A black and white dart skimmed through the open door of the inn, dive-bombing the wolves and causing them to leap and snap at the tempting target.
But Birdie just landed high in the rafters, where she submitted a quite impressive imitation of a raspberry to her audience - considering she had no lips in this form.
Then she leapt down to the floor, morphing into woman's form as she fell, and landed with a thump and a cloud of dust on the battered, beer-polished boards of the "Star".
"Amanaduial! I knew we'd see you here before long! Congratulations!"
"However," Birdie pouted, "while you were reciting the roster of Loremasters here in Gondor, methinks you neglected to read one name...THERE!" Birdie pointed dramatically at the bronze plate above the mantel. Then her head poked forward as she squinted in the dim light.
"Hold on a minute. What was Rimbaud thinking?" Birdie strode over to the mantel and started shoving aside two candlesticks, a tinderbox, a wooden shoe with some loose change and a mouse nest, and a model of a smiling tree with "Souvenir of Fangorn" carved in its belly.
Finally clearing away the Middle-earth detritus, she again pointed to the plaque. "There! Right there. 'Birdland'. I always get left off the old lists, even when I'm on the old lists." she grumbled. "I know I haven't been around much, but still..."
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