[piosenniel]

Please Note: the Day at the Inn is now ending -- all are going off to bed . . .
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The dishes were done and all dried and put away in their proper places in the cupboard. The bowls, pans, utensils, and ingredients she would need for tomorrow’s breakfast were all laid out in a tidy manner on the counter top. All was done for the night . . . all was in readiness for the morning . . .

Cook looked about with a satisfied glance and, taking off her apron, hung it neatly over the hook by the back door. Ruby and Buttercup had been shooed off to bed, as had the rest of the servers in the Common Room. Aman, the Innkeeper, she had given a packet of willow bark powder to mix in branch water – another one of her awful headaches had come on and the poor woman was quite incapacitated.

Like a great ship on the ocean, Cook sailed out through the door to the Common Room from the kitchen, and came to port behind the bar. There were only a few guests about at this hour, and she nodded pleasantly to each one as she caught their eye.

‘Last call,’ she said in a firm voice as she motioned those who wanted one last round to come forward. ‘Drink up, my good folk!’ she called out to them as they came up, some for wine and some for ale. ‘Then it’s off to your own homes or up to your rooms.’ She topped off the wine glass of the pensive Elf and drew up a fresh mug of ale for the rather sad looking Elf who had just come back in. ‘You ladies drink up, if you will. We’ll be closing down soon. If you wish, you can take your drinks up to your rooms.’

She shooed the few Hobbit lads and the one gaffer out the door, telling them they’d best be getting back to their snug holes and families now.

‘And you Niniel . . . you should be getting to bed, girl . . . Buttercup’s told me you’ll be helping out Derufin. The horses and he are always up early . . .’ She looked the young Elf over closely. ‘Ruby and Buttercup sleep in the big room above the kitchen. There’s an extra bed up there if you need it . . . they’re both awake . . . gossiping, no doubt over the snippets of conversations they overheard today. Their eyes and ears don’t miss much!’ She watched as Niniel slid out of the chair and walked off.

‘Lights out, now,’ she said to the last few stragglers who were draining their mugs. Off home or off to bed.’

She let those out who needed to make their way home and gave candles to those making their way up to their rooms. Then Cook, locked the door to the Inn, and fastened the shutters, and made her own way to bed . . .