Year 2949: The Marsh-Bell

[Vladim]

Asfrid spent her downtime over the following days in a state of indecision. In truth, she'd felt torn since the first day she'd laid eyes on Lára. Now, despite it being entirely clear that her foolish infatuation with the elven woman was unrequited, the warrior woman couldn't seem to get back to normal. It was as if one batted almond-shaped eye had thrown her entire self wholly off balance and now she couldn't figure out how to regain her equilibrium.

But time - and fancy golden magical books, apparently - healed all wounds, as her people were wont to say. With each day's passage, Asfrid felt more like herself again. She said hello to old friends in town and, after a few drinks at the pub, made some quickly-forgotten new ones. She healed, she trained, she slept, she ate...gods, how she ate! It would be a miracle if a single shank of pork survived her time in port!

She also made her thoughts known to her companions as they went about their various duties. If the others agreed, Asfrid offered to throw herself into the betterment of Dale itself...but, if not, then she was happy to spend some coin and enjoy whatever meats were still left uneaten in town.

[Vladim]

Lord Ewald thanked Gloin for his generosity and hospitality after the dwarf had recieved them like heroes when they came back to Esgaroth. Ewald told him and the others of the Fellowship that he would return to Dale and speak with King Bard about their endeavors and forthcoming plans. He also invited all of his friends to come and visit him and his family in Dale.

Back in Dale, Ewald spent some time with his family and closest friends to update himself on recent events in his home town. He was especially curious to hear if they had seen or heard of a visiting lady from far away lands, presumably visiting the King. He also spent time inviting friends and rivals of the nobility to talk about his and his friends' adventures in the Long Marshes. Through this and by approaching the King and his closest advisors he also sought a personal audience with Bard to tell him about their findings in the south. His goal with all this was of course also to regain some of his lost standing within the society of the Bardings.

He also showed them the treasures he had brought back from the marsh-dwellers, but since he had no need or interest in keeping golden things for their own sake he sold it off to use the money obtained on more important things.

[Vladim]

On their return to Lake-town, things moved quickly. First the fellowship met with Gloin to relay all they had encountered and endured during their expedition.

Whilst Barin felt some feeling of disappointment that the group had not returned with sure confirmation of the Eastfort, Gloin nevertheless saw their expedition as a success and rewarded each generously. In council he also agreed that rallying the forces of Dwarves, Elves and Men would be wise in order to defeat the corruption that had evidently taken root in that part of Mirkwood. To that end, he agreed to arrange audiences with the respective Kings, although did note that this would take some time.

Audiences over, the Fellowship bade one another their farewells and went their separate ways, Barin agreed to meet with them in several weeks time in Ewalds home town of Dale.

First and foremost though, he returned to the inn from whence the party had originally departed all those weeks ago, and booking a private room with a tub he spent the next few weeks eating, drinking and relaxing by carving stone or banging the anvil in the forge. Slowly, he felt the tensions and fear recede from him until he once more resembled the Dwarf he set out as.

Eventually though, the weeks spent relaxing drew to a close and Barin shouldered his pack, paid his bills at the inn and set out on the short, but lonesome trek to Dale...

[Vladim]

Fareth spent some time in Lake-town walking and thinking, before setting out for Dale. She was surprised to find she felt a little lonely - the companionship of folk who were just trying to improve Middle Earth had touched her more than she realized. She yearned less for the company of other Rangers and the Wise less than she had expected.

On her last day in Lake-town, she wandered into a market stall she couldn't recall seeing before, and met a book-seller there. Combing through the volumes, one foolish book of rhyme kept drawing her eye. Opening it, she was shocked to find a version of the rhyme about the Mewlips that had haunted her for so long. Slamming the book shut, she immediately purchased it - overpaying the bookseller greatly for what the cover of the volume indicated.

That last night she poured over the volume, finding it was a trove of rhymes and stories that gave her the same sense she'd gotten from the Mewlip rhyme - these were verses that might have some truth to them.

The next morning she set out for Dale, the book carefully wrapped in a waxed canvass cover to protect it. That night she moved well off the road to a quiet campfire so she could continue her studies.

To her surprise, this time when she opened the book a tiny velvet bag slipped out of the gap in the spine and fell into her hand. Opening it, she found a silver ring which seemed to catch the light of the campfire. Slipping it on, it felt warm, despite the cold, and she felt suddenly very tired.

That night she dreamed of great works of men of Arnor she had never seen, alternated with visions of herself struggling to understand the leaders of men and dwarves she had met, as well as her companions.

The rest of her travel she nearly forgot the book, finding herself consumed with thoughts and analyses about other denizens of Middle Earth - their motivations, their fears, their hopes... She also noticed this was not her usual mode of mind, and began to wonder about the provenance of that ring...

 

OOC

Fareth spent two treasure to acquire the book of poetry, which will give her a +1 to Lore until she improves that skill. The ring, mechanically, is providing her with a Wisdom bonus (+2) to Insight, and if she is recognized as its bearer would add 2 to her standing.