[Child of the 7th Age]

Child began to explore the cave. Rose was already asleep. She could hear Frodo and Sam talking in whispers to each other. She wondered what they were saying and would have tried to listen in, but the sound of the waves against the cave drowned every other sound out.

Durshag's cave was quite ingenious. In some ways it reminded her of a hobbit hole since it seemed to be dug into the side of a bank. And, like a hobbit hole, it was quite neat and presentable, though a bit more damp and simpler in design and with fewer furnishings than she was used to.

Durshag had shown her around quite proudly, saying "Nice hobrim cave, not nasty like Smeagol has. Keep fish here." Durshag had pointed to a small pond inside the cave where fresh fish swam about in a hole.

Child wondered whether Durshag ate them raw, but was too polite to ask.

Durshag said to Child: "Here, eat this. Gooood! Searoom. Searoom goooood."

"Searoom? Child wondered what a Searoom was. Dershag held out to her a light brown plant that looked almost like a mushroom. She gingerly took one and held it up to her nose. It smelled alright.

"I hope this doesn't kill me," she thought, and brought the Searoom up to her mouth.

"Oh, yum, this is really good!!" Child declared with surprise. "Can I have some more?" She was actually beginning to enjoy herself.