[Undómë]

‘Bredan,’ she said smiling at the other man from Gondor. ‘A pleasure to meet you.’ She turned to where the red-haired man sat. ‘And Master Sundry, still yet another pleasure, I am sure.’ Her eyes glinted as she nodded to him. ‘Naria – very pleased to make your acquaintance, also.’

The talk had turned to food . . . Shire food, in particular. And Farael had stood up, his drink in hand and made a toast to it. He sat down, blushing, after he had done so, and she wondered why. ‘Lembas is fine, I suppose,’ she said, wondering if he thought he’d offended her with that remark. ‘But really, it grows quite humdrum and tedious on the tongue if that’s all one has, day after day.’ And now it was her turn to blush and look guiltily about to see if any other Elves were near. ‘I have to say, my mother is a dear soul. But she cannot cook for the life of her. Lembas, I think must require a certain light touch to make. And well, my mother hasn’t got it.’ She blushed more deeply realizing she had just spoken ill of her mother. What had gotten into her, she wondered. Tindo would be scandalized.

Then Bredan had risen and gave a toast to the Halflings' hospitality. And he sat down blushing, too. What was it that made Men bold to speak and yet sent the blood to their cheeks. Was it the drink they held in their hands, she wondered.

‘Something to drink, miss?’ one of the servers said passing near the table. ‘And you gents and Lady, too. Refills?’

Telu looked at Farael. His mug was in his hand and he seemed quite happy this evening. Perhaps she should try whatever it was he had. ‘One of those,’ she said pointing to his mug. ‘A large one, I think. It’s gotten very hot all of a sudden . . . and I’m very thirsty.’

The server gave her an odd look, but hastened off to comply. Soon a tall mug of Fordogrim’s Fine Ale was set before her; its foamy head beckoning a sip from her.

‘Oh, my!’ she said, taking a good sized swallow. The foam tickled her nose and there remained a creamy white mustache on her upper lip after she sat the mug down. ‘By the One! That’s good.’ She grinned, licking the foam from her lip. She tried it again, feeling a certain odd sensation spread from belly to limbs to head, it seemed. ‘Quite good! And . . . well, interesting in an unusual way.’

A complete novice to the art of drinking ale or any spirits for that matter, Telu raised the mug one more time and downed the last of it in a few swallows. Setting the mug down carefully on the table top, she felt her tongue get a bit thick, and her lips a bit numb. It was a new set of sensations, and though she wasn’t quite sure she liked them all, still she found them fascinating and new.

She managed to untangle her tongue and command it to speak. ‘I think I should like to try that dark colored sort,’ she said slowly, looking at the ale one of the servers was pouring at another table. She looked back to where Farael was sitting and just for a moment, her vision wavered and there seemed to be two of him.