Here's a reloaded attempt at fixing the little problem with quotations.
Hope this is better.
~Phe-chan~
"Are you sure that these little creatures are safe?" asked Erynsir.
The three boys (Jeremie, Erynen, and Erynsir) were bedding down for the night in one of the small, ground-floor rooms of "The Green Dragon Inn." Megan's room was across the hall.
"Sure, they're safe," Jeremie mumbled, half-asleep. "Don't worry about a thing."
"As you say," Erynen answered, he being more trusting than his cousin.
Erynsir sighed, but put his head down and tried to sleep, which was no easy feat in a bed that was about four feet too short for his long Elven body. Beside him, Erynen's eyes became eerily vacant as the latter dropped asleep. In the other bed, Jeremie's breathing became heavy. Erynsir laid awake for an hour or more and was not any closer to sleep when he heard it:
Scuffle, shuffle, "Shhhhhhh...," creeeeeeeeaak, scuffle, shuffle, scuffle, shuffle...
'What in Eä?' Erynsir wondered.
"Tie it, tie it!" whispered a small voice.
Erynsir felt a cord around his ankles and immediately kicked out hard.
"Ow!" barked another voice, and suddenly there was light in the room as Erynen, who had awoken at the first scuff, lit the lantern and leapt to his feet.
The Elves gaped s about thirty Halflings (Tooks and Brandybucks) were revealed in the lamplight, some carrying rope and about half carrying three long, thick poles. One little Hobbit's nose was bleeding. This was Paladin Took, the band's leader, whose nose Erynsir had bloodied with his instinctive kick.
"Take the Big Folk! We want 'em alive!" Paladin shouted.
'This MUST be a jest,' Erynsir thought incredulously.
It wasn't. The Hobbits hesitated, seeming overawed by the two Eldar standing above them, though the Elves were wearing only loose shirts and leggings and were unarmed. Then the smaller creatures mustered their courage and swarmed at the Elves and Jeremie, ten Hobbits to a Big Person. In the cramped Hobbit-sized room, there was no space for fighting, and the Big Folk were over-powered and tied to the poles, which were hauled out of the inn, ten Hobbits supporting each pole.
~Phe-chan~
"Are you sure that these little creatures are safe?" asked Erynsir.
The three boys (Jeremie, Erynen, and Erynsir) were bedding down for the night in one of the small, ground-floor rooms of "The Green Dragon Inn." Megan's room was across the hall.
"Sure, they're safe," Jeremie mumbled, half-asleep. "Don't worry about a thing."
"As you say," Erynen answered, he being more trusting than his cousin.
Erynsir sighed, but put his head down and tried to sleep, which was no easy feat in a bed that was about four feet too short for his long Elven body. Beside him, Erynen's eyes became eerily vacant as the latter dropped asleep. In the other bed, Jeremie's breathing became heavy. Erynsir laid awake for an hour or more and was not any closer to sleep when he heard it:
Scuffle, shuffle, "Shhhhhhh...," creeeeeeeeaak, scuffle, shuffle, scuffle, shuffle...
'What in Eä?' Erynsir wondered.
"Tie it, tie it!" whispered a small voice.
Erynsir felt a cord around his ankles and immediately kicked out hard.
"Ow!" barked another voice, and suddenly there was light in the room as Erynen, who had awoken at the first scuff, lit the lantern and leapt to his feet.
The Elves gaped s about thirty Halflings (Tooks and Brandybucks) were revealed in the lamplight, some carrying rope and about half carrying three long, thick poles. One little Hobbit's nose was bleeding. This was Paladin Took, the band's leader, whose nose Erynsir had bloodied with his instinctive kick.
"Take the Big Folk! We want 'em alive!" Paladin shouted.
'This MUST be a jest,' Erynsir thought incredulously.
It wasn't. The Hobbits hesitated, seeming overawed by the two Eldar standing above them, though the Elves were wearing only loose shirts and leggings and were unarmed. Then the smaller creatures mustered their courage and swarmed at the Elves and Jeremie, ten Hobbits to a Big Person. In the cramped Hobbit-sized room, there was no space for fighting, and the Big Folk were over-powered and tied to the poles, which were hauled out of the inn, ten Hobbits supporting each pole.