The Inn of the Prancing Pony

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
At the table with Celume
Common room

Gwestion focused for a moment on taking slow breaths in, and letting it back out. With his eyes closed, he didn't see Gladhron's eyeroll or any other expressions, and he tried to shut out the obvious statement he had made to Celume. The fingers of his right hand curled into his palm as he sat with his forehead pressed against his clasped hands. He could feel the lingering traces of the scar on that hand. Though the wound had healed, the memories of how they had treated the pair of wounded rangers.. that was much harder to forget. But he was displeased with himself for giving in to the temper that had arisen. "I should not have lost my temper," He muttered, annoyed with himself for that. He should have been better than that... shouldn't have turned back. Should have kept quiet and not let his anger take over for that brief moment...

Celume's words drew him back to the present moment. As Gwestion lifted his head, he mentally pushed away the memories of having to lie helplessly, fighting fear, anxiety, hunger, and everything else, while a plate of food had been left carelessly on the bedside table, just out of his reach, and the innkeeper's wife hurrying out of the room without heeding his pleas for news of his brother. And hearing later about how she had done nothing to stop Gladhron when he set off into the woods with a head injury so bad he could hardly see straight... He focused instead on what Celume had just said.

"Any ideas on where to look for him?" He asked her, frowning thoughtfully. All he had so far was a name. Though, maybe.. hmm. He rubbed his temples thoughtfully. "I wonder if there would be any sort of office where they keep records of such transactions," He mused aloud, thinking perhaps, if they could find some sort of document or record of the sale, it might include some sort of contact information or an address or something to help them track the man down.

"Also.. I wonder if we would get anything useful if we questioned those bandits," He couldn't help mentioning. The worry that the bandits may have intercepted the new innkeeper had been nagging at him for a while now, though he hoped that was not the case.

"Or, maybe he's sitting back with a fishing pole, enjoying the day and taking it easy.. he could have hired someone to work the inn for him and they just.. didn't go out there?" Gladhron tried to offer a more optimistic option, even if it was a bit far-fetched. He didn't have to ask why Gwestion had thought of asking the bandits, and he thought it best to offer at least a few more options to consider. When Gwestion glanced at him, he smiled. "Or, maybe he bought it on a whim and then decided he didn't want it after all? He might have put it up for sale, only without anyone at the inn knowing it was for sale." He shrugged. "You have to consider all the options."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Gwestion

"I'm not from these parts," she reminded Gwestion when he asked whether she had any idea of where to start looking for the new inn owner. Not wanting to discourage the brothers, she hesitated on commenting with her thoughts that - if there was a place where Bree kept a record of these things - those responsible for the records would probably be bound to certain rules about what information they could share with people who were not involved in the transactions.

Gladhron's attempt at lightening the mood was met with a little smile from Celume. She understood what he was trying to do, but the options he suggested were - altough technically possible - quite unlikely.

"You might be onto something with the records," Celume said after a pause. "Although we would probably not be allowed to access them, we might be able to get an address." If they take a liking to us, she added mentally. "The other option I see is asking around at the market - or when the common room gets crowded again this evening. But I get the impression you would prefer not to wait that long. So we could look into the other options, first."

"You're right that the bandits might tell us something, if they intercepted him. Of course, they might not have intercepted him at all. Or the intercepting might have been performed by different individuals than those we turned over to the authorities. It's all possible." Celume leaned against the backrest of her chair. "So it all comes down to one question. Where would you like to start?" Her eyes flicked from Gwestion to Gladhron, whom she gave a little smile, before looking back to the younger brother. She got the distinct idea he was the one who wanted to move the fastest and in the most efficient way.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
At the table with Celume
Common room

Gwestion gave a small nod in acknowledgement of Celume's words, pointing out that she was not from here. He had half-forgotten that, though not entirely. He debated about this. Perhaps, he ought to have asked Ms. Seri about it, when he saw her earlier. But, it was too late now, he wasn't going to go all the way back out to her cabin in Archet to ask about that.

"We could ask a few folk around here," Gladhron suggested. "Not them, of course," He said with a nod toward the Greylakes a few tables down, "but the innkeeper perhaps? He seems like the sort of fellow who'd know everyone around here." He commented. "If not him, perhaps one of the other employees around here."

Gwestion considered this with a slow nod. "I think you're right about that," He agreed quietly. Butterbur did seem to like to talk to people from what he'd observed last night. He took a moment to think about the options. "I could ask around at the market, as Celume suggested. Gladhron, perhaps you could ask a few folks around here," He guessed his brother would rather have that task. "What would you do?" He asked Celume, curious if she had any ideas of things she might do, or if she would join either of them. Or, perhaps, she would question the bandits, but he felt very doubtful that they would be willing to answer anything even if they did know anything.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Gwestion

She pondered the question briefly as her eyes trailed across the common room, the tip of the nail of her middle finger tapping onto the tabletop. "Honestly," she began, about to answer Gwestion's question in a way neither of the brothers would probably be expecting, "I would not split up," she admitted. "If we are angling for speed, I feel like it would be in our best interest to work together in a way that we can coordinate." She shifted in her seat, not because she was uneasy about her opinion, but because she was apprehensive about how it might be received by these two. Her finger stilled as she placed her palm down flat on the table.

"If Gladhron asks around here, and Gwestion asks around at the market - if Gladhron gains the answer, he will have to come looking for you. And vice versa. If Gladhron does not learn the answer, he will have to do the same, and so will you, and it will take a while for you to find each other. You will both be asking different people in both places." Celumë's gaze returned to the brothers, switching between both of their eyes. "I would choose for us to each ask different people here, first. Then go to the market together and coordinate which one of us covers a section and where we meet afterward. If none of us learns anything, we each move on to another section. It will keep the lines of communication short and practical. And we can reassess the approach quickly if need be."

After a pause, she shrugged one shoulder. "Up to you two, however. I am just trying to lend a hand." Not take over. Don't take over. "Regardless of the plan -" Celumë's eyes rested on Gladhron. "I'll talk to the bartender here, first. I did have a bit more goodwill with the hot chocolate yesterday. And he liked my singing. Might not make much of a difference, but you never know." It could make the difference between no information and a small lead, sometimes.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
At the table with Celume
Common room

Celume's response surprised Gwestion, as she seemed against the idea of splitting up. He tilted his head questioningly, but she explained without him having to ask. Her argument was logical, and he nodded slowly. "That is a good point," He admitted. That had not occurred to him, but he realized she was right. The market was bigger than the inn, and by now, would have more people out and about.

"Good plan." Gladhron agreed with a smile. "We can get familiar with the city while we meet all the people and ask about this fellow, Harbarad." He grinned at Gwestion. "You'd be better off having me around, anyway. You can let me do the talking and making friends part, while you hang back and listen."

Gwestion sat back and folded his arms, frowning slightly. He debated pointing out that they were not there to make friends and chat with people all day, but then decided it was pointless to say so. He returned his attention to Celume. "I agree, you did gain favor with the bartender, last night." He nodded.

"Everyone loved your singing!" Gladhron declared with a smile. "If you aren't careful, you might get asked again." He teased. "In fact, someone could even insist on you singing again, in exchange for information."

Gwestion frowned slightly as that possibility was presented, and glanced at Celume thoughtfully, wondering how she might react to that. "If it came to that," He asked her quietly, "how opposed are you?" He wanted to know now, so that he could know whether or not to help her get out of such a situation if necessary, and also how uncomfortable she might be with the idea. Because it had been fairly obvious to him, the night before, that she was not entirely comfortable with singing in public.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Gwestion

Gwestion seemed to agree - or at least not be opposed, and Gladhron stated his approval. She raised an eyebrow at Gladhron's comment, however, and even though Gwestion remained silent, she could not. "Even though we are going together, we will still be asking different people," she reminded the older brother, gently flicking a finger at his arm. "Efficiency, and all that." Her eyes were challenging as his met hers.

When Gwestion agreed she should speak to the bartender, her lips parted with indignation at Gladhron's suggestion. Before logic could kick in, her gut response was anxiety, and she had no immediately reply as she stared at him. Not before Gwestion's quiet question made her turn her head back toward him. Celumë closed her mouth and took a slow breath as she schooled her expression once again. "Quite opposed," she replied, although her tone was neutral now. "Besides, even though some of the people in here heard me singing last night, that doesn't mean they know about the transaction. They don't know it was an exchange. Unless someone were to tell them." Her voice gained an edge. "Would not recommend."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
At the table with Celume
Common room

As Celume pointed out the flaw in his teasing 'plan', Gladhron nodded in acknowledgement of her words. "Ah, right.. too bad." He offered a sympathetic glance toward Gwestion. "Guess you'll have to do all your own talking, then."

"We're not really here to socialize, anyway." Gwestion reminded him, though he refrained from rolling his eyes.

This brought a scoff from Gladhron. "Maybe not, but making friends with people tends to bring better results than your method, or hadn't you noticed?"

Gwestion mumbled something under his breath, but shook his head when Gladhron asked what he'd said. "Are we ready then?" He asked, figuring they might as well get started if they didn't have anything else to discuss. While he wasn't terribly enthusiastic about going around town talking to people and asking questions, he also wanted to find out what had happened to the missing innkeeper, for Bel's sake. He hoped she was alright, left alone out there at the inn.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Gwestion

Celumë nodded, and despite having no interest in being in the middle of the two brothers' bickering at the moment, she couldn't help the single comment she threw at them before rising from her chair. "You know, most of the time, both of you are right at the same time." They weren't hire for idle chit chat, Gwestion was right about that. But what Gladhron said was true as well - and the very reason she'd suggested she talk to the bartender, for example. Goodwill tended to get you farther. And being sociable tended to do the same.

"So Gladhron will talk to the innkeeper, I'll talk to the bartender. Gwestion?" Once he'd indicated his own 'target', Celumë nodded and headed for the bar. She slipped onto a barstool.

The bartender, drying a glass, stepped her way. "Did you enjoy my selection for breakfast, Songbird?" he asked with a crooked smile.

"I did," she replied genuinely. "Thanks."

He bowed his head a little. "Anything else?"

"Well, since you're asking," she began, before proceeding to inquire about what he might know of a man called Harbarad. When the name didn't ring any bells, she told the bartender that the man had supposedly bought an inn called the Forsaken Inn. That her friends were trying to help someone who worked for the inn, and now for this new owner - because this person was waiting for the new owner to arrive at the inn and set things in order again, but to no avail. Harbarad hadn't shown up so far, and it was getting difficult to run things without the owner's presence.

While the bartender was clearly sympathetic with their cause, he couldn't provide any helpful information. It took a bit longer than she would have liked to extracate herself from his apologies, but finally she headed toward the door to wait for Gwestion and Gladhron. If their inquiries had also yielded nothing, they would be going out to the market. And if they had, they'd probably be going out to look for this Harbarad, right?

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
At the table with Celume
Common room

"I will speak with the stable-hobbit," Gwestion decided, and once all of that was agreed, the three split up to do that. Gwestion took a moment to check on all three of their horses, while he was heading that way, but Bob the hobbit had not heard of anyone called Harbarad.

Gladhron had no better luck with Barliman, though he did hear plenty of talk from the fellow about just about everything else. He spent a few minutes talking with him before moving on to speak with a few of the servers as well, but there weren't many guests left hanging around by now, as most of those in the common room had finished their meal and moved on to their business of the day.

It wasn't long before the rangers had agreed to move to the market and spread out to cover different areas. They agreed to meet back at the Pony at a specified time, and each set off to cover their 'assigned' sections.

---

(sometime later)

Gladhron returned to the inn's common room, feeling very empty-handed, hot, and a little weary. He'd been all over the area agreed upon, talking to folks, asking about Harbarad. A name that was getting tiresome to him, and yet he'd never even met the guy. Despite spending time chatting with each shopkeeper and business owner, even several of the townfolk that he came across, he had managed to get done before the agreed meeting time. So, he was debating getting something cold to drink while he waited on Gwestion and Celume to join him.

No sooner had he got settled into a booth, sipping from his glass, when a blond young woman slid in beside him, smiling. "Hi."

Blinking, Gladhron lowered his glass and stared at her for a few seconds, startled. "Hello.." He couldn't help noticing how low cut her dress was, and cleared his throat quietly. "Can I help you?"

She slid a hand onto his shoulder. "I thought.. maybe I could help you, actually." She leaned a little closer, almost close enough to kiss him. "I heard you were looking for someone?" She murmured into his ear.

Gladhron swallowed as it struck him. He knew this girl. It had taken him a second or two to recognize her, since it had been a few years since he saw her. But he definitely remembered her. He'd.. sort of.. made her acquaintance a couple of times, a few years ago when they were in the area with their father. While he certainly remembered her, as well as the way she had treated him.. she obviously did not remember him. As soon as he realized who she was, he also recalled her name. Amber.. something. He drew in a slow breath as leaned back, reminding himself what she was like. One to be wary of, without a doubt. "I am," He answered cautiously.

Amber seemed not to notice his discomfort with her proximity, and leaned closer, shifting so that her leg was brushing against his. "What do you say we go someplace more.. private, to talk?" She suggested with a suggestive smile.

"I think right here is perfectly fine, actually." He managed a small smile. "What can you tell me?" He wondered if she even knew the name of the fellow they were looking for, and whether she was making up the fact that she knew information. He wouldn't put it past her, knowing what he knew about her.

Amber grinned, shaking her head slightly. "Nuh uh. Somewhere more.. comfortable." She suggested, as she took his hand and tugged lightly to indicate he should come along with her.

Gladhron pulled his hand out of hers. "I'm quite comfortable where I am, actually. And there's no one around to overhear anything you say. So, please. Go on, what is it that you know?" He glanced around slightly, hoping one of the others would show up soon...

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Amber

Her own area of the market had also yielded nothing. To her regret. Celumë headed back to the Prancing Pony, as agreed upon, not catching sight of either Gladhron or Gwestion on the way there - even though she kept a careful eye out for the brothers. The weather was nice, at least, and while her efforts had been fruitless, at least she'd gotten a good impression of her designated sections of the Bree market. Which had not disappointed, even if she had only been able to inspect about a third of it.

After waiting on the street for a few minutes, she realized they hadn't specified whether they would meet outside or inside of the inn. For her, it had been logical to assume it would be outside. Thinking of what she knew about the brothers, she was inclined to think Gwestion would agree. Gladhron, though?
Taking a deep breath, as if in resignation, and rolling her eyes, she took one last look around - seeing neither brother - and pushed the door back open to the inn's common room. Stepping into the inn, and letting her eyes adjust for a moment to the much darker room, compared to the sunlit market, Celumë's gaze had to sweep over the tables a second time before she found Gladhron.

Sitting in a booth, sipping on a drink, with a blonde woman sitting right next to him - against him, really - leaning into his space. Gladhron seemed... uncomfortable. Watching the scene for a moment, to determine whether her initial assessment was correct, Celumë also wondered what Gwestion would make of the sight if he were to walk in now. The brothers' dynamic seemed a bit strained sometimes, didn't it?

With a little sigh, Celumë shook her head and pulled her blonde hair forward over her shoulders. It was longer than the other woman's - not that it should matter. She approached Gladhron's booth, not rushing, a neutral and perhaps slightly curious expression on her face. "Hey," she said, the word casual as she dropped herself into a seat at the other side of the table. With a raised eyebrow, she wiggled her index finger between the two, while using the heel of her other hand to support her chin, the elbow of said arm propped up on the table. "What's this?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Amber
At the table with Celume
Common room

Celume's arrival was a welcome relief, at least for Gladhron. As she dropped into a seat across from him and Amber, he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Amber gave her a dark look. Gladhron smiled, however. "Celume." He sounded relieved, but tried to suppress it from being too audible in his voice. This is.. Amber." He explained, with a small nod toward the girl. She appeared to be somewhere between his and Gwestion's age.

She blinked and took her gaze away from Celume, looking at him in surprise. "How did you know my name? I didn't tell you that." She said, clearly confused.

Gladhron raised his gaze upward briefly, holding back a sigh before meeting Celume's gaze once again. "She says she has the information we need." He explained, ignoring Amber's question for now.

"Hey," Amber frowned at him, wrapping a hand around his upper arm as she leaned closer, almost in a way that seemed possessive, as if she were trying to claim him from Celume. "How'd you know my name? I don't know yours.. that's no fair. And I never said anything about.. her joining us," She added in a more private murmur, leaning closer.

"I never said anything about joining you at all," He pointed out, a little icily, while pulling away a little. "Perhaps you should tell us this information, if you really have it?"

Amber sat back and folded her arms, though she managed to do so in a way that made her cleavage look fuller. "You're no fun."

While Amber was sulking and casting dark looks toward Celume, as if it was her fault that Gladhron was not playing along like she wanted him to, Gladhron glanced toward Celume with a look like 'please help me'. This encounter was very unexpected for him, and he wasn't quite sure what to do. Hopefully, she would have some sort of idea.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Amber

It looked like her estimation of the situation had been correct, and that Gladhron was glad for her arrival. She had to work to suppress a grin, though her eyes still sparkled with amusement. Not that she wanted to make fun of him, but this was more than a little funny.

"I don't think she has anything," Celumë shrugged. "Other than her, I'll admit..." Celumë gestured at Amber's cleavage. "Impressive looks."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Amber
At the table with Celume
Common room

Amber narrowed her eyes, but smirked as she gave the other woman a disdainful look up and down. "I've got more than you do." She declared with a little huff, and did a haughty sort of hairflip.

Gladhron coughed suddenly, though it wouldn't be hard for someone like Celume to tell that it was an attempt at disguising a scoff. He somehow managed to refrain from saying what he wanted to say. "Do you know where we might find Harbarad, or not?" He asked, starting to get impatient with this scenario.

Amber looked at him again and smiled. Ignoring Celume's presence entirely, she shifted and leaned close to whisper in Gladhron's ear, letting her lips brush his ear and neck lightly.

He had a feeling his face had probably turned red, but he could do nothing about that. But he could try to do something about her. Careful to find her shoulder, and nowhere inappropriate, Gladhron pushed her gently but firmly away so that she would return to a seated position, rather than leaning on him. "I think, if you know anything, it would be best if you tell us both, here." He stated flatly. "Don't you agree?" He asked with a glance toward Celume.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Amber

Amber's reply made Celumë nod with feigned seriousness. "Those are definitely more impressive," she agreed, nodding at the other woman's cleavage. She didn't mind admitting to that. She pointedly watched Amber's hair with a little smile. "Cute you're choosing a hair flip to prove your point." Celumë knew she wouldn't have to say anything more for the other woman to realize she fell short in that particular department.

Celumë weighed her options. She could think of a few ways to get Amber to back off her new friend, but considering just how new that friend was, either approach definitely had its risks and drawbacks. Still debating with herself, she watched Amber ignoring her and continuing to bother Gladhron. When would those advances stop being a bother and start being harrassment, she wondered? When his face turned red, Celumë frowned. Just about now would be the time, she answered her own question rather quickly. He gave it another try then, pushing Amber away from him without hurting her, and reiterating yet again his wish for her to talk if she knew anything.

Going back over her options, Celumë eyed Amber thoughtfully. Clearly the woman was choosing to ignore her and had deemed herself better than her. Then the first option wouldn't do much good, Celumë knew. But the second one was... Gladhron might not appreciate it, even if it got Amber off him. She couldn't be sure. Just one more attempt in the hopes they could avoid that, then.

"I do agree," she said, leaning back in her seat. "I think my friend here is making it quite clear your efforts are rather pointless. Best stop wasting our time and tell us what you would."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Amber
At the table with Celume
Common room

While technically, they were still just waiting on Gwestion to reunite with their group, Gladhron had to agree this seemed like a waste of all their time; Amber's included. She did not seem to be picking up on the fact he was not interested, however, even though he had thought he'd made it clear. Of course, he could also smell a bit of alcohol on her breath, so maybe she was a little too intoxicated to properly register the fact he was not interested in her.

Amber shrugged. "I've offered to tell him all he wants," She smiled 'sweetly' at Celume before looking at Gladhron again, and snuggled a bit closer, clinging to his arm again. "Haven't I?"

Gladhron was feeling tempted to excuse himself to the restroom, but also felt like it might be a bit mean to leave Celume alone to deal with her. Besides, Amber might try to follow him.. it might be best to stay in the public area. Besides, he wasn't sure how easily he could disentangle his arm from her grasp. "I'm becoming more and more convinced that you know nothing at all." He frowned at Amber, then glanced toward Celume, embarrassed by the predicament.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Amber

Celumë almost couldn't believe it when Amber gave her that smile and then snuggled closer to Gladhron again.

Manwë's breath. Was this woman actually going to make her do this? Celumë bit her bottom lip once more, still debating with herself. But it was Gladhron's response that decided it for her. He seemed not to know what to do next anymore. And even though Celumë was far from convinced he'd appreciate the specific kind of help she was about to offer... It was all she could think about at the moment, other than strongarming Amber away from him.

She sighed audibly, as if she were feeling sorry for the woman sitting next to Gladhron. "Oh, Amber..." Celumë began, shaking her head and leaning forward in her seat and over the table. "Listen... I'm afraid the gentleman is spoken for." She tilted her head at Gladhron. As if she were hesitating, Celume looked at him with an uncomfortable expression on her face. It looked like she was looking for his permission to go on. When he didn't stop her, she returned her gaze to Amber. "I'm not sure how exactly to tell you this," she continued as her voice lowered further, barely above a whisper now, so no one beyond their booth would be able to hear. She cleared her throat. "But he's more into sausage than apple pie," she delivered with the best acting performance she'd put on in her entire life. "And I promise you, you wouldn't want to piss off... his partner."

Celumë's eyes flicked back to Gladhron. She figured there were about three options. One response might be Gladhron would be upset that she would claim something like this, and get defensive. Possibly even angry. She thought (and hoped) that was the least likely, though. Another option was that he'd be utterly stunned by her idea. And finally... he might think it was absolutely hilarious. The downside of all of those options, of course, was the very real risk of him being unable to play along. And this was only going to work if he would play along.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Amber
At the table with Celume
Common room

Gladhron glanced toward Celume as she spoke next, claiming he was spoken for. Was she about to claim that she and him were together? He had no problem with that, since he did find her very pretty, and well, far more impressive than most girls he had met so far. But her next words left him puzzled, as that was not exactly something he'd even heard of before.

Amber, despite whatever was affecting her thinking, actually caught on before he did. She drew away from Gladhron and looked at him like she was in disbelief. "No way.." She sounded skeptical. "How could you prefer that.. to this?" She indicated herself(and cleavage) in such a way that it was obvious she thought herself the most attractive thing ever to grace the planet.

Gladhron stared at Celume for a long moment, first in confusion, then stunned as the meaning began to clear up in his head. She didn't really just say that... but she did. He opened his mouth, thinking initially to protest. Because he absolutely did NOT! But his brain caught up with his pride after a second, and he realized, well.. it may not be true, but it would definitely keep Amber from bothering him, at least until she'd forgotten all about this in a few weeks.

However, he realized he'd been staring incredulously at Celume for a few seconds now, while Amber was staring at him. Waiting for it to be confirmed or denied. His face was still red; this entire situation was embarrassing. But he really wanted to get rid of Amber. "You promised you'd keep that our secret!" He stage-whispered, leaning forward toward Celume, in mock alarm.

Amber wrinkled her nose. "What a freak." She muttered, giving him a disdainful look. But she got up and did another hairflip. "Your loss." She paused, smirking. "I could probably change your mind.. if you're interested in finding out. I'll be around." She told him, shrugging casually before sauntering off to take a seat at the bar, where she could keep an eye out for any other potential victims customers.

After she had gone out of earshot, Gladhron sat back with a sigh and put a hand over his face, then the other, and rested his elbows on the table. The humor struck him then, and he struggled to hold back laughter. "I don't know whether to thank you, or.." He shook her head slightly, then looked up from his hands. He glanced across the room where Amber was, making sure she was too far away to hear what he was about to say next. "For the record.." He kept his voice to a whisper, "that is absolutely not true.. you know that, right?" He had to ask, because he really didn't want Celume thinking that there was any truth to it.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Amber

It was torture not being able to laugh. Gladhron's face was competing with tomatoes, and the absolutely incredulous stare she was getting was almost too comical to keep her expression schooled in the apologetic look she was going for.

The loudly whispered words he threw back at her almost made her throw in the towel. But there was no way she was giving up now that the objective was so close. Celumë grimaced and shrugged, still apologetic. "Sorry," she mumbled. "It wouldn't be fair to lead her on, though, you know?"

When Amber finally left, Celumë raised an eyebrow as she looked after her. "I have to admit," she said drily, "her confidence is as impressive as her chest." When she looked over at Gladhron, she noted him sitting there with his elbows on the table and both hands covering his face. Celumë fought back laughter, pressing her lips together to keep her amusement from bursting out of her. She could see him shaking with held back laughter, and nodded when he said he wasn't sure whether or not to thank her for that.

At his whispered question, her eyes widened and her lips parted. "What?" she whispered back, blinking twice more than she usually would. "What do you mean, not true?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
At the table with Celume
Common room

He dropped his arms so they lay folded on the table, and blinked at her as the amusement dropped away. Was she messing with him? He really hoped she wasn't serious! "Of course it's not!" He still kept to a whisper, but couldn't help a little indignation creeping into his tone. "In fact, that wouldn't have worked if she'd remembered me at all," He added, before he quite realized what he said. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he heard them, and inwardly cringed a little.

"I.. mean.. well, I've met her before, a few years ago. And.. that's how I know what she's really like." He cleared his throat awkwardly, then scoffed slightly. "No matter how 'impressive' her chest may be, she's not the sort of woman I'd be interested in." He fidgeted, then muttered, "Besides, she isn't even really interested in me.. all she's after is my money. Or what money she thinks I have, I guess." He took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, then took a sip of his drink before noticing the lack of drink for his friend. "Are you thirsty?" He asked, prepared to call a waiter over to bring her something. It also made for a nice potential change of subject.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron

Well, well, well. She completely ignored his question, other than a little wave of her hand to indicate she didn't want a drink. They were just waiting for Gwestion, after all. He'd be annoyed at them for sitting down, she guessed - let alone if they were already having drinks. Again. And to think it was Gladhron who kept teasing Gwestion every chance he got, rather than the other way around. Which brought her to... this. Should she try and make a point?

"What are you saying?" Celume asked, raising an eyebrow before frowning. "That only wouldn't have worked if... you..." She glanced at Amber. "And her..." She cleared her throat. "Did you?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
At the table with Celume
Common room

Her question really caught him off guard. Gladhron's mouth popped open slightly, then he closed it and looked down at his drink, hesitating. He wasn't entirely certain whether he wanted to discuss this particular topic, especially with a woman. Which might have been a bit silly, considering that the friend he had spoken to at the time had been a girl. But Emma was a little different. And that situation had been a little different, as well.

It occurred to him that if he simply did not give an answer, Celume would likely draw her own conclusions, and he felt a little reluctant to have her drawing the wrong ones. He cleared his throat. "She, um.." He paused to search for the right way to explain. And he wasn't quite sure why it felt so important to him that she not get the wrong idea. "She has a way of seducing fellows who aren't wary of her," He took a drink, pausing to collect his thoughts a bit more. He raised his gaze up to Celume's. "I was pretty drunk when I first met her.. and, well.. worried about my father. He was badly injured, and.. it was difficult. I didn't know if he was going to survive, and.. I'd been drinking to try and.. I don't know. I thought it would help. And then.." He vaguely motioned in the direction of Amber.

"I.. thought she really liked me, so.. I felt like an idiot, when I found out what she really wanted. Didn't help that she laughed and treated me like I was one..." He sighed. "I found out later that her whole family has a poor reputation around here. According to my friend who lived around here then, that whole family frequently hangs around with shady folks, and none of them are very trustworthy." He studied his glass for a moment, unsure what she might think of all this. But he had a little more to say. "I.. met her again, a few months later, and she'd already forgotten she'd ever met me. Which.. didn't help me feel any better, you know? I mean, that I would be so easily forgettable..." He glanced up then, with a faint smile. Somewhat wry. He shrugged. "I certainly haven't forgotten her, but I didn't really expect to run into her again. Nor did I want to. So.. this was rather unexpected."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron

Sympathy suffused her when he spoke about worries for his father given a possibly fatal injury. Her lips twitched when she heard him say he'd thought drinking would help. She's heard that before. And no one had ever come to the conclusion that it did help. Celume followed Gladhron's motion toward Amber, and Celumë's eyes stayed on the other blonde as Gladhron explained how he'd figured Amber had really liked him.

Brown eyes fell down to the tabletop while Gladhron was studying his glass. His words had pulled her off the teasing path entirely. She sighed mentally. Why was the world so filled with problems? Most of them created by people toward other people?

"So, does that mean that you really thought she liked you and you two actually...?" Celume gestured at the direction of the stairway in the hall beyond the common room. She'd never been squeamish when it came down to things like these. "But she was only after your money?" However, she had come to realize that other people were generally not as open about their own experiences when asked as she tended to be - not that the latter happened often. Her expression softened a little. "I mean. If you don't want to answer, that is your prerogative," she had the grace to sort of correct herself. "If you'd rather not answer... I'll just assume that... yeah. You did."

She glanced back at Amber before returning her attention to Gladhron. "I won't hold it against you or anything, if you did. We all need a little comfort, sometimes. And if you did, you settled for nothing short of impressive, right?" she added, in what he might see as startlingly open communication, given she might have just given away a piece of information about herself, showing empathy but also moving the conversation back to a lighter-hearted tone - all in the span of a mere moment.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
At the table with Celume
Common room

Gladhron was rather surprised that she asked so.. openly. He sat back for a moment, letting the surprise from the question wash over him as he thought about whether he actually wanted to answer that or not. It was not a topic he spoke about often, and it wasn't really something he would have chosen to talk about now, especially with a woman. Although, he recalled, he had talked to Emma about it, back at the time. That was not quite the same thing though; the sort of friendship that he had with Emma was the same sort he might have with a sister or cousin.

Clearing his throat softly, Gladhron took a small sip of his drink while he returned his thoughts to the present. Again, he did not really want Celume to have the wrong idea, since, as she said.. she would naturally draw her own conclusions if he did not give an answer. He leaned forward again, arms resting on the table as he kept his voice low. "So.." He briefly let his gaze stray beyond, to where Amber was now flirting with someone near the bar. "the way she typically tends to do it, at least with someone new, is.. she gets the guy interested enough to go somewhere private with her, then um, gives him a good time.." He sighed, glancing away. "So that he'll be.. um, interested enough to come back for more. Only, when he does, she then tells him that everything after is going to cost him. The uh, first time is sort of a.. free sample." He explained, as detachedly as he could. It wasn't easy.

He moved back a little as he straightened. "That's why I said I felt like an idiot." He shrugged and kept his gaze away. "Seems like a cruel deception to me, but.. I guess it typically works for her, with most fellows. I was young and stupid enough to fall for it once. Never again though." He sipped his drink, then considered something, and let out a little laugh. "Although, with her memory, I wonder how many times she might have cheated herself," He couldn't help finding that rather amusing.

Shaking his head slightly, he tried to focus on what else Celume had said. Something about Amber being impressive? He looked toward Amber again, then at Celume. "You really think she's that.. 'impressive'?" He asked, mildly surprised. "I mean, sure, she's pretty and all, I can't deny that." The young woman certainly had a good figure, too, which would be hard not to notice even if she hadn't been all over him a moment ago. "But.. that's about all she has in her favor. She certainly can't claim to have any brains." He let out a little scoff of amusement at the very idea that she might try to pretend to be smart, then turned his gaze back to Celume, thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose when someone has hurt you in the past, it does make it difficult to think well of them.. but, to be honest, I think you're prettier." He admitted, while hoping she wouldn't take it in any way more than a genuine compliment. Then, with a slight grin, he added, "And undeniably smarter."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron

"Mhm," she let out thoughtfully as Gladhron explained the way Amber worked. It was a common enough way for that sort of woman to operate. Not that this made Celumë feel any better about her using it on anyone. Especially not when they were vulnerable. "It must have been very painful for you to realize Amber hadn't at all been genuine and that the comfort you might have briefly found in her was entirely fabricated," she spoke her thoughts aloud, keeping her voice low as she traced circles on the table in front of her, watching her hand as she did so but briefly flicking her gaze up at Gladhron to check whether he would deny her words. She didn't comment on how Amber might be cheating herself at the rate she was forgetting different men. That was another sorrow altogether, really, wasn't it?

She slanted her head when Gladhron asked if she thought Amber was really that impressive. She'd figured he'd realize she was talking about the other woman's cleavage and precious little else. It had been a bit of a joke, an attempt at lightening the mood. Was he playing along and trying to tease her next? Or had he truly misunderstood?
When he said he thought she was prettier, she made a face and made sure he saw. "Yeah, okay." It didn't sound like she really believed him, but when he said she was undeniably smarter, Celume grinned broadly. "Oh thank the Valar," she laughed quietly. If she hadn't been smarter, she doubted she'd be alive today. But Gladhron didn't need to know that. "And incontestably more lethal," she added with an actual - freaking - wink.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
At the table with Celume
Common room

Celume said it better than he could have, about how it must have hurt him. It was not a memory he liked to bring up, but he managed a small nod, though he seemed very focused on watching a bead of condensation roll down the side of his glass. "Learned my lesson, anyway." He shrugged. "I've concluded by now that I prefer something more substantial... more lasting, you know. A relationship, I mean. Not just.. a night with some woman who doesn't even remember me a few weeks later, however nice that night might be at the time." He shrugged, then took a drink before setting the nearly-empty glass down.

Looking up at her finally, he was a little surprised to find her making a face at his comment about her being prettier. And her reply made it clear she didn't really believe him. Yet, he had to grin back at her reply to his 'smarter' comment. And.. there! the word he had been seeking. Lethal. He laughed. "Most definitely," He agreed. In a different way than she had meant about Amber, he considered Celume much more impressive, but he didn't know how to say that without it sounding different than he would mean it. He really could not imagine Amber facing off all those bandits and fighting them like that. He imagined her tactic, more than anything, would have been to try and seduce them. A plan very likely to backfire, considering those bandits.

But he also did not want to let that other comment go unanswered. He leaned forward again. "By the way, just for the record.. you can scoff if you like, but in my opinion, every woman in this room is prettier than her." He told her with a little nod toward Amber. He hoped that Celume might take a look around and notice that there were currently no other women in the room except herself.

Suddenly, he noticed Amber getting up from her spot on the bar, that seductive smile on her face as she started toward someone who had just come in. Following the line of her gaze, his eyes widened slightly as he noticed that it was Gwestion. This ought to be.. interesting. He glanced toward Celume, catching her eye, and nodded his head slightly in that direction to indicate she should look over there. He was undecided whether to be amused or sympathetic toward his brother, knowing how difficult she could be to get rid of.

---

|
Gwestion... and Amber

He had stood outside waiting for a few minutes, before it dawned on him that it was likely that if Gladhron had finished first, he had probably gone inside. Sure enough, as he came inside, he found his brother sitting at the same booth as before, with Celume across from him. He took a quick glance around the room before starting toward them.

Of course he noticed the blond moving toward him, in his peripheral vision, but as he had just come in through the door, he assumed she was probably moving for the door, not for him. Because there was no reason she would be, and so.. as she drew nearer, he was a little puzzled by the way she seemed to be looking directly at him. And smiling. No.. surely there was someone behind him, he told himself, though when he glanced back, he was further puzzled. No one else had come in behind him.

He had never seen this girl in his life. There was no reason why she would be moving toward him with that smile, as if she had seen someone she was very happy to see. Gwestion told himself he had to be mistaken, or else she was mistaken, or perhaps he was missing something. He refrained from looking directly at her so not to give her the idea he was looking, but he did watch her out of the corner of his eye while he steadily moved through the common room, taking a course around the tables that would move him a little further out of her path. Strangely, he noticed her starting to alter her path to continue moving toward him. This was getting.. odd. And a bit uncomfortable. As his intended destination became obvious, due to the lack of other folks in the room at the moment, yet a greater puzzle was delivered unto him.

The blond stopped as if in sudden realization of something.. perhaps that she didn't know him after all? But she was giving him a strangely appraising sort of look, and then sighed as if in disappointment, before muttering "Weirdo," under her breath. Yet, it was still loud enough for him to hear the comment. Pausing in his stride, Gwestion turned to face her now, somewhat startled by this odd comment. "I beg your pardon?" He asked, baffled. She had to be talking to him. There was no one else there.

"What a waste," She sighed, shaking her head ruefully as she pivoted and changed her course so that she headed toward the door instead.

Gwestion stared after her in utter bafflement, then turned toward the other two as he heard a spluttering sort of noise. Gladhron appeared to be half-choking, half-laughing over his drink, clearly trying very hard.. and very unsuccessfully.. not to laugh. "What's so funny?" Gwestion asked, wondering what sort of joke he had been part of without knowing. Had Gladhron put that woman up to that? For what purpose, though? He slid into the booth beside his brother, glancing back toward the door just in time to see the young woman casting a brief glance over her shoulder toward them, then shook her head again and hurried away.

"What was that about?" Gwestion asked, turning toward the other two in confusion.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gladhron & Gwestion

A slow smile crept onto her face when he talked about preferring something more substantial than a single-night-tryst. "Well, sure," she acknowledged, wondering at how candid she could be with someone entirely unlinked and so far away from the military structure of command. There was, quite simply, no risk. "Then again, sometimes a night like that is just what a person needs," she countered. But only if both people involved understood it for what it was beforehand, of course.

Gladhron's opinion that every woman in here was prettier than Amber, made Celumë glance around without thinking. She didn't immediately see any other women around, but then she didn't exactly make an effort to properly assess the common room either. She was not at all invested in comparing other ladies' looks, after all. However, she understood the difficulty in separating someone's personality and values from their looks. "Pretty on the outside isn't worth much when you're ugly on the inside," she agreed instead, even as Gladhron drew her attention to Amber again, who was now moving and.... heading for the man who'd just walked in. Gwestion.

Celumë raised her eyebrows ever so slightly and shifted in her seat, as if she were getting ready for entertainment. The glance she threw Gladhron said as much. But soon her attention was also on what was about to unfold before them. It was an irresistible situation, wasn't it? Who could blame them? Especially since Gwestion would be heading straight for them, and Celumë had just told Amber that Gladhron had a partner to look out for.

She was slightly sorry not to have a drink to hide her grin behind, now.

When Amber realized - or thought she realized - who he 'must' be, she suddenly halted and seemed to sigh. She said something Celumë couldn't hear, but whatever it was made Gwestion actually stop as well and turn toward her. "Oh wow," Celumë mumbled quietly, focused on the interaction, almost unable to believe this was really happening - and how great it was that she didn't need to shield off part of her response as she would do back home.

The 'what a waste' did reach the booth, however, and as Amber turned around promptly, Gladhron just as promptly spit out part of his drink. Celumë appreciated that he'd turned his head enough not to douse her in a combination of whatever he was having and saliva, and even though she managed not to laugh or giggle out loud, her shoulders did move in silent laughter. Honestly, Gladhron spitting out part of his drink was esually comical to the interaction between Amber and Gwestion. This was great.

Gwestion's questions were well-founded, of course, but it took a moment for Celumë to trust herself to reply. "I'm afraid that's my fault," she apologized, her tone wildly amused even if she'd regained the rest of her composure. "I told the blonde you boys weren't that into apple pie," she explained, straight-faced. "She took great personal offense for some reason."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

|
Gladhron & Gwestion
At the table with Celume
Common room

Exchanging a glance of anticipated amusement with Celume, Gladhron sat back and watched. He probably should have felt worse about seeing his brother being targeted now, but.. well, it was just too funny. And besides, he knew there was no danger of Gwestion actually falling victim to the woman's 'charms'.

As he saw Gwestion stop and turn back toward her, Gladhron struggled not to grin. He used his glass to hide the one that fought its way onto his face anyway, and tried very hard to maintain a calm expression while he took a drink. But Amber's comment was too much. Somehow, as he couldn't help a laugh, some of the drink ended up down the wrong pipe, while the rest ended up all over the floor. By some miracle he managed to turn as swift as he could to one side as he ended up spitting out what was in his mouth, and it soon became evident that trying to take a drink right at that moment had not been the best idea. Soon, it was a fight between coughing, laughing, and trying to breathe, but laughing was the prevalent of the three. He grabbed a napkin and covered up his mouth as he took a moment to recover from this. Gwestion's bafflement only made it harder. Gladhron would have said, "nothing" in answer to his brother's question, but he couldn't say anything for a moment.

While Gladhron was busy coughing and laughing at the same time, and Celume was clearly amused but trying not to laugh, Gwestion glanced from one to the other. Finally, it was Celume who gave an answer to his question. But that didn't really clear up his confusion; rather, it added to it. "I don't know why such a thing would matter to her at all." He answered, further perplexed by the blonde's offense at this. And he also wasn't sure why Celume would have said that. Gladhron had come close to getting some sort of fruit pie last night, hadn't he? And cobbler was almost the same thing.

Gladhron had begun recovering from the coughing fit, but Gwestion's words sent him into a fresh wave of laughing, though he kept the napkin pressed to his face to try and smother the sound as well as he could. But his face had gone a bit red, due to coughing and laughing so much, and his shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.

Glancing at his brother, and then at Celume, Gwestion felt as if he must be missing some sort of joke, but he doubted they would fill him in on it. "So.. I suppose that's why she called me a weirdo?" He didn't really know why it should be any of her business what sort of desserts other people liked or disliked.. unless she was a baker?

"Nevermind, Gwestion," Gladhron sat back, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to regain control. He nearly broke into another fit of snickering, but managed to keep from it. "Just.. don't worry about it. It's her problem, not ours." He grinned at Celume briefly before adding to Gwestion, "Trust me, it's best you don't know."

"Right..." Gwestion sounded skeptical, but slowly nodded. Though he still wore a look on his face like he wasn't entirely certain about this, he tried to heed his brother's 'advice'. "If you say so." He glanced at Celume, then Gladhron again, and back to Celume after deciding she was probably more likely to take anything seriously right now. "Did you find anything out?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gwestion & Gladhron

Celumë raised her hands, palms up. "It actually doesn't matter. Which means her behaviour shouldn't bother any of us, either." She shot a look at Gladhron when the older brother claimed it was better if Gwestion didn't know. It would be a funny story to Gwestion as well, she figured - when enough time had passed. So, some day.

Realizing she probably wouldn't be around whenever that time came to actually tell him or see Gladhron telling him, Celumë's mood sobered. It prepared her for Gwestion's next question, too, and she was all business when she responded. "No. Unfortunately. Neither did Gladhron." Since he was willing to sort of put up with Amber for long enough to figure out if she had any information on Harbarad, he clearly hadn't found it elsewhere previously.

"What about you?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

|
Gladhron & Gwestion
At the table with Celume
Common room

Gladhron refrained from a sigh as the topic inevitably returned to serious matters. He could understand why Gwestion would not find the situation funny, having no idea what it was about. Half of the humor, in fact, was due to his confusion. He was still amused as he made an effort to at least appear more solemn. Shaking his head, he confirmed what Celume had said.

Gwestion, meanwhile, was trying not to be too bothered by their obvious amusement about something. Something probably at his expense, though he couldn't imagine what that might be. But he knew that his brother was not going to tell him if he had a mind to keep it to himself, and since Celume seemed to be in agreement with him, he doubted he would be let in on the joke. He tried not to think about it, and instead gave a little nod in reply to Celume's inquiry. "I have a lead, anyway." He answered, as Gladhron sat up looking somewhat surprised to hear this.

"I spoke to someone who told me where to find sales records of places of business, houses, things like that. The Forsaken Inn falls under this region's territory, so the record of that sale and all those deeds ought to be found there, if it was done legitimately. I would hope and assume that Mr. Greylake did, in fact, go about this sale in the proper, legal manner." He added, with a little shrug.

"Great, so did you get to look at it?" Gladhron asked.

"Actually, I came to find you two first." Gwestion explained. "There might be many documents to look through, even if we do get access." He also had the thought that, if the person in charge were reluctant to let them look at these records, Celume or Gladhron might have better success at convincing them than Gwestion would, as he was well aware that his 'people skills' were at a much lower level than either of theirs.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gwestion & Gladhron

Her face lit when Gwestion said he had a lead, and she nodded thoughtfully as he explained. The records. Seemed like they were down to papers instead of people. But people would be guarding the papers. And they might deny access to them.

At Gladhron's question, Celumë raised an eyebrow. As if Gwestion would just run off after having agreed to coordinating their efforts? Satisfaction hummed through her as the younger brother confirmed that he came to them first. Gwestion wouldn't have made a bad ranger in the ERC. A pleased smile tugged at her lips as she gave him a nod. "Good thinking," she complimented him.

Rising from the booth and stepping aside, she put a hand on her hip. She'd only just gotten to her feet, but she spoke like she'd been waiting for them to move. "Well? Let's go."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

|
Gladhron & Gwestion
At the table with Celume
Common room

Gwestion was glad to see Celume get up so readily. He followed her example and stood up, but Gladhron took a bit longer to be ready. He stood, but paused to drain the last of his glass. This time, without choking on its contents.

"Alright, let's go." He agreed, once he had finished off his drink. No sense in letting it go to waste, after all.

Gwestion refrained from rolling his eyes, but led the way to the door. He held it open while first Celume, and then Gladhron, exited, and then followed and closed it behind them before indicating which street they ought to head for, and set off, though he didn't exactly take a lead, but rather kept his pace so that the group would be walking together, more or less side by side.

After hanging back a bit at the door to allow Celume to exit first, as seemed polite, Gladhron followed with a nod to his brother. Once outside, he glanced around, but at the moment, did not see any sign of Amber lurking around. That seemed good. He looked around as he walked. This was a part of town he had not ventured to, during their 'divide and conquer' search. He was pretty sure it had been Gwestion's portion.

They went down one of the streets, and as they neared a building, a commotion could be heard; a scream, along with a dog barking in what sounded like an angry manner. It seemed to be coming from the direction they were heading.

Gwestion stopped, glanced toward the others with alarm at what sounded like someone in trouble, then set off at a run toward the noise, with Gladhron right behind him.

Arriving at the scene... at first glance, it would appear that two young women were trapped in a conclave corner, where a tall porch met the outside the building, by a big, red-brown dog who was barking viciously at them. One of these was Amber, evidently the one who had screamed, and the other, who stood in front of her, a dark-haired girl who was clearly younger, around fifteen or sixteen. While Amber was obviously in a state of panic, crying out for someone to save her, to get the vicious dog away, the younger girl seemed unconcerned about the dog, but rather trying to squirm out of Amber's grip on her shoulders.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Common Room - with Gwestion & Gladhron

Stepping out as Gwestion opened the door for them and Gladhron waited to let her pass through first, Celumë wasn't sure what she wanted to do more: smile or roll her eyes. As they walked together, Gladhron easily picking up Gwes' subtle directions because they knew each other so well, and Celumë picking them up through past experience with loads of subtle signals out in the field, she settled into the jount rhythm they'd set.

The commotion down the street made Celumë glance at the brothers, but they were already running. After a deep breath and a little sigh, Celumë followed.

What her dark brown eyes took in as she stopped on the other side of Gwestion as Gladhron had, first made her eyebrows lift and then made them pull down in an analytical frown. What did Amber think she was doing, using a girl to shield herself from that dog? Although it was clear that the girl wasn't anywhere near as panicked as Amber was. Celumë's expression leveled out even as her eyes narrowed in thought.

She took a step forward. "Let go of her, Amber," Celumë ordered, her tone nothing short of authoritative, some annoyance even filtering through. "I'm sure the dog will not properly attack as long as it's not told to." One eyebrow lifted once more as she looked at the teenage girl, and Celumë's tone was much softer as she addressed the girl. "I figure the dog is yours?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

|
Gladhron | Gwestion
&
|
Brooke | Amber

As soon as he saw the scene, Gwestion stopped and frowned. He did not know the girl's dog well enough to risk going over and trying to calm him, but he knew he had been friendly enough toward Gwestion this morning. His gaze flicked to Amber, about the time Celume was ordering her to let go of the girl. The blonde must have done something to provoke the dog, he felt sure of that. "I agree," He frowned. "Let go of her, now."

"If I let go of her, that stupid mutt's going to attack me!" Amber retorted, over Brooke's shoulder. She flinched back as the dog bared his teeth and growled, but due to the way Amber had backed herself into this corner, with Brooke in front of her, the dog could not easily get to her without risking harm to Brooke.

"He's not the stupid one," Brooke muttered softly, feeling the need to defend him although she knew he could not understand what Amber had said. Even if she hadn't spoken very loudly at all, Amber still heard it. Brooke winced slightly at the grip Amber tightened on her shoulder, with some of her hair caught in the grip as well. This made Chewy bark again, protesting whatever had made her wince.

She only recognized one of the three who had come to investigate the situation, but she assumed the others were his friends he had mentioned he wanted to find. He had been nice, so she hoped the others would be too. "Y-yes," She answered softly and timidly, when the woman asked if the dog was hers.

Amber's eyes widened slightly, looking at Brooke. "That thing is yours?" She sounded a bit shocked, then narrowed her eyes. "You just wait 'til Mother hears about this," Amber hissed in her ear. "You better hope that vicious monster doesn't bite me, or I swear.."

"I think you'd better let her go, Amber." Gladhron spoke up with a frown, interrupting whatever threat she'd been about to deliver. "It looks like you're only agitating him more, the more you hold onto her."

Gwestion frowned as he tried to analyze the situation and think of the best solution. He began slowly began moving toward the two, while keeping one eye on the dog. His thought was that if he could get close enough to Amber, he could grab her arm and make her let go of Brooke, but he also thought it best to go about it cautiously, in case the dog decided to attack anyone who got too close to Brooke. It seemed clear to him the dog was being defensive and protective; his fur was bristled, and he continued growling warningly.. at Amber. "Let her go, and he'll probably relax," Gwestion told Amber, speaking in a calm voice, hoping that would help the dog to calm a bit.

"You don't know that!" Amber protested, scrunching back into the corner a little more, and pulling Brooke with her.

"Ow.." She winced before she could help it. "Will you please listen to them?" Brooke tried to wriggle free again, but couldn't move her head very well because of a handful of her hair being tangled into Amber's grip. "He's upset because you're hurting me."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë

Celumë suppressed a sigh when Amber refused. Out of fear. And yet she still managed to insult the dog trying to get her off the girl. Gwestion started moving, and Celumë sidestepped to close the distance between her and Gladhron, not turning away from the scene as she crossed her arms.

"If it's fear that is making you hold on so hard it is obviously not only making the girl's dog angry but is also hurting her," Celumë called out to Amber while Gwestion was moving, "I can assure you that the dog isn't the only one you should worry about." She casually pulled a knife from the back of her belt. "I can put this in the eye of a squirrel from a farther distance than this." Lowering her voice, she added something only Gladhron would hear. "Always best to have a plan B, too..." Not that she was hoping to hurt anyone here. "Does Gwestion have any experience with dogs?" she asked the older brother quietly, still keeping her eyes on the girl, Amber, the dog and a now approaching Gwestion.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

|
Gladhron | Gwestion
&
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Brooke | Amber

"Not that I know of..." Gladhron answered softly, frowning in concern. He wanted to call out to Gwestion to be careful, but figured that went without saying and that to say so might distract him from doing so.

Hearing Celumë's threat, Amber's eyes widened again and she looked from Celumë, to Gwestion, to the dog, unsure what Gwestion's intentions might be. She hesitated a moment, trying to decide what to do and how to get out of this.

While Amber hesitated, Brooke closed her eyes, taking slow shaky breaths as she tried very hard to keep calm. The woman may have excellent aim, but she didn't like the idea of sharp weapons being thrown this way while she was here, blocking the target. And besides, she didn't want Amber to be seriously harmed, no matter how horrible she might be. "Please, don't..." She murmured quietly, but that was about as far as she got before Amber finally chose a course of action. She shoved Brooke forward suddenly, so that she stumbled and would have fallen to the ground except that Gwestion quickly caught her.

As soon as she pushed Brooke away, Amber darted out from the corner she'd trapped herself into, and put Gladhron and Celume been herself and the dog, in case he came at her now that she no longer had Brooke to hide behind.

Gladhron scowled as he turned toward her. "Now you'd best get out of here, and leave that girl alone in the future." Things would surely calm down once the problem had left the vicinity, and he certainly didn't want her around. He figured that girl wouldn't, either.

After seeing that the dog was more interested in Brooke, Amber wasted no time in making a hasty retreat, but she did cast a dark look back toward the rangers, then to the girl and her dog, before hurrying away down the street.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë

It was a relief to everyone involved when Amber let go of the girl. Though it hadn't been necessary to shove the teen as Amber had. Celumë only spared Amber a glance over her shoulder, seeing as Gladhron was focusing on her more. And given what he had told her earlier at the Prancing Pony, Celumë wasn't worried about Amber being able to pull off any tricks with him.

Celumë took a slow, deep breath and took a few steps forward. "Are you alright?" she asked the girl whom Gwestion had saved from a fall, while she resheathed her knife. She hoped the dog wouldn't transfer his upset from Amber to Gwestion, now. She smiled softly, both at the girl and her dog. "Sorry about the knife," she said genuinely. "I'm Celumë. Do you want to share your names, as well?" she asked, nodding at the dog to indicate she was also referring to him.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

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Gladhron | Gwestion | Brooke | Chewy

Gwestion was a bit caught off guard when the girl was shoved toward him, but he caught her and kept the girl from falling, then stepped aside quickly as the dog hastened forward to sniff her and check if she was hurt. "Are you hurt?" He asked, at the same time as Celume.

"No..Yes, I mean.. no, I'm not hurt. Yes, I'm alright." She tried to answer both of them at once, as she kneeled down to try and calm her dog. She softly spoke to him while stroking his fur gently. "Shh, it's alright Chewy, I'm not hurt. It's alright now. These are friends." She glanced up at the other two, a little uncertain whether she'd been too hasty in that assumption. Chewy stepped a little closer to Celume, sniffing warily. But he had relaxed the fur along his back and was no longer growling.

"He's really not vicious," Brooke stood slowly and glanced around at them. "His name is Chewy.. I'm Brooke." She wrapped her arms around herself and looked down. "Sorry about all that."

"What was all that about?" Gladhron frowned, with a motion toward where Amber had gone.

"I.." She looked up at him, then at Gwestion. "I came to see if I could help you find that record you're looking for," She explained. "Only she saw me here, and.. um, she knows I'm supposed to be at home," She added, looking down guiltily, "so.. she grabbed me, and I guess I said ow, cause she pulled my hair, and it hurt. And Chewy didn't like that, so.. he protested." She drew in a breath. "He gets very protective of me. Anyway, when he lunged at her and started barking, she screamed.. right in my ear," She added, frowning as she put a hand up to the ear in question. "That's about when you all showed up.. um, thank you, by the way."

"Miss Brooke is the one who told me where to find the record hall," Gwestion quietly added an explanation to the other two. "We met earlier, at the blacksmith stall."


(continued here)