Post by Sir Caedric Moore on Dec 28, 2015 17:16:13 GMT -8
My first freebuild for December. 
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-The Stump: Inn and Tavern-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Drake's Well, Northern Orevale...
"Well, Tytos," the big knight said, holding the heavy oaken door for the young Loreesi as they entered the noisy tavern. "This is it; The Stump. She's not the biggest bar in Orevale - that'd be the Frosted Mug down in Rustboro - but yeh're most likely to get a good night sleep, here; Torvald runs a good establishment."
Tytos Jorin gazed around at the denizens of the little tavern. A few rugged-looking sailors stood at the bar, exchanging fish tales and the usual gossip that was now on everybody's lips: the newly found islands to the west, or as the Lenfels were calling it, "New Lenfald". A pair of Dwarves sat off in one corner, speaking the heavy Dwarvish tongue to one another in hushed tones; one of them gestured towards an Elf on the other side of the room and the two chuckled at what must have been some joke at his expense. Here and there, Garhim men and women sat at wooden tables, drinking ale, wine, or mead and dining on the hearty northern cuisine that Northmen favored, but it quickly became clear that most of the tavern's denizens were town guards; many blue tunics could be seen amongst the crowd, emblazoned with the tell-tale Owl-and-Falcon that represented the Blackhawks of Orevale - the Valeguard. Some of them nodded or waved as Sir Hollander Peake walked in and a few even stood to salute him, but most seemed too invested in their food and drink to make much of a spectacle of the big knight and his young ward.
"Ah, good," Hollander said with a grin, placing a hand on the young Loreesi's shoulder and pointing towards the bar with the other. "Erin is working tonight. I'll get you a room; wait here." The big knight sauntered over and leaned on the bar, eliciting a smile from the beautiful copper-haired tavern girl Erin - the daughter of the barkeep, Torvald, and the wife of the Commander of the Valeguard himself, Sir Caedric Moore. They exchanged a few pleasantries - Tytos wished he could hear what they were saying - and then Sir Hollander turned and pointed to him. When she had seen who the big knight meant, the smile quickly vanished from the barmaid's face and was replaced with a frown. The young Loreesi felt nervous under her glare, but managed a smile and waved meekly and the frown lessened a bit. The barmaid said something else to Sir Hollander, then strode around the bar and across the tavern - straight over to the still-nervous Tytos.
"You'll be Tytos, then?" the barmaid asked nicely, a smile having returned to her face once more. He nodded politely, noticing again how pretty she was and becoming even more nervous.
"Uh, yeah...um..." was all he managed, which elicited an amused giggle from the older woman.
"I'm Erin. I'll show you to your room; follow me."
Tytos glanced once more at the big knight who flashed him a grin and waved him on, then turned and followed the copper-haired girl through the tavern and up a nearby staircase; he did his best not to stare, but Tytos couldn't help but notice the maiden's figure as he followed her up the wooden staircase.
"First door on the right," Erin said, unlocking the door and handing Tytos the key. "It isn't our biggest room, but the balcony gives a nice view of the tavern - and our new chandelier. Father is very proud of it; it came all the way from the glass-smiths of Loreos. Ah, but you've probably seen a thousand of them. Now, that key also works on this chest," she said, gesturing to a large wooden box set up against the wall beneath the window. "You can place your belongings in it; they'll be safe as long as you don't lose that key. Father and I have spares, of course, but you get the idea. The hearth is on the far wall by that old suit of armor; I'll be back up in a few minutes with a taper and some logs and kindle you a fire." With that, she turned and left the room - again, Tytos tried not to stare - and walked back down the wooden staircase.
---------
"I said no, Hollander!" the feisty barmaid responded, stomping her foot on the cobbled floor to emphasize the word "no" and shoving the frying pan she had previously been waving about into his hands. "Those rooms are for travelers; not wayward Loreesi children that you drop on my doorstep."
"It'll only be for a few days, my lady," the big knight responded, slicing the cod into fillets and placing each into the pan that he now held above the flames.
"I've told you to call me Erin, Peake," she responded angrily. "And I don't care what your rank is; you can't just come in here and give me orders. This is my tavern."
"It's not my call, my la - I mean, Erin," Hollander replied, glancing back at her with a shrug. "My orders come from your husband; as a knight of the Valeguard, I can't disobey them."
"Then take the boy up to Northwatch. Caedric will surely have slain the dragons by now and may be waiting for you already."
"Not likely; I've gotten no owls, as of yet. Sir Connors would be remiss not to notify each and every member of the Valeguard in the event of a victory," the big knight jested, smiling back at the barmaid sheepishly. "I'm sorry, my lady, but he'll have to stay here until I've had word - I'm sure it will come on the morrow."
---------
Tytos Jorin was in a strange bar in a strange land, surrounded by people with strange accents, and yet he felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of leaving it so soon. He looked out over the balcony at the tavern below, listening to the sounds of merriment as the lilting melody of a flute somewhere in the crowd floated up to him. The air was heavy with the scent of roasted meat, dried herbs, smoke, and wine. Turning, he looked first about the room - at the dented suit of armor, polished to a bright sheen; at the row of leather-bound books on the mantle above the hearth (he liked the ones with dragons and other beasts drawn on the covers, though he couldn't read the stories within as he didn't recognize the runes) - and then he gazed out the slatted windows at the snowy countryside, the last light of the setting sun blazing across the sky and sending long shadows between the buildings of Drake's Well. A part of him still longed to return home to Loreos - home, after all this time - but he found now that more and more of him wanted nothing more than to stay in Garheim.
"Could this become my new home?"
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
As always, comments and criticism are welcome and appreciated!
Ronin
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-The Stump: Inn and Tavern-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Drake's Well, Northern Orevale...
"Well, Tytos," the big knight said, holding the heavy oaken door for the young Loreesi as they entered the noisy tavern. "This is it; The Stump. She's not the biggest bar in Orevale - that'd be the Frosted Mug down in Rustboro - but yeh're most likely to get a good night sleep, here; Torvald runs a good establishment."
Tytos Jorin gazed around at the denizens of the little tavern. A few rugged-looking sailors stood at the bar, exchanging fish tales and the usual gossip that was now on everybody's lips: the newly found islands to the west, or as the Lenfels were calling it, "New Lenfald". A pair of Dwarves sat off in one corner, speaking the heavy Dwarvish tongue to one another in hushed tones; one of them gestured towards an Elf on the other side of the room and the two chuckled at what must have been some joke at his expense. Here and there, Garhim men and women sat at wooden tables, drinking ale, wine, or mead and dining on the hearty northern cuisine that Northmen favored, but it quickly became clear that most of the tavern's denizens were town guards; many blue tunics could be seen amongst the crowd, emblazoned with the tell-tale Owl-and-Falcon that represented the Blackhawks of Orevale - the Valeguard. Some of them nodded or waved as Sir Hollander Peake walked in and a few even stood to salute him, but most seemed too invested in their food and drink to make much of a spectacle of the big knight and his young ward.
"Ah, good," Hollander said with a grin, placing a hand on the young Loreesi's shoulder and pointing towards the bar with the other. "Erin is working tonight. I'll get you a room; wait here." The big knight sauntered over and leaned on the bar, eliciting a smile from the beautiful copper-haired tavern girl Erin - the daughter of the barkeep, Torvald, and the wife of the Commander of the Valeguard himself, Sir Caedric Moore. They exchanged a few pleasantries - Tytos wished he could hear what they were saying - and then Sir Hollander turned and pointed to him. When she had seen who the big knight meant, the smile quickly vanished from the barmaid's face and was replaced with a frown. The young Loreesi felt nervous under her glare, but managed a smile and waved meekly and the frown lessened a bit. The barmaid said something else to Sir Hollander, then strode around the bar and across the tavern - straight over to the still-nervous Tytos.
"You'll be Tytos, then?" the barmaid asked nicely, a smile having returned to her face once more. He nodded politely, noticing again how pretty she was and becoming even more nervous.
"Uh, yeah...um..." was all he managed, which elicited an amused giggle from the older woman.
"I'm Erin. I'll show you to your room; follow me."
Tytos glanced once more at the big knight who flashed him a grin and waved him on, then turned and followed the copper-haired girl through the tavern and up a nearby staircase; he did his best not to stare, but Tytos couldn't help but notice the maiden's figure as he followed her up the wooden staircase.
"First door on the right," Erin said, unlocking the door and handing Tytos the key. "It isn't our biggest room, but the balcony gives a nice view of the tavern - and our new chandelier. Father is very proud of it; it came all the way from the glass-smiths of Loreos. Ah, but you've probably seen a thousand of them. Now, that key also works on this chest," she said, gesturing to a large wooden box set up against the wall beneath the window. "You can place your belongings in it; they'll be safe as long as you don't lose that key. Father and I have spares, of course, but you get the idea. The hearth is on the far wall by that old suit of armor; I'll be back up in a few minutes with a taper and some logs and kindle you a fire." With that, she turned and left the room - again, Tytos tried not to stare - and walked back down the wooden staircase.
---------
"I said no, Hollander!" the feisty barmaid responded, stomping her foot on the cobbled floor to emphasize the word "no" and shoving the frying pan she had previously been waving about into his hands. "Those rooms are for travelers; not wayward Loreesi children that you drop on my doorstep."
"It'll only be for a few days, my lady," the big knight responded, slicing the cod into fillets and placing each into the pan that he now held above the flames.
"I've told you to call me Erin, Peake," she responded angrily. "And I don't care what your rank is; you can't just come in here and give me orders. This is my tavern."
"It's not my call, my la - I mean, Erin," Hollander replied, glancing back at her with a shrug. "My orders come from your husband; as a knight of the Valeguard, I can't disobey them."
"Then take the boy up to Northwatch. Caedric will surely have slain the dragons by now and may be waiting for you already."
"Not likely; I've gotten no owls, as of yet. Sir Connors would be remiss not to notify each and every member of the Valeguard in the event of a victory," the big knight jested, smiling back at the barmaid sheepishly. "I'm sorry, my lady, but he'll have to stay here until I've had word - I'm sure it will come on the morrow."
---------
Tytos Jorin was in a strange bar in a strange land, surrounded by people with strange accents, and yet he felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of leaving it so soon. He looked out over the balcony at the tavern below, listening to the sounds of merriment as the lilting melody of a flute somewhere in the crowd floated up to him. The air was heavy with the scent of roasted meat, dried herbs, smoke, and wine. Turning, he looked first about the room - at the dented suit of armor, polished to a bright sheen; at the row of leather-bound books on the mantle above the hearth (he liked the ones with dragons and other beasts drawn on the covers, though he couldn't read the stories within as he didn't recognize the runes) - and then he gazed out the slatted windows at the snowy countryside, the last light of the setting sun blazing across the sky and sending long shadows between the buildings of Drake's Well. A part of him still longed to return home to Loreos - home, after all this time - but he found now that more and more of him wanted nothing more than to stay in Garheim.
"Could this become my new home?"
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
As always, comments and criticism are welcome and appreciated!
Ronin
