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"Come, little one," said her father, beaming down at her. Asphodel, who had been lying all day in her basket, found herself lifted way up over her father's head. From that tremendous hight, she could see the long rows of Old Toby swaying in the breeze, the field stretching, as it seemed, all the way to the end of the sky. The setting sun flooded the pastures of leaves with its warm rays, transforming it into a beautiful golden sea.
Asphodel laughed, and kicked her tiny legs and spread out her cubby arms in excitement. She felt like she was flying, as her father moved her up and down above him.
"Time to bring her in, dear." From behind her, Asphodel heard her mother's voice calling them from the door of their house. She whined, as the magnificent view disappeared behind her father's massive head, and she felt the jerk of his step as he carried her back into the house. She was handed over to her mother, and promptly taken to the tub, where her mother placed her in cold water, and began to pour more over her head. Drop, by drop, by drop, by drop...
Asphodel opened her eyes slowly. They felt heavy with exhaustion. Drops of water were now coming down faster, and striking her skin and clothes. Slowly, very slowly, Asphodel's memories started to come back to her. The strange smoke; the Inn guests; the green blanket; the fire...
THE FIRE! Asphodel jerked her head up. But she was no longer in the Story Room. She was lying down on the ground, on top of her aunt's green quilt, several yard away from the Inn. Though the rain now fell in turrets, and the gray sky and thick gray smoke made it hard to see, Asphodel thought she could make out shadowy figures, moving back and forth. Hobbits putting out the last of the Inn fire with buckets of water.
She suddenly grew dizzy, and she let her head fall back, which made a squashing sound on the now soaked blanket. Her whole body ached from head to foot, and her left hand throbbed unceasingly. Whenever she took a breath, there was a sharp pain in her lungs.
How had she gotten out? She couldn’t remember having escaped the fiery cavern. Had someone heard her desperate calls for help? Whatever was the case, she was lucky to be alive.
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