[mark12_30]

Phura and Azraph sat overlooking the water, left hand in left, right hand in right, fingers intertwined. They had spoken haltingly of the past, reviewing all that had happened, unwilling to look forward anymore.

Azraph's sister Nitir approached them hesitantly. Azraph looked up at her.

Apologetically, she related her message. "Father says you are to be with the family from now on."

Phura's jaw dropped, and he struggled. "Why?" Azraph replied in disbelief.

Nitir shrugged. "He's been very cross all day."

Phura thought his heart would break. He turned Azraph's hands palm upwards, and buried his face in both her hands, and stayed that way for several moments. Then his face came up, eyes brimming. "You'd better go, " he choked. "Good night." And he stood with her, and kissed her hands again. She gently took his face in her hands, gazing into his eyes; and then she wordlessly turned, and followed her sister to her family, casting many discreet backwards glances. Phura watched her til she was out of sight.

Gamba joined him. "What happened?"

The story spilled out, and Gamba threw his arm around his brother's shoulder, and shared his misery for a while. Then he spoke.

"I can come with you."

Phura looked at him. "Gamba." He smiled, and thought his heart would burst.

"I can. I can become a Hobbrim too."

Phura smiled sadly, loving his brother more than ever and knowing that the water wasn't where he belonged.

"I don't want you to be alone."

Phura smiled bravely. "I'll have Loremaster, and Kali, and Andril and all of Kali's cousins. I won't be alone."

Gamba gave him a wry look. "Kali's a good sort. So are lots of his cousins. But you'd miss me."

Phura couldn't argue with that. "Terribly."

"All right then."

Phura looked down. "And the trees? And the elves? And the wind in the branches?"

Gamba shrugged. "I'll have you. Like always."

Phura threw his arm around Gamba's shoulder, now, and shook his head. "You need to know where you belong, and be true to that. No matter how much I'll miss you."

Gamba looked unconvinced.

"I know you would do it, " Phura said. "You'd come with me. But you need to go where you are supposed to go."

"You make it sound like destiny, or something, " Gamba grumbled.

Phura sighed, and nodded. "I suppose it does sound like that."

They listened to the waves on the shore for a while, and Phura, completely exhausted from the day, nodded off several times. Finally he lay down and snored. Gamba got up and went to find Loremaster.

[ November 15, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]