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Hazel Longholes trudged along the road leading into Bywater. Her feet and the hem of her skirt were dusty and her arms ached from the several awkwardly shaped and bulky bundles she was carrying. She stared steadily at the road as it passed by under her bare feet, pausing only to look up and note that her three children were still grouped around her. Yes, there they were: Mari the oldest holding little Yarrow's hand, and eight year old Bryony trotting ahead like an eager puppy.
You got yourself into this, Hazel Smallburrow, she scolded herself, when you married that Merlo Longholes from so far off. You always knew no good would come of all this moving about, and look at you now. A simple visit to your old mother's house turns into a four day journey. And those children, always into something or other, they are.
"Amaranthis Longholes!" She paused in her internal grumbling to reprimand Mari. "You keep hold of Yarrow's hand, now. Wouldn't have liked it if I'd lost you when you were his age, now would you?" Mari, looking properly chagrined, clutched her little brother's hand and pulled him along behind her. Yarrow's red-brown hair stuck up erratically as his little feet scurried to force his chubby body to travel at his big sister's pace. "We'll stop up here at the Green Dragon." Hazel informed whichever of her children were listening. "Tis a respectable place, and comfortable enough, from what I've heard."
Sounds of music and laughter drifted down the path toward Hazel and Bryony turned around and bounded back toward her mother, looking excited. "Mama, they're having a party at the inn, I saw all the ladies dressed up fancy and dancing!" Her round face was flushed from all her bouncing and her short golden hair flew out around it in haphazard wisps.
A party at the Inn? Well that might be nice Hazel mused, the lure of a hot cup of tea and a comfortable chair overcoming her sense that it might be impolite to drop in on a celebration. I surely wouldn't mind a rest and some civilised conversation. Perhaps we'll even stay a day or two. Handing off the bundles to Mari, she swung Yarrow up onto her hip and forced herself to a slightly faster pace. "Well if you want to see the pretty ladies at the party, Bryony, we'd best be getting over there."
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