[piosenniel]

Berilac

It had been late by the time Berilac finished speaking with Andreth, and later yet when he had finished one last nighttime circuit of the Hedge. Again, he found the south gatekeeper well into his cups . . . so far into them, in fact, that he had slid down against the gate’s post and was snoring gently into the darkness.

Berilac stepped softly by him and looked more closely at the gate door. It was unlatched! Not that it would matter, he thought a few moments later as he ran his hands over the door’s hinges and locks. The hinges were in disrepair, and to be truthful, it seemed that only one of them held any purchase on the adjoining post. Bolts were missing, and only one latch on the gate engaged fully, and that was the smallest one.

‘Were the bandits to breathe on this gate, it would fall open before they got winded!’ he said to himself.

By the time he had finished, there were few hours left to the night, and he knew that Mausi and her family would already be sleeping. Berilac trudged wearily back to the Town Hall and went in quietly to catch a few hours of sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Morning found him nudged gently away with a shake to his shoulder. ‘Just a little while longer, Fairlight,’ he murmured. He came fully awake, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, as a loud deep laugh assailed his ears and a less gentle nudge his shoulder.

‘I’d leave you here to dream,’ chuckled Griffo, ‘but I’m leaving now, to get back to my own sweet wife. Get up and walk me to the gate, and tell me how you and the family are faring. You know Britnie will pester me to death for details, and after that her sister will go at me hammer and tongs for not getting all I could from you.’ He eyed Berilac, who sat yawning on the floor. ‘And best you’ld start by telling me exactly when you will be making an appearance at out burrow.’

Berilac filled him in as they walked along. Griffo’s brows went up at the news of another baby due any time now. ‘Best steel yourself, man,’ Griffo told his brother-in-law, ‘you’ll be read the riot act for leaving her and your daughter at home in the first place. And second you’ll get the what-for about why you’ve left her alone at all!’ The Ranger grinned and shrugged his shoulders – he would figure some way to sweet-talk his sisters out of their scoldings.

Rosco had come down to see Griffo off, too. And Berilac asked both if they would come with him to see Andreth before the day got started. He had volunteered them for a project, he told them in a matter of fact tone.

Before they had time to marshal their protests, he detailed for them what he needed them to do – how he and Andreth had discussed the need to get food supplies into town, should they be needed for the long haul; how the Mayor had indicated the Big Folk would be needed for the repair of the earthwork dike; and how at the same time as food was being brought in, families in the outlying parts of the community could be urged to make for the safety of Bree when the time came.

He spoke long and walked quickly, bringing them both to the door of the Prancing Pony. Griffo seemed more sure of the plans workability than did Rosco, who had his doubts whether the Big Folk would cooperate with the Hobbits at all. ‘You leave that to me,’ said Griffo. ‘I’ve some Big Folk on neighboring farms that I get on with well enough. I think they can be persuaded to help out with that.’

Andreth was told she had ‘visitors’ by the serving girl who first spied them as they entered the Common Room. She left the Hobbits to stand where they were and take in the stares of the other patrons that early morning, all Big Folk. She ran to the Innkeeper, breathless in her haste - announcing when she found her that some of ‘them’ wanted to see her. ‘Them?’ asked Andreth, busy with plans for the day.

‘You know,’ said the girl, a look of distaste on her face. ‘Hobbits.’

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