has reason to yell, are you really so well-behaved that you never deserve to be told off?"

Leaving him trying to work out an answer she turned towards Daisy. "Is there no chance that their friend can join them? It is a beautiful day."

Looking past Daisy she saw another hobbit girl. She could not see much of the boy that was causing all the arguments, but she could see that the girl before him cared deeply for him.

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Check your PM's, please.

~*~ Pio

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[Arry]

‘Told you off proper, didn’t she?’ Hanson smirked a bit at Woody, noting his brother had begun to turn beet red from the woman’s comment.

Woody could feel the heat rising in his face. This was just the sort of confrontation he liked to avoid. His hand snaked out and he grabbed his brother firmly by the collar. In the manner of older boys and their younger brothers he dragged Hanson from the schoolroom and back out to the yard.

‘Sit here,’ he hissed, seating himself beside Hanson on one of the benches in the shade. ‘And don’t move ‘til Miz Bella calls us in.’ He kept his hand near his brother in case he attempted to run again.

Woody was a shy lad. He hadn’t really wanted to come to school in the first place. He liked staying at home, helping out his Da when he could. Drawing pictures as he sat against his favorite sunny rock in the field near his burrow. But his mother had insisted, saying she wanted him to learn his letters and numbers. Behind her words, though, he knew her main reason was to keep Hanson in line.

Now Hanson wasn’t a bad brother. It’s just that he was only five years old, and had the attention span of a gnat. He liked to be doing things; but unfortunately those things involved a lot of moving about, not sitting still and acting properly as was required in school. And, he was a curious child; liked to poke his nose into others’ business.

Tomorrow, Woody thought, he’d beg off school. Let Uncle Gil keep his thumb on Hanson. There were some birds nesting in the beech tree near his drawing place. He wanted to draw a picture of them, maybe climb up if he could and see how the eggs were coming along.

He felt Hanson move, as if to get up. ‘Sit still, I told you!’

Hanson sat down with a sigh and glared at his brother.

‘Will this day never end?!’ grumbled Woody to himself.

[Noinkling]

Benat came whistling up the dirt path to the Inn; his long strides eating up the distance from the main road to the Dragon’s door. Cullen loped along beside him; his pace picking up as he caught the scent of the lunch meal.

It had been an enjoyable morning for the both of them. Benat had been graciously taken in by Sam and his wife, Rosie and made to feel quite at home. He chuckled as he thought of it. They had taken care to set up a little party in their back yard. Food and drink and a rather large bench for Benat to sit on. Sam had told him he’d read Master Bilbo’s account of his stay with Beorn and thought perhaps it would be less cramped for Benat if he didn’t try to squeeze into Bag End.

Cullen had been delighted to meet the Gamgee children. And Rose commented, before she left the men to talk over old stories and books, that the dog would be welcome anytime to come up and nursemaid her wee ones a bit. For his part, Cullen was as patient as he could be as they pulled his ears and poked fingers in his mouth to see his great teeth and gave him mighty hugs with sloppy kisses when he licked them.

Now it was time for food, thought Cullen as they stepped onto the porch and through the door. He could hear Benat’s stomach grumbling as they walked toward a suitable table.

[Primrose Bolger]

Ginger smiled to see the big man and his dog come into the Inn. She poured a pitcher of cold cider, and setting it on a tray with a large mug, went over to his table.

Cullen’s tail thumped as she approached. And she winked at him before setting the cider in front of Benat. ‘Well, did you get to see Master Samwise? And see old Mister Bilbo’s books?’ As she waited for his answer, a sudden thought struck her. Soon enough, if she kept up with her reading lessons with Miz Bella, she would be able to read the stories in those books, too.

With a little shake of her head, Ginger brought herself back to the present. ‘We’ve soup and bread and cheese, Master Benat,’ she said, ticking off the foods for lunch. She leaned down and gave Cullen a scratch between his ears. ‘And how about a nice bowl of it for Cullen, here. He looks famished!’ She laughed as the dog whined a bit at her and grinned at her suggestion.