The Market

Log file from Akallabeth.

The brisk autumn breeze blows about Karob Square as the folk trading here go about there business this morning. Little do they heed it thought for actually it is welcome for the summer's end comes not soon enough for the dwellers of Umbar. All folk trade here. Seen among the animal traders are rough en not of the city as well as Umbarian mechants dealing in horses. Dogs to are sold here, making this place heard from even Shipwrights Street down the the road at Balkumgan.

At one stand, where folk gather a woman and a young man stand looking through an assortment of leather bridles. The woman is not really paying attention to the wares but the young man seems engrossed. " Gilron." Starts the woman. "Perhaps if you want a horse, you should talk to one who can give help. Standing around wasting time will not help you ... or me." The woman cringles her nose before continuing. "Feh, it smells far worse than a stable here." This last is in a lower tone meant for Gilron's ears alone.

Talking to one of the stable keepers, who seems very busy and uninterested is a shorter man. Wait, no that's a dwarf. Walking back and forth he follows the man who is beginning to grow impatient with the short one. After a while, the dwarf stops pestering the gentleman, and looks at a horse. He walks around the horse and looks as if he wished to buy it. But alas, he does not even inquire about the price. Rather he walks away and goes to look around the rest of the square

He finds himself at a stand where two others stand, a man and a young woman. He doesn't say anything, but rather he looks at the the intricate leather bridles that are on display here at this particular stand. He does not directly approach them, but rather leans back and forth, looking between the two.

The lad apparently named Gilron licks his lips as the woman, his mistress? his sister? The relantionship may not be apparent, but obviously the woman's words -whoever she is to him- have an effect on the young man. He sighs and puts down the bridle he had been fingering for the last several moments. Indeed the proprietor of the stall was beginning to look annoyed when he glanced their way. Gilron looks pained but waits a moment before replying to the woman. "But....Mistress Galen." He pauses. "I have no idea where to start." He finishes lamely.

Galenrien turns to look at him fully now, and shakes her head. "Gilron. I know you are excited to have a new horse, but we could have waited for Aaldain or even Marazon to help us with the trading. Or better still an Umbarian who knows these peoples ways." She sighs and smiles, trying to hold his gaze and thereby soften her slight rebuke. "Perhaps we should come back when we are more prepared. Gilron?....." She pauses now, as her gaze falls on the stout figure near to them. Almost she can feel his regard. Cross words do not come easily to her but frank ones however do. She arches a brow and looks back to him, saying. "Good day, sir." Gilron turns to see who she addresses.

Looking at the woman with a bit of annoyance in his eye, the dwarf replys "Good Day." But instead of leaving as the woman had attended, he stays, "So you've got a new horse, eh?" He asks turning to the man, now. "they are fine cretures, and esspecially the bred that come from here. Theses Horses are some of the finest that I have seen in all of Arda." he continues to rant and rave about the horses for a few more minutes, telling far more than anyone would care to hear. Then he continues, "So You are looking at bridles, eh? Well, you must be careful about which one you choose. I've seen many a travelers get stranded becuase they can't control their horse. But, I'm sure that you don't need any help picking one out." He begins to look at the bridles a bit longer, well knowing that the couple had no idea what they needed. His beard rises as if a smile were being formed underneath.

Galenrien's eyes flash silver grey as she regards the dwarf, whom she now recognizes as such by his beard if not his girth. As he continues to speak, she waits politely if not patiently for a break in his words, glancing to Gilron, as he stares at the dwarf unabashedly. Even when the dwarf is done with his speech, Galenrien studies him critically, noting his appearance carefully before she forms a reply. "Well, you seem to know a lot about somethings, but apparently you don't eavedrop as well as you could." She pauses here and takes a deep breath to continue. But then she seems to either think better of her continued reply or she changes her mind for another reason - regardless, she seems to have a different attitude when she begins again. "Sir dwarf, who am I speaking with? I am Galenrien Teleminzil of Numenor, a healess and this is Gilron, my apprentice."

Dranage's beard rises much larger now, mkaing it apparent that he smiles. Bowing down, his beard touches the ground. "Pleased to meet your aquaintance," he replies. He continues, "I am Dranage of Ered Nimrais. I am a smith, and I have studdied far and wide in the pursuit of knowledge. I am at your services."

Galenrien smiles slightly and nods her head slowly, as she dips in a slight curtsy. "That is well, Dranage. Are you staying in Umbar or just visiting? And what do you know of chosing a horse for a lad like Gilron. The animal will mostly be used for short hard journeys. Can you offer some advice, good sir dwarf?"

Dranage smiles beneath his beard, "I thought you would never ask." He pushes his way to the booth where the bridles are displayed. Picking up one very flashy bridle, he holds it up for the two to see. "Look here this is finely crafted bridle, look at all the decoration, a fine designer must have made this one. Alas, it is useless. In a hard journey, I can assure like an Orc's head against my axe, it would break. Look at the construction right, here." he points to a joint where the metal looks very thin, "This smith was an apprentice, one who was too worried about it looking nice, not sturdy." He tosses that one aside and picks up another. This one is not a pretty looking, but as he quickly points out, "This one will hold for generations, if you take care of it." Looking around at the horse stalls now, he says, "Well, a horse is a different matter."

Now the sparkle in Galen's eye is all amusement as she says, laughter in her voice. "That you were awaiting that opportunity, I had no doubt. It seems you do know some thing of bridles. Or so much more than I, which is a vast amount, for I know nothing." She glances at Gilron, briefly. He is still imersed in his inspection of Dranage however and doesn't even see Galen loking at him. Turning back to Dranage, she says rather formally. "I thank you for what you have given already, Dranage.

Dranage smiles, "As I have said before: I am at your service. I wish to help those around me and you are around me." He smiles when he says this. Then he continues, "Unfortunatly, I do not believe I will be as much help to you with the horse as I am not learned in the mounted arts. To answer your earlier question, I have come here to study the beasts. As you can tell, I am a scholar and I wish to learn all that I can."

You say, "You are a fair contrast to the last dwarf I met recently, Dranage. It is a welcome change. A scholar? So you stay in Umbar then for a while?"

Again Dranage bows, "Well, thank you for the compliment." he smiles knowing that many of his kin are bitter towards the other races of Arda, but he has spent much time abroad and has learned to live with them. "I'm sorry, my friends, but it has come time to me to go. It nears the end of the day, and I must pray to Mahal in thanks." With that the dwarf leaves as abruptly as he had entered the conversation.