Making her way around the room, Gilly spotted Aleia. Greeting her with a "good morning" she asked if she had seen Benia recently. The hobbit thought that she had seen her last go into the kitchen, but a quick look told Gilly that she was no longer there. The thought of her friend mysteriously disappearing was unsettling, but how long could she stay in one place with out feeling hemmed in? At least her things were still there, even if she herself was absent.
Aman, the innkeeper, and a fair looking southern woman were seated at a table of dusty items from upstairs. Vanwe was turning them over in the light and dusting them carefully while Aman sorted the finished pieces into three groups. Aman was commenting on their relative value and chuckling to herself.
Gilly approached, hesitant to interrupt what was obviously the preparation for some large and important party. “Excuse me, Miss Aman?” Gilly ventured. “I’m sorry to disturb your work, but do you recall having seen Miss Benia Nightshade this morning? I have looked about, but don’t seem to be able to locate her.”
“Oh, you’re hardly disturbing us!” Aman declared cheerfully. “We are just doing a little house cleaning.” The lady from Rohan quickly shifted one of the piles to the floor as Ruby and Buttercup appeared covered in cobwebs and with arms full.
“Miss Nightshade was here earlier asking where she would be able to find supplies for the next leg of her travels. Perhaps she has gone to make the purchase.” Pausing in her sorting, she looked at Gilly and offered, “I sent her in the direction of Heathertoe’s House goods and the farmer’s market, if it is of help.”
“Yes, thank you. It is,” the hobbit smiled. It was a relief to find that Benia had left of her own volition. Every fiber of Gilly’s muscles promptly relaxed. Stooping over she picked up one of the trinkets off the floor. “You aren’t going to dispose of these are you?” she asked looking up at the innkeeper.
A grin spread over Aman’s face. “You are a hobbit, and know about these matters,” she began. “Can you explain the merits of such stuff?”
Gilly stood up slowly, still holding the figure of a squirrel in her hand. If this cleans up well it would make a perfect gift for Sylvia’s husband, she thought before turning her attention to Aman’s question. Her mind searched inward as she tried to find the words for her opinions on mathom. “You know,” she finally said, “some things are of value because they are useful or beautiful. This you know. But mathom is valuable because it is interesting to look at or perhaps to think about, yet most is easy to give away, to share. You never know who may have owned these things though the years. These have certainly been passed around for generations!”
Aman shugged as Gilly set the squirrel down, lingering a bit to look at the wonderful treasures.
[ June 13, 2003: Message edited by: Hilde Bracegirdle ]
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