Fellowship of the Dice

Frier slaps Borir on the shoulder, "Good! This place needs another dwarf to help keep it running right. These Hobbits can cook but they have no head for solid dwarven buisness. You can help me focus on the forge like we have been to start and then we can see what else we can do for the Brandybucks."

Vaurthil and the others show no interest in running the Inn, thankful as you might be for the Inn itself. The meeting goes on with numbers and business plans and contracts being signed.

"I assure you," Pipkin says. "If you don't let me help in the kitchen, I shall never speak to you again."

Wren welcomes the downtime spent at the Easterly Inn after their latest venture. Some of the more recent encounters have alerted the Elf to the fact his combat prowess is severely unbalanced. "Well enough with a bow, can barely hold a blade, " he says as he whittles away on some additional figurines. He is surprised to see Varuthil tending to Dando and Rodry on occasion, which in turn puts a smile on his own face. He seeks out Finn, who is very busy in his own right, about giving him some pointers with a bladed weapon. Over the course of several months, when the two found time, he would train. When spring arrives, Wren feels as though he could possibly hit something he swings at, which is a far cry from before.

After a brief walk in the woods, Wren makes his way to the Inn. Along the way he sees Dando and Rodry playing just outside. Producing two small figures of men in battle stances, he hands them to both. "Name them as you will, and may they have many fantastic adventures..."

Inside, it seems he has stumbled across a meeting regarding the Inn itself. Not wanting to interrupt, he simply finds a chair and tries to get up to speed.

Pipkin is almost shouting about having to join in on the venture. Agatha is the main stonewall in this, "I know Master Pipkin that you are a good cook, but its my kitchen and if you want to help then you'll have to follow my rules until I and trust you!" The pair turn to debating the merits of saffron and rosemary when used with lamb for a good ten minutes until Dody finally chimes in taking the chance when Wren arrives that disrupts things.

"Yes! How can we turn away a kinsmen, a Brandybuck no less!" He hands the pen, "You can put in what you can and we can work out the fine details later on how the cuts go. I need more hands in the kitchen, and perhaps you could help me with the solar, a nice smoking room, and pipeweed trade. I hear we could even try and raise some ourselves if we can get the right seeds and aid, if you know any good gardeners!" So over the course of the next bit Pipkin is brought in as a partner as well.

Borir continues on with signing the various contracts. The dwarf makes sure to shake everyone's hands on the deal and proceed to give his insights into making the inn more accommodating to his fellow dwarves.

"Pipkin, I'd expect nothing else. You will be our official food taster and recipe manager. I am sure our travels will discover other herbs and courses that you can record and bring back to the inn." The dwarf replies to the hobbit.

Wren patiently waits for an opening, "I'm not much of a business mind, but I have accumulated a small stash of wood carvings during our stay here. Could a spot be made available to offer them for sale. Many travelers are likely to have children and it could do some good in getting the word out on this place."

Finn nods at Wren's suggestion, and asks him about feasibility of improving the defenses of the Inn, particularly the idea of building a stockade surrounding the area, as Woodmen Town and Rhosgobel have.

Varuthil quietly rises from her chair and leaves the meeting without a word. The discussions on how to run an inn strike her as tedious but she sees no need to interrupt the flow of the others' conversation by saying anything. Instead, she finds Dando and Rodry and ushers them outside to play while she watches over them. By this time, they've realized that trying to actively engage her in their games is a hopeless task and simply accept her silently chaperoning them.

When he finally emerges from the kitchen after a long conversation with Agatha, Pipkin smiles and walks over to Dody. "Well, I do have a few contacts among the pipeweed farmers in the Shire. It might take some doing. But I'll wager I can get us some clippings eventually. Might take some time and a trip back to the Shire. But I'm sure I can manage something."

Wren thinks on Finn's inquiry for a moment, "I was out walking the surrounding woods earlier, not for this reason but it now affords me the ability to answer your question. Depending on how vast you want the perimeter to be, it's certainly feasible. There are a few streams that would need to be accounted for..." His voice seems to trail off a bit, "Are we absolutely sure it's necessary? The place is awful quaint as is."