[piosenniel]

Pio had been exhausted by the time they arrived in Frogmorton. She handed ‘Falmar’s reins to the stable boy, and smiling, flipped him a shiny silver penny. ‘There will be another of those tomorrow morning if you can get all the knots and tangles from her tail and mane, and brush her ‘til she gleams.’ The boy looked up at the great horse with a questioning look, then glanced back at the Elf. ‘She will be gentle for you and attend to your instructions, little master. Just stand on a crate and she will hold still enough for you that you think you are working on a statue.’ ‘Falmar dipped her head once to the stable boy as if in agreement.

‘An Elvish horse! I’ve never had the pleasure to work on someone as grand and as pretty as you.’ ‘Falmar nickered softly and nuzzled the space between his shoulders, nearly sending him sprawling. Pio laughed and reached out a hand to steady him. ‘You do have a sweet way with words, and ‘Falmar likes to be complimented.’ She gave a few instruction to the lad on what the horse should be fed, smiling as he noted each one carefully and repeated it back to her. Pio reached her hand out to give his a shake. ‘Now that we have sealed our agreement on ‘Falmar’s care, we should know each other’s names, do you not agree?’

‘Come ‘Falmar,’ said Merimas Bolger, as the horse huffed near his shirt pocket smelling the sugar lumps he always kept as treats for his equine friends. ‘Mistress Piosenniel is expecting you to look as bright as this silver penny she gave me, and I intend to see it done.’

****************

It was much later in the evening when Pio awoke from her nap. ‘Rose?’ she called, but there was no answer. Must have gone downstairs she thought to herself. She pulled on a clean dress and smoothed the wrinkles from it. Drawing her cape about her she went downstairs to the Common Room, pausing on the last step to look about for her companion.

The Inn was filled with local Hobbits, and Pio stood out like a sore thumb. There were a few cursory glances her away as she stepped into the room, but none that lingered. ‘Thank the stars for Hobbit politeness,’ she thought to herself. She also noted there seemed to be there no ill feelings coming her way. Just curiosity and interest and some satisfaction that there would be a good story to tell once they got home.

She nodded politely at the tables of hobbits she passed on her way back to the small table near the rear of the room where she had spied Rose. Rose sat sipping a cup of sweetspice tea and looking out the open window to the fields and gardens beyond as the westering sun threw them into shadow. ‘It’s all so civilized,’ she said as Pio approached, ‘even more so than I remembered. I do love this place, but my heart is happy where I am now.’

Pio reached out the window and plucked a wild, scarlet rose from the rambler that grew just beneath it. She placed the fragrant blossom in Rose’s curls. ‘Yes, I think where you are now would better fit your wilder, freer nature.’

A passing server was called over and Pio and Rose ordered some supper for themselves. The Elf’s back was to the door, and so she did not see the person who just entered. Rose’s eyes, though, had gone wide and she reached across the table to tug at Pio’s sleeve. ‘That is positively the tallest Hobbit I have ever seen!’

Pio pushed back the hood of her cape and turned to see who had caught her companion’s attention. She looked in the direction Rose had indicated, and gave a stifled gasp, her grey eyes meeting his . .