[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman eyed the armoured man sitting in the corner warily as she passed him, and quickly scanned him over with practised eyes. A warrior, there was no doubt of that, but one who seemed to have been recently in the midst of battle. A strange thing indeed, but to say he was weary and travel-stained would be a euphemism - Aman changed her course and started to move towards him, to see whether she could help.

"Excuse me..." a timid voice sounded from behind, but Aman barely noticed as a customer in front also seized her attention, a noisy hobbit with a very red nose.

"Waitress, two pints of ale!" he bellowed in her face arrogantly as she leant down to retrieve a few glasses, his eyes wandering. She straightened up and treated him with an irritated look.

"I'd like to..uh, I would like a room for the night, um, please, miss..." The timid voice sounded again from behind, and Aman started to turn.

"Me first, waitress!" The drunk hobbit reminded her loudly as she did so.

"I apologise for my husband, miz - Balco, I think you've had enough!" A harrassed looking hobbit woman apologised to Aman then reprimanded her husband.

"Excuse me..."

"Bah, hush your noise, woman!"

"I'm warning you Balco..." the woman's voice had a dangerous edge to it. Her husband looked a little sheepish despite himself and muttered a resentful apology, retrieving his coat from the back of his chair and shrugging it on. His little wife supported him with practised ease as he staggered unsteadily, and rolled her eyes at Aman, who grinned back. Bidding them a brief goodnight, the Innkeeper finally turned to the holder of the timid voice behind her, spinning around to face a gawky, scruffy youth, who had one finger poised to tap her shoulder again. He blushed vividly as she turned to him, stammering an apology for interrupting her.

Aman waved the apology aside and smiled kindly at him, worried he might damage himself if he got any more nervous. "Sorry, sir, I was slightly preoccupied." It seems there is a conspiracy to stop me from reaching the warrior... she mused. Glancing over for a split second at the blonde, rugged soldier in the corner, she saw Myrddin, the horserider from earlier, had come to sit with him and was glad, for some inexplicable reason. Turning back to the youth once more, she smiled openly. "Was it a drink or food you wanted, or a room?" she inquired, gently manipulating him onto a barstool.