The Family Line Part 39 – What Happens at the Inn

Part 39 – What Happens at the Inn

The tavern was loud but not too loud to where it was difficult too difficult to hear. Drunk laughter surrounded the tables, mugs of ale were being spilt, and bread and meat were being consumed at a faster pace than the inn keeper could provide. Busy was an understatement in this inn as everybody was asking for something to put in their mouths.

Eleswith stood there, looking around at all the patrons drinking themselves merry. She looked longingly at the enjoyment they had when a large burly man came and sat in front of her, staring down at her with a scowl on his face. “I need my coin. No more games.”

She looked at him for a moment, “And you will have it. I have one last job that needs doing. It will be the last job I need.”

He looked deep in her eyes, growling. He had a missing tooth and one bad eye that looked either stabbed out or he was just born with it. “You had better deliver,” he warned her as he removed a dagger from the sheeth on his breast and licked the length of the blade. “My patience has reached its end. But then again, I enjoy cutting people to pieces, especially nice looking people such as yourself.”

Eleswith stood there, indifferently as if his threats seemed empty. “Then I hate to ruin your fun of gutting me. You will have your coin and soon.”

The chill of the evening was setting in the Lone Lands. The wind swept hills grew darker as day was giving way to the darkening hours. The great hill of Aman Sul, the one grand pinnacle of a hill and defining landmark of the land, was behind as Theomin, Eleswith, Bragga, and Aches continued west on the Great East Road.

The sun finally fell below the western horizon and the first night time stars started appearing in the sky. Twinkling they were and bright like little diamonds projecting glittering light from them. In time, a few more stars began their twinkling up in the sky while the night time became darker and darker.

“I hope to find a place to rest soon or we will need to camp on the side of the road,” Theomin feared.

“No worries,” Eleswith assured him. “Up ahead is where the leader found Sergee, drunk of course.”

Theomin nodded. “Sergee is the one whose home burned down.”

“Aye, though there is much to Sergee that I will not tell you yet. But yes, that is Sergee.”

“And what about yourself?” Theomin asked in wonder of his new companion. “Any more about yourself?”

“What do you want to hear?”

Theomin paused. He was intrigued about when she left her home. “What about Dale? How did you leave home?”

“I will tell if you tell how you left and how you know your family is here,” she asked.

After a moment or two, he proceeded to tell about the lady of the Elthengels. He told her of the letters and the journal he found and how he was finally brought to the family in the Wold. He told her of the decision he had to make to leave home and the tower in which he found the map that finally brought him there. “I will show you the map when we stop,” he assured her. “The map is what drew me here to look for my family.”

“It must have been painful to leave home,” she said, almost expressing her own feeling of leaving home.

“It was very difficult. There were a few times when I almost regretted leaving.”

“I share the same feeling you have. I too have felt regret for leaving home. Unlike you, though, my departure did not include a farewell to my family. I left Dale like a thief in the night. Because I didn’t want my family to convince me otherwise, I slipped away. I took what I could from the armory, a couple of swords and this crossbow. I did not take them all in one night, you see. I took them over the course of a few days. It was not easy sneaking about the town, lifting items and placing them outside town. The last thing I lifted were these rags. These were not the most comfortable clothes I could find but they were the easiest to pilfer. Finally, in the dead of night, I slipped away, hopping the fence and escaping into the woods. I looked back only once before escaping into the dark of the woods.”

They reached a building sitting beside the Great East Road. It was a very modest single story building but long and full of men and women lounging outside, busying themselves with their own activities to occupy their minds; talking, smoking, sitting about widdling away on sticks. Theomin stabled his horse across the way and left Aches with her. He returned to the inn, which Eleswith was already inside of.

As soon as he stepped inside, there was a strong smell of smoke and loud laughter and rawr of the talking patrons. Music was being played on a lute while customers of the inn sang, drunkenly sluring the words of the songs. None of the songs were familiar to Theomin, though if they were familiar, he was not sure he would recognize them as the men singing the songs were too far wasted to make any sense.

The feel of the place had a more rustic feel than the taverns in Rohan. The closest feel he had to the inn was in the Elthengles where he had the worst concoction in his life. It was an experience he did not want to repeat, especially with the lady whome still instilled fear in Theomin.

Eleswith was already speaking with the inkeeper, engaged at length in a conversation. For a while they spoke, most of the time in a serious tone. She finally looked over at Theomin and pointed at him. All Theomin thought of doing was to raise his hand in acknowledgement, but he knew not of what they were speaking of nor why she refered to him. The tavern keep then poured two mugs of ale of which Eleswith carried over to Theomin. Another then brought a roast pig to the table, setting it between Theomin and Eleswith. Theomin was shocked as he did not expect such a delightful meal. “How did you come by such a meal? Did you have coin to spare?”

Eleswith smirked, “He owed me,” she said, perhaps hiding the whole story.

Theomin was, at the moment, satisfied with the answer he was given, but made him slightly uncomfortable with her answer. “Are you okay with speaking of the man you loved?” he tried to change the subject for his own sake.

“I am not able to yet. His death has left a hole in me that has been difficult to fill,” she said in a low, sad tone. “He meant something special to me and I have no want, right now, to speak of him.”

Theomin nodded. There were many other ways she could have handled the answer to that question. He was ready for her to overturn the table, yell at him, and storm off. But she did no such thing. “That is okay,” he reassured her, “take as much time as you need.”

“Thank you,” she said, forcing a smile. “I woud very much like to get out of these itchy clothes, though,” she stated, almost jesting. “They have been uncomfortable since Dale. All the armor was for the men of Dale. Big strong men with large arms and heavy bodies. As you can tell I’m just a small thing. Believe me when I say this was all there was for me.” She took a swig of her ale and a few bites of the roast pig meat. She looked over at the man playing the lute and relaxed. “I can tell you how I met the leader and his group.”

“Go right ahead,” Theomin agreed, gratefully.

“Unlike you, I made it all the way to Bree. Back then the Lone Lands were still crawling with goblins and adventurers were few. As I came through, a large number of men in purple cloaks headed east on the Great East Road. Some from these lands called them Angmarim, though I never knew their exact name. They were grim, evil looking men, black at heart, and cold in stare. I had no want or desire to speak with such men. So I ignored them and they ignored me. Approaching Bree there were whispered rumors of a witch in the north and black cloaked creatures riding across the planes of Eriador. Such rumors would be considered false by most people but I know such rumors can be true. The happenings of stranger things have been witnessed in Wilderland. My family came from Esgoroth, Lake Town, it was known to most people. It was sacked by a dragon. My family was apart of the Battle of the Five Armies. My grandfather aided Bard the Bowman and they told fanciful tales of wizards and eagles that you would not believe. You see, Theomin, such rumors, even if they are not all true, have the roots of truth in them.” She took another sip from her mug of ale. She then thought for a moment, “Where was I?”

“You were in Bree.”

“Ah, yes. In Bree. I came to a tavern called the Inn of the Prancing Pony. Much like this place but busier and much more chaotic. There were small folk there you would not believe. So tiny they were, smaller than dwarves, even. So in walkes this grim man. He was not like those men in purple robes. He had not the dark heart those men had, but he was never-the-less grim. He was not a very large man but carried himself confidently. I did not take much notice to him and continued to drink my ale and eat my food. On my way out, I was stopped by a thug and his men. Disgusting were those men, smelling of ale and sweat. ‘Where do you think you’re goin pretty lady,’ the lead man said to me. ‘You ain’t goin nowheres.’ I just ignored him and walked around him. Well he had none of that so he grabbed me by the hair. I did not take too kinly to that, as you may know.” Theomin smirked. “So I smacked him in the nose. I know not what his goons were going to do as I removed a knife from my boot, grabbed the leader by the hair, spun him around and held the knife to his throat. ‘I am looking to leave,’ I said. ‘If you want to stop me your friend will meet my shiney steel friend here.’ The rest just backed away but as soon as I let the leader go he tried to swing at me. That was when the leader grabbed the thug’s arm, spun him around and slammed him onto the floor. He drew his sword, pointed it down and drove it through his shirt, embedding it in the floor, pinning him down. With him pinned the leader drew his bow and pointed it at the other men. ‘If any of you try anything, your days and his days are done. Go now, while you still have health and limbs.’ The men just retreated without their leader. The grim man pulled out his sword and pointed it right at the other’s nose. ‘You have no one now. If you value your life, you will leave now and ner return,’ he said. So the man left and I have not seen him since. That is how I met the leader. Though he is not my leader now.” She looked down and gave a slight chuckle. “Funny how things work out.”

Theomin grabbed his drink and took a sip. To date, no concoction tasted as bad as that one in the Elthengles and the one he just partook of was much sweeter than any he tasted. “It is tastey, I will give it that.”

“I agree, there is a honey flavor there that is amazing,” she said before gulping down the last of her ale. “The Forsaken Inn is only the second best drink I have had. The first is the Inn of the Prancing Poney in Bree. The inn keeper there sure knows how to brew an ale. I will bring you there when we reach Bree.”

“How far are we from Bree,” Theomin quirried.

“Maybe a day’s walk, or ride in your case. Maybe it is time to sleep. There are some places in the basement of this inn to sleep. Go down there and I’ll follow after.”

Theomin, feeling the sleepiness of the day come on, agreed with her. He rose up and headed to the stares. Eleswith followed, smiling for a moment and then looking down as if the weight of something brought her down.

 

It was a cold night out in a run down part of Bree. She stood near ruined stone pillars laying untouched on the ground in the center of the walkway, watching passerbyes, men and hobbits alike. Most of them walked by with long cloaks on, unlike the men drinking bottles of booze. They walked drunkenly about with no cloaks on. The heat of the booze kept them warm as they stumbled off into the night.

Then a group of men approached Eleswith. They were the same men as in the tavern. Eleswith stood, looking at them while keeping a hand on the hilt of her sword. The lead man scowled at Eleswith maddenly. “Where’s our money?”

“Your money is coming. Once I do this job I will be debt free and pay you more than you asked for,” she said.

“Double is what each of us is asking for,” the lead man said in anger. “I knew not that I would be thrown to the floor and embarassed like I was. Double or we tell your new ranger friend of your little scheme.”

Eleswith sighed with displeasure. “Double it is, then. I don’t need him to know why I am joining his group. I pay and then you pay no more mind to me. You see me and you keep going.”

The man looked at the others. They gave him a look of approval, “Agreed.”