[Envinyatar]

From his vantage point on the cottage roof, Derufin kept tabs on the work going on below. Jinniver had found the gardener’s shed near the Inn’s kitchen garden and with the help of Gil had brought back what she needed to prepare the flower beds for planting. Gil, upon his return, had resumed his place on the hammer and nail team for the new room being added. Ferrin was his partner in this, while Tomlin and Fallon did the measuring and sawing of the lumber. Below, in the kitchen area, the steady ebb and flow of conversation between Andwise and his son, Ferdy, let Derufin know that the cabinetry and window frames were coming apace.

For his part, Derufin restarted his work on the roof. The patchwork was done on the main part of the shingling over the original areas of the cottage. He’d hauled up lumber for the base roofing for the new addition, and now he began hammering it into place. Once done, he would spread a coat of pitchy tar to seal all the seams. Then, tomorrow, he would begin the shingling.

He called down to Tomlin who was just setting another piece of wood on the saw-horses. ‘Send me up a bucket of water and a tin mug, if you would,’ he said, lowering a thin rope to the ground. ‘It’s hot up here and bound to be hotter as the afternoon wears on. A little something to keep me from being parched out would be nice.’ Tomlin obliged with a grin, and soon the bucket was secured in the shade of the eaves. Derufin waved his thanks to the Hobbit and returned to the task at hand . . .