[piosenniel]

Holly sat and fidgeted on the bench. She was worried about her friend Bird, and she was finding the interminable talk of the rangers and the wizard becoming quite tedious despite the seriousness of the topic.

Bethberry glanced at the hobbit, who had just changed her position and yawned silently once again, and leaned over, speaking quietly to her. 'Perhaps you should go stretch your legs a bit! There will be more talk yet to come.'

Holly blushed at being caught out, and mouthed a thank-you to Bethberry. Standing up from her seat, she made her way quietly to the door of the cabin and went out on to the porch. Seeing a small patch of sun in the clearing just before the cabin steps, she walked into it and gave a large stretch and a satisfied 'Ah!'

'Escaping again, halfing?' came the amused voice from the shadows of the trees on the side of the clearing. A ranger stepped into view and smiled at her. She recognised him as the one who had been guarding the Inn last night. He had obviously been set as guard again today.

'I am not your prisoner, sir!' came her steely reply. Her eyes flashed in the sun as she faced him, hands on hips. 'I am Holly Stoor, one of the Free Peoples, if you might remember. And I would thank you not to interfere with me again!'

He bowed low to her, his face having become more serious. 'I beg your pardon, Miss Holly!' came his reply. 'I did not mean to offend you. I know all too well that you are one of the Free Peoples, and I intend to do my part to see it stays that way.' His young face took on a troubled look, as if some shadow had passed over it. 'But I forget my own manners, I am Vorondil, newly a ranger of Ithilien, sent by my captain to strengthen the watch in this area. Could we not set our past history aside, and start afresh as friends?'

She looked him up and down, gauging the sincerity in his voice and stance, then offered him her hand in friendly agreement. 'Well, then, Vorondil, let's walk about a bit. You need to be on watch I would imagine, and I need some excercise to clear my head.'

They faded into the trees, and walked in the shadows around the perimeter of the cabin, talking quietly. Vorondil's gaze went ever afar, this way and that, looking for signs of anything amiss. When they had come full circle, they sat in the shade of a large tree, perched, side by side, on one of its gigantic roots. Holly's feet kicked back and forth, free of the ground, as she watched the still talking group in the cabin through the front windows, and heard the low murmur of their conversation and argument.

'Vorondil?' she said, 'About that map the rangers have, I think I need to tell you about something I remembered from last autumn.'

He looked at her, expectantly. She told him about the birds. He nodded, his face serious, at her telling of the story, then promised he would see her encounter be noted on the map.