[Regin Hardhammer]

Harold opened his eyes and sat up with a great yawn. He stumbled over to the wagon where his wife had saved a few taters for breakfast. Harold's stomach growled: he thought he could already smell the sweet aroma of the taters frying in the pan.

Glancing over to the sideboard of the wagon, Harold was shocked to note that his wife's topaz necklace was not its usual loation. He distinctly remembered her removing it from her lovely neck and placing it on the nail. Overnight, the necklace had completely disappeared. In a frenzy, Harold desperately searched all around the wagon . He overturned boxes and strewed utensils on the floor as he tore the family's belongings apart.

Just when he was about to give up his search, he heard his neighbor Lavender Goodbody shrieking in frustration at the top of her lungs, as she complained about the loss of her mother's heirloom candlestick. From another wagon, he heard a cry from someone who couldn't find his axe for chopping wood. Harold couldn't believe that all these Hobbits had suddenly become careless with their most important possessions. Yet at the same time he didn't want to think that one of his fellow Hobbits would do such a sneaky thing. But what other conclusion could he possibly draw? Whoever the thief had been, he must have been very experienced not to wake any of his victims. And of all the things he owned, this was the one he valued most because he had worked so hard for it, and it was a loving present to his wife. He vowed to catch the person who had stolen such a precious object.

Harold barked out a curt warning to his wife and father to get up quickly because Sarah's necklace was missing and had probably been stolen. Then he stormed off frustrated and angry in the direction of Marcho. Perhaps Marcho would know who had perpetraed this wretched crime. On his way, he noticed that none of the Stoor or Fallohide families had been visited by the thief. Harold thought that rather suspicious, but reminded himself that jumping to premature conclusions was not wise. Marcho was standing by his wagon as Harold arrived.

"Marcho, we've got a serious problem. Last night my wife set her necklace in its usual place on a nail in the wagon. Now, it's missing. I searched everywhere but couldn't find it. And thast's not all! Many of my Harfoot neighbors can't find their belongings either. I don't mean to blame you, but I'm very upset. Could we talk to everybody in camp and see if they heard any strange noises or saw something suspicious last night? Let me get my father who had watch duty. Maybe he knows something."