Post by Brian K on May 8, 2008 19:36:12 GMT -5
9 May, 1008
The Lazy Toad Pub - a warm, welcoming establishment in Eiren. A turf fire burned in the huge hearth, casting the only light in the tiny common room. The pub itself was barely a large home, with a bar against the far wall from the door. Several regulars chatted amiably as a pair of musicians played cheery music on a bodhran and whistle. The barmaid, Mary, bantered and flirted with the men as she poured their drinks. At a small table in a corner, a single figure sat and drank quietly with a stack of parchment in front of him.
"I don't like the looks o' him, Mary," said one of the men under his breath. "E's always got tha' weird pendant wit' 'im."
Mary glanced at the stranger. He'd been coming to the Toad for months now, but no one had gotten to know much about him. She shrugged and leaned in saying, "He pays his dues on time, which is more 'an I can say 'bout ye half the time. He's just private, is all."
The man snorted. "Private, eh? There's a difference 'tween privacy an' bein' a wanker. An' how can ye trust 'im, eh?" He glanced back to make sure the stranger wasn't listening. "'E's an Asgarn, how d'ye know he's not just waitin' to spring some raid on us? Ye'd be a fool to trust 'im."
"Shame on you, Donal Treacy! If he was gonna be trouble, he'd already've brought it down on us."
Donal growled a response and focused on his drink. Mary took the opportunity to come out from behind the bar and check on the stranger. Despite the stubble and sunburn, he still had the face of a youth. "How are ye gettin' on tonight, Mr. Harroldson?"
Halfdan looked up at Mary and smiled. "Fine enough, thanks," he said and went back to his papers. He glanced at her as she stood for a moment and flashed his best grin. The barmaid rolled her eyes and walked off, saying, "Mr. Harroldson, please. Ye've been tryin' that for weeks now." He laughed as she went back to the bar.
Hours later, as the regulars began filing out of the pub, Mary went back to the table. "We're closing up, Mr. Harroldson, time for ye to feck off so I can get rest before ye bother me again," she said. Halfdan heaved a sigh and stretched. "I'm almost done my work, give me fifteen minutes," he said and shuffled some more of the parchment around. "I heard what Donal was saying earlier, so I'll tell ya what. I'll answer any questions as long as I can stay late tonight." He smiled broadly and pushed a stool out from the table. "Pour a couple of pints and sit down, will ya?"
Mary sat on the stool and asked, "Whereabouts ye from?"
"Asgarn, a town called Lillehammer. Well, village. You get the point though," Halfdan replied. "Come on, I know you can come up with something better."
Eyebrows raised, Mary crossed her arms. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be then? Fine." She thought for a moment. "What's the pendant about?"
Halfdan unclipped the small talisman from his belt. "It was a gift from a friend of mine. He disappeared years ago, not sure where to."
"What was his name?"
"We just called him Mask."
They sat in silence for a few moments. Halfdan collected the sheets and put them in his pack while Mary retrieved a pair of clay pints from the bar. When she sat down, Halfdan had leaned forward and took a drink – strong black stout. It was a pleasant change from the honey mead in Asgarn and the Valadon wine he had squirreled away in his room. The two sat drinking as they studied each other. Mary refilled their pints after a few minutes.
Abruptly, Mary said, “What were your parents like?” Halfdan laughed. “What do you mean, ‘were’? They’re alive and well.”
Mary’s face burned red. The Asgarn said, “My father, Harold, was a tradesman. He retired and took up fishing. My mother, Aoife – “
“Aoife? That’s a Kelt name,” said Mary. She leaned across the table and looked at Halfdan’s face. “You’re half Kelt?”
“Yeah. Anyway, she was a tradesman too. She met my father while they studied at Guildhall,” he said, punctuating his statement by finishing his pint. “Speaking of parents, where are yours?”
Mary waved her hand dismissively. “Da’s always out taking care of trade deals, and me mother’s back home.” She finished her pint and got up to refill the cups. “So does that mean you’re a tradesman too then?” she called over her shoulder.
“Sure am. I’m a warlock,” he replied as walked over to the hearth and threw another piece of turf on. “Would’ve been a warrior, but there’s something about throwing lightning that really appeals to me.” They both sat back at the table. “Cheers, thanks a million,” he said as he took the cup from Mary. She giggled. “Ye’re picking up the slang pretty fair like.”
Halfdan turned a bit red and grinned sheepishly. “You know how it is…anyway, back to the questions!” He took a long pull from the cup before he could say something embarrassing.
Mary sighed and looked to the rafters. “I don’t know…what’re ye doin’ so far from Guildhall then?”
Halfdan placed the half empty pint on the table. “I’ve been visiting home and traveling about, really,” he said. “I’m actually heading back to Evermoore this weekend.” He stopped for a moment before going on, “I’ve been away for…going on seven months, I think. Maybe eight. I forget exactly. Of course, I could always be convinced to stay…” He winked and flashed the smile Mistress Gwen had once described as, “charming, if it wasn’t on such a boyish face.”
Mary laughed. “That wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for,” Halfdan said before laughing. The barmaid sipped her drink and raised an eyebrow. “Halfdan, I barely know ye.” They both drank, giggling a bit at what had just happened before.
“Okay…so tell me about when ye were a boy.”
Halfdan shrugged. “I grew up in a fishing village. My parents knew I was arcane, so when I was old enough, they sent me off to Guildhall for apprenticeship. Nothing too special happened to me.”
Disappointed, Mary asked, “Have ye got any brothers and sisters?”
Halfdan shook his head as he swallowed some of his stout. “No, it was just me. I have a cousin, Teig, who’s actually from around here.” He put the empty glass down on the table. “I actually ran with him for a few years, but he’s been more or less underground lately.”
“Ye don’t mean Teig Larkin, do ye?” asked Mary.
Halfdan was surprised. “Yeah, why?”
Mary took a long pull before answering. “Ye look like ‘im is all.” They sat drinking in silence for a bit longer. Halfdan stood up and gathered his things. “I best be off, it’s late and I need to get organized for when I leave.”
Mary stood up and grabbed the empty cups. “Well, I won’t have ye wanderin’ the roads at this hour, ye’ll surely be jumped by knackers or gyppos.”
Halfdan looked up at the barmaid. “Well, can’t argue with that logic. Have you got a couch or something…” He trailed off as Mary beckoned him through the back door of the pub into the back room. He nearly ran.
The door slammed shut, and stayed shut till morning.
The Lazy Toad Pub - a warm, welcoming establishment in Eiren. A turf fire burned in the huge hearth, casting the only light in the tiny common room. The pub itself was barely a large home, with a bar against the far wall from the door. Several regulars chatted amiably as a pair of musicians played cheery music on a bodhran and whistle. The barmaid, Mary, bantered and flirted with the men as she poured their drinks. At a small table in a corner, a single figure sat and drank quietly with a stack of parchment in front of him.
"I don't like the looks o' him, Mary," said one of the men under his breath. "E's always got tha' weird pendant wit' 'im."
Mary glanced at the stranger. He'd been coming to the Toad for months now, but no one had gotten to know much about him. She shrugged and leaned in saying, "He pays his dues on time, which is more 'an I can say 'bout ye half the time. He's just private, is all."
The man snorted. "Private, eh? There's a difference 'tween privacy an' bein' a wanker. An' how can ye trust 'im, eh?" He glanced back to make sure the stranger wasn't listening. "'E's an Asgarn, how d'ye know he's not just waitin' to spring some raid on us? Ye'd be a fool to trust 'im."
"Shame on you, Donal Treacy! If he was gonna be trouble, he'd already've brought it down on us."
Donal growled a response and focused on his drink. Mary took the opportunity to come out from behind the bar and check on the stranger. Despite the stubble and sunburn, he still had the face of a youth. "How are ye gettin' on tonight, Mr. Harroldson?"
Halfdan looked up at Mary and smiled. "Fine enough, thanks," he said and went back to his papers. He glanced at her as she stood for a moment and flashed his best grin. The barmaid rolled her eyes and walked off, saying, "Mr. Harroldson, please. Ye've been tryin' that for weeks now." He laughed as she went back to the bar.
Hours later, as the regulars began filing out of the pub, Mary went back to the table. "We're closing up, Mr. Harroldson, time for ye to feck off so I can get rest before ye bother me again," she said. Halfdan heaved a sigh and stretched. "I'm almost done my work, give me fifteen minutes," he said and shuffled some more of the parchment around. "I heard what Donal was saying earlier, so I'll tell ya what. I'll answer any questions as long as I can stay late tonight." He smiled broadly and pushed a stool out from the table. "Pour a couple of pints and sit down, will ya?"
Mary sat on the stool and asked, "Whereabouts ye from?"
"Asgarn, a town called Lillehammer. Well, village. You get the point though," Halfdan replied. "Come on, I know you can come up with something better."
Eyebrows raised, Mary crossed her arms. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be then? Fine." She thought for a moment. "What's the pendant about?"
Halfdan unclipped the small talisman from his belt. "It was a gift from a friend of mine. He disappeared years ago, not sure where to."
"What was his name?"
"We just called him Mask."
They sat in silence for a few moments. Halfdan collected the sheets and put them in his pack while Mary retrieved a pair of clay pints from the bar. When she sat down, Halfdan had leaned forward and took a drink – strong black stout. It was a pleasant change from the honey mead in Asgarn and the Valadon wine he had squirreled away in his room. The two sat drinking as they studied each other. Mary refilled their pints after a few minutes.
Abruptly, Mary said, “What were your parents like?” Halfdan laughed. “What do you mean, ‘were’? They’re alive and well.”
Mary’s face burned red. The Asgarn said, “My father, Harold, was a tradesman. He retired and took up fishing. My mother, Aoife – “
“Aoife? That’s a Kelt name,” said Mary. She leaned across the table and looked at Halfdan’s face. “You’re half Kelt?”
“Yeah. Anyway, she was a tradesman too. She met my father while they studied at Guildhall,” he said, punctuating his statement by finishing his pint. “Speaking of parents, where are yours?”
Mary waved her hand dismissively. “Da’s always out taking care of trade deals, and me mother’s back home.” She finished her pint and got up to refill the cups. “So does that mean you’re a tradesman too then?” she called over her shoulder.
“Sure am. I’m a warlock,” he replied as walked over to the hearth and threw another piece of turf on. “Would’ve been a warrior, but there’s something about throwing lightning that really appeals to me.” They both sat back at the table. “Cheers, thanks a million,” he said as he took the cup from Mary. She giggled. “Ye’re picking up the slang pretty fair like.”
Halfdan turned a bit red and grinned sheepishly. “You know how it is…anyway, back to the questions!” He took a long pull from the cup before he could say something embarrassing.
Mary sighed and looked to the rafters. “I don’t know…what’re ye doin’ so far from Guildhall then?”
Halfdan placed the half empty pint on the table. “I’ve been visiting home and traveling about, really,” he said. “I’m actually heading back to Evermoore this weekend.” He stopped for a moment before going on, “I’ve been away for…going on seven months, I think. Maybe eight. I forget exactly. Of course, I could always be convinced to stay…” He winked and flashed the smile Mistress Gwen had once described as, “charming, if it wasn’t on such a boyish face.”
Mary laughed. “That wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for,” Halfdan said before laughing. The barmaid sipped her drink and raised an eyebrow. “Halfdan, I barely know ye.” They both drank, giggling a bit at what had just happened before.
“Okay…so tell me about when ye were a boy.”
Halfdan shrugged. “I grew up in a fishing village. My parents knew I was arcane, so when I was old enough, they sent me off to Guildhall for apprenticeship. Nothing too special happened to me.”
Disappointed, Mary asked, “Have ye got any brothers and sisters?”
Halfdan shook his head as he swallowed some of his stout. “No, it was just me. I have a cousin, Teig, who’s actually from around here.” He put the empty glass down on the table. “I actually ran with him for a few years, but he’s been more or less underground lately.”
“Ye don’t mean Teig Larkin, do ye?” asked Mary.
Halfdan was surprised. “Yeah, why?”
Mary took a long pull before answering. “Ye look like ‘im is all.” They sat drinking in silence for a bit longer. Halfdan stood up and gathered his things. “I best be off, it’s late and I need to get organized for when I leave.”
Mary stood up and grabbed the empty cups. “Well, I won’t have ye wanderin’ the roads at this hour, ye’ll surely be jumped by knackers or gyppos.”
Halfdan looked up at the barmaid. “Well, can’t argue with that logic. Have you got a couch or something…” He trailed off as Mary beckoned him through the back door of the pub into the back room. He nearly ran.
The door slammed shut, and stayed shut till morning.