[Child of the 7th Age]

Child was sitting on the deck reading the Silmarillion pretending to be engaged in scholarly pursuits. Actually, she had her feet up on a barrel and was watching the gulls up in the air who were sqawking loudly and flying in intricate loops. Her book was upside down.

Angara came and perched on the railing beside her. She glared at her mistress. "You're late Child!!"

"What do you mean late?" queried Child.

"Haven't you noticed you are the only adult hobbit left on this vessel?" Angara shot back. "They've all gone ahead to visit one of your relatives under the Sea. It is very rude not to respond when you're given an invitation."

Child stared at Angara, "Stop being silly. I don't have any relatives who even live near the Sea, let alone under it! And I don't have any invitation!"

"That's not true!" Angara held a large seashell in her mouth. Inside the shell, well hidden from the waters, was a sheet of paper folded small. The paper had on it a single image--the outline of a webbed but still hairy foot impressed upon the paper.

"What is this? yelled Child. "And where are Rose, and Sam, and Frodo?"

"They've gone, all goooonnnnneeeee" Anagara yelled in her ear.

"That's ridiculous! Rose might do such a thing, but Sam and Frodo are too settled and sensible to leap into the water." Child said.

"And anyways I'm not going anywhere! We have to return to the Barrow-Downs so Mith can receive healing. He doesn't seem to be too steady in the head. I think he's feeling guilty about what he did. If you ask me, the problem is that part of him actually enjoyed what he did, and he doesn't feel very comfortable about that!"

"That's what you think, my sweet mistress. I agree about your lord Mithadan, but it is still very rude to ignore your relatives."

Angara set aside Child's book on the barrel, placed a knife in her hand, and lifted Child up by the scruff of the collar so that she was hanging in mid-air. Then, Angara perched again on the rail, and plunged into the water, forcibly conveying the kicking and screaming Child down into the underwater cave.

"Don't worry, Child," Angara soothed. "I told Tuor and Idril and Bird and Pio you were going down to rescue the others. They have confidence in you!"

"That's ridiculous" thought Child, but she was afraid to open her mouth. "You're gonna' be sorry, Angara," she mused.

Suddenly, they were in an underground cave. Angara had made herself very small. Child glared around and saw the three hobbits as well as a small strange amphibious creature who indeed had hairy feet.

Child was suspicious. "What's this creature doing,? she wondered. "Collecting hobbits?????"