[piosenniel]

"Ah, I was....Derufin just said I may as well help out a bit," spoke Beren.

Cook had popped her head out the kitchen door just as the young man spoke these words. Filing them away in her well-ordered mind, she motioned for Derufin to attend her in the kitchen. When he followed her in, she took him down to the root and vegetable cellar a few steps below the kitchen, and began complaining that her helper, Minto Boffin had been called away on family business and could no longer see to the garden.

The vegetables needed gathering in, the rows weeded and hoed, the thirsty plants watered. And she and the girls, as she called Ruby and Buttercup, had no time to see to it themselves – this being the busy time of the year for travelers to the Inn.

Derufin raised his brows at her wondering why he was being informed of this need. He shook his head as he read her intent. ‘I can’t pick up these duties, Cook. Much as I like the outdoor work, I’ll have enough of my own for a while. Vanwe’s been called away, something of importance to her needed doing, and that leaves me as general handyman and stableman. In fact, I was thinking of asking for some help myself.

‘That ranger fellow, Awyrgan . . . he did a job for me and did it well – I was thinking of setting him to work on the Inn roof, and the repairs to the porch.’ Derufin noted the gleam in her eye. ‘No, I need him. There must be someone else you can ask.’

Cook rubbed her chin, her plans thwarted twice now. She and Derufin walked back up the stairs, and her eyes caught sight of Aman. The scene between her and that new guest replayed in her mind. ‘There’s the answer,’ she chortled to herself. ‘Didn’t he just say he was looking to help out?!’

Derufin had a blackberry muffin halfway to his mouth when Cook assailed him once again. ‘That raggedy looking bloke who came in a while ago – what’s his name?’

[ July 28, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]