[piosenniel]

6 Cermië

She heard the knocking at her door and rose stiffly from her chair. ‘Now what do you need?’ she called out, thinking the Shiriff had forgotten to press her on some important point. ‘I know no more now than when you last were here!’ she said as she threw open the door.

A surprised Cami stood on the threshold. ‘What in the Shire are you talking about? I’ve come to play with the babies - that’s all I need. And honestly, I have no questions for you, except: Where are they?’ She watched as Pio limped painfully back to her chair, favoring her left leg.

‘What’s happened to you?’ she asked. Her eyes strayed to the nursery door; she could hear Gilly’s voice, and the fussing little cries of hungry babies.

‘Nothing!’ came the curt reply from the Elf. ‘I’m just a little stiff, that’s all.’

‘Stiff, my foot!’ said Gilly in a disapproving tone. She came out of the nursery, cradling an infant in each arm. ‘Begging your pardon and all, Mistress Piosenniel, but it’s your Elven neck that’s stiff, not your leg.’ She turned to Cami and handed her the little girl. The hungry, squalling boy she handed to his mother. ‘You should make her show you her leg. The place where Willem cut her. It’s not healing right, what I’ve seen of it, and she won’t let Prim take a look at it.’

Gilly looked meaningfully at Cami as she uttered her next statement. ‘I heard from one of the Bywater boys who was at the Inn yesterday that Gammer Bolger was going to Amaranthas’ today, to leave her some of her unguents and herbals in trade for thimbleberry jam and plum conserve, and a loaf or two of Amaranthas’ seed cake.’ A certain light came into her eyes and she peered at Cami thoughtfully.

‘If you’re not busy this morning, maybe we can all take a ride up to Amaranthas’ and catch her there.’ She picked up the baby from Cami’s arms and traded her for the boy.

Pio raised her brows at the obviousness of this suggestion, and was about to shake her head ‘no’, when Cami spoke . . .