Sailing Away RPG

[Firefoot]

The morning drew on, and Sondo began to think it was about time for lunch break. He wondered idly why they still called it lunch break; it had been several days since they had any lunch. More like a break in the hiking was what it was. He was getting hungry again; the cooked coney could only stave off the hunger for so long. He did wonder if the breakfast might be a good sign, and maybe they were getting on to places more suitable for coneys and vegetation.

“Hey, every-” he started to say, turning around. Was he seeing things? After the barest moment he decided he couldn’t be. The other hobbits began to look back too, wondering what it was Sondo had seen. A smug, victorious smile spread across Sondo’s lips. So the prodigal had returned, had he?

“So you’ve come back, huh?” smirked Sondo. He couldn’t help it. “I heard you never made it to Sarn Ford.” Sondo’s tone was conversational, but it was a jab, all right, same as Falco had been throwing at him that last night. Falco didn’t respond, and continued to make his way toward them. Sondo studied the other hobbit closely. He looked tired, like his feet hurt something awful. But there was something about the way he limped... A brief frown flicked across Sondo’s face. Falco looked proud still, even arrogant. Sondo’s temper flared against this hobbit who had shown him in such a bad light, but he shoved it back down. Kill your enemies with kindness, his ma had always said. At any rate, Sondo figured he had nothing left to prove.

This time without the implied jab, Sondo said, “Well, Falco, nice of you to join us.”

[Child of the 7th Age]

“Look!” Bingo grabbed Sassy firmly by the sleeve to get her attention and pointed excitedly toward Falco who was standing in the clearing talking with Sondo. Their voices were low, so that Bingo could not make out what the two hobbits were actually saying. Still, he could not miss the strained look on Sondo’s face. It would be a while till things were back to normal. For his own part, Bingo intended to do anything he could to help mend the situation quickly. Whirling around to face his brother, he flashed a grin of reassurance. “We’re all together now. Things will be better. It might take a bit, but you’ll see.”

Once Sondo backed away, Bingo pressed forward and waved his hand in greeting, “I’m so glad you’re back. I was so worried about you and Reggie.” Bingo sidled closer and lowered his voice, “Don’t mind about Sondo. He’ll get over it. Friends have tiffs and make mistakes but they need each other.”

Reaching under his belt, Bingo fished out his last remaining treasure. It was a small packet of berries that he had managed to scavenge along the trail the afternoon before. Although a few were smashed and in less than good shape, this tiny mouthful to eat was the greatest treasure he could imagine to bestow on a returning friend. “It’s going to be alright, Falco, honest.” He placed the berries in Falco’s hand and gently pressed his friend’s fingers over the precious treat.

Then Bingo slipped back to make room for the others who, full of curiosity and joy or perhaps other less agreeable sentiments, now pressed forward to confront Falco. For his own part, Bingo was content. He began whistling a lively tune and gathering up his belongings hoping they would hit the trail again as soon as things settled down. Surely things could only get better now!

[Primrose Bolger]

Sassy stood to the side, watching Falco strut into camp. ‘Hope it doesn’t rain,’ she muttered to herself. ‘Got his nose so far up in the air he’ll drown if it does.’ She hmmmph’d in satisfaction that despite his snotty ways, he was limping. ‘Serves him right!’ she snorted.

She watched as others went up to welcome him back. Her brother sounded sincere, and Bingo, well, he was downright overjoyed to see Falco. What ever was the matter with them? Falco was a rat. A rat who’d come back, but he was still a rat. She looked sideways at Falco as he stood with Bingo. ‘Nope!’ she said aloud, casting her gaze down to her toes as they wriggled in the dirt. ‘I just don’t like him.’

A little rock came rolling along in the dirt, stopping just short of her toes. Sassy raised her head . . .

[Nurumaiel]

Falco's heart was deeply warmed by Bingo's warm welcome. A smile played about his lips, bright and cheery despite its faintness. His smile was not faint from lack of good feeling towards Bingo, but rather because he was feeling faint himself, and he took full advantage of a tree that stood nearby, propping himself up against it. He would have dearly loved to sit down, but he would not let them see how exhausted he was.

"Thank you, Bingo," he said, and paused. "...for the berries," he added. In his heart he was more thankful for the words of kindness, but he was much too embarrassed to say anything about that. He had been afraid of the reaction that would be given when he returned. He had expected at the least dark scowls and angry mutterings, and more probably an open attack on him with sticks and fists. Bingo acted just to the contrary of all these imaginings, and it made him feel that perhaps it was so bad that he hadn't continued on to Sarn Ford. Maybe he could be reconciled with the others yet.

[piosenniel]

Sam

‘I heard what you said,’ Sam said to Sassy. ‘It wasn’t very nice.’ He bent down and picked the rock up. With an easy flick of his wrist he sent it sailing through the branches of a nearby tree. ‘He is kind of stuck up and puffed up at times. But that’s just the way he is. Other times he’s a lot of fun. Got a lot of good ideas for games and such. Really sticks up for his friends in a pinch.’ He looked sideways at Sassy to see if she were listening at all. ‘Gotta take the good with the bad, don’t you?’

His stomach rumbled as if making a comment of its own. ‘Look . . . I’m not the greatest fellow either when I don’t get enough to eat. I can get really grouchy . . . really, really grouchy. I’m not very nice to be around. I’m a real pain. I know, ‘cause some of my friends have told me so. But they don’t turn their backs on me. They just tell me to knock it off . . . And throw me an apple or something, too,’ he grinned.

‘Come on over with me and say “hi”. Or if you can’t do that just come over with me and keep quiet if that’s what you want to do. Come on . . . you want to be part of the group . . . come on, Sassy . . .’

Sam ambled over to where Falco stood. He lifted his chin to the returnee and then nodded his head. ‘Glad you made it back, Falco.’ He looked to the right and left of Falco and grinned. ‘Didn’t bring anything good back to eat . . . did you?’

[Primrose Bolger]

Sassy wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t really like Falco . . . and for two very good reasons she thought. He didn’t like her and had wanted to send her back all by herself . . . and he was mean to Sondo. Sneakingly mean and outright mean, too. And despite what Sam had told her about Falco being a fun companion most of the time, she just couldn’t think how she might see him in this way.

On the other hand, she quite liked Sam. And she’d listened carefully to what he’d said to her.

Now he was walking toward Falco, having urged her to come with him. She scuffed her feet in frustration and chewed on the edge of her bottom lip as she watched his retreating back. ‘Go on Sass,’ she told herself. ‘You can hang behind Sam.’

Her little feet hurried to catch up with her friend. She hid behind him as he spoke with Falco, and once, when Falco glanced her way as Sam moved about, she nodded at him in a non-committal manner. Her face carefully neutral . . . or as neutral as a spirited little eleven year old girl can keep her expression. Sassy’s eyes flashed as Falco looked away, and he resumed talking once again to Sam. Careful to keep quiet she looked at him quite pointedly. ‘I’ve got my eye on you, Falco Brandybuck,’ she thought to herself. ‘Both of them! No matter what Sam thinks of you.’

[Nurumaiel]

Falco looked from Sam to Sassy. On the one hand, there was Sam, with a smile as kind as Bingo's had been. On the other hand, there was Sassy, and while her face showed no open emnity, he could guess exactly what she was thinking about him. And why shouldn't she? He had been rotten to her brother. That is to say, her brother had been rotten to him, so he had left.

There was a twinge of his conscience, and a realisation that he tried to stomp down. It was becoming plainer to him with each passing moment that he, Falco Brandybuck, had been the one in the wrong, and that it would be his duty to apologise. He would not apologise. He was not wrong.

He turned to Sam, smiling that faint smile once again, and this time it had a rueful look about it.

"I'm afraid I don't have any food, Sammy," he said. "Reggie and I ran out of food some time back, and even if there had been some food left... I lost my pack."

The tones in which he addressed Sam were very comradely. He had always been annoyed at the other lad's grouchiness, but since that first day when the hobbits were all sent floundering in the water, and Falco had pulled Sam out, and the latter had thanked him most graciously... well, Falco didn't feel quite so annoyed with Sam now. Least of all now, when he was giving him a warm, kind welcome!

As for Reggie... Falco had been fully intending to make Reggie feel his bitterness at the desertion by remaining coldly silent towards him, and every so often casting him reproachful glances, but Bingo's words had sent the plan from his mind. After all, Reggie had been the only one to follow him the first place. And they had been out of food.

Falco was not at all prepared to apologise, but he was feeling kind-hearted enough now to give a shaky smile and say: "It's nice to see you again, lads."