Sailing Away RPG

[Child of the 7th Age]

Things seemed to be settling down a bit. His brother had assisted Marroc in climbing down from the tree and finding his way back to the shore. Falco had also lent a helping hand to Sam, and, possibly for the first time in his life, the young hobbit lad had seemed genuinely grateful. The last to be rescued had been Rory. The young lad had been half drowned, until Bingo had managed to drag him over to the tree stump, and others had come to guide him to the shore. A short distance down the river, Bingo could see that Sondo had caught up with the raft and was trying to push it to the side, out of the way of the strongest current.

Bingo slipped off the tree branch and swam over to the weeds and muds that lined the edge of the shore. The water here was no more than a foot deep. Since this stretch of bank appeared to be both slippery and steep as well as thoroughly riddled with large tree roots, he decided to wade downriver in the shallows, while keeping a close eye for unfriendly snakes. Fortunately, there were no more unpleasant incidents, and, within a short while, he had made it back to the raft where Sondo was waiting.

"Is everyone here?," Bingo queried nervously. "Are the lads alright? Do you think we should unload some of the supplies on shore, and make sure they're not soaked or damaged?" He looked over at Sondo, awaiting his response. But before Sondo could open his mouth, he felt another hand tapping him on the shoulder.

[Crystal Heart]

Sam ventured over to Bingo and placed a hand upon the lad's shoulder.

"Bingo, I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have done that. I owe everyone here an apology. It was all my fault that the raft tipped as it did. We are all fortunate that no one died here, but that does not condone my actions. Again, I apologize to all of you for what I have done," Sam apologized, his head hanging in shame. For the first time in his whole small hobbit life he actually felt regret for what he had done. If Sam didn't know any better his entire outlook on life was changing, but he wasn't about to admit that to anyone no matter what.

Something was stirring in the young hobbit's heart. Something of caring and more kinder qualities. His mother had always told him that he was born with a heart so small that not even it could withstand the love and kindness it was suppose to posses. Sam had agreed and had believed that up until this day. Until this moment he had not really thought about what his life could be like.

Mentally, he shook his thoughts away and silently prayed that his companions in this journey would actually forgive him and that this adventure that he so desperately needed would begin without any further incidents.

[Child of the 7th Age]

For a moment Bingo stood silent, his eyes opening wider by the moment and his jaw hanging open. He was so surprized that he was completely unable to say anything. This was the last thing he had suspected. He'd assumed that Sam would blame him for their scuffle as well as for the overturning of the raft. Bingo was used to backing down when the sons of wealthy landowners came to him complaining about this little thing or that. He put up with their jibes, good natured and otherwise, and politely pulled at the bill of his cap to show his respect. What else could he do when he didn't have a Da or Ma to stand up and protect him?

The one thing he hadn't considered was that the young lad would apologize and extend a hand in friendship. Recovering his wits as quickly as he could, Bingo turned towards Sam and spoke, "Not a problem. Of course, I forgive you. There's nothing to forgive.....just a tussle and a misunderstanding. I'll try to be more careful with my own elbows and feet." He looked down at his own gangley arms. "I expect both of us owe an apology to Sando as well."

With that, Bingo looked over to Sando, "Is everyone alright? Even Rory?" He had been worried about Rory ever since he'd pulled him up from under the water. The lad's face had looked so pale, a sickly shade of greenish-blue, and he had been coughing and gagging.

[Boromir88]

Rory stirred from his rest. He woke up with a gasp, first not knowing where he was. He remembered the argument, the boat tipping, but his last memories were getting mouthfuls of water, and then going underneath....his mind was blank of what happened after. He sat up, and saw all the hobbits staring at him, and with a sigh of relief on all their faces. His clothes were soaked, and his pouch filled with throwing stones were gone.

"Anyone happen to grab my sack of rocks?" Rory asked.

The Hobbits chuckled, they found it hard that Rory had just been through a traumatic experience, which if it wasn't for Bingo he probably would have died, and the first thing that hops into Rory's mind were his rocks.

There was a long, uneasy silence, that Sam broke. He was apologizing, and asking everyone for forgiveness. Rory piped up, "Cheer up Sam, no one's blaming you. It's not like that raft was a finely made Elven boat, it was bound to tip with any slight movement." Some of the hobbits glared at Rory, especially Sondo, who took pride in building the raft. Whatever the thoughts, the hobbits were relieved that Rory was his normal self.

[Firefoot]

Sondo was having difficulty getting a word in edgewise, which was perhaps a good thing because it had given him time to cool off. Quite honestly, he had not thought that Sam had it in him to apologize, though Bingo was mellow enough. He was, however, still extremely annoyed at how his adventure had started off, especially when the now-awakened Rory insulted his raft. Never mind that most of those present had helped build it - Sondo was quite protective, and glared at Rory accordingly.

He cleared his throat, and everyone turned their attention to him. “Yes, it would appear that everyone is fine,” he said in answer to Bingo’s earlier question. “But we can’t have something like this happen again. Any supplies that weren’t lashed down, which is basically everything anyone brought along today, were lost.” Here there were some sighs or disappointed groans. “We need to work together in this.” Everyone nodded their agreement, whether because they actually agreed or just didn’t want to argue, Sondo didn’t know. Sam and Bingo both looked properly penitent. “As for the raft,” continued Sondo with a withering glance at Rory, “just about any boat is going to tip if you want to tussle on it.”

Feeling better now that the situation was firmly under his control again, Sondo grinned. All had been forgiven, for now, and he was eager to get going again. “At least no serious damage was done. If we can get through this, we’ll just be even more prepared if anything else happens along the way. After all, what fun would an adventure be if nothing happened? Come on, the raft’s only a little ways downstream!” Sondo struck off toward the raft, and the lads all followed along, their high spirits generally restored. Most talked merrily as they walked, sometimes laughing. Sondo caught Falco frowning, as if he had something on his mind. Sondo made a note to maybe ask about it later, but now they had reached and found the raft thankfully still tied securely to the shore.

“So are we going to make sure our supplies are undamaged?” piped up Marroc, recalling Bingo’s idea. Sondo nodded, “Yeah, I think we should. Some stuff might have gotten moved around, and it wouldn’t be any good for all the food to get crushed.”

Deftly the hobbits untied the simple knots tying the oilcloth to the raft and pulled it away. Then they stopped - some scowled, and some gaped, but Sondo was the picture of shocked anger. Sondo forgot about everything else for the moment, for underneath the oilcloth, an all too familiar stow-away had been hiding. She was his sister, and she would ruin everything.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded harshly.

[Primrose Bolger]

Previous to the misadventure . . .

‘Boys are so stupid!,’ she thought to herself, chuckling quietly. ‘Even my brother!’ Sassy caught herself just as she was about to let out a small whoop over her observation. ‘Quiet, Sass,’ she reminded herself. ‘Don’t let them know you’re here.’ She hunkered down behind a thick bush watching the boys. Piled neatly on the raft was a little pile of blankets, and several small sacks of apples, taters, and little carrots and a number of tools and other things . . . all taken from the Brandybuck cellar. She knew, because she’d seen her brother and one or two of his companions sneaking them away and followed them, sliding along behind trees and running as quickly as her little feet would carry her from the shelter of one shrub or rock to another. She watched them cover the pile carefully with a large piece of oilcloth, then, later, tie it down securely to the raft with rope.

When the boys had gone, off to gather their own packs for the next day’s trip, she snuck down to the shore where the raft was tied and looked about it. For the most part the oilcloth over the mound of supplies was secured well. But being a determined eleven year old girl and one of small stature, she found a little space where two ropes crossed, leaving just enough room to pull up a corner of the cloth and wriggle beneath it. ‘This is it!’ she whispered to herself as she gave it a try and pulled the flapping corner in behind her, tucking it in neatly so that it wouldn’t be noticed. ‘This is my chance to go with him this time!’ She shivered a bit in the darkness beneath the oilcloth, but shrugged it off. She wasn’t scared . . . no, all she needed was her little cloak to pull over her and she would be fine. It was Spring after all, and sometimes Spring was a little chilly, she reassured herself.

Early next morning, before breakfast had even begun, she crept out of the Hall. Her little pack was stuffed with items she thought she might need. None of which were clothes. Fishing line borowed from her uncle’s creel with a few hooks and a number of fat, stubby candles from the kitchen, a shaker of salt, too, and a small pot of honey. Oat and currant cookies from the pantry wrapped in clean napkins, her Da’s filleting knife in its leather sheath, and a rather large ball of twine. A small, sharp hatchet meant for the woodpile, for kindling. And in one side pocket were stuffed two little rope snares for coneys or squirrels and in the other her tin mug and a spoon.

The sun had not yet burnt off the little fog that gathers along the river in the morning, so it was quite easy to slip down to the raft and hide in the little space she’d made for herself. She’d been quite tired, having stayed up most of the night to pack her needed things. It was warm under the oilcloth once she’d drawn her cloak up over her and resting her head on one of the little folded blankets, she fell asleep in spite of herself, the rocking of the raft on the river current in the little inlet lulling her.

-o-o-o-

She’d woken when the fight began. First were the loud words and then what she imagined were pushes and blows as the raft rocked and tipped. She heard the sounds of the others as they splashed into the water. She would have gone into the water herself, save for the fact her little space was well secured by rope. The cries of the Hobbits faded as the raft moved down the river, and Sassy had just peeked out from under the oilcloth, seeing if she should try to help maneuver the raft. There was no one aboard but her! She ducked her head back into the supposed safety of her little burrow and thought furiously about what she should do. Fortune smiled on her and she heard the voices of her brother and one other . . . Reggie, she thought by the sound of the voice.

Sassy realized she had been holding her breath as they tried their plan to rope something on the bank. And she almost cried out as she heard the first anchoring log snap. But somehow the raft was brought into shore and she heard Sondo talking as he tied it to a tree, telling Reggie to go on ahead; he would follow after.

Carefully easing her way back into back of her little hidey-hole, Sassy lay down, resting her head on the crook of her arm. She got her ragged breathing under control and thought about what she should do. Stay hidden or go out and wait for her brother and the others. She decided to think on it a little more and she was still not done with her thinking when she heard the gathering voices of the boys . . .

-o-o-o-

The stowaway . . .

‘What are you doing here?’ he demanded harshly.

Sassy stood up and looked her brother square in the eye, or almost in the eye, that is. She had stepped up onto one of the folded blankets, affording her a few more inches of height. In one hand was a cookie she’d been munching on to ‘help her think’, and in the other was a half-eaten apple from one of the sacks because, well, she liked the taste of them both together. In a decisive moment she jammed the remainder of her snacks into her pockets and planted her hands on her hips.

‘Don’t you talk to me like that, Mister Sondo-I’m-so-smart-I-can-sneak-away-without-anyone-knowing! Ha! I’ve been on to what you been doing and planning all along.’ She tilted her head up at him, and narrowed her eyes, giving the appearance she was considering him from a great height. ‘I’m going with you!’ she declared. Sassy looked up the river to where they’d started. ‘It’s too far now to send me back without you taking me.’ As he appeared to be considering just that option, Sassy cut off his response with a threat. ‘You do that and Da will skin you alive. Especially when his poor little girl comes in all dirty and bruised and maybe even bleeding and for sure, crying.’

She pushed a stray curl back from her face and looked round the circle of boys. ‘Uh huh - I’m coming with you.’ She bent down and fished around in her pack, pulling out a napkin filled with big cookies. ‘Anyone else want one? There’s enough for all of you?’ she said smiling sweetly at the cluster of lads.

As the boys were passing the cookies about, Sassy sidled over to where Sondo stood. She stood next to him as he looked about at his companions. With a quick move, she pinched him hard on the back of his arm as she smiled and handed him a cookie. ‘And don’t you ever talk to me like that again, or I’ll tell Da you dragged me along on this adventure,’ she whispered

[Encaitare]

Reggie took a cookie and began munching on it, shivering in his wet clothes. Oh, how he envied Sassy, standing there assertively, and also decidedly dry.

He wanted to feel empathy for her, he really did. After all, he was never included in the original plan either. But a little sister? He didn't have any of his own, but most of his girl cousins were always an annoyance. The younger ones were always running amok through Brandy Hall, acting as though they owned the place and bugging he, Bingo, and their friends. And the older ones were even worse; they were all superiority and smugness, calling them naughty boys when all they were really doing was something like trying to sneak mushrooms from the kitchen or getting mud all over the parlor. Yes, girls certainly were bothersome.

But still... he had been in the same position as Sassy just a short time before, although he hadn't been met with as much resentment from Bingo as Sassy appeared to be getting from Sondo.

Ugh. If anything could be said for girls, it was that they caused nothing but trouble, and a sideways glance at Bingo, who was shaking his head disgustedly, told Reggie that his brother certainly agreed.