[Horse-Maiden of the Shire]

Aleia rode up to the inn. Reining in her pony Skeet, she looked at the sign swaying gently in the wind. "The White Horse Inn", she read aloud. "Lovely name. Hopefully, it has lovely accomodations to boot!" Chuckling at her joke, Aleia dismounted and led Skeet to the stable, where she tethered him in a stall and, nodding to the stable-boy, headed to the inn.

Upon entering the inn, Aleia was overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and scents of the Horse. People were everywhere, talking, laughing, eating, and drinking. Ah, what I need is a good mug of ale! thought Aleia, and made her way over to the bar. People glanced at her, mildly surprised to see a hobbit in Rohan. She was used to people gawking; it happened a lot. It seemed that people could not grasp the concept of a travelling hobbit.

Hopping onto her stool (which received a few chuckles from the humans), Aleia ordered a pint of ale and a biscuit. Upon receiving her meal, she bit into the biscuit and sighed in weary contentment.