[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman stared, horrified as she watched, as if in slow motion, the three hobbit children - two of Cami's children and that pesky Pimpernel - rugby-tackled the woman leading them to the ground. Hurrying over to Saraph, she put a hand forward to help the woman up. "I do apologise, they are rather-"

To her astonishment, the woman burst out into peals of laughter. The Innkeeper withdrew her hand slowly into her apron and looked around nervously, wondering perhaps if there was something wrong with the woman. Just as she was about to risk enquiring whether the woman was alright again (a chance to be sure - the last time had, it seemed, caused such hilarity...), when Saraph stood up, wiping tears of merriment from her eyes.

"A pint of your finest, good miss," she asked merrily. Aman decided not to question it, simply smiling politely and wondering again why she had decided to let loose the odds from all over the forum into her Inn. As she was drawing a pint though, Saraphim burst into more laughter. Aman was beginning to get rather paranoid now - what, what, what was she doing to cause such hilarity?!

"An elf! They thought I was an elf!"

Aman looked the woman up and down, taking in the flowing hair and, yes, those ears were very slightly pointed... "Well, they are quite common around here...?" she chanced.

Saraph simply gave another chortle, shaking her head and taking a sip of the pint. Aman smiled weakly and moved on as hastily as courtesy would allow, hoping to get away from this bizarre elf-that-wasn't.

~*~*~*~

Later on, Aman sat on one of the hammered-in posts outside the marquee, not far from the Present Tree, wiping her hands and watching the fireworks. Nearby, two wizards (the pair who Aman thought had devised the display) sat puffing on their pipes and commenting critically on the fireworks. She smiled across at them and Heren-Istarion tipped his hat to her politely. She grinned. So much for gruffness then...

The guards had gone in for a drink and were taking their time, gossiping near the entrance of the Inn and apparently trying to chat up Bethberry and Lush (although Aman couldn't say much for their chances - Lush looked truly stunning and the Innkeeper rather doubted there was a male in the place who hadn't noticed her. Even the orcs seemed to be taking a vague, confused interest). Behind her, in a bush, Aman heard something rustling and paused, not quite looking around, just waiting. The next firework went off, a particularly spectacular specimen, and in the applause that followed Aman heard frantic voices whispering.

"Go!"
"No, you go!"
"Pimpernel, now is not the time to get cold feet about this!"
"Whose getting cold feet? If you're so desperate, you go and put it there, Daisy Zaragamba!"
"Put it there yourself, dragon's breath!"
"Dragon's breath yerself!"

Aman whipped around, plunging a hand into the bush and grasping a collar. The bush emitted a high-pitched squeal and the collar squirmed under her grasp but the Innkeeper held on. Then she felt little teeth sink into her hand and let go with a yelp, withdrawing her hand sharply and jumping back, more in surprise than pain. Looking back at the bush just in time, Aman saw three small, dark figures emerge with the speed of a greased adder and high-tail it away. One yelled over it's shoulder as they sped away only to be silenced by another.

"Sorry, Miz! Didn't mean to-"
"Didn't mean to? You just bit the flamin' Innkeeper, Daisy! Oh, Mama is going to kill us...we're really for it now..."