[Nurumaiel]

Prim opened her mouth to speak, but then she stopped and looked up at the night sky with a little frown on her face. "It's late," she said. "We can't walk along these dark roads discussing things. If anything would draw suspicion, that would."

Primrose stopped walking an turned to face the hobbits behind her. "Go on home, have supper, and go to bed," she said. "Tomorrow we'll find some way to meet up."

As soon as everyone was walking home, Prim began to do the same thing. She came to the cosy little hobbit hole where she lived along with her mother, father, and brother, and pushed open the door. "I'm home!" she called.

"Have some supper," her mother called back. Primrose grinned and went into the dining room.

"Where were you so long?" her older brother asked. "Mum and Dad were getting worried about you when it got dark and you still weren't back."

"I was at Bag End," said Prim, beginning to eat. "But I can't tell you why, or Bilbo would be rather upset."

"Oh?" her mother said, sitting down. "Well, as long as you don't go running off anywhere without our permission."

"I'm not that young," said Prim. "And I will be running off, but I'll ask your permission first. And, father, I'm going to borrow the cart, all right? I'm going to be leaving in one or two days time."

"Where will you be going?" her father asked.

"Just to the neighboring hobbit towns. Uncle Bilbo wanted us to."

"Us?"

"He got some of his relatives," said Prim, and then finished eating. "I'm going to sleep now. I have to be up early tomorrow."

Her mother told her she didn't have to do the dishes, so Primrose walked down the hallway to her lonely room. Sometimes she wanted to have a sister so someone would be in the room with her, but tonight she was glad she'd be alone for as long as the night lasted. Curling up pulling her covers over her head, she was soon in a deep and restful sleep.