As usual, the trip back to someplace always seems shorter than the trip to someplace. Before Holly knew it she could hear the sounds of the inn yard, and smell the good odors of cooking from its kitchens. Tiredness immediately gave way to hunger.
The noises from the yard seemed particularly loud. The Hobbit and Ranger could hear laughter, shouts and curses, and a strange, rhythmic patter underlying it all. As they rounded the bend of the trail, Holly saw a crowd of people; drovers, merchants, and travelers of all stripes, though mostly poor, gathered around a rough table covered with a scrap of leather. And in the center of it all, her friend Bird stood, smiling and laughing while she kept up a sing-song chant:
"See the pebble, win a penny! Round and round they go. Take your eye away for a second, and you'll never find your way. But if your eye is keen and your mind sharp, your fortune can be made. See the pebble, win a penny!"
Bird's hands flew and hovered over the table, manipulated three small objects over the smooth surface. Then she stopped, hand on hip, and with her fingertip rapidly tapped the objects - one, two, three. A large, unwashed man in greasy leathers peered down at the table, then pointed with his pipe to the right.
"Oh, nothing there this time, but that is Fortune's way. Care to try again sir?" His companions laughed uproariously as the man slapped his hand on the table and fished in his pocket for another coin.
"Oh, no! Birdie!" Holly murmured, looking aghast a the rough crowd centered around her friend. The Ranger Vorodil looked down in amusement at Holly's reaction. "Friend of yours?"
[ August 09, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]
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