[Child of the 7th Age]

After the two parties managed to join up at the designated spot, Cami's spirits revived as the company pushed westward under the bright rays of the mid-day sun. She encouraged her pony to trot alongside Maura's and chatted about this and that, pointing out some of the landmarks on the route as they continued their trek towards the Shire.

Cami became increasingly subdued as the Barrow-downs gave way to the rugged weald of Buckland, the territory where she and her mother had lived and worked so many years ago. As the roadway skirted along Buckland's northern border, she strained her eyes towards the Baranduin, its muddied waters bringing unexpected memories of the twisting maze of Brandybuck Hall and the cheerful hijinks of the families who resided there. An irrisistable urge assailed her to run off with Maura and leave both Tol Fuin and Greenwood behind, hiding amid the timbered hillsides of Buckland or even in the tangled groves of the Old Forest. Tightening and relaxing her grip on the reins, she grimly brought herself back to reality.

There's no time. Maura and I have no time for Buckland or anywhere else. I am wed, and the twins have been rescued. Lorien can glimpse even the depths of the Old Forest and would never permit us to stay even if the trees tolerated our presence. In any case, I would not desert my children.

Cami strained uncomfortably in her saddle, her troubled thoughts again turning back to the problems that awaited her upon returning to the community from which she had come. What Pio says is true. I am ill suited to bear a weapon. Greenwood is not the Shire, and there will be no Mithadan or Pio or Maura to shield me with their sword. Surely, Gandalf could have found a better protector for the hobbits of Numenor. Bone tired and discouraged, Cami said little for the remainder of the afternoon as her mount plodded forward; her thoughts and dreams remained locked tight inside even when Maura tried to coax them out.

Despite their success in subduing the ruffians and the deep satisfaction of securing the childrens' release, the others in the company soon found their own footsteps lagging. Too tired to push on any further, the band camped that evening near the Bridge of Stonebows nestling down into several mounds of hay lent to them by a friendly farmer whose homestead was not far from the spot where the old Bridge Inn used to stand.

Rising early in the morning to share a hearty breakfast with the farmer's family, they'd remounted their ponies and jogged westward at a leisurely pace. As they trotted along the road, they were surprised to discover groups of local folk coming out to meet them with friendly waves and gestures. The tale of their exploits, recounted in a much embellished form, had somehow swept the countryside and already gained them a number of admirers. Cami felt her flagging spirits rise as young hobbits came scampering down with their parents tagging behind, each of them bearing gifts of fruit or flowers.

Within two hours of leaving the bridge, the band arrived at Whitfurrows where the local mayor and other prominent residents awaited them, presenting Halfred with a suitably engraved plaque commending him for his foresight and astuteness in urging the assault against Ferny and Stoatie. Embellishing his speech with bucketfuls of florid prose, the Shirriff of Hobbiton and Bywater cheerfully responded, accepting the award without mentioning any of the help he'd gotten from the Big Folk. Her face red with embarassment, Cami peeped over towards Piosenniel and helplessly shrugged her shoulders, wishing that she could reach out and insert a plug in Halfred's mouth.

The finest moment of the day came shortly afterwards when Cotman and Lavinia of Budge Ford stepped forward to claim their dear son Will. Tears streamed down the parents' faces as they went round the circle and shook hands with all the rescuers, making a special point to thank Mithadan and Bird, then stopping to coo over Piosenniel and the twins.

Just as the band were about to head out on the Great East Road, Pio spied a small distant figure mounted on a pony who was galloping hard towards them and gesturing frantically in the air. Excited cries of "Da! We're here." soon went up from little Larkspur and her brother Tom as they spied their father who'd managed to come all the way down from Dwaling once he'd heard about the childrens' release. A few moments later, after handshakes and tears all around, the band again headed west, picking up their speed in order to make up for the extra time. It was early evening by the time Cami spied the sign of the Green Dragon. The band quickly broke up, with each member returning to their own family and place of residence. Cami dragged herself up the hallway of the Inn while Maura asked Cook if she could find them a room for the night since their own burrow had been totally destroyed. Too tired to know how she felt about anything, Cami dragged herself into bed and almost instantly fell into a deep slumber.