[Nerindel]

With the soup on the simmer and the bread resting on the sill, Ædhral slipped out into the common room. Leaving cook to finish the preparations for Lunch, As much as she enjoyed helping cook in the kitchen the common room was by far her favourite room in the inn; here she got the chance to meet many new and interesting people and some with stories to tell. Everyone has a story to tell if one just takes the time to listen, her grandfather would often tell her. She smiled warmly as she recalled sitting on his knee as a child, listening to his stories of the dwarves in their deep halls of stone and of the elves and their enchanted forests. She laughed silently to herself as she took a damp cloth and began wiping the tables, stopping as she almost slipped on a wet puddle on the floor.

“Now how do you suppose that got there?” she whispered to herself. Then looking up she saw a whole trail of little puddles leading from the main door all the way up the stairs to the guestrooms. “Oh my that will never do.” She gasped as another guest almost slipped on one of the wet puddles. Quickly she went to the kitchen, fetched the bucket and mop, that sat inside the back door and began soaking up the wet trail before there was a serious accident. It would not do to be taking any more patients to Miss Bethberry today she thought as she tucked a stubborn stray lock of dark hair behind her left ear.

As she worked she recalled an elven tune she had heard the elves of Mirkwood sing as they passed through on their march back to their woodland realm after the victory of the five armies. She off course knew not what they sung but the tune had always stuck in her mind and she now hummed it happily as she worked her way up the stairs following the damp trail onto the next landing right up to a room on the east side. As she finished she leaned on the mop handle, still humming the lively elven tune and examined her work; “not to bad!” she grinned to herself.

Just as she was lifting mop and bucket to return down stairs the door behind her opened and her name was spoken by the familiar voice of the innkeeper. With a ready smile and a mischievous glint in her eyes she turned, “fair day master innkeeper, how may I be of ser…” she began jovially, but stopping in mid sentence as she realised that Finian was not alone. A tall fair headed elf stood behind him, his dripping wet tunic clinging tightly to his lean but muscular torso. Suddenly aware that she was staring she quickly averted her eyes, turning fully towards Finian which did not help matters as a broad knowing grin had spread across the young innkeepers face, causing her cheeks to flush a deep shade of crimson.

“You required something of me, Finian?” she asked, hoping that it was something that would require her to leave as quickly as possible so she could escape her embarrassment.