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piosenniel · 05-09-2003, 12:59 PM

2 Cermië - just after midnight

‘Look, little wing, the Burning Briar shines bright in the northern skies tonight.’ It was well past midnight, and Pio sat on the steps of the Inn, her daughter lying along her lap. The little one’s grey eyes were open, gazing solemnly upward at her mother’s face.

Pio could see the constellations reflected in the clear pools of her daughter’s eyes. To the east were the Netted Stars, and there just at the corner her eye was Wilwarin. The baby blinked and the stars swirled and disappeared, as the little lids fluttered gently and then closed.

‘Sleep, then,’ she whispered and tucked her into the basket beside her on the porch. Her son stirred, and Pio hoisted him to her shoulder, patting him gently on the back until he settled down again. She cradled him in the crook of her arm and crooned some rhythmic words to him, until he too fell deep into sleep as she rocked him gently.

That was how Cami found her as she scrambled through the gate and stumbled up the steps in tears. Pio put her finger to her lips, and placing her son next to his sister, she drew the distraught Hobbit away from the porch. Clasping her old friend’s hand tightly she walked with her to the nearby chairs beneath the oak tree. Pio leaned toward Cami and wiped the traces of tears from her friend’s face with her sleeve.

Cami sniffed and rubbed her nose; then, the whole story came pouring out with scarcely a breath between thoughts. Pio listened quietly, waiting for the torrent of words to come to an end. And when it did she looked at Cami closely, her face set in an unreadable expression.

‘Let me speak plainly to you, Cami Goodchild, or as plainly as I may.’

Pio leaned back in her chair and cast her mind back to their first meeting, when she had first thought to go with this strange Hobbit who so urgently wished to pursue what Pio thought then no more than a pipedream. How far had they come in friendship since then, and how close had Pio come to severing those bonds through egotistical pride and her desire to make all things right. She had learned several hard lessons along the way, the biggest of which was the natural right of creatures to make their own decisions and then deal with the consequences in their own way. She looked out into the shadows beyond the lights of the Inn, and chose her words carefully.

‘Do you remember what Ancalimon said when choices were made and one or another of us would bemoan the consequences we were sure would lead us to some unrelenting doom?’ Cami looked over at her, waiting for her to go on. ‘He always reminded us that no one can see all ends.’

‘Not even the Valar.’ She paused for just a moment, listening for the soft breathing of the sleeping babies. ‘Only Ilúvatar fully knows the fate of this world and its entangled creatures.’

‘Lorien is wrong when he speaks of the consequences that will come from your decision. He cannot tell you what they will be, because he cannot know them. And even should some of them come to be, he cannot know how those affected by them will choose to deal with them.’

‘It was wrong, too, or so I feel, for Bilbo or Gandalf to make pledges and promises for you or for Maura. None of them knew what would happen when this thread was pulled, not them, not you. Now the thread has woven itself into a different pattern, altogether. And they must choose for themselves how they will handle what comes of what has happened. That is not your task.’

Pio left her seat and crouched down in front of Cami. She placed her hand lightly on Cami’s belly. ‘This little one has chosen you for its mother and Maura for its father. Will you be more gracious than the Valar with their rule-bound gifts, and grant its need to be with both of you freely and without condition?’

‘That, at any rate, is how I see things. How I might make my choices.’ She rocked back on her heels, and held Cami’s hand to her cheek. ‘But my choices are not necessarily yours. No matter - there are no right choices or answers.'

'You are my friend, Cami. I love you. I will stand by you as you need . . .

[ May 10, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

05-09-2003, 12:59 PM	#384
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	2 Cermië - just after midnight ‘Look, little wing, the Burning Briar shines bright in the northern skies tonight.’ It was well past midnight, and Pio sat on the steps of the Inn, her daughter lying along her lap. The little one’s grey eyes were open, gazing solemnly upward at her mother’s face. Pio could see the constellations reflected in the clear pools of her daughter’s eyes. To the east were the Netted Stars, and there just at the corner her eye was Wilwarin. The baby blinked and the stars swirled and disappeared, as the little lids fluttered gently and then closed. ‘Sleep, then,’ she whispered and tucked her into the basket beside her on the porch. Her son stirred, and Pio hoisted him to her shoulder, patting him gently on the back until he settled down again. She cradled him in the crook of her arm and crooned some rhythmic words to him, until he too fell deep into sleep as she rocked him gently. That was how Cami found her as she scrambled through the gate and stumbled up the steps in tears. Pio put her finger to her lips, and placing her son next to his sister, she drew the distraught Hobbit away from the porch. Clasping her old friend’s hand tightly she walked with her to the nearby chairs beneath the oak tree. Pio leaned toward Cami and wiped the traces of tears from her friend’s face with her sleeve. Cami sniffed and rubbed her nose; then, the whole story came pouring out with scarcely a breath between thoughts. Pio listened quietly, waiting for the torrent of words to come to an end. And when it did she looked at Cami closely, her face set in an unreadable expression. ‘Let me speak plainly to you, Cami Goodchild, or as plainly as I may.’ Pio leaned back in her chair and cast her mind back to their first meeting, when she had first thought to go with this strange Hobbit who so urgently wished to pursue what Pio thought then no more than a pipedream. How far had they come in friendship since then, and how close had Pio come to severing those bonds through egotistical pride and her desire to make all things right. She had learned several hard lessons along the way, the biggest of which was the natural right of creatures to make their own decisions and then deal with the consequences in their own way. She looked out into the shadows beyond the lights of the Inn, and chose her words carefully. ‘Do you remember what Ancalimon said when choices were made and one or another of us would bemoan the consequences we were sure would lead us to some unrelenting doom?’ Cami looked over at her, waiting for her to go on. ‘He always reminded us that no one can see all ends.’ ‘Not even the Valar.’ She paused for just a moment, listening for the soft breathing of the sleeping babies. ‘Only Ilúvatar fully knows the fate of this world and its entangled creatures.’ ‘Lorien is wrong when he speaks of the consequences that will come from your decision. He cannot tell you what they will be, because he cannot know them. And even should some of them come to be, he cannot know how those affected by them will choose to deal with them.’ ‘It was wrong, too, or so I feel, for Bilbo or Gandalf to make pledges and promises for you or for Maura. None of them knew what would happen when this thread was pulled, not them, not you. Now the thread has woven itself into a different pattern, altogether. And they must choose for themselves how they will handle what comes of what has happened. That is not your task.’ Pio left her seat and crouched down in front of Cami. She placed her hand lightly on Cami’s belly. ‘This little one has chosen you for its mother and Maura for its father. Will you be more gracious than the Valar with their rule-bound gifts, and grant its need to be with both of you freely and without condition?’ ‘That, at any rate, is how I see things. How I might make my choices.’ She rocked back on her heels, and held Cami’s hand to her cheek. ‘But my choices are not necessarily yours. No matter - there are no right choices or answers.' 'You are my friend, Cami. I love you. I will stand by you as you need . . . [ May 10, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ] __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.