[piosenniel]

Pio listened in with half an ear as Cook an Aman talked about the party. The babies had both nursed and were now playing happily on the thick quilt Cook had retrieved from her room.

‘I’ll not have the wee ones getting a chill!’ she informed the Elf, as she laid the folded in half quilt on the floor near the smaller fireplace. The twins were young enough not to be mobile; though, Cook admonished Pio with the directions she should keep a close eye nonetheless since babies in her experience could move about quite well just by rolling.

Aman winked at her friend behind Cook’s back, and Pio was hard put to keep a straight face. Hobbit, Big Folk, or Elf – none escaped the firm hand and oft provided opinions and directions of Cook.

Resisting the urge to say ‘Yes, ma’am,’ Pio changed the subject back to that of the party. She explained that this Naming Day was for the Father to give the children their first name. It was an Elvish ceremony called Essecarmë or ‘Name-making’. And she would prefer if the ceremony, which was quite brief – just an introduction of the children to the community with their names – would happen at night when the stars were out. She, too, would announce the names she had chosen for them. These would be the amilessi tercenyë, the ‘mother-names-of-insight’.

‘The party, of course can begin well before then,’ she continued. ‘I have missed the Hobbit gatherings we had here – the food and drink, the music and singing and dancing, the endless talking of little things that are happening in each others lives, the pleasant and reassuring wholeness of life in the Shire. I’m quite looking forward to it!’ She laughed as a thought struck her. ‘And most of all, I am looking forward to simply enjoying it, without having to do any of the work!

‘As am I.’ Mithadan had come in from the Inn’s back yard, having had a pleasant stroll about the area with Beren. He crouched down by the twins, offering them one of the bright little rag dolls which Cook had feretted out of her chest, toys her grandchildren had enjoyed on their visits to the Inn. In characteristic fashion, the twins each grabbed a small section of cloth in their fists and jammed it in their eager mouths to get the flavor of it.

He came to sit at the table with Cook and Aman. ‘Though I might be willing to deliver a few flyers to the good folk we’ve met here. I’d enjoy a ride to see old places.’ He accepted a cup of tea from Cook. ‘I doubt we’d have to give messages to many – a few select Hobbits told in the morning and the whole area should be well informed by evening!’

‘By noon, I should think!’ came the response from Pio, with a chuckle.

With a bang, the door to the kitchen flew open, and Zimzi rushed in, hurrying to Pio’s side. Apologizing for bursting in, she leaned near the Elf’s ear and whispered a few words before rushing out again.

The three at the table looked at Pio expectantly when Zimzi had left.

Pio arched her brows, and considered how she might explain the scene to them. ‘Just part of a plan I had hoped might work out.’ She looked back at the door which had now swung shut. ‘And apparently my hopes may yet bear fruit . . .’ Mithadan snorted – the Elf and her plans! While Cook, narrowing her eyes, thought she would need to keep her eyes peeled as to what was cooking that involved Zimzi – she’d corner Buttercup and Ruby later; they were her eyes and ears to what was happening in all places in the Inn.

Aman, a considering expression on her face, looked closely at her friend, and mouthed 'Later . . .' to her.

'Hmmm,' thought Pio to herself, 'perhaps I can enlist the aid of the Innkeeper in my little plan . . .'

[ October 12, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]