The Road Goes Ever On…
Frodo did not want to go on another journey, even if the fellowship was going to take the RV the second time around. The very thought of leaving the comfort of his cozy hobbit hole yet again, made him twitch and search through his cupboards for something to eat. But Aragorn and prompted him, saying that Middle-earth had become a different place, and that nothing could possibly go wrong. And what was the young hobbit to do? He couldn't very well say no to the king of Gondor.
Frodo rummaged through his drawers for clothing that was suitable for a sightseeing trip. A couple pairs of trousers, suspenders, a few shirts, and a cloak should do the trick, he thought as his stuffed the items in his pack.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam's voice echoed through Bag End and Frodo smiled at the sound of his faithful friend's voice.
"I'm in here, Sam…packing." Oh, and food, of course, Frodo said to himself and headed toward the kitchen.
"Merry and Pippin said that Aragorn and Gandalf are on their way and should be here in about an hour, Mr. Frodo…what's that you got there?"
"Just a few apples and some pound cake," Frodo responded. "You know, Sam, I am not very crazy about this whole RV vacation thing that Aragorn has come up with. We do not need to sightsee anyway; we've already seen most of Middle-earth."
"I know, Mr. Frodo," Sam paused and looked out the window. Merry and Pippin were in the far distance, juggling their packs and an arm-full of food. "But…don't you think there might be some good in it? You might end up having fun. And this time, we won't have to do any fightin'. Gandalf and Aragorn know what they're doing."
"Do they?" Frodo asked, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, Aragorn seemed to go a little…loopy after the journey, and I'm not sure how good his judgment is anymore."
"Arwen's cooking?" Sam suggested. Arwen was beautiful, but elves were known for their beauty and immortality, not their cooking, which led Sam to believe that the food Aragorn was consuming had contributed to his sudden change in personality.
"Could be, Sam. All I know is that I'm worried about what Aragorn has in store for us."
Sam walked over to his friend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. They each shared a warm smile, which was suddenly interrupted when there was a rap at the door.
"Merry and Pippin!" Frodo exclaimed. As crazy as his cousins were, they had proven themselves brave on their journey to Mordor.
"You certainly took your time coming to the door!" Merry said before Frodo could greet him. Pippin did not say anything, but instead struggled with the enormous amount of food he had presumably stolen from poor Farmer Maggot.
"I do not think we are gonna need all of that, Pippin." Frodo said meekly.
Merry rolled his eyes, "See, I told you, Pip! Now we are all going to have carry extra packs because your eyes are bigger than your stomach."
"I was hungry! And you should have known that it was a bad idea to have me pack food when my stomach was growling."
"Look!" Frodo interrupted and pointed half excitedly, and have nervously out the window.
As the clouds of smoke and dust faded, the four hobbits saw a sight that was quite shocking. A large, horseless carriage-like contraption was headed towards them at an alarmingly fast pace, and behind the wheel, with a large grin on his face was the former ranger and king of Gondor. Gandalf sat in the passenger seat, and from what the hobbits could tell, he looked absolutely terrified. His hands covered his face, and every bump the vehicle hit, made the poor wizard hold on to his seat for dear life.
"I think that's what we will be traveling in, boys." Merry said, shaking his head.
The RV halted, the tires screeched, and smoke filled the air. A very exasperated Gandalf emerged from the vehicle. He grasped his chest with one hand, and leaned against the horseless carriage with the other.
"Gandalf!" Frodo ran and embraced the wizard.
"My dear hobbit," he replied. "You look well."
"Yes, or at least….as well as to be expected. To be honest, I am not looking forward to another journey so soon."
"And I tried telling the king that." Gandalf interjected. "But he just would not listen to me. I'm sorry to say this about the king of Gondor, but Frodo, I think he has become a little…nutty."
"I agree," said Frodo. "What do you suppose has gotten into him?"
"Arwen's cooking. It has to be. She brought me some chicken that she marinated the other day, and it was all I could do to keep it down. But Aragorn seems to like it, strangely."
"He's in love." Frodo suggested.
"Yes, Lad. I suppose that's it."
"Frodo! Sam! Merry! Pippin! You've been keeping well, I see!"
Aragorn stepped out of the RV, looking just as impressive then as he did on the day of his coronation. The first thing Frodo notice, was that he was much louder than he used to be. The Stider they had known and followed was quiet. But the man they were looking at, was behaving in a much different manner. He waved his arms around in the air, and embraced each hobbit tightly.
"We are going to have great fun! The Fellowship back together again! Well, except for Boromir who's dead! Anyway, have I got a trip in store for you!" The hobbits looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces.
"My friends," Aragorn softened his tone for a moment. "There is no need to bring all of that food. Arwen has packed plenty of meals that will last us the entire trip."
Frodo gulped.