[piosenniel]

Finally, the last of the locals had left the Inn. Gilly was dead tired as she locked the doors and wiped off the bar top. She dragged a load of mugs and tankards to the kitchen, and left them to soak overnight in the big stone sink. Prim would not be happy about that nor would Cook, but Gilly simply had not the energy to wash a single mug tonight.

Rose, it seemed had already gone to sleep. She, too, had come in late with some of the Hobbits who had joined in the search. She had barely gotten a hello out to Gilly, when a table of thirsty Hobbits had called Gilly away, demanding another round of ale. By the time they had all gotten what they wanted, and bent her ear a dozen times about the invasion of the Shire by Big Folk, Rose had already disappeared upstairs.

Gilly blew out the last of the lamps in the Common Room, and lighting a small candle lantern went carefully up the inn stairs taking care to step over the seventh one which creaked loudly when trod on. She heard the door to Mithadan and Piosenniel’s quarters open, and saw a figure in the darkness making for the kitchen. She shrugged it off. ‘Probably Mistress Piosenniel,’ she thought to herself, ‘up looking for a snack.’

She continued on up the stairs, her thoughts turning to the few snatches of conversation she had overheard between the Elf and Man. By the time she reached her room, she was wide awake and trying to reason out what they were planning on doing.

The room was dark as she entered. She could hear the soft, regular breathing of Rose. Gilly put the dimmed-down lantern on the small table between their beds and sat down on top of the quilt cover for her bed, staring hard at the sleeping form of the other girl beneath the blankets.

‘Rose!’ she whispered. And getting no response she spoke a little louder, ‘Rose!!’ Gilly reached out with her foot and tapped Rose’s bed.

‘Rose! Wake up! It’s Mithadan and Mistress Piosenniel. I need to tell you what I overheard . . .’

[ April 19, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]