Logs-Puddles

GER: Centre of Bree
Wrapping itself around the bottom of Bree-hill is the Great East Road. The road
bends northwest as it skirts the southeast corner of the hill. Where the road
clears the hill, it straightens out and runs in a line toward the South Gate.
Visible to the northwest along the road is a large inn. In the near distance
to the south can be seen a gate which stands open.

The day sky still dumps copious amounts of rain down upon you. The dawn summer
air is very hot and dry around you.

Obvious exits:
East leads to Stone Houses.
West leads to Bree Market - East.
NorthWest leads to At the Sign of the Prancing Pony.
South leads to Inside the South Gate.

================================== Bree Time ==================================
Real time: Sun Nov 02 16:10:04 2003
Bree time: Dawn <about 6 AM> on Hevensday of Summer - August 9,1430
Moon Phase: Waning Crescent Moon

Breelands Weather
The dawn summer air is very hot and dry around you. The day sky still dumps
copious amounts of rain down upon you.
===============================================================================

Dawn has broken over Bree - at least, one assumes it has. The sun is shrouded
behind a curtain of misty grey, flushed with rose-pink where it meets the
horizon, and the morning air is damp. It's rained heavily during the night,
going by the many puddles lying along the road.

It's early enough that Bree is still waking up, though a few folk are already
going about their business. From the direction of the Market comes a pair of
figures, large and small: the 'large' being the old man Hugh, weighed down by
a covered milk-pail in one hand and a frolicking child in the other. Well, he
was weighed down a moment ago ... the little girl suddenly breaks free of his
clasp, ginger pigtails flying behind her as she runs to jump in the largest
puddle she can find.

Splash!

Although it is only early, Megan Tasselberry appears to be already in some kind
of fluster, rushing quickly from the stone houses, a paniced look on her face
as she rushes along, nearly breaking into a run every now and then... It is
not until she finds herself covered with muddy water that her pace slows and
she comes to a stop altogether- seemingly at a loss about what to do with
herself now. Covered with mud as well as the light rain that dusts her
shoulders, she stands still for a moment more- eyes closed, as if trying to
compose herself and keep herself calm.

"Oh!" The little girl regards her 'victim' quizzically. "I didn't know you'd be
there," she makes excuse, then asks, bright-eyed and with a cheerful smile
already back on her face, "Do you like jumping in puddles too?" She's in
little better state than Megan herself, with muddy water splattering her legs
and dress. And it's this that's Hugh's initial concern. "Look at yer frock!"
he remarks to the child, scowling. "Yer ma'll have words to say ..." His gaze
gradually rises from his grandaughter to Megan, and his pail-holding hand
jerks, sending a thin stream of white into one of the puddles as he mutters
something not very polite under his breath, glaring again at the little girl.
"Say yer sorry!" he hisses to her.

A half-hearted attempt is made to brush the muddy water off her tunic, and
Megan shakes her head slightly, apparently giving up. It's only now that she
cares to look up and notice the two. "No, I don't.. Not when I'm late
anyway..." she looks across to Hugh with a tiny smile and a look of concern-
"Do you need some help with that?" she motions to the pail, and she takes a
deep breath, shuts her eyes again- once they open, she seems to have found
her mask and now wears that sweet and innocent smile.. "I'm late anyway, it
won't matter if I spare a couple of minutes to help..."

"Late, are ye?" Hugh scrutinizes Megan for a moment then shakes his head.
"Young lady, if it's an important meeting ye can't turn up lookin' like that.
If ye like, ye can come back ter the house and my Lucy - this one's Ma - can
find yer some clean clothes ta wear."

He's quite forgotten Megan's offer ... but the little girl hasn't. "He's got
/me/ to help," she declares, puffing out her chest proudly as she trots back
to her grandfather's side and places both hands on the handle of the pail,
trying to tug it away.

Megan shrugs dismissivly.. "I have to pick up the deliveries and get them done
before my brothers arrive... but I suppose I can go home and get some clean
clothes...I'm already late so it won't make much difference," she smiles
gratefully anyway.

"Oh? *You're* going to help? Well, you must be pretty strong then because all
that milk must be pretty heavy.." she looks across to Hugh with an amused
grin. "I'm sure you don't live too far away- I can help if you'd like it.."

"'Course I'm strong." The little girl pouts, and tugs harder at the pail - with
the end result that some more milk slops out of the bucket as Hugh struggles
to retain possession. He shakes his head, glancing from one female to the
other - and then inspiration strikes. "Why don't ye see if Miss Tassleberry
has anything she'd like you to carry, Betsy?" he suggests hopefully, adding
to Megan in apologetic undertone, "if ye don't mind, that is."

Megan continues to watch in amusement as the girl tries to pull the pail of
milk.."Usually I would! But I don't have my basket yet- that's what I was
going to get, you see!" she says, though her voice appears eager to help out
Hugh's situation, and she thinks of something she could get the girl to
carry.. Then, she digs into her apron pocket and pulls out a small bag of
sweets. "I suppose you could carry this if you want- and if you do a good job
and don't eat any, you can have them when you get home." She glances up at
Hugh to make sure it's alright if she eats sweets.

The little girl, Betsy, releases the pail at once, standing on tiptoe to
inspect the bag Megan has produced. "Can I?" she asks eagerly, glancing
bright-eyed from Megan to Hugh. Hugh sighs in relief as the milk-pail is
relinquished, and makes a show of scowling thoughtfully. "Well now, if Miss
Tassleberry doesn't mind - mebbe ye can eat a few an' take the rest back ta
her, along somethin' ta say sorry fer gettin' her so muddy," he suggests to
the child, before his features crease in a smile as he nods gratefully to
Megan. "Thankye fer yer patience - and I'd best be lettin' ye get along with
yer brothers deliveries. Enterprisin' souls they must be if they have their
own business - now, what did ye say their names were?"

Megan also appears to think on Hugh's offer, before nodding her head. "That
will be fine," she says, with a gentle smile to Hugh before giving the little
bag to Betsy- delight on her own features as she watches the child.

"Oh- they're not deliveries for my brother.." she corrects, looking up the way
of the market.. "No- I have to make deliveries before my brothers arrive...
they're visiting from Combe. It's Jacob and Adrian Tassleberry. I am so much
looking forward to their visit!"

"Jacob and Adrian ... Tassleberry." Hugh repeats the names slowly, and the
smile disappears from his face as swiftly as rain can follow sun. "Jacob and
Adrian ... Tassleberry! Yer related ta /that/ pair o' tearaways?" He shakes
his head then manages to force out a polite, "Hope ye enjoy yer visit.
Perhaps a young lady like yersel' will be a calming influence on 'em." Yeah,
right. As he starts to turn away, he can be heard muttering under his breath,
".. not forgotten ... incident ... sheep-dip."

And as for little Betsy? Well, after snatching the bag from Megan's hands with
a gabbled, "Thankyou," she has returned to her favorite pastime of jumping in
puddles. Splashes resound as she skips up the road, and old Hugh limpingly follows.

Megan's face falls too, though she seems torn between trying to keep her good
name with this man or defending her brothers... there was no point defending
them- everyone knew what they'd done anyway.. "You knew I was a Tasselberry
already! Just because they're my brothers doesn't change who I am!" she says-
her voice exhasperated. Obviously she's faced this situation before. "Good
day!" she calls after him, then sighs, making for the market- wondering just
how much trouble having the twins in town again was going to cause...