The Nightfell Hollow Inn

[Orophin]

Orophin's travels brought him upon an old run-down inn. He walked into the small building. The main room was completely empty. Spider webs hung from the ceiling. It strangely felt as if he'd walked into a void of nothingness.

He continued upstairs and began looking into the room. Each one was furnished with a bed, a chair and a fireplace. As he reached the end rooms, a thought came to his mind. 'Perhaps he could do something for the poor old building...' He went to the staircase and back down them and proceded outside. Just then, he noticed a road. He walked off the front desk of the old tavern and looked down the road. To his enjoyment, the tavern was on the very edge of a small town.

He made his way down to the town and to the lumberyard. He proceded into the office of the lumberyard. He began nogotiating with the man for lumber. It talk didn't go on for long before a price was decided on. Orophin pulled off his coin pouch and laid most of it down on the man's desk. "I'd like the lumber delivered this afternoon." Orophin told the man. "That'll be no problem. As soon as it's loaded up, it'll be delivered." The man replied confidently.

Orophin proceded out of the building and off the lumberyard. He proceded into the small town and bought tools and nails with the remaining money he had. After spending what money he had left, he returned the poor old inn.

[spirit]

A man, looking rather conspicuous has appeared into the village. He seems rather well off, judging from the clothes that he was wearing. A obvious sign that he was a stranger to this area.

The girl, roughly the age of about twenty, put away her stick from which she was stripping away the bark, revealing the softer part of the back. Unimportant she thought, wanting to humour herself with the new stranger. She followed him into the old man’s shop, waiting outside. She never liked going in that smoky part of the village... The owner was a drunk.

She waited for the stranger to come out...

A minute passed by...

Five minutes...

Ten...

Argh

About to leave, she saw the stranger appearing into sight; he seemed joyful about something.. Undoubtedly.

As he was abut to emerge from the exit, the girl moved her foot in the was so to trip that man...

[Orophin]

As he walked from the store on his way back to the little inn, he stopped right before he nearly tripped over someone's foot that was stuck out in his way.

"I can tell I'm a ways away from home..." he began, "because people from my homeland are, cautious and some nearly scared of rangers."

Orophin withdrew one side of his cloak to reveal the hilt of a claymore as he turned toward the girl. "I have no quarrel with you, do not make one." Orophin said to her flatly.

He then turned away from and began making his way toward the old inn.

[Luthien Elenese]

As the man and woman spoke, someone watched. He was about seven or eight years old, and crouched in the bushes out of sight. His bare feet and arms were scratched from the thorns, but he didn't seem to notice. He squirmed when he realised the people were quarreling. Children know these things, even if you try to hide it, they know that something is happening between people.

He had been following a pheasant, a sharpened stick at his side, but both he and the pheasant had been startled when they strolled accross a village. Now he was lost, and scared in a unknown place, alone. He wasn't with his mother, or any of the men from his tribe, so he didn't know what to do. He desperately wanted to cry, but if he did, who knew what the man and woman would do to him? He'd heard stories, of women who lured small boys to their homes and took them away, of men who ate children roasted on a spit, like the wild pig the men of his tribe hunted. his only option was to stay there, crouched until something happened...

[spirit]

She was slightly surprised at the man’s directness. Having her suspicions confirmed, she caught up with the man who was walking at a fast face. She had no problem keeping up.

“A ranger?” she started to talk to him casually. “So, do you around on many adventures. What be your name? Do you need a partner... in your quests I mean.” He did not seem to be responding to her, so she did the only thing that she could think of doing.

She stepped in front of him making him stop in his footsteps. She held onto his arm, stopping him from moving; he seems surprised at her grip. She stared onto his eyes, and found herself surprised. His eyes seemed very terrible sad and lonely...

“Look” she said gently “I just want to have an adventure of my own... I’m asking if you’ll help me begin it, and hopefully be there to end it with me, if you wish -” The girl stopped abruptly.

She had sharp senses; nearby, she could hear rustling of leaves... not the type which would rustle i nthe wind. It was a stealthy, grim sound... Fully aware, she let goof the ranger, and looked around. In the bush nearby she spotted a ficure of a small child...
What in the World...?

[Luthien Elenese]

the boy jumped when he saw he was being watched. He looked around for an escape but there was none. The woman had seen him and the man was trying to see what she was looking at. The fight with his instinct to cry took over. Finding no other way out, he shut his eyes, clenched his fists and bawled.

The woman pushed the bush out of the way, thorns and all and tried to pick him up. He kicked her aside and brandished his 'spear' but blind through his tears, he waved it madly somewhere around her waist. She jumped back, but wasn't scared, just cautious. The boy panicked more at this and fought back like a startled animal.

[Orophin]

Orophin smiled at seeing the small boy nearly stabbing the girl that had been so rude and nosy. He shook his head and walked up close to the bush.

"Get back!" Orophin told the girl firmly. He quickly rumagged through his pockets and pulled out a piece hard caramel.

"Hey kid, here." Orophin in an inviting and friendly voice as he held out the piece of candy. "Go on, nothing's wrong with it."

[Luthien Elenese]

The boy's tears stopped abruptly when the man started waving the caramel in front of him. He fell into an almost hypnotic trance, eyes following the sweet back and forth. Should he fight the man? He seemed to be just like the people from the stories... but this man was giving him caramel!

He had only tasted it a few times, once when his clan visited a large town, larger than any he'd seen before. There had been so many people, he'd wondered how so many could stand living so close, packed together. He also had a distant memory of his father, wrapped in a travelling cloak and opening the bag he always filled with gifts when he went away. That was the first time he'd tasted anything so sweet, used to the cawl and bread he ate everyday.

But this man, with his strong arms and gentle eyes seemed to calm the boy. He reached out his hand and snached it before the man could change his mind.

[Orophin]

Orophin smiled as the boy stopped crying and accepted the candy he offered. He continued to stay knelt on one knee as the boy started to eat the caramel.

He began remembering back before he left the Dunedain. All of the small kids running up to him after he'd visited other towns and villages. They had known that on most occasions, he'd bring them sweets.

"Don't be afraid. I am no harm to you." He said to the boy still with a gentle smile.

[spirit]

A little surprised to see a man handle a child very well, she scathingly looked at the little boy eating.

“Where are your parents, child? And what are you doing in these lands? You’re too young to be wondering around!” Telperáca took the boy by the arm and gently lifted him, “Haven’t you washed?”

[Arlina]

A cloacked elf manuvered her horse through the outskirts of a town. "I need to find an inn that will let me be a minstrel." she said to herself, pulling out a pouch containing very little coins. She reached into her cloack and replaced the pouch, then pulled out her harp, shaking her head. "This is all your fault...I always wanted to play...and know I barely can make a living with no one appreciating me music!"

The elf moved her horse closer towards the town, finding a man and a woman conversing with a little child. She slowly moved her horse to a safe distance and hailed them. "Do any of ye know of a place that I might be able to find an inn needing a mistrel?"

[Orophin]

Orophin continued to look down at the boy until the girl pulled him up. He was prepared to protect should she try anything to hurt him. He kept his strong watchful eye on her until he heard the sound of hooves.

As the sound came a stop, a woman's voice asked, "Do you know of a place that I might be able to find an inn needing a minstral?"

Orophin turned to look at the woman. "Well, I've just began to remodel an old inn close by. Just take that road." He told her as he pointed to his right.

[Arlina]

The elf turned her gaze towards the direction that the man pointed, then brought her attention back towards him. "So would that be a request to become the minstrel of ye's inn?" she said, looking at this stranger.

"Sorry for being rude." the elf said after a moment, "for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Arlina, a wandering elf. I would be much obliged to help ye with yer inn in anyway possible."

[Orophin]

"Well, it's not actually my inn... I don't whose it is. But, it's been abandoned for awhile so, I guess in a way, it is mine." Orophin said as began began to smile at his own words.

"How much do you require for payment? Just let me know, ok?" Orophin told the elf as he turned his head to check on the little boy.

[spirit]

An Elf? An Elf!!

Telperaca looks at the wonan with wide eyes... She had never seen an Elf before, let alone be in one's presence! Wide eyes, she stood up and looked at her!

"Arlina," she called, as the Elf was about to ride away...

[Arlina]

The elf bowed to Orophin. "I'm much obliged. I don't cost much, some few coins will do a day." Arlina smile, turning her horse towards the road that the man had pointed, finally satisfied.

Upon hearing her name being called, Arlina turned towards the source, looking at the girl with curiousity. "May I be of service to you, young one?"

[Luthien Elenese]

The boy had sat on the dusty ground, content with his peice of caramel. he knew that he could trust the man. Maybe he knew where the boy's mother and clan was? But the woman, she looked at him coldly. The boy didn't trust her at all. She asked him questions in a unkind tone, so he ignored her. When he had finished and was licking the sticky remains from his mouth and fingers (and somehow, managed to get caramel in his hair), he stood up and took the man's outstretched hand. Very quietly, so the two women couldn't hear him he cleared his throat and asked the man... "do you know where my mam is? or the men?"

[Orophin]

Orophin spoke back to him in a whisper, "No, I do not know where your mother or father is, but if you like, I can get you some good food." Orophin said as he looked down at the ground, realizing that the boy really was lost.