[Mithadan]

Halfred pulled out a red cotton handkerchief and mopped the sweat from his red face. "Umm, now this lad," he continued, pointing to Gamba. "Says he wasn't hurt by the Man, is that correct?"

Gamba, rising from the dust, nodded his head. "Mithadan is my friend."

"Did he attack you?" asked Halfred with narrowing eyes.

Mithadan stepped forward. "I was only wrestling with the lad and his...the other little ones," he said with a smile. "And he's quite good too!"

Gamba beamed at the compliment. But the Shirriff was not satisfied quite yet. "Is that right lad?" Gamba nodded innocently.

"What about the Elf with the knife?" cried Olo.

"Elf?" asked Prim. "You mean Mistress Piosenniel, whose about so pregnant I'm amazed she doesn't burst?" Several members of the crowd laughed at this. "She went off to the east earlier today on some errand or other. She's been gone for a bit." And of course, Prim's comments were not untruthful -- the terms 'earlier' and 'a bit' were just not clearly defined.

Halfred looked about and saw no dissent, though Olo looked indignant. "Then no harm done. Let the Hobbit go," he instucted the deputies who released Maura. He looked down at Cami who had been revived by Bilbo and Frodo. "Sorry, Ma'am," he said with a bow. "A bit of a misunderstanding apparently. Though your son shouldn't swing at a Shirriff, now, should he?"

Halfred turned to Prim and said through gritted teeth, "Wouldn't it be best if your...guests stayed inside rather than making such a commotion?" Prim nodded with a sweet smile for Halfred. Excusing himself, Halfred mounted his pony and rode off with his deputies.

Prim turned to the assembled crowd and shouted, "Alright! No more to see here." To Mithadan and the others she turned a jaundiced eye and growled, "Inside! The whole lot o' ya!"