The pale light of the full moon that lit the Great Road. yule was holding the reins of the pony harnessed to her wagon. She paced slowly onwards in the direction of Buckland, her bare feet treading out the path that was taking her back to the Shire and her memories on this noiseless night under the moon. Her hair unbound, her robe uncintured. She knew she was probably watched by hidden eyes in the dark shadows. Behind the silver curtain of her hair , her eyelids were lowered. She knew the way back without the need of sight. The small owl named Cornelius sat on top of the roof of the wagon ; young cousin Tahi and Puki moved silently behind Yule , like her barefoot, and simply dressed. The Shire Rose's ponies tided up to each other, Amorey's pack goat, and three more carts filled with all their possessions. Onwards and onwards towards the Shire, a few stars in the indigo sky. The Brandywine bridge was grey and shadowy, just a pallid flicker of a hobbit lantern gleaming.
-HALT! WHO GOES THERE ? State your name and your business!-
The young bounder on duty was keen to impress and stood there holding his club wearing a patched and tarnished old bounder armor. Yule looks at him with smiling eyes, but a serious face . He was a young hobbit, just out of his tweens.
-Yule of Shire Rose and my kins, Bounder. We are returning home to Waymeet -
-Yule of Shire Rose ? Never heard of yer, sorry...not sure I should let yer pass, yer may be gobolins in disguise -
This time Yule did try not to laugh. She came close to the young bounder that was clearly shaken , and handed over a wax-sealed letter from the Thain Paladin Took. Still trying to hold his club and trying to look very authoritative, the bounder opened the letter to read its content before dropping his club to the ground, taking off his hat and lowering his head in a deep bow.
- Oh, I am so sorry Miss ...herm..I mean, Lady...yes, lady Yule of Shire Rose...Welcome Back to the Shire, M'Lady!
The small caravan moved on across the bridge; stars brightened against the ever-darkening sky. ' Time', Yule thought, 'time runs differently for the elves, or perhaps it does not exist for them' The last few miles were walked in almost complete silence, but Yule could feel the excitement of the Shire Rose's hobbits. For the first time in months there was a small smile on Puki's face, young Tahi kept looking around at familiar fields with the spectacles falling down her nose. Nouvelet and Lunalei on the back of one of the carts whispering softly and pointing out things to each other. As they passed Hobbiton , Yule's heart started to beat faster. From the top of the road she could see Waymeet's campfires burning in the night. As her wagon gently rolled down the path, Yule noticed her old spot had been used and frowned a bit. The place was filled with dirty dishes and other rubbish left behind by some very untidy hobbit. Without a word, Yule and the other Shire Rose hobbits started the cleaning up.
While the others were busy clearing the site, Yule walked to the old tend and touched the canvas . Memories came back like a wave. She entered the tend and noticed even this place had been used and needed some cleaning. She concentrated her attention to the wooden pole holding the tend , and she found the small carving, still there after all these months . Her hand gently caressed the carving and for the first time since she had lost her pendant, Yule did allow herself a smile and a few tears . By dawn the whole place was cleaned , Yule's wagon was parked back in its place. The Shire Rose pendant was still missing, but the Shire Rose hobbits had just found their way back. Yule sat on the back of her wagon before going to bed....
- Well, I am home!
