[Amanaduial the archer]

“What is an attic?”

The question caught Aman completely off-guard, and her guilty expression along with the actual question set Cook and Cami off, first chuckling, then laughing. That would explain the slightly worried, puzzled look which had been on Vanwe’s face as they walked, and would even more explain why she had replied in so mild a tone when Aman had told her they would be clearing the attic. She was a funny girl…

“You don’t…well, an attic is…its…” the Innkeeper struggled for words for a few minutes, before settling for, “That will be something you will shortly discover. ‘Twill be the first time either of us have done this.” She added, her voice cheerful.

“Aye, well, it will certainly be an experience for both of you, although whether good or bad will become apparent, if it isn’t already,” Cook chuckled, before placing a pot of red tea and a plate of thickly sliced bread. “And not before you’ve finished this tea, and this bread, you won’t.”

“Thanks, Cook.” Aman hungrily took a slice of bread and spread it thickly with honey. She had come to love the breakfasts in the Inn, when there was time for them. “No bacon this morning?”

There was a groaning and a small gurgle behind them, before Derufin ran once more out of the Inn. Cook pursed her lips disapprovingly after the disappearing man, then turned her gaze on Aman, who was staring after him, shocked, but trying to hold back a laugh. “You shouldn’t torment him, Miss Aman, he isn’t himself today.”

Aman’s wide eyed gaze was genuine. “What?! I honestly didn’t know he was there, this time!” The fact that she was still trying to restrain a laugh probably wasn’t, she reasoned, helping her case. Cook just pursed her lips a little tighter. The Innkeeper looked away from her intimidating gaze, fixing her thoughts, and her teeth, in the honey covered bread. Vanwe did the same, and Aman smiled at the look of delight on her face as she tasted the honey, still as great and as wondering as when she had tasted it yesterday. Strange, it was as if she had never tasted it before.

A few minutes later, after a hurried, rather unenthusiastic, and unyielding search for Derufin, Aman, Vanwe and Cami set off up the stairs, winding around until they reached the attic. Aman pulled open the trapdoor with a flourish and, holding up her skirts awkwardly, she went up the ladder into the one part of the Inn which had quite probably remained completely unchanged since its building, save the addition of several hundred piles of junk. In the early morning, with the sunlight shafting down over the piles and the dust motes floating through the air gently, the attic looked less intimidating than it had last night, but she still heard Vanwe gasp. Turning, she grinned at the wide eyed elf, who wasn’t trying to conceal her expression now. Cami’s voice shook them out of their surprise though, as the hobbit called up to them through the trapdoor.

“Well, let me know when you finish, alright?”

“Hang on!” Aman dashed back over to the trapdoor, peering down at the other. “Where are you going?”

“Well, someone needs to keep the bar going!” Cami let her false innocence slip, grinning wickedly. “Have a nice time.” Before Aman could object further, the hobbit was gone. The Innkeeper sighed, before straightening up brushing a hand over her hair and turning to Vanwe.

“Well…lets get started then.”

OCC: Love it, Elora and Envinyatar!!!