Fellowship of the Dice

"I once saw him sitting alone on the top of the Carrock at night
watching the the moon sinking towards the Misty Mountains,
and I heard him growl in the tongue of bears:
"The day will come when they will perish and I shall go back!"
That is why I believe he once came from the mountains himself."
― Gandalf, The Hobbit, Queer Lodgings April 9th, 2948 The Third Age, Spring

More than half the year has passed since coming to the Easterly Inn in the middle vales of the Anduin Valley. The winter months have been mild, but not without their snow, and even this late into April some snow lingers in the shaded eves of Mirkwood. However travel has started up once more and the Easterly Inn begins to see more and more patrons. Dwarves traveling from Erebor to the Blue Mountains pass through and stay at the Inn. They are pleased to find Frier and Borir there and the small forge in operation.

Beornings from the south come up for ale and songs and fellowship. Honey cakes, honey, creams and other delights from the Beornings are stocked at the Inn, and pipeweed is traded in return as the Beornings are starting to enjoy the halfling leaf more and more.

Trade with men further north in the vale trickles down as well to the Woodmen in the south where iron spear and arrow heads are traded for grains and foodstuffs that will help the northmen last out till spring finally arrives there.

Things are prosperous, Finn's keen business mind helps with trades, Pipkin's cooking and knowledge of leaf spreads the renowned of the Inn, and Borir's little smithy turns a nice profit. Wren even has been selling his little carvings, mostly to those with children back home to take to them, but the competition from the toy markets of Dale overshadows anything he provides.

It is much a day like any other today. Varuthil is watching the kids outside. They play under her gaze but don't interact with her at all anymore, having given up trying months ago. Shadrach the dog sits next to the elf maiden wagging his tail and on occasion whimpering and looking up at her as if he wants a bone or a treat.

The Inn is in shambles from a rather rowdy night last night as a quartet of dwarves passed through and drank more than their fill and ate more than their fill. The sweet stores of honey and honey cakes of the Beornings are now about spent, and the honey mead barrel is dry.

Dindy and Dody are arguing in the back room about supplies and the need for more. Dindy is not keen on making another trip to the Shire, not after what happened last year, but Dody's concerns about stock are well founded. The two argue behind closed doors but you can still just hear them if you are in the common room.

Agatha is in the common room, and sighs as she lifts a chair and rights it once again, with a few of you, cleaning up from last night...

Pipkin moves through the common room with a broom, sweeping up some of the mess from the previous night. He's feeling the effects of trying to keep up with the dwarves the previous night. Thankfully a proper Shire breakfast has settled his stomach and it's only a nagging headache that remains. He shares a look with Agatha as he sweeps.

"Well," he notes after a long silence. "At least they paid well. For all the mess, we made a tidy profit last night."

Agatha nods back to Pipkin, "That is good, but we are out of all the stock from the Beornings. We are going to need to make a trip down the vale to trade for some of it again." She rights a second chair and then flips it over and sets it on the table. She begins to do this around the tables so Pipkin can sweep under them.

Finn had taken a walk that Spring morning, and had returned to the Inn to find something to eat. Approaching the kitchen, he overheard Dody and Dindy arguing behind closed door, so he turned back to the main room and began to do what he could to help. He hadn't tried to keep up with the Dwarves. After three pints of mead, his fingers were loose on the strings but he was still able to play. Any more and the singing would have been a capella.

"I am going to need to make a trip back home to Laketown. I'm certain we can pick up supplies for you there. Nothing as good as Shire pipeweed or beer, but good enough for travelers. However, in the meantime I'm sure after last night we will need more honey and mead. Some or all of us can certainly make a supply trip to Beorn...though I'd hate to leave without finding someone to provide entertainment to guests first."

Wren makes his way through the common room with only so much as a nod to both Pipkin and Finn. As he closes the door behind him, he can only imagine that his complexion matches that of the greenish leaves on his cloak. It turns out keeping pace with Borir has its consequences. Across the yard and into the woods he finally takes a knee and leaves the previous nights festivities on the forest floor. Standing while wiping his mouth with his sleeve he looks around, "Nobody needs to know of this..." Walking back across the yard, he eyes the boys playing under Varuthil's watchful eye. Managing a smile, he yells, "Hey! Did you get her to talk yet?"

Varuthil turns a baleful look on Wren and says, "I talk when it is needful, not wagging my tongue all the time." She sighs, realizing she was rude, and says, "But sometimes I do enjoy listening to the wagging of others' tongues." Which is true enough--sometimes listening in others' conversation can be fascinating. "I did not stay up for the whole party last night. Was there any interesting tongue wagging I missed?"

Wren stops as his hand rests on the door pull, then looks at Varuthil and gives a hush sound with his finger to his mouth. "Don't tell, I fear I was there the whole time but it seems missed as much tongue wagging as you did!" Hoping he didn't do anything too bad, he opens the door and finds Pipkin still sweeping. "Need any help?"

"Good company makes any task shorter and more pleasant," Pipkin replies. "I'd be happy for the help. The other broom is back in the kitchen."

Wren nods and makes his way to the kitchen to fetch a second broom. Agatha is paying him no mind, so he eyes a sweet roll and lifts it on his way out to the common room. Eating and sweeping simultaneously, Wren engages Pipkin in some idle chatter about the days to come.

The fighting with Dody and Dindy eventually ends, and the back door is slammed shut. Dody comes into the common room with a worried look on his face but perks up as best he can as he spots the group cleaning up.

"Leave?" He catches something of what Finn is saying. "Oh good then you've decided to restock our honey stores yourselves?" He glances at the kitchen as Wren arrives chewing something but he hardly cares what it is. "We are going to need a restock and soon. Ale, honey cakes, honey, that sweet cream of theirs. A rather big load, I can hitch the wagons or if you prefer we have that row boat that was left here in trade last month by the northmen." He just assumes at this point you are all going to go shopping for the Inn in the Beorning lands; he also looks none too keen on arguing anymore after the spat with Dindy.