Ruby's Adventure
Chapter 1
Ruby walked down the path, the sun shining and her heart light. Her pack was on her back and she half-dreaded going home. I say she only half- dreaded it; just as her father was, so many years before, she was torn between a love for her home and hearth and family, and the intense yearning for adventure. Ruby dreamed of what lay beyond the corners of her elder's knowledge, of what came before the many tales she'd heard so many times. She took a deep breath, smiled, and, once again, turned toward home.
She had not gone fifteen paces before she heard a familiar voice.
"Ruby Gamgee, what in the name of the Shire are you doing?"
"Good morning to you, too, Primrose." Ruby muttered to her older sister. Primrose ran up and stopped in front of her.
"You know Mum said you oughtn't to wander off like that!" her sister chided. Ruby went around her and continued walking. Her elder sister had always patronized her, so she was used to this sort of thing. She walked up the Hill to Bag End and walked inside, closely followed by Primrose.
"Hello-o! I'm ho-ome!" Ruby called. Her eldest brother, Frodo, immediately shushed her.
"Shhhh!" he hissed. "Dad's shut up in the study with Gandalf, so you'd best be quiet, Ruby!" Ruby sighed and went back out again before laying aside her pack. The others could shush her all they liked, but she was going to find out what that odd Gandalf and her father were up to, once and for all.
She rounded the side of the Hill, looking for the window to the study and walking silently like only a young, curious, and mischievous hobbit can. Ruby came in sight of the window, only to find one of her favorite siblings, Daisy, already there. Ruby quickly crouched down beside Daisy and listened intently.
"What are you saying, Gandalf?" she could hear her father saying.
"Only this, Samwise; that you are in great danger." Ruby's father was genuinely shocked by Gandalf's news.
"But why, Gandalf?" he asked, "I thought that Sauron was destroyed, that Barad-dur was no more."
"This has nothing to do with either of those names," Gandalf whispered, "I have seen an Orc spy from Moria which can only mean one thing. that Moria has again been opened, and that someone or something is living there, growing powerful. This could prove disastrous for all, and I ask you to send someone to Moria, to see what this is about." Samwise was still. Then-
"But who could I send?" he asked finally. "I can't be spared, and I know of no hobbit who would undertake such a perilous journey."
"I was getting to that-" Gandalf began, but was interrupted, to Daisy and Ruby's complete horror.
The sound of Primrose's whining voice came from behind them. Gandalf and Samwise peered out the window, as Primrose came round the corner, practically shouting.
"Ruby! Daisy!" she yelled, "Where are you!" That was when she saw Gandalf and Samwise nearly leaning out of the window. "Oops."
To everyone's relief, not to mention surprise, Gandalf laughed and Samwise smiled.
"Come in, you rascally little hobbit-girls!" he cried. They all, in turn, climbed through the window and sat in the study. Daisy and Ruby looked apprehensive and abashed, Primrose looked triumphant.
"Now, girls," Samwise began, but Gandalf cut him off.
"Samwise, this is for their ears too. As you girls probably heard, you can't go, so you must send someone else. You ought to send these three, for two are mischievous and anxious for adventure, and the other is practical and will probably be able to get them out of any scrapes they may encounter."
Sam was shocked.
"Now, G-gandalf," he stuttered, "You wouldn't seriously consider sending them, would you? What with Primrose not come of age yet, and Ruby only in her tweens." Here Ruby scowled.
"It'll be alright, Sam," Gandalf said with a chuckle, "If they're anything like you they'll be quite alright." Now it was Sam's turn to scowl.
"I won't allow it, and that's that." He said solidly. "I'm sorry," he said, turning to his daughters, "But you are just too young." Gandalf sighed.
"Samwise, these daughters of yours are not 'too young', as I have told you," he said, "but you do have the final say, though I'm not too sure that young Ruby and Daisy won't have anything to say about your decision." He winked, and Ruby, though terribly crushed, smiled. Sam got up out of his chair pulled up his pipe and left the study. But as he left, he could be heard to say,
"Hmm. this reminds me of something."
Chapter 1
Ruby walked down the path, the sun shining and her heart light. Her pack was on her back and she half-dreaded going home. I say she only half- dreaded it; just as her father was, so many years before, she was torn between a love for her home and hearth and family, and the intense yearning for adventure. Ruby dreamed of what lay beyond the corners of her elder's knowledge, of what came before the many tales she'd heard so many times. She took a deep breath, smiled, and, once again, turned toward home.
She had not gone fifteen paces before she heard a familiar voice.
"Ruby Gamgee, what in the name of the Shire are you doing?"
"Good morning to you, too, Primrose." Ruby muttered to her older sister. Primrose ran up and stopped in front of her.
"You know Mum said you oughtn't to wander off like that!" her sister chided. Ruby went around her and continued walking. Her elder sister had always patronized her, so she was used to this sort of thing. She walked up the Hill to Bag End and walked inside, closely followed by Primrose.
"Hello-o! I'm ho-ome!" Ruby called. Her eldest brother, Frodo, immediately shushed her.
"Shhhh!" he hissed. "Dad's shut up in the study with Gandalf, so you'd best be quiet, Ruby!" Ruby sighed and went back out again before laying aside her pack. The others could shush her all they liked, but she was going to find out what that odd Gandalf and her father were up to, once and for all.
She rounded the side of the Hill, looking for the window to the study and walking silently like only a young, curious, and mischievous hobbit can. Ruby came in sight of the window, only to find one of her favorite siblings, Daisy, already there. Ruby quickly crouched down beside Daisy and listened intently.
"What are you saying, Gandalf?" she could hear her father saying.
"Only this, Samwise; that you are in great danger." Ruby's father was genuinely shocked by Gandalf's news.
"But why, Gandalf?" he asked, "I thought that Sauron was destroyed, that Barad-dur was no more."
"This has nothing to do with either of those names," Gandalf whispered, "I have seen an Orc spy from Moria which can only mean one thing. that Moria has again been opened, and that someone or something is living there, growing powerful. This could prove disastrous for all, and I ask you to send someone to Moria, to see what this is about." Samwise was still. Then-
"But who could I send?" he asked finally. "I can't be spared, and I know of no hobbit who would undertake such a perilous journey."
"I was getting to that-" Gandalf began, but was interrupted, to Daisy and Ruby's complete horror.
The sound of Primrose's whining voice came from behind them. Gandalf and Samwise peered out the window, as Primrose came round the corner, practically shouting.
"Ruby! Daisy!" she yelled, "Where are you!" That was when she saw Gandalf and Samwise nearly leaning out of the window. "Oops."
To everyone's relief, not to mention surprise, Gandalf laughed and Samwise smiled.
"Come in, you rascally little hobbit-girls!" he cried. They all, in turn, climbed through the window and sat in the study. Daisy and Ruby looked apprehensive and abashed, Primrose looked triumphant.
"Now, girls," Samwise began, but Gandalf cut him off.
"Samwise, this is for their ears too. As you girls probably heard, you can't go, so you must send someone else. You ought to send these three, for two are mischievous and anxious for adventure, and the other is practical and will probably be able to get them out of any scrapes they may encounter."
Sam was shocked.
"Now, G-gandalf," he stuttered, "You wouldn't seriously consider sending them, would you? What with Primrose not come of age yet, and Ruby only in her tweens." Here Ruby scowled.
"It'll be alright, Sam," Gandalf said with a chuckle, "If they're anything like you they'll be quite alright." Now it was Sam's turn to scowl.
"I won't allow it, and that's that." He said solidly. "I'm sorry," he said, turning to his daughters, "But you are just too young." Gandalf sighed.
"Samwise, these daughters of yours are not 'too young', as I have told you," he said, "but you do have the final say, though I'm not too sure that young Ruby and Daisy won't have anything to say about your decision." He winked, and Ruby, though terribly crushed, smiled. Sam got up out of his chair pulled up his pipe and left the study. But as he left, he could be heard to say,
"Hmm. this reminds me of something."