Yule came awake slowly. She blinked a few times, yawned, and stretched her body on the soft grass by the Staddlemere. The sun was setting, turning the calm waters into a lake of golds and reds, sprinkled with gems, the first stars appearing in the darkening sky. Yule had gone for a swim , early in the afternoon, and had fallen asleep on the shore. She lay calm, savoring the peace and quiet of Breeland spring evening.
Then suddenly reality struck her like lightening in a thunderstorm. She moved her hands to her neck , instantly forgetting all the beauty around her. The Shire Rose pendant was gone! Lying there snoozing like a lazy hobbit, and all the while the precious pendant was gone. Maybe the necklace had slipped away as she was swimming...yes, surely that was what had happened. Furious with herself, Yule jumped in the darkening water and started to dive in the hope to find the Shire Rose. She had lost the very thing she was asked to protect. She cursed , running out of breath, and, for the first time in a long time, she started to cry.She promised herself she would come back at first light to search the lake again.
Night closed in on her, cold and shivering, she wandered towards her wagon. Strange shadows floating in the darkness of the trees, eerie sounds ; trees and bushes seamed to reach out . Trembling Yule took refuge in her wagon and sat on the floor, with her clothes still dripping with water, the right hand still around the neck. There was a time when she was safe, a time when someone was there to protect her. and the pendant . He had left her side, she was alone , and now the Shire Rose pendant was gone !
