The Green Dragon Inn #11 - The Last Chapter

[Elu Ancalime]

The strange elf was violently aroused from his slumber. Only a nightmare, he reassured himself. But it seemed more like his fears were calling from.

Uuquettannoer......why did you flee?.......do you feel you can hide forever in the West?.......you will be naught more than an unwanted stranger........


"I'm safe in this land. No other elf from so far knows of this place; here i can lay secret, and safe. Perhaps some wine, and a little fun with the little folk will cure my sorrowness." He left his room, and went out to the front lawn.

Surprised because of his last comment, he noticed a few other elves, one of them named Aidwain Longleaf, yet Uuquettano did not know them by name or face. He gathered his courage, being a shy and quiet elf, and longed to converse with the elves. He had not spoken to another of his race since he left his homeland.

"Greetings, fellow quendi. What brings you to this forgotten land in the north? Where do you hail from? I myself am a traveller, and I am surprised to see not only one other, but a handful of elves in this place the small folk call The Shire. I hope you enjoying this marvelous little party they have put on. I find this Inn so gay and energetic! It's almost as if I have fallen into a dream."
"But come now, we are all dressed different, what is your business if I may ask? If you would tell your names and whence you came, I would be happy to tell you mine. For I have not spoken in any long tale to anyone for what seems like ages, and now I wish to settle down with others of my kin."

[Eowyn Skywalker]

At the incoherent quiry, Ariane couldn't help but smile as she waited for a more understandable reply. "Sorry - I asked what it was you were looking at?"

She grinned slightly, setting her fork down beside her plate, a slight clatter tingling the edge of the glass dish as it slipped to hit the table. "I as..." She swallowed hard to clear her mouth of potatoes, then reached to take a glass of water (for Ariane had picked one up along the way). Swallowing down a mouthful helped clear the thickness, and she managed to reply easily. "I was looking at the roof. It's sort of a... childish amusement of mine, one might say. Counting the tiles, if there are any, or beams if that replaces them."

The woman shrugged, forking some carrots. "I don't know why I do it, but I enjoy it. It's a distractor, something to shift my thought patterns from darkness to simple logic—" Something Ariane had never been able to accomplish, being more melodramatic than logical, more unpredictable than mathimatical, more of a writer and an artist than one for numbers and logical thought. But she didn't say that aloud, letting herself trail off naturally, as if she hadn't considered carrying on to say anymore. "But what do you think of the buns they have here? They're amazingly flavored." She sighed. "I cannot cook a thing without burning it."

[Kath]

Astilwen had been interested in Ariane's explanation of why she counted what was on the ceiling and wished that she had gone on. The woman had lapsed into silence after only a few words and was obviously deep in thought, though those thoughts were apparently going to stay in her head. After a moment she had shaken herself and changed the subject entirely.

"But what do you think of the buns they have here? They're amazingly flavored." She sighed. "I cannot cook a thing without burning it."

Deciding to leave the previous matter be Astilwen went along with this new tangent.

"They're wonderful. The cook here is quite famous among these parts for her food and you can see, or should I say taste why! I'm the same as you though. My mother tried to teach me to cook by getting me to make the meal for my family once a week. And so once a week my family went hungry!"

The two of them shared a laugh born of a common misfortune and tucked back into their meals. After a happy few moments spent eating in peace Astilwen pushed her plate away from her and leant back in her chair, Ariane following suit close behind.

"So," began the hobbit, "Where is it that you hail from?"

[Eowyn Skywalker]

"So, where is it that you hail from?"

A vaugely amused grin touched Ariane's face for a moment. She waited to reply this time until swallowing down her last bite of food, clear to speak without sputtering all over the table. "Ah, here, there, everywhere," she said with a hint of a melodramatic flurish, mindlessly poking at a couple of small squares of meat on her plate. "I was born near Bree, in this area, really. Not the Shire, but you know what I mean.

"I suppose I'm not essentially from Bree, considering I've lived in a few different places, Gondor for a while recently. But then, perhaps it doesn't really matter."

She grinned. "I don't need to ask you where you're from, though."

Setting aside her fork, she picked a bit at some of the remaining gravy left on the plate before finally finishing up the bits and remains left and pushing her plate aside to follow Astilwen's example. A good large meal, she thought, was one of the underspoken wonders of the world.

[Kath]

"I suppose I'm not essentially from Bree, considering I've lived in a few different places, Gondor for a while recently. But then, perhaps it doesn't really matter."

Gondor! Astilwen was now in awe of this woman. She herself had only ever heard of the place through tales that her parents friends told. She remembered hiding behind doors as a child to listen to the stories, and being chased off to bed when she was discovered. And she was discovered every time, for she could never contain her gasps of fright at the scary parts, or her laughter at the funny ones.

Now impressed she looked at Ariane more closely. Perhaps it was just the new information playing tricks on her eyes, but now that she thought about it she wondered if the faint lines she could see were the wear and tear that came from travelling. Whatever the case the woman was obviously full of surprises!

"Gondor!" She exclaimed. "Well I never. What's it like?"

[Maeggaladiel]

Hallien's booted foot tapped rhythmically against the leg of the chair. The instrument-- it couldn't really be called a lute anymore; she had added too many extra strings over the years-- was fully tuned and ready to play.

She leaned over the instrument's hollow body, her head nodding in time to her foot. After four beats, she started to play.

No time can pass your sight unseen,
No moment steals away unfound.
Lifetime lived in such a dream,
Floats like a feather to the ground.

And for the first time I've been seeing
The things I'd never notice, without you.
And for the first time I'm discovering
The things I used to treasure, about you.

The birds like leaves on Winterwood,
Sing hopeful songs on dismal days.
They've learned to live life as they should.
They are at peace with nature's ways.

You are as natural as the night,
And all that springs from you is good.
And the children born beneath your light,
Are like the birds on Winterwood.

And for the first time I've been seeing
The things I'd never notice, without you.
And for the first time I'm discovering
The things I used to treasure, about you.

[Folwren]

Wren and Tim came out of their search fruitless. The music and songs had continued, more people had come, and more dancers had started to dance, but there seemed to be no sign of Woody or Hanson. The brother and sister finally collapsed on the bench of one of the tables. Tim leaned back on his elbows against the table and scanned the growing company. Wren sat forward her hands folded in her lap, looking out eagerly as well.

“I’m famished,” Tim finally said, sitting up abruptly. “Let’s go eat something.”

“Alright, let’s!” Wren agreed, bouncing up onto her feet. They threaded their way through the dancing and standing people, Wren going a few paces ahead. “Oh, Tim, wait and see what we’ve made!” She turned half around to talk, still going forward at half a skipping pace. “We were busy all afternoon, cooking and baking - it was wonderful! Ginger let me help with - ooomph!” The collision with someone stopped her excitement short and Tim tried to stifle his laugh. Wren regained her footing and looked up into the smiling, merry face of a young woman. The stranger had her hands on Wren’s shoulders to keep her on her feet, and she was almost laughing herself.

“I-I’m terribly sorry,” Wren said, surprised and slightly embarrassed. “Wasn’t watching where I was going.” She looked at the lady again, admiring openly the soft, flowing blue dress. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “We were going to go get something to eat.”

[Nogrod]

Without his long, slightly gleaming red hair, Rían Sundry might have been able to make the few feets from the door to the desk quite unnoticed. Not that he was a master sneaker, or thief, or anything of that sort. Rían Sundry was just an ordinary-looking, thirty-or-something man, who looked weary enough to imply that he had been on the road for a couple of days. And as the Inn seemed to host an abundance of beings from races other than hobbits, he wasn’t even standing taller of the locals any more than half of the other crowd already did.

So his entrance was noted, a couple of nods and some raised eyebrows, for his hair. But that was about it. He was used to it, and happy with that. He was not a man who desired to be the center of attention anyhow, and his hair had made him learn the trick to be quite gray and elusive. Of which the second attribute indeed fitted his character quite well.

After requesting Ruby for a room and an ale, he started looking around him with a promise of a possible room, and quite an actual pint in his hand. He didn’t especially love elves – he did not hate them or anything of that sort either. They were just the queer folks he didn’t quite undestand. Not that he would have known one personally, but still. Just approaching the ladies scared him nowadays too much to even think about. Still, a pint drank alone was even below the worst standards of a part-time-loner. Happily, he saw two men talking, or which was better, being quiet for a moment, just a couple of feets away. So he walked to the table where Farael and Bredan were having their meal, introduced himself as “Reddie” Sundry, and asked, whether the seat beside them was vacant.