[Linnahiril Tinnufinwen]

"Well," said Belladonna finally, throwing down her napkin and sighing satisfactorily, "If the rest of you folks are not interested, I'm going to take Hanna over by the fire in the other room to hear some stories."

"Stories! Stories!" cried Hanna excitedly. "Can I, father? Can I? Aunt Bella will take me."

"Oh, alright," said Halfred, though he seemed reluctant. Belladonna stood up and took Hanna's hand, who was jumping up and down in her excitment. She lead her niece nimbly through the maze of strange creatures and wooden chairs and tables, into the next room and out of sight. Asphodel smiled. Her sister loved stories, especially the ones about the adventures of Frodo Baggins the Hobbit who went on an journey to destroy a magic ring. Featured prominently in these tales also were three Hobbits of the Shire: Mayor Samwise Gamgee, Master Meriadoc Brandybuck of Buckland, and Master Peregrin Took, son of Thain Paladin Took. Asphodel often wondered if they had all really done the things that the tales said they had done. Indeed, they were strange Hobbits; Master Mariadoc and Master Peregrin were extremely tall, and were often gone from the Shire for many months at a time. Where they went or what they did, nobody knew, but there was no doubt about their strangeness.

"Before we put this food into sacks to take home," said Halfred from across the table, who had again lit his long wooden pipe and was smoking with relish, "I think you should have a bit of supper, Tolman. The meat is cold by now, surely, but no one ever minded a bit of cold meat." He began to fill and empty plate with food, but Toman shook his head.

"Thank you, uncle," he said respectfully, "but I'm not hungry at the moment."

Halfred gave him a sour look. "Did my confounded sister stuff you with bread, too? Why doesn't she just feed all the Hobbits in the Shire?"

"Indeed, Uncle Halfred, my mother did try to make me eat, but I wasn't hungry then, either."

"Not hungry?" said Halfred, amazed. "Why, I've never heard of such a thing. I know you've just turned thirty-three, but you're a young lad still, my boy. We could squeeze some height out of you yet. You're mighty scrawny for a young man. I may not be tall, but I've got meat on my bones, well enough."

"Thank you, sir," said the gentlemanly Tolman, "but I really am quite content."

"As you please, then," said Halfred, as he began wrapping up the meal in brown paper and putting it in a cloth sack. "But I've half a mind to talk to my sister about you. One would think she was starving you half to death!"