[Encaitare]

"I think you're making a mistake. But go or stay, it's your choice," said Sondo.

Reggie shifted his weight from foot to foot, feeling uncomfortable amidst the arguing. Sondo was making some good points... but then, so was Falco. He had listened silently for the whole of their war of words, and now was realizing that they were bound to split.

If he went with Sondo he would get home a lot sooner, which meant getting punished sooner, if anyone thought to discipline him, that was. If he went with Falco, there would be fine adventures. Surprisingly, he had not lost his optimistic view of traveling, even with all that had happened. The fear he had felt the previous night had left him completely, and now being dumped twice into the drink seemed kind of funny, the kind of thing you would tell other hobbits while they looked at you in incredulous admiration. Wasn't that what he had come for: adventures?

It wasn't what he had heard Falco talking about a couple of days before. It wasn't mutiny. It was just a choice. He was free to do what he wanted -- and why shouldn't he be? Why didn't anyone want to have fun anymore? Surely not everything could go wrong.

Falco and Sondo were looking about expectantly, as if waiting for someone to back up one of their arguments.

"Well?" said Sondo. "I hope none of you are going to listen to this!"

"I want to keep going south," said Reggie quietly. Everyone turned to look at him; under the many pairs of eyes he felt nervous, but he kept talking. "I don't see the point of turning back now just because a couple of things have gone wrong. Things will get better," he told the others hopefully.

He glanced over at Bingo to see that his brother was giving him a look of gentle disapproval. Suddenly he felt a little guilty for his choice... it seemed that Bingo preferred to go with Sondo.