[Child of the 7th Age]

Daisy had always prided herself on being one of the swiftest hobbits in the Shire. She could outrun any of her young companions on the Star. But, today, things were different

The girl trudged along the dusty path in silence. Packages were strapped onto her body. Her fingers clutched at a pile of letters that threatened to spill out into the dirt. She could not lose a single one.

Daisy had been ordered to cover the route as quickly as she could, dropping off her messages and picking up any responses sent back to headquarters. Captain Tarkil had sternly warn her not to dawdle on the road. Earlier in the day, she'd managed to keep up. Now, her ribs and side ached too much.

One time, a guard had stunned her with a backhanded slap. That was in response to some bad news her delivery had brought. The other incident might have been avoided if she'd just listened to Rose. Her friend had told her never to look a guard full in the face. She was to stand with her eyes rivetted on the ground, face impassive and head slightly bent. But she hadn't listened closely to this advice. That mistake had cost her a crushing jolt to her ribs by the guard's thick-toed boot. Now, every time she breathed, a stab of pain tugged at her side.

Daisy had dutifully checked every message entrusted to her but with little reward. They were routine lists of supplies and denials of leave for the guards. Not much of interest here!

How Daisy wished that Piosenniel would be waiting for her at the end of the day, to listen to her complaints and soothe her pain. But the Elf was far away. She brightened a bit at the thought of Bird. At least they could talk.

Even chatting with Anee would be a relief. That morning, she hadn't thought much about the girl. Now, she seemed like the only bright spot in a disappointing day. She hoped she'd get a chance to speak with her . But what if Anee asked too many questions which Daisy couldn't answer? The hobbit wasn't sure what she should do.

Daisy finally rounded the corner to headquarters. Anee was waiting on the steps, and helped her drop off the messages and packets in their right place. Daisy glanced around anxiously but didn't see or hear Bird anywhere.

"You were too slow," the hobbit scolded. I had to cover for you. I told Tarcil's man you'd already returned and left your things."

Anee was about to tell Daisy she'd need to be faster tomorrow when she caught the mingled look of pain and discouragement on the girl's face. She stopped and squeezed her hand, "The first day is always the worst. The guards want to make sure you know they have the upper hand. Not that any of us need reminding." At this point, she actually stopped and laughed. "They'll leave you alone tomorrow. You're lucky. The Elders have said you can visit the healer. Then we'll find something to eat."

[ October 08, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]