Fiesty has an Idea

Fiesty Lotus is sitting quietly in her home examining a schedule of the hobbit activities. The crops were in and mostly processed. The Hobbit ladies were hard at work setting up their quilting and darning. Hobbit men were out checking on the fences and securing the livestock. They traveled by twos these days, for extra protection. 

Her thoughts turned to Copper and Tangles, her two main scouts. They were both off camping at the edges of the Shire. She had word from Juste that they and their men were both well and consuming his food at a satisfactory rate (that is Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Lunch, Tea, and Supper). Juste’s supply boys also went by twos. 

Fiesty looked a bit worn from all the worry but was determined to keep the Shire safe. 
She smiled and thought of Copper, her nephew. She whispers to herself “How’s yer bein terday Copper?” 

Then she reached in her desk and drew forth the granite statue she had made of him with the Earth element. She had made it when she was just starting out as a full druid and it was a bit rough in places. Still, it was earth magic and glowed with the light of his life. With the statue she could tell if he was ailing or tired. The stone blazed with light so she smiled happily and tucked it back in its cubbyhole.

Just then she heard the sound of someone knocking at her door. Fiesty put on an old shabby fur wrap and goes to answer it. It was Folco Sackville, a rather stuffy and self-important hobbit that had been working by the bridge when he intercepted a runner from Riverlands and intimidated him into giving up his scroll.

Folco puffed and bowed to Fiesty holding out the scroll. Fiesty took the scroll and examined the hobbit before her. ” Where’d yer get this Folco?” Folco answered that he had received it from a runner by the bridge. Fiesty nodded and then asked quietly “Where be yer partner Folco, you know we are goin two by two now?” Folco stuttered something about moving faster alone. Fiesty shook her head. "Well, I do thank yer fer the letter but I think yer ought ter get back to yer partner, you don’t want him all alone by the bridge….” 
Folco looked alarmed and nodded wordlessly. He turned and ran back the way he came. Fiesty shook her head at the wooliness of some of her kinfolk.

After returning to her desk, Fiesty realized the seal on the scroll was Druid Fitheach’s. She broke the seal and read eagerly. The news was good and bad; the mage had found a way to keep the cat safe for the time being. That she sighed in relief from. 
But there seemed to be increased Drow sightings towards Taibreamh, the Shire and Calenhad.  And of course the Master Druid had still not been heard of. 
All of a sudden Fiesty pulled out the statue of Copper from her cubbyhole and said 
“I wonder”...


To be continued...