[Envinyatar]

‘You’re a thick-headed Hobbit, Falco!’ The well muscled forearm of Cook swept round from behind the startled Shiriff. She had heard the exchange and did not approve of his handling of it. One did not run roughshod over patrons and staff at the Inn, with the exception of Cook, that is.

‘Best you be off now to see Halfred in his office down the road.’ Her thick fingered hand plucked the tray of food from before him. ‘Now drink up, and get to your business of finding Mister Eodwine.’ She snatched the mug as soon as its bottom hit back on the table top. ‘Go on now!’ she said with a steely tone of command in her voice. ‘You won’t be finding him with your back end glued to a chair in the Inn.’

Ear tips flushing crimson, the Hobbit stood with as much dignity as he could muster and marched for the door. He gave a quick, sly smile to Ruby as he passed her in her rounds with the ale and cider. She gave him a cold smile, and a hmmmph of displeasure. ‘A fair enough face and figure,’ she thought to herself, as she watched him march out the door. ‘But a little lordly in his manner.’

Derufin sat back in his chair, an amused look on his face. Cook looked eye to eye at the seated man, and he straightened up, wiping the smile from his face.

‘Foul business after all that trouble in the Great War, for Little and Big Folk to be squabbling over trifles,’ she chided him. ‘Falco’s off to do his job, Uien’s gone off in a snit, as has the new man . . . no time for you to be sitting about either. The stables need seeing to, I’m sure. And once you’re done there, I want that roof looked at over the eastern part of the attic. Mistress Piosenniel and her wee ones will be here all too soon. And there’ll be the piper to pay if I have to drag this old body up the ladder and fix the problem myself!’

‘Yes, ma’am!’ replied the man, the manners he learned at his mother’s knee returning to him at Cook’s admonishment. He stood, grabbing, some bread, ham, and cheese from the platter she still held in her hands, and hurried out the door.

[ August 27, 2003: Message edited by: Envinyatar ]