[mark12_30]

Phura and Kali sat up on the bow, looking back over The Lonely Star. Kali's gaze strayed everywhere, taking everything in, trying to fix it all in his mind, lingering on each person. Phura's gaze strayed also, but always he returned to Gamba, still at the wheel again, with a patient Mithadan giving orders, and an eager, if nervous, Gamba carrying them out.

Kali spoke. "So is being a hobbrim everything you thought it would be-- or are you disappointed?"

Phura smiled. "I did not know what to dream. I knew I loved the storms, and the sea. And I wanted to dance, with the storms, with the sea, the waves, the deep. And I am not disappointed." He looked at Kali, and smiled. "But I was surprised to find that not only did the dream bring a change to me, but to others also, and that I gained kin I never knew I had."

Kali nodded. "I went from having no family, to having more cousins than I can keep track of. Well, almost."

Phura laughed, knowing that Kali, only less than Andril, knew each and every one of his cousins by name and knew about each one. Kali did keep track of them all. Phura's mmory kept lore and a few faces and hearts; Kali's mind kept faces and hearts, and some lore. They would make a good team.

Azraph and Daisy joined them, and the four sat together a while more, and reflected on the strange course that they had all journeyed on. Daisy spoke of her time on the Star, and she reminisced about their first meeting with Kali.

Phura smiled. "I remember watching al those hobbrim swim down the river-tunnel, and now knowing what to think of them. I never thought, then, that I would become one."

Daisy tipped her head to one side. "But how did your dream work then? What did you think you would become?"

"Either a water-bird, or perhaps a sea-serpent, " Phura shrugged. "That's how I interpreted the song."

"And what about me, hmmm? What was I supposed to do, or be, when you were off being a sea-serpent? Or a bird?" Azraph accused him, playfully. Phura got nervous.

"I didn't know how it would work, " he admitted. "I only knew it was something that I would have to do. And I was terrified that you might not be able to do it with me."

"Well, " said Daisy, holding Kali's hand, "I'm very glad that Ulmo showed up, and changed us."

Phura, thinking of Ancalimon's words, nodded, and remembering, murmured, "The kind of change you seek can only be given by Eru; but sometimes he does delegate such things."

"I'm glad he did, " Azraph replied. Daisy nodded.

Kali stood, laughing. "I may be more glad then all of you. Who's to know?" He gestured over the rail. "And now, what about this river? We may never see one quite like this again."

Phura called, and Kesha joined them; and one by one, they dove over the rail. Phura was the last to go, and he looked over his shoulder, and saw Gamba watching. Phura met his eyes, and slowly, Gamba nodded. Phura nodded back, hesitating. And Gamba nodded again. "Go!"

Phura dove in, and Gamba returned his eyes to the far horizon, knowing that he had his own exploring to do.

Cami had told Gamba that she was looking forward to seeing Loremaster Maura again, beyond the circles of the world, and hoping that he would have many tales of Tol Fuin to tell her. Well, then, in the same way, Phura should have a collection of tales about the Abyss, and Gamba decided that he had best build up his own collection of adventures, about the Langwell River, and the Greenwood. He decided to live life to its fullest, and meet the north head-on, and create a tale worth telling. Perhaps, along with Phura and Azraph, Esta would also be waiting to hear his tale.

He hoped so.