a Needlehole Mysteries Christmas Special!

Needlehole had changed. It was dark and quiet and all sounds seemed muffled and distant. Over the last few nights the clouds had unleashed heaps upon heaps of cold, fluffy snow. All the hobbitholes were now covered in a thick, cold duvet. Most hobbits in Needlehole agreed on the fact it was awful and inconvenient. How on Arda were one supposed to manoeuvre all of this white stuff
away from porches and roads? Not to mention the difficulties one was challenged with as soon as you wanted to go somewhere. The Mailman, Petty Tyrant, had felt this in particular. He had gone through three ponies and broken five wheels already (and was on the verge of crying his eyes out) when Amarië reached him at the bottom of the hill where her ambassadorial resident lay.
“Good day, Sir.” Startled at the approach he wheeled around.
“Blurgh!” he tipped his hat. “Good day, Ambassador.”
“Having some trouble there?” She asked politely as she nodded towards the post-cart, one weel buried deep in the ditch where the snow lay especially thick.
“Aye, I cannot get up this [BLIIIIIIIP] hill. The snow is too lose and my pony here is exhausted!” Petty Tyrant shook his head. “I dunno what to do now.”
“I see..” Amarië went around the cart, the pony was soaking with sweat stood there damping in the cold December-air. “Well, your pony has the wrong shoes you see. In Fjordianlandia we give the ponies shoes with spikes in them during winter. Also” she knocked at wooden cart-wheels with her knuckles, “wheels won’t get you anywhere, especially with this heavy load ”
Ambassador Amarië hadn’t become an ambassador for nothing, she always knew what to do you see. She asked the distressed hobbit to let the cart stay behind and bring his pony up to her.
“My stable boy will tend to your pony, give him new shoes. Also, I think I have a sledge you could borrow that would fit these conditions better than your cart.” She smiled at him. Petty Tyrant blushed and thanked her.
“You really made my day, Ambassador.”
“oh it’s nothing. As long as you deliver me my papers.” And so they walked up the hill, trudging through deep snow towards the welcoming, warm lights from the Ambassadorial Resident. A big, majestic log-house in dark timber. Looking almost like a castle where it stood, decorated with traditional dragonheads and rose-paintings. A fairy-tale caste.

This is really promising.

Oh, and loving the embassy.

A Norky Needlehole Winter tale!

Bluebottle wrote:Oh, and loving the embassy.

*sighs happily* Me too!

It's nice to see a hard working Petty, which I am sure is closer to the truth than the stinky drunkard we usually see.


...though the papers really are really late...

It's always the papers. Can't let the flow of information cease.

Thanks for posting this Norc, I love getting more glimpses into the world of Needlehole, and you and Amarie have done so much with that world.

:*

This just goes to show the old Banksian saying is apt again: "Never trust a McTyrant with anything resembling responsibility."

Odo (my informant) knows Petty (and all his Family History), only too well.



{{Btw Norc - loving it so far. Now don't be a McTyrant-type - make sure you keep writing and don't get lazy!}}}

(((the thing is i started this without really having a plan... so if anyone has a plot idea, please pm me  )))

Some more pictures of the embassy, to inspire Norc.

Can't you just imagine everybody coming in from the snow and cold, gathering at the foot of these stairs. Someone serves hot cocoa, or tea, or lukewarm Buckie, and then I - um - the Ambassador appears at the top, gracefully decending the stairs to greet my -er- her guests and showing off her new outfit.

so pretty:

What a magnificent gown! Let me guess... you saw it in a window and couldn't resist it!

Scarlett O'Hara did that, but she left out the curtain rail shoulder pads.

David H wrote:What a magnificent gown! Let me guess... you saw it in a window and couldn't resist it!

Why yes! However did you know!?

What a beautiful interior. So cosy

What a beautiful interior. So cosy- Azriel

Said the Bishop to the choirboy.

Hold on ? IL see if I can dig up a joke ?...........

Why do bishops move diagonally.

Best way to sneak up behind a choirboy.

That is a very loud interior.

So i forgot my computer at home when i traveled home for christmas soo... I will finish this i promise i have an idea

Doesn't really have anything to do with these but it's christmas

Awesome! And that's the same hair-do I have today!

Is that a new haircut for Agent Nora? It's great seeing all the characters again, especially as they evolve over time.