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piosenniel · 04-22-2003, 02:29 AM

28 Nárië

‘I can’t believe you took that map without asking her!’ Rose rolled up her bedding bundle and lashed it to her pack. Gilly and she had gotten up just a few moments earlier, and after a brief look at the map Gilly ‘found’ in Pio’s rooms, they were up and almost on their way again.

‘She wasn’t there, and we were in a hurry!’ Gilly grinned back at Rose, her own bedding bundle already rolled up tight and secure, her pack once again lashed to her pony. ‘She should get the note we left today. She’ll figure out we needed the map.’ Rose rolled her eyes at her friend and placed her own pack back on the fat little pony that was her mount.

They had made good progress so far on their journey to find Mithadan and Bird. The two they sought were on foot and had been sighted by a number of the local citizens going east down the Great Road and then dipping south of it when they came to the Three-Farthing Stone. Sightings had been less frequent then, and at one point both the young women despaired of ever figuring out which way Mithadan and Bird had gone.

‘Well, we know they were heading east, and east is where this whole thing started.’ Gilly ran her finger from the Great Road south, stopping abruptly at a small line that ran through the area called Green Hill Country. ‘Look!’ she said to Rose. ‘Here’s some sort of passage through this hilly part that heads east. Let’s give it a try. If I were out on an adventure, it’s exactly the sort of less traveled way I’d take.’

Rose shook her head and laughed out loud. ‘You’ve never been on an adventure, Gilly! How do you know what you should do?!’

Gill looked chagrined, but only for a moment. ‘But I’m out on an adventure now, and this is what I think we should do.’ Rose shrugged her shoulders and urged her pony after Gilly’s.

‘Stock Road’ was the name of the path they came to. The name was painted on a weather-beaten sign, with a directional arrow beneath that pointed east and west. The mileage to Stock had once been on the sign, but the rain, snow, and bright sun had long ago erased it.

The two companions rode down the road a few miles, stopping the few Hobbits they passed to inquire about any suspicious looking Men they might have seen. But no one had.

‘Let’s get off the road,’ recommended Rose. ‘At some point they won’t want themselves to be seen and possibly stopped. Let’s go a little further south into the hilly country, and head east from there. See if we can pick up any clues to where they’ve camped. We should be able to catch up to them soon. Our ponies can travel faster than they can, I'm sure.’

Rose turned her pony off the dusty track and into the cover of the trees along the lower foothills, heading east once again. Gilly followed . .

[ April 22, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

04-22-2003, 02:29 AM	#328
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,786	28 Nárië ‘I can’t believe you took that map without asking her!’ Rose rolled up her bedding bundle and lashed it to her pack. Gilly and she had gotten up just a few moments earlier, and after a brief look at the map Gilly ‘found’ in Pio’s rooms, they were up and almost on their way again. ‘She wasn’t there, and we were in a hurry!’ Gilly grinned back at Rose, her own bedding bundle already rolled up tight and secure, her pack once again lashed to her pony. ‘She should get the note we left today. She’ll figure out we needed the map.’ Rose rolled her eyes at her friend and placed her own pack back on the fat little pony that was her mount. They had made good progress so far on their journey to find Mithadan and Bird. The two they sought were on foot and had been sighted by a number of the local citizens going east down the Great Road and then dipping south of it when they came to the Three-Farthing Stone. Sightings had been less frequent then, and at one point both the young women despaired of ever figuring out which way Mithadan and Bird had gone. ‘Well, we know they were heading east, and east is where this whole thing started.’ Gilly ran her finger from the Great Road south, stopping abruptly at a small line that ran through the area called Green Hill Country. ‘Look!’ she said to Rose. ‘Here’s some sort of passage through this hilly part that heads east. Let’s give it a try. If I were out on an adventure, it’s exactly the sort of less traveled way I’d take.’ Rose shook her head and laughed out loud. ‘You’ve never been on an adventure, Gilly! How do you know what you should do?!’ Gill looked chagrined, but only for a moment. ‘But I’m out on an adventure now, and this is what I think we should do.’ Rose shrugged her shoulders and urged her pony after Gilly’s. ‘Stock Road’ was the name of the path they came to. The name was painted on a weather-beaten sign, with a directional arrow beneath that pointed east and west. The mileage to Stock had once been on the sign, but the rain, snow, and bright sun had long ago erased it. The two companions rode down the road a few miles, stopping the few Hobbits they passed to inquire about any suspicious looking Men they might have seen. But no one had. ‘Let’s get off the road,’ recommended Rose. ‘At some point they won’t want themselves to be seen and possibly stopped. Let’s go a little further south into the hilly country, and head east from there. See if we can pick up any clues to where they’ve camped. We should be able to catch up to them soon. Our ponies can travel faster than they can, I'm sure.’ Rose turned her pony off the dusty track and into the cover of the trees along the lower foothills, heading east once again. Gilly followed . . [ April 22, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ] __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.