Mae govannen = Well met
Mellon nin = my friend
Im = I am
Namarie = farewell
Lot of love, Balrog Pimp xox :)
The Fellowship of the ... Kindergarten???
Frodo looked up uncertainly as Uncle Bilbo led him by the hand past the open gate and newly painted sign reading:
Middle Earth Kindergarten – All Races Welcome
Opening Day!
Of course the young, four-year-old Frodo could not yet understand the brightly coloured symbols gracing the wooden sign and this served to increase his nervousness because he knew that they were coming near the place where he would have to leave his Uncle Bil behind. He tightened his grip on the older hobbit's, who smiled gently down at him.
"Don't worry, Frodo, it won't be for too long and I'll stay as long as you want me too, okay?"
Frodo looked sharply at Bilbo, silently trying to confirm if he would keep the promise.
"Gandalf and Elrond are very nice and they will take good care of you. You've met Gandalf before haven't you?"
"Yes," replied Frodo, smiling bravely at his Uncle. He had met the wizard and he had been very kind to him. He especially liked the chewy toffees he had brought and wondered if there would be more there at the Kindy – whatever it was called. With this hope in mind, Frodo now more eagerly pulled on Bilbo's hand to hurry him towards the small set of buildings that were coming into view.
...
Stepping into the largest, most colourful building, Frodo looked around wide-eyed at the many other adults and children which were milling around. They all looked so different. Frodo almost started in fear when Uncle Bilbo had to take his hand from his to take his cloak and hang it up on a peg inside the door. The young hobbit, once again anxious with uncertainty grasped Bilbo's hand once again and continued to look around.
There was a tall, blond haired man with his son who was also blond and tall for his age. He was wearing a silvery-blue shirt with sleeves, which were much too long for him, and his hair fell in waves of golden silk down his back. Frodo had never seen anyone like him before. The boy somehow realised he was being stared at and met the young hobbits gaze with his own clear blue eyes. Frodo hastily looked away and saw to his delight three faces that he recognised.
"Merry! Pippin! Sam!" he cried out and tore over to his cousins and friend, forgetting for the mean time about his Uncle.
The three younger hobbits where sitting on beanbags. Well, Sam was sitting on a beanbag and was watching Merry and Pippin wrestle each, trying to crush the other with a beanbag as Sam looked on in concern. Pippin had began to squeal frantically as Merry had him trapped beneath a bag and was sitting on it but when they heard Frodo's call and looked up with excitement. The two cousins were up in a flash and tackled Frodo to the floor for a big hug.
"Hello Frodo! We waited for you!" Pippin began excitedly.
"But you came slow," Merry continued, "and I saw the beanbags and I wanted to make a castle and then Pippin ruined it because he sat on the top and broke it."
"Did not, I saw the beanbags first and it was my castle." Pippin shouted over Merry's accusation.
"No! 'Member I saw it first and it was my idea and—"
Frodo turned to Sam who looked as though he knew the real truth of the matter but was too embarrassed to speak up about it.
"Hello Sam!" Frodo said cheerily.
Sam mumbled something, which sounded like 'Good Morning Frodo,' and he blushed ferociously.
Frodo laughed merrily, "You're funny, Sam!" and he gave him a big hug.
"I'm glad to see you've met your friends," Bilbo said, appearing to the side of them. "I want to introduce you lads to— Merry! Pippin! Stop that please, you will tear open the beanbag!"
Freezing instantly, Pippin pointed at Merry and cried: "He started it, he saw the beanbags first!"
"I did not, you just said you saw them first and—"
"I don't care you started it, but I will end it," the elderly wizard said now gaining the attention of all four hobbit lads. Handing out toffees from his pocket they were all effectively silenced.
"Boys, this is Gandalf. He's a very old friend of mine and he has set up this Kindergarten with Elrond to provide a safe place for all children in Middle Earth to play," Bilbo finally managed.
"Hello," greeted the old wizard himself, "I hope you will enjoy it here, we will have much fun together I am sure."
"Hey, I know you," said Merry pointing at Gandalf with one hand and scratching his nose with the other, "you come round with fireworks, don't you?"
"Yes, I do, though before you ask we won't be having any fireworks today, but perhaps another time. In unison, Merry and Pippin's faces fell and rose at the possibility that there may be fireworks in the future.
...
Legolas looked around rather disappointedly. His father had promised this place would be fun, all he had seen so far was two old guys and a group of very small younger children. He hoped something interesting would happen soon and kids more his own kind would arrive soon. He didn't want to have to play with the noisy, yelling babies at the other side of the room, who were hurting his delicate elven ears. He'd much rather play target practice with his older brothers at home and climb some trees. He sighed with boredom as his father continued to talk to his old friend Elrond. Suddenly, something caught his attention, a boy about his age with his father walked into the room. The boy was box-shaped with stumpy legs and had frizzy browny-red hair; he was not very pretty.
"Daddy, daddy!" he whispered urgently, tugging on his father's robes, "is that a dwarf?"
Thranduil looked up and a look of disgust briefly crossed his face, "Yes, son, that is a dwarf. But remember our manners, Legolas. How about you go and introduce yourself?" Giving Legolas a little push towards the oncoming pair, Legolas reluctantly approached the stumpy child.
"Mae govannen, mellon nin," said Legolas, bowing low, hand on chest, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Greetings, my name is Prince Legolas," the articulate child continued, "may I inkqire as to your name?" he said mispronouncing 'inquire' incorrectly against his knowledge.
The short dwarf-child started at him with a look of awe and mistrust.
"You're an elf," he finally said.
"I know. And you are a dwarf," said Legolas, not thinking highly of the dwarf's obvious statement.
The tension began to build and the older dwarf, coughed and lightly said, "Come Gimli, let us go meet your teachers over there," as the tension between the two boys had grown already so great.
Legolas sneered at the boy as he looked over his shoulder to continue to stare back at him. This was just getting better and better, he'd rather the noisy midgets any day over the ugly, stump kid. Luckily, he was saved by the entrance of two more children from a back room.
"Mae govannen, Legolas!" called the high-pitched voice of Arwen, skipping over holding the hand of scruffy, dark-haired boy.
"Hello, Arwen! Good to see you here! Who is that boy?" asked Legolas hesitantly, the last thing he wanted was another undesirable playmate, and this boy's matted hair and clumsy gait was looking less than promising. He was obviously of the race of men.
"Im Estel, mae govannen, mellon," the boy said, bowing with a hand to his chest.
Legolas' eyebrows rose to his hairline at the surprise of the boy's easy speech of Elvish. He looked to Arwen in query.
"He has been staying with our family for a while in Rivendell," lowering her voice so that only Legolas could hear, she continued. "His real name is Aragorn and his parents were killed not very long ago and so father took him in, 'cos he's supposed to be some important King of Men or something. Elladan, Elrohir and I are teaching him the ways of elves. He's coming along very well, don't you think?"
Legolas nodded slightly and proceeded to introduce himself to the boy in his own language with a lot more warmth than he had the dwarf. This boy did not seem so bad; in fact he looked like he could be a lot of fun, but he had to ask one thing.
"Do you have a bow?"
"No," the boy replied, looking up from the ground, his surprisingly bright blue eyes gleaming from interest at the topic, "but I have a really cool sword!"
...
"It's broken!"
"Estel! I thought you weren't supposed to take it away from home!"
Elrond looked up to see his daughter berating his foster-son, looking to him he saw that Aragorn was holding up the broken hilt of a sword that was much too big for him.
"Estel! Pardon me," Elrond excused himself from Thranduil and dashed over to where the two elflings and man-child where gathered.
"Estel, I thought I told you never to take the Shards of Narsil from its sacred pedestal!"
The boy cast his eyes quickly to the ground at the rebuke and mumbled, "But you told me it was my sword, when can I have a sword of my own?"
"You are much to young at five to be using swords, Estel. Let me take that from you." Elrond took the sword from the boys outstretched hand and patted his head gently, thanking him.
Aragorn was still moping.
Legolas had at first found the broken sword amusing and stupid looking, but hearing Elrond's reaction he realised that Estel and this sword must have some special important.
"Don't worry," he said, smiling kindly at his new friend, "you can play with my bow if you want, I could teach you how to play 'hunters' with me and my brothers if you come to my house after school."
Aragorn brightened immediately, "That would be so cool! Do you think your dad would let me?"
"Yes! And then we can play with my ball and I'll show you how to play this really fun game I learnt the other day!"
As the boys gabbled excitedly about what they would do at eachother's houses, Arwen sighed boredly. She'd rather talk about playing with dolls.
...
By this time Gandalf and Elrond had met everyone present and Gandalf called everyone to sit down on the ground in a circle to do some final introductions. Merry and Pippin needed to be held down by Bilbo as they kept wriggling impatiently, itching to get back to building their beanbag castle (working together this time) before it fell down again. Legolas and Aragorn also needed to be hushed by Arwen as they were still talking animatedly about various weapons and practice games they wanted to try when they were called to sit down.
Gandalf began by once again introducing himself:
"Good Morning! As you all know, I am Gandalf the Grey and I have set up this Kindergarten with the help of Elrond, because I believe that all children of all races have a right to a safe learning and play environment."
There were some huffs and scratching noises as Pippin started picking away at the rug they were sitting on, his hands were slapped by Bilbo. Gandalf continued:
"I would like to begin with us all just to say our names, just so we can all get to know each other and we will go round in a circle." Gandalf turned to Merry who was next to him and was absentmindedly chewing his lower lip, "Merry, would you like to start?"
"What?" asked Merry, looking to the wizard in shocked question.
"What is your name?"
"Oh! My name is Meriadoc Brandybuck, but I get called Merry. I live at Brandyhall, Buckland in the Shire," he said proudly. "That's what mum taught me. If I ever get lost I should tell someone were I live and they can take me home."
"Very wise is your mother's advice," said the wizard smiling, "Next?"
"I am Bilbo Baggins." He nudged the hobbit next to him once again picking at the rug.
"Pippin," he said, looking up briefly before returning to his task of unthreading the rug.
"Gimli," the dwarf-child grunted, arms folded, staring at each person as if challenging them on this point.
"Gloin," said his father, doing much the same thing.
"I am Elrond, Half-Elven."
"My name is Arwen Undomiel, mae govannen," she said, earning a doting look from her father.
Legolas was about to open his mouth to declare his name with pride to the closed off dwarves when he was rudely interrupted by loud screaming down from the cloakroom.
"I don't wanna go to stupid Kindy! It's for babies! I'm – not- going!!!" came the scream.
"Boromir, you are going and that's final! And unless you settle down, you won't see your sword again for another two days!"
"You can't do that! Two days is forever! Oww, stop pulling me!"
Into the room burst a man wearing rich clothes, looking less than elegant as he tugged his stubborn son, dragging his heels into the ground into the room. Even though the boy was much smaller than his father he was still giving up a good fight and the strain showing on his father's face showed the boys apparent strength.
The rest of the group stared as the shouting match continued between the lord and his headstrong son. Eventually, the father managed to throw his son to the ground, almost knocking over Legolas, and yelled at him:
"You will stay here Boromir, or I shall have Mithrandir turn you into a spotted toad and you shall never be able to use your sword again! Do you understand!!!"
Boromir replied by sticking out his tongue in challenge.
"Arggh!" yelled the man as he stormed off in a rage, "I shall pick you up later. 'Son of Gondor' my –"his voice was lost as he slammed the door behind him.
The group tried to look everywhere but at the boy as he grumpily showed his complete distaste for everyone else in the room. Gandalf wished that the Lord Denethor had not spoiled this son of his, he may have been more agreeable to his wishes had he not. He also hoped he could help Boromir learn to appreciate and enjoy the Kindergarten he was so adamant he would not attend.
"Well, shall we continue?" he asked.
"Hmpf!" said Legolas, than cleared his throat as he tried to wriggle closer to Arwen, away from the grumpy, blond-haired boy. "I am Prince Legolas of the Mirkwood realm." He looked to the boy next to him, not knowing what to expect. The man-child wore a dark red tunic with fine embroidery on it. Legolas thought it looked like a very expensive garment and supposed the boy was of some higher class of upbringing in his society.
"I am Boromir, son of Denethor II, heir to the Steward of Gondor."
"Steward? What's a steward? Is it a dessert?" Pippin asked, distracted from destroying the carpet with the arrival of this fascinating new boy.
"No," said the boy with a sour look, "It means I get to be a king someday, or pretty much..." he finished with a mumble.
"You get to be a king!" perked up Aragorn, his attention gathered so greatly that he spoke out directly to the boy. "So do I!"
"You do?" asked Boromir, now taking interest in the dark-hair boy next to him. "Well what are king of?"
"I've never been there before but I think it's some place called Gondor."
"Gondor! But that's what I'm supposed to be king- I mean- steward of. What's your name anyway?" Boromir's confusion and blustery question shocked Aragorn almost to silence again, so that Legolas now spoke up:
"His name is Estel but his true name is Aragorn son of Arathorn and I believe you owe him your allergy," he said, once again mispronouncing 'allegiance' for 'allergy' in his pride for his own speaking ability (this gained a small smile from all adults present in the room).
"Allergy? I don't owe anyone my allergy!" cried Boromir affronted. "Are you really the lost King of Gondor?"
"Well I know that I'm supposed to be the King of Gondor, but I'm not lost. I know exactly where I am."
"Yeah, 'cos if he was lost he would tell someone where he lived so they could help him," added Merry sagely.
Boromir growled at this and sat silently in his confusion. Gandalf felt sorry for the boy and made a note in his head to speak to him about this later. Gandalf said:
"Thank you Boromir. Aragorn, I believe you have already introduced yourself so we shall carry on? Good."
"I am King Thranduil of Mirkwood."
"Frodo Baggins!" he cried excitedly as his turn came and grinned merrily.
"...Sam..." the small, round hobbit was burning bright red with his hands stuck in his pockets as he muttered this and even the elves could barely hear him.
"What?" asked Aragorn.
"He said his name is 'Sam'," Frodo spoke out confidently for his shy friend and Aragorn nodded and smiled with friendship towards the two small hobbits. Sam bowed, he was a lot more nervous now that he realised he was sitting with sons of kings, much larger titles than the sons of the Master of Buckland and the Thain of the Shire.
"Now that all the introductions have been made how about we move outside to have a look at the playground?"
"Playground?!"
The heads of all the children shot up as something of mutual interest was mentioned. Gandalf grinned at the unison of awe as he lead them through another door to the fenced off play area. It wasn't very big, but to the children it was enormous.
"Swings!"
"I saw the sandpit first, Pippin!"
"Can you push me, Estel?"
"What's this thing?"
"Trees!"
That last comment came from Legolas as he joyfully scrambled up the closest branch.
All thought of titles of Middle Earth were lost along with the memory of the adults they came with at the initial excitement of playing in a new playground.
...
After only a few hours had passed, it was time for the children to go home as the first day of the new Kindergarten ended. This was much too soon for the children's liking. Boromir found it exceptionally hard to lie to his father and make it look like he had only barely been able to tolerate the Kindergarten when he had in fact loved every minute of it once he had got outside and had discovered the climbing frame and the swings. Pippin and Merry had to be pried out of the sandpit along with Gimli as they had formed a tight knit team trying to build an enormous city out of sand.
"Daddy? Can Estel and Arwen come round to our house for a while?" implored Legolas. "I really want to show him my bow shooting skills."
"That is fine with me, if Lord Elrond agrees."
The two boys whooped with joy at the nod from Elrond and proceeded to race each other to the Kindergarten exit, Arwen yelling at the boys to slow down for her as (in a very un-lady like manner) she hitched up her dress and ran after the boys.
"Namarie, Boromir!" she called to him as passed him and his father. Boromir couldn't help but to hide a smile at the farewell.
Bilbo helped Merry, Pippin, Sam and Frodo with their cloaks as he made ready to take each of them home. All four hobbits (even Sam from time to time) where talking excitedly to Bilbo about the amazing things they had done that day. Bilbo had to keep asking them to repeat themselves as they kept talking over each other.
"I am glad to hear that you boys enjoyed it," said Gandalf, approaching the gathered hobbits.
"Oh yes!" cried Frodo.
"I can't wait for tomorrow, eh, Pip?"
"Me too, Merry!"
"Thank you Mister Gandalf, sir," Sam said speaking audibly for once, then, "I wonder if we could all have another toffee?"
Gandalf sighed at the blushing Sam, but chuckled affectionately as he passed out chewy toffees to all hobbits present.
The End