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Jinniver tapped the ash from the bowl of her pipe into an earthenware basin on her table, and took a scrap of old cotton from one of the pockets on her belt. She carefully wiped the pipe clean, and yawning, put it away. She had already been out for a few minutes to see that her cart horse, Nutkin, was stabled comfortably for the night, and finding him sleepily chewing what looked like the finest hay in The Shire, she was content. After taking a canvas bag from her cart, she had gone back indoors to enjoy a little more pipeweed before bed.
It was now very late, but she had been enjoying the stories and music of these strangers and had been resolutely fighting the urge to sleep. Now she could fight no longer and decided to make her way to bed. As she stood up, her knees cracked and she winced. This was the result of many years spent kneeling on the cold ground to tend plants and although she was used to the cracking noise, when she stood up after a long time sitting, there was also pain.
Her room was easy to find, and going through the door she ducked, expecting it to have a low ceiling, to be built for hobbits. She was surprised when she found that the room was as high as any she was used to, and that the bed was larger than any she had ever seen. Pressing it lightly with her hand and finding that it was even softer than she had hoped for, Jinniver pushed the door to and began to change into her nightclothes quickly. She removed the yellow rose from her hair and loosened the four thick braids so that they fell down her back, but she did not undo them any further, as she was now too tired for any more fussing about.
Blowing out her candle, she crawled between the cool linen sheets. A moth that had fluttered into the room with her, following the dim candlelight, flew madly about, now trapped for the rest of the night. He made for the window where the moonlight was streaming in, his wings beating uselessly against the glass. Jinniver didn’t notice the creature and she stretched out, savouring the feeling of comfort for a moment before she turned over and fell into a deep sleep. Under her pillow she had placed the black dagger.
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