Day 29: show characters reacting to false accusations.
Summary: Rangering is sometimes the art of "positing your own presuppositions..."
Summary: Rangering is sometimes the art of "positing your own presuppositions..."
“You've had enough, and Barley won't have trouble in his house,” she informs them. Shaking her head, she departs. “Disgraceful!”
One of the cloaked men sighs. “And I needed that drink,” Halbarad says mournfully.
“I told you that these - " Aragorn raises a battered hand by way of illustration " - could wait 'til the Pony. You need not have poured half the flask on them immediately.”
“Orc's teeth will fester any wound,” his lieutenant counters.
"Give your foes less to grin about, and I shan't risk such.”
“He was grinning in anticipation of you; I saved your skin!” Halbarad protests.
“With your face, yes – a very sound tactic, cousin.” Halbarad narrows his (good) eye, contemplating his revenge, when his tablemate's foot nudges his.
“No trouble under Barliman's roof,” his Chieftain says sternly. Then: “Tomorrow – in the yard. Win, and I'll buy your beer.”
“How many rounds?”
“How many were you thinking?”
Halbarad gives a scornful harrumph. “Enough to earn our reputation of tonight, of course!”
Aragorn considers. Late October, with the cold coming on, and the last of a band of tenacious orcs dealt with...
Everyone needs relief, he knows, and sometimes... sometimes one needs to coincide with the mask for a little while. So:
“Deal!”