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“Ah, it’s from Bree you’ve come, is it?” Dick said, leaning his elbows on the countertop. “I’ve never been out that far. Are people as strange there as they say they are? I’ve heard some mighty strange tales of happenings in Bree, though not too many years back one might’ve said the same thing about our own Shire. Still, they are Outsiders…begging your pardon,” he added, realizing that he was speaking to one of those very same outsiders. “I didn’t mean to imply -”
His words broke off when another person entered the room. It was a man, apparently, but the hood was pulled up close over his face and Dick could not see what manner of man he was. The stranger took a swift glance about the room and then with a few, long strides, he took a seat in the darkest corner of the room and produced a pipe from somewhere within the folds of his cloak. It became immediately clear that he wished to see and not be seen or noticed.
“If you’ll excuse me…” Dick said, narrowing his eyes a little. He quickly passed about the edge of the counter and approached the newcomer doubtfully. He did not like shady characters and this was most certainly a shady one.
“Good morning, sir,” Dick said, coming to stand directly before him. “How can I help you?”
Primrose came out of the kitchen just as Dick was crossing the room to speak to the man. She put one hand on her hips and clicked her tongue. “He never did like it when people don’t say a proper ‘how d’ye do’,” she commented. She turned to Aeron. “It simply isn’t proper. Hullo. Can I get you anything to eat? It’s not right to drink beer on an empty stomach, you know. But I don’t believe it’s good to do anything on an empty stomach.”
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