The Vineyard Tavern

[Imladris]

It is now noon at the Tavern. A lunch of soup (veggies, left over meat, maybe a bit of barley) and tough wheat bread is being served along with wine or ale, depending on the customers preference.

It is sunny, with a wisps of clouds that scurry before a brisk breeze.

[Imladris]

Finian laughed and said, "No, there are no ghosts here my lady."

As she she shifted her glance around, just to make sure he was telling her the truth, Finian considered what the woman had told him.

She was in need of a job, and he surely wouldn't mind having someone keeping a closer eye on his sister. He felt his stomach squirm uncomfortably as he realized that she had disappeared yet again.

"I do not mind that you ate an apple, Seregon," said Finian, grinning. "I do not know of any lawmen about sleeping in a field, but you can either sleep in the loft of the stables or you can sleep in one of the rooms. However, would you like a job?" he asked earnestly. "I have a little sister who is not mad...but...she has queer moods. I do not have time to look after her."

[Esgallhugwen]

Thalinar sighed in relief thinking that at last he would have some peace and be able to avoid further situations involving the burning cheeked Ædhral, or any other event that would cause trouble. After all he had had enough for one day.

But just as he leaned his back up against the chair his sharp ears picks up scuffling outside the door Oh not again, I pray to Eru its not her, I think I've cause us enough mischance for today. He paused about to get up then stopped thinking that maybe if he didn't answer the door they would go away.

A few minutes passed silently but he heard the door creak slightly under the weight of a body, he turned his gaze to the door and closed his eyes in concentration please go away I want to be left alone. Thalinar's grey eyes shifted to the fire than back to the door as he heard whispering and mumbling.

He set down his wine glass and strode over to the door, he paused again, reaching out for the doorknob then turned it quickly and opened the door. Thalinar was very surprised to see a young girl sent flying forward in his direction, she was younger than Ædhral, Thalinar remembered her as the one that was discussing the emotions of the floorboards downstairs and wondered what she was doing leaning up agianst his room door.

The Elf caught her gracefully before she fell on her face, "hello, I don't believe we've been properly introduced, and what were you doing leaning on the door to my room?" he asked closing the door behind him waiting for her reply.

[Chathol-linn]

Seregon accepts a job at the Vineyard

“No ghosts? Then it must have been your cat or dog. Or even your little sister! I have sisters as well, Master Tavern Keeper, and I know what it is to be concerned for them.” Seregon gave him a grin. “They are not particularly mad either, and they sometimes have queer moods! So I will be well prepared to look after your sister. I accept your offer with gratitude, and if you like, I will stay until we are back on our feet again.

“You see, we three – Cordof, Glisi, and I, are the Bee Sisters. We grow flowers and fruit, and keep bees. That field outside of town already has a good blackberry hedge growing nicely. All we need to do is catch a swarm of bees. The next thing you know, we’ll be selling honey, mead, wax, and medicines.”

Her eyes flicked to the little lad with the burned face. She lowered her voice and said, “Honey has been known to reduce scars. Maybe Laketown has a healer who would be interested? Anyway, if there is no Lawspeaker to ask permission of, I will speed back to the field and tell my sisters to start building a lean-to. Then I will come back here and meet my new charge.”

Seregon hesitated. She could hardly believe her good fortune. "I have never stayed in a tavern before. You will give me a roof over my head? And board as well? I am in your debt, sir."

And Seregon bowed to the innkeeper and gave him a hopeful smile.

[Chathol-linn]

The Other Bee Sisters and a Watcher

The other two Bee Sisters, Cordof and Glisi, did not waste time waiting for Seregon to find any Lawspeaker.

“This field is unused. It is perfectly placed between the town and the forest,” said Cordof. “We can set up some skep hives with cones of straw if, ahem, we had any straw. And we’ll get that blackberry hedge growing all around the place. Before you know it we’ll have our own farm again.”

Cordof stood in the middle of the field, looking towards the half-built town into which Seregon had recently disappeared. Cordof looked very much like her namesake, for she was redcheeked like an apple and wore a red dress and a long white apron over top. Both were in need of a good washing, for the traveling had been hard. One could not say what color her hair was, for she wore a pretty red and white scarf around her head. To tell the truth, Cordof was vain about her appearance. She had not a line on her face and if she had even one grey hair, no one ever knew it for she never appeared in public without her scarf.

“Yes, let us start a lean-to, and get a hearth fire built. It will be good to be settled,” said Glisi. She looked nothing like Cordof or Seregon, for she was taller and had long honey-colored hair. Her breeches and shirt were like Seregon’s green attire, but Glisi’s were a warm brown, and she wore a gold-colored slash overtunic that showed the brown underneath, and a rope belt around all. She had a dreamy air about her that was a marked contrast to Cordof’s no-nonsense ways. She continued:

“We will not have to worry about falling prey to beasts of the forest – or worse – with all this bustle about." Glisi looked around, remembering the stealthy noises that had dogged them for the past two days and nights. But she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Cordof said, "The hedge will soon be better than any fence."

"And the bees themselves will be scary to many folk.” Glisi laughed aloud at the idea of fearing the honeybees.

But she was right. On the other side of the blackberry hedge there crouched a strange creature, and if there had been any bees about, he would have run from them. But not much else frightened him. And he loved the look of golden hair.