[Child of the 7th Age]

Cami was deeply relieved Mithadan had been found, and that he had spoken so respectfully to the Elders. Politiness went a long way in hobbit circles in bridging differences between folks. She also hoped he had found some comfort in his reverent vigil near the tomb. But now, she struggled to focus her mind on the ugent matters at hand.

Loremaster had finished alluding to the ancient lays and came to take her and Rose by the hand. The Eldars came up respectfully one-by-one to speak with them, and murmur their thanks. The younger ones hung back, either shy or otherwise reluctant to come forward.

Cami walked casually over to two hobbit girls, apparently daughters of the Elders, who looked to be no more than sixteen years. They eyed her curiously, with none of the reverence their parents had shown.

She smiled to herself. At least that was a start. She was deeply touched by the courtesy others had shown, but that was no way to get close to people and feel comfortable with them. And that is what she’d have to do, if she and Rose had any hope of making a home for themselves.

Violet stared quizzically at Cami, and actually extended a finger out to poke her. “You look like my mother.” It sounded more like a rebuke than a statement.

“I suppose I do,” Cami agreed.

“And Azra looks like my best friend who’s two years younger than I am.”

The girl narrowed her brow and concentrated, “How could you do the things that were in the songs? How could you help lead the people to freedom at Tol Fuin? I’m sorry, but you don’t look any different than the rest of us.

She glanced at Cami’s sturdy body, her curly brown hair, her tan skin, and open face. She looked so..... Violet searched through her mind for the right word, and finally found it. Nitir looked so very ‘regular’, she thought.

“To tell the truth,” the girl continued, looking a bit sheepish, “Somehow I thought you’d look more like an Elf.”

An Elf? Cami giggled. Pio would certainly hold her sides with laughter when she heard this. Why an Elf? And then it hit her. Every mortal in Middle-earth, not just hobbits, but even Men, at times wondered if they were poor imitations of the taller and wiser and elder ones who’d once lived in the light of the trees.

But she was indeed no Elf. And if the hobbits in these tombs did not believe in themselves, did not trust their own ability to do and change things, then the rescue could never succeed. And that was true, no matter how hard Pio fought, or how wise Mithadan was with his vast knowledge of strategy and tactics.

Cami chose her words with care before replying. It was one of those rare occasions when she believed that she might actually make a difference.

“If you think you're going to break out of this prison because a magic Elf will come and carry you off, then you’ll never be free. You will never be free because this rescue won’t succeed unless hobbits themselves take up arms and use their brains and strength to fight back against the evil that’s around us.”

“But even that’s not enough. If some magic Elf came and did carry you off, you still wouldn’t be free. Being free isn’t just taking the bars away. Being free is learning to believe in yourself, being proud of who you are, and not trying to pretend you’re someone else."

"You have to convince yourself first. Then, maybe, just maybe, you can convince others as well. Those Elves and Men who look at us, and only see that we’re smaller than they are. I’m not saying they’re all like that, of course, but some are.”

“That’s the only reason I’m here. To help you find in yourself what’s already there. I’m no different than you are. I can’t give you anything extra. What you have inside is enough, if only you'll learn to use it.”

Cami awkwardly plopped down on the floor beside Rose. Then Loremaster came over and took her hand. “What you just said, I want you to repeat to every man, woman, and child in this place within the next two days.”

Cami leaned towards him and beamed, “I’ll certainly try.”

[ October 24, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]