Flory Took

Flory Took was born and raised in The Great Smials of Tuckborough, ancestral home of the Took family and the residence of the Thain of the Shire.

Flory was a quiet child and would spend most of her time scurrying about the multitude of tunnels and chambers of The Great Smials. Like most Hobbit children she loved stories and could always be found in the great hall way of The Great Smials listening to tales being told before being reluctantly sent to bed. She had on several occasions been caught hiding behind a curtain afterwards, but not before she had heard even better stories that were being told to the older children and adults.

As soon as she was able to hold a pen she would sit for hours reading and copying text from books, practicing her handwriting until she became so good at it that it was hard to tell her neatly scripted letters from that of her mothers. Whilst most of the children she knew were apprenticed to blacksmiths, farmers and tailors Flory stayed behind. This was not because she could not have done any of those jobs well; it was because her talent for writing and love of reading had been noted by the Thain himself.

Whilst no Hobbit would disagree that the Thain’s Library was probably the largest collection of books west of Rivendell all would agree that it was the worst kept Library they had ever seen. Books piled upon books until they covered the floor, tables and even the chairs. Whole rooms of books were hidden behind the great stacks of tomes and manuscripts. What the Thain required was a librarian to assist Adelard Took, someone who could sort out the mess and help repair the oldest books. Flory Took would be that person and in no time at all Flory Took could be seen running back and forth with sleeves rolled up and a large collection of brooms and mops over her shoulder.