[Child of the 7th Age]

Beruthial's post

Marigold watched as her father tried to calm her mother down, they had just read the note. She felt so worried about Sam and Elanor, what would happen to them? Where were they right now? Were they alright?

Bell had finally calmed down and she and Ham were talking quietly so Marigold couldn't hear, both looking so worried. Marigold couldn't stand it, why had Sam done this? She couldn't understand it, now her parents were almost sick with worry and Marigold couldn't do anything about it.

Her father got up and looked at Margiold with concern, he kneeled down and asked quietly, "Are you alright?" and she nodded, "Do you think you could do something for me? You need to tell Mr. Bilbo about this, he was the one who knew where the other group were going, he may know how to find out where Sam and Elanor are."
Marigold agreed, she thought it would be better if she got out of the house and she never turned down an opportunity to see Mr Bilbo.

She walked up the path with the note in her hand and came up to the front door of Bag end and knocked. Bilbo came out and invited her in. Marigold slowly explained the situation and gave Bilbo the note. His brow furrowed as he continued to read and sighed when he finished. "Oh Marigold, it'll be alright." He said even though she could see the look of worry on his face.

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Child's post

Cami quickly set her disappointed thoughts behind her and spent the next four hours working with as much diligence as she could muster. She set out the food for second breakfast and lunch, went out to weed a bit in the garden, and finished several washloads of dirty clothes, hanging them out to dry just as her own mother had taught her to do.

Then Lobelia asked Cami to crawl up the chimney with a scrub brush and dustpan to remove the ashes from there.

Cami made a terrible face and began to protest, "But, Miss Lobelia, shouldn't you get a chimney sweep for that? My father always hires Hob Greenhand to clean our chimneys and flues every spring. He does a very good job."

"Enough of that," Lobelia spluttered. "I've hired you to do my work, and you're going to do it." She slapped Cami lightly on the behind and sent the girl scurrying back up the ladder. About an hour later, Cami had finished her job and started backing down again. The girl was covered with grey soot from the top of her curly brown head to the soles of her feet. As her feet met the floor, she stooped to gather up the pile of ashes that had fallen to the bottom of the grate. Then, she stood up, but, being less agile than many other young hobbits, tripped over the wood bin and went sprawlng in several directions at once. Her fall sent a smokey, grey cloud flying about Miss Lobelia's drawing room. The tiny ashes swirled about, descending on all the furniture and carpets in the Sackville-Baggins residence.

Cami moaned, aghast at what she'd done. Lobelia scowled at the girl and shoved her out the door, "You'll clean that all up, when you come again tomorrow, or I'll not pay you a penny, a single penny, for the slovenly work you've done today."

Cami mutely nodded her head, feeling greatly disheartened, and trudged outside to where Bilbo sat waiting for her. He took one look at her dirty face and clothes and hands, then sighed, "What has she done to you?"

Cami tried to explain about the morning, and everything that had happened. The only part she forgot was the story of the letter that Lobelia had written to one of the big folk in Bree.

"I don't like you working here, not at all. I'll talk to your father again. In any case, I may be in desperate need of your services," Bilbo muttered these last words under his breath.

Then he turned to explain. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news. Marigold came by this morning and showed me a note from Sam. Apparently, he and Elanor ran off to join the hobbits on the road who are purchasing things for Frodo's party. Hamfast and Bell were half frantic when I went to see them, as were Elanor's folks. Unless I hear the children have safely arrived, I may need to alert the shirriffs to start searching, and get help from the mayors in the surrounding villages. At least I know the Inns where the group intends to stop." At this point, Bilbo hastily scanned a list of names and dates that Primrose had handed to him before she left.

"We'll give it one more day and hope a message comes though. Meanwhile, I've sent a note to the Inns along the route, asking Prim or one of the others to contact me by overnight messenger."

Cami's heart froze with fear. She wasn't thinking about Frodo's party or the work she'd have to do or even Bowman Proudfoot. She could think of only a single thing, that Sam and Elanor be found safe and sound, and that no bandits or other misfortune befall them on the road. She squeezed Bilbo's hand tightly, as a tear or two dropped down, making white trails on her sooty face.

Bilbo bid goodbye to Cami at her family's doorstep, "Go inside and clean up, change your frock, and rest. I'll see you again in the morning. Meanwhile I'm going to explain to your father the jam we're in and see if he'll agree to have you work for me, especially when he sees what Lobelia did to you today. I'll also speak with Bowman and see if he can help."

Cami said nothing about Bowman. She was too worried about her friends. She and Bilbo sat a minute on the step, staring off into the distance, but neither of them were really thinking about the party.

"Do you think Sam and Elanor are alright?" Cami finally whispered.

Bilbo shook his head and sighed, "I hope so, I certainly do."

[ February 18, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]