Gamba's tattered pockets bulged as he walked awkwardly towards the Locks. He'd spoken with several friends about the meager rations at the Locks, and everyone had split their apples in half, and given him half for the prisoners. He carried ten half-apples, and several crusts of bread stuffed into the front of his tattered shirt. He wondered whether the guards would notice his bulgy pockets, or whether his limping would hide it.
It was dark, and often the guards did not see much. Gamba often wondered whether hobbits saw better in the dark than men did, and now he was beginning to believe it. One by one, at breakfast, as he was giving the inmates their water, he handed them the bits of extra food at the same time.
The inmates were mostly too wise to eat the apples with the guards there, but just to be sure, Gamba warned the two girls. Anee assured him that he needn't have worried.
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...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.
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