HIIIIIIII! I've slowed down a little on updating, schedule got a little tighter. Eh but better late tan never some people would say. I have something interesting to share real quick. Something I learned that gives me an extra motivation through this year and by sharing it I hope it has the same influence for you. "The steps that you're taking to achieve your career choices may seem more like a hobby and less like your job. So view your job as your hobby, and your hobby as your job, and so that one day you'll be making money off your job (career choice) instead of your hobby (current job)"

No it's not one of those " new year new me" things, rather this would apply to your whole future choice. It gave me that extra motivational boost to help keep my head up when I feel like my life isn't going anywhere, and so I share it with you as a 'one friend to another' with hopes that it helps you too with whatever you may be struggling with. If not then that's okay too. (^_^)

Here is my next chapter for you, please enjoy!

(Special thanks to Missreadstoomuch! thank you for your encouragement and support.)

And thank YOU READER! for visiting my story and taking time for feedback.

Once again, the woman slept in as long as she could,willing herself to try and go back to sleep whenever she woke up. Sadly it didn't work so well. She laid there for an hour just vegetating until it was time to give up and get up. Eventually, she did force herself to get up and get dressed. After trying to smothen out her hair to makeit look more presentable, she walked downstairs to the main hall. There weren't that much pepole this morning, but at one table sat Rohawk and two other rangers. She went up and greeted them with a good morning.
"Good morning." He greeted back, sipping at what smelled like apple cider. " What shall you do today?"
Alicia sat down, and one of the others politely poured a cup for her. SHe thanked himbefore taking a pull and answering. " I'm not real sure entirely. I know thgat I need money if I'm going to try to make it back home. Maybe I'll get a temporary job somewhere for a while till I reach a certain figure I guess." she took another drink of the warm drink. " Maybe I'll see if they're hiring here."
One of the others beside him odded in approval. "A wise choice. There are rarely any questionable travelers that come this way with ill purpose. It s a safe place for women to work."
At first that didn't matter to her, but when she thought more on the logic, it made sense.
Her purple eyes flickered back up to look at the three rangers. " I'm not sure I expressed my gratitude for your help. So, Thank you all. I know it's part of your duty, but it's still appreciated." She felt a little silly saying that but it was true and that's what mattered.
Rohawk simply smiled politely. " You are most welcome."He replied cheerilly.
Once they had shared a nice big breakfast, Alicia did get up to speak to the owner of the inn. A portly, quiet and reserved hobbit who had wide eyes. He tilted his head back to gaze u at her like she was a giant. Well, maybe xompared to him...
She smiled and introduced herself, politely asking for a job. He rubbed his chin, asked a few questions but decided to give her a chance.
She shared the good news with her ranger friends, enjoying the last day with them. They were even kind enough to buy a few basic nessecesties like a brush and comb. A couple of extra outfits and another pair of shoes and a simple purse.
The hobbit manager said she had a free room and meals, which was also a nice perk. He gave her a tour of wehere everything was and the typical work schedule and pay and everything a boss's responsibilities to a new employee.
The rangers got to stay for a week longer, during the time,when she was off, she spent more time with them chatting, walking the beautiful scenery, seeing the nearby shops and library. Alicia asked a lot of questions, knowing some of the information would no doubt slip away due to information overload. At another shop thatsold things like journals, ink and office supplies, is where she found out how surprisingly expensive paper was in this land. It surprised her, but her island was a very independant country after all.
With her first pay, she kept as much coin to herself as possible. Alicia was a tight wad when it came to money to begin with, but she did splurge on a new journal. It would seem like a great idea to journal her experiences in Middle Earth.
Only a few days were normally busy. The beginning of the week, Sunday through Tuesday. Eventually she as able to fall into a routine and know how to do everything it took to run an inn. She found that she did rather like the cute hobbits and the humans that came were mostly merchants and rangers, so true to Rohawk's word, the place was pretty safe.
Alicia tried doing a few extra work to try to earn some extra coin if she could.
A little over a month had passed with not much unusual hapening. Zinnia, a friendly hobbit lady that she befriended while working atthe green dragon, walked with her to the markets to help her find a few other supplies Alicia had been wanting to obtain.
Zinnia was a chattery little lady. She seemed to have something new to talk about nearly all the time. That or she had finally found someone who would listen to her thoughts. Alicia though, had really appreciate her company, having someone who knew the area helped a lot especially when it came to the markets. Now she didn't have to worry about being ripped off easily.
" Don't get me wrong, he's a nice and sweet man, but I'm really not looking to settle down just yet you see." she went on brushing curls out of her hair as they walked. " He has a nice scent and very proper beta. I just cannot see much of a romantic relationship with him is all."
Alicia glanced at her thoughtfully. " Beta? And nice scent you say?"
Zinnia smiled and nodded. " Ah yes I forgot you are new to theses parts, being a human and all. I don't suppose anyone's told you that much about hobbits? Of course not. We're a bit untrusting to big folk, or well most outsiders actually." She gave a soft smile as the hobbit went on counting on her fingers. " Well, there's three classes. I'm sure you might have heard of it with animals? Alpha, Beta and Omega. We hobbits go by that heirarchy too you see. I myself am a beta."
The woman watched the hobbit with open interest. " Really? Do you get to choose with class you fall under?"
"Mmm. Not exactly. Firstly you are born as an omega, then as your personality blossoms that what determines your more permanent status. And in some occasions, an omega can become a beta and then an Alpha or vice vers due to certain circumstances. For example a fight between and alpha and a beta and if the beta wins he or she becomes the alpha and the previous alpha would stay where they're at or become a beta depending on the results. Hee hee, but hobbits rarely fight so violently. In the Shire one's class can change depending on their business and family reputation too. For instance, the working class of hobbits are called Noakes, and most all of them are betas and omegas. The Alphas are generally the heads of the house holds." Zinnia happily explained as she made a trade with a fruit seller, buying four manderins for two coppers.
"Interesting.." was really all Alicia could think of to say at the time that was more polite than 'that's weird'. Becuase that's what she was truthfully thinking. " How do you know the difference?"
"Well by their scent mostly, or the way they behave." Zinnia asnwered happily. Thank goodness she was the patient sort. " I know humans have to be much closer, practically standing in their homes to really pick up a person's specific smell. Has anyone ever told you yours?" The brunette leaned closer to Alicia taking a deep inhale of her nose. " Yours smells like sweet rainwater."
"And what does that make me?" Alicia smiled in bemusement.
" Hmm, by your personality, you could be either Beta or Alpha. It's harder to classify humans since they are so diverse. Perhaps the only ones who could multiclass if they were a part of the same culture. Dear me wouldn't that be confusing." Zinnia smiled apologetically.
Alicia smiled broadly back, indicating she held no ill will for it as they made their way to a place that sold sweaters, coats and cloaks. The tailer got Alicia's measurements and said he'd have a travel coat ready for her in ten days.
Just as she bade farewel to the tailer, she saw movement in her peripheral and looke over to see familiar short brown curls and a red waist coat. " Mister Bilbo!" She waved, smiling happily as the hobbit looked over at hearing his name. His head was buried in some parchment as he was walking by. He switched directions to come and greet the two ladies.
Zinnia let out a startled gasp next to Alicia, looking up at her as if she'd suddenly started floating away. "What are you doing?!" She whisper yelled. " Not mad old baggins!"
Zinnia quickly tore her gaze away and plastered on a huge smile once Bilbo had approached them.
" Good afternoon Miss Alicia." He looked at the new hobbit lady and smiled. " Good afternoon Miss..." He left the greeting on an unfinished note. He bent low at the waist, presentingn his palms outward that swept as low as he bent.
"Zinnia Maplewood, nice to see you looking well. I heard what happened with those awful orcs."
Zinnia greeted.
Bilbo dipped his head. "Ah yes. Such a dreadful mess it was. Thank Yavanna, no one was too badly wounded. The trouble that day as enough to make anyone a little fussy I daresay."
The two ladies nodded in sympathy. Zinnia flashed her white smile again, seemingly having run out of things to say suddenly.
Alicia didn't quite understand her peculiar behavior. To her Bilbo seemed rather friendly, but she might be speaking too soon since she did not exactly know him all that well.
Bilbo looked back up to Alicia. " How are you doing? I haven't seen you in some time. I thought you might have gone back with the rangers." He said to Alicia.
" I got a temporary job at the Green Dragon." She replied. " It's my day off so I came to the markets."
"Ah yes. It's a beautiful day for it isn't it? I do hope I am not holding you back on anything important." Bilbo said apologetically to the two.
Zinnia simply smiled kindly. " We were just taking a stroll through the markets was all."
" How have you been Mister Bilbo?" Alicia asked him.
Bilbo gave a humble shrug. " Oh not much to complain about anymore. To me, that's a good day in my book." He had a small smile on his face. To Alicia though, the smile was too short-lived...
"Would you still have time for a cup of tea one day?" Alicia offered.
"Why I always have time for a cuppa'." Bilbo smiled a little more. " Would Miss Zinnia wish to attend?" He offered politely.
Said hobbit shook her head kindly. " Oh no thank you. I'm just too busy you see." She answered very quickly, even casted an odd look at Alicia for some reason.
"When would be a good time for you?" Alicia turned her attention back to Bilbo. What ever Zinnia was thinking Alicia was sure she'd hear about it soon.
Bilbo absentmindedly pulled at his waistcoat. "Well, I usually have tea at two, though anytime is well enough for me. Perhaps on your next day off?"
"That sounds great. Friday?" Alicia asked.
Bilbo confirmed with a yes and that he'd meet her here again around two.
They bade their farwells and left. Once Bilbo was far out of sight, and earshot, Zinnia predictably looked up to Alicia with her whipser-yell as if they weren't far enough away. " Tea?! With Mad Baggins?! Are you mad too?!"
" What? Why are you calling him mad?" Alicia frowned down at her. "He doesn't seem so crazy to me."
"Oh!" Zinnia balked and bristled. " Of course not to a human, but to hobbits. He's become a few seeds short of a full core. He went on an adventure." she said with wide eyes as if it were the most horrid thing in the world. " Hobbits do NOT go on adventures. We live peaceful lives ignoring the world and happily being ignored. The world doesn't bother us when we do. But Bilbo? He was perfectly respectable until two winters ago."
"What happened two years ago?" Alicia couldn't help but ask.
"He had the most peculiar of guests come over at his smial one eve. Dwarves and the old man that sold fire works anually." Zinnia started. "Then the next morning he went bolting out of his home and didn't return for months later. He was presumed dead and his things being auctioned out just as he returned home. Not sure how he got all his wares back, but ever since, he's not been the same. Neighborly enough as anyone still, if not a bit more lippy than his usual quiet politeness. But I suppose he's always been that way since his fauntling years." She made a half hearted shrug.
"What was that odd bow that he did, should we have done that too? " Alicia asked.
" Ah, that is a bow mostly alphas and betas do to present a much more friendly and approachable greeting." Zinnia explained. "Do be careful around him Miss Alicia. He is an Alpha too."
"What does that imply?" Alicia scratched at the side of her head.
"Alphas. They are the highest class as I've mentioned before." Zinnia wrinkled her button nose."You see, when Alphas find something that they desire, they can be a little harder to deter from it. Any respectable hobbit Alpha would know how to pursue what they wanted in the most reputable and honorable way. I just warn you because Bilbo 'Mad Ol' Baggins is different. Very different."
"But he's not dangerous right?" The islander prodded again. "I mean, you seemed qiute openly friendly to him."
Zinnia lifted her chin. " Well of course! We hobbits always mind our msanners in the public.
I wouldn't say life threatening, yet. But Madness can be quite the contagion though. If you hang around a mad person too long you yourself could start going crazy too."
Alicia bkinked at the hobbit's odd logic. That did sound a bit too supersticious for her to completely agree on, but it might be rude to voice that so she kept it to herself.
The hobbit lass looked up at her again. "Regrettng your future tea party with him now?"
"No." Alicia answered quickly. " It's just a small visit. Should be completely harmless. Nothing really 'desireable' about a small visit."
Zinnia did not seem convinced in the slightest, but at least she had stopped with her rumor bouting.
Alicia curiosity was piqued though and she found herself wanting to know more. About anything and everything she could really, and so spent more time subtly eavesdropping on the patrons that came by or the people she passed by in the markets. Mostly she got squabbling random gossiping, but it did entertain her some times.

I always thought the zinnias were pretty so I chose it as a name for a hobbit lady. Zinnia is mostly here to be the 'explanatory guide' in the story much like Brenada was, who was there just for the basics while Zinnia adds a little more details. I was thinking it would be belter for the readers too if details were added a little more at a time instead of thrown at them all at once. Again, sorry if the story seems a little slow. It's a work in progress, especially since a lot of this I'm making up as I go. But since this is AU, that also means whatever ideas this may spark in you, I am open for feedback!