You swagger into the Earless Elf in hopes of having a good time.

Pub
The sounds of dwarvish drinking songs fill this tavern as does the smell of
strong ale. The famous Earless Elf is close to full of Khazad discussing or
shouting about their day. A great stone hearth is visible off to the right as
one enters. A wooden chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling giving a
flickering light and adding a rustic feel to the ancient bar. Along with every
other timeless element here, stands Mir who manages her bar with an iron hand.

  The fireplace is quiet, the wood there waiting to be set alit.
 
-=-=- Khazad Time + Weather Service =-=-
Elendor time is: Early Afternoon (about 1 PM (after lunch) ) on Mersday, 2 Yule
3017. In the Winter sky, Tonight the moon will be new. 

It is Yuletime! The time to remember the year passing and welcome in the fresh
one.

As the dwarves are pushing and shoving to get an early afternoon drink before
going back to work, an older dwarf tries to make his way through the crowd. He
seems quite lost and is being pushed back and forth. Finally he reaches the bar
and calls Mir, "Hello there! I'd like some of that stew you have there." as he
places a few coins on the table.

With a loud bang, and a sudden gust of wind, a lone dwarf makes his way into
the bar, with a solemn look on his face. Brican gives a brief smile as he makes
his way through the bussling bar and finally he calls out to Mir, "I think one
of the finest ale's today Mir.". He tosses her a few coins which she narrowly
catches and she sends a grunt and a cold stare in Brican's direction.

As the tavern door swings open, and a burst of cold air sweeps threw the room,
Kang storms in. As he throws back the hood of his cloak, you can see a stern
look apon his face. Looking around the room, he spots an empty seat at the bar
and makes way for it. Calling to Mir, "An Ale" he sits down and waits for his
ale.

Mir starts serving the new arrivals. As the bowl of stew is placed before
Gumbart, he thanks her and looks around. When he sees Brican across the bar, he
waves, "Hey, Brican, old friend!" Gumbart takes the bowl and starts pushing
through the throng, making for an empty seat at Brican's side. "How is
everything? I kind of dozed off the last time we were here, haha!"

With a brief existance of a smile, Brican turns his attention towards Gumbart.
"Aye, so we saw, Master Arwin is not pleased with me for being so late. I spent
too many a hour here at the bar, and now I have to make it up with double the
duties. Have you found a companion to Erebor as of yet?"

As Mir hands Kang an ale, he tosses her a few coins, which she scurrys to pick
up. Looking bout the crowded room, he stands from the bar and makes his way to
the table at the corner he takes a seat and pulls out his pipe. And begins to
pack the bowl, then lighting it up he takes a few puffs from it, only putting
it down to take a gulp of ale.

Gumbart nods, "Aye, you must tell me about that. You left Lord Nori? I knew you
weren't too happy..." He looks around to see wether anybody is listening. "I
might be staying a bit longer, you know. Quite an intriguing atmosphere in
Emyn-Engrin, hehe."

Brican says, "Well not exactly left, Master Arwin is under his charge, but Lord
Nori not being a merchant and all he felt it best if he left me in Master
Arwin's charge. He has so little time with all his other duties and all."

Gumbart asks, "What did you think of the young dwarf that came with us to the
Earless Elf? He seemed to be naive and young, but perhaps he has the right kind
of stuff to come along. We might have some uses for Scouts were we might be
going, for it, if you remember." His voice trails off.

Brican says, "I think perhaps the word naive and young describe him well, I do
not think he would know of the dangers along that path. But I think certainly a
scout would be of some use, do you not think?""

Sitting in the corner by himself, Kang listens to the many conversatiotions.His
ears pop up as the word 'Scout' is spoken.. Swiftly standing up he places his
pipe in his pocket and makes his way to the two khazads already in
conversation. "Forgive me for evesdropping, but I hear you meantion something
bout scouts...Do ye mind telling me what ye need them for?" he glazes at the
not-so-farmilar dwarf.

Gumbart looks quickly at Brican, raising an eyebrow; then he turns towards
Kang, and says cautiously, "Aye, I remeber you are also a Ravenfeather Scout.
We would need a Scout or two to accompany us into dangerous territories...
Before actually saying more, we would have to make sure that this person was
really trustworthy, if you know what I mean..."

Kang glares at Gumbart, "Ye think I am not trust-worthy? I have served the
scout ranks, since I was a young Khazad.. And I have the ability to heal, which
makes me even more realiable.. I can scout for ye, and if we do be attacked I
can heal ye also.." He mutters to himself, " I am probally one of the few trust
worthy scouts left..." his voice trails off as he gulps his ale.

You say, "Easy, cousin, you probably know yourself how hard it is, sometimes,
to find true friends that you can trust with your life. To have such friends is
to have strength and power, to lack such friends is to struggle and fail."

Brican looks towards Gumbart, "So cousin, what do you think of our Scouting
friend here. He seems to be reliable enough don't ye think?"

Kang shakes his head.. "Trust...Trust..you say...being a scout there is one
thing you learn...You trust no one but your own kin...And sometimes they can't
even be trusted.." He takes a pull of ale then continues, "Well I will help ye
out, if you wish..But make your decision quick..for if I do help you...What is
in it for me?"

Gumbart nods and points at a table being cleared at the moment by a group of
mine-workers. "Shall we go and have a little private discussion at yonder stone
table?"
You sit at the stone table.

Taking a mug of ale, and a bowl of stew, Brican makes his way over to the stone
table.
Brican sits at the stone table.

Kang smiles and nods, following Gumbart to thy stone table...Taking a seat he
nods to Gumbart. "OK what ye have in mind for me?"

Kang sits at the stone table.

You say, "As to the reward, nothing is sure. But let me tell you this: Do you
remember the wealth of the true King under the Mountain, Thror, son of Dain,
son of Nain? It was not a wealth earnt by hard labour and a lot of dwarves. It
was unimaginable, gold grew gold, mines were opened with unbelievable riches
hidden in their depths. All of this treasure is still in Erebor, but the magic
is no longer in it. It is gone. I propose an expedition to recover it."

Kang peers at Gumbart, "So...if i get this straight, Brican,you, and myself
will be on an expedition for the 'True Kings' gold? Don't you fear they
dangerous paths on the way?" He scratches his beard as he thinks to
himself.."Do continue.."

Gumbart nods, "Aye, we expect dangers. And we need to be able to trust each
other. This is why I am a bit hesitant to tell you all about it. As to the
reward you mentioned before: Will you accept to share the profits amongst all
party members, unknowing wether there will even be any profits?"

Kang scratches his beard... "Well I have been recruited to go south to help
with the easterlings...but since that has cause a lot of problems..I doubt I
will be going.." He takes a pull of ale... "I will talk to my Commander about
this though..get his consult first...Then I will get back to you.."

Bofa arrives from the market square.
Dalor arrives from the market square.

Gumbart says, "Fair enough." After a moment's pause he reconsiders, "Was there
not some rumour about troubles within the Emyn-Engrin Scouts? I'm not sure were
I heard this, however."

Kang lets out a long sigh, "Indeed there were some troubles my friend..My
Commander, isn't happy with me for a decision I made to go to the south...Yet I
don't think he trustes me to make my own decisions...Therefore, I must get his
consult on everything..Or just go without him knowing.." He laughs to himself
as he finishes his ale up. Then calling to Mir, "A round of ale's Mir!"

Brican smiles towards Kang, "Aye I had heard that a Human's voice had earned
his way into your heart, I think you a trustworthy fellow but I would not
easily myself trust a human of any sort. They tend to stab you in the back,
I've had too many bad experiences with them sort."

Kang glares at Brican, "Ye may have had bad experiences...But I haven't..Humans
have done nothing to me..Or I have no witnessed them..Tell me young one..How
can ye trust an Elf and not a Human?"

Brican frowns towards KAng, "I don't like the tone of your voice there Scout, I
don't trust any but our own kind. The outsiders would sooner stab you in the
back then give you help."

Gumbart looks at Kang, then back at Brican, and says nothing. He leans back and
thinks. "Where you involved in that scene were a human was brought before Lord
Nori on our way back from Buhr Mahrling?"

Kang shakes his head at Gumbart, "Nah, I was there, but I wasn't...I was either
dozed off or busy with something else..." he snickers to himself as Mir brings
a round of ales to the table..Taking one he gulps it..

Gumbart shakes his head and says, "I think we should leave it at that. When our
cousin scout here knows more from his commander, we'll plan for the next stage.
For the time being, I think all has been said. Don't you agree, Brican?"

Brican looks down his empty ale mug and looks to Gumbart with a look of sorrow,
"My ale, it is all but finished, oh this is a poor tale of a unforgiving world
on a poor old dwarf, but luckily we have good old Mir over there to bring me
another, Mir a Ale." He beams to Gumbart with mirth.

The tavern door flies open with a force and Bofa walks in. Despite her efforts
to keep her cloak wrapped around her, the tails of it are whipping around in
the gust of wind. Kicking the door closed with her foot, it makes a loud *slam*
causing a few of the patrons to look her way and glare. Paying no attention to
the glares, Bofa stomps her way through the crowd to an empty table. Before
having a chance to look around, Mir arrives with a hot bowl of stew and mug of
dark ale. Bofa pulls a few coins from her pouch and sets them on the
table...though Mir snatches them quickly and they disappear into the pocket on
her smock. Leaning back in her chair, Bofa scans the patrons and spots a few
from a few nights ago. She sits quiet and expressionless sipping her ale.

Gumbart looks up, surprised at the sudden commotion. He raises his hand and
waves towards the new arrival, hesitantly. He then nudges Brican and whispers,
"Oh my, I forgot the story she told us the other night. I must have fallen
asleep while she was telling it... What was it about?"

Brican smiles towards Gumbart, he lets out a hearty laugh, "I think she noticed
your snoring the other day my friend, she did even comment on it. But it was a
of miner who pushed a warder into a lake."

Kang's head turns towards the door as a it makes a loud *slam*. As a khazad
bolts threw the room he watches her carefully. He mutters to himself, "Damn
cousins, always taking out there agression on the door...why don't they ever go
find an Orc to beat up or something?" He chuckles to himself as he leans back
in his chair..

An embarassed grin spreads across Gumbart's wrinkled face.  Brown tooths
showing, he puts takes a few sips from his mug and puts it down again.  He
pushed the mug away and says, chuckling, "I better be carefull today. You know
that she had offered to accompany me down to Erebor?  Perhaps she is interested
in going even further? She seems to be quite impressive.  Look at all the other
patrons, scared as they seem to be of her."

Bofa sits quietly eating her stew. Between bites she hears Dalor call out and
assumes he is adressing her. Looking up from her bowl she grunts one word
"Alive." then returns her stare to her bowl. She continues to shovel the food
in her mouth pausing only occasionally to wash it down with a gulp of ale. Once
finished with the stew she shoves the bowl away and luckily it stops before
reaching the edge of the table. Brining her mug to her lips she begins to drain
the remainder of the dark ale. Even with the mug still at her lips she motions
to Mir with her hand. Mir mumbles under her breath as she scrurries off to the
back room and emerges with two full mugs and brings them to Bofa. Bofa slams
the empty mug down and pulls out a small pile of coins and sets them next to
the mug. "Keep em comin Mir." is all she says. Mir nods as she pockets the
coins quicker than before hurries back behind the bar.

Gumbart mumbles to his fellow cousins sitting at the stone table, "Aye, she is
not having a fine day, is she. Maybe it's her father. Do you know how old he
is, by any chance? I'm reaching a fine age myself, so I was wondering..."