[piosenniel]

6 Cermië Note New Day

‘Must hurt!’ The Shiriff stood in the doorway to her quarters, hat in hand. ‘The door was open, I took the liberty of coming in.’

Pio sat in the chair by the window, her left leg up on a footstool. She was wearing a light summer dress and had the skirt of it hiked above the wound, giving it some cooling air. The edges were red and angry, and the area around it swollen. She looked up at Halfred and covered her leg with her skirt. She thought to get up, but the wound pained her, and she winced as she moved the leg off the stool.

‘Well, come in, then,’ she said, indicating the chair at the other end of the window. ‘Just be quiet, the babies are sleeping for the moment.’

A Hobbit of considerable stature, still he moved quietly across the floor and sat lightly on the edge of the chair. Fingers grasping the brim of his hat, he turned it round in a circle, trying to find the right words.

‘Just spit it out, Shiriff.’ A half smile graced Pio’s face. ‘I know you have not come on a social call to inquire how the babies and their mother are doing. What brings you to the Inn, and specifically to my room?’

Halfred glanced nervously about the room. ‘Is your Mister still ill. I haven’t seen him about lately.’

Pio looked quizzically at this statement. Then remembered that Cook and Prim had told the poor Shiriff earlier that Mithadan was dreadfully ill and unavailable for questioning. She stifled a giggle, hiding it behind a cough.

‘He is better! Thank you for asking. Though his cough seems to linger.’

Halfred leaned back, further away from the Elf, who had just coughed.

The Shiriff cleared his throat and then proceeded to tell her that a complaint had been made about her roughing up one of the locals with her sword. Another example of Big Folk pushing about the inhabitants of the Shire in the eyes of the complainant. ‘You really must be more careful, Miz Pio,’ he admonished her. ‘Sentiment against all Big Folk is running high these dark days. And I’m afraid until we get these kidnappings sorted out it will only get more ugly.’ He looked at her, an expression of genuine concern on his face. ‘You’ve got your babies now. You have to keep yourself and your Mister safe to be here to take care of them.’

‘I thank you for your concern, Shiriff.’ Pio got up from her seat stiffly, her leg throbbing with pain. ‘Let me assure you I plan only to be stay near my children until we can leave the Shire. And as for Mithadan, he also has the babies foremost in his mind.’

She limped out to the Common Room with him, and drew him a half pint as well as one for herself. They sat at one of the tables near the bar and the conversation turned to pleasantries about parenting and general news from the Shire. When he was done, Halfred placed his hat back on his head, and bid her have a good day, and her Mister, too. She, in turn, promised to keep her blade sheathed, and the Hobbits she might encounter, unscathed.

‘Do let me know if I or Mithadan can assist you in any way,’ she told him. He raised one eyebrow at her, then flushed, and said politely, ‘Well, now, that’s a generous offer on your part. But I think the good people of the Shire can look after themselves.’

Pio walked with him to the verandah of the Inn, watching him as he mounted his pony and headed back down the path.