[mark12_30]

"You're so beautiful."

He was lost in her eyes. Azraph wondered whether she was blushing. Could a Hobbrim blush? She didn't know.

Beside Phura, Kesha bobbed, and splashed with his newly webbed hands. Loremaster splashed him back. Kesha dove at Loremaster, and the two of them began splashing, wrestling and dunking each other, Loremaster letting Kesha win more often than not.

Phura was still staring at Azraph, completely overwhelmed. Azraph smiled, and drew closer to Phura. She studied his face, changed, and yet not changed. She smiled wider, and soon laughter bubbled up inside her. Mischief sparkled in her eyes, and suddenly, she leaped towards him, diving into the water at his side.

It took him a moment to snap into motion, and then he followed her. She swam beneath the water, holding her breath, and he swam beside her; she came up for breath and he followed her to the surface, and their eyes met. She dove again, heading for deeper water.

They came up for breath regularly, laughing, looking out over the deeper water. But suddenly as they surfaced, Kali appeared beside them.

"Reach for the water, not for the air, " he told them.

"How?" Phura asked.

"Wait, " Kali said and swam back towards the shore.

Azraph shrugged, and began swimming circles around Phura. He watched her, twisting in place as best he could. Before long he was rather good at it.

Suddenly Kali reappeared, and beside him swam someone that looked familiar.

"Daisy?"

"Hello!"

"I'm so glad you came, " Azraph said.

Kali smiled, and then said, "Come on. The three of you. Follow me under."

They dove. And Kali led them deeper, and deeper, and deeper, plunging beneath the sun-shot water. Purely from habit, Phura's mind was crying out, Surface, surface, you're going to need air. But his lungs were fine; his head was clear; and Kali only led them deeper.

Azraph met his eyes, and she laughed underwater. All the air in her lungs escaped, and the bubbles rose; and still she followed Kali down.

Phura laughed, and Daisy too, and still they dove. Schools of fish flashed by, and nearby dolphins clicked and whistled, and still they dove.

Finally, Kali slowed his descent, and met their eyes, waiting. Hovering in the emerald murk with a faint glow above, they gazed around. The ocean floor was not far beneath them, and from where he was, Phura could see coral, shells, plants, and starfish.

They each picked up something interesting from the floor, and passed it around. And then they remembered their relatives and friends, and together they turned around and headed back towards the beach, carrying their discoveries.

Gamba had waded knee deep into the water, and was waiting for his brother. Phura and Azraph approached him, and as they came to waist-deep water, their hands met. It took them a moment to readjust their grip to their newly webed fingers. But they walked towards Gamba, wondering what he would think.

Gamba grinned. "Has Kali called you Cousin yet? You look it, " he laughed, and reached for his brother. "Are you cold?"

"I don't know, " Phura said, "Am I?"

"Clammy!" said Gamba, touching his brother's arm. "Gee, it's kinda leathery, too, " he poked and prodded.

"Well I won't hug you then, " Phura chuckled, but no sooner had he said it than Gamba bear-hugged him ferociously.

Loremaster and Kesha came to joint hem, and they walked up on shore. The four hobbit-boys clustered around Kesha, poking and prodding him, and then they explored Phura's face and Azraph's hands. Ban cried, and Phura could not comfort him; Gamba had to.

"I suppose you'll be joining the hobbrim for dinner, and all that, " Gamba said wistfully.

Phura saddened, a little, and then said, "Where will you be?"

"He'll spend the night with us, " Cami replied, approaching. "On The Lonely Star. That is, unless he wants to sleep out here in the trees."

Gamba turned towards her, momentarily bewidlered by the choice. With Nitir and Azra on the ship? Or out under the beautiful, haunting, friendly, welcoming trees? But then he remembered that there were elves on board the ship too, and that tipped the balance. "All right. The ship."

"Well, if you're not here by midmorning again, I'll swim out and find you. All right?"

Suddenly Gamba realised that for the first time in his entire life, he and his brother were not going to be in the same place for the entire night. "All right. I'll see you then, " he whispered.

---------------------------------------------

Child's post

As Cami walked smiling over the beach, she was astonished at the number of hobbrim grinning back at her. She'd gotten used to Kali, and then to Andril's hidden enclave on the shores of Numenor that numbered about thirty-five. But this was hundreds and hundreds of hobbrim, all cavorting and scampering about on the rocks, in the water, and through the sands. It was an amazing sight.

Most of the hobbits ran over to greet their friends and kin who'd now taken on this different guise. They were intently curious, poking and prodding their cousins to see exactly what this new form was like. Souvenirs of seashells and shining rocks were brought ashore in large numbers as gifts to waiting hobbit hands. Cami stuffed her pockets and her belt until she could carry no more. Even the more fearful of the hobbits were brave enough to come closer and get a good look at the hobbrim.

Cami darted about the shoreline here and there, hoping she could store enough memories in her head so the pictures would survive her next trip through the veil of time. What a long way she'd come from that mysterious note in the margin of Bilbo's book referring to a lost sea-hobbit! Now the whole isle was filled with the ringing laughter of hobbrim voices.

Before returning to the ship with Gamba and the boy that evening, Cami stopped for an instant to gaze towards the West, a smile on her face. Bilbo, good teacher, I don't know if you're there, or if word of this will ever reach you. But, if so, I hope you will look on this scene and be pleased, and remember the little girl next door whom you befriended. Your book has opened a door for our people. Thank you. Truly, thank you.

[ November 18, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]


Cami showed Gamba her quarters. He looked around, wide-eyed, and circled the room twice, asking questions, looking at things, picking them up and putting them down. Colorful things fascinated him almost as much as they did the little children; sometimes more.

Then he yawned, and wearily sat crosslegged on the floor, and little Maura climbed into his arms. Cami watched, hungry to be holding the toddler, knowing better than to come between the two. Maura settled comfortably down, and waited. Gamba sighed.

"Why don't you sing?" Roka asked him, coming over to sit down.

"I was waiting for you, and for Asta, and Ban, " Gamba said. They came, and joined him. He sighed. "I miss Kesha, " he said, and they nodded. "And Phura too, " added Roka, and Gamba bit back sudden tears.

"Now why don't you sing?" Asta prompted, and Cami was tempted to shush him, watching Gamba struggle. But he took a deep breath, and said, "I need you two to help me, all right? You, Asta, and you too, Roka."

They nodded, very seriously.

Gazing into little Maura's eyes, Gamba softly and sweetly began as if he was singing a simple, little lullaby. The boys joined in. But the song was no lullaby, not simple, not brief. It went on and on.

Loremaster bold, our Maura wise
Together staunchly held the tribes
In the northward marching columns;
Kind he was, stalwart and strong.

With grieving eyes and healing hand
he led his people cross the land
to Ladros, and our wounds he bound,
our tears he dried, and hope he found.

And caring hearts and hands were felt
In ruin bleak, where children dwelt;
With Nitir's strength, and Azra's cheer
Raising hope, dismissing fear.

With caring eyes and guiding hand
He settled us into that land
to till and watch the roots go deep
til autumn brought a harvest sweet.

With sparkling eyes and passionate hand
He told us stories of that land,
Its past, its people; now our lives
Reflect their struggles in our time.

Through storm, hunger and snowstorm bleak
Our hope failed not nor did grow weak.
Til winter fell; at midnight came
The order dark to march again.

He gathered then the wise counsel
And they this march prepared full well.
We gained, as one, Dorthonion's peak;
We lost nor aged nor the weak.

With shining eyes and steady hand
He led his people cross the land,
Fear cast aside, fell weapons hid
That victory gave to freedom's bid.

Our strength flourish'd in courage keen.
We tilled the lush hillsides and green,
While round us surged the raging main;
Dorthonion's slopes our home became.

Alone we dwell now on this shore,
Ancient homes drown'd forevermore;
Memories alone of them we save,
Beleriand sunk beneath the wave.

Bold Maura sleeps beneath these hills
And hearts he had with courage filled;
Beloved he lies beneath our land,
With closed eye and resting hand.

Beyond the circles of the world
In unknown realms his spirit dwells,
Holds love in those eternal lands
With joyful eye and gentle hand.


The song finished. Little Maura was sound asleep, and Asta, Roka, and Ban were yawning, and even Gamba was beginning to nod during the final verse. In a single, practiced motion, Gamba carefully shifted Maura close to his chest and lay down on the hard wooden deck while Roka, Asta, and Ban snuggled around him, and the five of them were sound asleep in seconds.

With the last verse of the song echoing in her heart, Cami got up, one by one kissed her fingertips and softly touched each of the five boys' curls; and then brought a blanket, and gently spread it over the five of them. Rose came in as she did so, and whispered, "Why aren't they in a bed?"

"Tomorrow. They'll be all right for one night."

"I was looking forward to rocking a toddler, " Rose pouted.

"So was I, " murmured Cami. "So was I."

[ November 18, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]