[Arry]

Introductions are made; the game begins

‘On the road a lot,’ murmured Hanson. ‘Phooey! Everybody gets to go somewhere ‘cept me!’

‘Don’t start up,’ hissed Woody to his younger brother. ‘Our Da isn’t the traveling sort and never will be.’

Hanson giggled despite his brother’s stern look and whispered. ‘Does know the road to the Dragon, same as Uncle Gil!’

Hanson had big dreams of traveling about one day as had Mister Bilbo. His Gammer Boffin had told him tales of the odd Hobbit, as she called him, though with affection, which fueled his imagination and his longing. Much to his disappointment no one in his family ever went anywhere exciting nor did they wish to. His Uncle Gil, however, had been as far as the western bounds and to Buckland. He and his mates liked to visit the little Inns and trade music for drinks. But Hanson wanted to see what lay beyond the Shire someday.

And here was a boy who had done such!

‘Pardon me,’ he said moving up to stand near Neviel. ‘My name is Hanson. Hanson Boffin.’ He gave the tall fellow a grin as Neviel gave his name to Hanson in return. ‘Me and my brother there, Woody, live here in Bywater.’ He crooked a thumb at Woody who’d hung back a bit. ‘We’d like to shoot marbles with you two.’ Hanson hauled out his sack of marbles from his breeches pocket. ‘It’s not too hard . . .’

‘And you’re lucky!’ broke in Woody, less shy now that Hanson had made the introductions. ‘Since you’re a first-timer you get to shoot a little closer in than us others.’ Woody pulled out his marble pouch, too. ‘Here, hold out your hands. You can borrow some of mine to play.’ He poured a half dozen marbles into Neviel’s hands and gave him one just a little larger. A ‘shooter’ he called it of multi-colored glass in greens.

‘Come on! Kneel down here like this,’ prompted Hanson. ‘And roll a couple of your marbles into the circle. Make sure you remember which ones are yours now,’ he continued rolling three of his into the confines of the chalked circle.

Woody and Reggie had done the same. ‘G’wan, Reggie,’ said Woody, who had managed to introduce himself and his brother to the other Hobbit lad. ‘You start the game and show him how to shoot.’