Somewhere in Between-A tale of hobbit friendship
Daisy sighed and tried to relax as the breeze gently ruffled her hair. The sun warmed her whole body, as she lay on top of her favorite hillside, her whole body that is except her heart. Upon hearing what her father had said to her mother that morning a heavy weight had rested on her chest and she couldn't shake it off no matter how hard she tried.
Suddenly she could hear two voices, laughing, talking, and quickly drawing nearer. Groaning she rolled over and buried her face in the grass. In her misery she had completely forgotten she was meeting her best friends there that afternoon. But she simply hoped against hope that they would leave her alone to pity herself until supper. She hoped, but she knew her hopes were in vain.
"Oomf!"she grunted as the weight of one of her friends,she guessed it was Pippin, landed on her back.
"Good morning my dear Daisy!" Pippin chirped, however his bubbly laughter was replaced by a yelp as Daisy rolled over and flung him off.
"That'll teach you to almost break my back foolish Took!"she growled,"and NEVER call me Daisy!"she muttered.
Pippin grumbled as he rubbed his side where he had landed on a rock, but Merry had noticed the stormy look in his friends eyes.
"Something the matter Des?"he asked.
"Everything,"she groaned, flopping back into the grass.
Merry and Pippin exchanged a glance before Merry said,"Would you care to elaborate?"
Daisy sat up, but avoided looking either of her friends in the eye, instead absently picking the grass at her feet. She took a deep breath before blurting out," My parents are having my cousin Lily move in with us so that she can teach me to be..."here she paused and grimaced,"...to be...a lady."
Merry and Pippin sat silent for a moment before breaking into peals of laughter.
"You?"Pippin spluttered holding his sides,"Des Baggins?A lady?" By now tears were streaming down the faces of the two hobbit lads as they struggled to regain their breath.
Daisy's face was flaming as she stood, fists clenched at her sides and eyes flashing, "It isn't funny!"she spat.
Her two friends sobered up quickly. They recognized the look on her face and Merry remembered all too well the time he had pushed her beyond this point and had gotten a black eye to pay for it.
"How did you find out?" Pippin asked.
Daisy sighed,"I heard my parents talking this morning,"she imitated her father gruff voice,"She need to learn to act proper. To wear dresses and stay home and do ladylike things."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I wear uncomfortable dresses and learn to cook and knit and other such things,"she replied in disgust.
"But then you can come and hang out with me and Merry once it's all done, right?"Pippin asked.
She shook her dark brown curls and her sapphire eyes pooled with tears,"I'm not so sure. They also said that by the time I come of age next spring I have to announce my marriage."
"Marriage?!?"gasped both her friends and Pippins bright green eyes were wide with shock.
"But no one's ever even courted you yet!"he said.
"I know! And I don't even want to be married yet,"she cried.
They sat in silence for a moment before Merry asked,"How long until Lily comes?"
"Tomorrow."
The three hobbits sat in defeat on top of their favorite hill. Silence was a rare occurrence among these three and even now it didn't last long before Pippin looked up, and the familiar devious twinkle glimmered in his eye.
"Well Des, at least you should have a last supper fit for a king,"he said.
Merry sighed,"she's not being executed Pip."
"Well, it's pretty darn close!"Pippin countered,"Wearing a dress and not allowed to come out to create mischief?It's practically prison!"
Daisy groaned,"And this is making me feel better how?"
"And besides Pip, you don't object to dresses when they're on the lasses you date!"Merry joked.
"Well that's because I'm not wearing them,"he retorted,"and sometimes neither are they!"Pippin smirked,"but never mind that."
"We don't want to,"Daisy muttered.
"Well my friend, if this is your last day of freedom, you deserve an excellent last supper. And what better for supper than mushrooms?"Pippin asked pulling Daisy to her feet.
She met his bright green gaze with her own sapphire eyes and he grinned when he saw that they were once again gleaming with mischief.
"And what better mushrooms..."she started.
"...than ones stolen from Farmer Maggots crop?"Merry finished throwing an arm around her shoulders.
"Des you couldn't ask for a better meal."Pippin grinned.
"You're right about that Pip,"she said taking her friends arms. She dragged the two of them off, happy to forget her problems for as long as she could.
****
Daisy sighed and tried to relax as the breeze gently ruffled her hair. The sun warmed her whole body, as she lay on top of her favorite hillside, her whole body that is except her heart. Upon hearing what her father had said to her mother that morning a heavy weight had rested on her chest and she couldn't shake it off no matter how hard she tried.
Suddenly she could hear two voices, laughing, talking, and quickly drawing nearer. Groaning she rolled over and buried her face in the grass. In her misery she had completely forgotten she was meeting her best friends there that afternoon. But she simply hoped against hope that they would leave her alone to pity herself until supper. She hoped, but she knew her hopes were in vain.
"Oomf!"she grunted as the weight of one of her friends,she guessed it was Pippin, landed on her back.
"Good morning my dear Daisy!" Pippin chirped, however his bubbly laughter was replaced by a yelp as Daisy rolled over and flung him off.
"That'll teach you to almost break my back foolish Took!"she growled,"and NEVER call me Daisy!"she muttered.
Pippin grumbled as he rubbed his side where he had landed on a rock, but Merry had noticed the stormy look in his friends eyes.
"Something the matter Des?"he asked.
"Everything,"she groaned, flopping back into the grass.
Merry and Pippin exchanged a glance before Merry said,"Would you care to elaborate?"
Daisy sat up, but avoided looking either of her friends in the eye, instead absently picking the grass at her feet. She took a deep breath before blurting out," My parents are having my cousin Lily move in with us so that she can teach me to be..."here she paused and grimaced,"...to be...a lady."
Merry and Pippin sat silent for a moment before breaking into peals of laughter.
"You?"Pippin spluttered holding his sides,"Des Baggins?A lady?" By now tears were streaming down the faces of the two hobbit lads as they struggled to regain their breath.
Daisy's face was flaming as she stood, fists clenched at her sides and eyes flashing, "It isn't funny!"she spat.
Her two friends sobered up quickly. They recognized the look on her face and Merry remembered all too well the time he had pushed her beyond this point and had gotten a black eye to pay for it.
"How did you find out?" Pippin asked.
Daisy sighed,"I heard my parents talking this morning,"she imitated her father gruff voice,"She need to learn to act proper. To wear dresses and stay home and do ladylike things."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I wear uncomfortable dresses and learn to cook and knit and other such things,"she replied in disgust.
"But then you can come and hang out with me and Merry once it's all done, right?"Pippin asked.
She shook her dark brown curls and her sapphire eyes pooled with tears,"I'm not so sure. They also said that by the time I come of age next spring I have to announce my marriage."
"Marriage?!?"gasped both her friends and Pippins bright green eyes were wide with shock.
"But no one's ever even courted you yet!"he said.
"I know! And I don't even want to be married yet,"she cried.
They sat in silence for a moment before Merry asked,"How long until Lily comes?"
"Tomorrow."
The three hobbits sat in defeat on top of their favorite hill. Silence was a rare occurrence among these three and even now it didn't last long before Pippin looked up, and the familiar devious twinkle glimmered in his eye.
"Well Des, at least you should have a last supper fit for a king,"he said.
Merry sighed,"she's not being executed Pip."
"Well, it's pretty darn close!"Pippin countered,"Wearing a dress and not allowed to come out to create mischief?It's practically prison!"
Daisy groaned,"And this is making me feel better how?"
"And besides Pip, you don't object to dresses when they're on the lasses you date!"Merry joked.
"Well that's because I'm not wearing them,"he retorted,"and sometimes neither are they!"Pippin smirked,"but never mind that."
"We don't want to,"Daisy muttered.
"Well my friend, if this is your last day of freedom, you deserve an excellent last supper. And what better for supper than mushrooms?"Pippin asked pulling Daisy to her feet.
She met his bright green gaze with her own sapphire eyes and he grinned when he saw that they were once again gleaming with mischief.
"And what better mushrooms..."she started.
"...than ones stolen from Farmer Maggots crop?"Merry finished throwing an arm around her shoulders.
"Des you couldn't ask for a better meal."Pippin grinned.
"You're right about that Pip,"she said taking her friends arms. She dragged the two of them off, happy to forget her problems for as long as she could.
****