[Child of the 7th Age]

Cami pressed her head as far underneath the coverlet as she could. From somewhere distant, she heard a voice calling out her own name and that of "Angara." Cami wondered just how that could be, since only a minute or so before the great wyrm had been triumphantly perched upon the masthead of the Star, commanding the hobbit to go down to the bottom deck and fill the gigantic storage tub with hot soapy water. Cami quibbled with Angara as she'd done a hundred times before, trying to explain that the three seacows who lived there would not care to share their home, not even temporarily with a magical dragon taking a bath.

The voice became louder and more insistent, and Cami felt a gentle hand on top of her head, with the fingers slipping through her towseled curls. Instinctively, the hobbit opened her eyes and sat up abruptly as reality came flooding back. She stared over at Piosenniel, still pale and strained, but looking much better than when they'd hauled her from the wagon and dragged her inside.

Afraid that she might break down and blubber with relief, Cami steeled her face and wagged a finger toward her friend. "That's the last time I'll let you get away with that. You gave us a terrible scare. Gammer Bolger and Amaranthas have been working on you all night, draining out the infection and trying all manner of herbal remedies. When your fever finally broke, they bound a new poultice on your leg and bandaged it up all nice and fresh."

"You've had a string of wellwishers pounding at the front door, but Gilly's made them all go away. Even the Shirriff came and brought a vase of flowers." She pointed towards a small arrangement of posies which Gilly had set on the broad window ledge.

Piosenniel shifted her arms and upper body as if she were about to fling back the bedclothes and try to stand up. Instantly, and with no warning, Gilly came racing into the bedchamber with a look of resolve on her face. "No, you don't, Miz Pio. Amaranthas is resting now, but she gave strict orders. You're to remain in bed till evening, and try to eat some nourishing food, even if we have to pile five hobbits on top of you to hold you down."

Piosenniel's eyes widened sightly at the thought of five plump hobbits pressing down against her leg. A large bed tray filled with a vast array of scrumptious hobbit treats was immediately brought in and set down on a table right beside her. Piosenniel had resigned herself and was just about to take her first bite of a small seed cake, when she looked sharply over to Gilly and asked in a trembling voice, "The twins. Where are the twins? They were with me in the back of the wagon."