Authors note: I in no way own any of Tolkien's characters that you have heard of before (Herb is mine), or any part of Middle Earth.
Currently, this is just a lone short story, but a sequel may or may not follow.
Please read and review. Enjoy...
Erb "It's Herb" The Hobbit
Herb is a Hobbit, a peaceful Shire-folk that lives in Hobbiton. His hobbit hole was located in the hill adjacent to Bag End—Frodo's home.
Herb had a problem because everyone always left off the h when they said his name. Then, something devastating happened: Herb lost his solid gold ring.
He went into a frenzy looking for it. Ransacking his house, he found many things that he had lost but not his ring. In despair he sat in his house, wondering where his ring could have possibly gotten to. He thought and thought, but he remembered not a thing about where his ring could be.
Finally, Herb decided to go ask around Hobbiton to see if anyone had found his ring. Maybe, he thought, he had dropped it on a walk from the Green Dragon.
When he came upon Merry and Pippin, Herb asked suspiciously, "Have either or both of you found my gold ring? It seems I have lost it."
Pippin answers quickly, "Nope, Erb. Haven't seen anything like that." Merry says the like, but Herb can't help but yell at them, "My name is Herb!, with an h!"
Herb continues on, heading towards the Green Dragon, deciding he'd like some brandy. He stops to ask many people on his way. No one has seen it. No one at the Green Dragon even knew that Herb had a gold ring. After having his brandy, Herb decides to head up to the Hill and ask Frodo about his ring since he's been at the Hill fairly often as of late.
Herb encounters the wizard Gandalf on his way to the Hill and stops to ask if the old wizard knows anything of his ring.
"I am sorry, Herb. I know nothing of where your ring is, but I wish you the best of luck on your hunt." Herb becomes downhearted at the wizard's reply. If anyone knew anything of his ring, surely the old wizard would.
Herb reaches the Hill in low spirits and asks Frodo hopelessly, "Have you seen my gold ring, Frodo?"
"No, Erb, I haven't. But come in and have some tea." Like last time, Herb looses his temper at the sound of yet another person dropping the h from his name. "My name has an h on it! It's Herb!"
"I'm sorry, Herb, you must forgive. You see, I have also lost my ring and have not been able to find it either."
"That is very sad indeed, both of us loosing our precious rings."
"Very. I guess I will see you then?" asks Frodo.
"Yes. Around," Herb answers with his heart in his feet. He departs from Bag End quietly, thinking that he'll never see is ring again.
At the end of the walkway, Herb pauses and looks down into the grass. Something of a shiny gold catches his eye. He leans down for a closer look. That's it! Herb thinks. That's my gold ring! He picks up the ring, examines it and decides that it is definitely his lost ring: a plain, thick gold band.
He continues on his way home, whistling merrily to himself. He calls out to Samwise on his way down the Hill. "Sam! I have found my ring! I had dropped it on the ground in front of Frodo's house." Herb holds his ring up to prove that he has indeed found it.
"That is very nice, but are you sure it's yours, Erb?" He is interrupted by Herb's outburst that "there is an h on my name. It's Herb!" Sam continues, unaffected, "Mr. Frodo lost his ring not too long ago and still hasn't found it yet. Have you tried it on to make sure it fits you right?"
"Brilliant idea, Sam! I am sure it is mine, but there is no harm in checking to make sure." With that, Herb slips on his ring. It glides on, a perfect fit for him.
Sam starts shouting, "Erb? Erb, where'd you go?"
"It is Herb!!!" Herb shouts, but Sam keeps shouting as if Herb were invisible. Herb looks around and sees the slightly misty form everything has taken. He shrugs and continues on home, leaving a shouting Sam behind him.
In front of Jane Proudfoot, Herb slipped his ring off and replaced it in his pocket. He only turned when he heard a shriek.
"My goodness! Where did you come from, Erb? And why are you going around causing such a ruckus?" Jane exclaims.
"My name is Herb! There is an h there for a reason. Use it!" By this time, Herb was getting quite tired of having to correct people of his name—having had to correct everyone save Gandalf of the h on his name—so he just continued walking without answering or apologizing to Jane.
Suddenly there came a pounding on the door. By this time, Herb was having tea. He didn't feel like having guests, so he just ignored the knock, figuring whoever it was would leave him be. Then he heard a gruffly voice, "Open up, Herb Hornblower!" Gandalf! Herb thought, not liking that his tea is, indeed, interrupted.
With a sigh, Herb goes to open his door. "Herb, open this door, you confounded hobbit!" Gandalf yells.
"I'm coming!" Herb opens the door and Gandalf barrels through, almost knocking Herb over.
"Where is it? Where is the ring you found earlier today?" Gandalf asks urgently.
"Right here. Right here in my pocket. Why? Why do you want it?" Herb asks defensively.
"That is not your ring, Herb Hornblower! It is Frodo's! I have yours right here." Gandalf holds out a solid gold ring to Herb. "Now give me Frodo's ring!"
"How do I know that you're not just giving me a fake ring."
"Do not take me as some meager thief, Herb Hornblower! I am a wizard of the first order!" Gandalf shouts at him. Herb cowers and reluctantly holds out Frodo's ring. As Gandalf reaches for it though, Herb snatches it back.
"No! You shall not take my precious! It is mine! You will not take it from us!"
Gandalf sighs and knocks out Herb with his staff, seeing that the ring has already gained control of the hobbit. He takes the One Ring to return to Frodo and leaves Herb's ordinary gold ring behind.