[Nurumaiel]

Aunt Donnamira began advancing towards their table. Don watched her in horror and fear, clutching Rie's hand. Nuru suddenly whispered something into Rie's ear and then dived forward.

"Hello, Miss Donnamira," she said, smiling. "I couldn't help but catch your name. I'm helping the innkeepers make the meals around here. Would you like some late breakfast?"

"I'm looking for my niece; I'm not hungry," Aunt Donnamira snapped.

"Ah, really?" said Nuru. "Well, that's really too bad. I had some eggs and bacon left... oh, yes, and the sausages. Such fine sausages they were. Oh, and the toast! The toast was so crisp and golden. But, if you aren't hungry."

Aunt Donnamira's hobbitish hungriness took over her. "Well, maybe some breakfast," she said, then added rudely, "But you don't look like you can cook."

"Nuru's distracting your aunt," said Rie to the frightened girl clinging to her hand. "Let's go find Pio, or go up to my room, or something."

"Let's go up to your room," said Don, not knowing who 'Pio' was and not wanting to place faith in her until she did.

Rie brought Don up the stairs and into her room, locking the door. Don went to the window and looked out, then turned back to Rie, and said, "Thank you so much. That's the first nice thing anyone ever did for me since my parents died." Then she turned once again to the window.

"Please, sit down, Miss Donnamira," said Nuru graciously. "What would you like."

"Everything you mentioned before," said Aunt Donnamira. "And have you seen my niece about. Nasty little creature, she is, always into some mischief."

Having not seen a nasty girl, or even a mischievous one, only a girl with a tongue and a brain, Nuru could answer truthfully that, no, she had not seen any girl fitting that description. Then she went into the kitchen to make Aunt Donnamira's breakfast.