The Green Dragon Inn - Part 4

[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman flicked a strand of hair from her face with a sharp head movement as she heard someone enter the kitchen, her hands occupied with a pie dish. She glanced up quickly to see who had come in, straightening, and grinned at Derufin.

“Back from the evils of over-consumption of alcohol, Derufin?” She teased, her voice like one about to do a lecture, then changed to her usual voice. “Looking better than before, certainly.”

“No thanks to you, Aman.” The stable master shot back, also grinning. But there was something vague in his grin, faraway, as if he was thinking deeply about something else- Aman was pretty sure she wasn’t the only thing making him smile. On cue, Derufin sighed happily, reinforcing Aman’s feeling. She cocked her head to one side.

“Good grief, Derufin, what’s wrong with you? You sound like a love-sick puppy!”

Sure enough, Derufin looked startled and almost guilty, and to Aman’s surprise, a slight flush began to creep over his neck. But he was saved from further comment from Aman when the pie dish in her hands, obviously bored of waiting to be put down as the Innkeeper chatted, burnt her hands through the thin dish cloth she had put between her hands and the dish. With a yelp, Aman put the dish down quickly on the table, almost dropping it in her hurry. Cook jumped slightly and turned, tsking quietly and shooting a disapproving glare at Aman before she bustled past out of the kitchen. Derufin took advantage of the moment as the Innkeeper stood sucking hard at her finger and having mutinous thoughts about treacherous dishcloths.

“Get it off the table, get it off the table!” He hissed urgently. Aman took a moment to comprehend, staring at him, confused, then realised, and her eyes widened. Gingerly, she took up the dishcloth, despite its recent treachery, and picked up the pie again, transferring it from the wooden table to a chopping board. Cook would have murdered her if she had seen that…but her troubles were not over. Cook bustled back in from the bar, and Derufin made do with subtly clearing his throat. Aman looked over and almost cursed aloud when she saw that the table had been burnt by the steaming pie dish. She started towards it, to try and clean it off, futile as that may have proved, but Cook was already turning. Derufin hastily flung another tea towel, decorated with a map of the Shire, onto the burn, covering it as Cook turned. Aman grinned at him, relieved and grateful. But Cook wasn’t stupid, and as she saw the Innkeeper grinning at Derufin in such a relieved manner, her eyes narrowed.

“What is it?” She said, slowly and suspiciously. Aman’s face immediately became a practised picture of innocence.

“What is what, Cook?” She inquired angelically. Cook’s eyes narrowed even further and she transferred her look Derufin, who hastily had a coughing fit to cover up his laughter at the hobbit’s suspicious glare. Aman hastened over to him, thumping him on the back, and providing a fair distraction for both of them. Cook wasn’t convinced, that Aman could see, but she let it drop. Aman furtively whispered her thanks to Derufin, then returned to the over to take out the second pie- there had been four in.

“I was thinking about drinks,” She started, in an attempt to get the subject completely away from herself and Derufin’s ‘guilt’, at least until she could deal with the burn completely. Cook tsking intensified, and Derufin’s grin widened as he rolled his eyes. “And you were telling me off-“

“No!” Aman cut him off, rolling her own eyes. “Not like that, and well you know it! I meant the drinks for the Naming Ceremony.” Cook gave a small, curious ‘Hmm?’ noise, and Derufin also straightened slightly. Aman continued, “I saw something down in the cellar when I was down there earlier- a sort of drinks making machine. I would like to take a closer look at it-”

“Oh no…” Derufin groaned, seeing what was coming next.

“And I wondered if you would mind going down and bringing it up, so we can have a better look?” She finished hopefully.

Derufin spotted a ray of hope. “Does whether I mind matter?”

“No.” Aman and Cook replied in unison.

“Didn’t think so,” the stable master sighed. Turning, he left the kitchen. Aman put down the pie on the board beside the other pie. Both were apple and raison and smelt delicious. Once more the Innkeeper thanked her lucky stars that Vinca Bunce had come with the Inn, and her incredible cooking skills. For a few minutes, she and Cook busied themselves with their own things, Cook with finishing off the main meal, and Aman doing the desert.

“Do we not have enough drinks anyway, Aman?” Cook inquired.

“Well, its mainly for the children, I was thinking. Milk and apple juice are all very well, but this looked like it would be able to make lemonade- one of my friends in Rohan made that his speciality, and I’m pretty sure they were at least similar, from the quick look I got.”

“From the quick look you got?” Cook’s voice was curious. “Why didn’t you take a better look when you were down there?”

Aman hesitated. Now was the time to decide whether she had truly heard something- and whether it had been anything important. She had heard that rustle, and was sure she had heard movement behind her when her back was turned- but then she had been scared when she had thought so, and a scared mind can imagine all sorts of things. Besides, it was probably just a cat or something! But would a cat make a rustling noise, like clothing, like a dress…

“I just…well, I wanted to get a message off to Butterbur pretty quickly.” She improvised. “There was a man going to Bree tonight and I, er, I didn’t want to…keep him waiting.”

“Oh yes?” Cook’s voice was a little disbelieving once more, but Aman hoped she had got away with it. “Did you send the message eventually?”

Aman closed her eyes as she realised her story had just completely broken down. She hadn’t send the message. “I...I...” She began slowly, until a crash distracted them both. Cook jumped, as usual, and Aman couldn’t help doing the same. Aman dashed out into the bar.

“The sound came from the cellar, I think.” She called to Cook. Her heart was beating wildly- Derufin was there. She immediately thought of the rustling and the movement she had heard and her heart beat even faster as she came to the top of the stairs, peering into the gloom of the cellar down the stairs...