[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman nodded, smiling at Bredan. "Thank you, master Bredan. But please, a note - sometimes, of course, haste is the better course. But a swift running river can often miss the gems lying at the bottom." She smiled slightly, holding his gaze, then continued in reply to his request. "I am afraid we do not keep any spare horses here - the hobbits are not great ones for riding, in general, and besides, few of their horses would fit you, I think! Let's see...the nearest place you would be able to borrow a horse would be the stables of Brandybuck Hall, from Master Meriadoc Brandybuck."

Bredan's dubious look told Aman of his doubt about being able to simply appear on the doorstep of an evidently rich hobbit and ask to borrow a horse. Aman laughed at his expression. "Here, I shall write you a letter of recommendation - but Bredan, I must warn you now," she added, her face becoming more serious. "Whatsoever you borrow from Master Brandybuck, you must return, as you took it. He is a good friend of mine and a better...individual should scarce be found in Middle Earth."

Bredan nodded solemnly and Aman allowed herself a small smile. "I suggest you stay another night at the Inn and leave in the morning - by foot it is a fair walk to Brandybuck Hall and you will not make it at a reasonable time - although in these times, it is a fairly safe road to pass along. In the morning, we can settle payment and I shall give you the letter to Master Meriadoc."

Bredan nodded, then gave a small bow. "Thank you, Lady Aman." Bidding her good evening, he melted into the night.

As he left, the sound of a voice caused Aman to turn and she saw there the young hobbit lad who had taken to hanging around the stables. He was surprisingly tall for a hobbit, although he was still young, maybe 18 or 19, Aman would guess. At first the Innkeeper had eyed him with suspicion, for few hung around the stables so often without some motive, and most hobbits were not lovers of horses, save a few examples, like the good Master Meriadoc and Peregrin Took, Thain of the Shire. But it turned out that the case of the two of the Nine also applied to Merimac - oddly for a hobbit, he had a positive passion for the animals. Bearing in mind the boy evidently had little else to do with him time other than loiter unsurely around the stables, the Innkeeper had tenatively taken him on a few days previously...and was being rewarded with her very own prodigy. In the past few days, Merimac was beginning, slowly, to fill the groove of stablehand that Derufin had left open but which hadn't been filled, although, of course, if The Green Dragon's stable master reappeared, he would always have a job.

"Evenin', Miz Aman." The tenor voice of the young hobbit was soft and rich, always kind but usually with undertones of mirth running through it. He was always courteous to Aman as well - some sort of admiration for the Rohirrim woman seemed to have sprung up due to her affinity with horses.

"Merimac," she smiled, her smile widening. "I wonder if-"

The sound of hooves, suddenly loud, caused Aman to turn mid-sentence, and she saw a hooded figure on horseback approaching through the settling mist that preceded this night. The newcomer pushed back her hood to reveal a weary but satisfied face, careworn but nonetheless young face. The woman seemed maybe a few years older than Aman herself.

"Good evening, madam," she called. The rider smiled and dismounted as she reached the stables, a hand disappearing into her cloak and rifling around for a moment before a small pouch was produced. The woman took from this four or five gold coins and held them out to Merimac. "Can I ask you to take care of my horse?"

Merimac nodded maturely, as if this was an exchange he had been part of all of his life rather than a sparse few days, but Aman saw the excitement and surprise in his eyes. She, too, was more than a little shocked - certainly the amount of money offered was a little excessive. A very valuable steed, it seems...

The woman nodded cordially to Aman the started towards the Inn. Aman followed, slipping inside the door and holding it open for her before attending to a drinks order that was sprung upon her immediately. Bustling towards the bar, she felt a hand touch her arm lightly and turned to see the woman, who actually bowed to her. Aman's surprise and curiosity grew - evidently the woman was from nowhere near these parts - and she asked if she could help.

The rider revealed her name as being Myrrdin, and asked for a room, after a brief exchange, Aman assigned the woman into Ruby's care, to take her up to a room before she keeled over in exhaustion. "And if you wish for a meal, supper is being served...well, now, actually. If you wish to sleep, I can arrange for something to be taken up to you later on."

The woman simply smiled wearily, her tiredness very obvious, and Aman inclined her head before turning to the room in general.

"Ladies and gentlemen, supper is being served now!"

To the sounds of cheers from the hobbits and the sight of several others perking up visibly, Aman nodded over to Buttercup, and the pair scurried away to the kitchen to begin the task of serving the food.