“Hey Hem.”

“Aye,” answered Hem with the shy voice of a young fella who’s not sure which words mean the right sentiments.

“Haven’t been seein’ ya of late.”

“Aye.” Hem couldn’t bring hisself to make eyes with Melley Frumtarm, a likewise shy lass of Hem’s age and Bram’s height. Hem always liked the way her hair reminded him of the Fleep Fleep Forest in Autumn: all red and brown and blowin’ with the wind. Someday he wanted her to meet Blom at the Ragged Maiden but she shied away from that establish, citin’ the violations of moral conduct that purportedly transpired there in the small hours. Hem thought that was a pile o’ jorker paste but there ain’t no accountin’ for unsubstantiated ethics now is there?

NO INDEED.

They were out in Gilba Gilba’s village green, just a main square or park of some sort that allowed everyone to come and go as they pleased. Nice village commons area. On this day of days the townsfolk were layin’ about like a pack o’ academes on offdays. Unseasonable warmth today given the Autumn Storms were an ever-present promise in the distance.

“Well how ya been then, Hem?” Melley swished her skirt in a combination of annoyance and awkward shyness. OH TEENAGERS.

“Aye, I been right good, thanks,” replied Hem. He looked around for Bram or Crawley but saw naught of them.

“Well I been good too, if you want to ask how I been.” Melley was looking at him.

“Aye. How you been then?”

“I been good,” she replied. “And you?”

“Aye, pretty good I reckon.” Hem found the pebbles at his feet deeply interesting and so he fixed his gaze upon them. He didn’t know where eyes went in these situations.

“Find anything out in the Forest, hey?”

Hem choked on nothing but his own insane anxieties. “Nah but nothin’ out in the Forest. How you know ‘bout where we got up to?”

Melley just took a breath, that’s all. “Well I just saw you three come outta there yesterday, walkin’ as if you found the lost Retriever’s Gold, so I was fixin’ to ask if indeed you had some flashy trinkets to reveal.”

“Hey you should come have a talkin’ to with me at Blom’s place,” Hem blurted.

Melley chuckled involuntarily. It was a way to mask her surprise. “Eh, what’s at Blom’s you think I might find worth settin’ foot in there for?”

“Eh I ain’t certain if I’m bein’ honest with ya. You should hear Blom’s tales sometime when he’s not got aught to occupy hisself at the inn.”