He awoke to the sensation of water being poured over his face.
"Nob, what happened?" Gonâd asked. As he was brandishing a pan, Nob believed him to be the likely culprit for the water throwing, and he was not best pleased. He had only been sleeping- hadn't he?
"You started screeching. Then suddenly died," Anúsol added in what he probably assumed was a helpful tone, but it didn't really seem that way. "Vagi and I tried to use old fashioned Elvish medicine, but it didn't work. So Gonâd threw water on you. That worked."
"I- I can't remember a thing."
"Very convenient for you," Gonâd said, in a tone Nob had never heard before. For once the man did not seem friendly. He sounded like a man who had been deprived of discovering what an elf maiden kept under her skirts. Nob had absolutely no idea why.
"I thought you were going to die," Fokin added, with a note in his voice which implied envy. "And wouldn't have to continue on our journey." The implication was gone now. It was purely explicit.
"It's just bloody unfair," Gonâd ejaculated. "Right at the time when I could discover- o, never mind. I am being unreasonable. I remember once, I was back at home, and I was incredibly unreasonable. My cousin, Saco, said to me, 'Nads,' he said, 'will you look after my children for me?' And I said, 'Never!' And so Saco couldn't go on an adventure and I felt very guilty. Then he got one of the regular customers at the Two Sacks to do it, and he's now in Gondor. Don't tell his wife, but it's to meet all the loose women. Gondor's notorious for that, if you know the right places to go. Once I met this lass-"
"So you feel alright, do you?" Vagísil said, patting Nob's bouncy curls.
"Never better. I was probably tired, and fell asleep."
"Doesn't explain the hysterical screaming," Anúsol said, in the same trying- to-be-helpful tone.
"Very tired," Nob said. He had an inkling as to why he had passed out screaming, and hoped he hadn't uttered any words. Otherwise his phobia would be known to all and he could be cruelly mocked.
"It sounded like, 'DON'T TOUCH THAT.'"
"I. gibber when I'm tired." Nob was alarmingly good at thinking on his hairy little feet.
"Bloodcurdling, it was."
"I really thought you were going to die," Fokin said. "You were just lying there."
"Spoiling my moment," Gonâd grumbled. "Hobbits are rather weak little things. Going down more often than- o, never mind. There are ladies present. A lady."
"And you think my fragile ears won't want to hear what hobbits go down more often than?" Vagísil demanded.
"Well. yes."
"Say it."
"More often than a Gondorian tavern wench, I was going to say."
"Do they fall over often, then?" Anúsol asked rather innocently. Gonâd made a gesture which evidently explained what he meant.
"I still don't understand," Nob said.
"So naïve. I must remember to take you to that tavern with the back room."
"Nob, what happened?" Gonâd asked. As he was brandishing a pan, Nob believed him to be the likely culprit for the water throwing, and he was not best pleased. He had only been sleeping- hadn't he?
"You started screeching. Then suddenly died," Anúsol added in what he probably assumed was a helpful tone, but it didn't really seem that way. "Vagi and I tried to use old fashioned Elvish medicine, but it didn't work. So Gonâd threw water on you. That worked."
"I- I can't remember a thing."
"Very convenient for you," Gonâd said, in a tone Nob had never heard before. For once the man did not seem friendly. He sounded like a man who had been deprived of discovering what an elf maiden kept under her skirts. Nob had absolutely no idea why.
"I thought you were going to die," Fokin added, with a note in his voice which implied envy. "And wouldn't have to continue on our journey." The implication was gone now. It was purely explicit.
"It's just bloody unfair," Gonâd ejaculated. "Right at the time when I could discover- o, never mind. I am being unreasonable. I remember once, I was back at home, and I was incredibly unreasonable. My cousin, Saco, said to me, 'Nads,' he said, 'will you look after my children for me?' And I said, 'Never!' And so Saco couldn't go on an adventure and I felt very guilty. Then he got one of the regular customers at the Two Sacks to do it, and he's now in Gondor. Don't tell his wife, but it's to meet all the loose women. Gondor's notorious for that, if you know the right places to go. Once I met this lass-"
"So you feel alright, do you?" Vagísil said, patting Nob's bouncy curls.
"Never better. I was probably tired, and fell asleep."
"Doesn't explain the hysterical screaming," Anúsol said, in the same trying- to-be-helpful tone.
"Very tired," Nob said. He had an inkling as to why he had passed out screaming, and hoped he hadn't uttered any words. Otherwise his phobia would be known to all and he could be cruelly mocked.
"It sounded like, 'DON'T TOUCH THAT.'"
"I. gibber when I'm tired." Nob was alarmingly good at thinking on his hairy little feet.
"Bloodcurdling, it was."
"I really thought you were going to die," Fokin said. "You were just lying there."
"Spoiling my moment," Gonâd grumbled. "Hobbits are rather weak little things. Going down more often than- o, never mind. There are ladies present. A lady."
"And you think my fragile ears won't want to hear what hobbits go down more often than?" Vagísil demanded.
"Well. yes."
"Say it."
"More often than a Gondorian tavern wench, I was going to say."
"Do they fall over often, then?" Anúsol asked rather innocently. Gonâd made a gesture which evidently explained what he meant.
"I still don't understand," Nob said.
"So naïve. I must remember to take you to that tavern with the back room."
