Aislan helped her father with one last horse. A beautiful one at that. She helped him take the lovely thoroughbred mare to the stables. Then she knew it was time to bid him good-bye, as she was to go on a journey to the Castle Maladil with the great Gandalf the Grey.
"Bye, father. I won't be too long, and you don't have to worry. I also hired a stable boy to help you a little around the Inn, and-" Aislan started, but was hushed by her father's embrace.
"No need to worry 'bout me, little one, you just take care of yourself. All will be fine, I trust you to come back!" He smiled at her, and Aislan smiled back at her aging father.
She walked out of the Trade Inn's stables, as her father was given charge of a steel-black stallion. Aislan did not look back, for she knew it would make it harder to leave.
She had been packed for a while. She packed the night before in her small room near the back of the Inn.
As she walked to the common area of the Inn, Aislan easily caught sight of the wizard Gandalf. Aislin waited a moment as a copper-haired woman near her spoke to Gandalf.
Aislan looked around at the company that had shown up by now. Gandalf, two elves, the female human, and a few hobbits. She was sure there were more to come.
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...Come down now, they'll say. But everything looks perfect from far away - Come down now! But we'll stay.
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