[Child of the 7th Age]

OOC -
OH NO, BIRD --We posted at the same time. I will revise mine later but have to run now.

LATER EDIT: OOC - OK, you know how two people see a car accident and report totally different things! We'll assume that's what happened here. One if from Bird's perspective, and the other from Child's. Bird, it's actually amazing how similar our posts are, especially the phial of liquid, when we had never discussed this!
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As she climbed the ladder, Child could see her companions gathered together on deck. It appeared to be a beautiful morning. The clouds and light rainfall of the previous day had rolled back to reveal a bright blue sky and a soft breeze which played on the sails of the vessel. They no longer lay dead in the water, but were turning to the north, sliding through the waves towards the mouth of the Great River.

Rosseil and Celi, Bird and Pio and Veritas, and Lord Mithdan stood together chatting and watching the sea birds frolic. The reason for their play was evident. Rose had gathered leftover bread from breakfast and was tossing pieces into the air. Child went over to aid her efforts.

The birds were doing a display of acrobatics as they attempted to catch the crumbs in mid-flight. Every so often, Anagara would fly down and snatch up a piece, scattering the smaller flying creatures.

The little hobbrim sat at the hobbits' feet, laughing and pointing at the birds. He was beginning to trust them for he had just last night confided to Rose his "true" name, that which his own mother and father had called him. And it was a lovely, fair name, Child thought, one that sounded quite right for a small hobbit-- "Kali" -- a Westron name which meant, in English, "merry or gay".

The hobrim chortled as he gazed at the birds, "Kali like that. Kali do that for little fish at home. They like very much. Not bread but little green things that grow. I help the green things grow in the ocean."

Child immediately noted two things. First, Kali's English had improved but he was still not fluent. It was obvious that it was not his native tongue.

Child fixed on that idea. If she could find out which language or languages Kali spoke fluently as well as something about his speech patterns, perhaps it would help her figure out where his people had come from. She made a mental note to speak with the hobrim about this.

Something else caught her ear. The hobrim had mentioned making things grow. Was it possible that he and his parents had made hydroculture their chief occupation, just as her own ancestors had cultivated the soil of the Shire?

As Child stood wondering about the puzzle of Kali, Tuor and Idril had brought their vessel along side and had mounted the deck. The two went together to the front of the small assembly, hand in hand. Suddenly, all fell still.

In her arms Idril carried an embroidered banner of blue and white which she had made with her own hands. She handed it to Pio and asked her to scramble up the topmost mast and affix it there.

Idril turned to face the group and called up Kali and Rose to speak with them. "You two have come to us and asked that we bless your beloved ship and call it with the name by which it should be known to all the world. Tuor and I warmly applaud your desire, for no ship will truly be one with you until you reveal its proper name."

"And the little hobrim and Rose have declared that the true name of this vessel is "The Lonely Star". And you have all given your assent. For to the hobrim and his people, a guiding star above a ship's mast is always a sign of hope."

"And you, brought together on this ship through adversity and adventure , a band of true friends, should have great pride. For you bring hope to this little one who goes to search for distant kin.

And I, too, love this name The Lonely Star" for it reminds me of a poem spoken many years ago, by another little one, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. And that poem tells how, for all of us, there must be a star to guide as we fight our way through the world, even to the very shores of the West."

"And so I say, through happiness and sadness, in sunshine and rain, may you be guided by The Lonely Star and may you love and support this beloved ship just as you have shown your faith to each other."

Child had always heard that people broke bottles when they named a ship, but Idril's way was apparently different. She leaned over and kissed the prow of the vessel and held up a phial filled with bright liquid. She handed the phial to Kali.

She contined, "This is water which Ulmo himself has blessed. It is the water of light. That water through which goodness truly shines."

And then Kali poured this sparkling, precious liquid onto the prow of the vessel. As he did so, he uttered a phrase which Child did not understand, but which she swore sounded like some form of Elvish.

[ July 02, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]