[Ealasaide]

"It’s all very well to say we found it, but what if he turns up with another?" asked Owen, looking worried.

Seamus grimaced. "Ah, yikes. That wouldn't do at all. How about if we just sort of tiptoe around and ask some of the elves around if they know anything about it? Not that I've dealt much with elves, but I hear they are not generally the sort to go about laying claim to things that don't belong to them."

Owen's expression still looked doubtful, so Seamus shrugged. "Well, have you got a better idea?" he asked. "I'd hate to bother the innkeeper with this, what with so much else going on and all. Besides, she might think we stole it and ask us to leave. Or, worse, call the shirriff on us."

"Well, in a sense, we did steal it, didn't we?" sighed Owen. "We just didn't mean to do it."

"So we had better get right on about giving it back." Seamus looked around the gathering to see where the elves were congregating, and found that it was not anywhere in particular. He could see one or two of them dancing, while several others lounged about on blankets on the lawn or in chairs. Seamus' eye landed on the elf who had been playing the oversized fiddle that was so big she had had to hold it on the ground between her knees when she played. He nudged Owen.

"She looks kind of worried about something," he said, indicating her with the bow to his rebec. "Do you suppose it might be hers?"

"It could well be at that," said Owen. "I think she is staying here. Shimshin probably lifted it right out of her room, if I know him. Why don't you go ask her?"

Seamus nodded and took a step in the elven woman's direction. Then he hesitated and turned back. "What if she thinks I stole it?"

"We tell her what really happened and hope she believes us, I guess," answered Owen. "We can always get the little hobbit boys who are watching Shimshin to tell her they saw him with it."

"If they saw him with it..." muttered Seamus. "You know how Shimshin likes to hide things in his mouth."

"Oh...oh, yeah."

A long moment of indecision ticked by before finally Seamus squared his shoulders. He closed the beautiful elven brooch in his large fist and gave Owen a resolute look. "Well, my friend... we can't just keep it, so we have no choice but to try to find out who it belongs to." He winked at his friend. "Wish me luck!"

With that, Seamus turned, tucked his rebec and bow under his arm, and strode across the lawn to where Rasputina sat with a few other guests. Owen trailed a few steps behind, holding his bladder pipe nervously in front of him. Reaching the group on the lawn, Seamus smiled broadly and plopped down on the grass beside the lovely elf. He nodded greetings to all of them, then turned to Rasputina.

"I say, that's a lovely great fiddle you've got there," he said pleasantly. "It's got an absolutely stunning voice to it. I've never heard anything quite like it and, now that I've heard it, I don't think I will ever forget it."

The elven woman smiled graciously. "It's a cello."

"A cello!" repeated Seamus. "I shall have to remember that. I used to have a lovely old fiddle myself - used to belong to my grandfather before me. It had such a beautiful old voice - clear as a bell. I was heartbroken when it got crushed in a carting accident. Since I couldn't do without music, though, I made myself this little rebec, but it's hardly a replacement if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I do," answered Rasputina. "I should be very distressed if anything happened to my cello."

Standing behind him, Owen gave Seamus a nudge with his knee. Seamus elbowed Owen's shin in response, but then leaned toward the elven lady, holding out his closed fist. "Ummm..." he began cautiously. "Er... you're an elf, begging your pardon, I, that is, we - my friend and I - were wondering if you might have seen this before. It kind of came into our hands by accident and we were looking to return it to its rightful owner. It being elven-made and all..." Seamus trailed off helplessly.

Rasputina held out her hand to receive whatever it was. For the barest instant, Seamus hesitated. Then he opened his hand, dropping the brooch on to the elven lady's palm.