The Wayfarer's Inn

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gladhron
Dec 26 - Afternoon
Common room

"A forester?" Gladhron listened curiously as Narradir spoke about his job and how he had come to have it. It sounded nice, although he smiled understandingly when he mentioned being almost sorry there wasn't much trouble at times. "Careful what you wish for." He grinned. "But, if it's trouble you want, you're definitely hanging with the right crowd." He added, with a nod toward Dom. "He's possibly the most trouble-finding guy I know.. although some people may have said the same about me." He joked.

He could only roll his eyes in amusement though, when Dom declared that he didn't have enough names that a ranger ought to have. With a little snort of amusement, Gladhron sat back in his chair. "If it were up to my brother, we'd use a different false name every time we met a new person." He declared with a little laugh, shaking his head a little.

It seemed that he wasn't about to get out of telling about his 'late night activity', and he realized that probably, by not wanting to tell, it was making them think there was way more to it than there was. He sighed. "Alright, fine," He gave in with a shrug. "If you must know... but it isn't really that interesting." He sat back in his chair. "I was invited to watch the sunrise arrive over your spectacular city, with.. a friend. Well, me and Gwestion and the others were, that is." He added, before anyone got the idea that it had been... well, what he'd wanted it to be. "Anyway... so, my brother was teasing about how I wouldn't be able to get up in time, and how he'd have to wake me up, and he even sorta joked about how he might not wake me, and therefore cause me to miss it." He huffed at the audacity of such a suggestion.

"Soo," He focused on rearranged his cards in his hand, as he continued. "I may have claimed that I wouldn't need any help waking up, and that I'd be the first one to arrive at the place we'd agreed to meet." He glanced at Kaylin and Narradir. "You haven't met my brother, but if you did, you'd get it." He explained, having no idea that Kaylin had, in fact, met him just that afternoon. "He's sort of... irritating, sometimes. And he thinks he's sooo much better than me, just because he enjoys being awake ridiculously early, when I prefer to be awake later into the night." He shrugged again. "Works out well when we're taking turns keeping watch over camp at night, out in the woods and all, you know? But, anyway, I couldn't let him win at this. Right? So, I just made certain that I wouldn't have to be wakened; I just didn't go to bed. That way, I was able to get to the place first, to meet our friend."

He grinned and leaned back in his chair, looking quite pleased with himself. "And therefore, I proved Gwestion wrong and I got to see the look on his face when he showed up several minutes later than I did." He declared, before glancing around. Where was that coffee? He was really getting tired, and was definitely feeling the effects of having stayed up all night without any sleep.

He watched then, with a somewhat puzzled expression, as Dom posed his challenge to Kaylin. As he brought all four legs of the chair back to rest on the floor, he looked at the glass with the coins, trying to work out how anyone could manage such a feat... to pick up the glass, yet without moving the coins, and without touching the cup? But then Kaylin proved that she had a clearer head than he did, at the moment. Right, he never said that the coins couldn't be moved, just that they couldn't fall. He gave a little laugh at seeing such a simple solution to that puzzle, and rubbed a hand tiredly over his face.

Narradir's exclamation startled him a little, and he glanced around half expecting to see some sort of trees outside the window, before realizing the guy was referring to the clubs on the card. Gladhron smiled a bit at the exchange between he and Dom, and then realized it was his turn. Selecting one of his cards out from the others, Gladhron took a close look at it as if inspecting the emblem on it. "Hmm, I always thought it was meant to be a clover. But yeah, I could see it being a tree." He agreed, before placing the card on the pile, face down of course. "Now," He turned to Dom with curiosity. "I think the floor is yours. What about the bet?" He grinned as he leaned back again, balancing the chair on its back two legs, while waiting to hear about this mysterious bet that had been building anticipation.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

“What ?!” Domanol seemed rather taken aback by Gladhron’s warning. “I grew up on almost constant warnings that he was the bad influence ..” A jolt of the head indicated the forester, and the speaker grinned mischievously at the admission, though he very kindly refrained from several examples he might have thrown in. His mother’s chorus of ‘Just because Narradir wants to be an idiot, does that mean you had to do it too ?’ had been a much repeated one that echoed through his childhood, aimed mostly at his brother. Though to be fair, Dom had then done his very best to ‘do it too’ by leading little Duinion into their own younger generation of antics.

“Your mother adored me !” Narradir objected, taking his turn to play mock offended as he leaned back, on the subtly creaking chair. “And your brother’s life was surely more exciting for it,” he declared, assuredly. “Maybe we should meet yours ?” he suggested with amusement as Gladhron continued to describe his more placid sibling. As far as he could figure, it was a toss up of who at this table might be the worst influence on another.


“Ah yes, Seri mentioned about that,” Dom easily supported Gladhron’s account of the early sunrise plan. “Invited me along but I’m no early bird, if I can possibly help it,” he added, and then tilted his gaze toward the younger man. The notion of doing something entirely for the point of proving a sibling wrong was a perfectly valid explanation, he well knew. But on the other hand .. “So, was it worth it ?” he put to the Northerner. “The sunrise ?” he clarified, with a cough, which coincided with a try at finishing his own drink.

“You need some more practice in staying awake all night,” Narradir put in his own conclusion and leaned in with a friendly air. “Spend all the star hours in slaughter of your foes, or in song with good friends enough times, and you get used to walking through the day after, still upright,” he winked. “That helps too,” he admitted though, when the coffee was delivered to their table, and made way for Alf to hand over the second whisky with an appreciative grin.


The two men only glanced at one another then as Kaylin easily pulled off the trick with the drinking glass and the coins. Neither were surprised at her ability, or even the claim that she could perform under even more delicate circumstances. “Clever girl,” the challenger remarked. “Of course I always found this was a way to amuse yourself only after the glass was already emptied,” he shrugged, implying that the drink itself managed to be suitably engaging without any help until that point.

“You want a game to really wake you up ? Try a round of five fingered flurry !” Narradir and Dom each took a turn at playing down a card, this time without incident, as the forester tried to gauge if that was a pastime equally as familiar to their new friends. “You lay your hand down, flat, like this, fingers splayed,” he demonstrated on the table with his hand closest to Gladhron. “Take up your knife in the other hand, and bring it down between each of the fingers, as fast as you can go, until you lose your nerve .. or your finger.” He winked. “The more drink you’ve had by that point, the more exciting it can get ..”

“Which is probably why Unalmis has beat us both, hands down at that one, every time we try it,” Domanol laughed.

“He has smaller hands than me,” the larger man sniffed, almost defensively.

“Everyone has smaller hands than you !” his friend objected.

“You ! Tell the woman your bet, or I will !” the forester retorted, with a roll of his brown eyes.


“Fine,” the accented man conceded at last. “So, you’ve heard the sort of .. what the game had us trying; to up each other in the stakes of what we would or wouldn’t dare.”

“Kinda the point, am I right ?” Narradir muttered to Gladhron.

“Well of course he’d heard that I had this meeting the next morning with a certain .. blonde .. lieutenant ..” Domanol eased the understanding out in inches of anticipation. “Important business, you know. I think she was concerned I was somehow interfering in Dui doing what she told him to .. inviting myself along to his missives, dragging my nephew away from stable duty .. that sort of thing.” He downplayed the actual matter which had drawn the two very different Rangers to have a sit down, let alone the rest. “So I had told her I’d come talk it out with her. And of course, this one ..”

Beside him, Narradir stood up and gave a little bow before retaking his seat, managing to kick it over and then having to retrieve it properly upright as the tale unfolded.


“He bet me to lose my shirt in front of her. See what she did ..” The self-snort made clear that Dom had never expected Arnyn to take his behaviour seriously. He had more than counted on it in fact.

“And there’s no way you actually did it,” Narradir shook his head almost violently. “The woman forgave you calling her ‘complimentary’ names. But .. I mean .. there is no way !” He spread his hands wide as though the other had just proven his point.

“Told you he’s the bad influence,” Domanol put in, as if to prove his own point, in due turn.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

Kaylin had been about to ask Gladhron what friend he was talking about, until he mentioned he had not been theonly one to have been invited. Gwestion and the others of their party had also been invited. She took a slow sip from Gladhron's whiskey when he indicated Narradir and herself and said they hadn't met him, and just smiled when Narradir suggested maybe they should meet him. She raised an amused eyebrow at how Gladhron explained how he had come about to staying awake throughout the night, and was mightily interested when Domanol seemed to know about the invitation as well. Kaylin wondered who had been the one to extend the invitation. As far as she knew, Gwestion and Gladhron only knew a few people here, herself included. There was one candidate that seemed the most likely. And when Dom asked whether 'it' was worth it, and clarified that he meant the sunrise, Kaylin narrowed her eyes a little at the cough that followed.

Narradir's suggestions of how to practice staying awake through the night, made her chuckle. "Slaughter of your foes," she repeated, amused. "That will definitely keep your eyes open. Hanging out with friends can, as well," she agreed. "Other activities with a significant other can also really do the trick," she added with a shrug. "Makes the night fly by," she grinned, unashamed.

The arrival of the drinks seemed to please both Narradir and Gladhron, and Kaylin winked when she was complimented after succeeding at the trick with the glass and the coins. Well - sort of complimented...

She laughed quietly at the mention of five fingered flurry. She could guess what game they meant, of course, but she imagined that Gladhron might not know. Somehow, she got the impression the fellow was much more innocent than she was. Perhaps because he had trouble drinking the whiskey. Or perhaps because it seemed like his brother was keeping him on the straight and narrow, for the most part. Or perhaps because she simply did not know him well enough.

When they commented on Unalmis beating them at the knife game, Kaylin leaned forward to make a point. "Smaller hands also make for smaller gaps in between your fingers," she remarked objectively. "I'm just saying." That Narradir chose that moment to urge Dom to speak about the bet, quite effectively silenced her, however. Like a good little student, Kaylin fell silent and turned her blue grey eyes to Dom.

Never could she have imagined where this would be going. Domanol mentioned a blonde Lieutenant.

Arnyn? Again? Kaylin glanced at Narradir, as if looking for confirmation, and then at Gladhron, to see how he might react to her evidently playing some role in this bet business...

When the bet was spoken aloud, Kaylin's eyes first widened a little, then blinked several times. No wonder Narradir did not believe him!

"You. Did. Not," she half determined, half asked Domanol. "So you are claiming... you took off your shirt. At headquarters, I am assuming." He did say he had gone to talk with her. "At... the command office?" Kaylin narrowed her eyes, trying to see if she could tell whether this was the truth or a lie by merely observing the Raxelilta in front of her. "In front of Arnyn." She shook her head. "I mean. In front of - Arnyn? At, what I am assuming, was only your second meeting?" She had been present for the first, after all. "So... you are claiming... at your first meeting, you basically claimed she had hair growing from her ass. And at your second meeting, you got half naked in front of her?" The whiskey was taking away most of her filter, which was limited as it was.

Suddenly, she turned to Gladhron. "Did you take off your shirt in front of her?" Kaylin glanced between Gladhron and Domanol, next. "Is it like, a northern thing?"

She shrugged at Narradir. "I'd figure they'd be more inclined to keep their shirts on up North, you know?" she asked the forester. "Colder weather and all that."

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gladhron
Dec 26 - Afternoon
Common room

Gladhron looked from one to the other with an amused grin on his face as first, Dom insisted that his friend was the bad influence, and then Narradir insisted that Dom's mother had adored him. When the latter suggested meeting Gwestion, Gladhron's grin grew a tiny bit more. "Well, maybe it can be arranged. It might do him some good." He laughed lightly at the thought of Narradir trying to get Gwestion to lighten up and be more carefree, or whatever he had in mind.

As Dom mentioned having been invited to the sunrise thing, Gladhron didn't even have to ask who had invited him. He smiled a bit. "Yeah... normally, I wouldn't either." He shrugged. "But..." Well, he didn't really want to finish that statement, actually. They would probably make fun of him if they knew that it had been something they'd discussed while dancing together at the masquerade. And that he had not actually been planning on having the entire group along... "Everyone else was all eager, so I didn't want to miss out." He concluded, instead.

When asked whether it was worth it, Gladhron couldn't help a little laugh. "Definitely, I'd say." He answered easily. Whether he meant that the sunrise itself was worth it, or proving Gwestion wrong, or just getting to be there along with Celume... he did not specify. But when Narradir suggested that he needed more practice, Gladhron laughed a little. "Oh, I've definitely done a bit of that," He assured him. "I just don't like doing it." He explained. "I like my sleep a little too much to give it up needlessly," He added with a grin and shrug.

Taking a cautious sip of the still-hot coffee that had arrived, Gladhron blinked as the others discussed a rather risky game. He gave a little shake of his head. "I gotta say, my favorite game to play would be Never Nervous. But my brother refuses to play cards." He rolled his eyes. "He's more of a chess type of guy." He added. "Actually, I like telling stories," he added with a grin. "That helps pass the time, and if you have someone to listen to it, it's a lot of fun. It's always the dullest sort of nights when you have to be very quiet, because it means no talking." He sighed a bit exaggeratedly.

Gladhron went quiet and listened curiously then, when Dom finally began to reveal what this bet was that they'd been talking about. And when he actually revealed what it was, Gladhron blinked and stared in astonishment at him, bringing his chair to rest with all four legs on the floor. He wasn't sure quite how to feel about that. He was aware of Kaylin's reaction, and what she was saying. Neither Narradir, nor Kaylin, seemed to believe that he'd done it. But Gladhron watched the man he'd known as Gwandhyra. He didn't believe him to be a liar, and from what he had known of him, and what he'd heard from Seri, he found it hard to believe that he'd say he did something if he didn't.

"How'd you go about it?" Gladhron asked curiously. Instead of expressing disbelief, he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and assume that he really did. Which made him wonder, did he just... pull it off without any excuse, or did he come up with some sort of excuse to take it off, or what? "And how did she react?" He couldn't help wondering.

Then Kaylin turned suddenly to him, with such an unexpected question, that Gladhron laughed. It was all the more amusing, because he couldn't honestly say that he never had done so! He turned toward the redhead with a grin. "Oh yeah, of course I did." He answered with a shrug, as if it were an everyday sort of thing. He tried to hold a serious expression for all of two seconds before he ended up laughing again. "When we went swimming." He clarified. "I even threw Gwestion into the water... that was a lot of fun." He added with a little smirk. "But... that was.. different." He finished, turning back to Dom with a sort of questioning look. "We were in the middle of the woods then, in summer... and it was very hot, and.. yeah." he coughed, a bit awkward suddenly.

"How in the world did a bet like that even come up?" He couldn't help wondering, not sure he liked the thought of any guys taking off their clothes in front of her. Even if it was only for a bet, and even if the guy in question already had another lady in his life. Which made him also wonder what Seri might think about it, but he didn't want to throw too many questions around.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

As soon as Kaylin declared that Dom ‘did. Not’ do as he had claimed, Narradir released an emphatic “See ?!” to the table, glad that their new company could now see why he doubted his friend. The man in question meanwhile, merely leaned back in his seat and lowered his eyes.

“Yes, I took my shirt off in front of your infamous Blonde,” he agreed. “What ? Is there a rule prohibiting such behaviour in the Command office ?” he asked, showcasing an apparent innocence as well as his natural similarity to certain nephew’s mindset. Because he very much doubted that even the Barracks Master would have thought to include measures to prevent states of undress in official chambers. “I mean, I’m not a Ranger here. I have no uniform to adhere to. What’s she going to do ? Arrest me ? For being hot ?” He raised one eyebrow, “I pulled the shirt over my head,” Domanol turned fluidly toward Gladhron, to answer to that man’s any uncertainty of ‘how’. “Like thi- ..” he moved to show his tell, but was stalled in the act by Narradir’s speedy arm.


With a pointed stare, the forester convinced his friend to desist. “It was September,” he then put in, amused, and quelching any assumption that his friend ought to have been ‘hot’. To which the ‘teller’ simple shrugged.

As the apparent disbelief contaminated their small company however, Dom relented. “Do you think she would have been more receptive to the act if I had known her better ?” he then wanted to know, as the redhead realised it had only been the second time he’d even met the Lieutenant. Of course he couldn’t exactly explain what he’d wanted to show her, why she might have managed to ‘survive’ such a surprise; not without his explaining the true reason for their meeting at the HQ in the first place. Instead he took his brown eyes on a circuit of the tabled audience. “Honestly I think you ought to give this poor Lieutenant of yours some more credit. What do you think she did ?” he put to them, plainly. As though it should be obvious. “The woman is a professional,” he confirmed. “Barely blinked.”


Narradir managed a slow take of his new drink, as Kaylin started asking if removing clothes was a Northern tendency. He didn’t quite understand the enquiry at first, because they’d certainly made clear why Domanol had done what he did. It was not a Northern trait, the man was not even Northern for that matter. And the fact of it having been a bet .. had been very clearly explained. So why was she asking if … ah.

Gladhron concluded his own account of taking off his shirt in front of Arnyn with “.. and .. yeah ..” The man’s unsettled countenance, coupled with .. that cough .. Hmm. The Former Ranger sucked in his lips and smiled to himself. Oh she knew what she was doing alright. Turning the conversation into some other reveal entirely .. And the actual Northerner hadn’t even realised the trap he’d just walked into. Tired, a tiny bit intoxicated, sideblinded with a shock …. And Gladhron was even now asking how ‘such a bet’ had even come to pass. As though they hadn’t just explained all of this already. Clever girl indeed …


“I shaved off my beard, he stole his brother’s wooden leg, I wore my wife’s apron … ” Narradir recounted, deliberately slow this time. As though the stripped shirt would have been the natural progression of such a game. As it had been. “I didn’t think he’d actually do it,” he laughed. “Still don’t ..” he added, with a sly side glance toward the apparent perpetrator.

“Well that’s on you, for concocting such a dare that had to be seen to be believed,” Domanol concluded. “Poor foreplanning, my friend. And entirely your problem. Of course, now,” he turned back to their new friends. “He won’t take on any dare I set him, since he says I’ve not proved my turn done.” A rather overdone sigh let them all know of the abject stalemate this situation had since led the two men to. “Which is a shame. Because that clearly raised the bar to a whole new level of potential for me to dare him back.”


It was not the end of the world, or of all potential for excitement of course. Domanol had needed nobody to dare him to kiss Seri at the White Tree, on the Seventh Circle. The healer herself knew him well enough to have never doubted his capacity to try it, but instead had collaborated on the deed herself to have it come to pass. Which were two extremely good reasons why he loved the woman as he did. He was pretty sure that nobody here would believe they had achieved that special moment either. But he did not declare it, had not told anybody in fact who hadn’t been there to see it themselves. The lovers themselves knew, obviously, and the small quota of Citadel Guards who’d probably get into trouble if it did get out. But that was nobody else’s business. And something which he felt was private, personal, a thing managed for the sake of he and her alone. Not for any sort of bragging rights. There was a difference.

“Come on then, Gladders,” Domanol did his best to cement the new alias for the weary other. “Why don’t you tell us a story, of something that none of us would believe really happened.” The man had admitted he enjoyed telling stories, after all. It was a dare of sorts. Perhaps by bringing new participants into their little conclave of mischief, the madness could continue, despite Narradir’s disbelief. The more ‘wild’ things that were heard after all, the more likely that his friend would finally believe him. “Because, I get it. About not wanting to wake early, yet doing so. But let’s push the boat out just a little more and hear what else your brother may have not expected you to manage.”


“Kaylin,” Narradir tapped the table between them, and indicated the neglected sprawl of playing cards. “Your turn,” he grinned. As if they even needed the card game to accuse a member of this table of being a ‘liar’ ..

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

'How'd you go about it? And how did she react?'

Kaylin had to admit, she was curious to the answer. When the answer to the first question came, she laughed out loud and was grateful for the sturdiness of her chair. Thankfully, Narradir stopped Domanol from putting on a show, rather than a tell. These guys...

Her lingering grin evaporated as Gladhron confirmed that, indeed, yes - he had taken off his shirt in front of Arnyn, as well! What was going on here?? Soon enough, though, the Northerner added they had gone swimming at the time, and it had been summer, and warm. Kaylin recovered quickly from her surprise and shrugged, as if the admission had suddenly turned boring. "Oh, swimming. That's entirely different." The Hyandaner raised her index finger. "Unless! She also took her shirt off." The redhead raised her eyebrows, clearly waiting for either confirmation or denial.

When Dom said Arnyn supposedly barely blinked, in reply to Gladhron's second question, it took no time at all for a new, mischievous grin to master Kaylin's features. "Hardly a blink?" she repeated questioningly. "You weren't wearing something else underneath, were you? Or perhaps the Lieutenant has already seen better," she suggested, trying to resist grinning any more broadly. "Say," she continued with a sidelong glance at Gladhron now, "this whole swimming business must have been when you, your brother and her were gallavanting around the northern wooded areas, right? So this was well before last September?" She took another sip from Gladh's whiskey, and fake pouted a little. "Or didn't she blink or blush at you, either?" she asked him, sympathetically.

"Neither of you need take it personally, I reckon," Kaylin continued. "She joined the rangers when she was, what was it - nineteen? I've heard plenty of stories of how the Hyandaner and the Pelecconner were hanging out back then. It's quite conceivable that our sweet Arnyn has seen more than a few bare chests in her day. Rather, it's more inconceivable to think she hasn't. And - I gotta tell you boys - those Pelecconner?" Kaylin let out a long, low whistle. "They're something else."

She winked at Narradir as she casually threw down her card. She definitely wouldn't mind hearing some more good stories. In her opinion, they were off to a great start, already. The things she was picking up here were absolutely priceless...

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gladhron
Dec 26 - Afternoon
Common room

When the longest-time friend he had at the table began explaining how he had removed his shirt, Gladhron rolled his eyes, while Kaylin laughed. "That's not what I meant," He scoffed, albeit with amusement, and if he'd had anything suitable to throw at him, he would have. Alas, he had only his cards and coffee, and he was not willing to give up either. "What'd you say to explain it? Anything? Did you tell her about the dare?" He wondered, trying to imagine how this whole thing had gone.

And then Narradir took up the baton of giving obvious answers that were not what he wanted to know. Gladhron sighed and wondered whether his weariness was making him a bit more annoyed at this whole thing of their answers dancing around what he wanted to know. When Narradir declared 'I didn't think he'd actually do it' and 'still don't', Gladhron shook his head a little. "I don't doubt that he did. But what I want to know is, how did Celume even get brought into your bet thing? And why? I mean, why would you even think of.. involving her? And... taking off clothing in front of her?" He was finding it difficult to articulate his question clearly, and he felt sure that they were going to throw more sarcastic, non-informative answers at him. And he didn't even notice that he'd said Celume instead of Arnyn. "Besides, all you have to do is ask her if he did it. Right?" he pointed out the simplest solution to proving it.

Taking a slow breath in to try and shed the feeling of annoyance, Gladhron ended up fighting against a yawn and lost. He followed up by taking a drink of his coffee. And then he nearly choked on it when Kaylin asked whether Arnyn had also taken off her shirt. "In front of me and my brother?" He asked, raising an eyebrow incredulously. "Do you actually think she would do that?" He wondered.

He was starting to wonder if he should just keep quiet, but somehow he couldn't seem to do that. "Hardly a blink sounds just about right," He agreed with a little nod, then laid down his own card when his turn came. "Of course it was before last September." He answered without even having to think about that. "I hadn't seen her since that time we spent in the north, until the other day." He was starting to think he was missing some sort of something, and was getting a bit annoyed at himself for being too tired to pick up on whatever it was. But he'd noticed a sort of smile pass between Kaylin and Narradir, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Another yawn insisted on happening, as he tried to hide it behind his cards. "It was July 15th, if you want to know." He added, which was easy enough for him to remember.

"Peleconner?" Gladhron repeated, thoughtful as he tried to think if he had heard that term before. "That isn't Sindarin.." He didn't know much of the other branches of Elvish, but for a little bit, maybe. "Is that Quenya?" He made a guess, but could not discern what the word may mean. As for the woman's comments about these guys, Gladhhron chose to ignore it. He could recognize a tease, even as tired as he was, and he wasn't going to take the bait.

When called upon to give a story of something that none of them would believe happened, Gladhron's mood rose a bit. He laughed slightly at the wording, however. "Well, that isn't quite fair," He grinned. "I mean, I could tell you about some occasions with Gwestion telling jokes and laughing or doing fun things, but only one of you would even see why that's so unbelievable." He smirked with amusement at that, then folded his arms after laying his cards facedown on the table, sitting back in his chair. "But I do have a rather curious story, if you want to hear it. But not until I've heard your tale, in full." He said with a nod to Dom, meaning the bet. "I want proper answers to my questions, before I give up any tale of my own." He declared, determined.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

As disbelieving as Narradir was about the months old bet, Gladhron seemed almost more disapproving. Which surprised Domanol even as much as it seemed to amuse Kaylin. It wasn’t the news that his friends in the North had ‘gallivanted’ about for a time with the Gondorian Lieutenant which was an eye opener. He’d already learnt that much before today. But the redhead’s line of questioning seemed to be somewhat further focused, for all that it was delivered very casual. And her intrigue combined with the usually carefree man’s current prickly reaction led another of their number toward a certain conclusion.

“Something about showing off old battle scars ? I forget,” he let the younger man know, with a shrug, how he had tried to explain himself to Arnyn at the time. “But what is a ‘Celume’ ?" he wondered aloud, unfamiliar with the term.


“See if I’d known any of this,” Narradir shook his head at Kaylin’s insinuations of Arnyn and her countless past shirtless experiences, “I’d have come up with something else. I mean .. Taking off your shirt in front of a woman who has reputedly been inundated with such behaviour before ?“ he sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Bo-ring” the forester concluded with only a low chuckle for what sounded like it had become the Blonde's reaction to such 'shocking' behaviour by this point.

Domanol did not bother to answer Gladhron’s demands of ‘why they’d involved Arnyn’ or ‘Why it had involved anybody taking their shirt off’. Because honestly those very questions were answering his own suspicions, such as why it bothered Gladhron so much anyway. They had all been laughing very merrily about pranking another Lieutenant not so long ago, and the Northerner hadn’t held back any then. This wasn’t exhaustion causing the friend confusion. This was exhaustion failing to have that friend be alert enough to realise what he was revealing. For clearly it was the who rather than the what, in this account, which was bothering the young man. And Kaylin already had that line of enquiry in hand herself.


“What else do you even want to know about it that we haven’t already explained ?” Dom took back to Gladhron, apparently bewildered in his own turn now.

“I bet him to do it in front of the lieutenant, because she is a lieutenant .. ” Narradir helped to clarify what ought to have been obvious already. “Because I didn’t think he’d dare to do it, and that would mean I’d win the game. I bet him to take off an item of clothing because he’d just bet me to wear a piece of my wife’s clothing .. I don’t know. If you stop to think about it too hard that takes all the fun out of it.” The forester finished his second drink.


“Better question is why it’s got you all bent out of shape my friend ?” Dom leaned in, on both elbows across the table, curiously. "If you believe it, then what's your issue with it ? Should we not prank lieutenants ?"

“That is no kind of question at all,” Narry laughed in some despair. “But if it makes you all feel better, I believe you now, Dom. There. Clearly it was a blunt bet. Since the woman has seen so many bare mens’ chests in her life that it was a waste of time on our part and you are simply going to have to up the game on your turn.” He checked on Gladhron's reaction without turning his head.


“First I want to hear this story,” Domanol turned back to Gladhron. “You said it was curious, and now I am. Come tell !” he encouraged the new subject of conversation, wondering if it might in fact be more of the same very curious subject indeed.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

Gladhron's question made her shrug with a little grin. "No idea. She keeps surprising me at almost every turn. The woman is an enigma. I don't nearly always know what to expect from her."

Kaylin blinked when Gladhron supplied the actual date for when he, his brother and Arnyn had gone swimming, whatever years it was they'd been roaming the northern woods. She didn't hide her surprise as she looked at Narradir again, shaking her head in disbelief. He remembered the actual date??
She hummed her confirmation when he asked about the term Pelecconner. "Pelecco means axe. Hyanda means blade. That's why I'm a Hyandaner," she explained with a grin and one raised eyebrow. "The Pelecconner are the awewielders. I mean- axewielders. I swear," she added with a little sigh. "I had no idea how many abdominal muscles actually existed until I saw a pair of them training shirtless together in the heat of summer." She didn't look at anyone in particular as she said that, glancing between the cards at the center of the table and her own set, instead, as if deliberating her next move.

She was a bit surprised, as well, when Gladhron insisted on hearing the full story from Domanol before he would tell a story of his own. This was clearly important enough to the man to make demands. However, since she didn't know Gladhron all that well, she didn't know whether that was saying much or not. Yet, it did support her hypothesis that Gladhron had a thing for Arnyn. And Kaylin did enjoy being right.

At Domanol's inquiry, Kaylin's eyes lifted to him. "I can answer that," she said, before Gladhron could - although he might not be inclined to answer at all until he had received a little more clarity. "Celume is the name our dear Lieutenant used with Gladhron and his brother, up north. It's based on a nickname her division gave her. Axeinecelume - Steel Stream. From what I've seen, it's an apt alias. Seems like she wanted to focus a little more on the water and a little less on the iron, when she was up there." Kaylin shrugged. "Would be my guess. Anyway."

Trying to hold back her amused smile when Domanol now questioned why it should bother Gladhron so much, she threw down a card when it was her turn. She was curious about Gladhron's story as well, but she was also curious how the betting would evolve. Maybe... Maybe, she wanted in.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gladhron
Dec 26 - Afternoon
Common room

Gladhron hesitated as he caught the glance between Kaylin and Narradir, and frowned a little. "What?" He laughed a bit as he belatedly arrived at a guess about what it might be about. "It's not like I marked it down on some calendar or anything," He hurried to clarify. "I only remember the date because it was my birthday. And we were taking a rest day from bandit hunting, and they asked me what I'd like to do. So I said we should swim, since we were camped not far from a good spot for it." He explained, though his face may have gone just a hint pinker than usual. Maybe.

Kaylin's reply to his question received a slow nod as he mentally made note of what those words meant. It was curious to him that they would use the words in Quenya, rather than Sindarin, when as far as he could tell, no one around here actually spoke Quenya. But, whatever. It wasn't like it really mattered, so long as everyone knew what means what. He was thinking about that, when he realized it was his turn to lay down a card. After doing so, he was just about to reply about the question 'what is a Celume?', when Kaylin supplied the answer for him. Gladhron glanced at her, taking a moment to think back. Had he told her anything about that? He was having difficulty remembering little things like that, at this point. He blamed it on being so tired, but also on that drink, though he'd only finished half of it.

Turning back to Narradir at his comment, Gladhron frowned slightly, then glanced at Dom when he asked about not pranking lieutenants. "It has nothing to do with her being a lieutenant. It's just that she's... a lady, you know? I just think it's strange to involve her in it. Like you just said," He nodded to Narradir, "You didn't know that she'd already seen plenty of shirtless men and such, and as far as I know, you don't even know her. And neither of you seemed to know that she wasn't going to be horrible awkward and embarrassed by it... or highly uncomfortable perhaps?" He shrugged. "I don't know. It just seemed strange to me, and I was curious how you came about involving a woman you don't know, or don't know well, into your.. game. And without her being aware that she was getting dragged into something like that..." He shrugged, not quite sure how to explain his thoughts about it.

He shifted down slightly into his chair and busied himself with taking a drink of his coffee, feeling he'd probably spoken too much about that, and maybe made too big of a deal about it. "Maybe I've been around the girls a little too long." He mentioned with a slightly apologetic shrug, meaning Brooke and Aislin, although he sort of forgot that the other two at the table would not know who he meant.

He was glad for the distraction of them asking for a story. "Yes, right! The story." He smiled. "Well," Lacing his fingers, he stretched his arms out in front of him, then raised his arms over his head to stretch as he sat back in his chair. "It's a bit more effective, sitting around a campfire in the middle of the woods in the dark, but I suppose the fireplace over there will have to do." He shrugged with a little smile after giving a nod toward said fireplace, then took a drink of his coffee. "Here's how it all began..." He grinned, glancing from one to the other briefly before launching into his tale.

"So, some years ago, Gwestion and I were traveling westward, to return to the Breelands, and ended up in the northern part of the Vales of Anduin, sort of between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains." He began by explaining the vicinity. "Anyway, we stopped off at this small settlement we'd found, so we could restock our supplies and rest up a bit before crossing the mountains. But when the people there heard where we were planning to go, they got really quiet, exchanging glances, muttering veiled warnings about not going there. We were rather confused, because no one wanted to talk about it, yet they kept telling us to go another way or to not cross the mountains, and so on." He made a puzzled expression. "But, from that place, the quickest way across the mountains is the High Pass, which is what our plan had been. We didn't want to go well out of our way just to get across, right? But no one would tell us why we shouldn't go into the mountains."

He lowered his voice a little and leaned forward, "until finally, we found this one fellow who reluctantly told us why everyone was so uneasy." Gladhron paused, then continued, somewhat dramatically, "Apparently, that part of the mountain was being haunted by some horrible... thing."

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

Narradir had widened his grin when Gladhron recalled the date he had maybe had what might be called a ‘date’ with a certain lieutenant. Catching Kaylin’s own reaction did nothing to end it. And neither did the young man’s explanation. “That’s what you wanted ? For your birthday ?” the forester raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his seat. One hand idly twirled the second emptied glass on one rim against the table. “Did she give you a gift ?”

At that Domanol spat out what remained of his drink and coughed over necessarily until his friend smacked him hard across the back and was eventually warded off from providing such ‘assistance’. “You want to see my lung fall out on the table ?” the warning was hacked through a slowly resolved voice. And the larger man simply shrugged.


“Woman, if you want to see some axe action, you should come see our work out in the woods ..” he began then with a laugh until Domanol smacked him in one arm. The blow did not seem to make a mark upon the larger man.

But “Married, remember ?” certainly did. Whether the rogue ranger had been referring to the forester or to the woman, did not make much of a difference. For they both were. And neither of them were the ones likely to take the joke as anything more than it was intended.

“I’m just talking shirtless,” Narradir marvelled, dropping his jaw for good measure to register his shock, and the pinnacle of innocence. “That’s not like anything wrong now, is it ?” The tease was delivered with a thicker tone of voice that leant support to his meaning. “You bared your chest before the very same woman yourself ! You said so. It's no more than that, no more than just a bit of fun.”


“Well, given what was in the water .. up there .. ” Domanol muttered under his breath, as the redhead explained her colleague’s likely motive and moniker.

“Gotcha,” the former Ranger nodded, with another grin. And proceeded to watch on as Gladhron made clear his objections. “You sure he’d not been drinking before we ever got here ?” he asked Dom in a sidemouth, before turning back to nod emphatically at the Northerner’s outcry. Well, he’d certainly roused himself some, at any rate ..


“Hey hey,” Dom dropped his cards, noticed they were faced up and then turned them over as he tried to placate his younger friend. “It had everything to do with her being a lieutenant,” assured the other. “This fool knew I was meeting her the following day, he knew she was an officer. If it had been the Barracks Master I was due to talk to, the bet would have been the same.”

“He’s only lucky that he didn’t have another meeting with the King the next day ..” Narradir mused, with a thoughtful expression, almost bemoaning his bad luck at what might have been a far more enticing dare. As Domanol picked his cards back up, and laid one down for his turn, Narradir turned toward ‘Gladders’ in his own turn. “He bared his chest, not his .. well.” He paused to mark the challenged man’s roll of brown eyes. “The thought was to embarrass him, man. Not the lady. I mean, this one’s no spring chicken any more. I didn’t think he’d dare ..”

“You are older than I am !” Dom glanced over in protest.

“Yeh and I take much better care of myself than you do,” Narry loaned his opinion to the subject. “I’m out there, every other day, muscles rippling in the wind, and dining on my dear wife’s skills in the kitchen come evening. Whereas you ? Surviving on a diet of water voles and turnip-made hootch, and break your back over your brother’s old couch ...”


“Liar !” came the cry, just as the larger man laid down a card for his own turn. And as the forester revealed that he had in fact laid down a ‘Tree’ .. the vole-diner and turnip sup-er was forced to pick up all of the pack that was already set out between them.

“Maybe you haven’t been around girls quite enough,” the larger man suggested to Gladhron, with a shrug as he observed Dom’s loss, somewhat triumphantly. “Or maybe, just maybe its one particular ‘girl’, lady, woman .. whatever who has gotten your head twisted into such a knot about it. But listen up, I know me a thing or two about women,” he paused, and tipped an imaginary hat in honour of Kaylin before confessing. “I got me five daughters, friend. So if you are saying we’re the type of men to intentionally upset little women, then you and me are going to have to go see the outside ..” he waved off Dom’s hand which fell flat on the table as a call to stop him.


The card loser shook his head slowly. “What is the matter with you both ?” Domanol spoke up then. “This is meant to be a good time ! We were having a good time ! So you,” he aimed a finger at Gladhron “Tell your side of this story before we make up what happened for ourselves." He was halted by a snort at that and turned to consider the bulk of Narradir. “As for you ? Play nice. Or I’ll tell your wife. And she’ll kick your cared-for little behind. Right ? Good times ! Come on ! That’s the ticket. Also Spades,” he selected a new house for the cards to claim. Making sure that Narry saw the picture, as he named it, before placing it face down. As an example. While pub games and drinking games were right up the former Ranger’s alley, cards and anything involving numbers and that sort of thinking were not usually his forte.

“I swear, you get more like your brother every day,” the larger man wiped an imaginary tear from one eye and met Dom’s rather responding chortle, with a less sarcastic one of his own.

“You take that back ..” Dom warned him through a grin, in a quieter volume, and Narradir slammed his hand down flat on the table, loud enough to raise the landlord’s attention. Waving off any concern, and dropping his head in an assumption of lowering his noise, instead of just his inhibitions, the forester sighed deep.


“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !” he planted one index finger over his lips so that it cradled his twice broken nose. “I want to hear the story !” Narradir made clear.

Then it was Domanol’s turn to lean back in his chair, turn his finally emptied glass over and placed it upside down on the table before him, as Gladhron began. And while he had not known what to expect from the man, at all .. evidently ! ... the tale being set in some place he was more than a little familiar with himself, saw him note how Narradir’s eye found him this time. And the younger shook his head, meaningfully, at a moment when the storyteller had his other audience’s attention. Yes, the area that Gladhron was describing was now a little too close to home for him .. for it had been home .. once. But he could hear it. And besides, the way that had all gone down .. Domanol leaned forward as the account began to take shape. He was interested to see if what might now be told might be the answer to a question he had never asked.

Meanwhile Narradir raised his glass in one hand, and beckoned the pubkeeper in a very practiced manner, to come replenish their refreshment again. Who knew but they might need it ..

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

"Do you even own a calendar?" Kaylin asked sceptically, when Gladhron referenced such a thing. She bet none of the men around the table did. Perhaps Narradir - since he had a partner who might take care of that kind of stuff for him. After learning that the swimming outing with Arnyn and the brothers had been on Gladhron's birthday, Kaylin chuckled openly, and at Narradir's question, she bit her bottom lip to keep from barking out a laugh.

Not that it worked. For Domanol spit out his drink and launched into a coughing fit. In turn, Kaylin's composure broke and she slapped the table as she laughed. "By the Valar," she managed to get out, still laughing. "We need to hang out more often," she decided happily. She was still laughing intermittently when the two oldest at the table were jabbing at each other about shirtless axework in the woods. Kaylin smirked. She saw all the action she needed, right at home. But she wasn't about to interject with that at the moment. Instead, she chuckled. "Arnyn isn't married though," she mentioned the obvious difference.

If she had still had any drink left, it surely would sprayed out of her mouth just like Domanol had most recently showcased, upon Narradir's comment that only a chest hgad been bared - and nothing else. She put a hand over her mouth as she giggled, both at that and at the term 'spring chicken'. She laughed at 'muscles rippling in the wind', and leaned forward with interest when Domanol called out Narradir as a liar. Unjustly so, at least for his last card, for it was Dom who had to take the whole stack that had been piling up. She managed to stay quiet as Narradir layed out to Gladhron what they were all thinking by now.

And as Narradir was starting to take Gladhron's lack of understanding about the bet and involving Arnyn in it all, as an affront, be it jokingly or not, Kaylin grinned and rolled her eyes at the same time, while giving Gladhron a thoughtful look. "Lady Arnyn," she began, clearly half amused but also trying to be considerate of Gladhron's feelings (just a little), "could not possibly be horribly awkward or embarrassed by something as basic as a man taking off his shirt," she tried to explain. "The woman has been in Gondor's armed forces for a decade, Gladhron," she continued a bit more quietly. "Before the war was over, she was constantly on patrols, missions and campaigns - with both women and men. And trust me, when you need to get somewhere as fast as you can, to block off the enemy's advance after a scout's report, or to offer reinforcements - you take any spare five minutes you can to change or wash yourself. And you don't always have a tent. Or a place of privacy. To the contrary. I have experience with that, first hand, from when I was in the army."

"In the city, the barracks and baths are all nice and properly separated for men and women. But out in the field..." Kaylin shrugged. "I can't imagine it would have been any different for the branch of the armed forces Arnyn was in. So I can't imagine her getting awkward about something like a bare chest. She's probably sparred against guys who didn't have their shirts on, so why would it bother her with a desk in between, you know? Given her military experience, she wouldn't get awkward about a man stripping down to his drawers in front of her, either. Or her stripping down to her underwear, herself, actually." Slanting her head, Kaylin pursed her lips. "Of course, an office setting is a bit different than while you're out on a campaign. But still. It's a desensitization thing." Kaylin beckoned around the table with the cards she still held in her hand. "You three could take off everything except for your drawers and your socks, and instead of blushing I'd probably just ask you if you were cold." She lifted one shoulder. "Just saying."

The redhead made sure to observe Gladhron's reaction to that, because Kaylin figured what she'd said might have sounded really strange to someone like Gladhron, who wasn't used to how such things worked. Obviously. Or he would have already figured it out. It might be best if he could process that in silence, about the woman he - apparently, evidently - liked. Would it take away some of her appeal to him, Kaylin wondered? Some men were like that. They liked their ladies all sweet and innocent, and both untouched and unseen. Was Gladhron amongst their number?

They were all just about ready for a change of topic, so Gladhron's story was more than welcome. When it was her turn, she threw down a card, listening to the tale the northerner was unfolding. She let out a little snort when the word 'haunted' dropped. "And you and your brother went to investigate the horror up the mountain?" she supplied, playing along. As Narradir held up his glass, Kaylin put down her cards and raised up both her own glass and Gladhron's into the air, grinning broadly in Alf's direction.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gladhron
Dec 26 - Afternoon
Common room

Gladhron glanced from one to the other as the teasing commenced between Dom, Narradir, and Kaylin. He felt somehow as if he was too tired to properly appreciate it, so he decided maybe it was best not to respond to too much, nor take it seriously at all. He turned toward Kaylin at last. "No, I don't," He admitted to Kaylin's inquiry with a little grin. In fact, he couldn't quite recall the last time he'd even laid eyes on a calendar. Still, he began to feel a bit worried. If they had figured it out so quickly, because obviously, they had... then what if it got back to Arnyn? Would that be a good thing? or a bad thing? What if it messed up his chances... or maybe it would help her to realize? He had no idea how it could go, but he worried it would go badly.

Dropping his face into his hand, Gladhron told himself to stop talking about this topic. It was only giving them more fuel. He took the moment to rub his weary eyes briefly before grabbing his coffee and drained the last bit of it before setting the mug down, then offered a faint smile when Dom sought to reassure him that the whole thing had just been because of her rank. Then, his smile grew slightly and couldn't help laughing lightly at the banter going on between the other two men, even if there was still a lot teasing aimed at him. The reveal that Narradir had five daughters made him blink, though. Five?! He almost couldn't imagine being so outnumbered.

He was a bit late in registering the almost-threat when the forester suggested stepping outside, and only caught it when Dom interjected. Before he had any chance to reply though, Kaylin began to explain a few things to him which he had never really given thought toward, about people on missions and such. He blinked, giving a slow nod as he listened. "Right," He did recall now, plenty of times when Celume had simply gone behind her horse to change her shirt or something. Obviously, the brothers hadn't ventured over to intrude on her, but he did remember finding it a bit surprising, back then, that she hadn't gone further away where there was little chance of them accidentally walking up without realizing.

He gave a little laugh at her later comment about how they could all strip and she wouldn't mind. "Well, I don't know about those two," He mentioned with a little nod toward the older two men, "But I don't plan on doing that," He declared with a bit of amusement.

Fortunately, they were all calling him back to telling the story. He grinned at Kaylin's guess, as well as her asking for refills. "Naturally!" He agreed with her guess. "I mean, we're rangers. That's sorta what we're meant to do, right? And anyway, we were both quite intrigued by these strange rumors, and we decided that it was something that a pair of rangers probably should investigate. So, off we went." He declared, failing to notice a mud-covered, cloaked figure slipping quietly into the room and stopping at the bar counter to wait for Alf to return from delivering drink refills to the table.

"It took us days to travel up to the area the rumors suggested the monster was in, but at last, we found the place. In fact, we found it... almost too easily." He added, dropping his voice a little for spookiness. "As if a mysterious force was pressing us toward it, guiding us there, whether we wanted to go there or not." He paused, and glanced around at his audience. "And that was when we began to hear the whispering."

Over by the bar, waiting to request a glass of water, Gwestion glanced over and silently took note of the group gathered around his brother. It only took overhearing a few sentences to realize what story Gladhron was telling. He shook his head with mild amusement and leaned one arm on the counter, crossing one boot over the other as he positioned himself in such a way that he could easily listen, and yet not be as likely to catch any of their attention. Especially with his brother's story to keep their attention focused on him. From there, he listened to the tale, mentally correcting every detail that wasn't accurate, yet inwardly amused at the amount of embellishments Gladhron threw into the tale.

Gladhron's seat happened to have his back turned mostly toward the bar, and he was completely unaware of him. He continued telling the story enthusiastically. "At first, we couldn't determine where these eerie whispers were coming from. We called out cautiously, but received no answer. After calling a few times, we decided to keep quiet... we were getting a weird feeling about this place already. Everything, except for that eerie whispering, was dead silent." He paused as Alf came with their refills, and smiled in gratitude as he accepted a second cup of coffee. It was still too hot to drink, but he took a moment to add some sugar and milk.

Once Alf had gone to take care of other customers, Gladhron continued. "It wasn't as if the birds and insects had stopped their usual noises when we arrived. No... it was more like there simply weren't any there in this area, at all. As if.. they had all fled from the terror that had taken up residence in this area of the woods." He explained, using a dramatically quiet voice. He took a slow breath before continuing.

"We ventured forward, but with reluctance. There was an unusually menacing feel in the air. A sense of danger, a silent warning to let us know we were entering the beast's territory. There was a horrible stench in the air. The smell of death and decay. But we pressed on, because that's what we do. We're rangers, after all." He added, leaning back in his chair with a small shrug.

"Then... as we passed into a thicket of trees, we suddenly began to notice them." He paused for another breath. "We were surrounded by a most grisly army of figures.. half-hidden in the shadows. They were all around us! Being outnumbered, we instinctively moved to draw back, so not to let ourselves be surrounded. But as we began to retreat, we were abruptly confronted by a hideous, disfigured monstrosity!" His voice rose with alarm at this point, widening his eyes. He began speaking a little faster. "It was coming straight for us! We barely had time to dodge out of the way. Gwestion leapt one way, and I leapt the other, and it barely missed us. We spun around, drawing our weapons to fight... but there was nothing there." He paused, returning to a less urgent speed of talking.

"Nothing, that is.. except for a corpse." Gladhron looked around, curious for their reactions, before continuing. "As we recovered from that surprise, and looked more closely, we realized that all of the figures in the trees, as well as the one that had swooped down at us, were all dead. Strung up by the necks, they'd had their skin stolen, presumably by the monster haunting the woods." He explained, shivering a bit. "And yet, they were all whispering in discordant sounds, as if in warning of the threat still nearby." He added in a lower voice. "The entire scene was gruesome and sickening, and more than a little disturbing, to be honest. We had clearly found the monster's lair.. and the remains of its previous victims. Some looked like they had been there for months, maybe even a year or more. But others... there were a few that looked as if they had only been there a few days, tops. And those had nothing done to them. Which told us the predator was still nearby... probably planning to return at some later time, to skin them and whatever other horrible things it does." He paused then to test a drink of his coffee, and offer a chance for reactions, questions, or comments.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

Whether Narradir had been serious about taking Gladhron ‘outside’, the burly man seemed to forget that such a suggestion had ever happened in no time at all. Kaylin’s explanation about men and women becoming desensitised in the armed forces might have had something to do with it. And when the woman went so far as to verbally suppose that the three men could strip down right now in front of her, and meet no swooning, Dom rose up ready ready to make his point, that it had never been about Arnyn personally … before he relented and resumed his seat albeit with a chuckle. Which was just as well, because Alf had begun to head in their direction, with a fresh tray of drinks.

“I think we’d be in more fear of disturbing this ‘un, than you, Missus,” Narradir only mentioned, with a nock of his head towards the Northerner. Followed by thanks and an exchange of coin for the recent round of drinks. The forester was considering the drink he now held in each hand, before surrendering one to Domanol.


And then it was Gladhron’s turn to try and ‘disturb’ them, with an eerie tale designed to make a man’s bones itch. Fortunately the warm, lively atmosphere did take some from the scene setting. But their tale teller was doing an admirable job, nonetheless. So much so that even a newly arrived fellow who had found the bar seemed to have half an ear toward the hearing of it too. Not that Narradir, who of all the seated group had the best view of the stranger, would have recognised Gwestion at all. He was the only one of their four who had not met the other brother yet. And Domanol who might have, was distracted first by the claiming of his drink and then the story shaping up to spread his scrutiny any further about the room.

“How did a corpse swoop down at you if it was hung from the throat to the tree ?” the latter wondered aloud, tapping his chin with the index finger of one hand, with half his intrigued mind recalling a particular trap which he and Duinion had trialled before now.

“Dramatic garnish,” Narry hissed in a whisper of his own, both dark eyebrows startling into a dance for his old friend, before he turned back and leaned forward, making the table creak. “Go on,” he dared their newest entertainment to try and keep them at his words.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

Kaylin was glad when the first glass in front of her was refilled, and grinning like a giddy toddler when Alf indulged her and also refilled the second - Gladhron's old glass. "That one's on the house," Alf told the table, with a nod to the very same glass. Then he briefly eyed Kaylin, though he smiled as he did so. "Provided you do not start too much of a ruckus."
Kaylin smiled sweetly and nodded. "Got it, Alf."
The innkeeper glanced about the table, now having taken care of all their drinks, and nodded with a half smile before returning to the bar.

As for Gladhron's story, it was intriguing, that was for sure. And Kaylin was enjoying listening to Gladhron, too. Corpses that whispered, though? Kaylin snorted soberly at that, and smirked a little when Gladhron said one of the bodies had swooped toward them. "I am not sure if letting us comment and ask questions will help keep up the right atmosphere of your story, Gladders," she tried out the nickname Dom had provided earlier. "For if you ask me, it sounds like your monster was less animal and more human. With traps like that." Kaylin raised an eyebrow.

"But yes," she smiled, lifting the first glass to her lips. "Do go on. You two lied in wait, or something?"

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gladhron
Dec 26 - Afternoon
Common room

Gladhron merely smiled in response to Domanol. "Good question, and not one that we could find any answer to at the time." He answered, before offering another smile to Kaylin. "Ahh, but if this was a human, then it must have had very mysterious powers, and a very strange anatomy." He insisted. "There was more you haven't heard yet!" he assured her. He gave a grin of appreciation when Narradir said it was 'dramatic garnish', and he was pleased when urged to continue.

"No, we didn't lie in wait." He replied, after Kaylin's guess. "Our pulses raced as we stood there looking around. We were highly alert, knowing the monster might come for us at any moment. And we had no idea what sort of creature this was, nor how to prepare for it. We knew only the description from some of the villagers had given of this thing, and what they had told about it was... disturbing, at best." He thought he had already given that description before, so he didn't repeat it now, although due to his tiredness, he had actually forgotten to add that. "Gwestion kept his bow ready, while I drew my sword. Both of us kept our eyes and ears open, standing there for several heart-pounding moments. But we heard nothing but the whispering of the corpses. Though what they were saying, I could not tell."

He drew in another breath. "Determined to finish what we had come to do, my brother and I began to search the area for any signs of... anything. I'll admit, we're not the greatest trackers... especially then, but we had learned a few things over the years, by that point. And it took us a good, long, while just to find any sort of tracks at all... at least, any which weren't those of the victims." He absently stirred his coffee while he spoke. "But finally, we did find... something." He frowned, lowering his voice a bit. "But what we found was rather... discomforting. The only tracks we could find anywhere in the area suggested a creature with some sort of... giant, claw-type feet." He frowned, thinking. "Almost like you'd see from a raccoon, only with much longer claws, and.. huge. The prints were bigger than my hand." He added with wide eyes. "And yet, whatever this was, it was not nearly as heavy as what it would seem." He sat back. "Another weird thing was, these tracks were faint, as if they'd been left months prior, and it was the only ones we could find. But there should have been fresh tracks, since there were fresh victims. So where was this monster?" He asked, glancing around briefly. He took a quick drink of his coffee before continuing.

"We searched and searched, and we found the same tracks in multiple areas, yet nothing more recent than a few months, at most. So, we widened our search, and even spread out a little. And that was when things got even... stranger." He lowered his voice and leaned closer, glancing for a second at each person. "I scoured the woods for any tracks, always keeping in calling distance of Gwestion, just in case. But after a while, I came upon one of those weird tracks, and started looking for another to see if there was a trail. Then I looked up, and right there, in front of me, was this.. completely unexplainable staircase." He declared, sitting back with a baffled expression. "Right there in the middle of the woods. No house or building for miles around, nor any remains of any sort of structure. Just.. stairs. They weren't even old-looking. It was just as if someone took them out of a house and dropped them in the middle of the woods." He shook his head, confused. "I stared at this for a long moment, lost in this sense of strange fascination. Part of me wanted to go check it out, and another part warned me to get away, fast. I felt very puzzled though, at the same time. Why were they there? For what purpose? My curiosity was beginning to win over caution, I have to admit." He grinned slightly.

"Anyway, I started thinking I ought to call Gwestion over, and then suddenly there he was, coming toward me. He looked worried. At first, I was impressed by his timing, but then he told me he'd been calling out to me for at least ten minutes, just to check in, and that when I hadn't replied, he got worried and came to find me. Thinking back... it's almost as if I had become hypnotized..." He sat back thoughtfully.


Over at the counter, Gwestion shook his head vaguely as he listened to this version of events, but he kept quiet. When Alf came over, he quietly asked for a glass of water, then sipped on it while listening. Gladhron did have a way of making ordinary events sound extraordinary, when he had a mind to do so. And he obviously enjoyed telling stories. Gwestion wasn't going to ruin his fun, but he was intrigued to hear how the story would go. Despite having been there, he had no idea how the story would go, with Gladhron telling it...


"After I showed Gwestion what I'd found," Gladhron continued, "we had a bit of a disagreement, which is nothing new, but.. well, I thought we should go up to the top, see if maybe we could see anything from up there, you know? Something we might have missed.. or see if it might actually go somewhere, you know? But he was against it. Strongly." He rolled his eyes, but remained smiling. "In the end, he decided to stay on the ground, while I went up. It was sort of unnerving, once I had resolved to go up, but I wasn't going to back out then. So," He spoke slower and quieter. "Up I went. Slowly. One step at a time. Somehow, as I began to ascend, I got this feeling that there was some reason why I shouldn't be going up there. Each step higher, the feeling got stronger... and then there was this weird feeling like.. I was starting to forget what I was doing, and why, and where I was. That, too, got stronger with each step I took. I had to fight to stay focused, but it was getting harder. Finally, when I started feeling overwhelmed by this... feeling, I decided I'd better come down before it got worse." He took a slow breath, pausing for affect. "But just as I had made up my mind to go back down to the ground, suddenly... I wasn't on the stairs anymore."


Gwestion hid a tiny smile in his glass. Of course, that wasn't entirely how it had gone, but he wasn't going to interrupt. In fact, he thought maybe if Gladhron didn't know he was there, it might be interesting to hear how extensively his brother would embellish the story. And so far, he was 'embellishing' quite a bit. The last line was delivered with dramatic emphasis. If he hadn't known exactly what really happened, Gwestion guessed that he might assume the ranger had somehow been teleported off of the alleged staircase... an interesting twist, for sure.


Gladhron went on with his story, "I woke up on the ground, in an entirely different section of the forest. It was later; the sky was nearly dark by this point. I could hear Gwestion calling out for me, near frantic as he searched for me. It took me a moment to shake off this unexplainable sense of... repression? Like something was keeping me from calling out in reply. But after a little while, whatever it was seemed to lift, and I was able to call out and let him know where I was, and he came hurrying over." He leaned forward, eyes widening a little. "Apparently, I'd simply vanished from the stairs, and he'd been looking for me for over an hour."

Gladhron looked at each of them before straightening in his seat. "At that point is when the truly 'unbelievable' thing happened..." He added with a little half-smile, then decided to take another drink of coffee. Telling the story was helping him focus and keep awake, but he could definitely feel his weariness, and he knew that he'd be wanting to go to bed pretty soon after he finished.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

When Gladhron proclaimed that Domanol’s question was ‘not one that they could have found any answer to at the time’, the older Ranger frowned. The man had seen it himself, had he not ? And if he'd been there, then he'd know. Even if he wasn't ready to reveal it yet, which seemed the most likely conclusion to the growing confusion. Either the thing that had reportedly ‘swooped’ had done so or it had not .. But as Kaylin pointed out that further questions would only hamper the story telling, and Narradir recognised that there was probably some ‘dramatic garnish’ going on .. the remaining audience leaned back with a shrug. Their card game forgotten as the tale took all attention from the table. And even beyond ..

“You did ask for something unbelievable,” the forester muttered to his friend, in another aside, and Dom was forced to shrug an assent to that. Their latest entertainment was certainly living up to the challenge and no mistake.


By the time the account had reached it’s reference to unlikely and vanishing staircases, in the middle of what had been described as woodland .. there was more than one puzzled face to be found. Gladders had apparently overcome his weariness as he gave the performance his absolute all. But Narradir had begun to live up to his own theory that ‘too much thought given to a thing takes out much of the fun’. The large man easily found solace in his drink instead, slowing his drain of the glass’s contents now, as the mood around their table sobered noticeably. And yet the former Ranger was able to amuse himself in watching the younger become ever more animated in his address.

Becoming quite too comfortable as he lost all thoughts beyond the tale, Domanol leaned his chair back precariously on it’s two hind legs, and raised his own glass occasionally without ever bringing it all the way to his mouth. He was still mentally deliberating whether the younger man had been drunk or drugged during this reported escapade, when they were warned to expect the very most unbelievable thing yet. And from what he knew about Gladhron and his imagination, there were no limits to what might be about to regale them all next !


The silence was palpable, the anticipation building as the story teller fuelled his efforts with his coffee. Somehow Domanol managed not to topple from his unwise balancing act, and Narradir walled his drink behind two large hands which folded in an easy way around it, as encompassing as the Rammas rebuilt.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

Kaylin had soon determined she was quite happy to simply enjoy her drink(s) as well as the story. Common sense be damned! For why the hell not, after all? If the King could arrive with an army of the Dead, then why couldn't corpses whisper? And why couldn't a forest have some random staircase? She assumed further explanations would come at some point, and just let go of trying to apply logic to the story entirely.

For the tale was truly enjoyable, once she managed that. She could feel the effects of the alcohol in her head and recognized it - extensive experience would do that. Rather than fight it, though, Kaylin leaned into it, and dropped her cards face down on the table next to her second glass. When Gladhron noted the animalistic prints he and his brother had found were larger than his hand, her gaze dropped to his hands, so she could estimate things correctly. For Narradir, for example, basically had shovels for hands. But Gladhron's were not as large. Anyway.

"This is almost from a book," Kaylin mumbled at Dom and Narradir, "or they got into the wrong shrooms before they got there." Then she grinned at Gladhron, nodding for him to continue. She leaned forward on the table with interest as he described how the feeling that he shouldn't be going up the stairs had grown with every step, and how he was starting to forget what he was doing. Her eyes widened a little and her lips parted. She was hanging onto every word by this point, and when he dramatically stated he suddenly wasn't on the stairs anymore, Kaylin dropped herself against the back of her chair. She put her glass to her lips and drink slowly, but deeply. "How?" she asked, in disbelief, once she'd swallowed it all back. Her first glass now nearly empty. Already. Her throat was tingling in that half-pleasant, half-numbing way.

"An hour!" she repeated, gaping at Gladhron for a moment before she shook her head with a grin. "Damn. This story is good." She glanced at Domanol, who was balancing on the two rear legs of his chair. Gladhron had been doing that, before, as well. Did they realize how much of a bait that was to her? Her blye-grey eyes dropped to her glass. The idea of pushing one of them over was only becoming more and more amusing... She blinked, holding it back, and shifted her attention back to Gladhron. "So!?" she asked, some urgency to her tone. "What happened next?!"

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gladhron
Dec 26 - Afternoon
Common room

Setting his coffee down, Gladhron couldn't help feeling pleased to hear Kaylin's comment that it was a good story. Then she demanded to know what happened next. And, he assumed, what was so 'unbelievable'. He leaned forward, glancing at each one in turn, looking as if he was about to reveal some extremely strange and wild detail about the story, before revealing what it was that he claimed to be so unbelievable; "Gwestion and I mutually agreed that it was time to get out of there... and we didn't even argue about it." He declared, in a tone as if this were the most surprising thing of all. He sat back then, trying (not very hard, and failing) to hide his amusement about that.

His amusement dropped away then, as he adopted a more serious tone and expression. "But even as we started back toward where we'd left our horses, a dark, heavy fog began to roll in. It was thicker even than that day we met you," He added with a nod at Domanol, as the other ranger was sure to recall that fog which had kept them all in confusion for a while until they learned that they were all on the same side. "In seconds, we could hardly even see each other. It wasn't just limiting our vision... we could feel the thickness of it. It was as if some dark force was pressing in on us, trying to prevent us from leaving. The weird whispering noises began to sound... stranger. Spookier." He lowered his voice as he spoke. "The light faded, and it became very disorienting. It was hard to keep our sense of direction straight, with nothing to use as a point of reference..."

He paused for breath before continuing. "Then, out of the murky darkness, there was this.. small, faint light. Just floating, right ahead of us. It seemed to become steadier as we focused on it... it was as if it were beckoning to us to follow, promising to guide us to safety. It began to glow brighter, but then it started to drift away, as if to encourage us to follow..."

He glanced around at his audience. His own cards were forgotten, just as theirs were. "And even as I was about to say that we ought to ignore that weird light, and keep away from it, my brother started walking toward it, as if he were in some sort of trance. I felt a sudden surge of panic, not knowing what it was, nor whether it was friendly, but I had a very bad feeling. And, remembering the strange, trance-like impulse I had felt when staring at those stairs, I started to suspect that something very bad was at work here. So, I grabbed his arm and practically dragged him off in the opposite direction!" He mimicked that motion as his voice gained a little urgency.

"I felt chills all over, and something in my gut was telling me to get us away from this spot, as quick as possible. That we were in serious danger. I kept pulling him along until he stopped resisting me, and then we kept going... but those voices..." He shivered. "The whispering voices, they seemed to follow us. And this time, I began to feel that I understood them, or at least had a sense of what they were saying. To me, it seemed like I was could hear a merry bonfire with people gathered around. I even thought I smelled wood burning. It brought to mind the warmth and safety of a big, blazing campfire. And the distant voices of other people." He paused, as if thinking back. "It was as if.. something.. was reading my mind to know exactly what I was wishing for right then. Lots of company, and a good, bright fire to ward off enemies, as well as to warm me of the chill I'd started to feel... plus, safety in numbers, you know?"

He hesitated briefly. "To my brother, however... he thought he heard the voice of someone close to his heart. Someone he'd been wishing to see again." He explained, keeping it vague. "It made him want to turn back and look for the source of that voice. But it was impossible for that person to be there." He shook his head, sitting back. He took a couple of seconds to think. "My theory? There was something there, something with terrible powers, that was trying to draw us apart. Make it easier to subdue us both. I don't know what it was, but it was.. unsuccessful, thankfully." He shrugged and went to take another drink of his coffee, only to discover that he'd finished it. "As we went along, I started focusing my thoughts on how fiercely I would defend my brother, and how we would fight together to defend one another, and we wouldn't let this.. thing.. drive us apart. Before long the.. whatever it was.. seemed to back off. The fog lifted a bit, and we were able to see again. The further we got from that place, the less oppressed we felt, and we were able to travel unhindered again. We got back to our horses eventually, and we hastened to put some distance between us and that place before we stopped to camp for the night..." He declared, wrapping up his tale.

Leaning back, he laced his hands behind his head and stretched, as well as he could while in his chair. The struggle to stay awake was getting harder to manage, but he was glad he'd gotten through the story, at least. He fought a yawn, and lost, before leaning forward to rest his arms on the table again. "As for how much of that you believe," He added, followed by another yawn, which he tried to cover with one hand. Afterward, he rested the side of his face in the same hand, with the elbow propped on the table. "You can decide that for yourselves." He smiled. His own mission now accomplished, he probably wouldn't be able to keep his eyes open much longer. He'd just sit here for a few moments longer, to hear their reactions and whatnot, before going up to his room to sleep.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

When Gladhron proudly declared that the two brothers had actually come to an agreement, .. as though that was the most unbelievable thing that the Northerner could conjure up, Domanol lowered his seat back to all of it’s four feet.

“Wow, that is ... truly ... unbelievable,” Narradir humoured the tale-teller still, in an apparent wonder, as though it were one of his own children reciting some story they were making up upon the spot. And when the apparent end to the account came …. with absolutely no conclusion whatsoever that would satisfy .. the former Ranger slow clapped long enough that it was noticeable before Domanol dipped two fingers in his drink and flicked their wet then in the forester’s direction.

The ‘spill’ did not take from the larger man’s smile though he ceased with his heavy applause. The eldest may not have been able to make head nor tail of this .. tale .. but .. “I really thought he was almost asleep .. this whole time !” Narry chuckled and raised a toast to their entertainer. “And I suppose you’ve been only pulling our leg about .. that ‘other thing’ .. as well ?” he raised one eyebrow even while dropping the other. “So you left. You didn’t even look back ?” A slow shake of the man’s head accompanied the words. “Doughty men such as yourselves, and you just … wow. That is .. yeh, unbelievable.”


“You’re trying to goad him into telling you more details,” Domanol recognised, and smirked, even as he laid his glass down to soak his forgotten playing cards. From his new, more secure balance, the accented man pressed the tips of all his fingers hard against each other. “It won’t work. I’m not sure he could even remember what he’s already told us at this point. I’ve seen some pretty unbelievable stuff in my time, and there’s plenty I’ve known that I can’t even explain. But that … was at least two separate stories, maybe more, melded into some sort of half baked mess. Or I’m a toad’s sister.”

Though he had not put away his smile, the story had slovenly unwound something in Dom which was hard to put back into it’s box. Maybe it was just the familiar setting of the tale, and maybe it was a disappointment or relief .. he couldn’t be sure which, that the story had come to naught in the end. There was enough truth and a taint of something harmless urged toward a far darker taste .. which had robbed all mirth of the rogue Ranger. He finished his drink, and shook off the bitter snap with a purposeful crick to his neck, as the whisky chased like a flaming river down the bed of his throat.


“I’ll be right back,” he assured them, and then fell in the process of standing up, as though his legs had not been ready. From under the table, the somewhat staggered assurance found his company from the resulting prone form. “I’m fine. Just … looking for my cards ..”

To which Narradir broke his composure and began to laugh. “Unbelievable ..” he said again, amidst the hearty guffaws.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

She rolled her eyes emphatically when Gladhron made it clear that the fact he and his brother agreeing about something might be the most unbelievable part of the story. "Cliché," she judged, shrugging with a smirk in case the remark drew forward some backlash.

The fog made her frown. Seconds? It felt thick? This was getting more and more unbelievable by the minute. Not that it had even been close to believable anymore. Nonetheless... it was an interesting story.

"I thought we were going to hear a true story," she finally said, raising her eyebrows. "But I'm with Dom, here. You have to have made up some things, and got a bit 'carried away' with a few others. Whatever truth is in there... I don't know where to look for it." She laughed. "Gotta say, though, you spun it really well." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "The ending could use some work," she advised. "Like Narradir pointed out, it's a bit of a dud that you just... left?" Kaylin looked thoughtful as she twirled her glass around in her hands.

The crash off to her other side drew her attention, and a flick of her eyes found Domanol... on the floor. Accompanied by loud and hearty laughter from his friend. Kaylin was soon laughing as well, prompted mostly by the forester's contagious laughter. "Your cards are on the table," she stated with a giggle, before slanting her head at Narradir. "Can he not handle his liquor?" she asked, not all as quietly as she had intended. Were Narradir and she the only ones at the table who could handle a few??

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gladhron
Dec 26 - Afternoon
Common room

He gave a little smile as the others at the table questioned the fact that they had left. "The plan was to return in the morning," He explained. "When we could better see what we were dealing with." Whatever else he may have added, he never got around to adding. His eyes were closing even as he spoke, and he hardly heard the comments about him being half asleep even while telling the story. Now that he had put his head into a comfortable position, sleepiness took over despite his best intentions. The murmur of voices around the table served to lull him even more fully into that restful state. Even when a clatter, thud, and boisterous laughter erupted from nearby, Gladhron found it difficult to even open his eyes to try and see what it was about.

---

Gwestion

He gave a slow shake of his head whilst listening. It was growing more evident how tired Gladhron was, and he wondered how much later he intended to try and stay up. Gwestion took another sip of his water as the tale came to an end, and took mental note of all the comments of the others.

When he heard someone fall, Gwestion glanced over. In all honesty, he fully expected it to be Gladhron on the floor. So, it was a little surprising when he saw that it was, in fact, Domanol. Gwestion blinked at this, then looked at the man's companions. One appeared to be sleeping, although Gladhron had his back to Gwestion so it was hard to be sure. The other two were laughing, and seemed very unlikely to offer any aid to the man on the floor.

After a few second's hesitation, Gwestion finished off the small bit of water left in his glass, then set the glass down and walked over, offering a hand down to Domanol. "Need a hand, friend?" He asked quietly, with only a hint of a smile on his face. A mixture of amusement and greeting. "Weren't you meant to be meeting Ms Seri, soon?" He added, raising an eyebrow at the apparent drunken state of the other man. If Domanol chose to take his hand, he would help him up to either his feet or his chair, before turning to the others, giving a polite nod to Kaylin, as well as to the man he didn't know. He looked down at his brother and had to refrain from rolling his eyes when he saw that he was, indeed, fast asleep already.

"I have to say, I agree with Kaylin..." Gwestion remarked, finding it somehow a tiny bit satisfying to call her by name, when Gladhron had made a couple of comments about how she did not know Gwestion. Although, it would have been better if Gladhron had been awake to react to that. Whatever. He continued, "The ending did seem a bit... lacking. But then, I suppose he was also limited by the fact that I believe he was trying to stick to.. at least the basic 'bones' of the story, if you will." He gave a small shrug. "My brother is much better at storytelling when he isn't half asleep, also." He assured the stranger, almost as if apologizing for his brother's condition.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

“To be properly fair to him, this isn’t exactly the first tavern we’ve tasted today,” Narradir confessed to Kaylin, while casting an eye down to where his friend had fallen. “Though I did think we’d make it at least as far as the fourth circle before he was laid flat. I’m not used to drinking with such lightweights ..” he mock lamented with an overly elaborate sigh.

“There you are !” Domanol meanwhile met the surprise intervention of Gwestion, as though his supposed missing cards had somehow appeared before him, rather than an old friend. Thankfully it was the latter who managed to see the fallen drinker back upright. “That,” he agreed when mention was coolly made of meeting Seri soon .. “That .. is why we’re here.” He threw both arms about the space to either side of him, to indicate their current playground. “She’s staying here, you know,” he tapped the side of his nose as he informed the younger man, who was no doubt already aware of this fact. Since Gwestion was a part of the group staying in the inn with the healer.


“So. This is the brother,” the forester supposed then, looking though to Kaylin rather than Gwestion himself for confirmation. A needless exercise all the same, as the Northerner proclaimed the sleepy Gladhron as his sibling aloud. “I’m the babysitter,” Narradir nodded an assent toward the newcomer. “For wartface over here,” he indicated the man who had presumed himself a toad’s sister, not mere moments ago.

“My brother is usually his babysitter,” Dom corrected him, and went in search of another chair which he stole from a nearby and unoccupied table, with an exaggerated ‘sneakiness’ that made Alf blink to behold.


“He didn’t seem half asleep a moment ago,” Narry recalled, as the latest arrival tried to explain away his sibling’s questionable cognition. “Unless he talks in his sleep. That was one hey of a show, for all the sense it didn’t make”. As he exchanged a curious glance with the woman, the large man picked up his seat and shuffled his way over a little to make space for another body around their table. “You want to try and do one better ?” he presumed, in a welcome sort of challenge to Gwestion.

It was at that point when Domanol returned, with a new chair in both hands, but no sooner had he placed it in the cleared gap and sat down upon it’s seat, he appeared to answer for the new contender. Only to succumb to yet further encouragement.


“Ohhh I’ve got a story, hear me out.” he bellowed half in tune, turning his head expectantly to Narradir, who didn’t disappoint.

“Tell us all your story !” the forester put in, in a lower responsive tone.

“I’ve got a tale you’ll surely doubt ..” Domanol resumed, against all good sense.

“Tell us all your story !” Narry echoed his own line. As though it was almost rehearsed. Or at least that they were both familiar with the song. For as Dom began to stamp one foot, Narradir drummed his closed fists down on the table, with a musical exuberance. In time to the apparently spontaneous verse ..


“Oh I met a girl in a far off land *
the finest girl around.
Her hair was black, ran down her back
and trailed across the ground.
Well life and death she holds in hand
a kiss hid in her lips
I took my own life in my hands
when my hands found her hips.”


“Ohhh I’ve got a story, hear me out.” Narradir then took his turn in claiming, as he paused his fist thumping in the same second that his friend ceased stamping up a storm.

“Tell us all your story !” Dom laughed his way through his own musical cue.

“I’ve got a tale you’ll surely doubt ..” the forester warned them in his turn.

“Tell us all your story !” Dom did not fail to play his part, and then took his own turn slapping palms down on the table, in time, as the larger man tried his hand at an impromptu rhyme.


“When roaming through the woods so wild
a monster did I spy
Was twice as large as any barge
with one great gloomy eye
My knees began to tremble
as we approached through the fog
But when it cleared, all I had feared
was a giant mossy log.”


Glancing toward Domanol then, Narradir found his friend not seizing up the reins of another turn. Instead the accented man had both eyes set firm upon Gwestion. Whether he was inviting the younger man to sing his own try at a verse, or else simply try his hand at bettering an unbelievable story .. the floor was undeniably thrown in the new man’s direction.


*All credit for this inspired nonsense is awarded to the song ‘Tall Tales’, as performed by the Wellermen.""

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

"Ahhh," she said knowingly, touching one finger to the side of her nose at Narradir's admission that this hadn't been their first stop. "I respect that," she added, leaning back into her chair with some misplaced kind of approval. A grin worked its way across her face when the forester mentioned lightweights. "Who isn't a lightweight, compared to you, I wonder?" she challenged. He was a big man, and he was clearly used to the alcohol. She wouldn't be able to hold her own against him, either. Their body types were simply too different, she assumed. Unless he was better at bluster... Or if he might not be as good in mixing his drinks as Kaylin was...

Luckily, a distraction from such dangerous thoughts and experiments came quickly. In the form of Gladhron's brother. At Narradir's assumption/question, Kaylin nodded with a surprised smile. "This is he," she confirmed, before shooting Gwes that very same smile. "Hi, Gwestion. Done with the obstacle courses, then?"

She rolled her eyes at the talk of babysitters. "It's a shame that grown men have a need for babysitters," she declared. "Somehow, that doesn't quite seem right, does it?"
Chuckling as she regarded Gladhron, half - or fully - asleep, his chin in the palm of his hand, his elbow propped up on the table. "Though I guess I can see why..." She sighed. "It's pretty tempting to push that elbow," she admitted to everyone around the table. Then she raised her hands a little. "But! I will refrain!" It would be a hard smack onto the table, if Gladhron was truly sleeping by now. She didn't want to actually hurt him.

Wonderinghow much Gwestion was going to correct about his brother's story, Kaylin was however once again swiftly and pleasantly distracted by the little show that Narradir and Domanol were putting on. She slapped her hand on the table, along with the rhythm of the song, and grinned broadly during their performance. "Hear, hear!" she exlcaimed, when both of them had taken a turn, and she laughed before putting her glass to her lips.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gwestion

As Gwandhyra, or rather Dom, flung his arms wide while declaring that meeting Seri was the reason he was here, Gwestion smoothly dodged the nearest arm before he got struck in the head by it, and raised an eyebrow as the drunken ranger informed him that Seri was staying here. "You don't say?" Gwestion answered, in a tone that suggested surprise at learning this bit of information. Yet, at the same time, there was a hint of something akin to sarcasm hiding in the tone, also. Noticeable to those who knew how to recognize it, anyway.

As the unknown man spoke up, Gwestion turned to him with a polite incline of his head, even as Kaylin confirmed that he was, indeed 'the brother'. He looked at Kaylin with a brief nod to answer her question. "Yes," he managed to give only a short verbal answer, before the other two men drew his attention back to them, with talk of babysitters. Gwestion glanced from one to the other. If it had been only Gwandhyra involved, he would have made a teasing remark about that. But he did not know the other man, and did not want to risk him possibly being insulted by what was meant as a joke. "I'm sure it is very necessary." He answered, instead, with a seemingly serious nod. "I happen to know that he does need a bit of watching." He 'confided', even as the subject of this matter 'sneaked' an additional chair over to their table. Gwestion gave him a look that was somewhere between slightly amused, and slightly puzzled. Why was he sneaking it? He decided that it was best not to ask. The guy was a bit drunk, obviously, and therefore, clearly not thinking at his best.

Taking that as an invitation to join them, Gwestion gave a little nod in thanks to his fellow northern ranger before he claimed the empty seat that was left for him, while the largest member of their group questioned whether Gladhron talked in his sleep. "I wouldn't say that he doesn't..." Gwestion answered slowly, as he ventured a glance at his brother, hiding a little smile of amusement. He could certainly tell them about a few occasions where Gladhron started talking a lot of nonsense while fast asleep, but he wouldn't. He glanced at the man who he still did not know, when he questioned whether Gwestion might tell a better story. Shaking his head slightly, he answered, "I'm no storyteller. I leave that for Gladhron, for he enjoys it. And he is very good at it. I'm... not." He explained. He was also not very good at socializing, nor did he enjoy being the center of attention anywhere.

It was about that time that Kaylin spoke of her temptation to knock his elbow out from under him. Gwestion was about to say something else, when the other two began to... sing? He turned back to look at first Dom, then his friend, blinking at them each with bafflement. What exactly was happening, anyway? He stared at Dom while he was going through his 'verse', and couldn't help but wonder if he had made up that song with Seri in mind, for this 'girl in a far-off land' sounded rather like Seri's description. Except her hair didn't trail on the ground.

When the other man took up the song and spoke of a monster that turned out to be a log, Gwestion settled back in his seat with folded arms, wondering if this was a side-effect of them having been drinking. He half expected Kaylin to burst into song next, but she did not. Instead, it seemed that they were all... looking at him? Gwestion shifted slightly in his seat, a bit unsure what to say or do. He was definitely not going to be singing.

"Well," He paused, then cleared his throat, uncomfortable with everyone looking at him. "I.. don't sing." He made clear, in case they were expecting any such thing. "And... I don't know if I ought to go "messing up" his story," He glanced at his dozing brother, frowning a little. "But there were plenty of facts which were... bent, shall we say, for the sake of his embellishments." He shrugged. "I could straighten out a few of those, if you really want me to. For, while he does know how to make a story quite intriguing, that one in particular was already rather strange and mysterious enough, in my opinion, before he altered anything about it." He shrugged slightly, a bit reluctant, but at the same time, the tale was strange enough without all Gladhron's embellishments and exaggerations and such.

Rather than launching into any such corrections, he turned toward the man whom he did not know. "First things first, however. You've heard my name plenty, from the sheer amount of times it's been thrown around just during that tale," He mentioned with a vague gesture toward Gladhron. "And I know theirs," He added with a nod toward Dom and Kaylin. "But I have not heard yours." he raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Or would you like me to refer to you as 'Dom's babysitter' for the remainder of the evening, anytime I might have cause to address you?" He added, with a hint of subtle teasing hiding in his tone.

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

“Well, there once was such a one ..,” Narradir raised an index finger, and leaned in, dramatically, looking rather ready to let Kaylin know quite who might be named as a worthy challenger to his own ale-ish appetite. While Gwestion and Domanol began working their way to sit at the table. “But he’s all drunked-out now, whereas I had several years off,” the forester kicked back both feet and dried the cards that Dom had wet with his spilt brew, with his sleeve. “I’m all set playing catch up, see ?” And to make good his vow, he then elected to raise and finish Domanol’s remaining drink for him, a favour to be certain.

“Who said ‘need’ ?” the rogue ranger wanted to know, as he was handed his emptied glass, and brown eyes glared at it hard, trying to work out how that had happened.

Narradir meanwhile was amused at the redhead’s latest tease. “Do it do it do it ..” he began a chant and looked set to start up drumming the tabletop again. But then rounded off, in a slump against his creaking seat as the woman refused to give in to the temptation of knocking Gladhron from his ‘perch’. “Dohhhhhhh ..” the lament sidled away slowly in a deep throated disappointment.

Domanol joined the complaint with a hearty “Bah !” as Gwestion proclaimed himself to be ‘no good’ at story telling, and then went on to assure them that he wasn’t going to sing either. Narry rolled his eyes when ‘facts’ were mentioned and Dom looked about ready to swallow his own fist with amusement when the large man turned suddenly in his seat, apparently summoned by the newcomer’s attention.


“Thirst, did you say ? You have a thirst ?” Narradir looked quite blatantly about them for the publican, until Domanol flicked a still slightly damp playing card across the table at him. And the elder pointed a finger back at him, warningly.

“I bet he doesn’t do that either ..” the Raxelilta mentioned, with a slow shake of his head. To which his large friend snorted once in either amazement or despair, and then placed one hand flat on the table, stood up overly abrupt, and tilted the entire table (that Gladhron was resting his elbow-perch upon) off kilter, as he reached fast across and thrust his other hand obligingly toward Gwestion’s face for introduction. It was only manners after all.


“Narradir” the owner of that name declared, in an overly friendly motion that had frightened people who had found themselves faced with it before now.

“The one … the only ..” Dom put in, once he’d screeched his chair back to avoid the entire contents of the table being tipped into his lap.

“Now shut that,” he was warned by his ‘babysitter’, who calmly sat down, far more calmly than he had gotten up. “Obstacle man here is going to tell us a story ..” Narry reminded his now chortling friend, and then waved one hand as though to encourage Gwestion to do so. “Come now. Speak up." He wiggled a finger in one ear. "Some of us are old and ..”

“.. bald and …” Dom put in, thoughtfully, since he was sitting safe enough in distance to do so.

But the forester only threw his head back in a giggled pitch that sounded as he must have borrowed it from somebody else. And then he pointed back toward young Gwestion with both thumbs and said “Go !”

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

Kaylin wasn't sure at this point whom Gwestion was referring to, when he opinionated that a babysitter was necessy, and then that 'he' needed a bit of watching. Who? Domanol? Or Gladhron? Kaylin looked thoughtful as her elbow was perched on the table, one of her two drinks close - but not quite at - her lips. She decided Gwestion might even mean both Gladhron and Domanol. She was pleasantly inebriated enough not to feel the need for clarification.

As Gwestion was looking onto the singing with his arms crossed, Kaylin leaned toward him a little. "You want this?" she asked, pointing at the second glass of liquor. She had not touched that one, yet. Even though she had drank from the glass earlier, before the refill. And so had Gladhron - since it was originally his. If Gwestion declined, she would soon be starting in on it herself. If he accepted, then maybe the man would loosen up a little, she figured.

Narradir finishing Dom's drink, made Kaylin chuckle. "Such a good friend you are," she complimented the forester. And shrugged in apology when he seemed disappointed she wasn't going to push Gladhron's perch away from under him. "You do it, if you want to so badly," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I won't be held responsible for his teeth biting off part of his tongue when his chin hits the table," she added pointedly. "He seems like the type of guy who likes to talk. He'd miss it."

"Aww," she reacted as Gwestion said he did not sing, even though she was grinning. Somehow, she hadn't expected Gwestion to do anything of the sort. He seemed much too serious for that. Listening to what Gwestion had to say of his brother's storytelling and embellishments, Kaylin shrugged. "A few embellishments can really upgrade a story," she said lightly. "They elevate a story to an experience," she stated.

Soon, though, Narradir seemed to be following up on her earlier comment, as if it had been a suggestion rather than a warning. As him rising from his seat to offer Gwestion his hand, tilted the whole table! Having to choose quickly between saving Gladhron or the drinks, Kaylin blinked rapidly and then shot out her free hand to save the second glass Alf had poured for her. The one that was free of charge... for you did not waste such a gift! Did you?!

With one glass in both hands, lifted up from the table, even after the table had resumed its originally level position, Kaylin glanced over at Gladhron to see what had become of the older brother, even as Narradir was coaxing Gwestion into telling his version of the story...

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gwestion

While wondering what exactly had prompted the duo's random burst of singing, Gwestion's attention was drawn to Kaylin as she offered him one of the glasses before her. Gwestion gave a small shake of his head. "No, thank you," He answered quietly. While it was kind of her to offer, he had no interest in whatever that was, nor did he want to take one of her drinks. He had observed her ordering them, earlier, and he knew she had almost insisted on having both glasses refilled, for herself.

The obvious disappointment expressed by the others, when he declared that he would not be singing, nor telling stories, made Gwestion wonder if he was suddenly unwelcome at the table. He started questioning whether he would be better off to simply aid his drowsy brother upstairs and find something else to do, he was left a bit at a loss for words when the big man confused the word 'first' with 'thirst', and then Dom (rightly) guessed that Gwestion did not drink.

Then, almost before he could blink, the large man seemed to suddenly lunge across the table with a hand outstretched, tilting the entire table in the process. Though startled by the way he chose to 'introduce' himself, Gwestion didn't flinch, and slowly reached out his own hand, meet the extended hand with his own in an obliging handshake. "Gwestion." He replied to Narradir, although unnecessarily, since everyone at the table already knew his name by now.

As Narradir sat down again, Gwestion glanced with some concern to see how his brother had fared. Gladhron's elbow had slipped off when the table tilted, his head dropping a few inches before he, waking slightly, caught himself with an instinctive jerk, and looked blearily around, blinking in confusion. After seeing no cause for alarm, like an invasion of enemies they needed to fight, he folded his arms on the table, rested his head on them, and promptly relaxed into sleep again, without even noticing the addition to the table.

Gwestion watched with concealed amusement, shaking his head slightly when he saw that Gladhron was simply going to go back to sleep. Unsure how he felt about being called 'obstacle man', Gwestion decided not to take it personally, unless such a 'nickname' persisted. Still.. he wondered if he had not been clear enough in stating that he was not intending on telling a story. After a little hesitation when Narradir pointed at him and said 'go', he folded his hands together with elbows propped on the table, and lightly pressed his folded hands against his chin, thoughtfully looking around the table. "Alright, I will tell you, on one condition," He declared. "That, afterward, at least one of you assist me in getting him upstairs to our room." He nodded toward Gladhron, for he was clearly beyond ready for sleep.

While he could manage it on his own, if he really had to, it would be far easier to have help, for Gladhron was a bit bigger built than Gwestion, and it was harder for Gwestion to carry Gladhron, than the other way around. And anyway, while he didn't know Narradir anywhere near enough to call him a friend, he did know Dom, and the other man was obviously an old friend of his. And Kaylin seemed alright; Gwestion had come to like her well enough, during the brief time they had sparred together. Asking a simple favor like this seemed like a good way to test such friendships, to see if any of them were willing to aid him.

After getting at least one answer in the affirmative, Gwestion sat back with a faint smile. "Alright then." He grew thoughtful, mentally retracing back to the beginning of Gladhron's version of events. "Well. To begin with, your storyteller here either forgot, or neglected, to mention that the villagers who told us about this... monster... also claimed to have caught glimpses of it." He mentioned. "They gave some rather.. wild descriptions of it, and some seemed rather fantastical to me. They spoke of a humanoid like creature, walking on two legs, but abnormally tall, with strangely shaped legs. Some claimed that it had the head and legs of a deer, with antlers on its head, and so on." He paused, frowning. "Naturally, I felt skeptical. I felt sure there must be an explanation. But there were other claims which troubled me further. Some of the people who claimed to have seen this creature, claimed also that it has red, glowing eyes, and that its deer-like head was only a skull, with sharp fangs... but others described odd things about its presence. That it gave off an eerie sensation when one gets near to it. That, when venturing too close to its territory, one will begin to feel disoriented, and a sense of dread and terror will overcome you, and so forth. Nonsense, as far as I figured. Overactive imaginations of frightened people, about something they did not understand." He gave a small shrug. "I felt sure that when we had investigated the matter, we would find all the answers needed to explain all of it."

He glanced at Gladhron, who was still sleeping. He shook his head slightly and went on. "Another fact which he so conveniently left out, no doubt to add to the eeriness of his tale, was that all of those corpses we found... were the bodies of orcs. Not humans. Not animals. Only orcs." He paused, lacing his fingers together, and rested them on the table. "They were strung up in a gruesome manner, almost as if on display. It was... shocking, of course, for it was late when we reached the place. Nearly dusk, so, there was not as much light as I would have liked. That was why it took us a moment to realize what the shapes were, among the trees." He explained. "But we could certainly smell them, and we had no doubt that there was something dead nearby. We just were not expecting.. that." He looked down at his hands, thoughtful as he pondered what detail to explain next. "As for the one which 'swooped down at us'," He gave a wry little smile, glancing up. "It was obvious that someone had rigged it to do just that, in the event that anyone entered the clearing. One of us apparently stepped on a trip wire and set it off. It was cleverly hidden, but we did find the source before long."

"Oh... and as for the 'whispering'?" He tilted his head, thinking. "There was an odd sound, which I suppose could seem like eerie, discordant 'whispering', but it was not made by the corpses." One corner of his mouth tugged upward slightly. "We found... something, tied up into the treetops. I'm not sure what to call them, but it was some device which hung high up in the branches, and when the breeze shook the limbs, it caused these things to begin making noise." He shrugged. "That, along with some sort of bone "wind chimes", the noise was rather creepy until we knew what it was."

He looked at them each. "My thoughts, at that point, were heavily leaning toward a human, although there were still several things that I wanted explained. I wanted to confirm that it was in fact a human, and also, to be sure that the people of the village were in no danger. So far, all the signs seemed to imply that the only ones in any danger around there, were orcs... but I wanted to be sure. That's why we kept searching for more recent signs of this... being." He explained. "But, as he said, we could find nothing to indicate that the person responsible for all of this had been there in.. at least half a year." He shrugged. "Yet, as he said.. there were some of the bodies which had died more recently. But what he neglected to mention was that those had been caught in traps, which had apparently been left active. Whether this person went away and just neglected to disarm the trap, or.. if they meant to come back, but met with some misfortune, I don't know. I hoped to find some sort of indication, but it was growing dark, and we were not having much luck in finding any sort of tracks. We decided to look around until we could not see anymore, then set up a camp somewhere, and look some more in the morning."

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

As Domanol began to slowly pick up the fallen cards from the floor, and Narradir admired Kaylin’s hasty rescue of her drink(s), Gwestion set out to correct the tale which Gladhron had already told. On one condition. That he gain some help to work the sleepy man upstairs to his bed afterwards ?

“I’ll carry him up over one shoulder like a burping baby if you sing us this story ?” the forester made his counter proposal. And dodged a friendly punch on one shoulder from his oldest friend, as a consequence. But since the new arrival had obtained at least one promise without any such strings, the same story as before took a second round at trying to be understood. Domanol laid the cards all in one messy pile in the middle of the righted table, since it seemed the card game was over. Since he had no drink to sup from, somehow .. again .. he focused instead on trying to straighten the small ‘mountain’ of cards by bringing his hands flat at it from each side in turn. Narradir meanwhile leaned back in his seat, with both long legs stretched out before him, crossed at the ankles under the table. His head tilted toward Gwestion, to determine if it would all make more sense this time.


It was no surprise that of course it did. Since the teller this time was mostly concerned with relaying the more precise and proper details. To the point that it felt they were hearing now how a magician had managed his trick. The facts, the truth, behind the smoke and mirrors. There was no risk that this tale could be counted as ‘unbelievable’ as anything else they had heard today and in fact it was over far quicker than the first version had been. So much so that Narradir started up from how he’d slouched and glanced at Domanol with a furrowed brow.

“So. All that .. ” a large hand was gyrated on it’s wrist, as a fair descriptive word escaped the man’s thinking. “The thing with the staircase ? The time loss. And the voices .. that was all a dream or something I suppose ?” He puzzled in his confusion before this second brother, while beside him Domanol fell from a shrug into a yawn. The latter then shook himself into starting a slow clap until Narradir stopped him, with a large hand descending gently onto one of Dom’s shoulders.


“Right,” the larger man then clapped his hand together once. “You want to take up his head or his feet, Red ?” he asked Kaylin, indicating toward their seated sleeper and assuming, like Domanol had also, that the story was ended. After all, Gladhron’s story had concluded with them going someplace else safer to camp for the night, to which he had then tacked on that they were intending to properly investigate the next morning. Gwestion’s story had just similarly come to a pause with the two brothers reportedly having gone to set up a camp somewhere, and then look again the next morning.

It seemed that at least the ending had been the same.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

Gladhron hadn't fallen on the floor. He hadn't even hit his head against the table. Kaylin gaped at him as he looked around without really seeing anything (or at least that's what it looked like) and then just. Put his head. Down on the table. And slept on.

"Wow. He can sleep anywhere," she commented after blinking, and she raised an eyebrow at Gwestion. "Probably pretty convenient when you're camping. Right?" When Gwestion asked for help in relocating Gladhron to their room upstairs, Kaylin raised her glasses and shrugged. "Sure thing."

She shoved the empty glass away from her, instead turning to nurse the glass Gwestion had turned down. Her head was pleasantly tilting, though she thought she could probably still walk straight. It would probably be best to call it quits with the booze, after this one. She'd been making pretty quick work of all of her drinks. And she no longer spent nearly every other night at a pub or tavern, now Thullir was stationed at Minas Tirith alongside her. A little smile tilted her lips, at that thought, and a warm feeling - that was not liquor-related - spread across her chest. Even while Gwestion was taking a lot of the magic out of Gladhron's tale.
She was still paying enough attention, however, to feel pleased with her earlier assessment. "I said it sounded human," she told Narradir and Domanol triumphantly. "Never doubted it for a second."

Narradir's question made Kaylin glance back at Gladhron. "Head," she determined. "I don't do guy feet," she declared with a grin, leaving it to the fellows to figure out the possible reasons why. The redhead made a bit of a face, though, as she looked from Narradir back to Gladhron, then to Gwestion, then... the bar. "Are we really not messing with him at all?" she mildly complained, seemingly seeking support from Domanol and Narradir with pleading eyes. Then she lifted a finger as she looked at Gwestion. "One moment," she requested, before gathering all the cards on the table and taking them with her to the bar. It took a moment longer than usual to steady herself after standing, but walking still mostly worked like she was used to.

Shortly thereafter, she returned with ink and a small brush. She didn't know what Alf or Hildy used the brush for, but she had gone out on a limb and asked - and they'd given it to her. The return of the cards had only seemed fair, since she'd been asking to borrow something else.
With a smug facial expression, she set the ink down on the table. Once she was seated once again, she waved the brush around. "Pleaaaaase," she asked Gwestion, her tone all innocence. "It doesn't have to be his face. I'll settle for an arm."

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gwestion

With a little shake of his head, Gwestion turned down Narradir's offer. As he had said... he was not going to sing. Thankfully, Kaylin accepted his condition without one of her own. As well as briefly distracting him with a comment about his brother's ability to sleep anywhere. Gwestion glanced at him with a faint smile and nodded. "Indeed, he can." He agreed, before letting out a soft sigh. "Sometimes convenient.. for him. Sometimes inconvenient, for me." He shrugged.

He blinked and returned his gaze to Narradir when the man assumed that his 'corrections' to the tale were done. "Ah, right. The.. "staircase". The explanation for that is simple enough. I was coming to that, and the rest, but..." Gwestion sat back, looking at him as he seemed eager to go ahead and move Gladhron upstairs. "I can end there, if you are bored." He added, shrugging. "I told you that I am not good at stories."

Just then, Kaylin decided to leave the table. Gwestion watched her go, curious what she was up to. When she returned with a paint brush and ink, and practically requested permission to draw on Gladhron, Gwestion stared for a couple of seconds at her, then at Gladhron. Then at her again, keeping a serious expression on his face as he leaned slightly closer to her. "If you actually intend to do this," He said with a small frown, "Then I hope you intend to let everyone have a turn." He concluded, still keeping a straight face, though with amusement in his eyes. Then he allowed a small smile. "And we must take care not to wake him."

[Ercassie]

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

Narradir had met Kaylin’s proud celebration with a smile and a “Clever girl.” But Domanol was not yet too drunk to note that Gwestion hadn’t confirmed that their ‘monster’ was a human. He had only said that he’d suspected it. And Dom knew at least one renegade Elf who he wouldn’t have been surprised to hear was responsible for such atrocities, not to mention an Orc or two as well. That breed was not above slaughtering their own, in fact it was often the typical response to any petty disagreement. Still he did not venture anything of his opinions into their mix.

Narradir and Kaylin were already proposing to bear an oblivious Gwestion up to bed. Or maybe find some other entertainment from the early dozer, for the woman swopped out the playing cards for another resource from the bar.

“I thought he had ended it ?” the forester puzzled to his closer friend meanwhile, and found no answer that would suggest Dom had felt otherwise. But the point was moot regardless. For as the redhead returned, it seemed that yet another table activity would give way to some new successor.


That it was Gwestion who suddenly was all for the most mischievous plot they’d hatched thus far .. surprised Narradir; who nonetheless rubbed his hands together and sat up.

“He’s certainly not bored now,” Domanol laughed. He was about as shocked at the large man’s sudden enthusiasm as he wasn’t about the reserved man’s sudden rascality. For Gwestion had certainly proven, before this day, that it really sometimes was the quiet ones you had to watch. After all, although such folks tended to say little on most subjects, who knew really what they were privately thinking ?


“Smaller hands first then,” Narradir suggested, for he knew his own were not the most agile around this table. He nodded to Kaylin as though he’d just asked her to prove her hand could still prove steady. “Else he’ll wake too soon,”

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Hyandaner Kaylin
December 26th, afternoon

Wonder above wonder! Kaylin's lips slowly grew into a wildly amused grin as Gwestion gave his approval with such a magnificently straight face! She chuckled, unable to keep her amusement contained, although she did not want to laugh too loudly, given she truly did not want to wake Gladhron at this point.

She turned her grin on Domanol when he said Narradir was no longer bored. Kaylin smirked at both of them, and nodded when Narradir gave her leave to go first. Flexing her fingers first, she assessed Gladhron's position second. His arms and head were on the table. One side of his face rested on his arms. The other side was...available. For a moment, she considered inking the back of his neck, thinking he'd never figure it out and might not even wash it off properly for a while yet. On the other hand, however, odds that anyone were to see it, were also rather small. If she managed to draw on his hand or arm, it would be more visible but he would notice right away. Yeah. Maybe the face was best.

First she deftly used the brush to flip some of Gladhron's hair out of his face. Immediately after doing so, she winked at Narradir, feeling like he'd know the best what a feat such a move was when you'd honestly already had a bit too much to drink. After dipping the brush into the inkpot, she set to work. On Gladhon's exposed cheekbone.

When she was done, she grinned at her work, and then dropped the quill into the inkpot even as she dropped herself back into her chair. "There," she stated, quite pleased with the little cat face she'd drawn on the grown man's face, as well as the long whiskers she'd given him - although she'd only been able to complete them on his exposed side. "Cats sleep anywhere, as well. Who's next?"

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn

Gwestion

Hearing Narradir's comment that he thought he had ended it, Gwestion calmly sat back and shook his head, giving an answer in the negative. He watched as a very thrilled Kaylin got to work drawing on his brother's face, showing off a bit by using the brush to get Gladhron's hair out of his face. When he began to see what she was drawing on him, Gwestion bit his lip and got up quietly to go to the bar, hiding a little smile. After asking for a glass of water, he returned to the table, sipping it slowly.

Kaylin was just dropping back into her chair as Gwestion paused to examine her work. He gave a small nod of 'approval' and took the brush out of the inkpot, wordlessly claiming the next turn. First, however, he wanted to wait for the ink that was already on Gladhron's face to dry, so he didn't do anything just yet. While he waited, however, he quietly answered Narradir's comment, though a bit belatedly. "If you recall, in Gladhron's.. version.. he and I split up to search for tracks, and it was then that he found this... staircase." He reminded him. "And I have just stated that we decided to look around for tracks until it was too dark to see." He explained.

"As for the "staircase"," He shook his head slightly in wonder, "I wouldn't call it that, but.." He paused, thinking. "There was a rope ladder, pulled up into the top of a tree. It was hidden, but apparently the weather had blown the end of it just enough that it caught Gladhron's eye, and he became very interested in it. I knew I was within calling distance, but I did not hear him for a while, so I called to him and got no answer. Then, I came looking, and found that.. he was staring up into the tree. It wasn't that he was 'entranced' by some mystical power." He clarified. "He simply.. was more interested in his new find, than in answering me." He tried to word it in a nicer way than 'he ignored me and didn't realize how much it would concern me not to get an answer'.

Deeming that enough time had passed now, for the ink to be dry, Gwestion very lightly tickled the side of Gladhron's nose. The side closest to the table. Gladhron twisted his nose but didn't move. Gwestion waited a moment, then tickled again, until Gladhron shifted to turn his head the other way. After waiting for a few seconds to let him get settled and fall asleep again, Gwestion began to work on completing the other half of Kaylin's artwork, while he spoke quietly. "The tree had some branches that looked climbable, for someone lightweight. Gladhron decided he was going to climb up there and bring the ladder down, to see what was up there. I warned him not to try it, because those branches didn't look sturdy enough... but he would not heed my warning." He explained.

"The part in his tale where he, upon reaching the top, suddenly was no longer on the stairs, and in another part of the forest..." He shook his head. "What actually happened there, is that the branch broke from under him. It is true that he was no longer at the top of this.. 'stair' anymore," He allowed with a vague smile. "And when he awoke a few minutes later, I was indeed very concerned about him. Not because he had been relocated, but because he had knocked himself unconscious upon landing." He rolled his eyes slightly, then stepped back with a nod of satisfaction. Gladhron now had the rest of his cat whiskers, and all else that Kaylin had drawn on the other side of his face was now mirrored on the new side. Then, turning to the other two men, he offered the brush to whichever would like to take it from him.

After handing it over, Gwestion returned to his seat. "He did manage to pull the rope ladder down when he fell," He added thoughtfully. "I climbed up carefully, while Gladhron recovered. I found the devices which were used to make the strange noises we had heard, which seemed like eerie whispering or such. I have no name for it, but it was certainly nothing supernatural. Simply a tube, with a long, flexible, tightly wound spring hanging from the end. When shaken, it makes the sound we heard, and several of these had been tied up into the treetops where we found the dead orcs. I imagine, the person who did so had intended for these to sound eerie and to frighten any who came upon that gruesome scene. But why, I couldn't say."

[Eldrith]

Istriel
February

A young woman, dressed respectable in traveling clothes was not a sight that would draw attention. This time of year, so many traveled. as some of the cold started to fade and before planting season began. There wasn’t anything special about this traveler. A large basket carried on her back could hold goods to trade, gifts for a relative, the possessions of a traveler intending to stay on the road for a long time.. A traveling cloak hung heavily around her made of good, sturdy wool. The cooler air of the morning had the hood held up, but when looking straight on not much of her face was obscured. An eminently normal face, with relatively fair skin, brown eyes and a mouth that seemed large and quick to laugh. It was not the first time she’d entered the city, but it had been years since. It once had been an annual pilgrimage of a sort. Though many years ago it had lost it's goal. And this year, this year would be different. This year she would STAY. She had tried before and hadn't been able to make it work, but now.. surely.. It would not take that long to find employment. To find direction. To find where she would fit and be what she was.. Meant to be? Whatever that was. She was young. She was strong. She had a good voice and a good head on her shoulder. She was used to working hard. She could even write AND do sums. And she could organize a larder, keep a house clean, and she was more than used to selling things at the market. She had a few names written down, people to call on if she didn’t find something herself.

Her aunt didn’t understand why Istriel wasn’t just finding a nice young man and set to the business of getting married and do good work in her own household instead. But she had approved of the plan. Finding work.. In a shop. In a place where she could start something, and see if it was for her, would set her on a respectable path and hopefully cure the restlessness that sometimes worried her.. And if it didn’t work out, why she could always come back home, right?

She chose a respectable looking inn and reminded herself that it wasn’t the first time she traveled. But it was the first time she traveled alone, without a set plan. Without any of the other 'uncles' slipping out of the woodwork and coming to help her, with an invitation for a meal and never too many questions. A few days. It would only be a few days that there were no plans. Then she would find work. Perhaps an apprenticeship. That sounded interesting. Learning something new. Learning something you didn’t learn in her village. There wasn’t anything wrong there. It was lovely. But she felt like a stranger, no matter how much kindness was surrounding her.

The inn had a proper wooden board and was close enough to the actual market that it would not usually cater to too many of the unsavory kind. She hoped. So he stepped in, straightening her shoulders with a look of mostly hope and a little bit of trepidation mixed in it. Inn keepers knew the town. They knew the gossip. And they would probably be a lead to where to start.

[Rillewen]

@Eldrith

|
Wisteria & Erynneth
February

The door swept open, and a young woman of about fifteen or possibly sixteen, burst through it, along with a blast of icy February wind from outside. Her warm, pink coat served as a shield against the cold. Yet her cheeks were flushed and rosy, and an inextinguishable smile warmed her features, as if she had hardly felt the cold at all. Leaving the door flung wide open, she twirled her way further into the room, her coat and skirts billowing out slightly as she did.

Behind her, another young woman around the same age stepped in, wrapped in a long, green cloak, reddish hued hair blowing freely in the breeze, contained only by two thin braids on each side, which met at the back of her head and joined with the rest of her hair. She pushed the door closed, shutting the cold outside where it belonged. Seeing the first girl bounce merrily over to the bar counter, she shook her head in mild amusement at her brown-haired friend. She stuffed her gloves into the pockets of her cloak before hanging the warm winter wrap on a hook beside the door.

"Hello!" Wist offered a warm smile to the young woman already there as she slipped onto one of the stools, nearby, but not so near that her arrival should be seen as an intrusion. "How are you?"

Eryn followed as a less energetic pace, taking up a seat on the other side of Wisteria, offering a friendly smile to the stranger as well. She did not feel her usual cheery self, but she was trying not to spoil Wisteria's cheery mood, for the other girl certainly had cause to be cheerful today. "Looks like Alf and Hildy might be busy at the moment," She mentioned to Wist, having not seen either of the proprietors emerge yet from the kitchen or wherever they happened to be.

[Eldrith]

Istriel
February

The door opened and she turned at the change in the air. She wasn't particularly vigilant but several of the patrons looked up too, with that common hint of annoyance at the cold air wafting through the pleasant warmth, acceptance since it was part of the time of year and an idle curiosity to see who had entered. Istriel's curiosity might be a bit more pointed, a bit more vulnerable. She didn't KNOW people here, though she remembered knowing people in the past. Childhood memories of being bounced on a knee or being past around a table from one set of strong arms to another while laughter and stories flowed. Still, none of that helped her right now.

She moved slightly to let the two past, as they hopped on a stool, one swift as a hare, the other a hint slower but not morose exactly.

Hello...
She finally managed, still standing half between the entrance, half between that large counter. Good. Great. She wasn't usually so slack tongued. What was the matter with her? She had been in this city before. She'd visited. And she had planned to stay before. And had ended up back at her mother's house. This time.. she was determined to stay. Or to go further to another city. To .. something. It was as if there was something inside her that kept her from settling into the work of a wife and mother, and she didn't know what. She could do the work. She did the work. She was used to hard work and...
... and she was woolgathering in the middle of an inn. Fine. No more. She stepped forward next to one of the stools and offered a brighter smile.

I am Istriel. How are you?
*the question was aimed at the second girl instead of the first whirlwind of joy, though her look encompassed the both of them. They were girls. Only a few years younger than herself. How bad could it be? And she had to start somewhere.*

[Rillewen]

@Eldrith

|
Wisteria & Erynneth
February

"Oh, I hope I didn't bump into you?" Wisteria worried, as the older girl came over to talk to them. "I get a bit carried away with my dancing and all, but I didn't mean to, if I did!" She explained, hastening to make it known that it would be an accident if such an act had occurred. She remembered passing by her, but she didn't recall making any contact, but she'd been so preoccupied when she entered, she hadn't really been paying as much attention as she ought to have.

Eryn turned her smile toward Istriel when she introduced herself to them. "Hello, I'm fine, how are you?" She returned the greeting. "Good to meet you, Istriel. I'm Eryn," She added her introductions. "And the bubbly twirl-fanatic here is my friend, Wist," She smiled teasingly at Wist before turning back to Istriel. "Are you new here?" She wondered, having not seen her around before. But then, it could just be that they hadn't ever visited the same places at the same times, before now.

Wist couldn't help but smile at the teasing introduction, but immediately turned her smile back toward the new person instead of Eryn. "Istriel, that's such a pretty name!" She sighed, almost wishing she had an elven name. "What does it mean?" She wondered, turning curiously to the person to whom the name belonged. It was evidently some form of Elvish, and probably Sindarin, but that language was not one that Wist had ever had the opportunity to learn.

[Eldrith]

https://www.portalofdreams.com/members/ ... Stella.png
Istriel
February

You like to dance..

It was said slowly and with warmth. Dancing was fun. Innocent. And both girls looked as if they lived without too many clouds over them. Good wholesome people her aunt would have called them, and while they were young, children almost, not yet of marrying age, once more her aunt would approve. So she smiled reassuringly. Well, she might have done so anyhow, she didn't want you to think you'd done anything wrong. But she might have just smiled and shook her head to let you know she was fine and then retreated. 'Wholesome people, that's what you need around you, Istriel', to lead a decent life. Perhaps in the city there's a bit more of adventure to be had than here, and there's nothing wrong with that as long as you surround yourself with good, decent people'. You seemed like good, decent people.

She looked from one to the other, and as they approached and now were side by side her answer went to both of them. Joy, she seemed to see, and a kindness on top of that, mixed with innocence. She'd always been good at reading people but she wasn't quite sure how well a first impression of a few moments counted. Still it seemed enough for her to go on talking. They might be friends to come. They might know people.*

I do not know what it means.. She admitted* My mother chose it. But my aunt doesn't know what it means, and she raised me.

*There was a little shrug. She was used to not knowing things or being told not to push there, and considering her life had been a good one, she had followed the directions out of gratitude. Her aunt and uncle didn't have to treat her like one of their own. But they had. They'd loved her and cared for her and if they had been a bit strict and a bit worried, well that was only natural.*

I am new to the city. That is.. it's not my first visit. But I hoping to.. that is, I am going to live here.

There, she'd said it, and with it in her own mind severed the option of doing what she had several years ago, spend a night at the inn and then chicken out and head back home. Home was a good place. But she didn't fit. SHe tried to. She just.. didn't.

[Rillewen]

@Eldrith

|
Wisteria & Erynneth
February

Eryn let out a laugh of amusement. "Like to dance?" She grinned, with a little glance at Wist, then turned back to Istriel. "That's like, such an understatement..."

With a light blush, Wist nudged Eryn slightly and looked at Istriel. "Love is more like it." She explained Eryn's amusement, and with a motion, she invited the older girl to sit with them. "I'm actually a professional dancer now!" She added happily, beaming with excitement.

"Almost," Eryn corrected her quietly, still smiling. She turned to Istriel, "She's in the finalists for a sort of.. competition thingy... for a big part or something." She explained a bit uncertainly about all the details.

"Yes, alright... 'almost'." Wist conceded. "I might get to be the understudy for the lead dancer in the upcoming Ballet performance, this summer." Wist explained with a happy sigh. "If I can get it, I mean... it won't be the lead part, and I might not even get to actually be on stage at all. But it'd still be an amazing opportunity! I'd be working directly with Anirándess, the professional ballerina. Have you heard of her?" She asked. She was absolutely in awe of the well-known dancer. Although, to those who did not keep up with the White City Dance Company, the name might not be the least bit familiar.

Eryn leaned a little closer to Istriel. "It's alright if you haven't. I hadn't, either." She whispered as if sharing a secret. In fact, while she had attended the winter performance back in December, Eryn had very little interest in any of that stuff.

It was about that time that Hildy appeared from the back rooms with apologies about taking so long to come out. She was ready to take their order, however, and smiled as she looked expectantly at the girls.

"Oh, she was here first," Eryn indicated Istriel with a little smile, allowing her to give her order first. She and Wist had only come to get some hot chocolate, so they could wait.

[Eldrith]

Istriel
February

I have not. She confessed gravely. That is, I have not heard of her, but I do know some country dances. That is definitely not the same though.. She added. Wisteria's enthusiasm was palpable, and she almost envied the girl the clear direction she had, what she wanted with her life. It would no doubt be a lot of work, but she seemed already on a path to accomplish what she wanted.

I like to dance, but I am not particularly good at it. You must be good, to even have reached the possibility to be an understudy.

She said it with an honest admiration. Being a good dancer took both talent and hard work, though her aunt more than likely would have turned up her nose at the somewhat suspicious profession that didn't provide anything tangible one could eat, wear or sell. Her aunt was a kind woman who had a certain suspicion for everything that wasn't part of what she considered a normal life.


So what do you like to do?

*She asked of the other girl. At their ages they'd probably be apprenticing or at least looking at an apprenticeship, or well... they might be helping their mother in the household or perhaps they were wee little wealthy patronesses of the arts that didn't have to do much of anything. She wasn't quite certain about who they were beyond their names, but she'd like to find out. They seemed.. kind and well... any direction in this city might be a good one.

At that moment someone came out of the backroom and asked to take their order and Eryn immediately offered her up to go first, because well.. she had been there first. It took a moment to find her words as she looked at Hildy, then she squared her shoulders. This time she would not get frightened and head back home. She could do this.*

I am looking for a room. And perhaps some recommendations as to someone who might need help. I am looking for work. But I can pay.

*She added that last quickly. She could. She had saved up. She wasn't in dire straits. She just couldn't lounge indefinitely.*

[Rillewen]

@Eldrith

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Wisteria & Erynneth
February

"Oh, I've never been to one of those." Wist answered disappointedly. "But I did get to go to the Midwinter ball, back in December! That was so much fun." She smiled at the memory of dressing up in fancy clothes, wearing a mask, and dancing all evening. She smiled at Istriel when she said that she must be good at dancing. "Well, I hope that the judges will think so," She laughed lightly. "But we'll see, next week."

"For today, we're celebrating that she's made it into the top ten." Eryn explained their reason for being here. She pondered the question that was put to her. What did she like to do? Did she mean hobbies, or career? "Plenty of things," She answered, giving a little smile. "I like to ride my horse, and practice archery, and run, and things like that." She shrugged. "But if you meant 'what do I do', I'm a healer apprentice, for now. But in a couple of years, I'll be joining the rangers." She grinned. "I could join now, but my father wants me to wait until I'm eighteen," She explained with an eyeroll.

She fell silent then while Istriel spoke to Hildy, who smiled at the young woman and assured her that they had rooms to rent, and then told her how much it would cost. The innkeeper's wife had to think for a moment about the latter part, however, and only had a few suggestions of where she might try looking for work. A grocer's shop maybe, or the clothing store down the road maybe?

Once Hildy had finished answering Istriel, she turned to the other girls and asked what she might get for them.

"We'd like some hot chocolate, please." Eryn told her, then glanced at Istriel. "Would you like one? I can pay for yours." She offered, willing to be generous for the potential of making a new friend.

[Eldrith]

Istriel
February

"I have never been to a ball.. "She said in turn, slightly wistful. That sounded like so much fun. Something.. elegant and mysterious and special. It sounded fancy, it sounded amazing.* "I think I would have liked a masquerade. No one knowing who you are. Why you could be anyone! I will hope for you that the judges see you shine!" She offered that loyally even though she had barely met you. Still such enthusiasm seemed to deserve support. And your.. sister.. seemed inclined to believe you had a chance. You'd risen to the top ten after all.

"A healer's apprentice." Istriel repeated the words. There was a healer in the village of course. Had she ever considered becoming a healer's apprentice? No. It didn't pull her. But she would need to do SOMETHING.* How does one become a healer's apprentice? Or is there perhaps a need for someone to sweep floors or such? A ranger.. could she be a ranger? "What are the requirements for being a ranger? She WAS over 18. Not that she had ever particularly thought of being a ranger, but... it didn't sound boring. It was something to consider. A possibility.

When Hildy spoke, she carefully agreed to stay for a week, at first, to try and figure things out. What to do what to become. She couldn't see herself in a clothing shop, though of course there was nothing wrong with such and her aunt would have told her it was a good job, and one that was a lot less backbreaking than working the land and to be pleased if she could do such. She could ply a needle very well. Accurately. But if that would make her good at working in a shoppe? A grocer sounded.. a bit boring as well, but at least she might see more people. Different people.

"I would like a hot chocolate. And I will return the favor once I am more settled." *She said to Eryn with all earnestness. She didn't want anyone to think she was trying to take advantage. But it was.. nice. You didn't know her. People here didn't know her but you seemed to be willing to like her and that counted for a whole lot. She felt.. new and out of place as well as finally where she belonged, if that made any sense at all.

[Rillewen]

@Eldrith

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Wisteria & Erynneth
February

"Three hot chocolates, please," Eryn told Hildy, who nodded and went off to get the drinks for them.

"Oh, you would have loved the masquerade!" Wist declared dreamily, sighing as she thought back on that lovely evening. "It was all done up in black and gold, and the decorations were absolutely amazing. And everyone had all sorts of masks on, and beautiful dresses... I danced with several young men," She beamed with a little giggle. "I'm so glad I didn't miss it. I thought I would, because it took me a while to get done with my work, and then I was late getting there, but I still had plenty of time to enjoy it. And I made some new friends! Which led to me re-finding my old friend, Eryn here." She grinned.

Eryn smiled at the memory. A happy coincidence that they'd both made friends with the same person that night. "Maybe, if you're going to be staying here from now on, you'll be around to attend the next winter ball." She smiled at Istriel. "It's a ways off, of course. And I have no idea whether it'll be a masquerade, but maybe we'll get lucky." She grinned.

"Thank you!" Wist smiled at the wish that the judges 'see her shine'. "I've been training really hard. I think I impressed them a lot at the general audition, a month ago, which is why I'm now in the running for the understudy part." She smiled happily.

As Hildy brought them each a mug of hot chocolate, Eryn thanked her and gave her the money for them, then turned back to Istriel. "Requirements?" She asked, slightly surprised by the question. She thought about that briefly. "Well, you have to be at least sixteen... which I am," She added. "And, um." She blinked. "Well, just to join? There aren't many requirements. Just... you know. Be willing to take orders, serve Gondor and the King, and.. if necessary, die for them. You'd go through rigorous training to rise up through the ranks. There's recruit, trainee, initiate, and finally, ranger. Then more advanced specialties beyond that..." She said thoughtfully. "The captain would know more about all that stuff, I suppose. Anyone looking to join has to talk to her." She explained.

Eryn then looked curiously at Istriel. "Why, are you interested? I could take you up to the sixth level to talk to her, if you'd like. After you get settled in, of course." She added, not wanting to rush her into anything right away.

[Eldrith]

Istriel
February

The two of you seemed attached like sisters, even though mentioned to be merely friends. Merely friends. That was a somewhat funny way of thinking about that, wasn't it. Merely. She would have loved a friend. Or a sister. Not that she had any enemies. And she had sisters. Older sisters. A DECADE or more older sisters who were all married and felt more like aunts. As well as an older brother who was finally, to his mother's infinite gladness, walking out with a girl from the village and would be more than likely married before the year was out. Or possibly they might just wait till spring. Though her aunt didn't see any reason to delay. The girl was from a decent family, she was hardworking and polite and she'd be a good asset to the farm. What more could he want?

"It's always important to finish your work first. What do you do for work then? Outside of your rigorous training for dance, that is?" *She added, asking Wist this time instead of Eryn. It might sound like a bit of teasing, and there was most definitely a smile as she said it, but she didn't discount the hard work it would take to actually be really GOOD at dancing. Istriel could hop around and be merry but no one would be paying to go and see her on a stage. She was many things but she didn't have an artistic bone in her body. She wasn't even particularly graceful. She was.. efficient. Did that count for something? Probably not if one wanted to be a dancer, but it might be worth more in other occupations.

"I would like that." She turned to Eryn again and smiled at the idea of attending a masquerade. It sounded.. glorious. And exciting. Exciting. She realized that the idea held appeal not just because it was pretty and merry but also because it was new and something exciting something that wasn't.. normal. There would be mysteries and strangers and trying to find people she knew. By next year, she would KNOW people in the city, she vouched to herself. She would have friends and the masquerade would be an adventure!

She accepted the hot chocolate with gratitude to both Eryn and Hildy, though she seemed to have taken the former somewhat by surprise by asking about being a ranger apprentice. "Well.. I guess.. I would like to know more."*Ranger apprentice sounded rather exciting. Dying of course sounded much less exciting. Big ideas, her aunt would call things like this. And dangerous ones. Keep your head down, do good work and make sure people have good food and that will be that. There's nothing wrong with a normal life. And there wasn't. There really wasn't. She admired her aunt. And her uncle. And all of her sisters and brothers who always had treated her like she was a real sister. A baby sister. Too young perhaps to join in, but not too young to be taught and cared for.

"Why do YOU want to be a ranger?" I am sorry. That was forward.
Istriel worried then that she might have gone too far in her impulsive questioning. The girls didn't know her. They'd been kind enough to let her join in on their joy and the celebration of Wist's victory but perhaps all of these questions were just a bit intrusive. It was just that.. they seemed kind. And confident. And as if they knew their way around the city and the people and their lives. She was older than them and she didn't feel as certain at all about anything as they did, or seemed to do.

[Rillewen]

@Eldrith

|
Wisteria & Erynneth
February

The faintest of blushes came to Wist's face at the question. What was her work? She wasn't exactly ashamed of it, but it was certainly not what she planned to do forever. With any luck, by this time next year, she'd be a renowned ballerina, performing on stage with all the other famous dancers... but for now? "I um, I'm the cleaning girl at the Hall of Song." She admitted, before lifting her mug up to sample a careful sip of hot chocolate. As if the mug would hide her face.

It seemed that all three of them agreed that another masquerade would be great fun. Now, if only the people in charge of such things would also agree. Eryn smiled slightly when Istriel said she'd like to come to the next ball. As for herself, Eryn didn't comment on the fact that she had also been at the masquerade. She did not want to broadcast that information around too much, since a certain person seemed unaware that she was the girl he had danced with. And she didn't quite know what to do with... all that had happened there. She still felt pretty confused about it all, to be honest.

She nearly let her mind wander off, thinking about it, but then Istriel spoke to her again, saying she'd like to know more about the rangers. "Really?" Eryn was a little surprised that the young woman would be interested, but it was a nice sort of surprise. Even if it did make her feel a little jealous. But she shouldn't be jealous, Eryn tried to tell herself as her gaze fell briefly upon Wist. Yes, Eryn was fortunate to have a father who cared so much he wanted to keep her safe as long as he could. Some people were not so fortunate.

She wasn't quite prepared for the question asked of her, though. Why? She paused, lowering her mug to the table, then shook her head with a little smile when Istriel apologized. "No, that's a fair question. One I'm sure will be asked of me when I eventually join, too." She realized with a faint smile. "Well, for starters, my father is a ranger," She informed Istriel. "I've always looked up to him. He's very important to me, and we're very close. As long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be like him. So, I decided when I was still pretty young that I would become a ranger, just like him." She smiled at her own childishness, back then. "But of course, it's been a few years now, and I have additional reasons too. As well as several friends who are rangers," She added with a little laugh. "But as far as why I really want to," She looked thoughtfully into her mug for a moment. "I want to do whatever I can to make Gondor the best it can be. To do my part in it all. I guess.. a big part of it, is that I want to help people in some way. I want to do whatever I can to stop the threats that might bring harm to people I care about. Well, not just them, but innocent civilians and all, you know? Protect the ones who can't protect themselves, that sort of thing."

She took a small sip of her hot chocolate, then smiled over at Istriel. "I guess, another, more selfish part of it, is that I want to be able to work and train with my dad, and other close friends of mine." She admitted. "Wist is one of my few friends who isn't a ranger, actually." She grinned. "But I guess that'd be more like a 'bonus', not a 'reason' for joining."

[Ercassie]

Johenna Korsey, on a mission
February

Johenna was not a great fan of pubs or taverns. This, being an ‘inn’, nonetheless still fit into that category. They were all the sort of place where it was too loud to hear was what your company said to you, the floor was often sticky from spilt drinks, and everybody seemed to grow more stupid the longer they spent there. Honestly she would rather be at home, reading a book. The fact that there were several other young girls of a similar age to her in the room at the moment did not lend any greater temptation for her to ‘be social’. She did not recognise a single one of them. If they were students at her school, she hadn’t raised her head up from her studies long enough to note them. They were not the reason she had come here.

She was the middle child; two sisters elder, two younger. Still she was the one whom her mother trusted to send out, in search of her apparently loitering father, since she was the daughter least likely to become distracted or involved in any other errand than the one she had been set. She had been successful last time anyway.

Today this advantage would garner no reward, for her father was not to be seen within the Wayfarers Inn. And he was not of a size, nor sound, to be easily unnoticed. It had been a long shot, of course. For she had found him here only once before. But none of the taverns or similar establishments in the First Circle had presented her lost patriarch. Not until now. For .. there he was. With some folk she did not know at all. Still an errand is an errand, and so she headed over to him, forgoing focus on anything or anyone else upon her path.

---

@Rillewen @Arnyn

Domanol Raxëlilta and Narradir Korsey
in the common room. Afternoon, Dec 26th.

The two men had turned their heads in unison, to properly observe first Kaylin and then Gwestion draw whiskers upon either side of Gladhron’s face. The threat that the oblivious man might awake at any moment leant an undeniable thrill to the proceedings. No small feat it was either, given all that the woman had drunk thus far, and given the young man’s continuation of his strange tale throughout.

“So … it’s a … riddle ?” Narradir blinked, and tried to work out why a simple story was so strange to hear. Perhaps he was unused to having sober friends about him when he was drunk. But Gwestion seemed very serious about the explaining. And even about his artwork as well.


Dom nudged the forester in the arm, to ‘shhhhh’, a gesture he made without volume, to emphasise the suggestion. But Narry simply jammed and then wiggled one finger in one of his ears, as though wondering why he could suddenly not hear what his friend said. Maybe that was why he was having trouble understanding ..

“You’re sure it was a person ?” Dom wished to ascertain with his more sensible (usually) friend. “I mean, Goblins can be pretty devious where it comes to traps and devices. And it would not be the first time that one group of Orc folk slay others equally as foul.”
His any amusement had been heavily dowsed by the genre of the Northerner’s unusual story. And though he could not be any surer of it all that Narradir seemed to be, his furrowed brow was more troubled by the content, than the confusion.



“Ahem ..”

A small hand covered a young woman’s mouth, as though the clear emission had been accidental. The speaker was a one that the group so diligently caught up in the living canvas may not have properly noted approaching. The alcohol and disturbing account might also have played a part. But Johenna did not need to say much more.

“Johey !” the large man welcomed his daughter to their throng, even as Dom paused in the middle of trying to warn him to keep quieter.

“Ma says you have to come now,” his daughter relayed the message she had clearly been sent with.

“You know your Uncle Dom, don’t you ? This is ..” her father continued, as though she had not spoken.

“A joke ?” the young girl lowered only a single eyebrow, understanding why her father was now picking up a quill .. which he swiftly thrust toward Domanol when he saw her observe it. And then, in panic, hurried it behind his back, and dropped it on the floor. “Grandfather has come to visit ..” Johenna spelt out her urgency so that Narradir could properly comprehend.


Dom bit his lower lip, and lowered his expression to face the scored tabletop. Then dropped to gather up the fallen tool. All in all then, it took less than a minute for Narradir to clear his throat, accompany his daughter out of the inn, and all without explaining his sudden exit further than what those present would have overheard. Stories with confusing or just missing context .. all around, it seemed.

In the wake of the sudden departure, Domanol shrugged, and calmly contributed the word ‘Belover’ in ink across Gladhron’s brow. Before he leaned back in his seat to consider their overall work. Or the chance that the dozing man might show any sign of waking, as a result.

[Eldrith]

Istriel simply nodded at Wist's explanation. She didn't see anything at all wrong with being a cleaning girl. She worked to clean at her aunt and uncle's farm. And then she worked to help with the harvest. And to preserve the harvest. But she saw you raise the mug and she didn't push further unto that topic. Clearly you didn't seem to like the job, or find it embarrassing. Perhaps it was if you wanted to be a ballerina. She didn't know any ballerinas but perhaps they all came from grand and noble families that didn't have to work. She felt a surge of loyalty already for you at the mere thought of that. You should be able to be as grand a ballerina as they were, whether you were a cleaning girl or not. She luckily was smart enough not to say that out loud, probably it would embarrass you eve even further and that was the last thing she wanted.

"That's a good job" Was the only thing she said. ""My aunt would like that." Maybe she could write that to her aunt. That she had lodgings at a respectable inn and had made a friend with a girl who worked hard and cleaned the Hall of Dance. She'd approve of that. Eryn on the other hand.. it wasn't as if her aunt disapproved of rangers. On the contrary. Good, law abiding, necessary.. it just was that their lives could be somewhat adventurous and her aunt was really not fond of adventures.

"Your dad must be a wonderful man." That was said sincerely to Eryn again, as she listened to her original reasons to become a ranger. "He sort of reminds of my uncle. Well, not that my uncle was a ranger of course. He's a farmer. But he's a good man. KInd of quiet, but he gets a lot of good work done, and he likes helping people. And he can fix any farm tools on his own and the neighboring farm!"


Possibly her uncle was quiet because her aunt talked so much, but they were fond of each other, genuinely and easily fond of each other, and their sons and daughters looked up to them. There was never a question what any of THEM would do. The girls would marry, though one of them had worked as a seamstress and still did a bit of work like that while helping her husband on the farm. The other had married the miller which was considered a really good match even if her husband WAS a few years older. And the third one had apparently been all but engaged from the age of three when she'd attached herself to the five year old son of the neighboring farm and they just.. had never let go of each other, as the old folks kept telling to their eternal embarrassment.

"You have friends that are rangers, and you like to keep people safe, and you want to train with your father.." Those all sounded like excellent reasons to her, especially the wanting. She had never felt a 'want' for any job. She could do them, and she didn't shy away from good hard work She wasn't lazy. But they all bored her and then she got lost in dreams.

"Does it sound horrible when I say that being a ranger at least sounds.. exciting?" She asked, looking from Eryn back to Wist. Eryn might find it exciting too, though her reasons seemed to be more grounded. Wist at least seemed to sparkle with excitement when she spoke of being a ballerina, so perhaps she would..understand better what it felt to look for something that would give her that feeling too.

Istriel took a step back to allow another patron closer to the bar as they were in search of another ale and Hildy was gesturing for him to bring the tankard back. Taking a step back, and then another however made her bump almost into someone with the basket that was still on her back.

''Oh.. I am terribly sorry.. "She said it at the retrating form of Johenna. "I didn't mean to!"

@Rillewen
@Ercassie

[Rillewen]

@Eldrith

|
Wisteria & Erynneth
February

Wist smiled at the other girl's words. It was a good job. Not the best paying, of course. Certainly not. In fact, she was pretty sure they weren't paying her nearly as much as they should be, but she didn't know very much about those sorts of things. Especially not when she took the job, desperate for an opportunity to be near the Hall of Song, where the dance lessons were happening. But it kept her fed, and enabled her to be near the dance classes. That was enough, for now.

Eryn smiled at the compliment to her father. He really is, she agreed in her mind, but she didn't so out loud. She was curious at the mention of Istriel's aunt and uncle. "Did you live with your aunt and uncle?" She wondered, curious. "Mine are also farmers," She added. "Well, maybe not the same kind of farmers, though. They're dairy farmers," She explained. "We have a dairy farm out in the Pelennor. That's where I live, actually."

"Eryn sometimes drives the delivery cart around town, too!" Wist mentioned, rather impressed that the other girl could drive a cart and keep the horse under control and everything. She hadn't really ever been around horses much, so the whole idea of it seemed a bit astonishing for another girl about her same age.

"Only on the weekends, now." Eryn said with a little shrug. "Healer training takes up a lot of time during the week." She explained. "But my aunt does it during the week, while I'm in training."

At Istriel's question, she laughed lightly. "Exciting, of course. That's actually the main thing that drew my father to it, back when he was young. And yeah, that is an appeal for me, too." She admitted with a little smile.

Then some guy came up to the counter, followed by another, who ended up crowding their new friend out of the way. Eryn frowned at the guy, since there was plenty of other counter space. There was really no reason why he should've had to come right up to where the three young women were seated. "Hey, do you mind? There's an entire counter down that way, you know." She scowled at the stranger, then shook her head in annoyance and looked back to see that Istriel had been practically forced into someone else because of this guy and his buddy.

Eryn thought the other girl (Joheny) looked sort of familiar, like she'd seen her before somewhere, but she couldn't place where. Perhaps on one of her milk deliveries, sometime. She might have greeted her to be friendly, but as she watched, the other girl responded to Istriel with the sort of smile and nod meant to indicate that there was no need to apologize, and then she continued out the door*.

"How about we go to a table?" Wist suggested, figuring that with three of them all talking, they might be more comfortable sitting at a table, anyway.

"What do you think, Istriel?" Eryn asked, turning to see what she would prefer to do. "We can finish our hot chocolate more peacefully, without any rude people pushing us out of the way," She mentioned, casting a frown toward those guys who hadn't even bothered to apologize for doing so. There was a quieter section in the back part of the tavern where they could talk better while they finished their drinks.


*(at the request of Ercassie)

[Eldrith]

Istriel
February

"Oh.." The sound was one of surprise and in a way, joy to have found something more in common with Eryn. "My aunt and uncle grow crops." Different farming of course, but they had in common that it took hard work, and there was very little glory or excitement in the work. Well.. perhaps if a cow got loose. Crops didn't often get loose. However... "One of our goats got into the cabbages last year.." She said with something of a wince but a gleam of amusement as well. "And then ran all through the village with three three of us after him, my aunt myself and my brother.. Well my cousin, really." *She added that as a correction. She didn't want to add any confusion to her family's story.

"And I can also drive a cart, though I only ride it for a short jaunt to the market.But look at you! A ranger healer.. and a ballerina!" She said, looking from Wist to Eryn with admiration and a rising fondness, and then horrified as Eryn scolded the stranger. "Oh it's fine.. I .. should have seen that they were approaching.." The other woman she had bumped into had nodded and turned away and she wondered now if she SHOULD look more where she was going. Luckily Wist offered the suggestion of a table and she nodded quickly and gratefully.

"I would be glad to sit with you there. Might be easier to talk. That is, if you are not in a hurry. And if I am not intruding on the celebration. I don't want to be a bother." But she had felt welcome. And you HAD glared at the strangers on her behalf. It felt good. It felt like being part of something, even if it was merely 2 friends and a cup of chocolate. It was what she had missed at her previous attempt, she believed. She was used to being surrounded by people. Hardworking, good people. The fact that she was itchy and restless and probably exasperated her aunt more times a day than the goat did, did not mean that she hadn't been loved well and deeply. She knew when she had returned the last time they'd hoped she would stay and settle in. And she had tried. But something was missing. Something she would hopefully find here.

She made her way to the table that Wist had indicated and nodded to Eryn, and resolved to perhaps buy some buns for the three of them after the chocolate milk. Once seated she looked from one to the other.

"I need to find employment. Or a path. Or something. Healer sounds good. Ranger sounds good. I am afraid Ballerina is off the list, I would never be good enough. Are there any other things that you can think of? Something a bit.. exciting?"

This her aunt might not approve of as much. She would like the kind of girls you were. Good, hard working. But to start making plans around the recommendations of two children barely grown into womanhood that she hadn't even known an hour. It would be the impulsiveness that worried her, and that she would like to keep her safe from.