‘Falmar settled down into a steady rythm and Rose relaxed her tight grip around Pio’s waist; maybe riding a horse wasn’t so bad! Any other day, she would have been terribly excited, and even now she felt a twinge of happiness, but it was overclouded by the many questions whirling through her mind. She began to feel the beginnings of a headache. Where had Anee gotten to? Why was she really here? Could this just be another bizarre dream? Maybe she should stop sneaking
mushrooms before bedtime...
Knowing it was useless to ask Pio any of these questions until they arrived at the
inn, Rose found herself watching the roadside lined with quaint cottages and a few snug hobbit holes, painted bright green with little yellow knobs in the center and
surrounded by gardens whose various flowers peeped their bright faces over a picket fence struggling to contain them. There were also fields waving their bountiful crop in greeting, caressed gently by a warm breeze which also swept a solitary cloud over the sky. It was, without a doubt, a most beautiful day in the Shire, and it seemed to be presenting all its glory to welcome back little Rose.
The time passed slowly, but Rose noticed ‘Falmar’s steps growing more spririted, sensing the inn quite close. The horse was, of course, right and a only a few moments passed by before a two story building, the first Rose had seen in a very long time, came into sight. She recognized it faintly, but though things did not change very quickly in the Shire, Rose did not realize her adventures on the Star and her time living in Greenwood had made her a completely different hobbit. It was as if she had been given a pair of tinted spectacles and saw all the normal things of the Shire in a different light; or was it like having a veil lifted and seeing everything more clearly? She couldn’t decide before Pio reined in ‘Falmar and turned slightly in the saddle, thinking the young hobbit asleep after so long and so unusual a silence, but the Elf instead saw Rose instead looking around at the inn with an slight expression of sadness and wonder.
[ March 15, 2003: Message edited by: theWhiteLady ]
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