[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman noticed a woman sitting waiting at the table hopefully, evidently wanting to speak to someone - order a room no doubt. The Innkeeper searched quickly for Ruby in the crowded common room...only to notice the waitress was still with Pio. Botherbotherbother. She dithered for a moment, caught between the little hobbit boy whose arm she was still holding firmly and a customer, then sighed. Turning to Aietmen, she let go of his arm.

"Stay here, please. And whatever you do, don't let Cook see you!" Aman couldn't imagine what would happen if Cook found an individual of such scruffy appearance lurking in the Inn. The little hobbit boy nodded timidly and Aman smiled at him, then straightened her hair and walked across the room towards the Nedieth. Just before she reached the elf, she shot a look back...and noticed the boy seemed to have gone!

Struggling not to panic at the prospect of having a possible thief running around in the sort of attire that would have Vince Bunce up in arms, Aman turned quickly back to Nedieth, smiling outwardly. "Good day, madam," She said politely. "You are looking for a room?"

The elf, of Mirkwood Aman guessed, looked surprised at Aman's having guessed, then nodded, smiling wearily. Aman returned this. "Excellent - there's one ready. Follow me please."

Walking briskly across the room followed by Nedieth, the Innkeeper came to the far end of the bar and pulled the heavy logbook from underneath, flipping it with practised ease to the next entry space and, fishing a pen from in one of her skirts pockets, she handed it to the elf. "Ok, sign herei...uh huh...and here...thankyou. Excellent. Go up the stairs, turn right, and your room is the third on the left down the corridor." She handed a key to the elf, who smiled again gratefully. "Lovely view of the Shire borders," she added more softly. This elf looked so sad and lonely...

Nedieth. The name was written in a well practised and flowing hand. Aman didn't know what the name meant, but she wished she could bring laughter to this melancholy elf, and hoped she would come down later to have a drink with the rest of the customers. For now, she would ask Buttercup to go up later and provide the woman with some dryer clothes temporarily as she seemed wet through.

As Nedieth drifted off upstairs, Aman made her way quikly back to the spot where she had left Aietmen, under the stairs. The boy wasn't there, she was sure of it. "Aietmen!" She hissed desperately. "Aietmen, where are you?!"

"Yes, Aman?" The boy's timid voice startled Aman, and she jumped around to see the hobbit lad fairly melt out of the shadows. She grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm, nice trick..." she murmured, then jerked a head the way she was going, signalling him to follow her to her quarters.

They slipped in secretely, and Aman went straight to the trunk where she kept most of her bits and pieces. Since the mathom sale, it had become half full of odds and ends which hadn't been sold and which Aman had kept out of curiosity's sake. A carved bird, a two spouted teapot, some sort of strange, battered top hat, to name a few...and a little outfit, a shirt, waistcoat, and breeches, the right size for a small hobbit child. She had kept it simpyl because she was sure no one in Rohan would ever believe her about how small the hobbits truly were if she went back, and also because she wished that, if she left the Shire, she would never forget exactly what these little people looked like. Turning, she held the fine clothes up to Aietmen with a flourish. "Ta da!"

His eyes widened. "For...for me?"

Aman rolled her eyes. "No, I intend to wear them. Yes, for you, silly! Go on, go and get dressed in the room next door, its unlocked, then I'll get something to eat for you from Cook."

Aietmen smiled, bashfully and gratefully and, muttering some startled thanks, he slipped out into the corridor, clutching the clothes as if they were the finest gold. Aman raised an eyebrow after him, then smiled. It would be a pleasure to help him - she had often taken in ferral cats and stray dogs which had been abandoned or had run away in Rohan, feeding them and looking after them for a few weeks. Aietmen, sadly, was just a stray of another type.

Turning back to the sturdy wooden chest, she took out the fine, soft, dove-grey dress which she had rescued from the attic in a time that seemed so long ago. It was actually only a few weeks, but it had been when Uien had first joined them. She remembered the girl's awe at the little hobbits, her surprise at the collection of mathoms, her delight in fine things, like the feath boa and Aman's dress. It had been Aman's intention to give the dress to the lost, lonely elf maid who was trying to fit in and seemed so different and frightened.

Now Uien was quite different, of course, confident and competent, with hardly a trace of the scared little mouse she had been. But, if her 'friendship' wit Falowik continued to grow, Aman might just be presented with a perfect oppurtunity to give Uien the dress for an excellent reason...

If nothing went wrong on their quest for Eodwine...