[piosenniel]

Lyra's post - November 1st

Josh hurried the party along as they approached the outskirts of Longbottom. They'd started late after all the excitements of the day before, and it would have been even later with Niluial shouting. Josh smiled at the memory, she seemed more than a little rattled at the moment. Typical girl, she shouldn't have come. Then he saw Cami striding ahead with Hob, the only person who needed no urging to hurry, and changed his opinion.

Joah himself felt better now. Hard walking had strengthened his leg muscles again, and the freedom of just using your own two legs to travel wherever you want had come back to him. He vowed to keep up his rambles after all the madness had died down.

They were heading into town to make inquiries of the storekeepers as to whether they would sell them any Leaf. Paladin had doubted they would, but thought it was the best place to start. Stores were checked and often guarded by the big men, and the keepers would probably be too scared to give them any large supplies of pipeweed. Josh thought that an out of the way farm would be the best place to go.

During the late morning he was proved right, as storekeepers turned them away one after another. Most looked around and over their shoulders, as though they believed Josh and the others were Shirriffs in disguise, come to check their loyalty to the Chief. None of them would promise not to tell Shirriffs or big men if they asked after them. Josh felt a horrible sick feeling in his stoumach as he realised what the Shire had become- full of suspicion, pettiness and fear. Somehow word got around, and even people in the lanes gave them a wide berth as if to show watching eyes that they had no part in whatever might be happening. At the first sign of cockaded hats turning a corner, the party left Lonbottom in a hurry.

They ate a quick luncheon on the road, and then began making inquiries at the farms. Farmfolk, who suffered less frequent visits from the Big Folk were slightly more sympathetic. None felt they could risk suddenly disposing of such a large part of their harvest, but more than one invited them in for a mug of something and a bite. Josh only alowed them once, than much to Dury's disgust refused all the other invitations. A few farmers told Josh how much they admired and supported the efforts of the Tooks.

Yes, from your farmstead you do he thought cynically, then told himself off. What could he expect them to do? There was no organisation down here, no leader like Paladin. Or if there had been he would be in the Lockholes now, it wasn't as easy to guard as the Tookland down here.

The sun was just beginning to go down behind the hills when they came to a small, slightly run down farm. Wearily they approached it as they had more than a dozen others, rapping on the door as they saw no-one in the farmyard. The door was opened by a lass of somewhere betwen 10 and 15, followed by her mother, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Yes?" she asked, frowning slightly at the sight of so many Hobbits huddled in her doorway.
"Good day Mistress" Josh said politely, touching his forehead. He had no hat to doff or he would have. "We have come a long way to try to find someone with some of your fine Longbottom Leaf to sell. We can pay plenty. Would you be able to help us?"

The matron frowned deeper and placed her hands on her hips.
"You're not from around here" she said "but you must know that we're not supposed to sell to anyone but the Big Folk. Are you suggesting we get ourselves thrown into the Lockholes?"
"No" Josh answered. "But who gives the Big Folk the right to decide who gets Leaf? We know they pay you very little. We can give you he sort of prices you used to get"

A look of interest crossed her face and she appeared to think deeply. Excitement crept up inside Josh again. He had thought it would be easy, but as the day had gone on he'd felt very discouraged. This lady seemed more likely than anyone yet to sell them the Leaf they needed.
"I'll have to talk to my husband of course" she said slowly, drawing out the syllables.
"Of course" Josh agreed, nodding vigorously.

The matron walked around a corner of the farmyard and raised her hand to her head as she squinted towards the sunset.
"Bert" she called loudly.
"Coming" the answer drifted back.
She returned to the doorstep, and they stood in silence for a while.

Finally Cami took charge.
"So how is life down here?" she asked the farmer's wife. "Times must have been hard. Are these all your children?" she asked, indicating the first girl and two other lasses.
"No" the woman answered. "I have seven all told. Time's have been very hard for a big family. Those Big Folks don't pay well, and sometimes they don't pay at all" she added, shaking her head.
"Sill, your girls are very handsome" Cami told her.

Josh smiled and gave up listening as they began to discuss the children. Meanwhile Niluial was talking to one of the little girls. The other acted shy and ran behind her mother. Everything seemed to be going very well, Josh thought, as the farmer approached them.

"Well" he asked with narrowed eyes "what do all these folks want Tansy?"


To be continued later today... or if anyone wants to take over from now, feel free!