[Beruthiel]

Lavender Took followed the muddy old track towards the Green Dragon. Her long dress was dragging on the floor and she cursed when she saw the lovely lace edging coming undone. She picked up her skirts off the ground, checking that no one was there to see of course and continued on the path. The youngish hobbitlass (as she said whenever anyone asked her age) had curly brown hair which, given the chance could be very messy, but Lavender being who she was made sure every curl was kept in place by a well hidden pin. Her chestnut brown eyes were one of the few things Lavender like about her face though she severely detested her nose (and especially the tiny freckles which were visible when you were about one hand’s length from her face). Finally Lavender reached the door of the Green Dragon Inn, but before opening it she hurried to one of the windows to check her hair was in place, and then pushed open the door very timidly.

At first the Inn took her by surprise, rather than groups of drinking hobbits, Lavender saw just as many elves and men, maybe more. ‘Well, what IS the Shire coming to. Can’t even find a decent inn where there aren’t outsiders spreading gossip and all sorts. Oh deary me, look! Even the innkeeper is a foreigner. How atrocious!’ Shaking her head she headed towards the bar, hoping no one would notice her rather muddy lace trimmed skirts. ‘Dear me, what would Aunty Esmeralda say if she saw me here!’ (Aunt Esmeralda being a distant relation and nothing of an Aunt at all but Esmeralda had stayed with Lavender’s family so often she had finally moved in and ordered everyone to call her Aunt and it stuck that way).

Lavender approached the innkeeper and introduced herself.
“Hello, you must be the innkeeper. I’m Lavender Took and I think I’ll be staying for a few days. Do you have a spare room?”