Summary – Playing beneath the Mallorn tree is wonderful during the day's, but when an unknown evil overcomes the Shire, it is up to Elanor and Frodo to save the day
Where the Mallorn Tree Grows
"Frodo! Where are you!?" Elanor huffed. Being the oldest of the family wasn't a very good thing most of the time, not only was she responsible for her little siblings, she was usually the one sent out to find them. Mum and Dad had to go to the South Farthing for a week to see to the fields and the damage the last thunder storm had wrecked upon the Southern edges. Sam was the Mayor of Hobbiton and as such he had to go and visit the other parts of the shire.
Elanor had the bright idea to send her siblings out to play with the other Hobbit children. Not that that had been a bad idea, Rose and Merry went to spend the night at Poppy's house and only Pippin was with the old Gaffer. Gaffer had decided to stay at Bag End till his son arrived back home. He took great care of the garden, instructing the children as he did so.
Elanor had been stuck inside all day cleaning; she didn't want the house to get too bad. She was able to sneak peaks at the Red Book, which had been very exciting. However, she hadn't seen Frodo since Tea and it was half past supper. She knew he would be hungry.
"Frodo!" she called again. The Hobbit boy was no where in site and Elanor was getting quite worried, she hadn't thought to bring a lantern with her and it would soon become dark. Looking around, she whacked her brain for any small place a child might like to hide, even though she was still a child herself, she was most responsible. Muttering to herself, she went off to the party field where the Mallorn tree stood.
This tree was more than half her height and Dad always said that it would get taller. It had been a shame when the first party tree had been cut down and so this one had been planted as a reminder of happy times in the Shire. Before Sharky and his minions had taken it over. However, the tree grew strong and whenever there was a birthday, if the weather permitted, the tree would be decorated in all sorts of ribbons for the special day.
Looking about again, it was the start of a song that drew her to the second oldest of the Gamgee house hold.
There is an inn, a merry old inn,
Beneath an old grey hill;
And there they brew a beer so brown
That the man in the moon himself came down
One night to drink his fill
"Frodo, there you are. I should have looked here first," Elanor said as she ran up to the younger Hobbit.
"Sister dear, what's brought you out to the party tree?" Frodo asked, he was up in the branches of the trees. Elanor sighed at him.
"Frodo, I should ask you what you've been doing here since tea, I thought something dreadful had happened,"
"Nothing dreadful happens in the Shire," Frodo scoffed.
"What about the howling we've been hearing about for the past twelve nights?"
"Ain't that bad, now Elanor, shall we go on home? If it would make you feel better," Frodo said, finally jumping to the ground. Elanor slapped him once before dragging him away.
"Violence never solves anything," Frodo laughed.
"Tell that to Uncle Pippin and Merry," Elanor huffed.
"Oh, you know very well that they're only in the army to help out, there hasn't been one war since King Ellesar became King," Frodo corrected.
"Be that as it may, you still deserved it," Elanor replied.
"All right, all right," Frodo laughed some more.
Elanor had gotten Frodo home in one peace, she fed him and had him bath before he went to bed. Pippin was running a slight fever, but an old family remedy of altheas took care of that. Gaffer also went to bed, for he was too old to stay up late into a night that held no special meaning, and this just left Elanor to lock up. Ever since her parents had left, the howling had gotten worse. She didn't know why, but she figured that she had to do something.
That something was eluding her at the moment. Looking over at the Red Book, she wished she was as brave as the hero's depicted in within the story. Even Arwen Undomiel would have had some idea or another.
Legolas Greenleaf walked quietly through the woods that bordered the Shire. It had been a very long time since he had a chance to travel, after his Father had gone to the Undying lands the kingdom of Mirkwood had been left to him. Which meant that traveling in general was a huge taboo for Legolas.
However, he left his trusty advisor Rison in charge; Legolas and Aragorn, the King of Gondor, had written many letter's detailing this plan to escape royal life. Apparently, Aragorn had gotten quite stressed because of the job and had insisted on taking some of his men on a hunting trip. He left Faramir in charge, noting that it would do the other man good to know that he can do a very good job running Gondor if he put his mind to it.
That had been a month ago and now the two friends would finally meet. Finding a suitable glen, Legolas set about setting up camp. The years since Aragorn had come into his inheritance and that of Legolas taking care of his own kingdom hadn't dulled his camping skills at all, of which Legolas was very happy for.
In less then an hour, Legolas had a rabbit roasting over the fire and fresh rye bread ready to be eaten. It was the middle of July and the star's shone with their brightness. Legolas had forgotten how clear the night sky was in the wilds of Arda. How he had missed this was beyond him.
Settling down, he contemplated the stars for what seemed like only a mere moment before he heard light footsteps to his left. Sitting up, he smiled as a Ranger stumbled into his camp.
"I saw your fire and I thought…" the man started, Legolas bounded over and gave the man a hug.
"I shall always share my fire with a friend," Legolas said. Aragorn laughed as they embraced again.
"It has been long since I have been out in the wilds," Aragorn pointed out. He looked ever stitch the Ranger he was that Legolas remember from the younger years of their lives.
"You haven't changed, does anyone else know about this plan of ours?"
"I let Faramir think that I was going hunting, I left my men a week ago," Aragorn said.
"Can any of them track?" Legolas asked.
"Hell no! they probably didn't get anything anyway," Aragorn rolled his eyes. This made Legolas laugh once more.
"I hope Lady Arwen doesn't get mad about this,"
"I don't have to worry about Arwen, what I have to worry about is Ada and my brother's; we were pretty close to Rivendell and they have yet to leave," Aragorn said.
"Ah, the calling of the sea is different for all elves. Some hear it sooner rather than later," Legolas said.
"What about you? Have you heard it?" Aragorn asked.
"Not as of yet, but the pinning of my heart has been rather loud of late,"
"I am sorry, my friend,"
"Do not be, I am only sorry that we must be separated when my sea longing becomes too strong to resist," Legolas shook his head.
"However, it is not, and my family has yet to hear it either, let us bed down for the night, in the morning we shall sea how my Ranger's have done with the Shire Patrol," Aragorn said.
"You still have had them patrolling here?"
"I never told them to stop, but it is a bit late for them to be here. I think they might have all ready left if my inner clock isn't wrong," Aragorn said.
"There has been something strange going on as of late," Legolas said.
"What is it my friend?" Aragorn asked. Legolas took a roasted rabbit and handed it to Aragorn who tucked in as fast as any Hobbit.
"For the past week that I have waited for you, I have heard and odd howling not far in the distance. I am not sure what it is, it only came close enough for me to see it's shadow," Legolas said, taking the other rabbit for himself. Aragorn "Hummed" at this.
"A wolf pack, maybe…" Aragorn postulated.
"I hope it hasn't gone into the farthing," Legolas said.
"So do I, we shall look into this," Aragorn said.
"Is that the King talking, or the Ranger?" Legolas smirked.
"The Ranger," Aragorn glared. Legolas just laughed at his friend.
They talked late into the evening, dispelling their fears of the future to come. Aragorn to be come more than just a king to Gondor and Legolas to cave to his sea longing. However, on this bright starlit night, neither friend put more thought to it than was necessary.
Elanor had taken to the forest this early morning. The howling had come right outside Bag-End and poor Pippin had been beside himself with worry. The poor lad had cried the rest of the night and for once Elanor had let Frodo go to fetch their parents. Though they weren't to be back for another fort-night; still, Frodo had insisted and Elanor knew she wouldn't be able to keep him at Bag-End even if she had tied him up.
And so, after breakfast and sending the younger children with their grandfather to Hobbiton for the day, Elanor had taken to the forest. She was quiet as a mouse; her feet did not rustle the grass as she moved. She scanned the area for any foot prints that she might see. If the wolf was near, she would find it and with her very small bow she would kill it. Elanor had come across this idea as she watched poor Pippin not be cheered by anything his siblings had done for him. None of Rose's stories or Merry's lullaby's would help.
Elanor had decided to kill the wolf and rid the Shire of its evil, well, that of nightmares towards little Pippin. She held her bow the way the Elves from Imaldris had taught her (for she had been there a time or two with her father) ready for the first sign of an attack.
"What have we here? A little Hobbit looking for a bit of trouble, maybe?"
Elanor jumped when the voice called out to her, turning around she saw a dirty man with an elf that was at least semi-clean. The elf admonished his friend; "Strider, don't do that, can't you see you scared the poor girl?" he glared.
"My apologies, my fair lady," the stranger bowed. Elanor giggled.
"Please, sir, it is all right," she curtsied back.
"Who might you be, so far from your home of Hobbiton?" the elf asked.
"I am Elanor, daughter of Samwise Gamgee, I'm looking for a terrible creature," she said, looking around once more.
"Samwise…? It has been long since I have seen Sam," the human said.
"Sir's, won't you tell me your names?" Elanor asked.
"Of course, I am Legolas Greenleaf, King of Mirkwood, and this is my Ranger friend, Strider," Legolas said. The little Hobbit blinked at them before smiling.
"In other worse, Your Highness, you don't want anyone to know you're the King of Gondor," Elanor said.
"Smart little thing aren't you?" Aragorn gave the Hobbit girl another bow.
"Tell me," Legolas cut in, "What sort of creature are you looking for?" he asked.
"A wolf, it's been howling terribly close lately, and it was right outside our door last evening," Elanor said.
"Which way does it usually come from?" Aragorn asked.
"I am not exactly sure, my Lord, it comes from every which way," Elanor replied.
"Please, my friend, I am Strider, just your normal Ranger," Aragorn – Strider – directed the Hobbit.
"Of course, Strider," Elanor replied.
"Well, since you have a pretty good idea which way it has come from before, let us look around a bit more before moving on," Legolas said.
"Indeed," Strider agreed.
"I shall stay with you," Elanor said.
"Lady Elanor…I am not sure that is a good idea…"
"It scared little Pippin so bad last night I…have to make sure it doesn't come back. If by your sword or my arrow," Elanor said.
"You are quite brave," Legolas commented.
"I try," Elanor smiled.
"Well, let us see if we can find anything before the ending of the day," Strider said. Putting a stop to their rest. For the rest of the afternoon, he three hunted about for any track that they might have missed. They followed Elanor's back to where she started and hunted their two, this was only five miles from where they had started.
Soon, the sun had shrunk and Elanor knew it was time to go back to Bag-End.
"It is all right, Little One," Legolas said, patting the Hobbit-girl on the shoulder.
"We shall find the wolf," he said.
"I hope so, I don't want Pippin to cry again, he has never had nightmares before," Elanor sighed.
"Do not lose hope, we shall camp outside, close to Bag-End, if the wolf comes anywhere near, we shall take care of it," Strider said.
"Thank you, your majesty! I think I understand why Uncle Frodo always said you were the best sort for the job," Elanor smiled up at the ranger. Aragorn felt himself go slightly red from the unexpected compliment. Legolas snickered slightly at this.
"It is time for us to go, there shall be a lot to do for dinner," Elanor said.
Elanor had the Ranger and Elf come in for dinner. It was slightly odd for the neighbors but they always kept their noses out of it and for that Elanor was glad. She cooked a huge dinner of heavy foods that Legolas and Aragorn hadn't had in a very long time. Beef stew with biscuits and tea, blood pudding, pies of all sorts and ice cold milk.
After dinner, Legolas and Aragorn made camp a little ways from the hill side. Aragorn lit his pipe with weed Elanor had graciously given him.
"You should try this, Legolas, it is the best," Aragorn said.
"You know I don't smoke," the elf in question scoffed.
"That just makes you a very boring person," Aragorn replied.
"Say's you,"
"Yes, say's I," Aragorn chuckled.
"I wonder how our adviser's are doing," Legolas glanced up at the stars.
"I should think my men are looking for me, of course," Aragorn muttered.
"Do you think they will come this far?" Legolas asked, the night around them was dark but it was not yet the witching hours.
"I doubt it, before I left I gave them a bloody good trail to follow. If they are proficient at all, they might find a bit more, where I turned off on my return trip you see,"
"Maybe,"
"But, the only ones who could track me…if I wasn't careful enough…would be my brothers, and we all know where they are," Aragorn shrugged.
"True enough, but when this gets back…"
"I shant worry about it, I'll just give them my Elrond look and we shall all be happy," Aragorn said, taking another long drag on his pipe. How he had missed pipeweed from the Shire. Out here, it was the one thing a Ranger could count on to have in his sack.
"Must you smoke that?" Legolas pulled a very un-kingly face.
"Yes, do you know how hard it is to light up in a palace? Terribly!" Aragorn mock-glared.
"I suppose, there shall always be a part of us that shall wish for the life of vagabonds," Legolas said.
"I sometimes wish to know the life I led before the War of the Ring. However, it was important for me to take on my heritage and know that I am not Isildur, just his heir who would do the right thing, in the end,"
"True, even as just the Chieftain of the Rangers, you always did the right thing," Legolas agreed.
"But enough about me, we shall have to wait a couple more hours. Elanor said that the wolf didn't come till midnight almost,"
"Yes, let us make ready," Legolas said.
The witching hours of the night are said to be the most haunted. These hours were filled with ghosts and witches just waiting to gobble up little children. However, neither man nor elf was looking for a ghost or a witch and so they waited within the mists. It had come upon them quite suddenly, so suddenly in fact that they hadn't noticed till the fog was so thick that they could barely see their hands in front of their faces.
"Don't say it," Legolas said just loud enough for a Ranger to hear.
"Say what?" Aragorn returned waving his hands about to clear the fog.
"You know what," Legolas returned, he glowered but Aragorn could not see it.
"Not really, what is it that you don't want me to say?" Aragorn asked, smirking at their joke. It was an evil night and they needed to raise their spirits.
"Don't, Aragorn!"
"What? You don't want me to say…"
"Aragorn…"
"It's as thick as Pea Soup!" Aragorn replied. Legolas cursed in Dwarvish, of which Aragorn hadn't learned, but he laughed anyway. It was then that a deep howl went up from the moor behind Bag-End. Legolas could barely hear young Pippin cry.
"Hurry, we must kill this evil before it really does do some damage," Legolas said.
Raising their torches, man and elf went to meet this evil. Tow deep glowing eyes peered at them within the fog. Howling again, the demon lunged, Aragorn staved it off with his sword, but he wasn't fast enough and the wolf was on him again.
"Legolas! Kill it!" Aragorn yelled, striking at the wolf once more.
"No! I cannot see you!" Legolas yelled back.
"It matters not, Legolas!"
"Oh fine! But if you die it isn't my fault!" Legolas let go two arrows towards the stink of breath that was the wolf. He heard a pained howl, and then another yell from Aragorn, but his did not sound pained at all.
"Aragorn?"
"Legolas, it still lives!" Aragorn yelled.
"Bugger, move away!" Legolas replied. He let go another arrow or three and again he heard the screaming of the wounded wolf.
Aragorn, for his part he could not see a thing, but his senses hadn't dulled and he hear Legolas' arrow's shoot way to close to his head. He knew he had to be quicker than Legolas otherwise Gondor will have a very dead King and Arwen would never forgive him, nor would Legolas forgive himself.
Knowing that he had to do something before the wolf escaped them or did something far worse, Aragorn raised his sword, waiting for the most opportune moment, he stood at the ready and when the glowing eye caught site of him….
Aragorn pierced it through.
An unearthly wailing noise filled the glen. Legolas covered his ears as the noise grew too loud for his elvin ears to handle. Aragorn fell to the ground, pulling his sword out of the black hearted beast as he did so.
When Legolas chanced to look up, the fog had disappeared completely and the stars gave light unto them. The glen was clear, and Legolas could see that all of his arrow's had pierced the demon-creature.
"Aragorn!" Legolas called.
"I am fine, mellon nin," Aragorn replied. He sat up dizzily.
"Did you hit your head when you fell?" Legolas was at his side.
"Maybe, however…has our adversary been slain?"
"Indeed, and by Narsil, you know what that means," Legolas smiled.
"Bugger…"
"Another name!" Legolas laughed.
"Don't even think about it," Aragorn warned his friend.
"Think about what?" Legolas asked innocently.
"You know what,"
"De ja vue, we've done this before," Legolas replied, pointing a finger at Aragorn.
"Therefore, by the power's invested in me, by me…I give you the name Wolves Bain!" Legolas said.
"Brilliant, bloody brilliant," Aragorn muttered as he stood. He cleaned off his sword and sheathed it.
"Now we must do something with that," Legolas said, pointing to the carcass of the over sized wolf.
"This evil does not belong in the Shire, we must take it away and burn it," Aragorn said.
"Let us do it quickly, I am afraid of young Pippin coming to see," Legolas said.
By mid-day, the two had made it back to the Shire. Elanor, Frodo, Rose, Merry and Pippin where playing in their yard when the two made it back.
"Sam-dad! Strider and Legolas are back!" Frodo called.
"Fordo, it isn't polite to yell," Elanor admonished him, Frodo had enough sense to blush.
"King Ellesar, how are you?" Sam came out of the house to greet his guests.
"Master Gamgee, I thought you had been away," Aragorn said.
"To the South Farthing, we would have been away for far longer if young Frodo hadn't come when he did," Sam replied.
"We have taken care of the threat," Legolas said.
"Thank you, I didn't know the evil thing had gotten so close," Sam replied.
"It was no problem," Aragorn said.
"But now I am afraid we must make haste and leave, some of our people are sure to be wondering where we are," Legolas said.
"Wait, you didn't tell…?"
"And you told Steward Faramir, of course?" Legolas returned with a propped eyebrow.
"Wait, you didn't tell Faramir you where going to come for a visit?" Sam asked.
"Did you lie?" Frodo asked.
"Ah, lying is going a bit far…I didn't exactly lie…I did go hunting…just on my own," Aragorn muttered, not making eye contact with anyone.
"Estel, my friend, you never change," Legolas shook his head.
"Well, we didn't run into any orc's now did we?" Aragorn shot back.
"No, but now you jinxed it. We'll run into more than we can handle now," Legolas replied.
"Oh, don't you tell me you don't enjoy it. When we get back you'll undoubtedly tell Gimli how many you killed and how glorious it was," Aragorn said with a smile.
"Undoubtedly," Legolas had to agree on that front.
"In that case, I cannot have my friend go without some hospitality from my family,"
Sam ran back into the house, the two waited and chatted with Elanor and the rest of the Hobbit Children as they waited. When Sam came back out, he had many skins with him.
"Here, the best wine from my cellars, and I know that you Legolas don't like to smoke, but the best pipeweed I have. Please, take it for looking after my children while I was gone away," Sam said, handing the skins and one small bag to Aragorn.
"Thank you my friend but…"
"We shall enjoy it," Legolas butted in with a look at Aragorn.
"Good, good, have a safe trip," Sam said.
Elanor threw herself at Aragorn, then she embraced Legolas; "Thank you," she whispered. It was enough.
"No," Legolas replied, "Thank you, Elanor the Fair," he bowed.
The two left the Shire that evening and made it as far into the wild as they could; They talked amiably as they went. Once again in their element; Aragorn had never imagined himself in a palace taking council. However, Legolas had been born and bred for it. Legolas would sometimes give his friend some pointers on it. Not that Aragorn took it to heart, but he did think about it from time to time.
"So, what are you going to tell Faramir when we you get back?" Legolas asked.
"That I went hunting," Aragorn shrugged it off, he wasn't at all worried about it.
ONE MONTH LATER
Aragorn had left his friend in Mirkwood, and went the long way around. He hated traveling through that forest, since it was infested with spiders that talked. It was easier to just go around. He had met up with some orc's but laid them to rest quite quickly.
Now, he stood in Palenor Fields, gazing upon the capital of Gondor. Minis Terith was a grand site. It took him back to his first time in Gondor, with nothing but a ring and some old legends to guide his path. This greatness that he never could understand, or wish to understand was his.
Now, he knew why.
And that was all that mattered.
A/N – Okay, so I know this would never have happened. However, I liked the idea and so I think it turned out good. I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I did.