The Forsaken Inn

[Nurvingiel]

"We haven't had that spirit here since 1969," said Nurvingiel.
"What?"
"Erm... that's what Mize told me anyway. I had no idea this inn was that old though."

[Valandil]

"Nineteen sixty nine!?!??" said one of the rangers, jumping to his feet. "Why... King Arvedui was still on the throne at Fornost... er, "Dead Man's Dike" back then..."

He looked around rather self-consciously, and added, "uh... not that it matters much t'me..." as he slowly settled back into his seat.

Nevertheless, at the mention of 'King Arvedui', all the rangers had quite solemnly raised their glasses, their eyes looking...

...up ahead in the distance.

[Snowdog]

'....I always though it should benn calld dead WOmans dyke....'
Says an extremely drunken Siano in the corner

'.. is thaht a shimmering silmaril???'

[Valandil]

"Don't worry about HIM," says Dorie. "His head has grown heavy and his sight has grown dim."

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

ooc: there is a dead womans dyke on the quantock hills in somerset, near where i live!!

[Nurvingiel]

"I have no idea what you Rangers talk about sometimes," said Nurvingiel, wiping down some nearby tables.

[Snowdog]

'Thats ok Nurvingiel, neither do we. Sometimes we're called derangers...'

*last thign I remember I was headed for the door*

[Snowdog]

*to find the passage back to the place I was before*

Pours meself another ale....

[Valandil]

Is it already April of 2908... here at the Forsaken Inn?

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

The Dread Pirate Roberts walks in, ready to party like it's 2909!

"How's the ale in this place?" he asks.

[Valandil]

Valandil mutters under his breath, "just be happy they got some."

Then, for all to hear, he welcomes the newcomer and tells him the ale is "The very best he'll find between here and Bree!"

What he doesn't say is that it's the ONLY ale he'd find between here and Bree.

[Curufin]

[ooc] Well, since being Curufin is completely out of the picture, I'll bring in Gildor, since everyone loves him so much...[/ooc]

The door opened and a tall Elf walked in. Golden-haired and blue eyed, he was dressed in a blue tunic with silver-embroidery, with shining silver leggings cross-gartered with deep blue ribbon. His hair was long, but held back by two small braids that met in the back with a silver clasp. Over the ensemble he wore a flowing cloak.

He looked around him for a moment before selecting an empty seat near two men speaking about the ale. This was not a normal place for him to be, but it was a chilly night, and it was good to get out of the weather.

'Good evening,' he said in the language of Gondor.

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

He looks around, not quite sure about this place, or the other newcomer.
"Good evening to you, miss, er, ma'am, er, sir." he tells the Elf uncertainly. "Can I buy you an ale?"

[Curufin]

Gildor raised an eyebrow, looking a bit amused.

'It is 'sir', if you must use such titles,' he said. 'Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finarfin. And you are?'

He looked at the ale with distaste.

'Thank you, but no. I do not drink such things.'

[orithil]

*Through the door comes a figure with black hair, black armour with a gold trim and tanned skin looking INCREDIBLE up himself*

"Greetings everyone, it is I" he laughs "Hedrim Valdaes lord of the North, get me your finest drink and food" he nodds to the crowd who all look rather stuned by how incredible up himself he is.

He then takes a seat and begins to eat while talking with the bar keep.

[Eilonwy]

Out of the kitchen skips Eilonwy with a tray of drinks. ( Elf ale too! )
And she asks "who wants what drink" and begins to pour.

[Gordis]

The door opens and a slender Elf clad in forest green walks in. He stops looking around uncertainly. The room is reeking of pipe-weed and is full of all sorts of scary mortals.
Suddenly the Elf’s eyes light. He notices another of the Firstborn and rushes to him, deftly avoiding a woman with a tray full of mugs. Landing in a chair by the table he smiles happily to the Elf and the two Men at his table and proudly announces in a heavily accented Sindarin:

“I am Legolas. Prince of Mirkwood. Elbereth be praised, I see another Elf!“ Then his eyes narrow as he surveys Gildor apprehensively. “But don’t you happen to be one of them Noldor?”

[Curufin]

Gildor raised an eyebrow in condescending amusement as the young elf threw himself into a chair in front of him.

'Indeed,' he said softly, 'and I believe you 'happen to be one of them Sindar'. And quite a young specimen, if I judge correctly. Does your father know that you are here?'

[Gordis]

“Of course! My father the King did sent me himself to see the world! I mean… Why wouldn’t I travel on my own? I am an Elf grown now! Not like you, children” – he waved dismissively at the Men. “I have seen many an oak grow from acorn to ruinous age – a whole grove of them, in fact. There is a nice oak grove by my door, you see.” He winked conspiratorially.

“But now may I ask your names? Dad told me not to talk with strangers, but I guess when people are introduced properly they are no strangers anymore...Right?”

[Snowdog]

It was a rough night. Winds from the west drove rain hard in waves right in his face. Siano stopped and dismounted at the first sight of the Forsaken Inn. He whispered some words to his horse as he freed her of his satchel,

"Take to the fields and roam free my friend. I will call when in need."

She turned reluctantly, then sprinted away as he turned and walked onward toward the Inn.

It had been some time years since he had been by here when he left Bree. It appeared things had changed, but then again, maybe not. More moss grew on the roof shakes as the trees seemed a bit bigger and the Inn more overgrown, and the sign hanging above the door squeaked in the wind swinging on one hook, the other having become detached. Siano made his way toward the door.

"The Forsaken Inn..."

The place seemed deserted, for no life could be heard coming from inside. Siano had travelled much of late, and his return to many places that were busy in times of old had found only ruins of the places he once knew. Would it be the same here? He would see.

The oak door was ajar, a hinge broken atop but the lower struggling to keep it upright. Inside, water dripped and flowed from dozens of leaks and holes in the roof, giving the place a damp, musty smell.

"Much better than sleeping out in the bush in this chill rain."

he muttered to himself. Making his way to the hearth, he felt the ash bed. He thought a slight bit of warmth could be felt from them, but not really. At least they were dry... sort of. He could get a fire going if he had some tinder. None was to be found, so Siano used his knife to sliver off some wood shavings from an old broken table leg. A few strikes from his old knife on a flint got them to start smoking. After careful tending, flame erupted. Siano used a few more bits of the broken table to get it to burn steady. Finally, one of the few logs that remained was sat upon it, and a sense of heat could actually be felt as the chill dampness of the air was chased away from the hearth.

The firelight illuminated the old common room, and Siano took to setting up the remaining tables and chairs that still had four legs. Going by the dust on everything, it looks like it had been a couple years since anyone had been here. Siano sat down for a minute in a chair by the hearth, but after a few minutes, its creaks gave way and it too made itself ready for the fire. His moment on the floor allowed him to find a broken candle, and a bit more searching turned up a holder. Forcing the end down into the holder, he cut away enough wax to allow the wick to be lit.

"Now to search for any possible food & drink"

He walked to the bar and sat the candle down there. An old wooden flagon sat there, and a tap of stale beer remained. A mouldy cheese block also was found, and with some draining of the keg, some potent aged ale came forth that wasn't bad if you didn't get some floating mould in your mouth. Siano's knife revealed cheese that was well preserved behind its layer of mould. It will do fine. For now. At least he wouldn't have to eat any more more jerky this night.

As Siano leaned against the bar, he wondered when anybody else was last around, and why it was so deserted.

"I wonder how things are in Bree these days."

he said softly to himself before walking over to stand by the fire...