[Child of the 7th Age]

30 Narie - 5 a.m.

Cami awoke while tiny stars still glittered in the sky. In the distance, the reflection of a faint, rosy light was barely visible along the eastern horizon. The ground was soft and moist. The collected moisture seemed to be more than just morning dew. Perhaps it had sprinkled gently during the night, leaving behind a few telltale signs. But, strangely enough, Cami's hair and bedroll felt dry.

Holly still lay asleep on the ground close beside her mother. When the wind had whipped against the trees shortly after midnight and come clattering through the tangled boughs, the child had been thoroughly frightened and crept over to hide within Cami's cloak.

Anxious to set out on the road as soon as they could, Cami walked over to Maura, bending down and placing her hand on his shoulder to shake him awake. He stirred slightly, stared groggily upward, then rolled back down, closed his eyes, and covered his head with a blanket.

A stern voice came from under the covers. "Cami, go back to sleep. It's too early."

She stubbornly tugged at her husband's sleeve, "Too early? No, it may be too late. We have to get back to the Inn as quickly as possible."

Maura looked at her seriously and sat up, rubbing his eyes one at a time. "So you've decided to return?"

"Yes, I was wrong. I should have listened to you. I've been awake half the night worrying about Pio. The twins are almost due. Gilly ran off with Rose, and Angelica Baggins must be beside herself with upset over Fosco. There's someone else who's supposed to help Pio....Peony somebody. But I don't know how reliable she is."

"If we're lucky, Mithadan will have enough sense to send Rose and Gilly back to the Inn. But, as much as I'd like to believe that, I can't be certain.

Within a few moments, Maura had grudgingly risen, shaken off sleep, and begun to organize things for their short trip home. Cami strapped the sleeping Holly in a sling on the front of her chest, while her husband loaded up their few belongings on the back of the pony. For the next few hours, the pair walked swiftly and deftly along the trail, retracing their steps northward, stopping for only a few moments to rest or take a cool drink from the waters of a brook.

Only an hour or so after the sun had risen fully in the sky, they made it to the steps of the Green Dragon Inn. They could hear the familiar sounds of breakfast being prepared and served inside the Common Room. Maura pushed against the door and the couple trudged inside, looking a bit bedraggled from their journey, with a toddler slumped in their arms who was still half asleep.

[ April 28, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]