Yay my first story! I want to thank my cousin for encouraging me to start this! Love ya' cous'!
Now onto the story!...
If I Die Young
Chapter 1
The Wizard's Apprentice
It was a beautiful morning in The Shire and all was silent but the sound of birds chirping from the arm-like branches. That is until a shaby cart pulled by a stout horse shambled by with two passengers…
"You're Late", a young Hobbit of The Shire complained loudly distracting the passengers from their peaceful humming,
"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Both remain quite serious until a hint of a smile appears on the young Hobbits face and both simeltaniously burst out into merry laughter.
"It's wonderful to see you, Gandalf!" Frodo said cheerfully while hopping onto the wizards cart. Both men hugged happily while a soft giggling could be heard from the back of the cart at the duo's actions.
"I'm insulted! I cant believe you forgot about me, Frodo!" The voice said in a mock tone making the young man grin once more.
"Rosalie!"
"Heya, Kid."
"I'm older than you are!" Smirking the womman replied in a joking manner,
"You certainly don't look it."
"Hey~" The boy-like man said in an offended tone.
Gandalf warmly chuckled at his apprentice and getting back on track, said,
"Alright, you two, there will be time for reunions later."
Both pouted childishly at this as the two had not seen eachother in over 5 years so the wizard continued,
"Besides, you didn't think we would miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday, now, did you?"
Frodo and Gandalf began a conversation about the 'outside world' as the wizard's apprentice drifted off. She had seen enough of another world in the past 3 years and thus was uninterested so choosing to take in the beautiful scenery of The Shire the young woman's ears tuned out the conversation between her Mentor and Long-time friend.
"Before you came along we Bagginses were very well thought of. Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected."
Lightly chuckling the Sorceror replied,
"If you're referring to the incident with the Dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your Uncle a little nudge out of the door."
"You never told me that one!" A childlish voice half cried from the back seat of the cart.
"Bilbo might tell you later, though I can't promise that it won't be a tad embelished." Gandalf told the young girl he considered a granddaughter.
"I think he's going to tell it at the party. He'll say he won't, but he loves telling it." Frodo chimed in before turning back to the wizard.
"You've been officially labelled a disturber of the peace, you know, for whatever you did to get Bilbo on that trip."
"Oh, Really?" Gandalf said just as a small group of Hobbit children ran next to the cart asking for the wizards famous fireworks.
The young woman wore a ghost of a smile as she saw her Mentor let the fireworks go off magically making the children squeal with glee.
The cart pulled on a little while longer before Frodo began to hop of, but not before saying a final goodbye to his two freinds,
"Gandalf, I'm glad you're back."
A huff of protest was heard and Frodo quickly added,
"I've missed you too, Rosa"
"You too, Kid"
The Party was a fast blur for the female mageling. There was dancing (though Gandalf and Rosalie were to tall to dance with anyone other than eachother), a feast and Rosalie still thought she was going to fall asleep. The young witch never was one for parties, Frodo observed, reminicing about the times he and his brown haired friend had shared.
All was as it should be until… one of Gandalf's fireworks went off! Rosalie mentally had a panic attack as she recognised the firework and what it exploded into.
It soared higher above the crowd of Hobbits and exploded unexpectedly into a magnifecent Dragon. Slightly chewing on her lower lip Rosalie thought worriedly for whatever unlucky soul set of that firework.
With Hobbits running left and right the young mage simply duckly low as the dragon soared over her head and exploded in a ball of fire.
After the magical firework exploded the young apprentice began looking for her Mentor woriedly and sighed in releif when she saw the powerful wizard pulling two Hobbits by their ears just in time for Bilbo's Speech.
The crowd instantly became silent as Bilbo spoke,
"My dear Bagginses, and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks...Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles, and Proudfoots..." Bilbo began.
"Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday! Yes, and alas...Eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable Hobbits! I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you as well as you deserve."
The witch giggled at Bilbo's wording as Hobbit's listening looked at each other in confusion deciding whether to be insulted or not.
"I have things to do, and I have put this off for far too long…. I regret to announce, this is the end. I am going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell!"
This was met with even more confusion and then gasps of confusion as Bilbo dissapeared into thin air like magic…
Rosalie's POV
It was well past midnight when I finally found Gandalf and I was itching to ask questions about the disappearing Bilbo.
"There you are! How is-"
"Bilbo is fine, but we are leaving"
My mind was reeling and it must have taken minutes before I finally found my voice.
"Now? Why!"
"I promise I will answer all of your questions later, Rosalie, but for now we must move quickly."
Not trusting my voice I simply nodded in response as we both climbed onto the cart and drifted further away from the ever peaceful Shire for who knows
how long…
Rosalie's POV
It had been months since Gandalf and I had been to The Shire and – as promised – My Mentor explained everything.
The Ring, Sauron, even Frodo's part in this all. I couldn't have been more disappointed when I heard about how Frodo was brought into this. If I could only summon… But no. Gandalf made me promise not to tell anyone. I had already broken his rule when I told Frodo 5 years ago… and I don't want to relive that conversation again. Poor Frodo! He nearly fainted!
But getting back on track, my Mentor and I were in Frodo's new home (He inherited it when Bilbo left.). And as expected we had very plainly broken in. Thanks to my ability to pick locks it was rather easy! Thank you Leli…
Needless to say, - though I will anyway - I was quite a bit Twitchy. Even though I knew he never would, I was worried about Frodo getting angry with us for breaking in after his Uncle suddenly gets up and leaves…
Hearing the door open I shake myself awake waiting for Gandalf to berate Frodo over the Ring…
"Is it secret? Is it Safe!" Gandalf asked the now surprized Frodo as he rushed towards The Child-like Hobbit.
Giving him a reassuring smile Rosalie said a quick,
"Hey, Frodo,"
Smiling back, Frodo walked towards a simple chest and digs through it. Finding what he was looking for Frodo gave a relieved, "Aha!" and handed a small envelope to The Powerful Wizard.
Without a moment's hesitation, Gandalf threw the envelope into the fire which blazed for a second while burning the paper.
"What are you doing!" Frodo exclaims in shock of the Wizard's actions.
With silence as a reply the trio waited only a moment before Gandalf picked up the golden ring with a pair of tongs.
"Hold out your hands, Frodo," Seeing a twitch of hesitation Gandalf quickly added,
"Don't worry, it's quite cool."
With Frodo's hands held out in-front of him The Wizard dropped the simple ring into Frodo's waiting hands.
"What can you see? Can you see anything?"
Peering at the golden ring, twisting it to look at the band from different angles Frodo finally said,
"Nothing. There's nothing."
Gandalf started to breathe a sigh of relief but was interrupted by Frodo who saw something on the small golden band.
"Wait," Frodo said, "There are markings. It's some form of elvish. I can't read it"
"There are few who can…" Gandalf muttered his eyebrows furrowing.
"The language is that of Mordor, which I shall not utter here." The Wizard continued.
"In the common tongue it says one ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them"
"I think I need to sit down." Frodo said, his head swimming with questions that needed answers.
The trio sat at the wooden table and while Rosalie made a pot of tea, Gandalf told Frodo of Sauron, the Dark lord, and of the battle for Middle Earth so many ages ago. He told them of Isildur, the King of Gondor who took the ring from Sauron's hand and how it betrayed him to his death. He also explained Gollum who they already knew of, from Bilbo's tales of his adventure in the Misty Mountain.
At this point the Wizard's apprentice had dozed off but was awakened by the sound of clamouring metals and other household objects and opened her weary eyes to the sight of Frodo walking into the room.
"We put it away, we keep it hidden, we never speak of it. No one knows it's here do they?" But from her Mentor's gaze Rosalie knew it not to be that simple.
"Do they Gandalf?"
Sighing, the powerful Wizard said,
"There was one other who knew Bilbo had the ring. I searched everywhere for the creature Gollum, but the enemy found him first. I don't know how long they tortured him. Amidst his screams and inane babble they discerned two words. Shire. Baggins."
Worry clutched at Rosalie's heart as fear crossed Frodo's small face.
"Take it Gandalf!" Frodo cried thrusting the ring at the Magister.
"No Frodo," the wizard said. Rosie watched sadly as Frodo tried to give the ring to her Mentor. She didn't want Frodo to bear this burden and if there were any way to prevent it she would have done it by now.
"You must take it"
"You cannot offer me this ring"
"I'm giving it to you"
"Don't tempt me Frodo," Gandalf snapped. "I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand, I would use this ring from a desire to do good. But through me, it would wield a power to great and terrible to comprehend"
"But Gandalf - !" Rosalie started. She was surprized her voice even worked.
"It cannot stay in The Shire!" Frodo continued and quick as a whip Gandalf replied,
"No. No it cannot."
"What must I do?"
"You must leave," Gandalf said. "Leave quickly."
Those words made Frodo and Rosalie spring into action and as the duo were running around the house finding what Frodo would need for the journey as Gandalf explained where he would need to go.
"Make for the village of Bree. I'll be waiting for you at the Inn of the Prancing Pony."
"You must leave the name of Baggins behind you, for that name is not safe outside the shire. Travel only by day and stay off the roads."
"We can cut through the countryside easily enough."
A sudden noise outside the window startled them.
"Get down," he ordered them. Rosalie and Frodo both dropped to the floor as Gandalf approached the window. He shoved his staff out and hit something that made an "Oof," Rosalie breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that voice.
Gandalf reached out the window and in one swift move lifted Samwise Gamgee out of the grass and onto the table.
"Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee!" Gandalf yelled. "Have you been eavesdropping!"
"I've been dropping no eaves, Sir!" Sam stammered, fearful of the powerful Wizard,
"I was trimming the bushes under the windows!"
Rosalie shook her head in amusement.
'Gandalf would never fall for that' she thought with a mental laugh.
"A little late for trimming the verge?" Gandalf said.
"I heard raised voices"
"What did you hear?" Gandalf demanded. Sam hesitated for a moment and appeared to lose his voice in the presence of the Wizard.
"Speak!" Gandalf ordered.
"Nothing important. That is I heard a great deal about a ring and a dark lord and something about the end of the world but please mister Gandalf don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anything unnatural!" Rosalie couldn't help smiling at Sam's innocence. She knew Gandalf would never do anything like that.
"No, perhaps not," Gandalf said. "I've thought of a better use for you."
So whadda'ya think! Was it good! If it was do ya' mind reviewing… no?… ok!