LOTRO: Hobbit Party

     The early hours of the morning found Eibwen at The Prancy Pony in Bree. There she found the knight in his pretty tabard and she stood next to him until he noticed her, not sure what she was supposed to say or do otherwise, but wanting company just the same. He suggested they find a table and they did, but she soon grew nervous as he started asking her about her background and how she thought the order's gathering had gone. It wasn't long before she declared she needed pie, bid him farewell, and left the Pony.  

     She had not really meant to go find pie, that's just her go to excuse for anytime she is unsure or nervous. After everything Mr. Uptight had said she's a lot more nervous about her background and her lack of proper upbringing. She knows she's saying and doing it all wrong, but doesn't know what the right way is. Her mother would have been able to teach her, if her mother had stuck around. Or her father's father if he'd had visited more often. Eibwen was a bit dismayed when Eclathar decided to follow her. He asked first and not knowing how to tell him she was going to run off and hide, she gave him permission. She also thought he could use an escort, but at the same time wanted to be offended he thought she might need one. But she did, so she decided not to take offense. The quest for pie took them toward The Shire as the sun was rising.

     Along the way they discovered a trouble making man giving some hobbits some trouble. He was telling them they didn't belong in The Shire and that he was going to take their house from them. Eibwen tried to tell him to go away and leave the hobbits alone, but he wouldn't listen to her. She decided to let it go for now, since there was already a bounder on the scene and told the bounder to come get her if the man became more troublesome. She didn't think anything of Eclathar being there to witness this strange little show of strength in herself, and doesn't even realize she really showed any strength. She just really doesn't like people picking on the hobbits, they're so peaceful. She wishes more people could be like hobbits.

     Eclathar had suggested they find The Green Dragon and have their pie there. Eibwen goes to The Shire often and often looks for pie. But she's often been drunk in the past as well and wasn't sure where The Green Dragon was. She knows she's been there several times. When he'd see her stop and look around, he'd ask if she was lost. She'd tell him, "I can get through the maze drunk. I can find a tavern while sober." He polietly cleared his throat to stop her when she kept going past the little side road that would take them to the tavern and so she turned around and pretended it didn't happen.  She'd never admit to being lost.

     Eclathar either had really good luck or really bad luck when he picked the location of their pie quest. The place was crowded with more hobbits in one location than either has seen in the past. They didn't ask what the celebration was for, but there was a hobbit (Laedo) who offered them pie when they said that's what they'd come for. Eibwen never did catch his name.

      Eibwen joined in the fun a bit and when the dancing hobbits stopped dancing and started hopping, she started hopping too. It wasn't long before she wore herself out and had to sit down however. Which is what she was doing when

     Wolfcub found them. He seemed to have been on business however. He greeted them and fled. Maybe it was the hobbit party that made him flee?

   
     Another member of the Order wished to speak to them, but was weary of the hobbit crowd, so Eibwen and Eclathar went outside to meet with her. Eibwen again forgot to ask for names, but decided she should be called Miss Sunrise. On their way to The Shire earlier Eibwen has remarked to Eclathar about how pretty the sunrise was and that she needed a dress in those colors. Seeing Miss Sunrise made Eibwen realize she could put those colors on her armor. In the future when she has worthy armor.

     The party of hobbits seemed to follow our heroes outside and the fireworks started. It was not long before Miss Sunrise, like Wolfcub before her, wanted to flee the scene. She felt the need to return to Bree and so Eibwen and Eclathar followed her, with their new pies.

  

      Once back in Bree and after Miss Sunrise bid them farewell and departed, Eibwen decided to follow Eclathar. She didn't ask for permission however. When he started to walk away, she just followed. He didn't tell her to stop, so she saw no reason to. Night was falling again and a girl needs an escort in these difficult times.

     The pair found themselves back at the Pony. Eclathar offered Eibwen a drink, but she declined and told him she was quitting. He said it didn't have to be ale, so she informed him she was quitting beer and wine too. He mentioned tea, and she asked him if that was a strange elf drink. He said it was milk and herbs, which she found the idea of to be rather odd. She said she was sure that if a spider's squishy goo isn't a proper pie filling ingredient that cow's water probably isn't either.

     Their kinsman Anthamir joined them about this time. Quick introductions were made. but Eclathar was not going to give up until Eibwen had tea. He'd already gone and gotten two cups of it, but when Anthamir arrived Eibwen gave him her cup as to not be rude. Eclathar was not to be derailed from his quest to get Eibwen to try tea however and gave her his cup. Eibwen frowned at the cup for a long period. She'd watched Anthamir drink his and nothing bad seemed to happen, but it was a strange opaque liquid of white substance that came from the inside of an animal. Eclathar took her cup back from her and took a sip to show her it was fine. She tried to distract him and draw his attention to the minstrels behind him so she could fake a drinking sound and just pretend she tried it. Eclathar again was steady in his task and would not look. Eibwen had no choice and had to try the tea. She didn't say so, because it took her a bit to get used to the idea and decide what she thought about it, but she might could get used to drinking it. 

      When Anthamir went to leave he said, "By your leave friends, I will be departing for now." Eibwen thought it sounded nice and formal. Growing up poor, no one she knew spoke like that. Eclathar responded with a farewell followed by the little blessing, "May your blade strike true." Eibwen also liked that and thought she needed to issue a blessing as well, but didn't know any, so after a long day on the road she said the first thing that came to mind, "And may your feet not tire quickly on the road." She was starting to feel a bit proud of herself until Anthamir wished that their shields held as strong as their courage. She knows both her shield and her courage leave much to be desired. 

      Eibwen had heard there was a troll wondering a bog a night in The Shire, so after her friends left her to get some sleep, she got her father's horse and road back out to The Shire to see this danger for herself. She spent some time just watching the troll, until Wolfcub found her. Then she enlisted his help and was emboldened by the company of a trusted friend.

       She was able to manage a little sleep, but the next day found her in a quarry fighting spiders that threatened her pie making friends. Wolfcub must have heard from the hobbits where she was, because he came to her aide as she fought her way out of the quarry.

      The rest of the day was spent in merriment. Eibwen mailed some weeds to her friend, Wolfcub that had gotten caught on her line while fishing. He was there when she did it, but she thought it was funny and the hobbit postmaster didn't mind helping her play the trick on her friend.