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Old 09-23-2006, 09:45 PM   #344
Lilly
Haunting Spirit
 
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 67
Lilly has just left Hobbiton.
Try as he might, Taffy could scarcely stifle the yawns as he listened to the songs. Not that the words were in the least boring, they were really quite lovely and he thought how his granpa would have asked they be sung again so that he might remember them. Nor was it that the tunes dragged on, either. The sounds of the flutes and fiddle and the harp were wonderful, all woven together. He shrugged his shoulders and wiggled a bit on his chair trying to invigorate himself a little. But it was all to no use. The activities of the full day spent traveling to Stock were taking their sure toll on him.

During one of his more spectacular yawns, his mother nudged his father, smiling at the sight of their ‘big’ boy. ‘Go on there, Mister Sandybanks,’ she admonished him lightly. ‘See to your son.’

Taffy’s head was nodding as his father came up from behind and clasped his shoulder lightly. There was no word of protest as Taffy slid off his seat and nestled against his father’s side, letting the older man steer him off toward bed.

‘There’ll be plenty of time to see your new friends and say your good-byes before we have to leave tomorrow.’ Taffy nodded sleepily as he shed his breeches and tunic and crawled into bed, snuggling deep beneath the quilts. Seren was already fast asleep on her side of the mattress; she made some little sound as he rocked the bed, then turned over and went promptly back to dreaming.

‘Mami and I will be in soon,’ Taffy’s father told him, leaving a lantern lit and hooded for a night light. But even before Madoc left the room, he could hear the boy’s soft snores.

As he slid back into the chair next to Lila, she patted him fondly on the arm. ‘What say we finish up the last of our tea here, then off to bed ourselves,’ he heard her say. ‘

‘Just thinking that myself,’ he said, laying his hand on hers. ‘You go on ahead first, though. I want to see to Marigold. Got to make sure that stone she had lodged in that back hoof didn’t cause any real problems. Don’t want to take her out lame tomorrow.’

Lila reached for her mug of tea and sipped on it. ‘Been hearing some pretty songs tonight, haven’t we?’ She glanced toward the Dwarves and the two younger Elves. ‘Who’d have thought we’d be hearing Elves sing here in the Perch. And Dwarves, no less. Land sakes! No one’ll believe us back on the island.’

‘Well now, don’t go worrying over what the neighbors will believe or not. We know we saw it and heard it, and that’s all as matters.’ Madoc leaned back in his chair, his arm resting along the back of Lily’s chair. I am a lucky man! he thought to himself, sneaking a quick look at his dear wife’s face in profile.
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