| A pigeon from Sergeant Hoagie called guardsman Trent back to Cove. When he arrived the Sergeant and Estel were standing outside the tavern, Estel with a wide smile on her face.
"They let me stay! I'm a citizen!" She beamed.
JT beamed back and the three of them went into the tavern for a drink.
"I can gather wool, make bandages, clean, work in the tavern, collect feathers..." She chatted happily.
"All we need know is somewhere to stay JT."
By this time a hearty hobbit had entered the tavern and was telling jokes. He overhead the conversation and offered his small cottage as a temporary home to the young elf and guardsman and they gladly accepted.
Estel was now so excited she could not sleep so and along with Hoagie they grabbed some supplies and headed to the troubled town of Moonglow to spread the word of the Baron's army.
They left many recruitment banners before returning to the hobbits cottage to sleep. Estel laid on the comfy bed and JT wrapped in his bedroll was on the floor. They gazed and smiled at eachother in the little light provided by the dying fire until drifting off to sleep.
The next day Estel couldn't wait to start work so with JT for protection they headed off into the shire in search of sheep. They found few but collected a little wool as well as some feathers from roaming harpies which would be welcomed into the army stores.
They stopped for a little rest and to Estel's delight JT pulled a jar of honey from his pack. They sat a while eating honey and talking. JT spilled a little on his kilt which made the little elf girl laugh so much that she spilled th jar on her dress in turn making the young woodsman chuckle.
They headed back to Cove and the bath house somewhat sticky and for a moment the harshness of life and the ordeal of captivity forgotten they laughed and splashed in the baths until both were soaked as too was Sergeant Hoagie when he ventured inside to investigate the noise.
He left the bath house muttering as Estel and JT soaked to the skin got out of the bath. Though their clothes were now clean they were sodden and the woodsman could not help but stare as Estel's wet dress clung to her body.
They made their way to the cottage so Estel could change her dress and the gurdsman could dry out in front of the hearth. The bond between them growing all the time the young couple shared a moment of tenderness before heading out again in search of more sheep. |