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piosenniel · 03-31-2003, 11:21 AM

26 Lotessë - evening

She thought she would stop at the Inn before heading up to Amaranthas’ house. The dear old Hobbit had sent her good directions, but having never been out of Waymeet, Gilly found herself getting a bit lost in this bigger town. Surely someone at the Inn could point her in the right direction. To top it off, it had been a long, hot hike, this last part of the journey, and now evening was upon her. A nice half pint of the Green Dragon’s vaunted ale would go a long way to cooling her parched throat.

Perhaps she could also get look at the lady she was to be nursemaid for. ‘Mistress Piosenniel,’ that is what Amaranthas called her in her letters, and supposedly she was staying at the Inn. Gilly had never seen an Elf, but she had listened closely to all the stories about them, trying to sort out the facts from the fictions and the natural dislike of the unknown and unfamiliar that always seemed to be woven into the stories that filtered through Waymeet. She was prepared to like this lady before she even saw her, if only for the fact that she was something quite outside the bounds of what was considered ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable’ for the good folk of her town, and especially to her family.

There was no local tavern where she had come from, and so she wasn’t quite sure what to expect as she entered the doors and stepped into the cool interior of the Inn.

She stepped from the evening light and blinked her eyes in the more subdued light of the common room. A few more steps brought her to a small table by the door, and she sat down at it gratefully. No one was at the bar, nor did there seem to be anyone about who could help her. In fact, the entire small clientele of the Inn, all males, seemed to be clustered at one end of the room, talking loudly to each other.

Curious, Gilly rose from her table and crept nearer to the outskirts of the group. One of the men stood up and was talking to the others. She listened closely wondering what he was so worried about. Why were these Hobbits up in arms? What had happened that she didn’t know about.

She edged a little closer toward the center of the little group, looking at the faces of those around her. Why were they so frightened?

*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Gilly had retreated from the cluster of Hobbits as the voices rose louder and angrier, feeling frightened herself by the vehemence of some of the talk. She had gone to sit at the bar, hoisting herself up onto one of the barstools, far from the crowd. Just as she looked back over her shoulder at the gathered Hobbits she heard the voice.

‘May I help you?’

Gilly turned to see who had spoken to her and her eyes went wide with wonder. There, behind the bar stood one of the Big Folk, or so she thought at that moment. Tall and fair, she was, and her grey eyes looked with a hint of amusement at the dusty traveler perched at the bar. It was then that Gilly’s gaze moved down the figure, and without thinking she blurted out, ‘You’re pregnant!’ Crimson tinged her cheekbones spread quickly down her neck, as it occurred to her who this woman standing with a furrowed brow before her might be.

‘Mistress Piosenniel, it’s me. Gilly. Gilly Took.’

The Elf looked at her coolly, eyebrows raised. ‘Gilly Took, you say. Should I know you?’

[ March 31, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

03-31-2003, 11:21 AM	#274
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	26 Lotessë - evening She thought she would stop at the Inn before heading up to Amaranthas’ house. The dear old Hobbit had sent her good directions, but having never been out of Waymeet, Gilly found herself getting a bit lost in this bigger town. Surely someone at the Inn could point her in the right direction. To top it off, it had been a long, hot hike, this last part of the journey, and now evening was upon her. A nice half pint of the Green Dragon’s vaunted ale would go a long way to cooling her parched throat. Perhaps she could also get look at the lady she was to be nursemaid for. ‘Mistress Piosenniel,’ that is what Amaranthas called her in her letters, and supposedly she was staying at the Inn. Gilly had never seen an Elf, but she had listened closely to all the stories about them, trying to sort out the facts from the fictions and the natural dislike of the unknown and unfamiliar that always seemed to be woven into the stories that filtered through Waymeet. She was prepared to like this lady before she even saw her, if only for the fact that she was something quite outside the bounds of what was considered ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable’ for the good folk of her town, and especially to her family. There was no local tavern where she had come from, and so she wasn’t quite sure what to expect as she entered the doors and stepped into the cool interior of the Inn. She stepped from the evening light and blinked her eyes in the more subdued light of the common room. A few more steps brought her to a small table by the door, and she sat down at it gratefully. No one was at the bar, nor did there seem to be anyone about who could help her. In fact, the entire small clientele of the Inn, all males, seemed to be clustered at one end of the room, talking loudly to each other. Curious, Gilly rose from her table and crept nearer to the outskirts of the group. One of the men stood up and was talking to the others. She listened closely wondering what he was so worried about. Why were these Hobbits up in arms? What had happened that she didn’t know about. She edged a little closer toward the center of the little group, looking at the faces of those around her. Why were they so frightened? ++++++* Gilly had retreated from the cluster of Hobbits as the voices rose louder and angrier, feeling frightened herself by the vehemence of some of the talk. She had gone to sit at the bar, hoisting herself up onto one of the barstools, far from the crowd. Just as she looked back over her shoulder at the gathered Hobbits she heard the voice. ‘May I help you?’ Gilly turned to see who had spoken to her and her eyes went wide with wonder. There, behind the bar stood one of the Big Folk, or so she thought at that moment. Tall and fair, she was, and her grey eyes looked with a hint of amusement at the dusty traveler perched at the bar. It was then that Gilly’s gaze moved down the figure, and without thinking she blurted out, ‘You’re pregnant!’ Crimson tinged her cheekbones spread quickly down her neck, as it occurred to her who this woman standing with a furrowed brow before her might be. ‘Mistress Piosenniel, it’s me. Gilly. Gilly Took.’ The Elf looked at her coolly, eyebrows raised. ‘Gilly Took, you say. Should I know you?’ [ March 31, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ] __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.