Post by ihwar on Mar 31, 2007 8:09:35 GMT -5
The man, young for a horse-warrior, but haggard from exhaustion slapped dust from his leggings and brushed off his cloak. Vinheron whinnied and hoofed the ground, snorting at the strangely fat, tiny man who had been ushering a small pig herd up the road and was now trying to maneuver around the rider.
"Strange folk - a lot of you about!" The round fellow said, looking up at the stranger from beneath a wide brim hat. The tall man seemed bigger in his grimy but thick mail that glinted in the late afternoon sun. His face was narrow and hawk-like, not unkind but not exactly sunny. A large sword dangled from a frog at his side. Larger still was the now snorting and pacing stallion that seemed to nearly nuzzle up to the dismounted rider. "What's a soldier fellow like yerself looking for here The Farthings?"
Straightening himself, looking down, finding difficulty at addressing the halfling with the respect afforded a man, Ihwar replied. "I am Ihwar, Rider of Rohan, Halfling. I come from across the plains and hills to seek answers... and offer arms..."
Wiping off his brow, shaking his head in confusion, and pushing aside a gnashing pig snout, the hobbit wrinkled his brow. "Arms... and news? Rohan? But that is miles from here... Past the Iron Tower? What could be so important in The Shire that a knight from far away visits?"
Ihwar looked around, peering into the brush and shadows - made tense from his days dodging the swelling orc numbers, then looked back down. He reached into a pouch and removed a bound cloth bundle.
"Our runners have been sent out to ask for, and seek aid. Captured spies - southern men of a... mottled strain...had this," a rough fist, clutching the bundle, appeared at the hobbit's nose. "Greyhame told the captain that it is only found in one place in all the land. And he sent me here to find out more, and bring and seek aid if our fears are true."
Before another hand could reveal the contents of the bundle, the hobbit's nose had already determined its nature. "Flood me hill! That's Springdell leaf!? Someone in Rohan had it.
"Aye, and a man from far south no less... dark and vaguely... tainted..."
"Well then," the hobbit whisked at his pigs with a switch. "Follow me, stranger! Best get you to see the mayor! And the bounders! Zhongo should know how to get you some answers!"
"Strange folk - a lot of you about!" The round fellow said, looking up at the stranger from beneath a wide brim hat. The tall man seemed bigger in his grimy but thick mail that glinted in the late afternoon sun. His face was narrow and hawk-like, not unkind but not exactly sunny. A large sword dangled from a frog at his side. Larger still was the now snorting and pacing stallion that seemed to nearly nuzzle up to the dismounted rider. "What's a soldier fellow like yerself looking for here The Farthings?"
Straightening himself, looking down, finding difficulty at addressing the halfling with the respect afforded a man, Ihwar replied. "I am Ihwar, Rider of Rohan, Halfling. I come from across the plains and hills to seek answers... and offer arms..."
Wiping off his brow, shaking his head in confusion, and pushing aside a gnashing pig snout, the hobbit wrinkled his brow. "Arms... and news? Rohan? But that is miles from here... Past the Iron Tower? What could be so important in The Shire that a knight from far away visits?"
Ihwar looked around, peering into the brush and shadows - made tense from his days dodging the swelling orc numbers, then looked back down. He reached into a pouch and removed a bound cloth bundle.
"Our runners have been sent out to ask for, and seek aid. Captured spies - southern men of a... mottled strain...had this," a rough fist, clutching the bundle, appeared at the hobbit's nose. "Greyhame told the captain that it is only found in one place in all the land. And he sent me here to find out more, and bring and seek aid if our fears are true."
Before another hand could reveal the contents of the bundle, the hobbit's nose had already determined its nature. "Flood me hill! That's Springdell leaf!? Someone in Rohan had it.
"Aye, and a man from far south no less... dark and vaguely... tainted..."
"Well then," the hobbit whisked at his pigs with a switch. "Follow me, stranger! Best get you to see the mayor! And the bounders! Zhongo should know how to get you some answers!"