[Child of the 7th Age]

Helen's post

Frodo stirred, and stretched, eyes still closed, reaching for the pleasant dream he had been having, trying to recall it before it slipped completely out of his conscious thought. He heard Bilbo snoring nearby, and that made him smile. But something else was bothering him, intruding on his reverie. His nose wrinkled, and he struggled to reconcile the assault on his nose with something he could place.

A stale, musty, dusty odor of... decay.

Decay? His eyes flew open, and he sat up, squinting into the murky darkness. Nothing decayed in the undying lands, nothing but him and Bilbo that is. Hadn't they fallen asleep out of doors in a garden? And here they were in a dark, dusty, musty... where were they?

As he stood, groping, his hands landed on something soft, and a snort answered him. "Eh? What's that? Who's there?"

"I'm sorry, " Frodo apologised, "I didn't know you were there. Forgive me. And Hello. My name is Frodo Baggins, but I'm afraid I don't know why I am here, or quite where here is."

"Of course you don't, " said the stranger. "Dreams are like that."

Frodo wished there was enough light to see the stranger's face, because he couldn't tell whether that last was spoken in jest or not. "Well, " he said, "I'm afraid I haven't any breakfast to offer you, nor do I know where you can refresh yourself after your night's sleep. I'm sorry to be such a poor host."

He began exploring the room with his hands, tracing the outer wall. "Ah. Perhaps this is a shutter-- over a window. Yes, I think--" He couldn't open it but he squinted through a small crack. "It's daylight outside. Perhaps someone will hear us if we make some noise. I wish I knew whether or not we want to be found."

"Oh, it's all right," said the stranger, with a yawn and a luxuriating stretch. "You don't have to worry about that. Aren't you eager to see your friends? "

Frodo blinked in the shuttered darkness. "My friends-- why-- ah. Bilbo's scheme to help Cami. We're there? In Eriador?"

"In the Shire," nodded the stranger. "I thought you expected to wake up there. You knew of Bilbo's plans, did you not?"

"Well, yes, of course I did," said Frodo with a touch of annoyance, "It's just--"

"Hmmm?"

"I guess I just naturally assumed that I would wake up in my old bed at Bag End, " he said, embarassed and slightly testy about it.

"Hmmm. Now that, " pondered the stranger, " would have given Mayor Gamgee rather a start."

Their outburst of laughter woke Bilbo.

Frodo brought Bilbo up to date on what he knew, which did not take long. Frodo then found a door, but could not open it.

"My, my, little halflings. You aren't used to dreams yet, are you?" said the stranger, and casually walked through the door.

Frodo and Bilbo gaped. Frodo thought it over, and said, "He has mentioned dreams more than once. I wonder." Tentatively, Frodo approached the door, telling himself that in dreams many things are possible. Bilbo watched expectantly, and made ready to follow Frodo. But Frodo clunked against the door. It was quite solid. He and Bilbo exchanged rather disspirited glances; it had sounded intriguing to walk through doors. "Why could that fellow--" Frodo began.

"You're neglecting your osanwe, " Bilbo scolded him.

With a wry face, Frodo reached out in thought. "Ah. Irmo... Lorien. A Vala in disguise." Frodo smiled. " And he's thoroughly enjoying exploring with his new body."

"Well, " Bilbo said, groaning a little as he stood (Frodo hurried forward to take his arm), "He may enjoy exploring, but right now I'd enjoy some tea, and a change to refresh myself. This room is stuffy. Moldy."

"Well, back to brute force and ignorance then," said Frodo, and with an ironic laugh, began to bang on the door with his fist.

Child's post

Still laughing at the image of Mithadan that Pio's words brought to mind, Cami sat down at the table in the kitchen, glad to take a moment to put up her aching feet and sip a cool drink. Sweet tea? Perhaps that was fine for Pio in the state she was in, but Cami thought she could definitely use something stronger.

She slipped out to the bar and retrieved a bottle of dry red wine, which had been sent north in a shipment from Gondor, carrying it back into the kitchen. Then she took out a rather large glass and filled it close to the brim. Pio gazed at her and raised one eyebrow in surprise. The hobbit shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Cami grumbled. "Sometimes, I swear you could read my mind." As her words came tumbling out, Cami glanced over to Pio with a laugh and said in a quizzical tone, "But then, that may be exactly what you're doing."

"Cami, your feelings are written on your face. There's no need for me to search deeper. Still, if there's anything, you'd like to add...."

The hobbit wriggled in her seat and sighed, not sure where to begin. "All these years, in Minas Anor and on the Star and even on Meneltarma, I kept believing the Shire was my home. I thought I could come back here without any trouble or interruption, just take up where I'd left off. Now, I'm not so sure. I've changed. Everyone seems to fit in here except me. I'm not even sure what "home" means any more, or if I've got a home at all."

"Where is 'home'? Is it Greenwood, or the Shire, or the Star, or someplace I haven't even been? Maybe Elves are meant to wander, but I've never thought of hobbits like that. To be a hobbit, and not have a home, is a very scary thing."

At that instant, Ruby came running towards them, grabbing onto the Elf's arm, wrenching her up and trying to pull her along behind. "You have to come quick. To the upstairs bedroom, the old one in the attic we never use, the one where the door is stuck fast in the frame so we can't even open it. There's someone inside banging hard to get out. It sounds like three gentlemen, and they seem just a little upset."

Cami glanced nervously at Pio, "You don't suppose?" Without another word, the two women hastily left the kitchen, and sprinted up the old, deserted staircase at the very back of the Inn which was festooned with curtains of silvery cobwebs. Cami wondered how long it had been since anyone had used the old staircase leading to the attic. Probably just as long as I've been away from the Shire. That thought made her smile.

[ February 24, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]