Rosie sat back in her comfy chair and picked up her knitting.  The days seemed longer when she wasn't at the pub, but since the occupation had begun, the Green Dragon was no place for a young lass.  And so she sat, waiting for someone to come by and talk, or just waiting for something new.

            "Rose?"  Tolman yelled back at his daughter.  "I hear a rap at the door and I can't get to it.  Answer it for me, will you lass?"

            "Of course, Father!"  Rosie almost cheered when she opened the door and stood face to face with Estella Bolger.  "Estella!  I haven't seen you in quite a while.  Not since…"

            "Rosie, I have news."  Rosie could tell that Estella had gotten more cheerful since they had last spoken.  And she found that cheerfulness contagious.

            "News?  Of Sam… and the others?  What sort of news, exactly?"

            "Slow down, I can't say much.  Only, what are you doing this evening?"

            "I can't work at the pub anymore, so I have nothing to do.  Estella, what is going on?"

            "We need to go to Long Cleeve this evening.  I have two ponies from our stables for us to ride."  Estella cringed a bit when she saw Rosie's reaction.  She did not seem at all pleased with riding to the North Country.

            "Long Cleeve is not a short journey.  We would have to leave, well, now and we would have to stay until the morning.  What have you got up your sleeve, lass?"

            "Trust me.  Please, just trust me.  I have already made all of the necessary arrangements.  Tell your father that you have been invited to a home there for the night and will be back in the morning.  Pack what you may need for the evening, and please hurry!"  Rosie rushed through her small hobbit hole collecting the bare essentials.  The last task was to tell the Tolman.

            "Uh, Father…Estella Bolger has invited me to stay away in the north for the night.  May I go?"  Rosie took in a deep breath as she waited for her father's reply.

            "Of course, my dear.  Have a wonderful time.  Say hello to Mister and Rosamunda for me."  She let out a heavy sigh of relief, knowing that she had been spared from going against her father.

            "I will, Father.  Thank you."  She streamed out the door and met Estella down the walk.  She stopped as she saw a beautiful white pony waiting for her to mount.

            "Don't worry, Rosie.  He's quite calm.  He'll take you safely to Long Cleeve, right up to Diamond Grenthumb's door."  Rosie was in shock as she mounted her pony.

            "Miss Diamond?!  I can't go there.  I'm not presentable enough.  Oh, Estella, you should have told me."

            "If I had told you, you wouldn't have come."

            "Of course I wouldn't have."

            "Rosie, you are quite presentable.  Diamond isn't some special person.  Of course, she is very beautiful, but we don't have to impress her.  She's going to answer our questions."

            "So, the rumors are true then?  She's half-elven and all… she keeps connected with her elven kin?"

            "All true.  Now come on, lass, she's waiting."