[piosenniel]

Berilac

‘I can wait in the courtyard here if you’re not done as yet.’ Berilac smiled graciously and stepped back a pace, giving the Innkeeper room to invite him in or say they had not yet finished.

She waved him and introduced him to the class. ‘Now you children who are going with Master Beril here, come up and gather round him. And you others, please gather up your lunch pails, or packets, and cloaks and be on your way home. Your parents will be waiting for you.’ She smiled as the class bent to the task of preparing to leave. When they were done and gathered in their little groups, she reminded them all she would see them tomorrow.

Smiles of pleasure greeted the arrival of the Ranger from Mausi’s children, Ella, Mondy, and Kali, and from Fippi, and little Lily. They rushed up to him, chattering their morning’s doings to him, especially the exciting news of the arrival of the mean boys. Kali showed off the red mark on his leg, rather proud of it. And little Lily, clasping the stone on her necklace, spoke up quietly and showed her still red ear. Both grinned in delight, and puffed out their little chests, when Beril commented how brave they were to have endured the injury so well. His eyes narrowed for a moment recalling the ‘toughs’ he had spoken to on his way to the Inn.

He cleared the grave expression from his features and smiling once again bade the children come with him – they were going to walk the Hedge before he took them home, and would each of them please point out the places where he or she knew it was easy to slip through it. He took out a small, leather bound notebook and a hard, drawing charcoal telling them he would sketch the hedge as they went along and mark their findings with an ‘X’.

Beril was just about to herd them out of the classroom, when he looked up and saw two of the Big Folk children standing at the edge of his Hobbit group. ‘Who’s this?’ he asked, waving them forward with his hand, as the Hobbits made way for them.

Kari, it was, and Willowfain, the two girls told him. By this time, Lily and Fippi had gone to stand by each of their seatmates, vouching for them. And pleading - couldn’t they please come with them. Beril gave the girls a considering look, and asked if that would be alright with their parents. The girls, of course, nodded ‘yes’, eagerness for an adventure shining in their eyes. ‘Right, then, let’s go’ he said opening the door, and smiling as the young ones spilled out into the afternoon sun like little birds, twittering and eager to try their wings.

A quick word to Andreth that Kari and Willowfain were with him and he would see them home, and then the group went running and skipping south down the Great East Road that ran by the front door to the Inn. They would start where the southern edge of the hedge met Bree Hill and work their way round to the north.

They had almost neared the South-Gate gatekeepers lodge when he held up his hand and halted them. ‘Now, who can show me any place here you’ve used to get through?’ There was a certain hesitation – these were after all their ‘secrets’ and the secrets of their friends they were revealing.

‘Remember,’ he said, sensing their reluctance, ‘if you can sneak out – the bandits can sneak in.’ He fished into the pack he had brought with him, and gave each of the children an apple, not pressing them again for information, just waiting as he chewed his own.

Moments later, amidst the sounds of teeth chomping on apples, one of them spoke up . . .

[ October 28, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]