A woman plodded against the brisk wind that slithered between her warm garments. Her golden hair, graced with mists of silver, had slipped from its unwieldy bun and now rested on her shoulder. A burgundy shawl flapped from her shoulders while her mittened hands carried a bundle.
Her cheeks were rosy, and her brown eyes smiled as she neared the inn. Before she entered, however, her eyes wandered across the snow covered yard, as if she sought for a lost treasure hidden among the white dunes.
A little pucker of a frown marred her smooth forehead, and she turned from the door and began to circle the inn. After completing the circle, she found herself again at the front and, sighing, gently opened the door, and stepped in. Warm firelight greeted her, the laughter of children, and the clink of glasses as men drank their ale. Some children cradled steaming cups of cider in their hands, whilst others wiped away a trickling river of eggnog from their beaming faces.
The woman smiled and then she looked for the innkeeper. She knew Bethberry, but saw that she was busy. Well, maybe somebody else could help her, the woman thought. Her eyes rested upon a brooding man, who sipped a spiked cider.
Coming towards him, pulling off her mittens and wiping a stray hair from her eyes, she said pleasantly, “Excuse me, sir, my name is Silwen and I was wondering if I may trouble you for just a moment?"
The man glanced up at her and said simply, "I'm Ædegard. What may I do for you?"
Silwen smiled and said, "You haven't happened to see a little girl named Fellwyne about? She’s also known as Felly -- it’s an old nickname.”
<font size=1 color=339966>[ 2:10 AM January 02, 2004: Message edited by: Imladris ]
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I'm sorry it wasn't a unicorn. It would have been nice to have unicorns.
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