[Noinkling]

The thick curtains pulled shut across the little window kept the sunlight from reaching in to wake him. Tolly’s snug, Hobbit-sized room was at the far end of the Inn, the last one in fact on the ground floor. And yesterday had been long and tiring. and the night a late one. Tolly’s eyes had grown heavy and closed just moments after his head hit the pillow. His sleep had been dreamless, his bed comfortable and warm.

It was only when the sound of someone rapping on his door poked through the haze of sleep that he had roused up. And looking round the still dark room wondered for a moment where he was.

‘Mr. Greenhand, sir,’ came the pleasant voice. ‘Mr. Greenhand!’ it called again. ‘It’s going on mid-day and I’m needing to clean up the room and straighten the linens.’

‘Mid-day!’ squeaked Tolly, jumping from bed. He picked his breeches up from the rug where he’d dropped them and jammed his feet through the legs. Tucking his shirt into the waistband of his breeches, he called out for whoever was on the other side of the door to come in.

‘It’s me,’ said Ruby, just coming to see to your room for the day. ‘Didn’t mean to wake you.’

‘Well, thank my lucky stars you did,’ Tolly replied, running his fingers hurriedly through his short crop of curly hair. ‘I promised I’d help with the tables and benches this morning.’

‘No need to hurry, then,’ Ruby laughed. ‘You’ve planned it just right. The early risers have got the tables all arranged like Cook wants them, and the chairs and benches have been brought out, too. Some of the ladies have started to put out the tablecloths on the food and mathoms’ tables and others are putting the flowers about.’ She handed him his vest that he’d hung on the door knob. ‘You just go down and get a plate of food and enjoy the nice weather that’s come up this morning.’

She opened the curtains wide and cracked open the window for a little fresh air. The sound of music came drifting into his room . . . a merry tune . . . just the sort he and Blossom like to dance to.

‘The band is practicing, as you can hear,’ said Ruby, as she hurried over to straighten the bedclothes. She plumped the pillow, then took down yesterday’s used towel by the washstand, and left him a fresh one. The sound several lads doing heavy lifting obscured the dance tune. Ruby looked out again, and smiled back at Tolly as she drew in her head.

‘Now there’s something you can help with,’ she said, pointing out the window. Tolly squeezed in beside her, following the line of her finger. A number of strapping Hobbits had hoisted the first of the ale kegs onto the crossed-bar holders and were preparing to tap it. ‘They’ll be needing volunteers to see if the ale’s up to par for the party.’ She watched as several other teams of hoisters, maneuvered their kegs to their own crossed-bars. ‘Go on now,’ she laughed. ‘Get some food in your belly first then help the men test the ale . . . tis a Dragon tradition.’

Tolly started out the door and down the hall to the kitchen. He heard Ruby call out to him a last time. ‘Best pace yourself, Master Tolly,’ she said, grinning widely at him. ‘There’s the rest of today and much of the night to get through . . .’