[Birdland]

Before they left the ship for their audience with the King, Bird had frantically tried to "pull herself" together, brushing down her surcote and gown and scrambling to find a new pair of shoes to replace the ones ruined in the "rescue mission". There would be no time to dress her hair again, which secretly relieved her), but she was fuming over having to go through all this, just before she was about to meet a king!

Thank the One that Elves have somehow figured out how to keep wrinkles out of cloth, else I'd never be ready in time! she fussed silently to herself. And at that moment she saw Gamba passing down the passageway. "Gamba, boy! Come here! I would speak to you a moment."

Gamba turned and shuffled back to Bird's room, head down and a sulky look on his face. He stood in the doorway, waiting for what he knew would be just another "lecture" from yet another "big folk", which he was growing very tired of hearing. Hoping to change the subject, he murmered "You look beautiful, Birdie. That dress looks very pretty on you."

"Well, I looked a sight better a few hours ago, and we all know who put an end to that, don't we?"

"It's not right!" Gamba sputtered angrily. "Pio didn't have to treat us like that. Leading us through the city like a lot of slaves. She embarrassed all of us, including Niter. She shouldn't have done such a thing."

"I'll grant you, Pio can get a bit carried away. The Ents would say even "hasty". Bird held up a hand to interrupt the young Hobbit. "Never mind about Ents. I'll tell you later. Let's stick to the subject. We all know who's to blame for any embarrassment caused to Miss Cami, now don't we?"

Gamba hung his head. "But the city was so beautiful. We just wanted to see it."

Birdie knelt down and took Gamba's hands in her own, noting how much healthier and strong they looked compared to the pale, thin hands of the Hobbit of the Tombs. "Gamba", she said. "All of Middle Earth is beautiful, and you will have a lifetime to see it. But it also is perilous, and if you don't remember that, your lifetime will be considerably shorter than need be."

"Did your years in the Tombs teach you nothing of the ways of Men, Gamba?" He looked down in sadness. "I thought that was just...well...there. I thought things would be different here."

"Well, take it from me. There not. Birdie sighed and squeezed the young ones hands tighter. "Gamba. You must listen. For the sake of your people, you must always remember: Men are not to be trusted! And your folk are going out there into a world full of them. The Elves will not help you, they are more concerned with their own affairs. The Dwarves will be the same. Your folk will have to deal with these matters themselves."

"As the Hobbits scatter throughout the world, they will discover one thing. Whatever they try to accomplish, where ever they decide to go, Men will be there to hold them back. Oh, not because they will actively hate you. At least, not most of them, but Men are greedy, and take whatever they can, thinking it is theirs by right. The rights of smaller folks will not give them pause for an instance."

"Oh, some of them will feel a little guilty about this, but they'll come up with all sorts of reasons to deal with that. They will say that the things they do are so much more important in the grand scheme of things. They will say that little folk like you are not much better than animals, and can't have the same rights as doughty Men. They will say since they are bigger, they need more room. They will tell themselves anything in order to justify the things they do. And on the whole, the Hobbits won't be able to do a thing about it. Men will run roughshod over them for many, many years. Until time and their own doings leave a small piece of Middle-earth abandoned, and Hobbits will have a place to call their own."

"But that is still many ages in the future. Right now, your folk are going out into a world where you will have to compete every day for the things you want and love. And you won't be able to do it with swords and feats of arms. You'll only be able to do it through stealth, and using your head."

"Now Cami knows just what you will all be facing. And she's that scared that she won't be able to do what needs to be done to get you all settled, and teach you what you need to survive. And your behavior today has just made her even more sure of that. Because she told you what you needed to do. And you wouldn't listen! She's expected to keep you all safe, but if everyone just goes off and does whatever they want to, that just won't be possible. She's crying right now. Crying because she just doesn't think her people are going to be able to make it here."

Gamba looked up with horror. His little jaunt had not seemed to be that much of a bad thing. He had certainly not intended to make Niter cry! What would Loremaster think of him now? And the picture Birdie had drawn of Middle-earth was far different from the one he had in his head. It seemed they were not headed into a paradise after all. He hung his head in shame. "What can I do, Birdie? How can I make it up to her?"

"Grow up, and grow up fast. You never had the chance to do that in the Tombs, bad as they were. But now you will have real responsibilities, and real choices. Cami needs the help of a man now, not the responsibility of another child. Stand by her. Support her. Show her that she can trust you to do the right thing. Not just for her, but for all your people." Bird smiled down at the young one" You'll grow to be a fine Hobbit, Gamba. Perhaps a leader of your people. And you will have a wonderful life, full of adventures, and sorrows, and joys. I almost envy you." Bird looked off, and murmered to herself "All the things you'll see, and all the things you'll do."

But then she shook herself and laughed. "But as for now. I have my own adventure to go on. For I am off to meet a King!" and with a swish of her skirts, she left Gamba to join Pio and Mith.

[ December 14, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]