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Old 07-08-2006, 11:00 PM   #132
Lilly
Haunting Spirit
 
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 67
Lilly has just left Hobbiton.
‘What about you, you have any pets of your own?’

Taffy sighed and skewed his mouth to one side. It was rather a sore point with him, the one about having pets. His sister had her kitten, His older brothers had their dogs. Working dogs, but companions nonetheless, of the animal variety. ‘Well, you know, I had a pet of sorts once, but my mother made me get rid of it.’

He stuffed the carving of the cat deep in his breeches pocket, seeing his sister and the new little friends she’d made looking his way. The three children turned back to whatever they had been doing and Taffy turned his attention back to Griffo.

He leaned his elbows on the table top and rested his chin in his hands. ‘I found a little weasel one time; abandoned in the field where we were running the goats to pasture. It was nice and soft and had a little pink nose. I waited and waited to see if its mama would come back, but she never did.’ He looked up at Griffo for confirmation of his reasoning. ‘I figured it was a orphan, you know.’ He drew his finger through a little puddle of water on the table. ‘Anyways, the little scamp, and that’s what I called him, too, ‘Scamp’, he wasn’t too good at remembering rules. He got into the henhouse and ate the eggs one too many times Mami said. And so she said he had to go. My Da took him out and let him go somewhere far away.’

Taffy sighed again. ‘Now she says we don’t need any more animals cluttering up the house. And it’s just not fair. Seren’s got Marmalade, and my brothers have their dogs.’ He furrowed his little brow and shook his head. ‘I’d really like to have some little pal of my own.’

Before Griffo could comment on the state of the young man’s pet-lessness, Lila Sandybanks called out her son’s name. ‘Taffy!’ She motioned him over. ‘Come help me move the chest and carpet-bags in the room, son. I want to get out our night clothes and the outfits for tomorrow need to be hung up.’

‘Just one second, Mother!’ Taffy ran back to Griffo’s table to say good-bye. ‘At least for now, Master Tunnelly. I have to help my ma do some things.’ He started back toward his mother, waving to Griffo as he did so. ‘Maybe we can play a game after lunch!’ He turned and ran toward his mother. ‘I’m coming!’
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