Celandine's eyes grew wide as she heard Gandalf and Bullroarer outline thier strategy. Rivendell! the home of the Elves! Not to mention the chance to show her parents thats she was good for something at least.
Bullroarer turned back to face them, waving them back from him a fair pace. ‘Only the best and the bravest will I take with me. You know who you are. Come! Stand before me now. Who will dare the Great East Road to Imladris with me?’
He leaned on his cudgel, his eyes glinting with the challenge, and waited
Celandine sighed. 'best and bravest' that certainly wasn't her. But Elves! it was her only chance to ever meet one of that fabled race. Celandine knew she had to try.
She listened intenly as Autumn Gamwitch made a spirited speech in front of all the hobbits. Bullroarer said something inaudible to the hobbit lass, but Celandine could tell by the skip in her step as she waded through the crowd to the door, that she had indeed been accepted to the mission.
Celandine's shoulders slumped. She was no good at speech making. As the meeting disperesd, and the the hobbits went back to their lodgings, Celandine waved to her father to tell him she'd be along shortly. Several others seemed to have her idea, and Celandine hug around at the back until they had left.Setting her jaw, she walked up to the hero of the Greenfields, her stomach rocking with every step.
"Mr. Bandobras?"
"What? Who are you?" He glared down at her, and Celandine suddenly felt a lot smaller that her three-feet-something.
"My name is Celandine Brandybuck.I want to come along."
He raised an eyebrow at her, ever so slightly incredulous.
"Why doe everyone seem to think that I have suddenly become a nanny for children? I highly doubt you have very many skills that will be useful to us."
Celandine drew herself up, indignant. "I can cook, I can hunt, and I'm not afraid of skinning animals..." She realized nervousness was causing her to speak faster than she intended to.
"And what about Wargs?"
"I'm a reasonable shot with a bow, and I can usually keep ponies from frighting."
Bullroarer still had his eyebrow raised.
"And why would a little hobbit-lass, not yet come of age, decide to come on a perilous journey through forest, hill, snow and rain, just to get food for the Shire"
Celandine grew a little bolder, and her voice steadied. "I think you've answered you own question, sir."
Bullroarer's eyebrow went higher, if that was possible.
"I am not a child-sitter. This is a cold, long, dangerous journey. Absolutly not."
Celandine glared, and set her mouth in a stubbourn line.
"Why do you reject an extra pair of hands and two ponies?"
"My dear, it is simply too dangerous."
Celandine stamped her foot angrily. "I don't care! I'm capable with a bow!"
Bullroarer sighed. He was never going to get rid of the lass. "Alright. you can come." Her face lit up in delight. "But-" Celandine's brows dropped straight into a displeased V "you must ask you father's permission." Bandobras nodded to himself. the girl's father would never let her come. That was that problem out of the way.
Celandine nodded, smiling " Thank you, Sir"
"We meet here first thing tomorrow.If your father gives his permission."
The girl nodded, struggling into her cloaks. thanking him one more time, she heaved the door open, and very nearly skipped down the street.
Celandine, naturally, had no intetion of asking either her father or her mother. She grinned hppily as she rushed back to her uncle's hobbit hole. She was going to see the elves!
[ November 28, 2002: Message edited by: Losthuniel ]
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