[piosenniel]

“ . . . But, soon I left to wandering once again. Traveling from inn to inn, marketplace to marketplace, and sometimes performing at parties in people's homes. Besides that, nothing more has happened to me, until I found my way here and met a beautiful elfin maiden who would listen to my chatter."

‘. . . beautiful Elven maiden!’ Pio laughed out loud at this statement. ‘Good sir, you flatter me. I am no maiden, as you can see by this great belly of mine.’ She cradled the twins with her arms, both of whom were quite awake now, and noting with great interest the images from the stories that formed in their mother’s mind. ‘And as for beautiful, best be careful that my husband does not hear you, lest he think you try to steal me from him.’ She smiled impishly, and winked at the now sputtering Krysello.

She clapped him soundly on the back as he coughed, and poured him a glass of chilled wine to ease his throat, dry from the effort of so much talking. When he had collected himself, she asked him several questions concerning points in his stories which had particularly caught her attention.

‘Tell me more of this Nevyn with whom you studied, Krysello. Who was his teacher?’ She leaned toward him, pitching her voice low for his ears only. ‘Did he ever travel in the South lands or far to the East. Or for that matter have you?’ She leaned back in her chair taking a drink from her glass. ‘And if so, did you hear any stories concerning shape-changers?’

Pio watched him carefully, sifting his reaction to this question. Her old friend Birdland and she were delving into the history of the shape-changers, tracing their origins and customs. Anything she could glean from this wanderer she would carefully note in her journal, and then discuss it with Bird on one of her infrequent journeys to the Shire.