An(other) Unexpected Party

[ringwinner]

In a kitchen on an island there was a hobbit. Not a small, comfortable hobbit kitchen, nor a great, lofty cavernous kitchen. It was merely the sort meant for cooking and that was quite enough for the hobbit in question. It was not the sort of kitchen that Bilbo was used to and he still found it rather unnerving that he was roughly the same

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[seeyousoonthen]

"Oh my gosh! Raisin cake!" Savannah said cheerfully and then looked at the small man who seemed to be the baker of the day. "Are these for a special occasion? They're so pretty and smell so good."

All baked things commanded her attention- or the baby's attention. Her stomach was a round ball beneath her dress and was the sole reason, she was sure, that she wanted sweets all the time.

"How rude of me. I'm Savannah. I'm sorry I got distracted by cake," she laughed. "I do that more and more often lately."

[ringwinner]

"Don't worry," the hobbit replied with a laugh. It may have been a bit impolite, but he was already nibbling on a piece of cake, just enough to tide him over until everyone else had had their fill. "There are much worse things to be distracted by than cake. Why, it happens to me all the time! Even if I'm the one making them!"

[seeyousoonthen]

That put her immediately at ease.

"And did you bake all of these? It looks as if you're having a party!" she said happily. The parties here were plentiful she had found. It seemed hardly a week passed without some sort of get together among friends.

[ringwinner]

"Not a proper party, I'm afraid. Why, there isn't even enough here to make a decent tea spread! But I am trying. I made all of it and I daresay I could eat it too, but I really would prefer to share it with friends." He smiled and got the woman a plate and utensils. "Please help yourself."

[seeyousoonthen]

"You're so kind," she gushed. She wondered how such a small man could possibly eat everything he had laid out...but that hardly mattered. Savannah took a modest slice of raisin cake and began to nibble.

"Oh! This is delicious," she said softly. "It reminds me of home. My mother makes a raising pie that's just delicious. Have you ever made raisin pie?"

[ringwinner]

"Oh yes. I used to make the most wonderful pie with raisins and currants and pears and just a hint of brandy. I really must try it again here." The hobbit's eyes got misty at the memory of his well-stocked panty back in Hobbiton and part of him fiercely wished he could be there once more (not for the last time).

"You wouldn't happen to know if they have any currants, would you?"

[seeyousoonthen]

"I haven't seen any but things turn up in the pantry from time to time I understand," she said. "And if this winter is like last winter we'll have snow and all sorts of different foods. There was pumpkin," Savannah told him as if it was some conspiratorial secret.

[ringwinner]

"Oh!" Bilbo exclaimed in an appropriately awed voice. Why, he could just think of all the lovely things he could do if he only had a pumpkin or two. It made all manner of autumn and winter meals and menus come rushing through his brain all at once. "What other sorts of food are there?"

[seeyousoonthen]

"I'm not sure. There's other meat, I know. Not as much fish but instead there was, oh, venison, I think. A nice change from boar meat. And I think there was a real goose, I think. Maybe that wasn't at Christmas, though," she mused, trying to think of all the foods. It was funny just how preoccupied she was lately with food and all the various things, sweet and savory, that she could gobble up.

[ringwinner]

"That sounds lovely," Bilbo said with a happy little sigh. He could not even remember the last time he had had a goose, it was probably less than a year ago, but it seemed ages upon ages. "I don't know quite what Christmas is, but it must be wonderful if it brings so much food with it."

[seeyousoonthen]

"Christmas is just wonderful," she said wistfully, but then lit up. "The better party is on New Year's Eve. Magic happens and all the foods and drinks and things we just don't have here pile the tables. So much food you couldn't eat it all. But it disappears in the morning. We don't even get leftovers."