[Child of the 7th Age]

OOC-- Moved and edited again. LOL. I just can't find a home I'm happy with for this post!
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Finished with her chores and her care of Bird, Child made her way back to the deck of the Star. The success of their trial and the return of Bird and Kali had released just a little of the tension on board. And Child had to admit that Tule had done exactly what he said he would do. Yet, part of her felt uneasy.

Then she sensed a familiar tug inside her mind. "Angara where are you?"Child responded."Don't pull tricks on me!" She started about, but could not see the dragon anywhere.

"I'm not pulling any tricks. Look up, you blockhead hobbit." Angara snorted and wafted puffs of smoke down on Child's head.

Child gazed up to the top of the mast. Angara was hanging upside down by her tail, blowing large smoke rings in Child's direction. "Who are you calling a blockhead?" the hobbit retorted."

"Well, you didn't even bother asking me if I'd sustained injuries in this afternoon's little escapade. That Elf almost had me killed."

"Angara, don't be ridiculous! You look very alive to me." Child gave her a sharp glance, and then continued. "Anyways you don't know how lucky you are. Just try sitting on deck with nothing to do except knitting a scarf."

Child raised up a long yellow scarf which she carried in her hand. It looked as if it could wrap around most hobbits two or three times. The scarf had several holes and numerous dropped stitches.

"What I would give to be in your situation. .....just don't ask. You can at least be part of the rescue. But I know nothing of osanwe beyond having you barge into my mind, and even less of naval strategy."

She remembered how Mithadan had stormed about in Idril's house, feeling trapped because he was unable to move or act. Now she knew exactly how he felt. "I feel so useless sometimes." She spoke every word slowly and deliberately, and then continued. "As for the Elf, leave him out of it! He at least has managed to come up with a workable plan."

Angara laughed, "That sounds like a new tune, Mistress Hobbit. The last time we talked, you called him a pickle face...."

Child glared back at the dragon. It was true that she didn't totally trust the Elf. Part of her felt he was saying and doing things which should have fallen to Pio. Child knew Tule had come from Ancalimon, but she still didn't understand why he would want to be part of a mission whose only purpose was the rescue of hobbits. There were Elves who looked at hobbits with fondness, and then there were the others..... Child still wasn't certain which group Tule fell into.

Angara plunged down from the masthead and came to light on her shoulder, shrinking down to a more manageable size.

"Little Andreth, is anything wrong? " The dragon's voice was gentle. Child hesitated, but then looked into the whirling green and gold eyes. Angara seemed to be asking a genuine quesion, so she decided to try offering a genuine answer.

"I don't know. I don't like all this waiting and sitting and not doing. When I was in Beleriand, I felt as if I made a difference just by getting up in the morning. Now my main contribution is swabbing the deck and cleaning up everyone's mess in the galley. I feel as if I am ready to move on with my life, but there's no place to move on to." Her fingers strayed to the green stone nestled at her throat. Then she shook her head and looked down stubbornly at her knitting.

The dragon said nothing, but sat down and placed her body within Child's skirts, allowing the hobbit to softly stroke her head.

[ August 29, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]