[Child of the 7th Age]

A tall stack of dirty plates stood near the washbasin. The pile was slowly shrinking as Rose Goodchild washed the dishes one at a time and handed them to her mother to dry. All the children had joined Cami and Maura for a picnic supper down by the pond. The boys were outside helping Maura to construct a new windowframe as Gamba had promised, but Rose had slipped into the burrow to talk.

Like Piosenniel, the boys had not been shocked to discover that Cami intended to take in another waif. Ever since arriving in Greenwood, their mother had reached out to every stray critter who came mewing or scratching at the door. To the boys, this latest addition did not seem terribly different. Moreover, Gamba did not regard this tiny lass as any threat to his own way of life, which centered on forests and treetops and chasing after game, or to his treasured relations with his brothers. Once the older boy registered his approval by affectionately lifting the girl onto his lap, the younger ones accepted her without hesitation.

Cami told them she and Maura were naming the toddler "Holly," although she was careful not to offer any reason for this choice. Only later, when she had a chance to be alone with Rose, did she explain that Pio's mother had gone by this same name, and "Piosenniel" itself was an Elvish variant on "Holly". Cami had tried to approach Pio with this news, but she'd been forced to leave a note instead, when Halfred's agent had refused her admission to their room.

For the most part, Cami's conversation with Rose centered on the evil big folk, a topic that was rapidly becoming the main one on everyone's mind. She explained about her short visit to Bag-end that afternoon, and how Sam had already been thinking along the same lines as Prim. Sam had set a time, just two evenings from now, when all the residents of Bywater and Hobbiton would gather together in the Town Hall and come up with ideas on how to deal with the threat of the bandits.

"Rose," she urged, "try to think of something you could do to help, some suggestion you could make, or plan you could devise. Most of these hobbits don't have any weapons' training. A few did fight in the Battle of Bywater, but they have nowhere near the experience you have."

"And Rose, please keep an eye on your brothers. I've warned them to stick close to the Inn and run away if they see any big folk. But you know how Gamba can be. Please be careful yourself. We aren't sure who these robbers are or what they want."

"I promise. I'll do my best," Rose quickly responded. "And I will think about the other. I'll let you know as soon as I come up with something."

Cami hugged her daughter and again reminded her not to lose her head. Then Rose gathered up the boys and headed back toward the Inn and stables, since the small burrow by the pond would not have had enough space even for her to stay the night.

[ March 31, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]