The Green Dragon Inn - Part 5

[Amanaduial the archer]

After an hour and a bit of labelling and checking the first few shelves in the wine cellar (which seemed, in a twisty way, to extend backwards or down forever - Aman and Lira could only hope there weren't beverages stacked all the way back!), they stopped for a break, and were about to go upstairs to Cook to see if they could find a snack for elevenses - a tradition in the Shire which, both agreed, was not a bad one.

Aman put down the bottle of fine red 1425 from Buckland with a sigh, after redoing its label on parchment in her spidery black handwriting and securing it onto the bottle. Smiling at Lira, she straightened up, and was about to ask the elf is she was ready, before a cry, muffled by the floor, hit her ears. Lira didn't seem to have noticed particularly, humming a soft tune to herself, but Aman held up a hand.

"Listen," she murmured. Lira looked up, inclining her head, and sure enough, a moment later another cry came. This time Aman was almost able to distinguish words, but because of the well-carpeted and thick floors of the Inn, she wasn't quite able to understand them.

The sound had come from straight above them, and without another word, the Innkeeper gathered up her skirts and ran as fast as she could while trying not to slip up the narrow stairs, past the bar, ignoring the bemused look of Cook and Esgalhugwen, who Aman had sent to cook to give her something to do, and up the main stairs. She walked silently down the corridor, listening to any noise, and sure enough, there it was a sleepy muttering, then a gasp, coming from a room on her right.

Aman knocked carefully on the door. "Excuse me, sir, are you alright?"

Inkeeper's comment: Novardaion, welcome to the Downs, and to the Dragon, but the Innkeeper is Aman, a young woman from Rohan. Note to all: I will be away for a week until next Sunday. Thankyou