[piosenniel]

Child's post

Cami looked out across the pond and sighed. She had so little time left to be with Maura. All she wanted was for the two of them to go somewhere where they could share each other's company for whatever days or weeks remained. To journey far away from bandits and wayward daughters and confusing problems that seemed to have no real solutions.

Yet, they could not just pick up and disappear when there were still so problems in the Shire. She wasn't sure what she and Maura could do, but she couldn't imagine them turning their back on the situation without at least trying to help.

When Cami had awoken in the Inn many months before, she'd assumed the Shire was a safe and secure place, a homely refuge from all her cares and worries. Her initial assessment had obviously been wrong. Even the Shire could not shut out the real problems of the world.

A great many things at the Inn seemed to be spinning out of control. People were keeping too much hidden, not bothering to trust or confide in one another. Pio and Gilly and Rose.... Even Frodo had slunk past her earlier that morning, dropping his eyes to the ground and remaining strangely silent.

Cami glanced guiltily back inside the burrow. Maura was washing up the last of the luncheon plates and cups, with Holly playing nearby at his feet. He was so patient and caring, so obviously dedicated to herself and the children, and to the band of hobbits he'd met a short time ago. Her husband had not questioned the endless hours he'd spent cajoling Gamba out of one of his moods, patrolling the roads, or working with her daughter to train the Shirelings in defense. He had always been scrupulously honest with her.

Cami sidled up to where Maura was working. He turned and met her eyes with the slightest of smiles, then halted his work, waiting for her to speak. She placed her hand on top of his, looking up into his grey eyes, which seemed at that moment to be infinitely kind.

"We need to talk. There's something I must tell you.

Maura tossed the tea towel over the dishpan and walked over to the table, pulling out a chair for her and another for himself. He leaned back casually and stretched out his legs, resting his feet on top of the basket of firelogs. Then he stared intently over at Cami.

She was fluttering about inside her head, searching for the right words to explain about the baby and why she'd chosen to keep this secret so long. It was Maura who gently prodded her with a question, "This thing you need to discuss. Is it something about the bandits, or perhaps more personal than that?"

"Personal, definitely personal. Actually, it's not just me. It's the two of us."

A slight ghost of a smile began to spread over Maura's face. His eyes held a glint of sparkling silver, with an underlying hint of both amusement and approval. She looked up in surprise and bewilderment as realization dawned in her mind.

"You know! You already know. How long have you known, and how?"

"Cami, I was with my sister for the birth of both her children. You remember how we lived together in that tiny burrow, almost on top of one another. So I've had some experience with this."

"Plus, for the past few weeks, anyone with half a head might have guessed. Your stomach has been playng tricks on you every morning, and you've been poking at your food instead of eating it."

"Then, why didn't you say something, or ask me?"

"Because I knew you had a reason for your silence. And I suspected that reason had to do with the fact that we're not supposed to be together very long. And you knew how hard this would be on me. and how I would feel not even being able to help...."

At that point, his voice almost broke as he looked away and struggled for control. His voice took on a bitter edge.

"What hobbit father could step back from this situation and walk away to his own time, as if none of this ever happened?"

"Maura, stop. We have no choice. That's why I was afraid to tell you."

Their eyes met and locked for a single instant. One pair insistent, the other imploring. Then, they both dropped their gaze and carefully stepped back, afraid to cross the line or say anything more. Maura shook his head, "Alright, we won't talk about this now. But that won't change the way I feel."

At this moment, there was a knock on the open door, and the sound of shuffling feet. Hob coughed loudly, and peered inside, "Miz Cami, I've a note for you from your daughter."

Cami reached out to take the folded paper. It's alright Hob. We were just finishing. Come in for a bit of tea."

"Sorry, missus, but not now. I've another copy of the same note to deliver to Miss Pio."

Cami put her hand up to her head. She could virtually predict what the note was going to say. The real mystery at this point was not what Rose and Gilly were doing. The more serious question was how Pio would respond.

Maura looked over as Cami glanced over the note. "From Rose?" he queried.

She nodded yes. "It's what we discussed before."

"You're going to speak with Pio." It was not a question, but a statement. "If you need help, or someone to ride after them, Ban and I would be more than willing. He's an excellent tracker, and I'm not bad myself."

Cami thanked him and was about to leave, when he tugged one last time on her arm. "I didn't even have a chance to say this before. Whatever happen to you and me, I can't tell you how pleased I am about this child." Then he pulled her close to his chest and kissed her gently on top of her curls.

Pio's post

It was late afternoon, and a warm, lazy one at that. Cook had just left Pio’s rooms, leaving behind one of the tempting snacks she was forever supplying her favorite ‘project’. Thimbleberry tartlets, just the size for popping whole into one’s mouth and washing down with some cool milk. Pio sighed happily in her chair by the window, a small plate of the little gems perched on her belly, a mug of cold, foaming milk on the floor by her side.

It was practically a straight shot from her belly to her mouth sitting in this position, and before she knew it, half the little hillock of treats had disappeared. She coughed on a wayward crumb of crust and reached for the mug of milk, to wash the stray crumb down. Her hand slipped on the slick surface of the mug, made more slick by the moisture beading on it from the cold contents.

The mug slipped from her grip - the milk running out along the wooden floorboards. She sat upright, the plate of tartlets now crashing to the floor to join the spreading milk. A string of Umbrian invective rolled from her mouth in an obviously well practiced manner, as she snatched up her map case which had unfortunately been in the direct path of the white tide.

She took the maps out, sponging them off carefully and placed them over the back of the couch and across the tables and chairs to dry. ‘There is one missing,’ she thought to herself, frowning, as she tried to remember where and when she might have had it out.

Pio was cleaning up the mess, and pondering the riddle of the missing map of the East Farthing and beyond, when a soft knock came at her door. ‘Come in,’ she called. Hob appeared, a bemused look on his face at the sight of the ungainly figure on the floor, mopping up the last of the spill.

‘Here,’ she said, laughing at the look on his face, ‘help me up, if you would.’

Hob came near and offered her his strong arm. She hoisted herself to her feet, and stood brushing the mashed crumbs from one of the tartlets from her knees. ‘Nice to see you, Hob. Anything in particular you came to see me about, or is this a purely social visit?’

‘Well, Mistress Piosenniel. I’m thinking maybe I should have brought this to you earlier, but Miz Rose and Miz Gilly made it real clear that I was to deliver it to you today, and at this time.’ Hob handed the folded and sealed note to Pio and stepped back a little, giving her time to read it with a modicum of privacy.

‘Rose and Gilly? Why are they sending me a note? Are they not upstairs in their room, or at least somewhere in the inn? This is most strange!’ Pio opened the note and began to read.

‘Those little fools!’ She crumpled the short note in her fist, her grey eyes narrowing at the implications of what Rose had written. ‘They have no idea what they are doing or what they might encounter.’

Hob stepped forward, a look of concern on his face. ‘What’s happened? What have they done?’ he cried, a look of alarm spreading on his face.

‘Run and fetch Cami for me, Hob. She should know what they have done.’

‘But, Mistress, I just delivered a note into her hands before I ran here to give you yours. I didn’t stay to see her read it, but it was given to me by the two young ones yesterday, same as yours, same instructions.’

Pio sat down on the arm of her chair, rubbing her temples. ‘Why can nothing go smoothly!’ she muttered to herself. She looked up at Hob, fixing him in her gaze. ‘Go get Cami at once, Hob. I cannot fix this, so she must figure out how to do it.’

Hob turned on his heels and ran out the door, heading back to the burrows by The Pool . . .

[ April 22, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[ April 23, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]