As Birdie looked around she discovered that another Elven ship had appeared next to the Catamaran, and yet a fourth was appearing over the horizon. "Wow," she thought, "We're turning into a flotilla!"
Then she saw the fair Idril raise her hand in greeting to the tall, handsome man at the wheel of the new arrival, and realized that it was none other than Tuor himself, come to join in battle against the Blue Wizards in honor of his Lady.
Birdie was glad to have such a noble and accomplished Numenorian on their side, but the two eternal lovers, as they exchanged long-lost greetings, made her feel a little sad and envious as well.
Birdie looked down at her sodden, ruined second-hand party clothes, and felt very much the "silly skin-changer". She knew that at the end of a long day of life-threatening dangers and death-defying adventures, Idril would never have to go home to an empty manor.
Birdie sighed. Being in the company of the Blessed always made her feel a little self-conscious.
She wondered what the Noble Tuor would think about the Mer-Man's advise that they fake a "surrender" to lure the Blue Wizards back onto the ship. ("He did mean a "fake" surrender, didn't he?" she thought.) Somehow, she figured Tuor would not consider that to be Kosher.
Suddenly all thoughts were put to rest as the valiant, but seemingly temporarily insane Rose made a dash for the rail, in a attempt to throw herself back into the sea!
"Child! Stop her!" screamed Birdie. They wrestled the wildly struggling halfling to the deck, as she cried, "Let me go! I know what I'm doing!"
"Rose! Stop it. You can't go back into the sea. You'll drown! Child, talk to her!"
Child firmly grabbed Rose by the shoulders and spun her around. Looking into her fellow hobbit's eyes, she sternly demanded, "If you don't want us to lock you in the brig for your own good, you need to explain right now why we should let you plunge back into the sea to follow Mithadan, whom we have not seen or heard from since he dived overboard."
Rose looked stubbornly back at the older halfling.
"Well?" said Child...
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