[Amanaduial the archer]

Brief introductions having been made between the pair of them, Aman brought out a meal for Faeradel, a trencher of rabbit meat and potatoes. The man gratefully recieved it and tucked into it eagerly, whilst poring over a rather withered piece of paper - a scroll of some sort. As she passed, Aman let her eyes flicker surreptitiously down towards it and sneaked a quick glance at the paper and found it was a map of some sort - she recognised several names from around Eriador, also noting Rivendell on the map. Intriguingly, the Last Homely Home was crossed neatly with charcoal.

Pushing aside her piqued curiosity - alright, nosiness - the Innkeeper moved over to where Uien knelt beside Tom's foot, and saw the elf was regarding her hobbit 'patient' with a curious look.

"...father was a gardener and I’ve been his apprentice for a time now, in hope that I could settle myself somewhere and work with gardening." Aman caught the end of the hobbit's words, and noted that something seemed to come over him as he spoke about this, a sort of quiet confidence in what he was saying

"Well, that sounded like a flat out hint," Aman laughed, and the hobbit looked up to her, a stricken look on his face, all politeness once more

"Oh, Miss Aman - I didn't see you there-"

Aman waved it away, handing the hobbit the refill of ale that she had brought. "Don't worry, master Cotton, I wasn't offended. No, but what you are saying is interesting - you say you have been looking for work around about here as a gardener?"

Tom's face lit up very slightly. "Aye...aye, Miz Aman, that I have," he replied carefully.

Aman nodded, her head on one side contemplatively. After all, since Beren had taken off some months ago, having to see to some business with family somewhere in the region of Gondor, they had been without a full time gardener. There had been Hawthorne in the past few weeks until a few days ago, of course, but she had gone back home to the Brandybuck family seat, Brandybuck Hall, a few days ago - and with the best wishes of Aman, Ruby and Buttercup, of course, for she had been invaluable since the fire, throwing herself into everything with great enthusiasm. It had been a pity to lose her in many aspects - gardening being one of them, for Miss Hawthorne Brandybuck had turned out to have surprisingly green fingers. But now...well, it was always useful to have the garden well tended, especially the vegetable garden, and Hawthorne had often said that it would have been excellent to keep chickens there, if there had been someone to look after them on a more full time basis...

"I will speak to you later, Master Cotton," Aman said at length. Then, with a smile, she took his empty glass and went away on her rounds, caught up in thoughts.