[Amanaduial the archer]

"He arrives later sometimes - honestly, you just can't get the staff nowadays!" Aman rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, then smiled back at Derufin, cocking her head to one side. "Still determined to stay the night in the stables, hmm, Derufin?" She grinned and opened her mouth to continue before the clatter of hooves alerted her.

Hearing another horse arrive outside, she turned around and slipped out of the stables through the crack between the doors in time to see a rider dismount. Aman couldn't see her face immediately, but as she tossed her head, the Innkeeper noted the pointed ears and oddly ageless face - and strangely familiar that face was as well.

"I was here earlier and was wondering if you had a room I could rent for the night." The elf got straight to business and Aman snapped her fingers in recognition.

"Ah! 'Thought I knew your face - sorry, miss, your name evades me though. As for a room - I shall see what we can sort out. I presume you would like a stable for your horse as well?" The rush of questions and statements allowed the elf little time to reply and she simply nodded at first. The Innkeeper flashed her a smile and held up a finger as she saw a small, familiar figure arrive from the shadows of the courtyard. "Please - give me one moment please, miss." Turning to the new figure she put her hands on her hips as she walked hastily over to him. "Merimac!" She addressed the newly arrived figure this time, not the elf.

A handsome hobbit face topped with a mop of dark curly hair grinned up at her from chest height "Ah, Miz Aman - just as well, too: and here was me thinking I was hearing voices from around that corner..although very lovely voices, of course." The hobbit stable hand gave a cheeky wink and clicked his tongue.

Aman grinned back at him, rolling her eyes. "Just as well for me as well - here was I, thinking I had dreamed that I ever had found a new stable hand, bearing in mind this one had mysteriously vanished..." She stuck her tongue out at Merimac and he returned the gesture, thumbing his nose for good measure. The Innkeeper laughed and inclined her head behind her to the elf and her horse. "There are two horses out here, one with a new customer and the other tied up one of the rings on the left wall - got free stalls?"

"Aye, of course - although we are filling up rather fast tonight. At this rate I'll be bunking the fine steeds of Gondor, Rohan, Lorien and all the fine lands in the rafters by midnight..." Merimac grumbled light heartedly, stepping forward and wiping his hands on a ragged cloth produced from his pocket as he smiled at the elf and her horse, the former looking up from the latter as the Innkeeper returned. Merimac briefly shook hands with the elf and bade her good evening, and took hold of her horse's reigns, reaching up to rest a hand upon it's nose to let it get used to his smell. Nodding politely to both Aman and the elf, he disappeared back into the stable building, the horse dwarfing him but still following obediently. Aman poked her head back into the stable building and smiled apologetically at Derufin. Give me a few minutes, Derufin? she mouthed. The man nodded, smiling faintly, and ushered her back outside.

Turning once more, the Innkeeper smiled brightly at the new elf. "Right - a room you say? If you would follow me then..."