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Old 12-07-2007, 11:30 PM   #25
Iras Sabir
Pile O'Bones
 
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Join Date: Dec 2007
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Posted by: Iras Sabir

Lizzy Smallburrow awoke later than she had hoped. She was hoping to set out for the market before the sun had risen. If only her brother hadn't invited her over to try his newest mead. She groaned softly as she stood up. Her head was pounding. Lizzy walked slowly into her bathroom, wincing when she saw herself in the mirror. Her eyes were ringed in red and the bags! She shook her head and went about washing up so that she could get her chores done and head into town.

After she was washed and combed she pulled on her dark green dress and deftly braided her hair back. She walked into the kitchen to put a kettle onto boil as she tied her apron on. While she waited for the water to boil she thought about what she was going to do that day.

First she'd have to get the basket ready, washing the last of the vegetables and making sure the cloth was folded right. Then she'd have to catch Boy and get him loaded up. Then, to town! She smiled at the thought of town. Her favorite time of the day was when she was able to go to town and visit with the different people. She was usually able to get at least one good peice of gossip. Her sister-in-law would be happy to hear of any news. She was in her 9th month and confined to bed.

The kettle whistled and Lizzy pushed herself up to get it. She poured herself a cup of tea and then started to wash the veggies. There weren't many this time, only 2 or 3 pounds of carrots and about 40 mushrooms. The cloth was a different story. She had finally finished spinning all the wool from her sheep, so she had yards and yards of it, dyed and undyed. She had saved just a few yards back, some to make herself a new cloak, which she'd wear that day, and some more to make her niece or nephew a blanket and bedding. She finished the basket and tied it shut, making sure it was well-padded. She set it down on the table and pushed up her sleeves and pulled on her boots. Now time to get Boy. She looked out the window and saw the light rain.

"He'd better not put up any trouble today..." Lizzy grumbled. She pulled on a cap, just something to cover her hair, before walking out the door. The front of her little house was fenced in and her garden took up most of the yard. She walked beside it, looking it all over. Only a few weeds. She pulled them up quickly and tucked them in one of her pockets. Now she walked to her pen. She had about 30 sheep in the pen, none of them expecting at the moment, and all of them were sheared. She had set up a nice little sleeping area for them, complete with fresh hay to sleep on. On bad days, and during winter, they were able to eat even if she wasn't able to come out to them.

And there was Boy. The other sheep were huddled in the barn and he was standing near the entrance. He started bleating when he saw her coming. "Yeah, that's right. C'mere Boy!" She yelled, starting to laugh as the large ram waddled over like a dog. She started rubbing his nose as she strapped all her baskets and such down. "Now be a good boy for a moment. I need to go and get my cloak." She said, walking him to the gate of her yard. She stepped back inside for a moment and pulled on the dark blue cloak. She turned around and climbed up on Boy. They walked down the road at a leisurely pace. Lizzy nodded off once or twice, but started awake when she heard voiced. Another group was coming from the direction she was going. She squinted her eyes at them, curious and shy at the same time.

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Posted by: littlemanpoet

"I wish it would stop raining," Mira complained, "it'll ruin my hair."

"Nonsense, you're hair's covered anyways!" Rudy retorted.

"What ho," Gaffer Hugo said with a light touch to the reins, "Easy Mosy. "Now there's an odd sight, a Hobbit missus riding a full horned ram. Must be a Bucklander or I'm a gammer." Mira giggled.

Snatch had been peering and sniffing off at the grassy side of the road, but had caught a whiff of the ram or else understood his master's words. He turned around quick as you like on the bench and the moment he laid eyes on the ram trotting by, he started up a yammering so loud that Hugo had to let go the reins and plug his ears.

"Shush, you, Snatch!"

The ram spooked and jumped, which set Snatch to yammering the fiercer, so hard that his four legs were coming off the bench with every fresh bark. Hugo only caught him in time to keep him from jumping right off the cart and hurling his whole body at the ram. The ram started skittering down the lane, the Hobbit missus bobbing and bumping on its back.

"Boy! Boy!" she shouted.

"Ah me," Gaffer Hugo said to himself. "Here, Mira," he yelled over the dog's mighty cries, "hold Snatch, will you? Rudy! We must help the lady!"

Once Mira had wrestled Snatch, still cussifering at full bark, from Hugo, the Gaffer and grandson Rudy jumped off the wagon and went chasing after ram and Hobbit-lady.

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Posted by: Iras Sabir

Lizzy gave an angry screech as she tried to keep Boy under control. The ram started running then bucked her completely off. She hit the ground hard, starting to actually scream. She was up in a flash, ignoring the people and running after her ram. She soon saw it was going to be hopeless to catch him.

She turned suddenly to the people, her face white. "Who are you and what were you thinking?! Couldn't you control that mangy animal? I've lost my whole month's harvest because of this!" She screamed at them. She stamped her foot and suddenly she looked like a child. They could see the ram had stopped running and was dociley eating grass on the hill.

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Posted by: littlemanpoet

"Here here," said Gaffer Hugo, huffing at a fast walk as Rudy ran to the aid of the distressed lady. "I'm very sorry I'm sure, I don't know what came over my Snatch, he's seem sheep before, jus' not a lady riding one is all."

Rudy went up to the ram and grabbed hold of him and waited patiently for the lady to reclaim him.

"Allow me," said Gaffer Hugo, "to do right by you." Hugo doffed his hat and bowed as deeply as his old bones let him. "I'm Hugo Chubb and these are my grandkin, Rudy and Mira. We were just on our way to my other granddaughter Peony Chubb. She lives just over yonder and maybe, if you'd like, a bit of second breakfast with us can set things to rights."

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Posted by: Iras Sabir

Lizzy finally seemed to calm. "I apologize...I might have over reacted..."

She smiled at him. "I would be happy to join you...." She smiled again, almost too sweet for words.

Last edited by piosenniel; 01-11-2008 at 05:03 AM.
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