[Thenamir]

======= Blue Mountains / Shire ========

Theron completed his story and proceeded to clean his pipe, which had long since grown cold. "Well now," Theron said sleepily as he stretched his legs out under the rough wooden table, "the hour is getting late, and we have a long way to go at a quick pace if we don't want to be last at the King's Gathering. I'm not the energetic dwarf I used to be, and so I am going to bed, young hobbits. Your Mayor Gamgee asked us to travel with you, and so we will be at your service tomorrow morning at daybreak." Theron gave a "let's go" glance to Mikhelm and Serin, who rose from the table and followed Theron to the hallway that led to their ground-floor rooms. Like most dwarves, and hobbits, they preferred to rest close to the earth. THe hobbits began buzzing to each other as soon as the dwarves left the table, but were soon out of earshot.

Theron opened the door to their room. They had taken a hobbit-room, where everything was hobbit-sized, and so just a wee bit smaller than they were used to. It was better, however, than the rooms built for men, where everything was patently oversized.

"So, what do you two think of our new travelling companions?" Theron asked of his two subjects.