[Child of the 7th Age]

Bingo stretched out on his stomach and sprawled at the back of the little craft while he stared fixedly at the Brandywine, or the Baranduin as his father had usually called it. He wiggled his body forward another inch or two, hanging his head and arms over the edge and slipping his fingers into the muddy waters. Steady rain had fallen for the past two days so the level of the river was higher than usual for this particular time of year. Surprized by the strength of the rushing current that flowed through his splayed fingers, he wondered if the boat was strong enough to survive the long trip that lay ahead of them.

Bingo had no real sense of where they were going, but he was sure it was very far away and that they would have a wonderful time. For one moment, the young lad considered what would happen when they finally got to the point far down the Baranduin that Sondo had picked out as their destination. Since the river's current ran in only one direction, how did Sondo think they would return home? He was quite sure the other lad had a plan. Maybe there would be fine ponies waiting there. They would climb on their backs and return north in a triumphant procession. Bingo imagined arriving back in Buckland with a pony of his own, sporting many souvernirs of his journey and with stories to tell everyone. Master Saradoc and the other residents of Brandy Hall would be so proud of the lads' bravery and resourcefulness that they would never dare say a cross word.

Noticing that his brother was fidgetting about and having trouble getting settled on the far side of the raft, Bingo yanked himself out of this pleasant daydream of cheering Hobbits and focused his thoughts on their real dilemma. Reggie had appeared out of nowhere. He loved his brother dearly. If truth be told, Bingo felt responsible for keeping Reggie out of trouble in the same way that their own father would have done. But he had hoped for a few days on his own when he wouldn't need to carry that heavy burden. Now all that was spoiled. Worse yet, Cousin Melitot would realize something was amiss when Reggie did not show up at the burrow as he had promised. And who knows what she would do after that? Still, Bingo vowed to stand up for his brother whatever happened and make sure the two of them came safely home to Brandy Hall. At the back of his mind was the distant image of his mother and father who had gone off on a voyage and never returned.

Lost in these ponderous thoughts, Bingo did not notice that he had wriggled sideways and, by so doing, accidentally gave Samuel a hearty poke in the ribs with his elbow......