In the Shadow of the Star: Part 2 - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

piosenniel · 09-14-2003, 02:58 PM

Child and Pio's collaborative post

She yawned, the night now lay in its late watches . . . the lamp burned even lower. Pio closed the journal, intending to get some sleep before daylight crept on her and the twins rose to begin their day. She brought the back cover of the book in a closing arc, thinking she would finish the last of the entries when she woke. But something caught her eye in the dim light.

There on the very last page, the side which faced the inner surface of the leather cover was a list. Written in a tiny letters, the spidery script gave dates and brief comments on important events in the Hobbits’ lives. Cami’s hand, it was, that had begun the barebones record and later the same hands that had taken up the entries in the main body of the book after her death carried it on.

Pio held the lamp closer over the page, shielding the light from the sleeping Mithadan with her body as she turned up the wick, just a little. There it all was . . . a simply done chronicle of events . . . dates one after the other with brief comments. The whole of her friends’ lives in an area barely larger than her hand.

Her index finger ran slowly down the list, begun along the right hand edge of the paper and then trailing down the middle of the same page, pausing occasionally over the ones that stood out for her . . .

~*~

1000 The marriage of Camelia Goodchild and Merimac Zaragamba enrolled before the council on 25th of Foreyule, 1000 of the Third Age; adoption of Holly at the same time

1001 Birth of Rorimac (Rory) Zaragamba, 2 Astron 1001

1002 Birth of Daisy Zaragamba, 11 Astron 1002

1016 Rose comes of age, marries Hamlan Galbasi

1017 Gamba comes of age

1020 Gamba explores the Langwell river area; in subsequent years he is sometimes accompanied by his various brothers.

1020 Birth of Rose’s daughter Peony

1030 Birth of Rose’s son Hal

1030 Daisy marries

1034 Rory marries

1035 Maura dies unexpectedly at the hands of an Orc

1037 Holly marries Froderick Maplehill; several children are born in subsequent years

1050 Cami retires to Rivendell where she can study and write

1050 Gamba marries Opal

1055 Cami dies

1056 Rose and family move to Weathertop

1056 Holly, Rory and Daisy’s family move north in the Misty Mountains; also Ban and Roka.

1084 Gamba dies

1093 Holly dies

1095 Rory dies

1101 Daisy dies

~*~

The lamp guttered out, the oil in it spent. Pio lay down in the bed, the lamp now put safely back on the table. The book she put back in the drawer for safekeeping.

It would be there when she woke, she thought, drifting off . . . the story of her friends caught forever between its worn covers . . .

09-14-2003, 02:58 PM	#38
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	Child and Pio's collaborative post She yawned, the night now lay in its late watches . . . the lamp burned even lower. Pio closed the journal, intending to get some sleep before daylight crept on her and the twins rose to begin their day. She brought the back cover of the book in a closing arc, thinking she would finish the last of the entries when she woke. But something caught her eye in the dim light. There on the very last page, the side which faced the inner surface of the leather cover was a list. Written in a tiny letters, the spidery script gave dates and brief comments on important events in the Hobbits’ lives. Cami’s hand, it was, that had begun the barebones record and later the same hands that had taken up the entries in the main body of the book after her death carried it on. Pio held the lamp closer over the page, shielding the light from the sleeping Mithadan with her body as she turned up the wick, just a little. There it all was . . . a simply done chronicle of events . . . dates one after the other with brief comments. The whole of her friends’ lives in an area barely larger than her hand. Her index finger ran slowly down the list, begun along the right hand edge of the paper and then trailing down the middle of the same page, pausing occasionally over the ones that stood out for her . . . ~~ 1000 The marriage of Camelia Goodchild and Merimac Zaragamba enrolled before the council on 25th of Foreyule, 1000 of the Third Age; adoption of Holly at the same time 1001 Birth of Rorimac (Rory) Zaragamba, 2 Astron 1001 1002 Birth of Daisy Zaragamba, 11 Astron 1002 1016 Rose comes of age, marries Hamlan Galbasi 1017 Gamba comes of age 1020 Gamba explores the Langwell river area; in subsequent years he is sometimes accompanied by his various brothers. 1020 Birth of Rose’s daughter Peony 1030 Birth of Rose’s son Hal 1030 Daisy marries 1034 Rory marries 1035 Maura dies unexpectedly at the hands of an Orc 1037 Holly marries Froderick Maplehill; several children are born in subsequent years 1050 Cami retires to Rivendell where she can study and write 1050 Gamba marries Opal 1055 Cami dies 1056 Rose and family move to Weathertop 1056 Holly, Rory and Daisy’s family move north in the Misty Mountains; also Ban and Roka. 1084 Gamba dies 1093 Holly dies 1095 Rory dies 1101 Daisy dies ~~ The lamp guttered out, the oil in it spent. Pio lay down in the bed, the lamp now put safely back on the table. The book she put back in the drawer for safekeeping. It would be there when she woke, she thought, drifting off . . . the story of her friends caught forever between its worn covers . . . __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.