The Golden Perch Inn

[Mithalwen]

The boy Cir, temporarily vanquished, and ignored by his sister who was discussing details with Dick. took himself and his beer off and folding himself in to the low windowseat he nursed his pint and his sorrows. He didn't want to sing and he didn't want to play his sister's stupid whistle. He blamed himself for orchestrating their departure but he never thought that Cir would extend a couple of hours exploration into a few days absence. And now as usual he was caught.

He looked through the window watching the light fade. Wondering what would happen when the party regrouped as the stars opened to eat and sing together and they were properly missed. He didn't mind singing as part of a group so much - it was only when he sang with Cir that the now much greater contrast between thier voices seemed so conspicuous, another difference that would become more marked as they grew up. Even to himself Cir could not use the word matured.

He was tiring of always being in strife .... maybe it was time to accept the differences and become Carantilion..... however before he could get far with such an uncharacteristically serious train of thought he took proper notice of the dwarves for the first time. He sniggered to himself remembering how Cir and he had sat in the trees of Rivendell and made fun of the ones who had brought Mr Bilbo with them.... there was somthing about a dwarvish beard - and the unbelievable rumour that even dwarf women had them that just seemed too ridiculous to be true. He smiled for the first time since his sister had revealed her plan and when he caught her eye he inclined his head briefly in the direction of the Naugrim and knew she shared the memory.