Actually Elfstan, you don’t need to wander back to the tavern. You are carrying around a very valuable item. Please next time, think a little bit more. Next time it might not be just your money pouch.
Mulligan tosses Elfstan’s money pouch onto the table and goes back for seconds for breakfast.
Ghân has Goodberries to spare and also recommends drinking plenty of water.
He adds that since he doesn’t drink or smoke, he (and Fang and Anca 
) would be happy to look after valuable items for those wishing to make a night of it.
So she had it all along? It was just a cautionary pickpocketing? :dubious:
Thoroncir will tell the garrison commander, “Never mind.”
Ah yes, “Turn Mulligan upside down and shake until the tinkling stops” was going to be my next suggestion, as long as we were somewhere where it wasn’t illegal to carry an inordinate amount of concealed weaponry.
Hobbits. :sigh:
You never got as far as the commander, we just needed to wait for Elfstan to check in and maybe sweat a bit before Mulligan did her reveal. She never would have let you go.
**The other big question was how long you would remain in town as Ghân and Deor were asking and offering help while there. **
Deor wasn’t planning on staying more than a day or two- he doesn’t mind helping while he’s here, but it’s not something he’d stick around to do once the party’s ready to move on.
As Elfstan accepts his purse, he tries to hide his surprise, but mostly fails.
“That’s… disappointing…”
He sighs deeply.
“Curunauth and I made a mistake out on the road. That I won’t deny or try to dismiss.”
He pauses searching for the right words.
“If I’ve let the party down, tell me. Myself, I think fighting for our lives was a hard enough lesson. Curunath and I both could have died. Do you think I want to be responsible for the death of someone who has lived through multiple ages?”
Elfstan sighs again.
“The thing is, having drinks with trusted company is something else. There has to be a time to unwind. If I can’t do it among companions that I’ve fought beside in a town governed by the King’s mayor, when can I?”
Elfstan stares at the ground for a minute and the reluctantly adds, “You know. I always felt that Grandpa Samwise was a little disappointed that I wanted to be a Treasure Finder like Old Bilbo. He cautioned me many times about going down the wrong path. I promised him I would’t and I don’t think I have. My hands are quick, but I’m careful with my targets. I’ve read ‘There and Back Again’ many times. I guess I missed the part where Old Bilbo nicked the purses from the dwarves while they were in their cups.”
With that, Elfstan heads back to his room.
As Elfstan is walking off he hears Gilraen say, “I honestly agree with Elfstan. The **Tavern on the Bridge **is a highly respectable tavern. The staff keeps an eye out for the patrons and the prices keep out the rabble.”
Once Elfstan is out of earshot, she continues to other subjects, “I hope we don’t delay more than a day here. The help for the town will be greatly appreciated, but I feel for some reason we should get Rivendell with some speed. My brother indicated that much was moving in the North, maybe even more than the South. We might be in time to help. Now if you excuse me, I think I will go see if I can heal Elfstan’s head and pride a bit.”
She follows Elfstan up with a small herbal brew that includes athelas. It does wonders for relieving the worst. “We of the house of healing do not normally interfere with the body telling you not to drink too much, but I thought I would make an exception in this case. Sit out on the porch and smoke your sweet galenas. You should feel better shortly. Here are some dry biscuits to nibble on and a pitcher of cool water. Drink as much as you can as Ghân already advised.”
Sir Thoroncir asks to speak to Mulligan privately and then says, “My lady, with respect… I don’t think it was properly your place to try to teach Elfstan that particular lesson. A friendly talk with him in confidence would probably have done just as much good, without embarrassing him in front of his friends. He is a most estimable Hobbit, I think, and unlikely to make the same mistake twice in any event. Now if I have given any offense by sharing these thoughts, I humbly apologize, and beg your forgiveness. Consider this all just a word to the wise.” He bows and takes his leave.
When Princess Gilraen has left Elfstan, the Knight-errant will also ask to speak to him in his room alone. He says to the Hobbit, “Don’t be too hard on yourself, my friend. We have all made mistakes, and in some of the more wild and dangerous reaches of this realm, any misstep might lead to injury, torment or death. I have heard no one blame you for what happened with Curunauth, and I urge you not to blame yourself. We all live and learn. Keep your chin up, and remember what a valued member of this party you have been, and - of course! - you still remain. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting your grandfather, I think he would be proud of you, as I am.” He claps Elfstan on the shoulder, shows himself out and goes to check on Seafoam’s stabling.
Having no further business in Tharbad, he is ready to leave for Rivendell whenever the rest of the party is.
Deor will leave carefully to pack for the continued trip, making a point of meeting Mulligan’s eyes and smiling as he leaves, then giving a pat on the back to Elfstan in the hall on his way out. He hopes to avoid taking sides in this.
Ghân does the same.
Who would’ve thought, but this morning has gone to show at least one elf that there really are times when being really, really good at Not Being Seen can be a useful social skill- while preparing to leave, Miron will try to make a point of not getting involved on anyone’s side.
July 26[sup]th[/sup]: The party spends this day in Tharbad resting and recuperating and picking up some minor last minute items. Ghân and Deor are able to help the town quite a bit in a short time.
The party should be ready to set out into the wilder-lands tomorrow morning. Gilraen requests that Lord Ianthír’s himself briefs the party in the best route to follow to get to the Last Bridge for horses. She asks Miron in particular to pay very close attention.
Lord Ianthír explains, “This route will be about 280 miles. There are many small fords but nothing that should be tough to cross at this time of year.
…I wish I had a skilled Ranger to send with you, but I have no one to spare that knows the lands. I do know of one old swamp Hobbit that is about 15 miles from here that you might be able to hire if you want. He knows the lands very well and I would guess would not charge much in the way of gold. If you wish to hire him though, bring a gift of a small keg of Ale and some salted ham or beef just to open negotiations the right way. His name is Gorbo Marshsweeper.”
Ghân (perhaps feeling light-headed) suggests we hire the swamp hobbit Gorbo Marshsweeper purely for his name.*
*also he was seriously recommended 
Elfstan may still appear a little sullen, but he’s glad for Gilraen’s company. With a small smile he says, “Thank you for the drink and the care, Princess. If you see me in this state again, feel free to let me suffer and thus further learn the lesson of not drinking so much. It’s a harsh lesson, but I’m afraid it’s one that needs to be relearned from time to time.”
Elfstan offers Sir Thoroncir his spare pipe and pouch of pipe weed. With a wry smile he jokes, “at least I kept this safe.”
Before Thoroncir can leave he adds, “Thank you for your words Sir Thoroncir. I… well…”
To himself he softly says, “that I should do myself.”
Again to Thoroncir, “Thank you for telling me my place in the party still stands. When the rest are ready to travel, I will be too.”
Thoroncir smiles. “My thanks, but pipe-weed has never been to my taste. Smoke a bowlful for me, friend Elfstan. I will see you soon.”
A little more information from talking over the route.
The party will be heading through a section of Eriador and Arnor that was part of long lost Cardolan but always sparsely populated. There are few paths and few settlements and rare homesteads. The people are usually suspicious of strangers and always worried about attack and ambush. Trappers, hermits, scroungers and scratch farmers are the typical residents. The few residents are mostly humans. Eventually the Hoarwell will become a barge river taking goods from the mountain passes to Tharbad. But the barge traffic is still very light. Men will eventually tame this land as the soil is rich.
Looking at the map, I see the Hoarwell (Mitheithel) River goes northeast from Tharbad. Are there any boats we could hire? (Depending on how wide the river is, sailboats could tack against the wind even going upstream). We might make better time than on horseback. I presume we’d be bearing right onto the Bruinen (Loudwater) River when we’re about halfway to Rivendell; looks like a more direct route than remaining on the Hoarwell, which turns due north at that point.
That was discussed early on, but as we are going upstream the entire way it might take longer. Gil-Gandel and others ruled out the idea of using the rivers. The discussion was at the end of the last thread.
Could we really hire a big enough boat to take our horses as well? I’m quite hesitant to leave them behind.