Bethberry had seen and learned many things unknown to the average denizen of Middle-Earth. She was the child of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, and that meant a life and education that no other in Arda could claim. She was a friend of Gandalf the Grey, and other, lesser-known but just as powerful figures. She was well-traveled in body, mind, and spirit. Few things were unknown to her, and even fewer things surprised her.
But a small halfling lass leaning her chin on a table and trying to comfort a bug had to be a first. Her face remained non-commital, but she was going through her stock of herbs in her mind, trying to think what she had that would calm a brain-fever.
"Birdie, come! You can trust her. Let her help you. Don't be afraid."
Suddenly the body of the neekerbreeker begain to stretch and grow, changing color and form in a most disconcerting way. The moment when woman and insect appeared in equal measure in the same body was a particularly uncomfortable sight. Birdie knew how she looked when she was morphing, and hated to do it in front of strangers.
But there was nothing to be done. She was hurt, how badly she would not know until she was in human form. In less than a moment the figure of Birdie sat cross-legged on the table where a small, black neekerbreeker had sat before. She was bruised on arms and legs, a knot was swelling on her forehead, an one eye was swollen and turning black and blue. And she had the most horrible stomach ache!
Birdie groaned and clutched at her stomach, the winced from the pain in her arms. Then she slowly looked up at the woman standing by the table with a sheepish expression.
"Hullo, Bethberry."
[ July 24, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]
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