21. Tip The Bottle
In the lock-holes, it's called 'tip the bottle': none can turn letter who's marked, so it's wet sheets, snow-cold on bare skin, for their violinist. It's days without even poorbread cookie crumbs, and kneeling, arms pendant overhead, for hours, while comfortably chaired, Balhir rests boots on bowed back.
"No money's worth the fork and rope," Ambarin says, after a shift spent watching eyes moon-white with fear and glassy as crystal plead mercy.
Hal snorts. "Savior of wharf monkeys! You're peach fuzz," he declares. "It'll end soon, sweetheart." Hal grins at Ambarin's skepticism. "Seedy little tail's got a pretty Longnecked weakness..."
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
