Disclaimer: I own absolute jack-diddly in this fic. All characters, places,
histories, etc. belong to the great god of fiction writing JRR Tolkein. I
am borrowing his characters for a bit, and will return them unharmed after
this story.
A/N: Just in case you missed the warning before, this WILL spoil quite a bit of the plot of LoTR. If you are waiting for the movie or are still reading the last book, I warn you now: this spoils the end. If you read it, don't complain about me spoiling it, I warned you twice. Thank you, happy reading.
~*~
Many years ago, the One Ring of the Dark Lord was destroyed in Mount Doom. Frodo 'Nine-Fingered' Baggins and his servant Samwise Gamgee reunited with their kinsmen, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, and returned to the Shire, where they gained further renown by scouring it clean of the taint of Saruman. Later, the Ringbearers Frodo, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf Greyhame, Galadrial and Elrond Halfelven passed from Middle-Earth into the Grey Havens, never again to be seen. Samwise, Mayor of the Shire, returned with Peregrin, the Thain, and Meriadoc, Master of Buckland. There was much coming and going of them to Gondor, to pay homage to the King, Aragorn son of Arathorn and his queen, Arwen Evenstar. And so begins our story...
~*~
A New Chapter
~*~
Elanor Gamgee sat staring out at the Shire in general. Her back was to the large mallorn tree her father, Samwise Gamgee, had planted years ago, before she was born. The Shire had, apparently, been very different than, and that was what the golden-haired hobbit was thinking of as she stared out. Was it just her, or did the grass seem less...green than other years, the water more faded, the air staler? Anytime she told her suspicions to others, they told her she had an imagination...but no hobbit-sense. Except for her father, and the Thain, Peregrin Took. After she'd told ~them~, they had shooed her away and had a long council, after which Sam rode off on a pony to see the King in Gondor.
He did that often, ride to the King, thought Elanor. She really couldn't complain, she supposed it was the duty of the Mayor to do such things, but why couldn't he take her along? It was one of her biggest dreams, to see all the lands her father had traveled along with Frodo, the most famous of hobbits. He had traveled across the long miles to the south and east, to a mountain and done...something. Elanor wasn't quite clear on the details, but whatever had happened, it had been good.
Now, though, she simply stared out at the Shire, watching the familiar hobbits go about their usual duties. Speaking of which, she should be getting home, she still had chores to do.
Carefully, she stood up, brushing off her skirt and dashing across the field to her home in Bag End. It had supposedly belonged to Frodo, but when he had left, he had given it to Sam. Elanor cleaned it from top to bottom every week; a chore that her sister Goldilocks would soon be helping her with. For now, Elanor gathered the sheep on the way, and locked them carefully into their paddock.
She bade the sheep farewell, patting each on the head and giving them treats of apples or carrots. She knew each by name, since it had been her job to care for the flock for four years now, since her youngest sister Ruby had been born.
Elanor was the oldest, now fast approaching her twenty-first year. Her twelve siblings ranged in age from Frodo (only two years younger) down to Tolman (Who was not yet a year old.) Elanor never complained about tending to her many sisters and brothers; in fact she rather enjoyed leading them over the hills and through the forests of the Shire. It was on these wanderings that Elanor had noticed the diminishing of the Shire, the subtle changes in the air, the water, the earth.
For now, however, the thoughts of afternoon tea were chief in the hobbit- lass' mind. Her mother had been cooking for much of the morning, and it promised to be an exceptional affair, a sure sign that guests would be arriving.
~*~
A/N: Yes, I know: short. But it gives most of the background, with a mini cliffhanger. Who is coming for tea at the Gamgee's hobbit-hole? And yes, all the ages of Elanor and her siblings are correct. I checked the family tree at the end of the Return of the King to be sure. Please review! Thankies.
A/N: Just in case you missed the warning before, this WILL spoil quite a bit of the plot of LoTR. If you are waiting for the movie or are still reading the last book, I warn you now: this spoils the end. If you read it, don't complain about me spoiling it, I warned you twice. Thank you, happy reading.
~*~
Many years ago, the One Ring of the Dark Lord was destroyed in Mount Doom. Frodo 'Nine-Fingered' Baggins and his servant Samwise Gamgee reunited with their kinsmen, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, and returned to the Shire, where they gained further renown by scouring it clean of the taint of Saruman. Later, the Ringbearers Frodo, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf Greyhame, Galadrial and Elrond Halfelven passed from Middle-Earth into the Grey Havens, never again to be seen. Samwise, Mayor of the Shire, returned with Peregrin, the Thain, and Meriadoc, Master of Buckland. There was much coming and going of them to Gondor, to pay homage to the King, Aragorn son of Arathorn and his queen, Arwen Evenstar. And so begins our story...
~*~
A New Chapter
~*~
Elanor Gamgee sat staring out at the Shire in general. Her back was to the large mallorn tree her father, Samwise Gamgee, had planted years ago, before she was born. The Shire had, apparently, been very different than, and that was what the golden-haired hobbit was thinking of as she stared out. Was it just her, or did the grass seem less...green than other years, the water more faded, the air staler? Anytime she told her suspicions to others, they told her she had an imagination...but no hobbit-sense. Except for her father, and the Thain, Peregrin Took. After she'd told ~them~, they had shooed her away and had a long council, after which Sam rode off on a pony to see the King in Gondor.
He did that often, ride to the King, thought Elanor. She really couldn't complain, she supposed it was the duty of the Mayor to do such things, but why couldn't he take her along? It was one of her biggest dreams, to see all the lands her father had traveled along with Frodo, the most famous of hobbits. He had traveled across the long miles to the south and east, to a mountain and done...something. Elanor wasn't quite clear on the details, but whatever had happened, it had been good.
Now, though, she simply stared out at the Shire, watching the familiar hobbits go about their usual duties. Speaking of which, she should be getting home, she still had chores to do.
Carefully, she stood up, brushing off her skirt and dashing across the field to her home in Bag End. It had supposedly belonged to Frodo, but when he had left, he had given it to Sam. Elanor cleaned it from top to bottom every week; a chore that her sister Goldilocks would soon be helping her with. For now, Elanor gathered the sheep on the way, and locked them carefully into their paddock.
She bade the sheep farewell, patting each on the head and giving them treats of apples or carrots. She knew each by name, since it had been her job to care for the flock for four years now, since her youngest sister Ruby had been born.
Elanor was the oldest, now fast approaching her twenty-first year. Her twelve siblings ranged in age from Frodo (only two years younger) down to Tolman (Who was not yet a year old.) Elanor never complained about tending to her many sisters and brothers; in fact she rather enjoyed leading them over the hills and through the forests of the Shire. It was on these wanderings that Elanor had noticed the diminishing of the Shire, the subtle changes in the air, the water, the earth.
For now, however, the thoughts of afternoon tea were chief in the hobbit- lass' mind. Her mother had been cooking for much of the morning, and it promised to be an exceptional affair, a sure sign that guests would be arriving.
~*~
A/N: Yes, I know: short. But it gives most of the background, with a mini cliffhanger. Who is coming for tea at the Gamgee's hobbit-hole? And yes, all the ages of Elanor and her siblings are correct. I checked the family tree at the end of the Return of the King to be sure. Please review! Thankies.