Birdie looked around at the elves, wizard, and half-elf/half hobbit combos sitting in the cabin. Pio and Veritas seemed more than happy to make their way back to the Downs, but Child seemed to be bitterly disappointed that she would not be seeing the golden hills of Tol Elressa.
"Don't feel too bad, Child", said Birdie comfortingly. "However you got on this ship, it seems that the captain only wanted people with Elven blood, and that's what he got. So your having elven blood must have some truth to it. I'm just here by accident; maybe that's why Legolas shot at me so hastily. He was tricked into it.
You mean...?" asked Child hopefully.
Yes, Child," smiled Birdie, "somewhere in your family's past, there was an elf in the woodpile."
"But how will we get Frodo to believe all this?" said Rose. "And can you be sure that this dream you had really shows that this ship isn't going to the Undying Lands. After all, you say yourself you have no Elven blood, so how do you know this dream is real?"
"I don't know!" said Birdie, "But all of you seem to be having second thoughts about this voyage. If this ship was truly going to Aman, you would have no doubts. As for Frodo...do you think Frodo has ever read Child?"
Well, Frodo has read several of my monographs on M-E history, and said he found them quite enjoyable."
"No Child! Not you! Child!"
"OK, I'm confused."
"Child was an ancient scholar, who traveled Middle Earth collecting all the old ballads of the common people. And we all know the importance of oral history in preserving our past. Maybe if we can show Frodo the ballad 'The Demon Lover', he'll believe what has happened before could be happening again."
"Maybe one of you Elves could put that "mind reading" you do to use, and see if you can find out if Cirdan is really "Cirdan". I don't know what else we can do."
Then Pio spoke up. "I might have something that could help us." she said, and reached into her pocket...
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