[piosenniel]

Small as Bilbo’s old chair was, it nearly swallowed the tiny figure of Amaranthas. Leaning forward in it, she picked up the glass from the table and took a long drink. Rose busied herself with her darning, peering at the neat seams she was making through the small wire rimmed glasses perched on the tip of her nose. She pulled the edges of a hole in one of little Merry’s breeches together with a fine seam, speaking softly to herself as she tied it off.

‘There! That should do it.” She held the garment up for inspection, and laughed. ‘If it makes it through Pippin’s wearing of it, I’ll be lucky. That boy is ten times harder on things than his older brothers!’

Amaranthas nodded her head, and admired Rose’s efficient handiwork, thinking of all the holes she had patched for her brood. ‘Enjoy the holes, Rose. And the tears, and all the missing buttons.’ she said to her, remembering her own lively boys. ‘They’re healthy boys. And hard to believe as it is now, they’ll be gone all too soon.’ Rose smiled at the old Hobbit and looked at her, over the rim of her glasses, waiting for her to go on.

She took another small sip of water and shifted in her seat to face Rose. ‘You asked what brings me to Bag End. Well, I’ll tell you. I’ve got a friend, new to the Shire, who’s just about ready to have her babies. Twins, they are. She’s staying at the Inn. Took over when the former Innkeeper was called away on family business, in fact. She’s asked me who might be the best midwife, as these are her first. And I naturally thought of you.’

Rose looked up, surprised that Amaranthas had taken such a friendly interest in a stranger. It had been a long time since she and Sam had had the opportunity to visit the Inn, and she had heard no word of who was innkeeper now. ‘And who is it who runs the Dragon, Amaranthas?’ she asked, putting away her sewing and leaning in closer so as not to miss a word. It was not often such an interesting bit of gossip came her way and she intended to get the full story. ‘What family does she come from? Is she from Buckland or beyond?’

The old Hobbit leaned forward in her chair, hands resting on the knob of her cane, planted firmly on the floor. ‘Well, my dear, I’m afraid the new innkeeper is come from farther away than Buckland or even Bree-land, for that matter. And she’s come from none of the families we might know about.’ Taking note of Rose’s furrowed brow, she paused, wondering how best to put this, then decided just to plunge in. ‘Her name is Piosenniel. A lovely woman, though none too knowledgeable about having babies.’ She cackled and told Rose what Miz Pio had said to her about her kind having only a little discomfort when their babies were born.

The furrows grew deeper along Rose’s brow, and she looked at Amaranthas with questioning eyes. ‘Her kind?’ she asked. ‘And, Piosenniel, that’s an odd name for a Hobbit. Even for one from far away, as you say.’

Amaranthas tapped her cane on the ground in irritation. ‘I knew that wasn’t going to come out well, the minute the words left my mouth.’ She sipped the last of her water and set the glass down carefully on the little table when she was done.

‘She’s not a Hobbit, Rose. Miz Pio is an Elf.’

Nuranar’s Post

The thimble dropped from Rose’s finger and tinkled along the floor. “An Elf?” she gasped. “But what is she doing in the Shire of all places?”

“I told you already, she took over at the Green Dragon,” Amaranthas snapped in a tone that clearly said, “Come on, Rose, get over it!”

Rose pulled herself back together. “Well, of course I’ll be the midwife for her. I haven’t any experience with Elven births – ”

Amaranthas snorted. “As if anyone else in the Shire has! You’ll do fine, with all your experience,” she winked. “I ween our Miz Pio may discover that ‘her kind’ really don’t have it that much easier than the rest of us.”

Rose giggled. “She’s in for a surprise!”

Pio’s Post

‘Mama! My dolly!’ The indignant yell of two year old Goldilocks spilled in through the parlour door, followed by the red faced toddler with two fat tears puddling on her cheeks. ‘Oh, Goldi, now what have those scamps done?!’ Rose cradled her sniffling daughter on her lap and tried to comfort her. But the girl wanted justice not hugs.

Goldi pointed a chubby baby finger at the window, as her rag doll sailed in an arc from one side to the other just outside on the lawn. ‘You’ll have to excuse me Miz Amaranthas,’ said Rose as she got up and peered out the window. ‘It seems I’m needed to referee in a case of kidnapped dollies.’

She placed Goldi on her hip and spoke firmly out the window to Merry who had just tossed the beloved doll to Pippin. Goldi howled as the doll dropped in the dirt in a missed catch, then stuck out her tongue at both boys when Rose reprimanded them.

‘I can see you’ve got your hands full, Rose.’ said Amaranthas, smiling at the mischief going on. ‘I’ll leave you to sort it out. No need to show me out. I know the way.’ She walked slowly to the door, her cane tapping on the wood floor as she went. Rose followed behind, opening the door for her as both of them went out.

‘I’ll send Miz Pio to see you soon.’ she called out to Rose as she headed down the stone walkway. Amaranthas looked back, unsure if she had heard her. Rose had already walked over to where Merry and Pippin stood shamefaced, looking down at their feet, but she looked up at the old Hobbits word’s and nodded.

Amaranthas chuckled, thinking those boys were in for it now. She hurried back to her house as quickly as her old legs would carry her. She would write a note to Piosenniel, she thought, and send it to the Inn, with one of the Bolger boys, early this evening.

[ February 27, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]