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Jinniver had joined the noisy supper table occupied by Andwise, Derufin and the hobbit lads; two of the hobbits sat on either side of her and spent most of the meal trying to make her laugh. Now they were holding a smoke ring blowing contest and mocking each other with ever more ridiculous insults. Jinniver had spent suppertime with a smile on her face because of their antics and now she couldn’t help but start giggling. The two hobbits cheered when they saw they had succeeded in amusing her and bowed their heads in mock honour. “Miss Cornthrift, your smile is as beautiful as sunrise after a rainy night” said one and the other topped it by saying “And your laughter is like the sound of birds at dawn”. Jinniver laughed even more and toasted the hobbits as they all drained their tankards.
She looked around to see if anyone was coming by to refill drinks. She didn’t want to go to the bar herself as she had taken a little more drink than she knew was good for her, and she recalled her clumsy episodes of the previous evening all too well. This was strong ale, and it had got the better of many men who had drunk less than she had. But she did want at least one more drink, as she was loathe to leave such good company.
Aman soon passed by the table bearing a large pitcher of ale, and she refilled her tankard. Jinniver thanked her kindly and Aman nodded gracefully. Jinniver was immediately struck that there was something out of place about her. ‘Her smile seems forced, and though she looks jovial enough, her eyes say that she is unsettled.’ Jinniver watched the innkeeper move through the smoky, raucous room. She recognised distress when she saw it.
She noticed Aman seemed to falter as she passed by a richly dressed, intimidating looking man; his bearing was proud, and she felt almost too humble to look at him, but the ale had conquered her normal reserved self enough to allow her to take him in. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw Derufin giving the innkeeper a meaningful glance. ‘Well, there’s an interesting tale in that’ thought Jinniver to herself. Taking up the offer of a pinch of tobacco for her pipe, she chatted to the hobbits next to her while she watched to see what would unfold between these three. She hoped that she was not staring, and each time she took a drink, she peered curiously over the top of her tankard.
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