[Child of the 7th Age]

Cami's moment of glory was very short lived. Within a moment of stepping off the carpet, she was greeted by her husband Maura who had just come back from a hard day of fighting Orcs in Mirkwood. His clothes were torn and stained, his face haggard and tense, as he reached a hand out to his blood-splattered sword.

"I'm sorry Cami, but you're going to have to leave."

"Leave? I just got here. What are you talking about?"

Maura nervously eyed the Orcs who were dancing up on stage and explained that this was not the kind of place he wanted his wife to be. "I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous. You'll have to come home."

Cami turned on him and fiercely glared. “How can I leave? I’ve been working on the preparations for a whole week now. Mithadan expects me to help. He'll have a fit if I don’t stay. Anyways, you’re being ungrateful. You wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for the Barrow-downs birthday party.”

Maura sighed and shook his head, “Cami, we’ve been over this before. It’s too dangerous in your condition. Our son is coming, and you don’t even have a sword to defend yourself.”

“But I could borrow one,” she protested.

“Borrowing a sword and using it are two different things. You wouldn’t listen when I told you to be a mini Shield-Maid, just like all the other hobbit girls. Noooooo, you had to be different. Well, Middle-earth is a dangerous place, and now you’ll just have to pay for being different.”

“You’re not going to stay here, so put it out of your head. I don’t know how Mithadan could have been so foolish to put hobbits in charge of supplying provisions for the Orcs. A very dangerous business. And those slavering beasts Piosenniel has brought with her. I shudder to think. “

“I wish I could stay with you and act as an escort. Then we might consider it, but things are too hot in Mirkwood right now for me to get away. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, but we need to think about the safety of our family.” He went over to her and slid his arm about her shoulders, drawing her head close to his own.

Cami sighed. She found it difficult to be angry with her husband for more than two minutes at a time. Still, she was not going to give up easily on this one. There had to be a way that she could persuade him to let her stay.

She sat and pondered for several minutes, then grinned broadly. An escort! What she needed was an escort who was large and fierce and dangerous and would ease her husband’s mind. She took out her copy of Bilbo’s Elvish tales that she always kept handily tucked inside her belt and skimmed down the list of heroes of Arda who might be available for such duty. But none of them really seemed suitable, and their fees were quite steep. Cami sat back a moment, running over her list of friends. The instant she recalled the name and saw the face she knew it would be perfect.

She looked straight at her husband and smiled coyly, “Of course, you’re right, Maura. The party will be dangerous. Only a fool would stay without protection. Just let me get my things." Then she excused herself for a minute, and went to see Gandalf who was standing near the entrance tof the Hall waiting to come inside.

Cami whispered something to Gandalf who smiled and nodded. Then she took him by the hand and nudged him over to the spot where her husband was still standing, "Maura, dear Maura....I need to talk to you....."