[piosenniel]

‘Well, now where has she got off to?’

Ruby and Buttercup had rushed into the kitchen to share their suspicions with Cook. But she was nowhere to be seen. Buttercup was dying to tell Cook what they had pieced together and now it would have to wait. Disappointed she plopped herself down in a chair to sulk a little.

‘No time for pouting,’ said Ruby, picking up the large teapot and a tray of mugs. ‘Cook will have our hide if we don’t get the customers served.’ ‘And besides,’ she said, handing the tray carefully to one of the morning servers who had come in looking for it, ‘if we keep our eyes and ears open, there may well be more than the little snippet of news we have now.’

Buttercup brightened at that prospect and stood up from her chair, straightening up her apron. Just as she did, Uien appeared in the kitchen, looking for a little breakfast. ‘Grab what you need,’ they told her. ‘We’ll be back after we’ve made the rounds of the room.’

‘What a jolly day!’ said Ruby, carrying a tray with platters of eggs and ham and toast and pastries. Buttercup followed close behind with pitchers of ale and wine and cold sweet water from the Inn’s well. ‘Keep your eyes peeled for Mistress Aman and that Beren. With any luck we’ll have more to tell Cook than we do now.’

The newcomer, Nedieth, was sitting at a table. ‘She looks a bit lonely, don’t you think?’ Buttercup nodded toward her, catching Ruby’s eye. ‘Let’s go over and say hello. She looks as if she could use a sugar bun and a hot mug of sweet spice tea.’ Ruby shook her head over all these folk who traveled so far from kith and kin. It was simply something she couldn’t imagine herself doing. She smiled sweetly at the woman as they poured the tea for her and made small talk for a few moments, urging her to look about at the market tables.

‘Oh, and look – there’s another one we’d better see to! Another Elf’s come to the Inn. However did we miss her? They introduced themselves and offered her some food. Lumiel was her name, she said. And did they know where Uien had gone? She wanted to speak with her. ‘The kitchen,’ they both cried in unison, ‘foraging for something to eat.’ They pointed out the door to Lumiel and sent her on.

Another new face hailed them, Enif, a dark-haired Elf just come in from the rain. A few pleasantries passed among the three of them, and they left her with a plate of food, a mug of tea, and her toes tapping to the music as she dug into her food.

Old Sarn was seen to next. Going off to some hops field he told them as they set a generous platter of eggs, ham, and toast in front of him. He tapped his mug on the table, and Buttercup filled it to the top. ‘You leaving in the rain,’ she inquired, ‘or going to wait it out?’ Ruby looked at her with raised brows. If he stayed, he was sure to drink them dry. The old gaffer had a hollow leg when it came to ale! And many a day he had won free drinks as he drank a challenging newcomer under the table.

Halfred came up as they were talking with Sarn. His mug was empty and he held it out to them with a smile. ‘Where’s Falco,’ they both asked him. ‘You two doing anything about that poor man who’s gone missing?’ Halfred sputtered in his ale, and made a few non-committal remarks. ‘Best we ask Millefoil next time we see her,’ remarked Ruby, watching him walk off. ‘He tells her everything, and she likes to tease us with news she’s gathered. I’ll bet she shows up soon, as soon as she hears of the market going on.

They wove their way round the room, stopping here and there to greet old friends and new customers. There by the small, crackling fire, warming his hands, was a young man. Handsome enough with his grey eyes and brown hair. ‘Looks a bit like Mr. Mithadan, don’t you think?’ whispered Buttercup. ‘Save he’s got brown hair and not black. I wonder if he’s from Gondor, too?’ Ruby eyed the fellow, now sitting at his leisure on one of the cushioned stools. ‘Oh he’s fair enough,’ she whispered back, ‘but not a handsome as Mistress Piosenniel’s mister . . . not by half.’ They stopped by him, and cleared their throats, wondering if he wanted something to refresh himself.