[Horse-Maiden of the Shire]

"You may call me Tallin, or Tal if you are too lazy to say the whole word." Tallin laughed heartily at his own joke, but ceased when he saw Herlion looking at him strangely. "Very well then. Let's sit and chat a bit, shall we?" asked Tallin, plopping himself down on the bench at the table. "First, a little bit about myself. My name is Tallin, son of Pallon, and I come from Rohan. My story is the usual travelers'; the road was long, hard, and sometimes quite treacherous. But I enjoy traveling anyways."

Here Tallin paused for breath; and for a sip of his ale. What he hadn't told Herlion was his "darker" side, if Tallin had a darker side. Here and there he liked to do some petty thieving, for thrills and sometimes to get by, when he couldn't find any animals to use for food. Herlion might be a good target; thought Tallin. But only time will tell.

After drinking some ale and finishing his thoughts, Tallin now turned to Herlion, asking "What of you, friend? How did you come about to be in the Shire, at the Green Dragon?"