The Merry Bowmen of Dale III - Toy Turmoil in Dale

[rwhen]

"Toy makers on strike? Again? Last time that happened, the toys revolted and took over the plant for a month. I remember that a group of settlement dwarves had to be sent in, risking life and limb," rwhen bit idly at her pinkie fingernail.

"Indeed and Bril could have fallen into their hands," Canamarth offered quietly.

"What should we do?" rwhen sat up, knocking the tea off the table with a clatter, but nothing broken. "Sorry."

"No matter that, we should head to the city of Dale, see if we can find Bril." Canamarth threw a cloth napkin on the wet spot and headed to get her gear.

Rwhen didn't have any gear, but put on a long sturdy coat just for good measure.

Okay, tossing the ball to you. We will see what happens. It would be great if Bril showed his Shaggy face, Scribbles, Bardy, Frelga.

[Canamarth]

Canamarth was in travelling gear in a second. She joined rhwen on the porch while still strapping her bow and arrows on her back.

"Nice coat," she commented, and set out to have a closer look at the mud in front of the guildhouse. Apart from some tracks leading inside, some veered off right into the forest, others lead down into the city. "Hm, mostly heavy boots, some light steps hardly leaving any imprint - that'll be you - and yes, a big dog went down towards Dale recently."

The Mistress Archer exchanged apprehensive looks with the elf. Then they travelled towards a town in toy turmoil.

[rwhen]

The first thing they came across was a family of squirrels chittering up a tree. "Now I wonder what has got them all excited," rwhen looked to Canamarth.

"Well there are certainly some large paw prints around the base here," she bent for a closer inspection.

"Seems we are on the track of Bril after all or there is more than one very large wolf around here." rwhen's eyes grew more round, very glad of the daylight.

"You never know," Canamarth pointed towards Dale.

"I am beginning to get worried," the elf offered quietly.

Canamarth nodded as she turned back towards Dale and double timed it, rwhen followed as best she could.



fixed it!!

[Canamarth]

It was almost midday when they reached the city gates. They were closed. They had never been closed since their restoration by Bard's workmen. Not even during the last toymaker's strike. There was no one outside to guard them, no one on the parapets to hail travellers. An eerie silence enveloped rwhen and Canamarth.

It was broken by a small child laughing and running out from behind a corner in the city walls. When it saw the two strangers, it stopped short and looked at them curiously. "Momma," it called. "More dravels."

A woman emerged, clad in the traditional dark blue shift of the people from Esgaroth. "Hail and well met," she nodded to the new arrivals. "You seem as astonished as we were when we found the gates closed."

"Eh, yeah," the Mistress Archer managed.

"Well, why don't you join us for lunch while we're waiting?" the woman beckoned them to a makeshift tent pitched against the city wall. "We are merchants from the Long Lake and arrived yesterday evening. The men have been discussing all morning what to do about ... this."


Actually, her legs are not very long as she's not too tall herself, originally hailing from Dorwinion and all. But don't worry, I don't expect people to remember that after my long absences - cause I wouldn't be able to do so myself!

Here's a quick reminder (where you can't really see how small she is):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13455373@N06/1453374901/

I'll be away from tommorw on (London calling ) but hope to return here on Monday or Tuesday.

[rwhen]

rwhen was still a bit winded when the woman offered a place in her tent to get an update on what was happening in Dale. She and Canamarth, found a place close to the entrance and knelt down in the cramped quarters.

"So what has been going on here and has anyone seen an unusually large wolf about?" rwhen offered hoping for news of Bril.

The child who was on her mothers lap started to cry when she heard the scary wolf word spoken. Her mother tried to comfort her but sent an icy glare in rwhen's direction.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to alarm anyone. See, this wolf, well he is our friend," she looked to Canamarth who nodded in agreement. The rest of the squatters mumbled and looked warily at each other. rwhen threw up her hands. "Well not a friend in the way that you might think, Bril is...well, Bril is sort of...." She gave up in frustration not really knowing how to explain Bril to these people. She looked again to Canamarth and shrugged her shoulders.


Have a great trip to London. I edited the last post to fit your short legs in there.

[Canamarth]

Totally out of character because I only have a few more minutes online time. Loads to do at work but soon to return for toy stories.

[rwhen]

No worries. Glad you are back safely from London. Look for you when you have the time to post on up.

[Canamarth]

"Bril is sort of ... a friendly wolf," Canamarth took up rwhen's sentence. "At least most of the time." The women were still looking at them sceptically but it was clear they had not encountered Bril in his canine form.

"We have been joined by a few more merchants from Esgaroth and even a dwarf from the Iron Mountains this morning," the woman who had invited them to lunch said and pointed at the short man in question, who was engaged in a lively discussion with a few merchants. "And a few travellers from nearby villages who returned home when they saw the gates were closed and no one replied to any hails. Now they're trying to figure out a way to get over the city walls. The dwarf is a blacksmith and has some ideas." She sounded sceptical.

Canamarth went over to the group of men who had started drawing what looked like rickety siege engines on the wall. The dwarf vigorously shook his head at the most recent proposal. "That'll never 'old."

[Bardhwyn]

"That's what I keep trying to tell them, but they're not listening," Bardhwyn called out as she leaped atop the makeshift structure. "Mistress Archer!" she exclaimed, sketching a low bow. "You're the last person I expected to see here."

She climbed down and joined Canamarth's side. "Strange goings on, are they not? Why a squabble over toys should cause the gates to shut."



Finally made it! Sorry for being so tardy. This is light and fun!! Let's see what happens[/i]

[rwhen]

Rwhen looked around at the dwarfs comment, then Bardhwyn landed on the thing. Her smile brightened, "Bardhwyn!! Great to see you again. You by any chance haven't seen Bril in your travels?" The elf was pretty sure that Bril had finally disappeared for good.

The gates began to creak and shudder.

"Mayhap they are going to let us in after all," offered rwhen to the two archers.


welcome back Bardy...now we need to round up Cannamarth again

[Bardhwyn]

"I don't know," Bardhwyn replied to Rwhen's comment, watching the huge hinges on the gate grind and spray dust as they moved. "I somehow don't think so. Perhaps they're letting something out. And no, I haven't seen Bril. Has he been gone long?"






Ta, Rwhen!! Canamarth has been in touch, she'll be back on Torc next week, hopefully.

[Canamarth]

Canamarth clasped Bardhwyn's arm warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you again! I know I don't come to the city often but we sort of lost a dog - and everyone else in the guildhouse - and we heard of trouble among the toymakers in Dale, so we decided to take the trip here."

The Mistress Archer looked up along the impenetrable walls again when she heard the gates begin to open. The wings, which the group only saw from the side, opened only wide enough to let someone inside throw a large metal object out, before the doors closed again. Rwhen, Bardhwyn and Canamarth all ran to see if they could at least catch a glimpse of who had opened the gate, but even the nimble elf was too late to peek inside.

"By Aule, what is going on in there?" Canamarth shouted. The only answer she got was the sound of the heavy cross-beam put in place behind the gate. "Great," she sighed and turned to see Bardhwyn kneeling over the lump of metal. "You should see this," the archer said.

What had looked like a heap of metal at first glance now slowly started to unfold limbs and move to a perpendicular position. Before them stood a halfling-sized man made of metal.


Next week ... or so ... I do keep returning, however. Off for a trip to Cornwall for the next two weeks now.

[SmaugsBane]

(Obviously OOC: It's good to see this thread at the top of the list with Canamarth's name as last poster. I've just been rereading some of my old posts from the MBoD's trip out east nine or so years ago. Ah nostalgia.)

[Canamarth]

Nostalgia indeed, Smaug's Bane. Great to see you in here! Remember when you still flew that wonderful blue banner?

If you want low-maintenance light-hearted roleplay with a post every two-three months, by the way - this is the place to stop by. We managed to walk to Dale and wonder about what is going on behind closed city gates in only nine months or so. It's great to come back here after long absences and still be able to catch up.

[SmaugsBane]

Might just have to do that, Can. I'll be starting back to school in a few weeks, and I'll be needing a diversion every now and then.

[Canamarth]

Ooh, that sounds great. What will you be doing?

[SmaugsBane]

I'm going for Emergency Medical Services, so either ambulance or emergency room technician.

[Canamarth]

It's always good to have a medic around. Wishing you all the best for school and what comes after! From what I gather from my cousin, who used to be an ER nurse, I think it's quite a stressful but also a very rewarding job.

[SmaugsBane]

That's the kind of occupation I'm looking for. There's also a possibility of going into nursing later if I need to add a decent salary to the job.

[scotspine]

I am Scotspine..one of the last ENTS

I am searching for ENTWIFELOST

Have you seen her?

[Canamarth]

An eerie silence greets scotspine as he enters the empty halls of the Merry Bowman of Dale. Autumn leaves are blown from the porch into the block house at the edge of Mirkwood forest.

After a long while, a dwarf wearing a stained kitchen apron peers apprehensively around a corner, a large knife in his hand. When he sees the Ent, he grumbles into his beard.

"No trees in 'ere. Unless you count the dead ones makin' up the walls 'n such," he says, then waves the knife doorwards. "Don't want no leaves an' needles in the corridor, so off you go. The Bowmen are out, down in t'city."


Thanks for dropping by, scotspine, even though we can't help you on your quest. We seem to have lost ourselves more or less these days. And excuse the rude dwarf. He's only trying to do his job.

[Canamarth]

For all those Bowmen and friends who are also on B77: Secret Santa 2011 is on - just head over to the Members' Lounge!

[Lysandros]

True story, I sort of co-invented this place. I probably have not logged on for 6 or 7 years at least but I saw The Hobbit movie last night and it reminded me of TORC. Lo and behold my login still works.

Hope you all are well, folks I know and folks I do not. I thought Dale and Erebor looked fantastic in the movie. I always pictured Dale as more timbre-based construction but no biggie. Anyway, unlike 11 years ago when I started on TORC, I can't sit around and post all day. But it brings up lots of good memories bombing a little note and hello on here.

Take Care,
Lys.

[Leoba]

Hello Lys. Long time no see.

The Hobbit has brought me back into orbit again too, not really to linger because my life is too busy but it's good to see so many old names creeping out of the woodwork. It was magic to see Dale on film; not quite how I imagined it either but I wasn't complaining all the same; it made me think of old and happy times with you guys. I'm no purist and so long as it feels like Middle Earth (and it did) I'm happy.

[SmaugsBane]

It IS the zombie apocalypse! The long-dead posters of TORC are rising again!!!

[Leoba]

It IS the zombie apocalypse! The long-dead posters of TORC are rising again!!!

"Woooooo-ooooooo"

(that was my best zombie impression BTW )

[Bardhwyn]

Well, talk about a sight for sore eyes - three sights, truth be told!

Hail and well-met, Master Archer! Good to see you, if albeit, briefly.

And Leoba!! And SB! Ah, happy memories of big boots and late night posting session.

Yes, the Hobbit has done me the world of good, too. As for Dale - it was smaller than I imagined in PJ's film but I saw more stone than wood in its construction - Dwarves helped fashion it (and rebuild it), per the books anyway.

The attack of Smaug was the only point when I cringed and tears welled up in my eyes when watching the film. Filled me with dread, it did. * shivers *

[SmaugsBane]

LOOK! post number 3000! Finally! It only seemed appropriate that I put it here.

[Canamarth]

Happy, belated, 3,000th, Smaug's Bane!

And another zombie creeps out for a bit of an airing.

What a shame I missed the Master Archer! I'll leave a *kiss* hanging in the air for him should he return for another walk down memory lane after the second Hobbit film has come out. I expect we'll see a bit more of Dale and Esgaroth by then. What I have seen so far hasn't really convinced me (mostly just too bright and PC-game aesthetics) but I'm willing to have another look later this year.

Also busy elsewhere these days (including a job I love, a new house and voluntary work as press officer for the German Tolkien Society), but I've hit a very dry spell during lunchbreak and managed to come over here. I'll try to do so more often, but no guarantees.