[Elora]

Vanwe studied her handiwork to be sure it was properly mended. She nodded in satisfaction and dropped her dress over her head again. She had not eaten all day. In fact, Vanwe had not eaten since the enforced lunch the day before, just prior to the mathom sale. She smoothed the blue cotton skirt and wondered if a dress to fit her had been found in the attic. She didn't recall anything like that.

Things would soon be desperate if she didn't find something soon. Vanwe climbed back out of the loft wondering what three coppers would buy by way of cloth in the Shire. She walked to the stable doors, checked the courtyard to be sure, and stepped out when she saw it was clear. Her pouch at her belt was heavier than 3 coppers warranted, holding as it did the small piece of wood that she had started to carve the day before.

Vanwe entered the inn with the hopes of avoiding any trouble and finding a meal and a quiet place to work on her carving. The hubbub of voices rose and fell like the sea around her inside. The scent of supper beckoned her deeper into the crowd. She really was ravenous, not that she had any right to be. She had barely done half a day's work!

As she followed her nose, Vanwe's mind set out in order the things she had to do. She needed to eat, and that came first, even if it did bring her nose to nose with the formidible Mrs Bunce. A sure mark of her hunger if nothing else. By now, Cook will have heard of how she had charged into the kitchens to boil weeds, as the hobbits had said. Still, Vanwe was prepared to enter the lion's den if it meant food.

After that, she needed to see how Benia and Lespheria were. Maybe she'd feel stronger after a meal and able to face more uncomfortable questions from Amandur then. Then, assuming she found no trouble by then, she'd find a quiet place where she would not be in anyone's way and work on her carving.

"Miss Vanwe! What a rare treat to see you, my girl!" Vanwe started in alarm, recognising the voice. Buttercup had her arms crossed and foot tapping a nice tempo on the floorboards.

"Good evening, Buttercup," Vanwe replied warily but politely as ever.
"No time for fancy footwork now," Buttercup announced, siezing Vanwe's wrist as she went to curtsy meekly. "We're short staffed and Derufin is wearing an apron!" Buttercup shot Vanwe a look of reproof over her shoulder as she pulled the Elf maiden along by the wrist. Vanwe felt doom echo in the distance ominously. Would her absence be the reason why Derufin was wearing an apron? It seemed likely. "You've just in time. Supper has been served," Buttercup said as they reached the kitchens.

"It has," Vanwe said forlornly. "Is there any left?" She really was very hungry. Buttercup released vanwe's wrist and peered closer at her face.

"You really do look pale, girl, Elf or no," she declared.
"I'm very hungry," Vanwe confessed.
"When did you last eat," Buttercup asked. It was the dreaded question. Vanwe glanced about the kitchen, lest Cook overhear. Buttercup noticed her stalling and the tattoo of her foot tapping on the floor started again. Vanwe watched her furry foot rise and fall.

"Yesterday," she replied in a very low voice.
"Speak up lass, I can't hear you properly. I thought you said yesterday." Buttercup's expression ranged from irritation at Vanwe's mumbling, to shocked surprise and then to outrage as she realised she'd heard perfectly well. Deep blue eyes floated up from the floor to meet Buttercup's and then fled again as Vanwe saw the outrage.

"YESTERDAY! Why that's terrible! Just shameful," Buttercup exclaimed. The very idea of missing but one meal was terrible enough. A whole day of missed meals was unthinkable. "I didn't see you at supper," Buttercup said.

"I wasn't at supper," Vanwe said softly, bracing for the reaction inwardly. Buttercup lapsed into shocked silence, robbed of words. Simply unthinkable. She siezed Vanwe's wrist and maneouvred her into a corner and out of the door.

"Just stand there, Vanwe, and no fainting mind you. If Cook finds you fainted away on the floor there'll be no answering to her, and you're just too tall for me to move before she finds you." Buttercup examined Vanwe again, as if she expected the Elf to fade away to the shadow she should be after missing that many meals.... unthinkable, and set to work.

"It's beyond me what could be so important that you can't eat," Buttercup muttered as she filled a large plate with everything she could find. "That Derufin is not so hard a task master that you are not allowed to eat." Buttercup placed the heavy plate in Vanwe's hands.

"I've been a little busy," Vanwe said vaguely. Afterall, she'd been busy not doing any work for Derufin and it was best not to go into that. Besides, she did not want word of what she had been doing to get around. She needed to see that Benia and Lespheria knew to keep the healing to themselves. "Derufin is not a hard task master," Vanwe added. Buttercup opened the door again and waved her back through.

"I'll have a word with him, nonetheless. It's bad enough he misses meals. There's not enough of you to follow in his bad habits," Buttercup announced as if she had solved it all. Vanwe opened her mouth to object as strenuously as she could. "No arguments, Miss! Go find a table and eat, before Cook finds out what's been going on. Between you, Aman and Derufin, it's a good thing this Inn has reliable, well fed Hobbits to keep it in order!"

Buttercup let the kitchen door close upon that statement, leaving Vanwe to her heavy plate. Vanwe moved through the tables, crowded with people, anxious to avoid detection by Cook. Mrs Bounce was even more fearsome than Buttercup on the perils of missing meals. She kept her head down, and made for the nearest empty table.

Vanwe sank into her chair with a sigh of relief. The plate was piled with bread, vegetables and meat. It was enough to feed three people, and perhaps one hobbit who had already had his or her fill. It certainly more than Vanwe had ever faced in one sitting. She studied it, finding the best place to start, and sallied forth. To bring back a plate that was not empty would surely set Buttercup right off again.

As she ate, Vanwe kept one eye on the passing crowd. She needed to find Derufin before Buttercup did, and apologise. He should be easy to find, afterall. He was wearing an apron.