The Lass and the Lady - Chapter 1

The Sunlight filtered lazily through the windows, shining down into the little room with not much haste. Dust speckles could be seen floating through the air as the Sun's ray's hit the floor, dancing around the room in an unusually elegant manner.
For Adelainee Dourloaf, there was nothing worse than waking up in such a scenario. With a gentle rustle and a yawn, she stirred slightly and stretched out her arms, only to have them collide spot-on to the wall, at where she let out an irritated hiss and clutched her fist. Looking around she suddenly realized her uncomfortable position and winced. She appeared to be curled up in a bed that was obviously too small for her size, for when she tried to loosen her legs she would find her feet smashing against the footboard of the bed with a loud thud. Crammed into bed, into the little corner, there was no choice for Adelainee but to throw her legs over the footboard of the bed, so that they dangled over the bed and made her look less stuffed into the small bed.
The questions immediately flew through Adelainee. She piqued her eyes and looked about curiously, in wonder at where she was. Flowers of all sorts lay on the bedside table beside her, which was sporting a stitched lilac cloth, draped over the table. Moving on, she made out what appeared to be very small handbooks stuffed into a bulging little wooden bookcase, with a few books sticking out irregularly. Her gaze roamed over past the case, and she saw a small, child-sized table complete with chair, inkbottles, quills, and parchment strewn about the surface.
A sharp pain in her lower abdomen made her look down. She threw off her tiny cloth covering to find that her entire chest had been bandaged with strips of white cloth. She could see a dull yellow spot in the place where the pain had been flaring, indicating that there was blood flowing through. A moment's eye of close, she groaned as she remembered what had caused this in the first place; A gang of bounty hunters, narrow escape, and then being found by a dwarf and dragged over to Buckland to get medical assistance. She threw her head back and groaned, realizing that with this, she might as well get sent to the stocks.
"Oh good dearie, you're awake." A withered, chirpy voice echoed from the doorframe, which was now sporting an old, just as equally withered, hobbit lady. If it were not for the feet, the wrinkles, and the hair, Adelainee could have mistaken her for a young child. Yet nonetheless, the old Lady smiled and hobbled over to the bed side, setting down a wooden tray on the bedside table. Drawing a chair next to the bed, she took the bowl in her hand and a wooden spoon. The smell of porridge was emitting from it, a smell which, given Adelainee's crooked status as an outlaw, was more welcome than the usual smell of a roasting rabbit carcass.
"It's a good thing Master Bregir picked you up and brought you here, you looked in a bad shape!" She chortled, as she set her spoon down into the bowl and drew out a mouthful of porridge, bringing the spoon itself to Adelainee's mouth.
"Bu' wha' s'to be--- mhhhpf!" Her question was broken off by a muffled cry as the hot porridge was forced down her throat. Taking a moment to swallow and fighting off the tears that came after, Adelainee growled.
"Wha's the deal, ol' hagglin'?! Ye mind shovin' tha' down-- ouch!" The sharp whack of a long crooked staff caused her to clutch her head in obvious pain, her eyes watering.
"Watch i', granny!" She growled, though the Old Lady looked at her sternly.
"Now now dearie, that's not the way you deal with an old withered hobbit gammer." She smiled plainly, "Granny's got some more tricks up her sleeve if you try to resist."
"Hrmpf." Adelainee could only snort to herself as she crossed her arms defiantly, opening her mouth every now and then to let the old hobbit feed her. After a moment of silence she just had to ask, "Granny, ye know who I am?"
"Of course dearie, the Wanted Posters hang even here." The hobbit lady chuckled, setting the bowl on the tray and putting her hands to her lap.
"Then... why no' ge' me arres'ed?" Adelainee asked perplexedly. How confusing it was, the old lady was actually tending to her, instead of having her carted off to Bree for jail!
"Dearie, you're hurt," The old hobbit lady's eyes twinkled, "Besides, you're not as bad as you think you are, miss Dourloaf."
That was all it needed to convince Adelainee that this was not a sick joke. She sighed and laid her head down, looking silently at the hobbit Lady, who had begun to take a piece of unfinished embroidery and was starting to thread the needle.
"So..." Adelainee began akwardly, trying to think of a plausible subject to touch upon, "Wha's yer name, granny?"
"Oh, those young little lads and lasses call me Gammer Dandyhill, but my real name is Bluebell. Bluebell Dandyhill. You can call me Gammer Dandyhill too, if you'd like, dear." The hobbit smiled brightly at her.
Gammer Dandyhill? How old did that hag think Adelainee was? Five? She snorted indignantly, looking down.
"Why ye no' cartin' me off--" Her question was interrupted by the Gammer putting a withered finger to Adelainee's lips.
"Shhhh... no questions." The hobbit gammer began, "You're still a young girl, after all."
That put Adelainee off, she looked at the hobbit gammer sternly, trying to frighten her with an intimidating gaze, but the Old Lady simply looked back patiently, showing no signs of fear, nor intimidation. Finally, Adelainee spoke.
"How old'ye fink I a-- OW! WILL YE WATCH IT, HAG?!" Adelainee roared as she was dealt another sharp whack on the head with the stick. The old hobbit simply smiled again, her voice in wisdom.
"You can try to frighten this old gammer," She said, "But this one's got more sturdiness in her. Why, the gall of some folk!" She suddenly started to complain, "What's an old hobbit gammer to do with young whipper-snappers?"
Adelainee simply snorted in retort, looking up at the cobwebbed ceiling with a frown. Then, the gammer spoke again.
"You're still a young girl, Adelainee." The name used echoed in Adelainee's head, causing her to frown even deeper, "You're not as bad as you think you are, even if you've killed or robbed people before. You're still a girl."
The point made simply flew over Adelainee's head as she yawned boredly. The gammer, who had been embroidering a sort of hankerchief, looked up from her work and turned to gaze at Adelainee, who was seemingly turning to sleep.
"I'm sorry the bed's too small for you, deary. But there's nothing bigger! We don't have Big Folk here often." Bluebell Dandyhill smiled apologetically at the bewildered woman, who slowly sank down into her sheets for sleep, "You can have your peace now."
Picking up the tray, Gammer Dandyhill set down her embroidery work to the nearest table and hobbled out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her silently, leaving a brooding Adelainee to ponder her words.
"'You're not as bad as you think you are...'" She repeated, before she chuckled and gave a defiant snort, "Ha! Those years o' age muss've messed wiv her mind!"
She gave the window a smirk, but that smug smile was soon wiped off her face as she looked through and spotted two young hobbit children playing with a makeshift ball. She sighed and sank down into bed, and said no more.