[Child of the 7th Age]

There was a lull in conversation as the Inn door swung open to reveal a small, bedraggled hobbit slumped over on the stoop. Cami Goodchild slowly placed one furry foot ahead of the other and rose unsteadily, hoisting up a claw hammer with one hand and an overflowing bucket with the other. Strapped to her back was a large canvas sling that carried the remains of what looked like someone's garden fence. Water dripped down from Cami's curly hair and round red nose making a considerable accumulation on the spot where she was standing.

"Watch out there!", growled one of the serving lads standing near the door. "Yer makin' a terrible mess on the floor, now. Get down there and clean up that puddle, or there'll be no hot meal and flagon of ale for you.

Cami stuck out her tongue at the good fellow who was nearly twice her size, "Enough! I've had enough headaches the past few days. I just wanted to come down to the Seventh Star and offer my best wishes to the illustrious Master Fordim. Only I've had such a hard time getting here. Our home was hit with a slew of bad weather, fierce stuff that reminded me of the Tale of Beleriand that Master Bilbo used to recite. Great winds and water, such as you wouldn't believe! So I don't see why you are making such a fuss over a bit of water on the floor."

The lad responded in a gentler voice, "Sorry there now. I didn't know you'd run into such a string of bad luck. Are you alright now, Mistress Cami?," he queried. "Not hurt I hope....you or your burrow?"

"No," added Cami with a shake of her head and a reassuring smile. "We are all doing quite well. We thought of leaving and staying with my cousin Widow Bunche who hails from the westlands. But there were so many carts and horses on the road that it was impossible to make any real progress. After seven hours of going in circles, we came back in and hunkered down in our burrow for the night. We've a mess to clean up, but nothing worse than that. But I am most grateful to see this nasty weather go away. Still, there are folk much worse off than I. Some live further east and their homes were flattened to the ground. Others are older folk living in my neighborhood who have little food stocked away for hard times like these. I need to give my greetings quickly and then return to the Shire to see if I can help."

With that, Mistress Cami ran over towards the place where Fordim was sitting.