***** Erebor Time & Weather Service ******************************************

** Real time is: Mon Oct 25 10:10:52 1999, GMT -8 ** 
Elendor time is: Midday ((lunch time)) on Sterday, 18 September 3018. 
In the Autumn sky, Tonight the moon will be waning crescent. 

****************************************** Erebor Time & Weather Service *****

Grolin arrives from the Great Stair, Upper Landing.

Grolin coughs quietly, due to the small dust cloud wafting off of his clothes,
"I need a drink..."

Grolin sits at the Bar.

Ardin is sitting at bar, staring at his mug of beer. His eyes are swollen and
he reeks of damp clothes and too much beer.

Khulain brings Grolin a drink list.

Grolin says, "I'd offer ya a drink but it looks like you've had a few
already..."

Grolin

A dwarf of average height and solid build. His muscles are thick and well
defined due to long hours of digging and moving ore in the mines. His hair is
as black as the ore he mines and his beard is braided and tied to his waistbelt
to keep it out of the way. His eyes shine like Diamonds held up to the
sunlight.
	He wears cloth breaches and a tunic with a hide jerkin over top. He
also wears hide boots to keep his feet safe in the mine.

Ardin mumbles, "Ayaye... Not I, not me. I keep waiting but he's not coming
back. He is not. Dadaaaa... What can I do? And nobody here... to buy the
stuff. Ahhhhh."

Grolin says, "If ya don't mine me asking, who'zit your waiting for?"
Grolin sips his soup quietly

You say, "Oh I will I will... It's my good old friend, my business
partner. He's gone. He's not coming back. They left him to die. To rot amongst
the shadows. Spiderfood."

Grolin gets a screwed up look on his face,"Well if...he's spider food...why
wait for him to come back?"

Ardin shakes his head doggedly, "You don't understand it. They took him
alive. The elves did. They did it again. Years of shamefull imprisonment and
taunting. I know it."

Grolin looks back to his soup, "I see, he's alive. Your probably wondering what
you could possibly due to help him right? That's why your...upset..."

Ardin shakes his head again and says to his mug, "No use. Nothing is to
be done. He was abandoned. Left in the forest, they say. Attacked by spiders
and elves and darker things. Dragged him away."

Grolin says, "So he's basically gone."
Grolin sips his mead.

Ardin nods. "Yep. He's gone. A goner. A bygone dwarf. A would be mighty jewel
toolset selling dwarf. He was my friend and partner. He was Gumbart the
old. Gumbart the unhappy. And now they're eating him. They wouldn't bring him
back. Wouldn't save him. Wouldn't go back to rescue him. His other partners.
But Ordin won't talk about it."

Grolin slowly shakes his head. "If'n the creatures of Mirkwood have got him,
there's nothing can be done for him now...You'll have to let him go. "

Ardin mutters, "Gumbart Gumbart, you old fart. Why didn't you come back?"
Looking at Grolin he adds, "And I will. And I will let go of him or he of me
and my memory of you and all that. But it takes time and money. Damn Khulain is
earning a fortune here. Khulain! Khulain! Another beer! You know Mirkwood,
stranger?"

Grolin sips his soup. Wiping the soup from his beard, he nods, "Aye, I know
from our patrols of the Mountain. We find people in sadder state than you, who
have escaped the dark forest and told us tales of evil beasts and elves to
match. Fortuneately, I myself have not ventured into those lands yet, though
some wWarders have and come back.

Grolin he quickly adds, "Some have not though," and bows his head.

You say, "And you could save him, perhaps. But you don't look as hardy as Ordin
does. Ordin is a scary fellow. He looks very hardy. Not you. Not me.  Not
anybody. Not him. Not Khulain. Ayayaye... I'll get over it. I hope he is not
suffering in Mirkwood. I hope they ate him fast."

Grolin says, "I would not suppose you friend, so I ask you for the same.  But
as for your friend, It's best not to say, I shudder to think from what I have
heard...""

You say, "Bring my a Gumby Sandwich, Khulain! I'll eat him before they do! Want
a bite of my good old friend Gumbart, eventhough he looks like grilled deer in
a bun? No eat the spiders. We eat them spiderlegs. Hahahahaha!"

Grolin looks up, then stands warily, "I think it's time for you to rest, Maybe
some sleep will cure your worries. I assure you, there are no spiders
here. Come, I'll help you to a bed..." He motions to Khulain to stay calm and
then slowly walks toward Ardin...

Ardin gets up, waving his hands around, "Tell me about your patrols, you who
will not eat of Gumby, friendly and appetizing though he may be. Or not.
Depends where he is rotting away... Ah well, perhaps I should have joined the
warders. Be a heroe. Die like a fly. The spiders get you in the end. Or the
elven brotherhood. Spider Rider. Wood Leg Hood Neck. Hahaha. To Bed with a
wooden leg. Hahaha. Gumby Leggy!"

Grolin sighs, "My friend, although I may not look it, I am a Warder under this
Mountain, I will use force if I half to, Please, calm down..." He steps closer,
with one hand on the bar and one hand extended outward..

Ardin calms down as soon as he feels the heavy hand of Grolin on his
shoulder. He nods and mutters something under his beard. Khulain looks at
Grolin behind Ardin's back and shakes his head, sadly. "Comes down here every
once in a week and drinks himself into this state. Sad fellow. Used to be a
proud dwarf, back before this cursed expedition of his so-called friend."

Grolin turns his head slightly towards Khulain, but still keeping his eyes on
Ardin, "Ah, maybe next time keep down to just a few at a time...so as not to
get himself thrown in the jail..." Grolin looks back to Ardin, you, my friend,
as all are my friend under this mountain until proven otherwise, are in need of
a good night sleep." He pauses for a second then looks back to Ardin, "You now,
maybe he's still alive, I've seen men come back who have been thought
lost...but they managed to escape...They say that tit's possible to escape if
you're lucky...

Ardin nods eagerly, "Yes, yes. He will escape. He will trick them somehow. He's
tricked everybody. Even me. I keep asking at the gate. But no luck. Gotta sleep
now." Ardin fumbles in his purse and puts some money on the bar. Khulain looks
at it, points at it, and Ardin adds some more. Khulain pockets the money and
grins. Grinning foolishly, Ardin turns around and makes for the stairs on
wobbly feet.

Grolin sighs a sigh of relief and sits back down to enjoy the rest of
his mead and now cold soup.