[Firefoot]

Sondo grinned, and was about to say something when he caught sight of their camp. Wait - why were there only five hobbits? Falco looked at him with evident concern. "What's wrong?"

"Hang on," muttered Sondo. He quickly counted again. Where was the sixth? His eyes scanned the surrounding area, once, then again. There! He caught sight of someone; what were they doing? Laying on the ground? No, he was in the river. And not a he, either! The bobbing curls could only belong to Sassy. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Sassy... in the river...

"No! Sassy!" he cried. Just then her head dipped out of sight. He sprinted off in her direction, hoping against all hope that he would not be too late. Fear and panic propelled him faster than he would have thought possible, but even so precious seconds were wasted in the time it took him to reach the river. He scanned the river desperately for some sign of his sister. Where was she? How long had it been? A minute? Two? Time was running out!

There! Her still form was bobbing along, maybe ten feet downstream of him. He made to dive in after her and found himself being bodily restrained by the other lads, all of whom were at least a little larger than he himself was. "Easy, Sondo," said one of them gently. Sondo did not know who; his eyes had not left his sister. "She's gone. You can't be throwing your life away, too."

A spark of madness lit his eyes. Sassy could not be dead! He would not, could not, allow it! With an impassioned burst of strength he twisted and pulled from their grasp. Before any of them realized what was happening, Sondo was in the water. Water was in his mouth, and he could see only barely between the dim light and the splashing water. He was completely consumed by a single thought: Must save Sassy... Swimming as hard as he could, he was soon within mere inches of her. Her face was in the water, and she did not move save for how the current took her. Sondo told himself that she was merely unconcious. He reached out his hand for her when suddenly she was not so close. With a swirling wave, they were pushed out into the Brandywine.

Sondo was tired to the bone, but he did not take notice of it. Madness and fear drove him. Sassy would get home, just like the rest of them. It took him a moment to spot her again, and when he did, she was further away from him than when he had started. Hang on, Sassy. I'm coming. Doggedly he struck out again. His limbs were numbing in the chill water, but it did not bother him.

Finally, finally he caught up with her. Taking his arm around her waist, he struck out towards shore. He neither knew nor cared how far downriver they had washed; Sassy was safe. He staggered up on shore, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. He refused to quit, however, and taking Sassy's still form in his arms he took off back towards the camp. He was back in the marshes, and he stumbled more than once before he was met by some of the other hobbits who had run downstream after him. One of them offered to take Sassy; Sondo refused with a few mumbled words. He had to get Sassy back to camp. He no longer cared if a fire must be made with wood from the Old Forest. Anything to keep Sassy alive.

It was perhaps an hour later and pitch dark when he stumbled into their camp. He laid Sassy out on his own bedroll. She was cold, too cold. He covered her with a blanket. He checked for her breathing; there was nothing. She had no pulse, either. She was gone. He had done everything that he could, and she was gone. Tears now formed in his eyes as he gathered Sassy up in his lap. Why, why had he not insisted that they cross the Withywindle tonight? Then Sassy would not have tried it alone. They would have come up with a safe way to do it. And why hadn't he been nicer to her these past several days? He knew that she had admired him, in her way, yet he had scorned her. Always he had told her to go run and play. Why hadn't he insisted that she go home on that very first afternoon? There were so many things that he might have done instead. Your fault, your fault, your fault, bounced the voices in his head. Alas that he had not kept a closer eye on her!

He began to shiver as a damp chill set in. He did not care. He would not leave Sassy, because she was his sister, and only too late did Sondo realize that he had loved her, in his own way. Except now she was gone.