The Golden Perch Inn

[Bom Tombadillo]

Hamwill smiled. "Yes I can, milady. Thank you very much." With that, he returned to the book and began writing quickly, pausing every so often and staring at his work.

After a while he stopped and closed the book with a thump, looking around for the hobbit-maid who gave him the pencil. He did this vigorously for a moment, then found her and stood up, seeming uncertain. He was interrupted by the hobbit entering the room, and stopped to see what his intent might be.

[Galadriel55]

Alferad strutted to the door with a haughty air, grinning widely. He did this every time he went to the local tavern – after all, his family was relatively well off, and he never forgot to display this importance to other hobbits. He came into the Common Room, and began a greeting.

“Good day to y…” His voice faltered; the speech that he carefully planned out beforehand came to an abrupt end. His broad smile faded into a look of confusion. Every pair of eyes in the room swung to him. Al was feeling more than a little uncomfortable. The guests of the inn were not only hobbits, which shocked him. There were a few of the Big Folk. Al wasn’t used to them: he’d only seen a man once in his life, and it was long enough ago to make the impression wear off.

He cleared his throat. “Er, I mean, good day to you, sirs and ladies!” he said, recovering from his first surprise and trying to cover his confusion. The guests turned their attention to their conversations again. He looked around. In a corner, he saw a man sitting with a huge tome in his lap who was also looking around. What a queer man, he thought. Al’s curiosity got the better of his apprehension of men, so he steered himself toward the stranger, at the same time calling for a mug of beer.

[Folwren]

“Please once again accept my apologies, master hobbit. I should have held my temper better. Yet the mood has passed, thankfully, and I should hope that naught more will rile me, for I do not wish to cause any trouble here.”

Dick listened seriously to the ranger's repeated expression of regret and then he shook his head. “Bad business, sir, it was bad business. But it wasn’t your fault. No, indeed, you mustn’t blame yourself. You were only defending the lady’s honor, and that’s how it ought to be. Yes, as my grandmum always says-”

But what his grandmum always said, Arandon never found out, for at that moment, another man entered. He was another one who, like Arandon, said nothing to anybody when he entered. Instead, he made for the nearest seat (better than the nearest corner, Dick thought) and pulled out a book, and then called for something with which to write. Dick glanced around and saw another customer, a hobbit customer, get up and answer the request. Well, that was good. Dick only had one pen and he didn’t much feel like lending it out.

“As I was going to say, don’t worry about it at all. What’s done is done and no ill has come of it. Oh, look, another customer.” This said half to himself. Thank goodness it was a hobbit and not another big person.

“Good day to y-” the new customer began in a bold sort of voice. Arandon swiveled about and looked. Aeron also turned her head. The new hobbit’s confidence wavered, Dick could see it. He raised his eyebrow expectantly. “I mean, good day to you, sirs and ladies!” A momentary, awkward pause, and then Arandon and Aeron turned back to the counter, Dick refilled their mugs of ale, and the other customers went on with their breakfasts.

“A mug of beer if you will!” called the new hobbit. Dick looked quickly in his direction. He wasn’t even looking towards him or the bar, but rather going towards the man latest come.

“Hmph. One of those customers,” Dick said to himself. What exactly he meant was unclear even to himself, but he didn’t much like it when customers were too preoccupied to talk to him squarely. He filled the mug and carried it to the hobbit. “Seredic Boffin, Innkeeper, at your service,” he said, placing the ale before him. “If there is anything else you need, please let me know. And you, sir,” to the man, “is there anything I can get for you, sir?”

[Flame of Udûn]

Arandon was only half listening to what the hobbit was saying since he knew what would be said and he was lost in thought when a young hobbit strode in and began to speak causing Arandon to turn and look at the hobbit who faltered, and seemed rather uncertain of what to make of the collection of people that were now assembled in the inn. This hobbit eventually gathered himself and spoke clearly but his voice was not filled with confidence.

Arandon turned away again from the hobbit who was rather uninteresting compared to the others in the Inn and he turned his attention back to Aeron and asked 'so where have you travelled to during your time as a Ranger?'

[Galadriel55]

Al came over to the table the man with the tome was occupying and sat opposite him. Very soon the innkeeper brought him the beer he had asked for. “The service here is fast, I see,” Al thought approvingly, “almost as good as in the tavern back in Brandy Hall.”

“Seredic Boffin, Innkeeper, at your service,” the hobbit who brought the mug introduced himself. “If there is anything else you need, please let me know,” he added. Although his voice was cheerful, Al noted that it wasn’t very enthusiastic, even slightly annoyed. The innkeeper also asked the man if he wanted anything.

Before the man could reply, Al butted in.
“Good morrow, Master Boffin!” after all, the morning wasn’t that bad; “Alferad Brandybuck at your service! It is an honour for me to be drinking the most bestest beer in the Farthing in your wonderful inn!” That wasn’t exactly true, for Al did not drink the beer yet; “And even a greater honour to do it with you, Master Boffin!” Or, rather, his honour to be sitting with me, Al thought: you don’t meet a hobbit like me every day!

Al paused for a moment, basking smugly in his self-importance. He opened his mouth to continue complimenting his future stay, when the man with the book cut him off. “If my muther heard him now, o will she be angry about him interrupting!” Al thought. He then recalled that the reason he was here was to get away from his ‘muther’, so he let the matter drop and listened patiently to what the man had to say.

[Bom Tombadillo]

Hamwill nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, thank you. A mug of beer would be nice . . . and possibly something to eat? Also, if it's not too much trouble, could you return this?" he said, holding out the makeshift pencil.

He turned his gaze to the hobbit sitting at the opposite end of the table. "By the by, did you say that your name was Brandybuck? Of Brandy Hall?"

[xMellrynxMaidenx]

Aeron watched Dick walk over to serve one of the newer patrons that had entered the Inn. One, a man who carried a tome with him on his travels; and a lofty hobbit who seemed to lose his nerve upon entering the occupied Inn. Both characters seemed interesting enough to the young ranger. When Dick made his way back to the counter to retrieve the man's request, Aeron looked down into her own empty mug of beer, sighing.

"When you've finished with the newcomer's request, master hobbit, may I please have a refill? and possibly bring the master ranger here a pot of beer as well?"


"So where have you traveled to during your time as a Ranger?" Aeron's head turned in the direction of the seasoned ranger by her side, resting her forearms on the clean counter.

"I've been no further than the wilderness of the North Downs, the Fields of Fornost to be more precise, and no further than the cold climates of Caradhras in Hithaeglir." She paused for a moment before continuing,"and what of your travels? How far have you traveled to perform the duties of the Dunedain?"