Chapter Two
After wandering for another half hour, full of complaining from Kelsey (The baby carrier was getting to be quite a nuisance), the girls stumbled upon a town. No, it was more a village. There was a tiny cluster of houses and shops, with an inn. The Prancing Pony.
When Carolyn saw the sign of The Pony, she stopped dead. This caused Jenneva to bump into her, and Kelsey to bump into her. All three fell, Kelsey's arm awkwardly in the air to save her baby from harm.
"Kelsey, do you see what I see?" asked a bewildered Carolyn.
"I see the preeeety blue sky. Just like Ninny in the boat scene!"
Ignoring this, Carolyn pointed out the sign.
Kelsey and Jenneva's jaws dropped.
"Holy shit! It's like China town, but Lord of the Rings town! COOL!!!" shrieked Kelsey, bringing looks of curiousity from the townspeople. "And the people look like hobbits!!"
Jenneva slapped a hand over Kelsey's mouth, and smiled at the gawking villagers. Realizing they were staring, they went about whatever it was townspeople do, besides run around screaming when something attacks them.
"Let's go see about a room, I'm bushed, "suggested Carolyn.
They entered the Inn of the Prancing Pony, and walked up to the front desk. A large, but nice man greeted them.
"Good Evening, ladies, the name's Butterbur, what can I do for you?"
Kelsey giggled, and Carolyn stepped on her foot.
"Well sir," explained Jenneva, "We are travelers, but unfortunately we were robbed, and so we don't have any money. We are willing to work, though, for a meal and board for the night."
"Hmmmmmm..."
"In the kitchen or as waitresses, or in the stables or something," added Carolyn hastily.
"Yes, well, I could use some extra waitresses, and someone to help in the kitchen... I'll strike you a deal. 4 hours hard work from each will get you dinner, board for the night and breakfast. If you want to stay longer, we'll talk in the morning."
"Thank you, Mr. Butterbur. I'm Carolyn, and this is Jenneva, and Kelsey." Kelsey cleared her throat, but Carolyn ignored her, hoping that the baby would go unnoticed. "When do we start?" she asked.
But Butterbur was eying the Kelsey's baby.
"Oh, he won't cause any trouble, I promise! If he does cry, it takes less than a minute to appease him, and I'll be back to work!" explained Kelsey.
"Alright, then." He eyed Jenneva up and down, making her blush. "You'd better be the one to work I the kitchen, these two look like they can handle themselves with the men, but you...had better work in the kitchen," he concluded lamely. "The cook's over there in the corner, follow her back to the kitchen and she'll give you instructions."
"Thank you," replied Kelsey.
The three girls made their way over to a door they had seen the cook disappear through. As they entered, they could feel the heat from the stove.
"Whaddya want, I'm busy, here, " yelled the cook, obviously stressed.
"Butterbur was nice enough to let us work for-"
"Ah, so yer waitresses, are ya? Hmmm, you'd better work in the kitchens, I think" she told Jenneva.
"Yeah, I know."
The cook turned sourly to Kelsey and Carolyn.
"You two, go around with this pitcher of ale and refill anyone's cup whose is empty. And be nice to the customers, no matter how rude they are to ya, "she warned. "And I'll have no slacking, either."
Carolyn and Kelsey nodded, and set out with their pitchers. After about three minutes, they retreated back to the kitchen, both blushing bright red.
"Holy crap, I cant believe what those guys are saying!"
"I don't think that's actually physically possible..."
They looked at each other, then at the cook who had two platters full of food.
"This one goes to that table with the one-eyed scoundrel, and this goes to the dark silent man in the corner over there. Don't talk to that one, he's a troublemaker," she advised.
Suspecting who the dark, silent man was, Kelsey seized his plate and headed over to him. Ignoring the rude remarks thrown at her from tables on either side of her, Kelsey made her way to the corner and set down the plate.
"There you are, mister...Strider, is it?"
He looked at her from under his hood. Kelsey couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel his piercing gaze.
"Yes, it is Strider, isn't it. Well, when the hobbits come and they are being chased by the...well, you know what's after them...just make sure that you take care on Weathertop."
Knowing that she had planted a seed, Kelsey turned to leave, when a hand shot and grabbed her arm, turning her back towards its owner.
"What do you know of the hobbits, and of what chases them?" asked a gruff voice, and Kelsey felt herself pulled down into the chair opposite of Strider.
"I know enough to help you in your quest. I know what has happened and what will come to pass." Kelsey heard a cry from the kitchen, and stood up, her maternal instincts alert. Strider grabbed her arm, but she twisted away and walked towards the wails.
After wandering for another half hour, full of complaining from Kelsey (The baby carrier was getting to be quite a nuisance), the girls stumbled upon a town. No, it was more a village. There was a tiny cluster of houses and shops, with an inn. The Prancing Pony.
When Carolyn saw the sign of The Pony, she stopped dead. This caused Jenneva to bump into her, and Kelsey to bump into her. All three fell, Kelsey's arm awkwardly in the air to save her baby from harm.
"Kelsey, do you see what I see?" asked a bewildered Carolyn.
"I see the preeeety blue sky. Just like Ninny in the boat scene!"
Ignoring this, Carolyn pointed out the sign.
Kelsey and Jenneva's jaws dropped.
"Holy shit! It's like China town, but Lord of the Rings town! COOL!!!" shrieked Kelsey, bringing looks of curiousity from the townspeople. "And the people look like hobbits!!"
Jenneva slapped a hand over Kelsey's mouth, and smiled at the gawking villagers. Realizing they were staring, they went about whatever it was townspeople do, besides run around screaming when something attacks them.
"Let's go see about a room, I'm bushed, "suggested Carolyn.
They entered the Inn of the Prancing Pony, and walked up to the front desk. A large, but nice man greeted them.
"Good Evening, ladies, the name's Butterbur, what can I do for you?"
Kelsey giggled, and Carolyn stepped on her foot.
"Well sir," explained Jenneva, "We are travelers, but unfortunately we were robbed, and so we don't have any money. We are willing to work, though, for a meal and board for the night."
"Hmmmmmm..."
"In the kitchen or as waitresses, or in the stables or something," added Carolyn hastily.
"Yes, well, I could use some extra waitresses, and someone to help in the kitchen... I'll strike you a deal. 4 hours hard work from each will get you dinner, board for the night and breakfast. If you want to stay longer, we'll talk in the morning."
"Thank you, Mr. Butterbur. I'm Carolyn, and this is Jenneva, and Kelsey." Kelsey cleared her throat, but Carolyn ignored her, hoping that the baby would go unnoticed. "When do we start?" she asked.
But Butterbur was eying the Kelsey's baby.
"Oh, he won't cause any trouble, I promise! If he does cry, it takes less than a minute to appease him, and I'll be back to work!" explained Kelsey.
"Alright, then." He eyed Jenneva up and down, making her blush. "You'd better be the one to work I the kitchen, these two look like they can handle themselves with the men, but you...had better work in the kitchen," he concluded lamely. "The cook's over there in the corner, follow her back to the kitchen and she'll give you instructions."
"Thank you," replied Kelsey.
The three girls made their way over to a door they had seen the cook disappear through. As they entered, they could feel the heat from the stove.
"Whaddya want, I'm busy, here, " yelled the cook, obviously stressed.
"Butterbur was nice enough to let us work for-"
"Ah, so yer waitresses, are ya? Hmmm, you'd better work in the kitchens, I think" she told Jenneva.
"Yeah, I know."
The cook turned sourly to Kelsey and Carolyn.
"You two, go around with this pitcher of ale and refill anyone's cup whose is empty. And be nice to the customers, no matter how rude they are to ya, "she warned. "And I'll have no slacking, either."
Carolyn and Kelsey nodded, and set out with their pitchers. After about three minutes, they retreated back to the kitchen, both blushing bright red.
"Holy crap, I cant believe what those guys are saying!"
"I don't think that's actually physically possible..."
They looked at each other, then at the cook who had two platters full of food.
"This one goes to that table with the one-eyed scoundrel, and this goes to the dark silent man in the corner over there. Don't talk to that one, he's a troublemaker," she advised.
Suspecting who the dark, silent man was, Kelsey seized his plate and headed over to him. Ignoring the rude remarks thrown at her from tables on either side of her, Kelsey made her way to the corner and set down the plate.
"There you are, mister...Strider, is it?"
He looked at her from under his hood. Kelsey couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel his piercing gaze.
"Yes, it is Strider, isn't it. Well, when the hobbits come and they are being chased by the...well, you know what's after them...just make sure that you take care on Weathertop."
Knowing that she had planted a seed, Kelsey turned to leave, when a hand shot and grabbed her arm, turning her back towards its owner.
"What do you know of the hobbits, and of what chases them?" asked a gruff voice, and Kelsey felt herself pulled down into the chair opposite of Strider.
"I know enough to help you in your quest. I know what has happened and what will come to pass." Kelsey heard a cry from the kitchen, and stood up, her maternal instincts alert. Strider grabbed her arm, but she twisted away and walked towards the wails.