[Bêthberry]

Pushing her cart half-empty before her, Ruthven made her way around the back alleys of Edoras. She found one or two who had wares to exchange but more importantly she heard news about The Golden Hall as she shared a cuppa or two with her fellow citizens. Tongues always rattled more easily at home when at rest.

It was not good news, the presence of officious courtiers around Théoden and merchants from Gondor wishing to establish their own monopoly on trade between the two cities. This would be something Bethberry would indeed have to attend to, for it directly affected her supply of goods from Gondor, goods which made The White Horse an inn preferable to others in Edoras. Ah, yes, said the woman to herself, half aloud at the thought of her friend. I must see to Aylwen and Madi at the Horse. She picked up her cart and trundled off at a faster pace.

* * *

"Hola and good morning," she called to a frazzled-looking Aylwen as she entered the Inn.
Aylwen looked up from the pile of papers on the desk before her.

"Ruthven, if you are here to see Bethberry, you will be disappointed. She has disappeared, vanished, leaving us with little sense of what to do."

"Well, that shouldn't shake you so much. She's been gone before on her trade journeys to The White City. Come, lassie, let's share a cup of coffee and talk. She's not kidnapped nor lying ill or foresaken. "

The two withdrew to Bethberry's office, where Ruthven did her best to explain that Bethberry had some difficult trade to negotiate and wished to be away quickly to accomplish it. A smile and a sympathetic ear did wonders to calm Aylwen and give her some sense that difficulties were not insurmountable.

"Now,' said Ruthven, "I have a special message for Madi from Bethberry. Where shall I find him?"

Aywlen shrugged. "He's difficult to find. He keeps to his own purposes and more often finds you rather than the other way round. Why don't you go out back to the garden. I see him there often."

"I shall, "remarked the rag lady, who left the Assistant Innkeeper to attend to yet another annoyance.

* * *

Ruthven walked through the kitchen to the back and out towards the garden. There she saw Madi sitting on the ground, staring at small mounds of dirt.

"Madi, what are you doing?"

"Watching apple pips grow," he said, without looking at her.

"So it would appear," replied the older woman, who with a groan and slow movement carefully lowered herself down until she was sitting on the warm earth beside the little man. She watched quietly with him, waiting for him to speak.