The night passed slowly as Rose drifted in and out of dreams; spending most of her time listening restlessly to the chorus of crickets singing gustily outside her window. Every now and then, a shock and thrill would run through her and she would sit very still, thinking of the next morning or of the tales she would tell her friend when she returned. But that, of course, brought up questions of how long she was to stay in the Shire, and why she had been brought here in the first place, which simply sent her mind into a whirl once more. Finally managing to cast these uncomfortable thoughts aside, the young hobbit managed to capture a few hours of peaceful sleep in the wee hours of dawn.
After Pio had departed (only later did Rose realize the Elf had conviently left her own destination a mystery,) it was a very reluctant hobbit indeed who slipped from between the warm covers. Even on a cool summer day that held the promise of much adventure and a pleasant companion, a soft bed is still hard to leave. Rose was accustomed to rising early, however, and she forced herself out with minimal groaning and mumbled complaints. Her moans turned quickly into a smile as she remembered the pack Pio had left for her; fresh clothes and a bit of money! “That woman never misses a thing,” Rose thought with an admiring shake of her brown curls.
Dressed in a very proper, clean skirt and blouse and with wild curls brushed into some form of submission, Rose found her way into the common room which was already quite bustling with activity. Quiet Shire goings-on were being discussed by a pair of old hobbits in a corner, while another younger group was holding a spirited discussion over the ban of men from their home. Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen door and as Rose faintly remembered Pio mentioning something about breakfast, and as her stomach was asking quite audibly to be fed, and as Merry did not yet seem present, she decided to investigate if the food here was as good as she had once heard rumored.
A few moments later, she was munching happily on a few strings of crispy bacon arranged neatly inside a warm biscuit with scrambled eggs and, of course, fried mushrooms to the side. Rose listened half heartedly to the group beside her, but most of her thoughts were fixed on the day to come, and wishing she would get to the Green Dragon so Cami would explain what in Middle-earth was going on!
Just as the last vestiges of breakfast were being gobbled up, Rose spotted Merry’s tall figure standing quite head and shoulders above the other company. He was greeted respectfully by all, and Rose blushed to see his eyes light upon her with a smile. Merry came right over, and poor Rose found herself almost intimidated by the full extent of his physical and celebrated historical stature. His eyes smiled quite merrily down upon her, however, and gave her enough courage to smile back and greet him with a polite, “Good morning, Master Merry.”
[ March 16, 2003: Message edited by: theWhiteLady ]
|