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“Come along Master Tim,” Fordogrim Chubb said, “lend a hand with the mess and then we can see about speaking with that girl as you were tussling with about making things up between you.”
“Yes, sir,” Tim replied quickly. “I’m very sorry, sir. That was my sister. . .” He turned his head away briefly. Glancing over the place, it appeared that most of the work had been done. Several people were busy setting the casks of ale back in their place on the re-erected table. Great stacks of mugs were already piled up on it. It flashed briefly through his mind to wonder who had won, and how they were even going to decide that. But the next instant, he didn’t care. “It looks like the job is done, sir,” he said, turning back to Fordogrim. “I’m really sorry. I can help, like I was before the accident, if that would help.”
The hobbit smiled up at him, his offer accepted, it seemed, before he turned to address the group of people who had helped clean up and set to rights the mess that Tim and his sister had caused. Tim stepped back and turned away. His face was hot, and his heart still beat high with the excitement and anger. Make things up, did the hobbit say? Not any time soon that Tim could see! What had Wren meant by barging in there like that? He couldn’t shake the thought that it had, after all, been her fault and he had been the one left to suffer the shame and embarrassment of it all.
As for Wren, she had run off as quickly as her feet could carry her, if only to hide her tears. She had wanted to dodge Cook’s presence in the kitchen and so passed the door, but almost immediately realized that Cook and her friend had left the indoors and gone out to the garden. The girl doubled back on her path and returned, all at the same, fast speed of a run. Without pausing to wait, she darted in through the kitchen door, and there her flight was stopped as she bowled right into no other than Ginger.
The hobbit stumbled back and Wren stood for a moment in shocked surprise. How utterly clumsy, she thought. Fresh tears promptly replaced the old. She looked around her helplessly a moment, struggling with a sob, and then she looked straight at Ginger. Not understanding why in the least, she walked to the hobbit quickly, put her arms about her, and letting the dam break, the flood of tears came.
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