The Golden Perch Inn

[Folwren]

“Please accept my humblest apologies, master hobbit, I did not mean to cause such problems for I was at fault as much as the man who riled me. I will take a few minutes to calm down outside.”

Dick nodded curtly to Arandon, though he did not hold him at fault at all. His eyes reverted back towards Ibin and the scowl did not leave his face as he made certain that the man wouldn’t try anything further now that Arandon had gone back outside. ‘I can always call him back in again,’ Dick told himself. ‘I don’t think he’s going far.’

“I, too, am sorry for adding to the trouble that was beginning to brew inside your peaceful inn,” Aeron said..

Dick’s attention snapped to her, and then his expression softened. “Don’t be, my dear, it wasn’t your fault at all. That scurvy scallywag was insulting your honor, and there wasn’t much you could do to help that, was there? You can’t very well change yourself into a man. People have no respect now adays.”

Aeron did not look completely convinced. “If there is anything you bid me to do, I will,” she offered.

“I don’t think there is anything that you could do for me, but thank you for the offer. I will remember it.” He turned away, and then paused and turned back again. “I say - did you say you have been wandering the Shire area for long? Or are you just recently visiting?”

[xMellrynxMaidenx]

Aeron had already been watching his retreating form, smiling at his warm reassuring words. When he paused to turn back around and look at her, her eyebrows jutted upwards in curiosity.

"Just recently visiting, I thought I might do a bit of traveling whilst I'm here before I return back to my duties in the wild."

Though, truth be told, the arrival of another Ranger in the Shire had piqued her interest enough to want to do more than just go sight-seeing inside the borders of the Shire. It had, in fact, began to make her wonder if the dear hobbits here were in any sort of danger. Aeron quickly pushed that dark thought to the back of her mind, still watching the innkeeper with intrigued eyes.

[Folwren]

"Well," Dick said slowly, walking back to her with reluctant steps, as though uncertain or unwilling to say what he was about to say. "I asked, because...well...as you are just visiting, I doubt you'd know anything about it."

Aeron had that look on her face that said, 'Try me.' So Dick did. He leaned his elbows on the table and leaned closer to her.

"Some weeks ago, our cook disapeared without a trace. The only thing we could figure out was that the night before she left, she had received a letter. But althogh we sent people after the letter carrier to ask him if he knew where the letter came from or what it contained, we got no news that could help us. We searched for a while and did our best at finding her, but even all the guests at the inn who were Big People and even an elf or two couldn't find her. I was wondering...hoping...that if you'd been in the Shire long, perhaps you'd heard of her."

[xMellrynxMaidenx]

Aeron began to study the hobbit closer when he drew nearer to her,"A missing cook?" So, there was suspicious activity happening inside the borders of the Shire. This was the first Aeron had heard of a missing cook, but maybe someone else whom she was recently acquainted with had more information.

"Nay, my dear hobbit, I have not heard of her, but..."

Aeron paused, her eyes shifting towards the front, round door to the Inn.

"Perhaps this is why the master ranger is here, and if it isn't, then his secretive business could very well tie into her disappearance."

She whispered, leaning down nearer to the hobbit. "Tell me, no one witnessed her leaving? No neighboring hobbits?" Surely someone had seen her leaving; in what direction she left in.

[Folwren]

“No! No, she left without a trace. None of us saw her go, and none of us have seen her since. Sure, lots of people talked about it – it was the biggest thing that had happened here since the ruffians were running all over the place – but no one saw a thing. It’s like she vanished,” he snapped his fingers, “into thin air.”

He tilted his head sideways. “Of course, she didn’t, really. There’s too much of her to vanish into thin air. But it’s sure as certain that she isn’t here anymore, and she wasn’t seen after that morning.

“So, if you haven’t been in the Shire, do you think your ranger friend, The Ghostly Wandere, has seen aught of her?”

[xMellrynxMaidenx]

She gazed in the direction of the Inn's door for a moment, before turning to look at the innkeeper once more.

"There are many different people Rangers encounter on their journeys, but surely if he has seen this hobbit and she was with any suspicious characters..."

Her voice trailed off for a moment, she scrubbed the side of her tired face in thought.

"We will just have to ask him when he returns inside, I suppose."

[Bom Tombadillo]

Hamwill enters, walking very slowly. He does not seem to notice the people in the inn, and takes a seat in the nearest corner, setting down a large tome on the table. He opens it to a short way in, then pats his pockets.

He looks up, and a startled expression crosses his face, then relief. Almost silently, as if to avoid disturbing some sleeping beast, he says "Would anybody happen to have something to write with?"