ONE EARLY MORNING IN BREE
-Where is my wedding dress. Where is my wedding dress.
The young woman started repeating that phrase as soon as she opened her eyes as soon as she opened her eyes and couldn't see her wedding dress on the tall chair next to the wall across her bed. She jumped up and reached the chair, the shoes were there, the scarf was there, the gloves were there, the socks were there. The dress wasn't. She ran to her sister's room.
-Kimby! Kimby! Where is my wedding dress? The young woman demanded.
-Wha- What? Kimby had barely opened her eyes.
-My wedding dress. Where is it, tell me it's a jest, tell me it's a jest.
Kimby took a few brief moments to rub her eyes and push the covers away.
-What dre- What? Where is it?
The two women ran to the eldest sister's room and started looking around. In the wardrobe, in the dressers, even behind the door and under the bed. In the end Kimby sat on the bed sleepishly.
-Maybe you put it to wash.
-No, it was here all week, I was planning to wash it two days before the wedding and now it's gone!
-It can't have gone very far. Maybe mother washed it.
-You think so?
-Let's ask.
The two walked to their parents' room and knocked on the door. After three heartbearts they did it again.
-What is it this early? called out their father.
-Mother? Do you know where my wedding dress is?
The first reply was a grumble, then a yawn.
-In your room my dear Brisa, on the chair.
-No, it's not!
-It was there last night.
-It's not now!
The two daughters heard the rustling of the sheets from their parents' bedroom, then something dropping.
-A man can't get a moment's rest in his house. Mumbled the man.
The door of the room opened and a tall slim woman with a pleasant smile came out quietly.
-Let's leave your father sleep.
The three walked to Brisa's room and the young blonde woman extended a thin arm at the tall chair and her brown eyes watered from sadness and anger. Her mother frowned and folded her arms. She closed her eyes, stiffled a yawn and drew a deep breath. She exhaled and opened her eyes.
-This, is not good. First the drinks, then the arch, the tent. And now this! One week from now is the wedding!
Brisa nodded in agreement.
-But how? Asked the other woman, Kimby. How can the wedding dress disappear from the house, from her room! It's like a ghos-
-Come now! Ghosts don't exist. Said the mother.
-We have to find it. Then we'll see who's fault it is! The mother looked at both and mainly Kimby with a stern gaze.
-We searched here. Said Brisa.
-Alright, next room. Said the mother and pointed at the door.
AN HOUR LATER
-Why are all our neighbours there? Surely they can't have heard us.
-I surely did. Said the father dragging his feet on the flour and let out a loud yawn. His sleepy gaze wandered towards the kitchen. The man opened his mouth but then he decided to keep it shut. Not for long.
-What's for breakfast, Alia?
-Well, nothing. Replied his wife. We've been looking for the wedding dr-
A loud knock on the door muted her voice and Kimby ran and opened the door.
-Good morning, my dear. It was the neighbour next door.
-Good morning, ms Jana.
-You know, there is a wedding dress here. In the mud. The woman pointed beihnd her, across the family's door.
-What?! Said Brisa and started outside, her mother followed.
The dress was laying in the mud, trampled and ripped in places. All the women were looking horrified. Brisa started sobbing and her mother took her in her arms and pressed her face gently on her bossom.
-We'll fix it, my precious. It's nothing that mother's basket and needle and thread cannot fix.
THAT EVENING
-Yes, I am telling you, they went to the cemetery at night, armed to the teeth. I'd stay dead if I was buried! said the man known as Adam Oakheart.
Another man, older, with short greying black hair was gazing at Adam. His tall and broad figure was almost hunched over his tankard on the table of the Prancing Pony. All day he was thoughtful, what his co-father-in-law, Welford, told him occupied his thoughts. It was as if his son's and his daughter-in-law's to be wedding was haunted. Just a week ago the Dwarven drinks they ordered from Thorin's Gate were lost to bandits, the two transporters barely escaped alive. Somehow, the wedding arch was ripped from the ground and thrown away. Three days after that, yesterday, while pitching the wedding tents a strange wind picked up and threw him from the ladder. Somehow the main beam fell on him and trapped him on the ground and the second main beam was falling on his head. If Noakes didn't move him in time he would be dead by now. Litton drained his mug and walked towards Adam, he whispered to his ear and the man happily exclaimed.
-Why, at The Thirsty Boar. Ask for Fiontann.
That day the light at the Applegate's house was on for almost all night.
