Disclaimer: Tom Bombadil, Goldberry and all related characters belong to JRR Tolkien. No intentional copyright infringement is intended through their use.
A/N: I wrote this when I was half asleep, so I don't quite know what I'm writing about. My apologies for this short chapter as well, since my brain doesn't work well with me if I write long ones. Any ideas or suggestions, please do tell me. Please R/R.
The Story of Tom BombadilOne: The Making of The World
"Fair lady!" said Frodo again after a while. "Tell me, if my asking does not seem foolish, who is Tom Bombadil?"
"He is," said Goldberry, staying her swift movements and smiling.
Frodo looked at her questioningly. "He is, as you have seen him," she said in answer to his look. "He is the Master of wood, water and hill."
"Then all this strange land belongs to him?"
"No indeed!" she answered, and her smile faded. "That would indeed be a burden," she added in a low voice, as if to herself. "The trees and the grasses and all things growing or living in the land belong to each of themselves. Tom Bombadil is the Master. No one has ever caught old Tom walking in the forest, wading in the water, leaping on the hill-tops under light and shadow. He has no fear. Tom Bombadil is Master." –Frodo and Goldberry; In the House of Tom Bombadil; Fellowship of the Ring
**
"Could we not still send messages to him and obtain his help?" asked Erestor. "It seems that he has a power even over the Ring."
"No, I should not put it so," said Gandalf. "Say rather that the Ring has no power over him. He is his own master. But he cannot alter the Ring itself, nor break its power over others. And now he is withdrawn into a little land, within bounds that he has set, though none can see them, waiting perhaps for a change of days, and he will not step beyond them." –Erestor and Gandalf; The Council of Elrond; Fellowship of the Ring
Ere there was aught else, there had been the One. Ilúvatar he was named, and from his thoughts came the very first of his offspring, and they were named the Ainur, and they sang before him, and he was glad.
From the Songs of the Ainur, Ilúvatar created Eä, The World that Is, and contained their Songs within Eä, and that was named Arda, the Earth, and the Confines of the World.
Even ere the World was formed, Melkor the Ainur had fostered dark thoughts, and in his themes, contested against Ilúvatar. Some of the Ainur were dismayed, but others began to attune their Music to Melkor's.
And Ilúvatar drowned Melkor's Music, and the Ainur from then bore anger and hatred ever against Ilúvatar, though he was forgiven, and when the other Ainur proposed to descend into Arda, Melkor followed as well.
***
The Maiar were lesser beings, helpers of the Ainur who were called the Valar, and they were many more than the Valar, who were only fourteen.
And all the Valar began their work of shaping Arda according to their own skills and the vision Ilúvatar had them in the Void, and many Maiar went with them.
Melkor, however, descended at the northernmost part of the world and abode there; other lesser spirits followed him, those whom he had corrupted into his service, and of the would mar the works of the Valar, for being gifted with a little of all what the others had, his deeds were grievous indeed.
The Maiar were most under the command of the Valar, and dwelt where their lords dwelt, yet, there were some others who had their own thoughts, and dwell in the middle-earth when others of their rank had withdrawn to Valinor, and of these few were Melian and Nibecandir (1), but of this tale, Melian comes little into.
***
When the Powers descended into Arda, they came in two forces: that of the Valar and those of Morgoth. But there was one whom descended alone, into the center of the middle lands, where no Vala or Maia had yet come.
The Valar shaped Arda according to their visions, and on a grand scale, the shaping was thorough and beautiful. Yet, Morgoth also created according to his visions, and he formed deserts, and marshes, and wastelands.
The Powers wearied of correcting his foul deed of marring their works, and withdrew to the West, fortifying it. Yet, their powers reached far, and crossed even to the East, and Morgoth's might from the North to the South.
And where the two Powers crossed, the land was neither filled nor empty, for the soil there held plants, but those were few and far between, and streams flowed not on the surface but under, hidden from eyes.
It was there that Nibecandir came in his wanderings, and found that the land there was yet unshaped.
With delight, he spread his feä (2) over that land in exploration, for he was yet unclad in hroä (3) as the other Powers had done, whether in forms fair and beautiful or in shapes dark and hideous.
His being explored the deepest of the soil and he found water there, which he called forth onto the surface by his will, and he joined the streams, which became a river, and there it flowed, and its water sprang from the ground and ended in it, but the part in-between ran clear on the soil.
The few plants there were he infused a part of his feä in them as well, and sang to them Songs of Growth, so that they multiplied and filled the land, drawing water from the river above and under, and many became trees; others bore flowers and fruits.
And he took the soil and pressed his will upon them, so that they built up and became rocks, in the thought that he could rest if he ever took a form of his liking.
Small birds and beasts he formed as well, and they lived amongst the trees and rocks, and they knew him and befriended him.
And those alone were his companions in the first days of the Making.
(1) Nibecandir—a name I formed for Tom Bombadil using Sindarin (at least I hope so), using niben for small and candir for shaper. Aid was given by Gildor Inglorion of Elfling.
(2) Feä—the spirit
(3) Hroä—literally meaning the body; confine of a Feä