"Shhh, 'ere they come in now."

Round cheeks and bouncing curls turned from the warmth of the fire to spy two handsome hobbits entering the small tavern.

They seemed ever so much taller than the average hobbit, and so confident; swinging their fancy, bright-colored cloaks up to the hooks with a flourish. Their jovial voices greeted others at a far table by the window with loud exclamations of salutation and much patting of backs and shuffling of chairs.

"You say they have been past the Old Forest, to wild Kingdoms abroad?" a fair lass whispered to her companion, as she gazed across the room at the group.

"Indeed, 'tis only since last fall o' course that they got back. Frodo Baggins you know...that's him there with the green," said the other, grinning widely as she told the tale. "They all the four of them went far off on some great journey. Gone for a year, they were. We all thought they'd been lost forever."

"A year?  During the...did they miss all the mess...with the men and Sharkey?"

"Mmm, but those two who just arrived now...Merry Brandybuck, you see the one in crimson, and Pippin Took, he's in bright gold there." She subtly pointed at each in turn as she continued their hushed conversation. "They nearly single-handedly rid the whole of the Shire of those men."

"No! Really?" 

"Surely you've heard the tales of the battle up in the North?"

"Yes...indeed, though we didn't have as much trouble as you had down here." 

"Well, they say that Frodo and Sam Gamgee went and accomplished some great task...not sure exactly, but to hear Sam tell it, Frodo helped in the downfall of a terrible evil. Though I just can't see how it could be so."

"Perhaps being hobbits they proved useful somehow?"

"Must have, but I hear Frodo didn't even want to kill any of those men. And after all they'd done. Ripping up half of Hobbiton and Bag End and all of Bagshot row!  Those men would have killed us hobbits with less than a care; don't know why he would think to treat them better than they treated us. I hear he even was against harming that Sharkey fellow. And he was a dreadful cracked creature. I was glad to hear he fell and..."

"Shhh...One of...he's..."

As Pippin Took approached, the whispering friends suddenly quieted. He gave the two lasses a winning smile and sidled up to the barkeep beside them.

"Another round of half-pints please, for four."  Turning to the duo, who watched him in silent awe, he spoke once more. "Hullo Daisy, I've not met your friend..." His eyebrow rose slightly as he broke into a crooked grin.

"Oh, Pippin. Have you not met Diamond?"  Daisy straightened up and gestured as she spoke, "Diamond this is Pippin Took; he's of Tuckborough, his father is Thain. Pippin this is Diamond Took of Long Cleeve, down visiting for a season."

Pippin's smile broadened and he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "A pleasure to meet you. I am always happy to meet my distant cousins from the North, but I've not usually been so delighted to look upon them. Diamond, a gem of beauty...you are aptly named." He winked and she blushed.

"Very pleased to meet you as well, sir," Diamond replied with a slight nod, as she tried to keep herself from bursting into laughter.

The barkeep arrived carrying a tray filled with mugs of ale and Pippin turned to take it from him. "Perhaps we will meet again milady."  Lifting the tray and nodding to the lasses he headed back to his table.

"Oh my, I'm impressed," Daisy whispered with a giggle. "I do believe he fancies you."

Diamond did not reply, but watched as he sat and their eyes met once more. Though he continued to chat with his friends, he raised his mug to her and smiled.

"Pippin...were you listening?" Merry's voice seemed to come into his hearing from far away.

"Uh...what?  No I suppose I wasn't..."

Merry eyed him, glanced over at the lass across the room and smirked, "You've fallen for her."

Pippin grinned widely. He raised his mug to his friend's and they clanked them together gently before they sipped again. "I may have my friend, I may have."