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Old 03-14-2008, 08:54 AM   #52
littlemanpoet
Itinerant Songster
 
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: The Edge of Faerie
Posts: 7,072
littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Gaffer Hugo chuckled to himself at the funny sight of Bunny tripping over her own skirt, but he was sympathetic too her embarrassment.

"Well, Bunny," he said loud enough so everyone could hear, "startin' off first thing might be fine, but I've got Mosy my pony an' my cart to get ready."

Bunny looked suddenly crestfallen at yet another delay.

"But that won't take but a quarter hour, an' then we can all hop in and make good time to the bridge. Who knows? Maybe with the head start we'll have, we can stop at the Stonebow Inn for second breakfast an' a pint or two!"

In the century and more that had passed since the Great War, the Shire had prospered, and families had grown larger and larger until new burrows had to be built and new towns settled. One of the places that seemed good for a settlement had been at the Stonebow bridge. First came the Stonebow Inn, just on the south side of the road and the west bank of the river. Then the innkeeper's burrow had been dug right up in the hill not far off, owned by the innkeeper, of the Proudfoot clan. More burrows were dug into the side of that hill, among them a butcher, a glasser, a smith, and other folk until the village of Stonebow had been established, and was now a thriving little burg.

"So jus' hold yer ponies an' I'll get ol' Mosy set up an' we'll be on our way before you know it. Rudy! Give me a hand, will you!"

Gaffer ambled his way down to his pony and cart, followed by Rudy.
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