Journey's End

Chapter One

A Long Expected Party

Frodo has always said that Bilbo would live to a grand age, but he never told me he would live to 111. But, here I was, at the celebration of Bilbo Baggins' eleventy first birthday.

I walked across the field, glancing at the other hobbits dancing and singing at drinking and smoking and watching the fireworks erupt in the sky.

Gandalf's fireworks, A legend amongst the children of the Shire. My eyes moved back to my path as I reached the long-standing party tree. I sat underneath the tall branches, pulling out a book I kept in a crack in the roots, wedged between two pieces of wood. I opened it, and turned to the page I'd marked, carefully minding the ripped, well-used pages.

Ah, right. I'm Azaelia Brandybuck, sister to Merry Brandybuck, and a very good friend of Frodo Baggins. My life wasn't that interesting before he and Bilbo came into my life. Well, except for the fact that my mother is an elf. She was called Larien Sáralondë. She moved to Lothlórien when I was two.

"Azaelia?" I looked up from my book to greet a face I knew too well.

"Frodo."

"Are you alright? It's just…" he shuffled his feet awkwardly "…you looked lonely." He finished, staring at his feet.

I laughed.

"You're too kind. I'm fine."

He lifted his head and raised his eyebrows.

"Really."

He smiled warmly, making my heart melt to the fact that I even knew a boy as amazing as Frodo. He bent low in a bow, his hand outstretched.

"May I have this dance, M'lady?" He asked, just as Pippin stepped up on to the stage to play with whatever instrument he could get his hands on. I decided to along with it, placing my book down on the beautiful green grass. I accepted his hand, letting him pull me from the ground.

I bowed.

"Of couse, M'lord."

We followed the dancing routine of the other hobbits for a few songs before I collapsed on the floor and started laughing.

"Frodo!" I whisper-shouted, pulling him to sit next to me. He looked rather startled, to say the least. I leant over to his ear and whispered; "Sam's dancing with Rosie", before bursting into a fit of giggles. Frodo smiled.

"I know. I…"

But he was interrupted as a womanly shriek erupted from inside the washing tent, and a firework flew up into the air. Many hobbits started clapping and pointing…

… until it formed into the shape of a dragon and flew down to us.

"Bilbo! Watch out for the dragon!" Frodo was on his feet, trying to pry Bilbo to the ground with the rest of us.

"Dragons? Nonsense, there hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand years."

The 'dragon' flew over and sizzled into nothing… then blew up into one of the most beautiful and biggest fireworks I've even seen. Apparently many others thought the same as a great whooping cheer erupted from all around me.

I smiled.

Most defenitly Pippin and Merry.

.~*~.

A roaring sound of 'SPEECH!' and 'SPEECH BILBO!' echoed around me as Bilbo walked up to three large barrels. I smirked. Eleventy one years, and still no need for a walking stick.

"My dear Bagginses and Boffins!" Cheering. "Tooks and Brandybucks!" Cheering. (I was the loudest.) "Grubbs!" Cheering. "Chubbs!" Cheering. "Hornblowers!" Cheering. "Bulgers!" Cheering. "Bracegirdles!" You get the idea. "and Proudfoots." A laugh rang through the field as someone shouted from the back, "Proudfeet!"

"Today is my 111th birthday!" I cheered Happy Birthday along with many other hobbits.

"Alas, eleventy one years is hardly short a time to live amongst such excellent and admirable hobbits." People cheered and smiled fake smiles.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

I smirked at the scattered clapping and confused faces.

"I…uh…" Bilbo stumbled along his words as he reached for his pocket.

Please don't let the ring be in there.

I'd (funnily enough) worked out that the ring was keeping Bilbo 'well preserved'. Whatever it was, it was evil.

He mumbled something inaudible to me, probably speaking to himself.

"I regret to announce this is the end." He said, returning to his normal pitch. "I'm going now; I bid you all a very fond farewell. Goodbye." And with that, he vanished.

Damn you Bilbo!

There were gasps and shouts of 'did you see that!?'

"He'll be going back to Bagend, we have to follow him!" I shouted, grabbing Frodo's sleeve.

He didn't move.

"Frodo!" I shouted.

"Leave him." He mumbled, sitting back on the bench. I groaned, letting his arm drop, stomping back to the party tree.