The Golden Perch Inn

[Rose]

‘Now he’s about thirty-five. Little bit older’n you . . .’

Between generous bites of beans and biscuits and sips of sweetspice tea to wash it all down, Granny drew what she hoped was an interesting picture of her grandson. She was too plainspoken and honest to embellish his good points beyond the truth. But being his Nana Penny, she was not above polishing the positive so it outshone the negative.

‘Sure as sweet honey from a happy hive, my Rob’s a fine lad!’ Granny said winding up her recital. She leaned back in her chair and fetched the pipeweed pouch from her apron pocket. ‘’Bout covered everything, Miz Penny,’ she concluded, tamping the pipeweed down into the pipe bowl. ‘Sparked your interest, lass?’

[Mithalwen]

Elin's heart sank a little at the invitation. She felt that the hobbit was as uncomfortable as she was but she couldn't see how she could refuse - she knew noone here save the inn-staff as yet and she could hardly decline to go and sit on her own, neither could she immediately retrace her steps to the sanctuary of her room without seeming odd.

"Well if you are sure it won't incommode you", Elin lowered herself into the indicated chair reminding herself that she could excuse herself on the pretext that she needed to check on Annie. Which wouldn't exactly be untrue. She smoothed her dress over her knees and tucked her knitting by her side. She had a feeling that Alferad would not appreciate her dividing her attention between him and a half finished sock however pretty the wool. She wondered what she could do to ease the tension that had increased seemingly with every word she had previously uttered - compared to Penny and Rowan he seemed a very prickly hobbit. The name Brandybuck struck another bell in the woman's mind.

"I am afraid I have offended you," she didn't give him a chance to answer before she continued, "If I have please forgive me - I am but lately arrived in this land and its customs and courtesies are new to me - but I am told that the Brandybucks are an important family in these parts so I am sure that there is much you could tell me ..." Elin's voice tailed off hoping both that the combination of flattery and humility would appease the miffed hobbit.

[Galadriel55]

Al's heart sank. Not that he felt much more at ease after Elin apologized - Some Big Folk do have sense! - and very important at her later words, but he has been through a talk about Brandy Hall once before today. Al felt a drop of his old annoyance at Hamwill seep in. He didn't have any sense in him, that Hamwill. He's queer. He's silly.

"The Brandybucks, well, they're that," Al replied, trying to sound humble and conversational, "Brandybucks. Most of us live in Brandy Hall - the bestest place in the Shire, nay, in all of Middle Earth - if you want to know. And we got the best River, and the best Hill, and the best inns... except for this one, that is."

[Mithalwen]

Elin fought hard to maintain her composure scarce knowing if she should laugh or cry - was there nothing one could say to this hobbit that didn't get him agitated? Some devilment in her longed to ask about the extensive travels he must have made to be able to make such assertions with authority but she guessed he had little in the way of a sense of humour and even the slightest hint of teasing would be taken as mortal insult.

Dead pan she answered. "I have heard tell that the beer here is excellent - though I am no expert to judge in such matters myself - and the staff have been all kindness to myself and my daughter, for which I am most grateful. I have been much impressed by what I have seen so far of the Shire, so Buckland must be a fine place indeed. Though I have not yet seen your river Baranduin or what lies beyond". She had thought of mentioning that she had lived by a river herself - but she feared that merely to utter the names of other places might be taken as an insult to those he had mentioned so proudly. He really was about the hardest person to talk to that she had ever met. Elin hoped he would either relax a little or some opportunity for escape would arise.

[Galadriel55]

"Baranduin"... what a queer way to call our Brandywine! It sounds Elvish, and it doesn't sound like it means anything, Al thought, but he kept his opinion on the name to himself.

Other than that, Elin's reply has been most satisfactory. Al shifted himself into a more comfortable position and voiced his agreement:

"Buckland is a place worth coming to, even if it means a bit more walking. You won't find anything like Brandy Hall in the whole Shire!" Which is completely true, since we have the River! There's also the Marish on the other side of it, but Stock and Rushey are simply no match for Brandy Hall. Al grinned encouragingly. He considered mentioning Hamwill's interest in the land, but the man was better left alone. I've had enough of his nonesense!

"The beer here is truly excellent, as you say - more than that," Al continued, "It's better than that. It's the best beer I've ever tasted!"

Elin did not comment on this, so Al went on with his next idea. "Our River is the best you can find. It's the only river of the Shire - those little puddles that you might have seen aren't truly rivers, you know. They don't have enough water in them. Now we often go boating in the Brandywine, but some of us know how to swim without the boats. I tried it, and I could do it rather well... better than my cousin, at any rate," Al cleared his throat, and continued, "Have you ever tried to swim?"

[blantyr]

Goldie stepped into the Golden Perch carefully. As much as she loved spending time with the small folk, their architecture frequently had a small problem… low ceilings. This Malthenihim wasn't as bad as all that. If the big folk could handle it, the fair folk might try.

Priorities? Song? Conversation? Her research project, of course. Then there was food. Conversation, she thought. She listened, lingering briefly at the door. Ah. The mighty river Brandywine, and swimming? There was a brave adventurous hobbit here. How unusual.

Was he perhaps worth a song?

She stepped forward cautiously, trying to meet as many eyes as possible.

[Mithalwen]

Elin felt that to comment on Al's experience of beer might lead her in to dangerous territory - she didn't trust him not to infer from some harmless remark that she thought him an incipient drunkard. However his subsequent question turned the tables and it was the woman who was discomfitted. She coloured slightly until she realised that, unlike the elves with whom she had been staying, the hobbit did not seem able to see her thoughts - and perhaps just as well.

She had learnt to swim as a child living at her grandparents' farm on the banks of the Morthond and then when she had been sent to Dol Amroth swimming in the sea had provided a precious sense of freedom absent in her restricted life in the city. Her stuffy aunt had not approved of an activity carried out in, what she termed a state of near undress, but she had not forbidden it.

And it had been returning from a swim early one summer morning eight...no nine summers ago that she had first met Anborn - something else that her aunt hadn't approved of. But then the list of things that grand lady did approve of was conspicuously short. Elin momentarily wondered what would happen if the twain ever met - they would either be in perfect concord or dissolve in indignation she suspected. But her reverie had caused too long a pause in conversation,

She smiled at Al. "I have - and also with some success. More so than with boating certainly. I was shown howand can manage a punt but I was lazy and let my cousins and later my brother row or sail and never gained any skill at it. But I liked swimming and since I have lived most of my life by rivers or the sea have had the opportunity. Of course the Mor.." Elin stopped remembering that Al seemed to bristle slightly when she had called the Brandywine by its proper name, "I mean the River Blackroot , is probably not as great as the Brandywine". She had also swum in the Anduin but she wasn't going to mention something she would have to translate as "The Great River". "Maybe I shall teach Annie next summer if it is warm enough" she shivered a little a draught reaching her back from the opened door.

[Galadriel55]

What? Al was very surprised when Elin aswered affirmatively. He expected her to modestly shake her head, maybe - nay, surely - to praise him for being able to do such a thing as swimming... And anyways, are ladies supposed to swim?

Al was so absorbed in his indignation that he hardly paid attention to what Elin was telling him about her experience boating. He turned his thought to her words again when she stumbled on a word, and the melody of her speech stopped flowing for a moment.

"I mean the River Blackroot , is probably not as great as the Brandywine," Elin continued. Most definitely so! Al mentally approved, Brandywine is the biggestest river here. Hmph, the only river! How can this... Blackroot be greater? The very idea seemed ridiclous. This made Al wonder which river is Elin talking about, for he could not recall any such name - and Al prided himself in his knowledge of the map of Shire.

When Elin finished, her voice gradually fading into silence, Al asked the question that was nagging at him: "Mistress Elin, If you do not mind me asking this, where is the River Blackroot that you speak of? The name is unfamiliar to me."

Al felt a chill coming from the direction of the door and turned look what was it this time. He saw an Elven maid with long golden hair, ruffled by the wind, and eyes of deep grey. Not another of the Fair Folk! They are fair, tis said true, but they have no business wandering in the Shire! Our Shire! Yet, despite these thoughts, Al couldn't help it but gape at the newcomer. Her eyes swept the room until she looked into his. Al's ears reddened. After a long moment, very self-couciously, he made a point of turning his back on the door and facing Elin again.