[Saelind]

Where was that schoolroom anyway?

Thalion was having little luck in finding the small door at the back of the Inn that led to Miz Bella's school, the place where his son had probably gone. After mistakenly burgling his way into a locked storage shed and then nearly twisting the knob off the kitchen door in his impatience to locate his missing boy, he had issued an embarassed apology to Cook and made his way around to the small green door on the left where he could hear children laughing and playing, their voices wafting through the open windows into the courtyard.

He thrust his head through one of the openings and saw Neviel down on his hands and knees surrounded by other lads about half his height, doing something with a pocketful of little clay and glass balls.

Neviel leapt up with a broad grin as he saw Thalion come inside, "Oh, father. I am sorry but you were asleep. I know I should have waited, but I didn't want to sit in the room all day. And then I found Miz Bella's class. These good lads are teaching me to play marbles. They say I am doing alright." The last words were spoken with considerable pride.

Thalion fixed a stern eye on his son and was about to reprimand him when he noticed the happiness and cheerful anticipation shining in Neviel's face and eyes. It was something he had seen far too infrequently. "Please, father," the young Elf implored. " I didn't mean to run off. But I like it here. Can't we stay a while and I can go to school? You always said it would be good for me to learn to read and write Westron. I only know the runes now. Maybe you could talk with Miz Bella and see if I could stay." The boy looked up expectently at his father. Just then there was a slight rustling sound, the kind of sound made by the swirl of hobbit skirts. The noise was coming from across the room. Miz Bella had slipped in unnoticed while they were talking and was now standing just inside the doorway deep in thought.