Rain of Thorns #4 – Strange Doings

Torval arrived in Bree in the dead of night. After convincing the gatekeeper he had nothing to do with whatever “strange doings and weird men” the keeper had mentioned, he was allowed to pass and made his way east towards the inn.

The gatekeeper was right about the strange doings, Torval noticed. Not a single person was out in the lane near the Prancing Pony. Even at this late hour there was usually a few drunks loitering about, people coming and going, and even some stopping in for a very early breakfast before an early morning of work. Something is wrong, Torval thought as he stopped twenty paces from the inn. The windows were all shuttered and not a single sound could be heard. It was eerily quiet. He climbed the steps to the threshold and tried the door. Locked. He knocked.

“Just a second, just a second.” He heard a muffled voice from behind the door.

After a bang and a crash, more muffled voices and a few thumps, a window in the door slid open and two eyes peered out and looked around. When they finally found Torval they squinted.

“A dwarf! Hold on, hold on. Let me open the door.” Some more crashing could be heard, then the door swung open. “Come in, get out of the rain.”

It was a Hobbit, taller than most but still not quite as tall as Torval himself. He motioned for Torval to step through and towards the dining area. “Barliman the barkeep will be out shortly. Can I get you anything? Ale, tea, coffee, breakfast?”

“Coffee would be great, my good Hobbit, thank you!” Torval sat down on a bench at one of the many empty tables in the room.

There was one other person in the room besides the Hobbit and himself. The tall man sat in a chair in the corner near the fireplace smoking a pipe. Torval turned back towards the kitchen when he heard the Hobbit returning.

“Oh dear me! Where are my manners,” the hobbit set a tray down on the table. “I am Nob, at your service!”

“Torval, at your service and your family’s.” Torval smiled.

Nob reached for the mug on the tray and began to fill it with coffee from the kettle. In addition to the coffee, the tray Nob had carried out held an assortment of various snacks and foods. Torval had not really thought about it, but he was hungry. Some sort of a pastry with what appeared to be a blueberry filling called to him. Living out in the woods he did not have access to such fine baked goods on any sort of regular basis and this would make for a great treat. It complemented the taste of the dark, rich coffee.

“Nob,” Torval held up the pastry. “This is delicious! My compliments to the chef!” Crumbs were falling from Torval’s lips into his beard as he talked with a mouthful of blueberry tart. Nob grinned as he made a motion to his chin, trying to signal Torval that there were foodstuffs in his beard. Torval paid no heed and kept talking.

“Why is it so quiet tonight? In times past when I’ve visited this place is bustling during all hours of the night and day. The man at the gates seemed reluctant to let me in as well. What’s going on?”

An uneasiness came about Nob’s face. “There was some commotion earlier. Some strange men in black robes on black horses came through, looking for something. They stormed in here and ransacked a room belonging to some Hobbits who stopped in earlier this evening. They are in hiding under the protection of one of those ranger types.” Nob then started to wonder if he should be sharing any more of the story.

Just as Torval was about ask another question, the man he presumed to be Barliman entered the room through a door in the back that Torval had not noticed before.

“Hold on, give me a minute to think.” Barliman blurted out. “Torval is it? Yes, yes. You’ve been here before haven’t you?” We don’t see many dwarves here. Usually just passing through and they tend to keep to themselves. But that’s no matter. Things are awfully strange in Bree tonight and there is much to do.”

Torval opened his mouth to speak but Barliman kept talking. “Once you’re finished with your meal and drink I must ask that you go to your room. No, keep your coin. It’s already been paid for. You are expected. There are two young women staying in the inn who asked me to keep a look out for you. I’m afraid they are not here at the moment, but in the morning you’ll find them in the last room on the left at the end of the hall on the top floor. Your room is directly across on the right. I must go and tend to some things. Nob will help you to your room.”

With a bow, Barliman turned and left the room. Torval wasn’t quite sure what had just happened with the barkeep but the apple and cheese pie on the tray before him quickly became the focus of his attention. After finishing the pie, Torval headed upstairs.

 

***

It must have been near noon when a knock on the door finally brought Torval out of his slumber. Between the injuries from the fight with the wargs, the long distances traveled the day before and staying up well into the night, Torval was beat. After rubbing his eyes he called out. “Just a minute.”

He slowly moved to the door, unlatched the lock and opened it. In a flash, Eva moved in to hug him but between his weariness and still healing injuries she ended up tackling the unstable dwarf. She giggled as he cried out in pain.

“Where in the world have YOU been?” She poked him in the chest. “I am so glad to see you. For a while there we thought you were lost in the woods, or worse.”

Torval struggled to stand up. “I went for your sword, mi’lady. I was attacked by wargs and they nearly killed me. I had no idea any where in these parts. At least, I’ve never seen one before now!” Torval dusted off his pant legs. “I was knocked out when one threw me to the ground and I hit my head on a boulder. It was just in time when a man named Saeradan showed up and saved my life.”

Nodding, Eva tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I know him. Not well, but well enough to know he is a good, if not strange man. A bit of a recluse he is. He generally keeps to his cabin near the Greenway and is not seen very often.” She sat down on the bed. “We found the warg bodies when we went looking for you and my sword. It was good fortune that he found you that far from his home.”

“Indeed it was. I’d no doubt be dead if he had not been there to save me.” Torval went to his pack sitting at the foot of the bed on top of a wooden chest. “I have something for you.”

Torval loosened the drawstrings on the main compartment of his ruck and pulled a sword hilt out and set in on the bed, before unwrapping a bundle of twine and leather to reveal a broken sword blade which he set next to the hilt. “Saeradan thought to collect all my belongings and somehow managed to get it all back to his cabin with us. Your sword was among them.”

Eva burst into tears.