[piosenniel]

You little night owls have robbed me of my sleep once again!

Pio shifted once more on the chair, her feet propped on the windowsill. Between the twins’ pummeling and nudging and Rose’s long list of questions, she had not much if any time for sleep. The sun was just rising, the shadows of the trees outside her window sent long fingers of shadow reaching westward. Good smells, of crusty breakfast loaves, first baking and now cooling, had been floating up from the kitchen below since the wee hours of the new day, enticing her as they drifted in through the open window.

Hungry, Pio rose and pulled on fresh clothes for the day. Rose was still sleeping soundly, her brown curls just peeking above the coverlet. ‘Wake up, Rose,’ she called softly to her, and shook her on the shoulder. ‘I must be off soon, and you will have to meet Merry in the Common Room and be on your way to Cami.’

Rose sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning. Pio pulled on her cloak and stuffed the last of her things into her scuffed leather pack. Rose smiled, thinking how that pack had been a familiar sight to her ever since she and Cami had first met their shipmates. The Elf drew out a small leather purse and filled it with two gold coins and a number of silver pennies. She laid it on the chair which held Rose’s clothes.

‘This should get you through your stay in the Shire. The boys are waiting there for you. Buy them some treats if you will, and some for you. I will pay for the lodging and your breakfast as well as Merry’s. I will talk to him briefly just before I go, to let him know you await him downstairs.’ She gave a reassuring hug to the wide-eyed Rose. ‘Should he not be able to take you for some unseen reason, then use part of the coins to hire a cart and pony. The Green Dragon is only a little way west on this main road, in Bywater.’

Rose’s eyes lit up at the mention of Bywater, and old memories played behind her eyes. ‘Give my greetings to Cami,’ she continued, ‘when you return. And to the staff at the Green Dragon – Prim, Cook, Ruby, Buttercup, and Hob. Tell them you are a close friend of mine.’ She looked away for a moment. ‘And let Mithadan know I am fine, and will return in time for the babies to be born.’

Pio stood, gathering her cloak about her and picked up her pack. A soft knock on Merry’s door and a few whispered words when he answered, then she was down the stairs. She paid the Innkeeper, and asked for a skin of fresh water, a loaf of that tasty smelling bread, and a few apples to be brought to her.

Merimas had just finished feeding the horses when Pio entered the stable, stuffing the cloth filled with her food into the top of her pack. She fished out a silver penny and flipped it to him. His hand went up quickly and snatched the tumbling coin from the air. A few moments later and ‘Falmar was saddled and bridled, and Pio clambered on to her.

‘My thanks to you for taking such good care of ‘Falmar’ She grinned down at Merimas. ‘And ‘Falmar thanks you, also!’ She flipped another coin to him, laughing as it spiraled, glinting in the morning light, toward his eager fingers. Then they were down the road, and heading east again.

[ March 15, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]