Aaron gets lost in Staddle

The village of Staddle is nestled on the south-eastern slopes of Bree-hill. Staddle is comprised of hobbit-holes inset into the gentle slopes of Bree-hill. A well defined pathway leads along the slopes of the hill. The pathway dances among the hill, running in front of the hobbit-holes here on the lower slopes before climbing upward to the higher reaches of Staddle. A wooden fence circles the lower reaches of Staddle, where the hillside is steeper. The path is somewhat muddy just here, with large footsteps that have pressed down into the dirt and then dried. Something glitters in one of the hollows...

The moon has risen now, bathing the world in pale light. The stars are visible this night. The lands of Bree are wrapped in shadow, making familiar paths obscure and strange.

A stooping figure walks along the path, squinting through the night. As he stumbles along he trips over a rock and lets out a bout of cursing. Finally he stands up and grits his teeth. \"What genius left a rock in the middle of the road?\" he hisses to no one in particular.

A door slams open and a querulous hobbit voice says, \"Keep it down out there, can\'t you? Tis th\'middle of the bloomin\' night, an\' all me kids is sleeping!\"

The voice of another clearly startles whoever is on the path. \"Sorry, lad!\" he screams back, then the Merchant Aaron comes into view. He stumbles once, then graabs at his foot. \"Sorry for the yelling my good fellow,\" he says again, \"Ut\'s just that there was a rock in the middle of the road. I fell right over it and jammed my big toe.\"

A hobbit in full night attire - gown, cap and candle - stands in the doorway and peers out, blinking sleepily (and a little irritated). \"Nonsense,\" he says. \"There isn\'t no rocks in our roads. We takes /good/ care of \'em.\"

Aaron is somewhat taken aback at this. He rubs the back of his neck and frowns. \"Calm down, good man. I ain\'t blaming you for the rock. Could\'ve been blow there by the wind or could have just been there the whole time and you never knew it.\"

\"Oh.\" The hobbit rubs the back of his neck in an unconscious imitation of Aaron\'s motion. \"Well.\" A pause. \"Well, don\'t see as how you mightn\'t be right,\" he says finally, generously. Then a look of avid curiosity crosses his face. \"Say, what\'re you doing out here anyways? Middle of the night and all?\"

\"Long story,\" Aaron explains, massaging his foot, \"I can tell you in brief though. Was out here visiting a friend of mine, great lad he is, great lad. So we share a few drinks, then I realize the time. \'Better get goin\',\' says I, so I ran off but not being a regular in these parts I was soon lost...still lost now in fact.\"

\"Lost?\" Ordo goggles. How could /any/one get lost in Staddle? Such a thing has never happened. Never! \"Well,\" he tries incompetently to help. \"You\'re standing right here in front of my house, and right on down the road there is the Leafturner\'s...\"

Aaron nods vaguely. \"Don\'t mean to be rude good fellow, but I\'m not really looking for the Leafturners. Could you just tell me how to get on back to Bree? Gatekeeper will be mighty angry, but I can sweet talk him if I feel like doin\' so.\"

\"Oh. Bree?\" Ordo sounds a bit vague, as if he isn\'t sure just where Bree is. But he waves a genial hand. \"Go along that road there, see? The one as turns a bit to the south.\"

\"Thank you ever so much good man,\" Aaron replies with a grin. He turns towards the road and blinks. \"Looks mighty dark...but nobody better mess with me, not with this broken toe. Good night to you!\" The Merchant waves, then starts off cautiously down the road.