Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Odd little thing
Hello everyone. How do I start this? First of all this story was a request from HunterGirl53. I am hoping the story is something new since I've never seen this idea before. There are not that many Frodo and OC stories that have some romance in it, so I'm hoping this one will make a difference.
I hope you like it and please leave a review or comment.
Chapter 1
"You've been into farmer Maggot's crop!" exclaimed an angry Sam, as Merry and Pippin dumped loads of vegetables into his arms.
"Get out of my fields! You'll know the devil when I catch up with you!"
Sam gave one last look at the food in his arms, before deciding his life was worth more, so he dumped everything and broke into a run, following the other three hobbits.
"Don't know why he's so upset," exclaimed Merry as he ran. "It's only a couple of carrots!"
"And some cabbages," Pippin continued, "And those three bags of potatoes that we lifted last week. And then the mushrooms the week before."
"Yes Pippin," replied Merry. "My point is, he's clearly overreacting!"
As they ran, Frodo arrived at the edge of the cliff and stopped sharply, Merry and Pippin bumping into him from behind, but it was Sam who crashed into them, toppling all four of them down the hill.
Moans and groans was what you could hear for a while.
"Oof, that was close," said Pippin, contemplating the pile of dung that was just half a foot in front of him
"I think I've broken something," said Merry, pulling out a carrot from beneath himself.
Pippin, being the one on top of Frodo, noticed a thin arm poking out from under him, and a feminine hand stretching out desperately.
"Uh, would any of you happen to know who the girlish arm belongs to?"
Merry pulled himself to a sitting position, but had no chance of seeing what his cousin meant when Sam grabbed him by the arm and shoved him off Frodo.
"Get off him!" he exclaimed angrily.
Pippin scrambled to his feet before Sam had the chance to grab him, when he noticed the mushrooms some feet away, forgetting completely about the hand beneath him.
Frodo got to his feet, and noticed the female figure laying upside down in the ground. He gasped and quickly turned her by the arm. The mud stained face of a young girl laid unconscious on the ground.
"Sam!"
The hobbit did not need to see what Frodo wanted before he was at his side in the blink of an eye.
"It's a human girl!" he exclaimed. "How old do you reckon she is?"
Frodo crouched beside her. He wiped away the mud with his hand, and after making sure that she was breathing, he gave a sigh of relief. Frodo tilted his head, examining the girlish face, but could not really come to a sure conclusion.
"I don't know, Sam. She has a girlish face and the height of a human child, but her body built is…"
He felt his cheeks flush, feeling guilty for almost commenting a woman's body. Sam too felt awkward for a moment. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.
"Oi, you two!" Sam yelled at the other two hobbits who were yet oblivious of the girl's presence.
Merry and Pippin raised their heads and noticed the girl laying on the ground.
"Oh, it's a human girl," said Pippin as if he were contemplating a simply cushion or broomstick.
Merry scoffed at his lack of concern and walked over, followed by the other.
"Is she alright?" asked Merry.
"She had a hundred pounds of hobbits dropped on her! How would you be in her place?" Sam snapped, harshly.
Merry fidgeted and returned to observing the girl. She moaned deeply without opening her eyes.
"She's coming around!" Pippin exclaimed.
All four hobbits stared down at the girl, waiting for her to open her eyes. She moaned a few more times, bringing her hands to rub her head.
"Are you alright?" asked Frodo.
Slowly, the girl's eyes opened to reveal bright green eyes. For a moment no one said a word and all stared at the girl while she stared back. After a while, she frowned.
"Excuse me," she said with an indignant tone, feeling uncomfortable for having four males hovering over her.
"Oh sorry!" Sam exclaimed first, taking a quick step back, reaching to snap Merry and Pippin back by their shirt collars.
The girl sat up, wincing in pain. Slowly she stood up, and standing to her full height, she was only half an inch taller than Merry, who was the tallest hobbit among them.
All four hobbits could not help but stare at her. Long, curly, light brown hair disheveled bun. Her body was curved and shaped like that of a grown woman, though her height and girlish face really contradicted her apparent age. Her feet were slightly bigger compared to her body size. Her ears were not exactly as a human's, they were slightly bigger and had a slight pointy end. It was quite an odd sight.
"Excuse me, how rude!" she exclaimed, annoyed by their fixed stares.
All of them startled out of their thoughts and awkwardly tried to look away or act normal.
"Sorry young one," said Frodo. "We did not mean to be rude."
The girl frowned, looking annoyed.
"Young one? I am probably older than you!" she scoffed, turning her back to them and muttering under her breath while picking up her hunting bow and quiver from the ground.
The hobbits were quite taken aback by her comment. They exchanged looks, before Merry nudged Frodo. He cleared his throat and took a step closer to the girl.
"Excuse me, but, may I inquire your name?"
"My name is Alina, daughter of Aloin and Blossom of Staddle."
Frodo hesitated before asking his next question. "And, how old are you?"
She turned around with an indignant huff. She crossed her bow on her chest, placed her hands on her hips and stood straight.
"I am a twenty year old woman," she snapped.
The hobbits were stunned for a moment. None knew what to reply.
"A-and you're… a human, right?" he asked, nervously.
"No, I'm clearly an elf woman," she said in mock sweetness.
There was a moment of silence, until Merry spoke.
"But, you are not… in height for your age."
Alina clenched her jaw, her muscles tensing as if she was trying to avoid jumping on him.
"I assure you, I am twenty."
There was another moment of silence.
"But you're so short!" Pippin burst out.
It was as if a shadow had fallen over Alina and an aura of anger surrounded her. The vein on her temple pulsed visibly and her hands shook on her hips.
"Who are you calling short you midget?! I am over an inch taller than you!" she exclaimed, infuriated. She took several threatening steps towards the hobbit, standing on her toes above him as she yelled down on him.
"But you're a twenty year old human!" he exclaimed, taking a step back with fearful eyes.
"I could easily shoot you and drag you little body all the way to…"
The discussion fell into the background for Frodo who took several steps away from the party. He looked ahead into the road.
"I think we should get off the road," he said, a little nervously.
No one listened to him, too buried in the discussion with Alina.
Once more, Frodo looked towards the road, and the ring around his neck allowed him to sense the approaching darkness.
"Get off the road! Quick!" he exclaimed, and no one was able to ignore his urgent tone.
Everyone jumped off the road and under the roots of a large tree. Pippin and Alina were still whispering angrily to each other, when the sound of horse hooves silenced them. It was as if the world had gone cold. The air was stiff, as if everything had died around them. Slowly they looked behind them through the roots and saw the black hooves with chains.
The four hobbits and the girl were almost trembling beneath the tree. Suddenly all sorts of slugs and creepy critters rose from the earth. Alina tensed and opened her mouth to scream, but Merry was faster and placed his hand over her mouth. As that happened, Alina noticed Frodo holding a ring and Sam stopping him from wearing it. She frowned, confused. At that moment, Merry released her and threw a bag of mushrooms as far as he could. There was a loud screech before whatever was above them left.
The hobbits darted away without a second glance. Alina was shocked for a moment before she got on her feet. Strangers they might have been, but she strongly believed in strength in numbers.
Everyone ran frantically through the forest for several long minutes before they thought it safe enough to stop and catch their breath.
"What was that?!" Merry asks, bent over his knees, trying to catch his breath.
Frodo had a look of alarm. He held the ring in the palm of his hand for a moment, and as he did so, Alina caught another glimpse of the ring, but for the moment she was too bussy recovering her breath to pay it much heed.
"Anything?" Sam asks.
"Nothing," Frodo called back.
"What is going on?" Pippin asked warily.
Merry moves past pippin, toward Frodo, watching intently. "That black rider was looking for something, or someone, Frodo?"
Before Frodo has the chance to explain, they hear Sam exclaim.
"Get down!"
Just then, they see a Black rider appear several meters in front of them. They all hold their breath until it disappears.
Frodo looked back at Merry. His eyes lingered for a moment in Liana.
"I have to leave the Shire. Sam and I must get to Bree."
Merry nodded in acknowledgment, realizing his fried is truly in danger. "Right… Buckleberry ferry. Follow me."
The hobbits begin to run once more. Alina darted behind them again, not willing to stay behind alone.
"Wait! You can't leave me alone with those things around!"
Frodo turned around to say something, but his words were lost to the wind when a Black rider appeared screeching. Alina screamed and began to run along with the hobbits. She was surprisingly fast and light on her feet, thought the hobbits, though they could not contemplate on that for long. Alina followed them onto the ferry. She quickly helped them untie the ferry, but just as they were starting to move, she realized someone was missing.
"Wait!" she exclaimed.
Everyone turned their heads to Frodo who was still running Frodo the black riders. They all began to frantically call him and urge him on.
"Frodo!"
"Come one Frodo!"
"Jump!"
With one last impulse, Frodo jumped onto the ferry. Alina gasped and covered her mouth, expecting to see the hobbit fall into the water.
They all stared with terrified expressions as many more riders appeared and joined the other.
"How far to the nearest crossing?" Frodo asked.
"Brandywine bridge. Twenty miles," Merry relied.
"What are those things? And why are they following you?!" Alina wheezed. She was breathing heavily and her entire body was shaking violently. The worst scare in her life had been an over-sized rat that unsuspectingly fell before her in a barn when she was a teen. If she thought she nearly had a heart attack then, she was probably having one now.
Everyone turned their heads to Frodo, expecting an answer. The hobbit thought his words over. He was not what to say, especially since he knew nothing of this young woman. Yet he doubted that someone that was as terrified as he could be a servant of the enemy.
"They are servants of Sauron."
The name was not new to Alina. She knew well who the dark Lord was just like any other.
"But why are they here? In the Shire of all places? And why are they after you?"
Frodo hesitated for a moment.
"Who are you? Why did we find you alone in the middle of the road?" Frodo asked, remembering Gandalf's heed to not trust anyone.
Alina did not seem hesitant as she replied him.
"Like I said, I am Alina, daughter of Aloin and Blossom Took."
"Blossom Took?" Merry asked.
Alina nodded. "Yes, my mother is a Fallohide hobbit from Staddle, and my father a man from Bree."
There was a moment of silence.
"So… you are part hobbit?" Pippin asked.
"She just said that, Pippin!" Merry exclaimed.
"That explains your odd…" Frodo cleared his throat when Alina glowered. "I apologize. That explains your particular appearance."
Fallohide hobbits were known for being taller, fair of skin, greatly skilled with the bow, were the only branch of hobbits able to swim, were not shy of humans, hence many had settle in Staddle along with them. Many were friends with the elves, and for this they were more knowledgeable than other hobbits. Yet it was very odd that a hobbit had married a human, even though hobbits were a branch of humans, though they had always considered themselves a different race.
"As for why I was alone, I was hunting, until you four decided to drop on me. You owe me a deer," she said, half jesting, half serious.
"How can you carry a deer?" Pippin asked, honestly surprised. "You are the size of a human child!"
In a blink of an eye, Alina had Pippin dangling on the edge of the ferry, held by the collar of his shirt.
"Call me small again and you will be sleeping with the fishes tonight!"
"Alright, alright! Sorry, pull me back, pull me back!"
Alina yanked the hobbit back onto the ferry, huffing.
"I am sorry about that," said Frodo, a small amused smile on his face. "And I apologize once more, but why were you hunting in those parts? Where are you from? It is not common to see a young lady wondering alone in these woods."
Alina sighed. "My father was killed by orcs two years ago, and my mother was always frail of health. She followed him a year after. Now I live on my own in my parent's house in Staddle, but I travel around Bree Land selling what I hunt or craft."
Frodo stared at Alina, and she held his gaze calmly. He saw no lie in her eyes and nodded, adding a small smile.
"So what will you do now?" he asked her.
"Well, seeing as I have no choice, I'll go with you to Bree and stay at the Prancing Pony for the night."
"That is where we are heading as well."
"Oh, really?" she asked with a disappointed expression.
Frodo smiled, amused.
"Do not worry. A friend is waiting for us there, and he will help us. I do not think those black riders will track us there."
Alina felt a small smile coming up. She nodded and sat back.
"So, do you know any Blossom Took from Staddle?" Merry asked his cousin.
"Can't say I do. I cannot trace any family line to the name, which probably means were are not related, thank the stars," he muttered the last part.
"Thank the stars indeed," Alina muttered.
"Good, because I do not want to be related to you," Pippin said, a little louder this time.
"Fine, because last time I checked, I didn't want to be related to a midget like you!"
"Well good! Because I never want to be known to be related to a moody woman like you!"
The banter went on for several more minutes and by the end, the hobbits had to keep Alina from throwing Pippin into the water.
A little explanation of Fallonhides I took from the Tolkien Gateway:
Fallonhide were taller and slimmer of build than the other Hobbits, with some growing to four feet or more in height. Both their skin and their hair tended to be fair.
While the other two branches of hobbit-kind were pastoral and rustic in nature, the Fallohides retained a hunting tradition, and so were naturally bolder and more inquisitive than their relatives.
As Fallohidish culture was much more open to outside influence than that of the Stoors or Harfoots, they were friendlier with the other races of Middle-earth than their cousins, especially with the Elves. Perhaps because of this, they were skilled in both song and speech, and were lovers of trees and of woodlands.