It was a cool evening in the small town of Bree, a strong breeze blew
through the well-worn streets and sidewalks and into the welcoming, open
windows of the neighborhood pub. The Prancing Pony was particularly busy
that night and the smell of ale and unbathed men was easily noticed. The
entire building was filled with strange travelers telling tales of great
adventure to the normal crowds, and not one seat was left empty. The
roaring fire in the corner of the dusty establishment had a warm touch and
made even the weariest of travelers feel at home. Butterbur could normally
be found conversing with customers, "escorting" drunks home, or behind the
counter with a couple waitresses. Few women could stand to occupy the job.
The meager wages and drunk men made many turn up their nose; not many
qualified women applied, and fewer still stayed for more than two months.
The door of the Prancing Pony swung open and in walked two young hobbit women, not much taller than three foot. Jasmine and Fern moved quickly through the moving crowds and waved off all stares and whistles from young hobbits, and the occasional drunk man, with a quick smile or a cold shoulder. As they approached the bar two white aprons were tossed over edge of the barrier were Butterbur stood waiting for them.
"Yer late, get to work, we've got five respectable guests stayin tonight and I expect em ta be treated properly. Fern bring em some tea and rum fer the evening, and Jasmine, clean their rooms and set em up a nice fire", he looked down at them, slightly disapprovingly. "Keep em entertained too, y'hear? I don't want no complaints from our guests agin", he looked down at Fern, "I be wantin none of that attitude o yours neither. Now get to it.", He said rather hurried as he heard a call from across the room, "Yes, yes! I heard ya, a pint o ale comin in one second sir.", He quickly grabbed a glass, filled it, and was off.
"Ferny?", Jasmine asked in the slightly timid voice she typically used round her sister, "Ye be needin help with that tea?", grabbing an old rusted kettle from atop the bar and starting to toddle off to the swinging barrier that led behind the counter.
"No, you know how long it takes ye ta get a proper fire started.", Fern responded in the normal dominant and slightly bossy tone she could only get away with using on her sister. She took the old kettle from her hands, replaced it on the counter and grabbed her sister's shoulders from behind. "And just look at the mess ye woulda gone and gotten yourself into this time", She said, indicating the loosely tied knot that held her apron on. "Go and get yerself burned makin that fire, eh?", she snickered tightening the loose bow,
"Okay. Okay!", Jasmine yelped, wriggling and squirming from her sisters grasp, unable to breath. "Ye always tie it too tight!", Jasmine said indignantly, finally freeing herself. She walked through the crowd towards the back where the inn was located, picking up a feather duster off of an ironically dusty table, nearly knocking over a lamp without a second thought.
Fern, unfazed by her sister's upset mood toward her that evening, moved under six stools along the counter, ducked under the thick wood barrier and strolled off toward the swinging doors to the kitchen. She pushed them open, walked in, and upon finding a new kettle, nearly slipped on the just mopped floor. A short woman caught her quickly and smiled.
"Need that filled?", she asked casually, going back to her work.
"Please Jo. Jasmine tried to give me the ol rusted one earlier, I can't believe I'm related to her.", Jo giggled softly.
"You're one to talk with your great skills of observation, that puddle was about as big as you are tall.", she smiled down at her with the warmth only her eyes could convey to anyone and took the kettle to the sink. She filled it with water and moved quickly to the cabinets, opening one and instantly finding the ingredients. She placed the kettle on the already hot stove and returned to the making of that evenings dinner.
Jasmine moved through the slowly thinning crowds of tall men and small hobbits and came to the only occupied room that night. She knocked quietly on the door. She was apparently heard because a lot of movement followed and a low voice almost hissed, "Who is it?"
"The maid sir" she said staring at her feet still slightly angered by her sisters lack of respect towards her. "I was sent by Butterbur, I'm to tend to your sheets and the settin up of the fire", there was a pause and then the door creaked slowly open and a large man stood before her.
"Comin, be quick with your business and leave"
"Well, my sisters a comin too, she'll be bringin ale and tea fer ye." She stepped in quickly, the door was silently shut behind her an the cloaked figure swept across the floor to a small huddled group.
From what she could tell they were three or four hobbits, not much older than her. She stared in silence for a couple seconds at the poor condition of the small group.
"Go on, we don't need much and would prefer not to have any unwanted company" She was hurt slightly but understood that she had most likely intruded on a delicate meeting and moved about her work quickly and without a word. She put clean sheets on the old rickety beds and dusted the parts of the room that had things living in them. When she got to starting the fire the couldn't get the slightly damp logs to light with the tiny sparks her method, involving two sticks, made. Growing impatient watching the slightly incompetent hobbit, Aragorn reached in his pocket, feeling for a small object.
"Where did my lighter go." he said, not amused and slightly upset.
"Here you go sir" Pippin said with a devilish grin.
"What did you do to it?", Strider said, distrust clear in his voice.
"Nothin really. I swear it sir.", Merry said snickering softly, trying to repress his laughter. Strider, not really caring one way or the other, poked Jasmine softly on the shoulder, for she had ignored the entire conversation while trying to light the fire. He handed the small object to her, she took it and placed it above the wood, and flicked at it a few times with no success. Merry and Pippin could barely contain their giggles and laughs, Sam was staring at them questioningly and Strider sat smoking on his pipe, ignoring the ruckus completely and waiting for the maid to finish her work. Suddenly a huge fire burst from the fireplace, Merry and Pippin broke out in laughter, Sam and Frodo rushed over and saw that apparently a relatively small amount of the clear liquid from the lighter had been sprayed over a small area of the logs earlier. They also saw that apparently Jasmine's fingers were on fire.
The door of the Prancing Pony swung open and in walked two young hobbit women, not much taller than three foot. Jasmine and Fern moved quickly through the moving crowds and waved off all stares and whistles from young hobbits, and the occasional drunk man, with a quick smile or a cold shoulder. As they approached the bar two white aprons were tossed over edge of the barrier were Butterbur stood waiting for them.
"Yer late, get to work, we've got five respectable guests stayin tonight and I expect em ta be treated properly. Fern bring em some tea and rum fer the evening, and Jasmine, clean their rooms and set em up a nice fire", he looked down at them, slightly disapprovingly. "Keep em entertained too, y'hear? I don't want no complaints from our guests agin", he looked down at Fern, "I be wantin none of that attitude o yours neither. Now get to it.", He said rather hurried as he heard a call from across the room, "Yes, yes! I heard ya, a pint o ale comin in one second sir.", He quickly grabbed a glass, filled it, and was off.
"Ferny?", Jasmine asked in the slightly timid voice she typically used round her sister, "Ye be needin help with that tea?", grabbing an old rusted kettle from atop the bar and starting to toddle off to the swinging barrier that led behind the counter.
"No, you know how long it takes ye ta get a proper fire started.", Fern responded in the normal dominant and slightly bossy tone she could only get away with using on her sister. She took the old kettle from her hands, replaced it on the counter and grabbed her sister's shoulders from behind. "And just look at the mess ye woulda gone and gotten yourself into this time", She said, indicating the loosely tied knot that held her apron on. "Go and get yerself burned makin that fire, eh?", she snickered tightening the loose bow,
"Okay. Okay!", Jasmine yelped, wriggling and squirming from her sisters grasp, unable to breath. "Ye always tie it too tight!", Jasmine said indignantly, finally freeing herself. She walked through the crowd towards the back where the inn was located, picking up a feather duster off of an ironically dusty table, nearly knocking over a lamp without a second thought.
Fern, unfazed by her sister's upset mood toward her that evening, moved under six stools along the counter, ducked under the thick wood barrier and strolled off toward the swinging doors to the kitchen. She pushed them open, walked in, and upon finding a new kettle, nearly slipped on the just mopped floor. A short woman caught her quickly and smiled.
"Need that filled?", she asked casually, going back to her work.
"Please Jo. Jasmine tried to give me the ol rusted one earlier, I can't believe I'm related to her.", Jo giggled softly.
"You're one to talk with your great skills of observation, that puddle was about as big as you are tall.", she smiled down at her with the warmth only her eyes could convey to anyone and took the kettle to the sink. She filled it with water and moved quickly to the cabinets, opening one and instantly finding the ingredients. She placed the kettle on the already hot stove and returned to the making of that evenings dinner.
Jasmine moved through the slowly thinning crowds of tall men and small hobbits and came to the only occupied room that night. She knocked quietly on the door. She was apparently heard because a lot of movement followed and a low voice almost hissed, "Who is it?"
"The maid sir" she said staring at her feet still slightly angered by her sisters lack of respect towards her. "I was sent by Butterbur, I'm to tend to your sheets and the settin up of the fire", there was a pause and then the door creaked slowly open and a large man stood before her.
"Comin, be quick with your business and leave"
"Well, my sisters a comin too, she'll be bringin ale and tea fer ye." She stepped in quickly, the door was silently shut behind her an the cloaked figure swept across the floor to a small huddled group.
From what she could tell they were three or four hobbits, not much older than her. She stared in silence for a couple seconds at the poor condition of the small group.
"Go on, we don't need much and would prefer not to have any unwanted company" She was hurt slightly but understood that she had most likely intruded on a delicate meeting and moved about her work quickly and without a word. She put clean sheets on the old rickety beds and dusted the parts of the room that had things living in them. When she got to starting the fire the couldn't get the slightly damp logs to light with the tiny sparks her method, involving two sticks, made. Growing impatient watching the slightly incompetent hobbit, Aragorn reached in his pocket, feeling for a small object.
"Where did my lighter go." he said, not amused and slightly upset.
"Here you go sir" Pippin said with a devilish grin.
"What did you do to it?", Strider said, distrust clear in his voice.
"Nothin really. I swear it sir.", Merry said snickering softly, trying to repress his laughter. Strider, not really caring one way or the other, poked Jasmine softly on the shoulder, for she had ignored the entire conversation while trying to light the fire. He handed the small object to her, she took it and placed it above the wood, and flicked at it a few times with no success. Merry and Pippin could barely contain their giggles and laughs, Sam was staring at them questioningly and Strider sat smoking on his pipe, ignoring the ruckus completely and waiting for the maid to finish her work. Suddenly a huge fire burst from the fireplace, Merry and Pippin broke out in laughter, Sam and Frodo rushed over and saw that apparently a relatively small amount of the clear liquid from the lighter had been sprayed over a small area of the logs earlier. They also saw that apparently Jasmine's fingers were on fire.