Forsaken Inn

The fair valley of Rivendell, upon whose house the stars of heaven most brightly shone.
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Steward of Gondor
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Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:12 pm
"I don't know if the Road has ever been measured in miles beyond the Forsaken Inn, a day's journey east of Bree."
-Strider
The Fellowship of the Ring I 9
A Knife in the Dark


Image
The Forsaken Inn stood to the east of Bree, the easternmost outpost of the Bree-land. It was situated along the East Road that ran on through the wilds of Eriador and into the distant Misty Mountains. Almost nothing is known about the inn, but it must surely have had very few customers indeed on the bleak and dangerous road where it stood, to have earned such a name.

Feel free to RP here on your way to other lands. There are clean bedrooms, hot meals, and if you're lucky you might encounter a merchant to buy supplies from, but beware, for there may be unpleasant folks passing through here from time to time.



Innkeeper: NPC Mr Elmore Greylake
Head cook: NPC Mrs Bryanna Greylake
(for flashback posts feel free to use these NPC's. They have two young sons running around, too, feel free to implement them if you like)

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Innkeeper: Harbarad (@Fane Mordagnir's character - has not shown up yet)
Cook/Maid/Waitress: Attubel "Bel" (@Rillewen's character)
Stableman: Connor NPC
(basic characteristics of Connor: a young man, has an interest in Bel, doesn't like rangers much.. not all that brave but acts like he is. Otherwise, play him however you like)


This is a Free RP thread. Feel free to RP your own stories, set in whatever time/year you like, as long as you follow a few simple rules.
  • Be respectful of others, if you feel like your content might be offensive or a trigger to others, please put a warning at the top.
  • Please no overly "mature" content
  • Please keep all content within the bounds of the Tolkien world
  • No Godmoding, be respectful and allow others to write their own characters.
  • Follow all Plaza rules and guidelines as posted here
Last edited by Rillewen on Tue Mar 12, 2024 9:38 am, edited 3 times in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Steward of Gondor
Points: 5 582 
Posts: 2650
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:12 pm

Gladhron
Arriving with wounded Gwestion, and then leaving, alone
Continued here

The inn was just ahead. Gladhron saw the structure ahead, and a great sense of relief washed over him. He didn't know how he'd managed to keep any sense of direction, nor even keep moving, for his head felt like it was splitting open and he suspected that it was the horse, more than him, which had found its way here. Mael had been to the inn a few times, probably became friends with the other horses in the stable, and had perhaps followed her nose back to the place. He didn't give the matter a tremendous amount of thought. Any thought at all, actually, seemed to make his head hurt even worse, and so he just kept holding on and trying not to sway too much in the saddle. It was probably adrenaline which had enabled him to get this far. He had no idea how long it had been since the goblin attack, but he was exhausted, his head swam, and he felt like he could fall off of his horse any moment.

The young man honestly wasn’t sure what kept him from doing so, but somehow he stayed on his horse. Except it wasn’t his horse, it was Gwestion’s. As the horse approached the inn, moving slowly due to her load, the server girl from the inn, Bel, had rushed out to meet them, worried to see only one horse. She was even more worried, he noted, upon seeing that it was not Gwestion on Mael, but Gladhron. He felt sympathetic toward her, seeing the horrified look when she caught sight of his brother, resting on the tied-together boughs he'd used as a makeshift stretcher, bloody and bruised. "He's alive..." Gladhron had assured her, understanding that her first thought might be that he was dead... it had been his, too, when he first found Gwestion after he’d fell down the rocky ravine. "I don't know how bad he's hurt."

The next part was a bit of a blur. He wasn't sure how they managed to get Gwestion into a room. Perhaps the innkeeper had helped, or the stableman, at Bel’s insistence. He didn't know. He didn’t recall seeing the innkeeper, but he recalled Bel fretting over his brother the whole time, hastily gathering bandages and making new ones from old, but clean sheets. She fussed a bit over Gladhron's bleeding head, too, but he insisted he was alright, merely exhausted. "I don't know how long it's been since I slept.. or since they attacked us." He explained, trying to keep his eyes open. The room wouldn’t stop spinning, but he told himself it was merely due to exhaustion. He only needed to rest, and he’d be alright. He struggled to stay awake though. He wanted to know if Gwestion was alright, but the adrenaline was wearing off, now that Gwestion was someplace where someone could tend him. It was hard to stay focused, and he watched Bel’s face as she tried to clean his brother’s wounds.

She couldn’t possibly think that no one could tell how she felt about him, Gladhron thought. If his head hadn’t been throbbing so badly, he might have laughed at that the next thought; even as obvious as it was to others, Gwestion still seemed not to be fully aware of how she felt toward him. She gave him a damp rag to hold to the wound until she could bandage it, and kept asking questions, which he tried to answer but was having trouble keeping his attention focused.

Until she spoke of going for a healer. He frowned, forcing his mind to become alert, to some degree anyway.
"We are far from any town," He reminded her. "Can you not tend to him yourself?"
"He is badly wounded," she informed him, as if he didn't already know that. "I can do nought but clean and wrap the wounds. He is in need of a healer if he is to recover properly." Bel had told him, clearly very concerned about the wounded young man lying unconscious before her.
"But where will you find a healer? There is nought but this inn for at least a days' journey. You know that as well as I." Gladhron pointed out, frowning as he pressed the damp cloth to his bleeding head wound. It hurt, and he winced and lightened the pressure. He certainly didn’t feel up to another ride, and the horse would need to rest as well.

The pause that followed, as Bel worked on cleaning his brother's more serious wounds, seemed to stretch on forever, all while Gladhron strove to keep awake. “I have heard rumors of a foreign healer who travels from village to village, but I haven’t any idea where he might be at this time,” She answered at last, sighing. "The nearest healer of which I know dwells in the Chetwood forest, near Archet. I've been there once before, and I believe I can find the way again."
Gladhron frowned deeper, alarmed by the very suggestion. "Nay, I cannot allow you to go. That is far too dangerous a journey for a lady to undertake."
Bel looked up and frowned at him. "I have made the trip before." She argued. "You certainly aren't fit for such a journey; you're likely to pass out the moment you try to stand. And anyway, I know the way; do you?"
Before he could reply, she added, "Put a little more pressure on that gash, you need to stop the bleeding. Yes, that's better." She turned back to cleaning Gwestion's leg.
Gladhron frowned, wincing as he pressed the cloth against his gash and reluctantly answered her question, “No.”

“And have you ever been to Bree or Archet before?”

“No…well not in many years.” He confessed, unsure whether to feel annoyed or stupid, at the moment. It was hard enough to even stay focused on the conversation.
“Well, I have.” Bel replied. “Therefore, I’m not as likely to get lost on the way.” With that, she turned back to cleaning the worse of Gwestion's wounds, with a bit of a grimace as she worked.
"I still refuse to allow you to go." Gladhron protested, insistent on this matter. She had little knowledge of fighting! She'd be easy prey for the predators which roamed the wilds and watched the roads.. of which she probably knew even less. "The road is perilous, what parts of it are still maintained, and wrought with bandits and goblins, and possibly wolves. Even seasoned warriors are likely to run into trouble; what hope do you think you would have?" He tried to make her understand the danger.

Bel proceeded to wrap Gwestion's wound to keep it as clean as possible, not giving him an answer, and he couldn’t quite tell whether she was annoyed, or considering his words. At last, she tied off the bandage to Gwestion's most serious wounds, then moved without a word to tend to the gash on Gladhron's forehead.
"Do you truly intend to go?" He asked, wincing slightly as she dabbed at his bleeding forehead.
"If I cannot find anyone else to go, then what other choice is there?" She asked. "You must rest, and the innkeeper is away at the moment... Connor, the stableman isn't likely to go..." She sighed. "I shall try to find another to go, but if I cannot, then I certainly will."

Gladhron sighed, disliking this plan, wondering why women had to be so stubborn and difficult at times. Still, he had to admit to himself that she might be right about Gwestion needing more than just bandages. He knew she wasn't trying to be difficult; she was simply worried about Gwestion. He took a look at his brother, lying unconscious, wounded and, for all he knew, possibly dying. "He would never forgive me if I allow you to venture off on your own.” He said at last. But he was so exhausted, he couldn’t go anywhere till he’d slept. “Give me the night to rest, and I shall at least join you." He told her, turning to look back at her, determined that he would not let her go on her own, though he wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep for days. But for all he knew, his brother could be in grave condition, dying even, so he consented to this plan, albeit reluctantly.

Bel paused, looking at him for a moment. "You don't look so good, yourself, Gladhron." She told him, frowning. "Are you sure you're well?"
"That certainly boosts my self-confidence," He managed a wry smile to accompany his sarcasm, trying very hard to look as if he were better than he felt. "I assure you I'm fine, I only need a few hour's sleep," He assured her, unwilling to admit that his head felt like it was split in half.
Bel gave him a very small smile, but he could see she was still worried.
"Give me time to rest, and I shall escort you to this healer," He wasn't sure this was the best idea but couldn't think of anything at the moment, let alone any sort of better plan. "Promise you shall not leave without telling me?" He insisted, determined that he would not let this girl run off into the wilderness on her own. She had no idea what sort of dangers awaited her out there, and it was for more than Gwestion’s sake that he couldn’t let her go. His own conscious wouldn’t allow it, either.
Bel hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. I will delay until morning, and wake you before I set out... unless, of course, I find another to go in my stead." She promised. "I shall not leave without letting you know, first."

With that assurance, Gladhron relaxed somewhat. After she had bandaged his head, he watched for a little while as she worked on cleaning the rest of Gwestion's wounds, wrapping them in bandages. Then, lying back on the cot, he stopped fighting so hard to stay awake, finally allowed himself to doze off as he slipped into a rather deep sleep, despite the discomfort of his armor.
He didn't stir when, the following morning, Bel tried to wake him, nor when she returned sometime later and tried again after another hour, and a third time, more desperately, unsuccessful each time.. He was unaware of her growing concern as she continued to fail at awakening him, and was further oblivious to her eventually setting off for the healer, alone.

It was several hours into the next day before Gladhron finally came around to consciousness, groggy and blurry-eyed, hardly remembering what had happened. He felt terrible, and first thought he might have drunk too much the night before. Groaning, he put a hand to his throbbing head, momentarily wondering how it got bandaged, before recalling some of the events of...was it last night? Yesterday? He couldn't remember what time of day, nor had he any clue how long he'd been asleep, but he was dimly aware that someone had just left the room; perhaps the sound of the door closing had awakened him. He wasn't sure how he knew, but thought that might have been what woke him. Bel? She'd wanted something.. Oh, she was waiting, he was going to go with her to find a healer! He sat up, and the whole room seemed to spin around him. His head felt like it split apart, reminding him that he was hurt. He groaned, wishing the throbbing would fade, wondering why he had to go and try to sit up. He struggled to get his feet over the side of the bed, and promptly decided maybe he'd better rest for a little while longer. But there was something under his hand, something crinkly. The crinkling sounded far too loud to his ears at the moment. He cringed, and felt of the flat, noisy thing, and discovered it was paper. Squinting, Gladhron found his vision to be blurry and the words wouldn't stay still for him.

Some part of him told him to just ignore it and lay back down, but another part of him nagged that it might be important. He tried to force his eyes to focus, but only could make out a couple of blurry words. He was about to dismiss the message entirely when it suddenly clicked in his head what it must have said, and what he had been speaking to Bel about, before he fell asleep. That was enough to concern him, to the point he dragged himself out of bed. He staggered, grabbed onto the nearest support he could find, and closed his eyes tightly as he waited for the room to stop spinning and tilting. It didn’t, so after a little bit, he ventured forward, despite swaying on his feet, and staggered out of the room, leaning on this, holding onto that, til he got out in the hall and used the wall for support as he tried to follow someone who was walking away down that same hall. "Bel?" He called, hoping to catch her before it was too late.

The woman, startled, turned and frowned. "No... what are you doing out of bed? You look like you're about to collapse where you stand." She demanded.
He recognized the innkeeper's wife, though he couldn't recall her name. Bel had probably spoken it at some point but he just couldn't think of it. It didn't matter though. He thrust the paper at her, frowning, half-slumped against the wall for support. "Does this say what I think it says?" He asked, anxious, and confused why he couldn't make sense of it.
She frowned deeper, taking the note to read it. "Hm, it says; 'I couldn't wake you, I've gone for the healer. I'm sorry I didn't wait, but I fear now for both of you. I'll be back as soon as possible. -Bel.' " She passed it back to him, sighing, but Gladhron didn’t take it.. "I told her she ought not go, but would she listen to me? Of course not."
Gladhron listened with a sinking feeling, and groaned at the words the lady read aloud. "How long has she been gone?"
"A few hours, now, I suppose. She seemed awfully upset and worried, said she couldn't wake you and thought the other one might be dying, so she had to leave..."

The woman trailed off as Gladhron staggered onward down the hall, leaving her to stare after him in puzzlement. "Where do you think you're going? You ought not be up and about!"
"I'm going after her." He replied, confused why she felt the need to ask. Wasn't it obvious? He found his way to the door and started outside, only to slump against the doorframe with a groan as the sunlight blinded him, making the world spin and sway around him, and he nearly lost his resolve right then. Clutching onto the doorframe, he turned his head away, trying to block out the sunlight with his arm for a moment. He closed his eyes, cringing as a wave of nausea hit him. Taking deep breaths, he struggled to refocus his eyes, reminding himself of how much danger Bel might be in. Someone must find her and rescue her. He wasn't sure how he managed to stagger out to the barn.

He was stopped by the stableman. “What do you want?” the man scowled.
"I..I need my horse," Gladhron told him, hanging onto a hitching post for support. "Bring my horse, please. The big chestnut mare.."
The man looked him over, looking rather unimpressed. “Alright, fine, if you say so.” he started toward the door, then paused and turned back, giving him a puzzled look. “Chestnut? There’s no chestnut in there.”
That left Gladhron confused for a moment. For a second, he thought someone must have stolen Gaeroch, until he remembered...she'd fled during all the fighting, and he hadn't been able to find her afterward. He'd ridden here on Gwestion’s horse, Mael, not Gaeroch. "The other one then. The dappled gray, I'll use my brother's horse." He told the man, wishing he felt well enough to saddle the horse himself.

It felt like ages passed as he waited, then the man brought out the smaller, grey mare. Trying to get into the saddle, he realized this might not be the best idea, but still, Bel could be in danger this very moment.
"Are you sure you want to get on that horse? You look like you’d be better off lying in bed." The stableman told him.
"Yeah, I'm..fine. Nevermind me." Gladhron tried to dismiss the suggestion that he might not be fit to ride, fighting another wave of nausea and dizziness, and with much effort, managed to pull himself up into the saddle. The world promptly spun beneath him, and he wondered why it seemed so terribly high up, when he normally rode a taller horse than this one. It was all he could do to stay upright. Closing his eyes tightly as he gripped the saddle in front of him, Gladhron hoped everything would stop swirling around very soon.

The stableman rolled his eyes and started to walk away, mumbling, “Idiot,” under his breath, "Hey, uh, wait," Gladhron reached out to try and catch his shoulder, despite being too far away to do so, and nearly tumbled out of the saddle. He hastily grabbed onto the horse as a nearly overwhelming wave of dizziness swept over him. He felt a cold sweat break out on his face and wished he hadn’t done that.
"What?" The man scowled.
Gladhron took a few deep breaths. "Bel... did you see which way she went?" Gladhron asked, struggling to keep the nausea at bay, his eyes squeezed shut as he waited, hoping the dizziness would go away.
"Bel? Why?" The man asked, wary.
Gladhron suppressed a sigh. "She might be in danger," He explained, wondering why this wasn't obvious to others, "and I need to find her, before..anything else does. Before anything happens to her." He looked down at the man, frowning at the sight of three of the man swirling around below him. “Please, which way?”
After a pause, the man replied, "She went that way," He pointed in a direction which Gladhron couldn’t quite be sure of, due to the blurred vision and the fact that everything looked like three or more things.. "She went that way... I tried to tell her it was a bad idea. If you ride fast you might catch up to her, but I’d not want to try that if I were you. You don’t look so good." He added with a frown.
"Thanks." Gladhron decided to just head that general direction and hope for the best. Had he not been feeling so confused and unwell, he might have asked 'And why did you let her go, knowing it was dangerous? Why didn’t you at least go along, to protect her?'

Nudging the horse's sides with his heels, Gladhron braced himself for movement that would surely make him feel even dizzier. Instead, the horse snorted and stamped the ground, her ears angling back toward him. One could almost imagine the horse saying, 'Are you kidding?'
Holding back a sigh yet again, Gladhron murmured a few soft words in Rohirric, which he knew Gwestion sometimes used to calm Mael, asking her to please do this, because it was important, and tried again. This time she did as he wished, though perhaps a bit reluctantly. Gladhron clung on, his stomach doing a few flips and tried to keep from swaying, or falling off as they set off on the road which he had warned Bel about being so perilous, hardly aware of what direction the horse was going in, the world was spinning so violently around him.
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:53 am, edited 3 times in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Steward of Gondor
Points: 5 582 
Posts: 2650
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:12 pm
(A couple of days after previous Gladhron post)


Attubel
Returning from a spontaneous 'adventure' with Gwandhyra
Departure of Mr. and Mrs. Greylake
(Continued from here)


The trip back to the inn was far shorter than the trip out. Bel recognized the fact that she had gotten herself all turned around, off course, and quite lost. Feeling rather stupid and regretful, she returned with Gwandhyra, wishing she hadn't failed so badly in her mission to find a healer. At least the ranger she had found(or rather, who found her, if she was honest) claimed to know enough to help the brothers, but she still felt that a proper healer would have been better.

Upon entering the inn, Bel was a bit surprised to see a few trunks and other luggage stacked up beside the door. Someone must have arrived, and be planning to stay for a long time. She was rather intrigued by this, but didn't stop to investigate it any further just yet. She had more important things to worry about right now. "This way," She spoke softly, leading the way down the hall and stopping at one of the last doors. She paused, then knocked lightly, wondering if either of them ever regained consciousness. To her great relief, she heard Gwestion's voice, a bit weak, saying to enter. She eased the door open, and felt her heart break for him all over again at the sight of him lying there all covered in bandages, his leg thankfully hidden under the blankets but she remembered how terrible it had been. His bandages probably needed changing by now. She also noticed that Gladhron was not still there, and took that to mean that he had awakened and felt well enough to be up and about.

A moment later, Bel exited the room, fighting tears. Gwestion had asked her to leave... and suddenly she began worrying that perhaps he had heard of what a foolish, silly thing she'd done, rushing off on her own to seek for a healer. It was for him that she did it, but yes.. it was very foolish of her, she knew. Gladhron had warned her about the dangers, but she'd ignored him, until she faced those dangers in person and realized that he wasn't exaggerating this time. The dangers were very real and she knew she was very lucky to have come back unharmed. But suppose Gwestion didn't want to speak to her anymore? What if he didn't want to talk to a girl that silly and heedless?

Bel was still fighting tears at this possibility as she headed for the kitchen, intending to see what sort of food there was to offer the patient.
"Oh! Bel! I'm so glad you're back!" Mrs Greylake startled her, pulling her into a hug. "I was so worried!"
Bel put on a smile, trying to push away her fears and unfounded worries. "I'm alright, you needn't worry anymore." She assured her. "I was coming to get something to feed our patient." She informed her. "Have you.. been caring for him?" She asked with a small frown.
"Of course," The innkeeper's wife replied. "I brought food and even peeked in on them now and then. Which is far more than their sort deserve, I should add."
Bel nodded slightly, frowning a bit, and wondering why she didn't bother with his bandages. "Thank you..." She glanced around, noticing something seemed off about the place. Some of the dishes were gone. And pots, pans, and other things. "Where..where's all the dishes and things?" She wondered, puzzled.

"We've got them all packed up!" Mrs Greylake informed her, looking delighted. "We've just finished packing this morning, and I- Oh! That's right, you don't know about it yet, do you?"
Baffled, Bel shook her head, wondering what the woman was talking about.
"Last week, this man came by. He wanted to buy the inn back, and so Elmore agreed and they've already signed all the documents and everything! That's why he was gone for a few days. I didn't get a chance to tell you before you took off, but we're going to live in Bree! You'll love it there, Bel, there's people, and shops, and.. oh I can't wait to get there!"
Bel stared at her in unbelief. This wasn't real. She couldn't be serious. "Bree?" She said, blinking a few times.
"You will come, won't you? I so hoped you would. I insisted we wait for you to return before we left, but we've got all of our things ready to load up on the wagon... if you want to come, you'll have to hurry and pack the rest of your things!"

Bel was astounded. This was happening far too quickly, and she didn't even know exactly what it was. "Bree?" She repeated softly, a bit dazed as she followed the woman to another room. "Wait, but... what's this man like? The one buying the inn... who is he?" She frowned, realizing that if she went with them, that would mean leaving Gwestion... but then again, he might not even want her around. Should she even stick around, if he didn't want her there? She knew the answer in her heart even before she had to ask herself, but still listened to what Mrs Greylake was saying, telling herself it would help her make up her mind.

"He's the same one we bought it from, years ago, when we thought we could make something of the place. How silly of us, right? Well, Elmore was more than happy to sell it back, and the other man, I forget his name, but he's sort of older, I suppose, and I guess he wants something to do. I know one thing, I can just about guarantee he won't be letting any of those..ranger types hang around here anymore." She huffed at that, carrying a box out to be added to their stack.

Those words alarmed Bel, snapping her out of her dazedness. "What?"
"That's right. I got the distinct impression that he won't tolerate any of those shady fellows, and I wouldn't be surprised if he runs off any who try and poke around here."
Bel's eyes widened at that, suddenly very worried for..not just Gwestion, but Gladhron and Gwandhyra, and any other rangers who might come here seeking refuge or shelter... this man had no right to refuse them that! And it frustrated her to no end the way people around here seemed to think of rangers as being some sort of villains. They were the ones fighting the villains! She wanted to say as much, but Mrs Greylake plowed right on with excitedly talking about Bree, seeming unaware of how her words had affected Bel. "The moment we get settled in, I'll take you to this lovely little store I enjoyed very much, it's got-"
"Mrs Greylake..." Bel tried to get her attention, trying to explain that she was getting far too ahead of herself, but the woman carried on, talking about various stores and things which held little interest for Bel.
"You'd better get your things together, Elmore wants to be able to get started as soon as possible!" She paused, then asked, "You are going to come with us, aren't you?"
Bel stared back at her, feeling a little sorry to have to burst her bubble. But she had to tell her before she started making any more plans. “I can’t.” She said simply.
The woman looked crushed by this news. “You can’t? Why can’t you?”

Bel could have told her a multitude of reasons. That she couldn’t abandon Gwestion and his brother when they were wounded. If the innkeeper was an enemy to the rangers, then Bel made up her mind she would have to do all that she could, in secret, to help them. Her father was a ranger, and sometimes it seemed that she alone of all those around her understood that the rangers were here to protect the common folks, and keep the lands safe. Of course, it was mostly for Gwestion’s sake, right now, in this moment, that she determined she would stay. If this man was like Mrs Greylake said, Gwestion might be in grave danger here, where he ought to be safe. Bel would make sure he was safe, no matter what. But Mrs Greylake held a low opinion of rangers as well, and Bel knew she would scoff at those reasons.

“Well,” She said, shrugging. “Someone ought to be here to take care of the place until the new owner arrives, don’t you think? Hopefully, he will still allow me to work here. I do like it here well enough, and I… I’m not sure I’d be happy in a town, with all those people around. It’s just… not what I’m used to.” That seemed to satisfy the woman, though she still looked quite disappointed.
“I see. Well, I suppose you’ll have to get your trunk back in your room, then. We were so sure you’d come, Elmore had it already waiting to go on the wagon.”

Bel looked in alarm at the stack of luggage, and saw, sure enough, the edge of her trunk buried beneath all the other things. She opened her mouth to make some protest, but then closed it. What good would that do? It was already done. Hopefully, they hadn’t looked inside. But she was glad that she had not chosen to come along, for she had items in that trunk which did not belong to her, and might not have been able to get them back to Gwestion and Gladhron before leaving.

“If you change your mind, you’ll come look for us, won’t you? You’re always welcome to stay at our home, you know.”
Bel nodded slightly. “Yes, of course.” She watched the stableman and Elmore begin carrying the boxes and trunks onto the wagon. Once the men learned that she was not coming, they pushed her trunk aside and loaded the rest. Soon, it was all loaded and Mrs Greylake hugged Bel once again. “You won’t change your mind, then?”

Bel couldn’t help her thoughts running over various things which had bothered her over the last two years. Things she had previously tried to ignore, or had pushed to the back of her mind. The Greylakes had been kind in giving her a job, when she showed up one winter, orphaned, homeless, and afraid. But was it really kindness, she wondered? She thought of how much work she had done in that time, and how little either of them had done. The things Bel had done to improve the inn, all the work she'd done, without any pay... and how much did they really care? She slowly shook her head, then glanced at the wagon. It was loaded rather quickly. In fact, she guessed it would have been loaded just as quickly if Bel had still been gone. Perhaps they would have told themselves that they would look for her along the way, but what if she had not come back when she did? She would have returned to find them gone, and without any idea where they’d gone.

Deep in thought, Bel told the former innkeeper and his wife goodbye, and gave one last hug to their two little boys. At least the boys would probably make friends in Bree, while here, they had no one but each other to play with. The Greylakes would obviously rather be in Bree, but Bel… she didn’t know what to expect. Two years ago, she had come here because her world had come crashing down around her. She’d come to enjoy her life here well enough, and began to feel happy again. Now, suddenly, she felt like a rug had been yanked out from under her, and everything was uncertain again.

Leaning against the door frame, Bel silently watched the wagon roll off down the road. Hopefully, they would make it safely to Bree. She might never see them again, she realized, but was it really that much of a loss? Seeing them clearly for the first time, she couldn’t help wondering, which made her feel sad to think that she had once thought of those people as being like a second family, perhaps like an aunt and uncle. But she felt sure, now, that they didn’t truly care all that much about her as much as they liked to pretend. Feeling even lower than before, Bel sighed and went to sit by the fireplace, burying her face in her hands.

(parts involving Gwandhyra pre-discussed with @Ercassie )
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Steward of Gondor
Points: 5 582 
Posts: 2650
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:12 pm

Attubel


Bel couldn’t remember this place ever feeling so silent and empty. She sat quietly for some time before finally sitting up again, wiping her eyes. Tears would do no good, after all. There were things that needed to be done. She took a deep breath and looked around, frowning as she noticed just how much needed to be done. The common room needed to be swept, and the fireplace needed to be lit, as it would grow chilly once night came. Standing, the girl went about placing all the chairs up on the tables, and spent a while sweeping and tidying up. She was rather disappointed that the Greylakes would have left the place in such a state. What would the new owner think, if he had come and found it in such a mess? She frowned, shaking her head a bit and wondered whether they felt it was unnecessary to bother, seeing as they were leaving. It didn’t affect them, did it?

Before long, Bel, in an attempt to cheer herself up, began to hum as she worked. Once the main room was swept clean and all the tables and chairs put back, she went to straighten up in the kitchen. What dishes the Greylakes hadn't taken with them, all seemed to be piled into the washbasin, dirty. Bel sighed and filled the basin, carrying water in from the well, then got to work washing the dishes, forcing herself to keep humming in order to keep a cheery attitude. And, she realized, she would need to start supper too. Without Mrs Greylake here to be in charge of the meals, it dawned on Bel that it would fall on her shoulders. What to make, though? She frowned, considering the options. There ought to be enough vegetables ripe in the garden, so she decided to go out and see what she could find. She made a few trips, bringing in firewood, and started the fire going. Next, after carefully entering the smokehouse, she retrieved a piece of deer meat, and soon had started a pot of stew, with carrots and onions and a few potatoes. Once she had that cooking, she went to see about a few other chores that might be overdue. First, the chickens, she decided.

Two years ago, when Bel had first come here, the inn had been struggling, having to rely on whatever food supplies Mr Greylake could bring from town on the trips he would make periodically, or on the rare occasion, a merchant might come by. A month after she had settled in here, Bel had convinced Mr Greylake to take her back to the home she’d left behind, so she might see it and perhaps gather a few things she hadn't been able to take with her, when she left in such a hurry before. They found it in ruins, but Bel had managed to find most of her chickens, scattered and hungry. They knew her, however, and had come to her when she called, and she was able to bring most of her flock back with her to the inn. Now, her little flock had grown a little bit, and provided the residents and guests of the inn with a fairly consistent supply of eggs, and sometimes meat when necessary.

Bel went now to check on her chickens, and smiled as they all came running to her the moment they saw her. “Good morning ladies,” She greeted them as always. “Sorry I was gone so long, but Gwestion was a bit more important.” She explained as she filled their empty trough with grains. Then frowned as she began to gather up the eggs. There were far too many here to be from just one day. “And I thought someone would have fed you in my absence…” She added, troubled by this. For, if no one had gathered the eggs, then surely, no one had fed them either. She also noted that their water trough was dry. Feeling irritated, she took the rather-full basket of eggs back into the house, then went to the well and went back to fill a pail from the well. Really, it was one thing to neglect to sweep or clean, but to not even bother feeding the chickens?

Bel’s frustration grew as she finished tending to her flock, then went to the barn to see how the cow was faring. Perhaps they had neglected to milk her, too. Thankfully, the stableman had seen to that job, and Bel was relieved by that. She returned to the kitchen with the milk pail, and set it aside while she checked on the stew. It would be a little bit longer before it was done. In the meanwhile, she went out and gathered a few herbs from the garden, then put on a pot of water to heat before pausing to think. What else? She wasn’t quite used to having to do everything, and tried to think of what Mrs. Greylake might have done. Bread! Of course, Bel thought. She hurriedly got out some flour and things, and starting to work on making some bread to go with the stew, hoping she’d be able to get it finished around the same time as the stew.
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:58 am, edited 2 times in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Steward of Gondor
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Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:12 pm

Attubel


Bel put a batch of drop rolls in the oven and then turned to check on the stew. It seemed fine, just needed a bit more time to cook and let the carrots soften and the flavors meld and all that. The bread still had a while to go. The water would keep until she was ready for it. Now, she just had to wait. And wait... pulling up a chair by the fireplace, Bel sighed, resting her chin on her palm with her elbow propped on the table, staring off into the cheery flames. She wondered if Gwestion would be alright. What if Gwandhyra couldn't help him, like he said? What if he was hurt worse than the ranger thought? She worried about him, and hoped he would be alright. As she waited for the food to be done, she let her thoughts drift, remembering that day that felt so long ago, when she first met Gwestion...




Flashback - Autumn, about a year ago




Bel jolted awake, breathing fast. She was sweating; her heart raced after a night of troubling dreams. She knew that sort of dream. Pushing the covers back, she rubbed her arms and looked around her room. The air was chilly, which told her that the fireplace had gone out during the night. She would have to revive it. First though, she crossed the room, the floor cold to her bare feet but she didn't mind that. She pushed open the window and put her head and shoulders out, taking a long, deep breath to try and calm herself. She'd seen a tragic scene unfold in her dream, and knew that something was going to happen. She might be able to help, or she might not.

Dawn was just breaking, and the girl folded her arms on the windowsill, sighing softly in contentment as she took in the glorious sight. Pink and orange and purplish blue streaked the sky, staining the clouds in a way that took her breath away. The smell of rain hung in the air, though. "Hmm. Better get some firewood inside before the storm." She commented to herself, under her breath. Now that she felt more calm, Bel closed her window again and hurried to get dressed and ready for the new day.

Before long, Bel was outside picking up large sticks from the inn's yard that had fallen during the night. It must have been windy, she decided. It was still a little windy. Her dark hair kept getting blown around her face. With her arms full of branches, she hurried back inside to the common room. Pausing to peek under one of the tables, she checked to see if their unofficial guest was still there. The man seemed to have fallen asleep under a table, and Bel had left him alone when she was cleaning up last night. Mostly because she felt sure that he was a ranger, and therefore, had no intention of tattling to the innkeeper about the fact he'd slept there without paying. He was still there, and she stepped softly over to the fireplace to get it lit, trying not to disturb him. The sun was coming up and she wanted to get the fire lit before Mr and Mrs Greylake awakened. It took the girl only a moment to coax a fire into existence, then she added a few more branches broken into smaller pieces. She couldn't manage splitting logs like a man could, but branches were something she could usually work with.

Now, to begin on her actual chores for the day. The firewood was not one she was expected to do, but she thought it would be nicer for the others to awaken with warmth in the house rather than the chill she had woken to. After starting a pot of coffee going, she went outside to the henhouse with a bag of grain. The sky was darker and Bel was sure that it would be storming in a few hours, if not within the hour. With her basket full of eggs, the girl made sure the chickens were closed up tight where the wind and rain wouldn't bother them, and then hurried back inside to start breakfast as the first few drops of rain began to fall.

Bel got started making breakfast for the innkeeper and the few others who lived and worked here, then to her surprise, she heard the little bell over the door jingle a bit, announcing that someone had entered. Another customer! Those were usually scarce out this way, hence the name of the inn. Hastily moving the pans off the fire so nothing would burn, she took a second glance to make sure she hadn't missed anything. With a cheerful smile, she hurried out of the back room and headed for the common room, intending to greet the customer with a cheerful 'Good morning!'. On a day like this, with the rain and gray clouds, it seemed to her that a cheerful smile and greeting would help brighten other's days up.

Though, when she came into the room and caught sight of the stranger, her steps slowed a little. There was something about him that unsettled her, and uneasiness settled upon her though she couldn't explain why. Her smile faltered and she felt a shiver down her back, she walked over to the table the man had selected. "Good morning." She managed, though it came out sounding a little nervous and wary. Not her usual tone at all. While she did not usually judge people on their appearances, there was something unsettling about this man which she could not quite put her finger on.

The man smirked, his teeth dirty and his breath foul -similar to his demeanor- as his eyes roamed over Bel in an unsettling manner. "Mornin' sweetheart, I'm fancying a lovely bit of meat... and a tall drink." He said, looking her over in a way that made her feel like perhaps she was the meat he was meaning.
Bel eased back a step, suddenly very mindful that she was the only other person awake in the inn, besides this...ruffian. That had to be it. Perhaps he was a bandit, even. She wanted nothing to do with him, but unfortunately, she knew her job involved getting him food and drink. It did not involve anything else he might have been thinking, however.

Thankfully, someone had come by not too long ago, asking to sell most of the meat off a deer he'd killed, so they had plenty of the meat hanging in the smokehouse or she would have had to tell him that they had no such meat. Swallowing, Bel nodded slightly. "Right..I'll tell the cook." Bel informed him, deciding it might be best not to let him know she was as good as alone at the moment. Without waiting another second, she hurried back to the kitchen where she took a few deep breaths. Pouring the drink slowly, she noticed her hand was shaking. She tried to calm herself. She'd dealt with men like that before in the past.. but never had anyone had such an effect on her, and it troubled her. Could it be something to do with her dreams of last night? Perhaps. She shook her head and then took the drink out, where she set it on the table before retreating. She gave him no chance to try and grab her as some men had attempted to do in the past. Without a word, she hastened back into the kitchen to start on the food he requested. That was unlike her and she knew it, but how could she be friendly and chatty with someone who made her feel so uncomfortable?

Once Bel had returned to the kitchen, she stood there for a moment, trying to talk herself into calming down. Maybe a breath of fresh air would calm her, despite the rain. She grabbed her cloak and stepped out, leaning against the door for a moment to enjoy the wind even though it blew rain into her face. Time to go and get the meat, she didn't want to keep him waiting too long. Glad for an excuse to be outside, she hurried around to the back of the inn where the stable and hen house were located. Another building was here too, with a thin stream of smoke rising from the top. The deer meat was hung inside, and she headed for this building to retrieve a piece of it for the stranger. She was a bit distracted as she hurried through the rain, trying to avoid getting wet as much as possible. What was so unnerving about the stranger? Was she being silly to be so frightened by him, or was there good cause for it? She couldn't be sure, but she tried to at least focus on the task at hand.
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:58 am, edited 2 times in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Flashback - Continued



The morning had turned to rain quickly. Gladhron had hoped they would not get caught in it, but his hopes had been in vain. Fortunately, he remembered an inn not too far away, and the brothers set off for it. An inn would, surely, be better shelter than anything they could contrive.

Gwestion rode along after his brother, hoping he had not misremembered the location of the inn. It would be just like Gladhron to be mistaken about where the inn is, and cause them to travel in the pouring rain for several hours longer than necessary. But to his relief, he saw the inn ahead once they rounded a curve in the road. In no time, the brothers were riding up to the door.

“I shall procure lodging for the night, while you find lodging for the horses,” Gladhron stated, leaving his younger brother no chance to protest before he had hurried inside, out of the rain. He paused on the mat to look around the place as he shed his wet cloak and wiped mud from his boots. The inn did seem to live up to its name, it appeared forsaken by all but a lone traveler in the corner; one who did not look like a very pleasant type. After waiting a moment to see if any others would appear, Gladhron shrugged to himself. He went to stand near the fire with a sigh. It would be nice to dry out by the cheery flames, and mentally thanked whoever had made the fire this morning.


* * *



Staring after Gladhron as his elder brother took off into the inn, Gwestion told himself he should not be surprised. Still, he shook his head as he silently dismounted. He voiced no complaint as he took both horses around back, where there was sure to be a stable. Gladhron did this sort of thing often. One day, Gwestion would do something to teach him better, but for now, he would tend to the horses. It would not be fair to them to leave them out in the rain, after all.

As the young man led them to the stable, he was puzzled by their nervous behavior. “What is it?” He murmured, trying to calm his brother’s frightened horse, while his own horse snorted with unease. Surely, it was not the thunder. The horses had traveled through severe weather before and it was nothing new. He opened the door to the stable and urged the horses inside. Before he could follow, a scream drew his attention, though it was faint, as if snatched away by the wind. The young ranger whirled around, his eyes searching the yard for the source. Frowning, he rushed toward where he thought the scream had come from.


In the back yard of the Forsaken Inn



Bel had hurried across the yard, her cloak wrapped around her to keep out the driving rain. Approaching the smoke house where the meat was kept, she frowned as she noticed that someone had forgotten to bolt the door closed, and the door was swinging open in the wind. Good thing she came out here! Running to catch the door, she was preparing to pull it closed after her while she searched for the meat that was needed for the unsettling customer’s meal.

Just then, savage growling met her ears, stopping her in her tracks. Bel’s eyes widened as she stared at the wolf. His teeth were bared as he guarded his prize, a chunk of meat he was chomping on when Bel interrupted his meal. The sight of the wolf, blood staining his lips and fierce teeth bared at her, startled the girl so much that a scream came from her before she had time to think. Terrified, Bel’s first thought was to flee, and promptly did so, or at least attempted to. In her haste to run away, she backed away a couple of steps before her feet found a slippery patch of muddy ground, which resulted in the girl falling into the mud, helpless to defend herself. Just as she was sure that she was going to be ripped to shreds by the hungry wolf, a stranger appeared out of nowhere. A rather handsome stranger, she couldn’t help noting. A sword gleamed in his hand, like a knight in shining armor, though this stranger was clad in travel-worn clothes, soaked from the rain, mud staining his clothes. A sort of rugged handsomeness.


As the wolf lunged at the fallen girl, his nose was met by the blade of the young man’s sword, snarling as it drew back in surprise. He stood over Bel, preventing the wolf from getting to her. “Get away!” He ordered, as if the wolf could understand. He slashed again and the wolf backed further from the dangerous thing which had hurt it. Then, seeming to realize that it was more dangerous to stay and fight rather than flee, the wolf took the second option and soon disappeared into the forest, licking the blood from his nose.

It all happened so fast that Bel was barely able to believe it when she saw the wolf running away. The stranger breathed out a sigh of relief as he sheathed his sword. Then, turning to Bel, he offered a hand down to her. “Have you been harmed, miss?” His voice was quiet, with a different sort of accent than she had heard before, though very subtle. Where did he come from? Taking the offered hand, she let him pull her to her feet, feeling a bit of a blush come to her cheeks. “N-No,” She remembered he had asked a question. “I’m alright, thank you… thank you so much.” She couldn’t take her eyes off his face. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn't think what it was.

Bel's rescuer nodded, glad to hear that she was unharmed. Turning to the smokehouse, he picked up the remainder of the meat the wolf had stolen. “You’ll want to dispose of this, else it draw the wolf back. He may bring friends next time.” He mentioned, wrapping it up in a cloth before offering it to her. “Did you need something from inside here?” He added, pausing. She must have need of something here, or she would not have come here, he reasoned. It looked like most things were high out of her reach, so he thought he might offer to help the girl in that regard.

“Oh, I…” Bel blinked, remembering her purpose for coming outside. “Yes. I need a piece of meat to cook up, for a customer...but you don’t have to…” She trailed off as she watched him go and pick out a good sized chunk of meat, untouched by the wolf. Her face felt warm as she accepted it. “Thank you, that was very kind of you, thank you.”

He offered a faint smile and gave a small nod. “It was no trouble. I must tend to my horses, now. I fear the wolf has upset them, and I would not like for them to bolt off into the storm.” He informed her, and with a nod in farewell, he left her, heading back to the stable.

Still trembling a little from the near-death encounter, Bel absently held the large piece of meat, wrapped in its cloth, and watched the quiet stranger walk away, for the moment oblivious to the rain pouring down on her. He would be staying here, it seemed, if he was putting his horses in the stable. She shouldn’t feel so disappointed that he had left her so quickly, right? With a sigh, she told herself she would see him again. She had a small smile on her face as she hurried back to the kitchen with the deer meat. Despite something that was nagging at her thoughts, Bel was convinced that this day was going to turn out to be a wonderful one, even despite the unpleasant customer in the common room, which she had nearly forgotten. She probably ought to change into a clean, dry dress though, before she proceeded with her day's work.
Last edited by Rillewen on Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Image

Gwandhyra Harion
Present Day. Arriving with Bel/Checking on Gwestion
@Rillewen

It was not with any great flourish of success that the young woman presented him to the Inn. But then, she had no doubt been hoping to find far better than he. And the fates having been against her, she had come across far worse. Yet they were both still more or less unharmed, considering the incident which had seen the two reunite upon the road. If fortune was with them then the brothers would be well also, but there again, it had not been smooth sailing so far. And Gwandhyra had agreed to come help, more in order to convince Bel to quit her reckless gallivanting all about the place, rather than any real confidence that he could do much better than she in treating the waiting invalids.

His bold anchors of faith were that he’d managed to maintain his own survival over countless years now, and through more than one occasion where he came off worse for wear. But in that he knew well, that some ‘mending’ can be less than appealing to undergo or to attend. The veteran was quite convinced he knew the depth of feelings that she and young Gwestion bore for each other, and perhaps that young man might be putting on more of a front than he ought before a woman he did not wish to worry. Likewise, she might be more concerned about hurting him, when it was needed, to save him.


This way,Bel led, and so Gwandhyra followed, having been afforded some brief, worried account of what he might find within.

Well,” he met the bandaged form of his young friend. “Your turn to get into trouble this week is it ?” It certainly seemed that every time he crossed paths with Gwestion and Gladhron, there occurred some sort of calamity. At least he couldn’t be blamed for this one. The first time he had met the pair of Rangers .. well, that could be argued he had made it far worse than it needed to have been. It was strange though, being back here. With the brothers. The last time he had been here was the first time he had met Bel. And they all had been fair lucky to have survived that incident as well !


FLASHBACK !

Image

Gwandhyra Harion
The Morning after the Night Before (about a year before present day)
Waking – under a table - in the Forsaken Inn



An onslaught of aromas dragged the man from dreamless sleep and slowly, as might a bear put paws upon an icy lake, the Ranger wound his body with a escape of exertion, up the length of one firm table leg to find his chair. Fortune found few present who might have bourne witness to the less than graceful rise, and sense might suggest that those who did, protested not. Gwandhyra’s face was grim and stoic, bordered by the customary dark hair of his estranged clan. Hard features were lit but by the blazing warm brown of his eyes. These the windows to another soul, one which leapt with merriment about a song or story, set against a gathered fire, as much as ever they purchased their fire with determination in the heat of war. In this hour they staved off the temptation to sink back to oblivion once more; scrutinising the new scenery as memory recalled how he had come to pass the night here.

As with all things, he laid blame upon the Elf. Erfaron had been supposed to meet the Mortal. In the way that the Elf had never agreed to this, but that there could have been no mistaking the (number of) messages that Gwandhyra had left, at every port and post where he thought Sílûgnir might pass. Since the incident in Lond Daer, he had made no few attempts to impress his concerns to his associate. That the Umbarians were against all odds come to Eriador and what that might mean … for both of them .. given quite how they had met.

But the rogue Elf was not unlike the wind in his social style, which was to say that he came and went at will, and bothered himself not at all with any law or expectation. Even those of friendship, which the Man had long believed existed between them. All the night Gwandhyra had waited, sat alone to a table here in the Forsaken Inn. Naught did he have to show for his trouble now save for less coins in his pocket, and an itch to pass water outside. The door opened as a cloaked back disappeared outside, not quite swift enough to hide the foul weather beyond.

It did something for the inn, he had to admit, for such a storm brewing behind the rattling window panes, cast the room at hand quite cosy by comparison. There were voices from beyond the rough hewn pillar, and the scent of meat tugged at the Ranger's appetite. There was only one other patron at hand, a vast huddled figure of some indistinct shape and bulk. Gwandhyra stretched where he sat, scratched his grizzled jaw and observed that his tankard from last night had been gathered all away. Surely the staff had assumed him likewise tidied away from the table, but it was not so.

The wait continued. In vain, as it would in fact prove. For Erfaron had long since tired of his friend's suspicions and likewise had exhausted all methods of expressing this opinion save for avoiding the Ranger completely. It might have been only manners to have let Gwandhyra know of this intended absence, but stopping long enough to explain would have sabotaged the matter of avoidance in the first place. And besides which, the Elf had never been well known for good manners.

The man yawned, stretched, and then recalled that he ought not to make too much of himself being known, since he had apparently spent the night in quite unexpected lodgings that he had no means to pay for. Still the climes already rattling the bones of the building did not really encourage him to hasten toward an urgent exit.



Image

Mawg the Ravenous
Not far from the Forsaken Inn
Still FLASHBACKING !



There was more than the rain come to drench the isolated homestead. A grey storm trampled treacherously across the horizon, bourne not of amassing cloud, but worse, of amassing hunger. Twelve here stood the machinations of dark form. As a circle of fierce rocks they sat. They waited. Their eyes combusted in the pale gloom of the shy-away sun, a multitude of spitting coals. Their muzzles armed with gleaming fangs that promised pain, a thousand piercing shards of anguish lined along each jaw like soldiers, slathered by the oozing spittle of anticipation.

The Wolves had come. The stony, snow-tempered profile of Angmar was ill-equipped to feed so many of their kind. What sustenance it boasted they had ravaged. Afore the almighty pack of pestilence slowly began to devour itself within the throes of civil unrest. They hankered for the expiration of all that might satisfy their want and need, and the meagre sniffles of life which had shuffled around the advancing day had roused their senses. There now stood no Orc or Man who clung to the vain hope he could command them. Mawg alone proclaimed their motive, head of their winding advance. Where he stalled, all others fell to still behind. He had earned each scar that wound his lean body like cords of disconnected rope. A testament to his wily tenacity. His calculating, fluid orbs appraised the scene below, where the Forsaken Inn lay exposed as an already tethered prey.

The ravaged remains of the lone scout whimpered to a shuddering heap and silenced at his leader's feet.

"A man with a sword," Mawg relayed the scouts excuse so that all might hear it's mocking undertones. The chief wolf's teeth were already pebble-dashed from tearing out the failure's throat. Mawg required all his people ravenous for the assault, and early snacking would but make his troops sluggish. Apparently sending but one wolf to spy out the lie of the place had left that one fool wolf scout with the delusion he could seize his fill, before the rest ever arrived. Now they flicked serpentine tongues about their own fangs, inching where they stood toward the corpse so close at hand.

"What is a man but fresh flesh ?," Mawg decided, relishing the scent of blood that animated his nostrils toward further slaughter. "One sword can not stop us all !"

Kernels of ancient green fire lit the lead Wolf's eyes as he paused, one more moment, and cast a disdainful last glance upon the hapless wounded wolf scout. A cacophony of horrendous chorus echoed in the wake of his fervour. Their roaring tumult sounded a clap of distant but nearing thunder. The sparse grass was slick against their sodden passage and the mud churned in the gluttonous growth of puddles which sullied their journey. But not a one amongst them cared for any this slight inconvenience.

Their mind was one, and it was set upon the lone Forsaken Inn. Day had seen a sombre dawn and it should be a far more sobering dusk to come, if the wolves had their way. But theirs should be a twilight gussied in bright strikes of fearsome colour.

Already they hunched in the unrelenting rainfall, in a wide but certain circle, all about the outskirt of the Inn and it's assorted huts. Those eyes lit by the fire of violence and vengeance were not easily extinguished. Mawg raised his snout to the leaden sky and emitted a howl that ought shake the leaves from any tree. What quite an impact it might have upon those now surrounded in the inn he did not know. But he could wait. For all the waiting in the world would make what was to come that more delightful.

There was no escape. And the Wolf's heart danced to relish that moment when his prey would realise their doom.
Last edited by Ercassie on Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not touched by the frost.

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@Ercassie

Gwestion
In one of the guest rooms of the inn; wounded


The knock on the door woke him from staring up at the ceiling. There was little else to do between sleeping and when the lady of the inn brought him meals. Gwestion hadn't expected that, not that she was overly friendly when she brought them. He couldn't get her to speak other than what was necessary; he had no news whatsoever about anything. Nor had he seen his brother, and worried about him, but he could only take a guess that Gladhron must have been the one to bring him here. No one else was in the vicinity that he knew of, and it was the only way he could think of that he might have ended up here. The orcs certainly hadn't been responsible for it. But he had yet to see Bel, nor would the lady answer his questions about either her or his brother. Thus being isolated from the world, he was growing more and more frustrated, not just with the fact he was injured, and couldn't get up and go check on things himself, but that no one would tell him anything!

Assuming it was the lady returning with the evening meal, he prepared himself for yet another fruitless attempt at getting news, and another cold refusal to answer any of his questions, as he called out that she may enter. So it was with much surprise when he saw an entirely different female. Bel. He had become friendly with her since the first time he came here, almost a year ago. The memory of the first time he ever saw her returned to mind... she had been drenched in rain, fallen in a mud puddle, and was frightened half to death as a wolf was about to tear into her... and still quite pretty despite all that, not that he paid much attention then. And that had only been the beginning of things...


Flashback



Having dealt with the wolf and retrieved a good piece of meat for the girl, Gwestion assured her it was no trouble. "I must tend to my horses, now." He told her. "I fear the wolf has upset them, and I would not like for them to bolt off into the storm.” He thought he probably should offer to walk her inside, maybe even carry the meat for her. But he really did worry about the wolf coming back and bothering the horses, and so with a nod in farewell, he left her and returned to the stable. He was unsure why the young woman had kept staring at him, but it seemed that she was shaken by the encounter with the wolf, judging from how unsettled she behaved, once the wolf was gone. He hoped she would recover quickly enough. He had other things to think of at the moment.

The horses were in need of stabling, for one. There did not seem to be a stableman around, so he had to take care of them himself. He hurried across the yard to the stable, finding them nervously huddled together on the far end. “Easy, it’s alright.” He assured them, taking first his own horse to an empty stall. He removed the saddle and other bags, then gave the horse a rub-down. The mare did not need to spend the night soaked, after all. Once he had ensured that his horse had plenty of grain and other necessities, he moved to give the same care to Gladhron’s horse.

“Could he not have at least taken his things inside with him?” Gwestion grumbled to himself, leaving his brother’s bags in a pile near his own. He would have to make two trips to carry everything. No, better yet, Gladhron could go and get his own things, he decided. His brother was old enough to have learned to be responsible for his own things, by now.

Once the horses were tended to, Gwestion gathered up his own things and exited the stable. A howl met him as he stepped out into the rain, freezing the young man in his tracks. Was it the wind? He felt his blood run cold for a moment. That was not the wind howling. The lone wolf was likely off in the hills, lamenting his lost meal. Trying to convince himself, Gwestion took a couple of steps toward the inn.

Then again, suppose it was not one wolf alone? He paused, despite the rain pouring down on him. His eyes roamed about the clearing. The hen house looked secure, but just in case, he laid his burden down and went to check that the birds were safe, should an entire pack of wolves descend upon the little house. Chickens were, of course, not anyone’s primary concern, but the ranger knew how important such livestock was to a place such as this. If they lost all of them in one blow, it might prove a difficult winter for them.

Next, he ventured to the smokehouse. Again, he didn’t think that losing their supply of meat would be vital to their existence, but it might make things harder if they lost it. He noticed that, in her flustered state, the girl had forgotten to latch the door. He took a look inside to be sure there were no more beasts lurking, then closed and latched it. Finding a large tree limb that had fallen during the night's wind, he placed the hefty beam in front of the door, to be on the safe side.

He next moved back toward the stable, and that was when he heard the chorus. Wolves howling. No longer was it a single wolf. His pulse quickened, as did his step. This building, he felt, was the most important to secure, second to the inn itself. His own horse, and Gladhron’s, were there. There was another spotted horse there as well, as well as a milk cow. Gwestion hastily checked the doors to the barn, making sure that it was well secured against a wolf-invasion. He knew not whether the creatures would dare attack, but he didn’t trust to luck. He preferred to err on the side of caution. Perhaps it might even be best to bring the chickens and the meat inside. But at the same time, he hoped that if the wolves did come, they would be more interested in those things than the barn and the inn.

Having satisfied himself that the inhabitants of the barn were safe from the impending threat of wolves, Gwestion hurried back to the pile he had left on the ground. Taking a last look around, he gathered his things and hurried inside to the inn. His bow and quiver were with him, and if necessary he would defend the place from a window.

Once inside, Gwestion stood on the mat for a few seconds, dripping wet. There sat his brother, cozy and warm in front of the fire. A quick surveying glance around the room revealed a large stranger seated in the corner, which Gwestion did not fail to notice. His nose detected the scent of meat roasting over a fire, wafting out from the kitchen. The ranger’s stomach growled, but he had other things to do before he ate.

Crossing the room, he deposited his things on the floor near Gladhron. “Your things are in the barn. I could not carry all, despite what you might think.” He informed him in a low voice. “And what’s more, there are wolves about. I suggest you get your things now, and do not leave the stable unsecured.”

Gladhron looked up from a mug of ale, surprised by his brother’s drenched appearance. “Well, glad you finally made it. I was beginning to think…” He paused in mid-sentence as he registered what his brother had said. “Wolves?” He frowned, but hesitated. “Did you at least get my bow?” he asked, upon which Gwestion shook his head. “What if I should need it?” He frowned.

“I had no means of carrying it," Gwestion refrained from sighing in exasperation. "My arms were full. So, as I said, you ought to go and get your things now.”

Gladhron frowned deeper still. “I have already dried off, and you are still wet from the rain. It would make better sense for you to go.” He pointed out, earning himself a rather annoyed look from his little brother.

“Perhaps you ought to have thought of that before you came inside.. without your things.” Gwestion replied quietly, fed up with his brother pulling these sorts of things. “Now do as you will, get your things, or don't. I must give warning to the proprietor that there will soon be wolves prowling about the inn.” With that, he took off to find someone to inform, feeling a great deal of frustration with his brother.

Speechless, Gladhron stared after his brother. He sat for a moment, contemplating his brother’s words and attitude toward him. Upon deciding that Gwestion must be in a foul mood for some unknown reason, he sighed and drained off his drink. Pulling on his still-damp cloak, he hurried out into the rain to retrieve his belongings, and mainly, his bow and arrows.



Present day again




At the sight of Bel entering the room, Gwestion's stomach unexplainably twisted itself into knots. While he was quite relieved to know that she was still there, and that she was well(although he couldn't understand why she had not come to check on him sooner), he suddenly felt..far too weak, and vulnerable, and useless, and.. it occurred to him that his wounds must be a terrible thing to see. She ought not see that. She shouldn't see him like this at all, in fact... he couldn't stand the thought of her seeing how badly hurt he was. "Bel." He hardly noticed, yet, the other who was with her. "I..." He tried to choose the nicest way to say this.. "I'd rather you left.. please..."

If she looked hurt at these words, he failed to notice, turning his gaze at last to notice Gwandhyra standing there also. As Bel nodded and quietly slipped out, Gwestion watched her go, then looked back at his friend and fellow ranger. "Gwandhyra." He was a bit surprised to see him there. It had been some time since he last saw the man, so it was rather unexpected to meet him again, here of all places.. was this the last place they'd seen one another? He couldn't remember for sure, but managed a weak smile at Gwandhyra's joke. "So it would seem," He agreed, wishing he didn't feel so pathetic right now. His wounds had weakened him, and he didn't like it at all.

"Though... I've yet to see Gladhron since I was injured..." He mentioned, trying not to let on how very worried he felt by this. "I've no idea how he fared in this week's 'trouble'," He added with a small frown. Perhaps he was wrong; suppose it was Gwandhyra who had found him and brought him here, and had not found his brother... suppose the ranger had been out looking for Gladhron all this while. There was little Gwestion could do but make guesses. But at least now, perhaps, he could finally gain some sort of news. "Have you..?" He dared to ask, fearing he may hear some tragic news, but he had to know, nonetheless. "The lady of the inn would tell me nothing." He added, as explanation for his ignorance on the matter.
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Steward of Gondor
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@Ercassie

Attubel


Leaning forward to poke a log more into the fire, Bel sighed softly, then stood up. It was tiring, waiting and waiting. She felt so anxious, worrying about Gwestion, worrying about the new innkeeper coming and causing trouble for them, and everything else. She roamed about the room for a few moments, then stopped and frowned at her trunk that had been left by the door. They really had expected her to go, hadn't they? But did they pack all of her belonings in there? She crossed the room and opened it, suddenly wondering if everything she owned was in there. But the trunk was just as she had left it. Which meant the most important things were still in her room. Shaking her head, she sighed and then decided she might as well put it back in her room.

It proved too heavy for her, however. She couldn't lift it, and trying to pull it, she only managed to move it a few inches before finally giving up, and sat on the top. This was so frustrating. Bel sighed and stared at the floor for a moment, then decided that it would be more sensible to unload it, then move it, and put everything back in again. It was a lot of trouble, but... she wasn't about to pull Gwandhyra away from tending to Gwestion to ask him to move a silly trunk, and she also wasn't about to go ask Connor to do anything. He'd refused, the last time she asked him to do something, and that had been something important; going to get a healer for Gwestion and Gladhron. So, sticking by her stubbornness in that matter, Bel got up and opened the chest, and began carrying things to her room. Once she had it empty, she found it much easier to take the trunk to her room. It wasn't that heavy, now.. just a bit bulky to carry.

Packing it again could be done later, but for now.. Bel realized that she was still wearing the same dress she'd been wearing when she set out. It felt like days ago now, but she knew it wasn't that long ago, really. She'd ridden for an entire day, roaming around in the forest and then had been through quite an ordeal with those bandits, then the trip back to the inn... yes, she'd better change. Looking through the dresses she had pulled from the trunk, she selected one that she rather liked, then paused as she held it up. Seeing the faint little stain from the ale, she couldn't help smiling slightly as she remembered that it was the same one she'd changed into that day, with the wolves...



Flashback - Autumn, about a year ago




Bel returned to the kitchen from her room in a fresh, clean dress, the memories of the things which had upset her having faded from her mind a little bit by now. Bel hummed a cheery tune as she worked in the kitchen alongside Mrs Greylake, who had hurried to start cooking the moment Bel informed her they had guests. Bel was still rather nervous about the first man, but eager to see more of the other, the one who had saved her. And there was another young man who had apparently ridden in with her hero, who had requested drinks for himself and his brother. Therefore, a couple of mugs occupied her hands as she pushed the door open with her hip, then turned to set off into the dining room. Much to her surprise, the handsome young stranger stood there in the hall, poised to knock on the door from which she had just emerged. Not knowing he was there, Bel did not see him in time, and to her great distraught, ran straight into him, ale sloshing all across his front!

With a gasp, she stepped back, staring with widened eyes. “Oh! I apologize…” Warmth flooded her face and she just knew it must be red, but she hadn’t expected anyone to be there! What was he doing there, anyway? “I..” She tried to find her voice again. “I’ll get you a towel…” She managed, strangely tongue-tied while in his presence. This was horrible! What if he was furious with her? She'd hoped to get better acquainted with him, but not like that!
“It’s fine... really, miss. I was already soaked, it makes no difference,” The young man assured her, after a moment’s pause to recover from the unexpected bath in ale. “However, I would like to speak to the proprietor, if possible. Where may I find him?”

Feeling horribly embarrassed at having spilled the ale all over him, the dashing hero who had come to her aid not long ago, Bel hesitated. “Oh…” She couldn’t explain why she felt a little disappointed to hear that he was looking for the innkeeper, and suddenly felt rather worried. Was he going to complain to the innkeeper about her clumsiness? She felt her stomach tie up in knots at the idea of it... not so much that a customer might complain, she could live with that. But that THIS customer would complain about her... that upset her. “Y-yes, of course. I’ll get him for you." she answered, unsure what else to do about this situation. "And… I could fetch you a towel, if you’d like? The fire is nice and warm, perhaps you'd like to go back to the dining room? By the fire?” She offered a shy smile, thinking that would help him dry off, and unsure why she felt so nervous. She hastily fled to the kitchen and set the mugs down, taking a couple of deep breaths with her hands pressed to her face. Why were her cheeks so flushed all of the sudden? Shaking her head as she dabbed a hand-towel at the little bit of ale that had spilled onto her dress, she wondered if her hero was angry with her. Fearing that might be the case, she reluctantly went and fetched Mr Greylake to tell him that a newly arrived guest wanted to speak to him before returning to refill the mugs and stepped back out, glancing around more cautiously this time.

With the largest, thickest towel she could find draped over one arm, Bel stepped into the room and then paused, watching the young man pace before the fire, wondering about him. It took her a couple of seconds to snap out of her brief daze, and then approached him, trying her best to act like herself. Setting the mugs down first, she smiled shyly and offered him the towel. “Have you need of anything else?” She inquired, eager to help him in any way he might ask, though she knew not why. Accepting the towel, he smiled faintly at her. He looked much nicer when he was smiling, and it helped somewhat to ease her fears that he meant to post a complaint about her. He wouldn't be smiling at her if he was, would he?
“No," He answered her question, wrapping the towel around his shoulders. "but you certainly have my gratitude for the towel, miss.”

“Oh... it was nothing," She felt her cheeks getting warm again and wished they'd stop doing that. And finally a distraction arrived. "Ah, there's Mr Greylake.” Bel informed her hero as she saw the innkeeper emerge, then hesitated. “I suppose I shall tend to my duties then…” She held back a sigh as she watched him nod and go forward to meet the innkeeper. What could he possibly want with Mr Greylake, if it wasn't to complain about her spilling the drinks on him? She wondered about that, but reminded herself that she ought not eavesdrop. With a sigh, she turned away and tried not to frown, though she felt quite confused. Noticing that the man who made her uncomfortable was staring her way, she suddenly remembered that he was waiting on his meat. Oops! She'd forgotten all about that, in all the chaos.

Slipping back to the kitchen, she took the plate that Mrs Greylake had fixed up for him. The cut of meat was nicely browned, cooked with herbs and had a nice gravy poured over top. Returning to the common room, she set the plate down on his table. "Sorry for the delay." She didn't feel like explaining the matter, and turned to go. Only to stop at the tug on her arm, alarmed to find that his hand had closed around her wrist.
"I wanted it rare," He informed her, with a very annoyed look on his face.
"You didn't say as much." She pointed out, frowning. She wasn't about to go back outside with the wolves and get another chunk of meat for him. She was fairly sure Mrs Greylake had already cooked all of the meat she'd brought in, after cutting it into several portions. Bel's heart raced, and she tried tugging her arm free, but without success as he pulled her a little closer. "If you don't let go of me," She warned him in a quiet tone, "then I'm going to start screaming, and in case you haven't noticed, there are plenty of men in this room now who won't hesitate to draw swords on you. Now let go." She ordered him, hoping to handle this on her own, but she would do as she threatened if necessary. To her great relief, the man released her wrist, but scowled. "I don't want this, and I'm not paying for it." He shoved the plate away, sending his utensils clattering.

The plate would have joined the utensils on the floor if Bel hadn't swiftly caught it. It was a perfectly good piece of meat, after all, and she glared at him for his rude behavior. Trying to keep her temper under control, Bel exhaled slowly. "Fine. I'll see what else I can find." She retorted, rather annoyed but trying her best not to let this creep get to her. She wanted to be done with him as soon as possible. She had other duties to tend to, after all. And indeed, when she turned, she noticed that their visitor from the night before, the ranger, had finally regained consciousness and was now seated upright at his table. She paused, glanced at the rejected and untouched plate of food, then glanced toward the innkeeper, who was not paying a bit of attention to anything going on in her direction, and smiled slightly to herself as she got an idea where this food might be better appreciated.

With the best smile she could manage with everything that had happened this morning so far, Bel crossed the room to see if the guest from last night needed anything. “Good morning!” She greeted him brightly, despite the thunder that rolled. A streak of lightning lit up the sky outside the window just then. "Do you have need of anything? Breakfast perhaps?" She inquired, setting the plate down on his table, with a finger to her lips to indicate to keep quiet about the fact she just did that. Lowering her voice a bit, she added, “I’d ask if you slept well, but I wouldn’t imagine the floor was terribly comfortable.” Her voice was half-teasing and cheerful despite the storm outside, though slightly distracted as half of her attention tried to linger across the room, with the others. Snatches of their conversation reached her ears, however. Though she tried not to eavesdrop, before long she had begun stealing glances their way as she became interested in what she heard.

“Wolves?” The innkeeper sounded astounded as well as skeptical. "I haven't heard about wolves in this area..."
“There are, though I know not how many. Your daughter had a very close call with one, in fact…”
“Daughter? Bel isn’t-”
“I don’t know how secure this inn may be, but I would advise you board up the windows, lest the creatures try and force their way inside.” The young man cut him off, clearly not interested in such details when there were more important things.
“Are you serious?” Mr Greylake was incredulous, wondering if this young man was a little off in the head, perhaps.
“Entirely. Perhaps I am overly cautious… or perhaps we are all in peril.” The stranger's tone was very serious, and Bel wondered how much danger they might be in.
“We’ve never had any wolves come bursting in through the windows, and I hardly think it will happen now.” The innkeeper frowned. “Why should it? More than likely you heard the wind howling in the trees and let your imagination run away with you, boy. I doubt there's even any wolves out there... you probably saw a coyote.”

Caught up in the conversation she wasn't supposed to be listening to, Bel watched the young man she found so attractive. He clenched his jaw, seemingly annoyed at being called a boy. But he was struggling to restrain himself, she could tell. He stared silently at the man for a few seconds. “Perhaps that is so.” He said at last, his voice very quiet. “Or perhaps the inn is surrounded. Will you take that risk, at the cost of your guests, and all those who dwell here?” He inquired. "All I'm asking is that you ensure the place is secured, bar the doors and windows, and take anyone who cannot defend themselves into the most secure place you have until the threat is eliminated...women, for instance, and any children," He gestured toward a toy lying on the floor, which Bel had left so that she might tell the young Greylake boys to pick it up themselves. "while those who can fight remain ready, should the wolves get inside." He continued. "Is that unreasonable?"
"Why should I do any of that? I tell you, there is nothing to fear. This inn is made of stone; once you're inside, you're perfectly safe! I assure you of that, sir." Mr Greylake frowned. He didn't want to believe it, and it was quite unlikely he would accept the fact until it was proven to him, Bel knew... and by then, it might be too late, and she wasn't quite sure what to do about that. That wolf had frightened her, but now she wondered if the stranger was right. Could they get in here?
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Chief Counsellor of Gondor
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Image

Gwandhyra Harion
Present Day. Checking on Gwestion

He graciously allowed for Gwestion to speak his entire peace without interrupting. It was as subtle a means as Gwandhyra could manage, to conduct an investigation of the other man’s condition. The altered breaks in sentences spoken, the hint of pain which contorted attempts to smile. Both told more than the injured young man was likely to.

Well you have just told the only ‘lady’ in this place to leave you alone,” he mentioned, pointedly; having very low opinion of the landlord’s wife and a far more positive impression of young Bel. “As to your brother, well, despite his many qualities, he does not strike me as boasting a good bedside manner. It might be a kindness that Gladhron is likely off even now regaling some slack-jawed bar-wench with accounts of his heroism.

From what Bel had disclosed to him, about Gladhron’s head injury, it was just as likely that the elder of the brothers was somewhere off asleep. But surely the eager young girl had gone to check on him, since her ‘favourite’ of the two had denied her that opportunity to tend him.

Not ‘that’ bar-wench,” the older man put in with an undesguised smirk. “You will be delighted to hear that ‘she’ has talked of nothing else but you, since we were reunited, and she would not return here without my promise that I’d see you put back from pieces to whole again.

He moved toward the invalid, and sighed at the reaction that garnered. “The fact that you are talking and eating is a good sign. I’d assume no infection, but you smell somewhat rank. Come let me clean you up some before she bursts in again with some excuse.” and before Gwestion could protest, Gwandhyra rolled up his sleeves. “I guarantee whatever wound you are shielding beneath your blanket, I will have seen worse.


Again with the FLASHBACK !

Image

Gwandhyra Harion
The Morning after the Night Before: A free breakfast and an old friend


He did not know when he might have looked worse, and a dread apprehension assailed the Ranger as pretty, young Attûbêl approached his table. Well it was not precisely ‘his’ but if reservations could be made by staking out a claim, he had arrived well in good time to do so ! The previous night, no less. Would she be angered or bearing some curt chiding from the Landlord about paying for a room, like everybody else ? The smile said otherwise. Though the sweet young thing bid him a ‘good’ morning, when it was clearly anything else but. The offer of an unexpected breakfast turned the tables on that score.

I’ve known worse but I am dry enough,” he admitted sheepishly, to meet her comment about sleeping on the floor. An instinctive scrutiny made him stall a moment to note that her hair was wet, her dress dry. “Am I in trouble though ?” he half grinned, doubting it, but gaining no sure confirmation. Bel was miles away in a world all of her own, and Gwandhyra cast an eye to where the fair server had clearly leant her good ear.


Perhaps I am overly cautious .. or perhaps we are all in peril.

That was when the Ranger sat up from his slump and startled at the exchange now as well. He would recognise that obstinate but polite counter-argument any day of the week. “Gwestion” he assumed, with a slow and satisfied shake of his shaggy head. This day was so far a multitude of blessings. The lure of the cooked breakfast which he had not earned, bade him keep from interrupting proper, long enough to save wasting the girl’s good deed. And since he set about the meal quite voraciously, as though he hadn’t eaten so well in some weeks (he hadn’t), it was not long before the back of a dirtied hand was drawn like a conclusion across his jaw. He might have felt embarrassed to devour the food in a fashion as frenzied as a wolf, but Bel clearly wouldn’t take offence, at what she did not even seem to notice. The conversation about a wolf threat was of course very compelling, but it seemed that the speaker was no less to the kind waitress. Gwandhrya decided, at length, to pay his dues.

They are not over fond of fire,” the Ranger declared helpfully, as he rose to find the two men bickering just around the corner. He was speaking of wolves, although he did not make this apparent. Rather he joined the conversation as though he had been invited to do so, or at least should not be condemned for doing so. “Of course it is raining rather determinedly out there,” he extinguished his own idea, before the innkeeper or his guest had much of a chance to say just so themselves. “Maybe we should have a brief scout around, outside,” his eyes met those of the younger man, knowingly. “Where is your brother ?

It would be quicker with three than just two, and Gwandhyra could hazard a fair guess that wherever Gwestion was, Gladhron was not far away.
All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not touched by the frost.

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@Ercassie

Gwestion
In one of the guest rooms of the inn; wounded

Gwestion paused at the comment about the 'only lady of the inn'. Misunderstanding, he assumed that Gwandhyra meant that the innkeeper's wife had gone away, and that Bel was now the only woman here.. little did either of them know, that was actually the case. He wondered why this would be the case, though, and found it both puzzling and a bit troubling. Even more troubling, though, was the thought of how Gwandhyra pointed out that he may have been a bit rude to Bel. "I didn't..." He paused, frowning slightly, wanting to argue that he didn't tell her to leave him alone. But in a way, that was sort of what he'd done, though it wasn't what he'd meant to do, exactly. "I hope she.. was not offended," He added softly, now somewhat worried about that. Not that he had any reason that he could properly explain to himself, but he had no desire to be rude to someone who had been kind to him. "I only wanted.. to shield her from...such a terrible sight.. these wounds..." He tried to explain with a vague gesture toward his leg, finding it a bit difficult to say too much at once, with his ribs hurting as they were. It was difficult to take a breath without pain.

While he was thus worrying inwardly as to whether he had indeed offended the young woman who had brought help to him, Gwandhyra was making some teasing comment about her and Gladhron. Gwestion could not quite make sense of why that annoyed him so much, and tried to remind himself it was only a bit of teasing. He got enough of that from Gladhron; he should be used to it. Gladhron, whom he was worried about, he reminded himself, though the worry slackened upon hearing it suggested that he was probably off bragging and embellishing the tale of their latest 'adventure'. That did seem exactly like his brother, Gwestion thought, even as Gwandhyra was assuring him that Bel had spoken of nothing but himself. "Why should I be...delighted to hear that? And.. Bel is no 'bar wench'," He muttered with a slight bit of annoyance to hear her called such. He recalled from the last time he was here just how many jobs around here Bel actually did take care of, from cleaning the guest rooms to waiting tables, helping cook, tending the garden, sometimes registering the guests, and even trying to make her boss see reason...


Flashback



Still dripping as he stood before the fire with the towel around his shoulders, trying to convince the innkeeper of the impending threat, Gwestion was feeling quite frustrated. His blue-grey eyes kept darting to the door, hoping to see Gladhron come through at any moment. Had he had enough time to get to the barn and back? It seemed like ages since he left. What if he had been cornered by the wolf? It had fled, but he had heard other howls, and felt assured that the rest of the pack would soon be upon this small, broken-down establishment.

A new voice added to the conversation, suggesting fire. Gwestion turned, relieved to see an ally he had met before. Gwandhyra was followed by the young woman he had encountered outside, who appeared far more worried than the innkeeper. She must have more sense, he thought with mild relief as he turned to greet the other ranger. "Gwandhyra." Gwestion spoke in surprise, but it was a delighted sort of surprise, or at the least, relieved. He couldn't express how glad he was to see another ranger there at such a time. The number of people who could help fight the wolves had just increased, and perhaps the other ranger could even help convince the innkeeper of the danger!

Catching the older ranger's words, Gwestion raised an eyebrow. The last time Gwandhyra suggested scouting around, things had gone terribly wrong... "Scout around?" He folded his arms, a sparkle of humor in his eyes. The faintest hint of a smile tugged one corner of his lips at the memory of them disguising themselves as Umbarian pirates. Gwandhyra had taken the mud in the face rather well, he recalled. "Gladhron is in the stable, retrieving his belongings... if you want to scout around, I'm sure there is plenty of mud to disguise yourself with." He added in amusement. He didn't bother explaining this remark to the others, but Gwandhyra would know what he was referring to.

His amusement was quickly replaced with concern however, as his gaze drifted back toward the door. "Speaking of Gladhron, he ought to have returned by now..." He added, more softly. Lightning flashed outside. Was it his imagination, or was the rain coming down harder now? The wind was fierce, and he thought he heard something slapping in the wind, outside. A door, perhaps? He'd secured everything before he came in, but would Gladhron do the same? Should he go check on him?

"There aren't any wolves!" The innkeeper still insisted. "We get more trouble with foxes and coyotes than wolves," he tried to reassure his guest. "Bel, you surely don't believe this nonsense. Please, reassure this young man that he needn't worry about wolves here? So long as we keep everything locked up, they will move on and leave us be. You're just hearing the wind howl, that's all. Just your imagination, young sir."
Put on the spot, Bel blinked and glanced from her boss, to the other two men. Her gaze lingered longest on Gwestion, though he wasn't sure why she seemed to blush lightly before clearing her throat, turning back to her boss. "Um. Well, actually..." She answered, fidgeting awkwardly. "I was nearly ripped apart by a wolf, just a little while ago."
Gwestion nodded slightly, relieved she was backing him up, as he watched her hands come up to press against her cheeks, then made an attempt at smoothing her hair back. "He... he saved me from it..." She added with a small smile toward Gwestion.

"...What?" The innkeeper looked shocked. "You're alright, I hope? Still... that's only one wolf. That's far from a full invasion, as he would have us believe." the man laughed at the notion, though it was with some nervousness mingled in. "I see no reason to panic simply because you saw one wolf. I..." He paused, glancing at Gwandhyra. "I thought you left last night." He frowned, suspicious and wondering why he was there again.

"Oh, he did," The pretty waitress put in hastily. "He um... returned, to warn us about the wolves." She explained with a sidelong glance toward Gwandhyra.
Gwestion did not miss that subtle glance, but it seemed the innkeeper did, or else he didn't press the issue. "Seems like you could find something better to do with your time, Bel." He mentioned, sounding annoyed that she was involved in the conversation, since she wasn't taking his side of the argument.

"Sorry," Bel mumbled, ducking her head as she hurried off to find some chore that needed doing. Grabbing a mop and a few buckets, she quietly placed a bucket under one of the leaks that had started up again with the heavy downpour, and then began to use the mop on the puddle that had begun to form from said leak.

"If you'll excuse me, I have more important things to worry about," Mr Greylake announced, then set off toward the kitchen.
Gwestion sighed softly, eyeing a few places where the young woman had placed buckets to catch leaks. He wondered how they were able to keep the inn warm at all. And if they couldn't even keep water out, then how did they hope to keep a fierce pack of wolves from ravaging this lonely, battered establishment?

"Didn't you say your brother had gone outside?"

Gwestion turned toward the young lady, who had paused in her mopping to inquire about Gladhron.

"Yes, he should be back momentarily." Gwestion assured her, though wondered why she would ask.

"But he left his weapon!" Her grey eyes had widened in alarm as she pointed toward the table where Gladhron had been.

Gwestion's glance darted to the table, and suppressed a groan. There was the sword in question, leaned against the chair where Gladhron had been sitting. He must have taken it off to dry, and either forgot that he didn't have it with him when he left, or more likely, thought he would only be gone a few moments and wouldn't need it. Much could happen in a few moments, however. "I have a very bad feeling about this," he spoke quietly to Gwandhyra. That wolf had been too bold for his liking. The innkeeper could assure him all he liked that they were in no danger, but Gwestion wasn't so sure. "What think you, Gwandhyra? Shall we wait, trusting the word of the proprietor, and hope for the best? Or do you think it best to make preparations for the worst?"



Present day again



Reflecting on Gladhron's carelessness of that incident of almost a year ago, Gwestion blinked and returned out of his memories, catching the latter part of Gwandhyra's statement. "Return?" He frowned, raising his bruised, bandaged left arm up as if to say 'hold up a second'. "What do you mean, return here?" He halfway guessed it, even before Gwandhyra explained. "She.. ought not to have gone..." He felt more annoyed at himself for having become wounded in the first place, which had apparently pushed her into such potential danger, than at her for having done it. At least Gladhron was, supposedly, here somewhere. Safe. And wherever he was, he surely had his gear with him, since it was not here.

"As for eating," He glanced over at the plate of food that had been left on the bedside table, on his right side, still untouched. Because it was out of his reach in his present condition. "I have not.. been able to.. though not for lack of desire." He explained quietly, in between shallow breaths, for deeper ones hurt too much. With his hands and arms bandaged, his ribs broken, and being unable to even sit up, he wasn't sure how that woman expected him to be able to reach across himself to use the less-bandaged left hand to pick up a fork. And while he was ashamed of the condition in which the other ranger had found him, he could do nothing about it.

Gwestion frowned though, in belated worry for Bel, but allowed the other ranger to advance without protest, after that. There was no doubt that Gwandhyra had indeed seen worse, and Gwestion couldn't help recalling the day they two had met, and how that adventure had ended up with Gwandhyra being wounded. Still, it occurred to him that he might ought to give him some warning. "My leg is broken," He informed him quietly. "Badly broken. I..haven't had the.. nerve to look, since..it happened." He frowned and turned his face away, feeling a bit like a coward suddenly, because of that.

But it was more than the broken leg, though he couldn't bring himself to say this to his friend. He had been lying there, ever since he first awakened, trying to feel something of the pain he knew he should be feeling, and yet..nothing. Remembering the odd angle at which his leg had been lying, and the sight of the bone sticking out, he knew very well that Gwandhyra would have to set the bone. That should hurt.. and he feared that it would not; that in itself scared him more than anything.
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Steward of Gondor
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Healer Sérëní Moss
Riding up to the inn's front yard, talking with Connor the stableboy

She rode in haste, worried about what awaited her at the inn. It was too bad that Mrs. Graylake had not been willing to help the patient more, for then she might have been able to tell Seri more information about what condition she would find him in. Who was he, she wondered? All she had heard was that it was a 'drifter' and that didn't really tell her much. And all she knew was that there was blood and bandages involved, and that Bel had done what she could, but was worried. That, in turn, worried Seri, for she knew Bel slightly. Enough to know that she could handle a few minor injuries, and that she knew how to do a basic bandage.

As her horse trotted briskly down the road, Hwinia raced on ahead, but never strayed too far from Seri. No one troubled her, thankfully. She had no way of knowing it, but if she had tried to go through on another day, she might have had trouble. As it was, the bandits who had recently troubled Bel had been either killed or scared away for the next few days, and it was only due to this that the Graylake family, and then Seri, had managed to get through without trouble.

Her horse was breathing hard as she pulled up to the front gate. "I know, you're tired," She patted the horse's neck. "You'll get to rest, now." She assured the mare. She knew she had written swiftly, with as few walking breaks as she could get by with. Glancing around, she spotted a young man through the doorway, carrying some buckets. "Excuse me!" She called to get his attention.

Turning, he put down the buckets and wandered out. "Need help with your horse, ma'am?" He asked, taking in the sight of her sweaty steed.

"Yes, thank you," Seri slid down from the horse. "I've come straight from Bree as swiftly as I could." She explained. "I hear there's an injured man here?" She added, passing the reins over to him. "Can you tell me anything about that?"

The young man shrugged as he took the horse's bridle. "I guess they still have someone inside. Bel made me help her carry him in." He answered. "I figured he might'a died by now. He looked pretty bad. And the other guy wandered off."

"Other guy?" Seri frowned slightly as she got some saddlebags off of her saddle. She did recall that Mrs. Graylake had said there were a couple of drifters, but she had not said anything about them both being injured. "I only heard that one was injured." She frowned.

"Well, there's only one now." The young man answered, shrugging. "Like I said, the idiot got on his horse and rode off. What's it to you, lady?"

"I see," Seri frowned, wondering if the man had been injured, and if he might have been seeking a healer. Her frown deepened when he asked her why she cared. "I happen to be a healer, and I've come with all haste so as to take a look at this injured man. Now tell me, where can I find Bel, or better yet, the patient?"

"In there, I guess." He pointed to the house, giving her a curious look. "You got everything you need?" He asked with a nod to the saddle.

"Yes, I think so. Make sure and give her a good rubdown, please?" She requested. "Hwinia, stay with her," She instructed her dog, before turning back to the stableboy. "Would you also give my dog some water, please? I'll leave her out here. I don't need her getting underfoot while I'm treating the patient," She mentioned. As the boy nodded and began to lead the horse away, Hwinia happily trotted alongside the mare, tail wagging.

Seri sighed, wondering why these people had such low regard for the injured man. At least she knew that Bel wouldn't have the same attitude, especially since she was the one who had been so anxious for Seri to come out here. She didn't know who this stableboy was, but figured he must have been hired on since the last time she was out here. She decided not to get too caught up with thinking about it as she picked up her bags and set out at a brisk pace across the yard, heading toward the inn.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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