The Golden Perch Inn

[Newsman]

“Fain, I’m going for a quick ride. But I’ll be back before tomorrow.” That was the last thing that Maikaalph had ever said to Fain. That quick ride had never ended. Maikaalph had never returned. Fain couldn't help but think of his old friend's whereabouts as he trudged up the path to The Golden Perch. What he needed now was a place to rest, and to drown himself in the ale.

Fain entered the inn, and sat at the nearest empty table. Some of the patrons looked at the Dwarf suspiciously, like they were expecting some kind of mischief. Fain couldn't figure out what the cause was, he had never been here before. In fact he had been gone from the Shire since two days after Maikaalph never returned.

He ordered an ale and remembered the past as he waited for it. He had been all over, from Rivendell to Mirkwood, and even Lothlorien, Rohan, and Gondor searching for his old friend. Yet any leads turned up dead. Now he was back where it all began, hoping that maybe there would be some trace of the elf.

His ale arrived, and Fain spent a moment staring into its confines. He shook his head, which ruffled the neat brown beard of his. After another moment, he threw his head back and took a long swallow. Maybe something will happen to help me...

[Elfchick7]

"I do not trust you." Luriniel said flatly. Nienna's eyes opened wide with surprise as she stared at her older sister. Luriniel continued, "It has been a long while since...that is to say...forgive me." she rushed out of the room.

"Vehil, please forgive my sister." Nienna looked up at him apologetically, "The events of this day and recent days past have greatly troubled her. I am the only family she has and she fears that my wound will prove to be more grave than can be healed."

------------------

Luriniel hurried into the commons and was about to go outdoors when she noticed a new dwarf. She stared at him without regard to propriety.

Another! Will this never end! Without a word, she turned and walked through the door. There, she waited and watched for the whoever might be the doctor. What were you thinking, Luriniel? That was foolish. In all your years surely you have learned to act with more caution. That outburst of emotion was rash. Luriniel mentally scolded herself, This elf, Vehil, seems in every way to be a friend. Nienna, please be safe. Please be well.

[Firefoot]

Cela had been hovering around anxiously, knife still in hand, hoping dearly that the fighting would not come to blows. Thankfully, it had not, although that mad Dwarf Kuric had come storming back inside with a fresh set of accusations for one of the Elves, Cela couldn't remember his name at the moment - so many Elves arriving in the Inn! But most of the Inn's current visitors had scattered to take care of other business, and Dick had run off to see that the injured Elf was properly taken care of, leaving Cela alone with the irate Dwarf looking thoroughly piqued that his case was being paid little attention at the moment.

"Why don't you have a seat, Master Kuric," suggested Cela, although there was a hard edge to her voice that brooked little argument. "I'll go and get you some pie and once we've all calmed down a bit, perhaps we can think rationally about what might have happened to your ring." With a short nod to accentuate her words, Cela spun on her heel and strode back to the kitchen, not waiting to find out if Kuric had listened to her. A flame without fuel soon burns out, and she figured it would be so with Kuric's anger as long as he was given no one to rant to. She was just cutting up a piece of pie for Kuric, already humming a cheerful tune again, when Dick showed up.

"Do you need anything else?" Cela asked. "A couple of fresh plates of food for the newcomers, perhaps? Or a cup of tea for your own frazzled self?"

[mormegil]

Kuric stood there stunned momentarily as the serving hobbit walked away. He couldn’t believe the impertinence and insolence demonstrated by her. Kuric thought her nerve at thinking simple pie would resolve this issue rather absurd.

“PIE!” He yelled. “What are ya thinkun? Pie?” With that the intensity of his anger rose again, not the illogical fury that he had experienced just before, but true anger and fury, however he was able to think a bit, then an idea came to him. Despite being able to rationalize a bit more Kuric still had a childish attitude and demonstrated it by pushing the table over knocking the freshly baked pie to the ground. Stomping off through the commons he went back to his room to see if there were any clues he happened to miss. He took no notice of the objections and scorn that came his way he had other things on his mind.

[Tevildo]

Tollers slumped against the wall and shook his head disapprovingly as he watched the dwarf explode at Cela and stamp out of the room. He totally understood and sympathized with what Cela had been trying to do. When things were going sour, sometimes the best course was to sit down and take a breather. Any self respecting hobbit knows that a good piece of pie and a little break goes far to clear the head. And a clear head would definitely be needed to solve the problem of the missing Ring. Kuric, apparently, did not understand that.

Tollers went back to his work, trotting from table to table while collecting dishes and mopping up the mess. A familiar figure come in and sat down in the back of the room. She was clutching a small baby; two little ones played near her feet.

"Ah, Goodwife Hedgethistle, so happy to see you," Tollers went over and greeted the newcomer with a broad smile. "What have you been up to? I haven't seen you or the little ones all day."

The woman turned a worried face to Tollers and began to explain, "No? I was hoping you'd seen my Tom or Daisy. You see, I've been in my room sewing. There's work I must get done so the pieces can go back to the Brandybucks when the servant brings the wagon up tomorrow. Earlier, I told Daisy to go out with the older children and make sure no one got into any mischief. But it's been hours now and they haven't returned. You know children.... They're probably off lollygagging somewhere, but it's been so long. I was starting to get worried. You're sure you haven't seen them."

Tollers shook his head, "No, very sure. I've been here in the common room and out in the stables. But I haven't seen Daisy or Tom or any of the younger ones."

"It's hard for me, you know. With Master Hedgethistle gone now over a year....it all falls on my head."

Tollers immediately picked up on the cue. "Would you like my help? I'm due for a break, and I'd be glad to go out looking for them. They can't have gotten very far with the younger ones along. I'll just pop my head in some of the rooms and check with the guests to see if anyone's seen them."

"Would you do that? I'd be much obliged. I hate to be a nuisance. They're probably just off playing somewhere, but I'd be much relieved if you could do that."

"Don't worry now. I'll take a look and perhaps ask some others to help me."

Tollers went to the kitchen and brought back a cup of tea for the Mistress and two glasses of milk for the little ones. Then he began wandering through the Inn, carefully searching each floor and asking the guests if they'd noticed a troop of five children sometime that day. The children were usually quite noisy so Tollers figured it wouldn't be long till someone remembered seeing them. Surprisingly, however, all he got were blank stares. Finally, he came to the last room, the one that had been assigned to the Dwarf Kuric. He considered skipping the room and giving up. He would rather not speak with an angry Dwarf. But that didn't seem like the right thing to do.

The hobbit timidly approached the door and softly wrapped on it. He heard a gruff voice inside telling him to enter. He pushed the door open a single inch and whispered through the crack. "Master Dwarf, so sorry to bother you, but something else has gone missing. Five children....the ones who live just across from you....their mother says they've been gone all day, and I'm trying to help find them. I've been up and down every floor with no luck. You wouldn't have seen them by any chance?" he queried. A strange thought suddenly struck Tollers. "You know," he added, "maybe the same person who stole your Ring has also made off with these children...."

[Elfchick7]

Nienna sat quietly in her chair and studied Vehil's face. He bears a striking resemblance to the elf, Maikaalph. I wonder if they are related.

Seeing that Vehil was aware of her gaze, Nienna spoke, "Tell me, Vehil, do you have a brother? Once, I met an elf to whom you bear a striking resemblance. He aided my sister and I when it was discovered that..." she stopped, "Perhaps it is better to say no more in such times as these."

[Newsman]

The words stung like wasps in Vehil's ears, and the elf shuddered. He looked at Nienna for a moment as she trailed off, before turning away from her. A silence passed between them, punctuated only by the occasional noise emenating from the common room.

"Yes...I do. That is why I have come to the Shire, looking for any trace of him. This was one of the last places that he was seen, and so my search begins." He stopped here, and pulled up a chair. Vehil took a breath and began his story.

"I should likely begin with my origins. I come from Lothlorien, yet Maikaalph and I made our home in Minas Tirith. It was in the walls of the White City that we met an elf named Sindahir. My brother and Sindahir became quick rivals, yet a terrible thing happened that ended it all..." Here Vehil trailed off for a moment. "Maikaalph told me that he had to leave somewhere, and we traveled together to Imladris. It was there that he left me, and I have been searching ever since. That is all I will say now." Vehil then turned on Nienna. "You say you met him, where? Also, I have told my story, what is yours?"