The Golden Perch Inn

[Finduilas]

Elorn felt sorry for the innkeeper, but wasn’t worried about his well-being. He was happy that an elf had gotten up to help him, but it didn’t occur to Elorn that an elf probably wouldn’t improve the dwarf’s state of mind. But even if the elf didn’t improve the dwarf’s temper, it looked as if the hobbit could take care of him, even though he did squeak.

His thought returned to the female elf beside him when she addressed him.

“No, we weren’t properly introduced,” he replied, “ Unless you considered a mug of ale an introduction. My name’s Elorn, at your service. It appears that tempers are rising today. I had thought that the Shire would be a peaceful country, but I guess the variety of races causes friction.”

He wished to cheer Alassë, but as he said this it occurred to him that she may take what he just said as a personal insult. He sincerely hoped she wouldn’t, but thought the less said, sooner mended.

[Tevildo]

post for Tollers

Tollers had had a rough day. It seemed that everything was going wrong. He had tried to stay out of all the yelling and the highjinks, remaining in the background and quietly doing his job. He looked up in alarm as Master Dick exploded. It wasn't like the Innkeeper to get so upset at a guest, even an unreasonable one such as this pushy dwarf. Perhaps the fellow had misplaced his ring and would find it sitting on his nightstand or tucked inside his satchel. After all, the Innkeeper had a point. The Perch wasn't the kind of place where folk went around lifting things that didn't belong to them. In fact Tollers couldn't remember a single time when someone had actually stolen anything other than a hungry hobbit making off with a piece of pie that Cook had left sitting in a tempting place.

No, he'd best ignore all this and be off to work. He had to take some blankets to a room that was located in the same hallway where the Dwarf was staying. His fingers slipped inside his pocket as he searched for the key. Then he remembered. He had set the key down behind the serving counter in the little basket that Master Dick had put there for the convenience of the serving folk. Tollers went back to get the key and reached down into the basket. To his surprise, the basket was empty. He scratched his head in puzzlement and frustration. "I know that key was here earlier this morning," he muttered in frustation to himself. He searched everywhere behind the counter, thinking the key might have dropped out, but did not find anything.

A horrible thought came over him. What if the key was somehow connected with the dwarf's ring missing. He didn't want to be the one to point this out, but thought he had better say something. The Innkeeper might be extremely perturbed with him if he neglected to say anything.

He raised his voice and announced, "Excuse me. Sorry to but in, but it seems we've got another problem. The key that sits in the basket behind the counter has apparently grown wings and flown away. I know I saw it there earlier today and now it's completely gone." He was careful not to raise his voice so that Cela would not chastise him.

post for Daisy

As the children sprinted around the courtyard, they were soon stopped in their tracks. The loud noises coming from inside could be clearly heard through one of the open windows. Daisy stopped to listen. First, there was the dwarf bellowing out his anger about having been robbed. Then there was the Master Innkeeper also sounding infuriated and Cela trying to calm things down.

Daisy looked over at her brothers and sisters and exclaimed, "We're in for it. Can't you hear what's going on. That dwarf is going to take his axe to whoever stole his Ring." She glared directly at Tom, "I hope you have a plan up your sleeve to get us out of this one!"

[Child of the 7th Age]

"Alright, alright! I'll come up with something. Just let's get into the cellar. Hold your tongue for a minute so I can think."

By this point, they had reached the old wooden door. Beneath it was a series of steps that led downward into the basement of the Inn. Tom leaned over and grabbed the handle of the trap door, bracing his feet and tugging in an attempt to get it to budge. For a long moment nothing happened. The children stood wide eyed, saying nothing as they imagined the terrible moment when Kuric would come storming up and catch them out in the open with his Ring.

"Come help me now," Tom called out to Daisy who quickly stepped forward and latched onto the other side of the long bar.

"One-two-three," he panted, "then we'll both tug at the same time."

With one long and determined pull, the hinges creeked in protest, and the door slowly gave way. Tom peered into the stairwell. It was black as night. The steps diappeared into what looked like a large empty hole.

"All right. Everyone be careful. Go slowly and hold each other's hands" Tom closed the trap door behind them and then pushed to the front of the line. The others filed along in back of him. The lad desperately wished he had brought a torch with him. But there was no torch and not the faintest glimmer of light. The children slowly made their way forward in the darkness.

[Elfchick7]

Suddenly the door burst open to reveal an elf-maid.

"Innkeeper," she cried, "I need a room for the night."

The elf-maid, Luriniel, noticed the tense energy of the room. It seemed to her that there was an unresolved conflict amongst the room's occupants. As she continued observing those persons in the room, her eyes caught those of another elf.

For a moment, she thought that he seemed familiar. In fear that he might know her, she dropped her gaze. Still having no response from whoever the innkeeper might be, Luriniel spoke again, "Speak up, if you are the keeper of this inn. My sister is wounded and she urgently needs shelter."

[MaskedNicci]

The man looked quite content to create this useless small-talk, Alassë realized. He charmingly introduced himself as Elorn, and offered her is services in the traditional fashion.

“It appears that tempers are rising today." He said cordially, "I had thought that the Shire would be a peaceful country, but I guess the variety of races causes friction.”

She narrowed her eyes slightly, then shrugged it off in a nonchalant fashion. "I suppose it does. Personally, I find myself of in indifference to the races. Naturally, I think my own most capable, as is custom. But I will not deny that our differences make us stronger." She peered curiously at him, speaking slowly. "There are bad eggs in every batch, or so they say. It is less about the traditions of the race as a whole, and more about the individual choices we make. It is good to meet you, Elorn. Or, as my race would say, Saesa omentien lle." The familiar phrase fell from her lips easily, but she refrained from changing much of the subject to herself or her native language.

Looking around to give introduction to her change of topics, she said, "I have seen hobbits before, but not much - they always seem to surprise, do they not? One minute, they are of the most cordial and amiable nature. The next, they are fierce and condemning, even though it seems impossible for such a race to strike fear into another." As she had continued to look around the Golden Perch as she spoke, she caught sight of a rough-dressed girl sitting by the window, apparently watching her. Feeling her skin tingle, she tensed, watching the female.

[mormegil]

Kuric looked at the new arrivals hatefully, especially the elf. Reason had fled his mind and now he was drunk with rage, the elf only complicated the problem. He didn’t understand what was being said to him, all he knew, for the moment, was that his ring was missing and nobody was going to do anything about it.

Something held him together and kept him from attempting to kill the three in front of him, but just kept him at bay. Kuric couldn’t comprehend why everybody wasn’t shocked at his news and knew that he must find the thieves alone. Scanning the room quickly he realized that the thief or thieves knew the value of the treasure they had stolen ergo had left the necklace, while fairly valuable in its own right it paled in comparison to the worth of the ring. They would be smart enough to not stay in the commons area. Kuric thought. “Bah!” Kuric spat, “A pox on all of ya here, I’ll go an’ find ‘em meself”.

Just as Kuric began to move to run outside he caught a glimpse of Tollers coming up to Dick and began to speak to him. Kuric finally thought that he had an ally and was about to run outside thinking his new comrade would be following. As he made his move he hesitated when an elf-maiden burst in to the inn calling for something, Kuric didn’t bother to pay attention and was too concerned with his own affairs to care. Roughly pushing the nosey elf and the unconcerned inn keeper aside, knocking poor Dick down, Kuric began to spring toward the door. “Move out of me way,” Kuric yelled as he made his way for the door, he would run the elf-maid over if it came to it so bent on getting his ring back and making them pay for the theft.

[Elfchick7]

Luriniel stepped aside when she realized that the dwarf would walk through to get to the door. He looked very a angry and seemed, to her eyes, under the affects of a strong ale.

Not sure what to make of the situation, Luriniel moved toward the window to see that the grumbling dwarf brought no harm to her wounded sister, who sat outside. Seeing that Nienna was alright, the elf-maid turned back to face the persons in the commons.

Luriniel continued waiting and watching, as she was uncertain as to what her next action should be.

[Folwren]

Dick heard the female elven voice speak from behind him, but he didn’t turn to look. His attention was fixed on the dwarf, and until Kuric had made up his mind as to whether he was going to murder them all or calm down, Dick wasn’t prepared to turn his back for a moment.

But Kuric only paused briefly, before pushing forward, with a rough curse which included them all. He brushed by the elf with his hand, but Dick received the full force of his shoulder and the innkeeper couldn’t keep his footing. He tumbled to the ground, sending the ale spinning from his hand, and for a moment, he lay as though he would not rise again. Cela was by him instantly, but she had hardly begun to offer him help to his feet when he struggled back up by himself, his face red with indignation.

Kuric had left the inn. He was visible outside the open door. Standing just within it stood the elf, asking for aid. Dick stood, trembling with trapped anger and the attempt to keep it down, unsure of what he should do. His mind tumbled over itself as he tried to remember what Tollers had said, and what the new elf had said, and he also tried to decide what he should do. Should he go after the dwarf, or should he leave him be. Should he let sheriff Woolyfoot know that there was an irate and insane dwarf on the loose? Should he actually patronize Kuric, and apologize, tell him the ring would be found again and restored to him, and the thief punished. Punished? For heaven’s sake, he didn’t even know who stole it.

Toller’s words became clear instantly. He remembered now and before he spoke to the new elf, he turned his eyes towards the young hobbit. A key was missing? Which key was it? No questions now, there was someone to be seen to. He walked forward towards the elf still standing in the doorway, uncertain of what she should do.

“I am so sorry,” he said apologetically. “What may I do for you? A room? Certainly. . . And you have a sister?”

[Folwren]

The shouting upset Lil terribly. It upset Iris as well and the two girls drew close together, their hands clasped, and their eyes were wide. Daisy and Tom led the way, running across the garden and courtyard. Dimple, the brother just older that Lil, came behind, making sure the two girls stayed up with the older kids.

At the heavy cellar door they stopped, and Tom struggled to lift it for a moment. He could not do it alone and Daisy stepped forward. The three others stood in terrified silence, waiting with baited breath, and hoping terribly that the dwarf wouldn’t leave the inn before they had time to escape.

With a great heave, the two oldest siblings got the door open. Tom herded the others on before him, down into the darkness, and then shut the door behind him. None of them thought about the difficulty they had had while attempting to open the door - no one considered that opening it from beneath would be even more difficult.

A new danger and fright met them. As the door closed above them, utter and complete darkness closed in around them. They had no light, and after reaching the bottom of the steps and going forward some, no light could reach them from the small cracks in the wooden door. They pressed ahead, all the same. They all felt the danger of being caught by that dwarf, and that fear drove them on, even when the fear of the darkness would have held at least Lil and Iris back.

Lil herself was becoming very sorry for their prank. Stealing from a dwarf may not be wrong, but it was dangerous. Tom had earlier compared a dwarf’s treasure to a dragon's, and he had been surprisingly near the mark. A dragon could scarcely have become as angry as Kuric had over a lost treasure. It had never occurred to her that the dwarf might become so infuriated. Now they were down underground with no light. It was cold and damp down here and it didn’t feel clean. Tom continued to lead them on, but Lil had already lost track of direction.

“Tom?” Lil’s voice wavered and trembled in the darkness. “Tom, I’m scared. Let’s go back.”

[Finduilas]

It appeared that Alassë was cooling down, until a girl in the inn caught her attention by staring at her. Elorn saw the elf go ridged, and her eyes harden. Elorn wondered what made her so non-trusting, but, it not being his business, he decided to keep his nose out of it.

Another female elf bursting in at the door added to the general excitement of the room. When the dwarf finally stormed out of the room the innkeeper went to greet her. Elorn saw that the innkeeper was in need of a rest, so he wondered if he should go help.

“I’ll be right back, ma’am,” he said turning to Alassë, “it appears the landlord may need help, so please excuse me for a moment.”

Elorn approached Dick and the tired looking elf, and offered his services.