[Child of the 7th Age]

Child got up from the table and stretched. Her night had not been good. She had slipped out on the deck and discovered that Samwise, Stacey, and Primrose were missing. She could see their little boat departing in the night. Despite her anger at Child, Angara had agreed to carry a private letter asking Samwise and his party to reconsider and wishing them good luck if they chose a different path. Now, it appeared certain that their ways had parted.

In her mind, Child whispered, "Good luck to you, brave Samwise, and family and friend, whatever way you chose to wander."

Child faced Pio, Bird, Celli, Veritas, Rose and Rosseil. "I think it is time to set out on our way, since I have heard no words from any to the contrary.. Even Mithadan seems set on going. I hope his wound will not bother him too much. Idril has confided to me that they too have a mind to see the Anduin before returning to their home. They will come in tandem with us and the catamaran as we sail up the River. The way lies north, I believe, and a bit to the west. Levantro has agreed to act as guide."

Child generally liked to get up in front of everyone and announce plans as if she alone had made the critical decisions that had brought them to this point. But today, even after her speech and a lovely breakfast, she was stll in a nasty mood.

Angara had made it quite clear that she had carryed the letter last night for the benefit of Samwise, not for the ungrateful one who called herself her "mistress". Mithadan, too, had apparently found his wounds still grieving him as he appeared nowhere on deck.

Child was truly grateful when Rose came over to talk with her. Rose explained what the dragon had said to her.

Child wondered and responded to Rose: "Perhaps Anagara wants us to look even further back in time. For when she confided in me, she said we must look at very ancient documents. I think she meant the distant, distant past, even before the fourth age. For, truly, it would have taken very long for the hobbits to become hobrim, and develop fins."

Child mused: "What you have told me about Durshag's dream is nothing short of amazing. I had heard nothing of this before, either from Idril or Angara or Durshag himself. I do not know what it means. Perhaps you should share it with Pio and Birdland and Veritas and the others as well."

She continued: "I do not know yet what Frodo will chose to do. I dearly hope he will continue on with us, but I will not begrudge him if his heart should say to follow after Sam. We shall have to see."

"Whichever he decides, the direction we now go, towards the mouth of the Anduin, will benefit us all, and I personally will be most happy to leave this Bay and at least be able to see the banks of the River."

"Is Durshag playing in the water?" Child questioned Rose.

"Oh, yes," Rose replied, "I believe he is down with the dolphins. They even let him ride on their back."

Child laughed at the thought of one of her relatives riding atop a dolphin.

"Well, Rose, if you're up for a swim, let him know what's been decided and the change of course we will make. Later today, or by tomorrow at the least, he must come aboard again and tell us more tales that will perhaps help us determine what we should do, or where we should go to search for the descendents of the Elven messengers. The first stop, I think, may well be Minas Tirith."

Child said nothing to the others on board, but wondered if they might get a chance to meet some of the great figures of the early fourth age. For truly, she would love to see Aragorn and Arwen or Faramir and Eowyn, even if only from afar. She sat down on the deck and began considering what she would say to Faramir if she every truly had the opportunity to meet with him.

[ June 30, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]