[Ithaeliel]

After the song was through, Ardo sighed and walked back to his seat, laughing with merriment. Cornflower took a seat next to him. "That was wonderful! Come, let's have another dance!"
Ardo shook his head and laughed. "You go on and dance to your heart's content, my dear. I'm going to sit down to a pint and spend some time with the other men before we take our leave come the morn."
Cornflower jumped out of her seat and ran back among the dancers. Ardo smiled as he watched her a bit and thought of how much he would miss her. At length, he turned back to the bar counter with a sigh. He raised his hand to hail the bartender. "Another flagon of ale, if y'please, sir!" he called.
"Could I get one as well?" an unfamiliar voice beside him yelled. Ardo swiveled about in surprise. He had not seen the young hobbit there. "My goodness, young sir, there was no need to go and startle me like that now!"
The hobbit smiled bashfully. "Forgive me, sir, that was by no means what I intended. I'm not commonly a sidler."
Ardo laughed mirthfully at his last comment. "What do you go by, lad?"
"My name's Pippin, sir."
"It's very nice to meet you, Pippin. Do you have a surname at all?"
"Not rightfully, sir. I really don't know much about my life at all."
Ardo's eyes went wide as he lit his short wooden pipe and nodded. "Well, well... lost your memory somewhere along the road to the Shire, eh?"
"I suppose so, sir."
"Stop calling me 'sir,' if you please, Master Pippin; the name is Baggins. Ardo Baggins. It is very nice to make your acquaintance." Ardo shook hands with the younger hobbit. "Might you be one of the messengers leaving tomorrow or one of their kinsfolk?"
"Oh, I am going tomorrow as well, Master Baggins. I assume you are?"
"You're quite right. I hope it will be a somewhat pleasureable journey."
"So do I."

And so Ardo Baggins met Pippin, and he had it from then in the back of his mind that the two might be paired on the journey, as they seemed to get along just fine, as well as the fact that Pippin was the first of the twenty-four messengers that Ardo had not previously met.