Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, The Simarillion or any
characters, places or events from any book Tolkien ever wrote.
However, I DO own a copy of the Fellowship movie (yes!).
And I kind of own Hini, since I made him up.
Oh, and for those of you too lazy to look it up, Lalaith mi Emmyn roughly translates to 'Laughter in the Hills'.
This is something I have been pondering for a long time.
It says in the Simarillion that Illuvatar created the Elves and Men. Aule built the Dwarves. Yavanna requested the creation of the Ents. And of course, Melkor and Sauron both mocked these fair beings in their creation of the Orcs, Uruk-hai, Olog-hai and other fell creatures.
But because the early history of Middle-earth has no mention of hobbits, no one knows who created them. They simply appeared one day, as if out of nowhere.
But I have an idea.
*******************************
Darkness is ever-present in the Halls of Mandos. It cannot be avoided.
And in its prison rooms, the dark, windowless chambers with iron doors, the rooms where those who are wicked or have need of confinement are kept, there the darkness seeps into the minds, hearts and souls of all who dwell there too long.
"Hini? Hini, someone is here to retrieve you."
Mornie opened the door farther and slipped inside. Following right at her heels, and looking very frightened, was the small form of a hobbit.
Hini, who until that moment had been slumped in his chair, sat up straight as he opened his eyes wide. He recognized that face.
*That's the one I pulled out.* He thought wildly. *The one who almost really really died. The one who's-who-did-oh no!*
The hobbit took a closer look at him, as if for the first time. His eyes went wide with astonishment, and his mouth dropped open as he stared.
*Hmm.* Hini wondered to himself. *I wonder if Aule has the same effect on the Naugrim?*
Normally, thinking something like that would have made Hini laugh. But not now. He didn't laugh much anymore.
Mornie approached his chair. She removed a ring of keys from her pocket, and upon locating the correct one, began to unlock the shackles circling Hini's ankles.
"Olorin sent him to get you, Hini. There's an eagle waiting outside to take you back to Yavanna's Woods. It's Lord Manwe's orders. You should have been free to go for a while now. You know that, of course."
Being a servant of Mandos, Mornie did not normally talk so much. But one could really not keep silent when Hini was nearby. He very aura seemed to loosen tongues, cheer the spirit. Even in the black garb of a prisoner, his face still held a faint glimmer of light.
The female Maia removed the shackles from Hini's legs and unlocked the first lock on the chain that bound his arms.
"Are you listening to me, Hini? They are of use! Eru's words have come true! You're finally getting your freedom!"
Immediately, the calm face of the prisoner changed to a mask of grief.
"My freedom?" He said, remorse clearly showing in his voice. "What good would my freedom be? Don't jest with me Mornie, even here in the dungeons there has been much talk about the deeds of the hobbits in Arda, and little has escaped my ears. I know of what you speak, and more than that, I know what-"
He waved a weak hand in the hobbit's direction.
"-what this one here, this Frodo Baggins, has undergone. I know how he has suffered, how the lands of his people have suffered. The land will heal, but this one will only find absolute peace in death. And my freedom bought for that? For his sanity? No and never! Leave I will not."
Mornie sighed.
"Would you believe they dragged him in kicking and screaming?" She said to the hobbit, who did not respond. The little creature seemed unable to tear his gaze from Hini's shadowed face.
Sighing again, Mornie unlocked the last chain.
"Hini, leave Mandos. You still live, love and hope, even in the Halls of the Dead. You will do so until the world ends. Leave."
Slowly, stiffly, Hini removed himself from the chair. Without even looking down at the hobbit, he strode out the door. He knew how to get back to the surface on his own.
As he walked, Hini could hear the patter of small feet behind him. He grimaced. What was Olorin thinking, sending the former Ring-bearer here? It wasn't Olorin's way to purposely cause pain, he must have thought it would help Hini to see him.
*What a ridiculous concept that was.* Hini said to himself.
All too soon, Hini and the hobbit that followed him were outside of Mandos. It was nighttime, but Hini still had to shield his eyes for a moment from the brightness of the moon and stars. It had been so long since he had seen real light, and the celestial spheres were always bigger and brighter in Valinor than in Middle-earth
True to Morinie's word, an eagle was waiting to take them away. He glared at Hini for a moment, then his eyes went soft.
"I have been instructed to take you both back to this Little one's house," He said, gesturing to Frodo. "The Maia is to depart for the woods of his Mistress at the first sign of daylight."
~~~
"What are you?"
"I beg your pardon?"
Hini looked up at the hobbit. The eagle had dropped them off at the house Frodo Baggins shared with his uncle near the hill of Tuna, and for the last ten minutes Hini had been leaning over in his chair with his eyes closed, trying to recall what the absolute darkness of Mandos was like.
The hobbit had been sitting across from him, staring at him with wide blue eyes.
Now he asked his question again.
"What are you?"
Hini sighed.
"I am a Maia. I am a servant of Yavanna Kementari."
"You can't be just that," The hobbit said, frowning a little. "Gandalf-or Olorin rather, since that's what everyone's calling him lately- he said it was very important that I bring you back here, and I really don't know why. But what I do know is that every time I look at you I get a funny feeling, like something not quite real is occurring. Now what are you?"
Hini spread his arms.
"I, Frodo Baggins, am your creator. I envisioned the race of Hobbits, I made them. Stoors, Fallohides, Harfoots or any mixture of each, I am the Father of them all. Does that answer your question?"
Frodo had gone very white.
"Y-yes. B-but I have another question. Why were you locked up? And how was it connected to me?"
"That's too complicated." Hini said. "I'd have to tell you my entire life story to explain everything."
"Well?" Frodo was smiling now. "Why don't you? We have time."
Now Hini had gone white.
"Look, Master Baggins, I don't want to talk about it."
"But I'd really like for you to tell me, Hini-that is your name, right?"
"Yes, Hini is my real name. I have always been called that. The fact that my name means 'child' signifies my impudent, juvenile behavior. The behavior that I once possessed, and possibly still do possess."
Frodo was nodding.
"Go on."
**************************
Kay. I think I have a good idea here, along with a pretty good outline.
Feedback! R&R!
However, I DO own a copy of the Fellowship movie (yes!).
And I kind of own Hini, since I made him up.
Oh, and for those of you too lazy to look it up, Lalaith mi Emmyn roughly translates to 'Laughter in the Hills'.
This is something I have been pondering for a long time.
It says in the Simarillion that Illuvatar created the Elves and Men. Aule built the Dwarves. Yavanna requested the creation of the Ents. And of course, Melkor and Sauron both mocked these fair beings in their creation of the Orcs, Uruk-hai, Olog-hai and other fell creatures.
But because the early history of Middle-earth has no mention of hobbits, no one knows who created them. They simply appeared one day, as if out of nowhere.
But I have an idea.
*******************************
Darkness is ever-present in the Halls of Mandos. It cannot be avoided.
And in its prison rooms, the dark, windowless chambers with iron doors, the rooms where those who are wicked or have need of confinement are kept, there the darkness seeps into the minds, hearts and souls of all who dwell there too long.
"Hini? Hini, someone is here to retrieve you."
Mornie opened the door farther and slipped inside. Following right at her heels, and looking very frightened, was the small form of a hobbit.
Hini, who until that moment had been slumped in his chair, sat up straight as he opened his eyes wide. He recognized that face.
*That's the one I pulled out.* He thought wildly. *The one who almost really really died. The one who's-who-did-oh no!*
The hobbit took a closer look at him, as if for the first time. His eyes went wide with astonishment, and his mouth dropped open as he stared.
*Hmm.* Hini wondered to himself. *I wonder if Aule has the same effect on the Naugrim?*
Normally, thinking something like that would have made Hini laugh. But not now. He didn't laugh much anymore.
Mornie approached his chair. She removed a ring of keys from her pocket, and upon locating the correct one, began to unlock the shackles circling Hini's ankles.
"Olorin sent him to get you, Hini. There's an eagle waiting outside to take you back to Yavanna's Woods. It's Lord Manwe's orders. You should have been free to go for a while now. You know that, of course."
Being a servant of Mandos, Mornie did not normally talk so much. But one could really not keep silent when Hini was nearby. He very aura seemed to loosen tongues, cheer the spirit. Even in the black garb of a prisoner, his face still held a faint glimmer of light.
The female Maia removed the shackles from Hini's legs and unlocked the first lock on the chain that bound his arms.
"Are you listening to me, Hini? They are of use! Eru's words have come true! You're finally getting your freedom!"
Immediately, the calm face of the prisoner changed to a mask of grief.
"My freedom?" He said, remorse clearly showing in his voice. "What good would my freedom be? Don't jest with me Mornie, even here in the dungeons there has been much talk about the deeds of the hobbits in Arda, and little has escaped my ears. I know of what you speak, and more than that, I know what-"
He waved a weak hand in the hobbit's direction.
"-what this one here, this Frodo Baggins, has undergone. I know how he has suffered, how the lands of his people have suffered. The land will heal, but this one will only find absolute peace in death. And my freedom bought for that? For his sanity? No and never! Leave I will not."
Mornie sighed.
"Would you believe they dragged him in kicking and screaming?" She said to the hobbit, who did not respond. The little creature seemed unable to tear his gaze from Hini's shadowed face.
Sighing again, Mornie unlocked the last chain.
"Hini, leave Mandos. You still live, love and hope, even in the Halls of the Dead. You will do so until the world ends. Leave."
Slowly, stiffly, Hini removed himself from the chair. Without even looking down at the hobbit, he strode out the door. He knew how to get back to the surface on his own.
As he walked, Hini could hear the patter of small feet behind him. He grimaced. What was Olorin thinking, sending the former Ring-bearer here? It wasn't Olorin's way to purposely cause pain, he must have thought it would help Hini to see him.
*What a ridiculous concept that was.* Hini said to himself.
All too soon, Hini and the hobbit that followed him were outside of Mandos. It was nighttime, but Hini still had to shield his eyes for a moment from the brightness of the moon and stars. It had been so long since he had seen real light, and the celestial spheres were always bigger and brighter in Valinor than in Middle-earth
True to Morinie's word, an eagle was waiting to take them away. He glared at Hini for a moment, then his eyes went soft.
"I have been instructed to take you both back to this Little one's house," He said, gesturing to Frodo. "The Maia is to depart for the woods of his Mistress at the first sign of daylight."
~~~
"What are you?"
"I beg your pardon?"
Hini looked up at the hobbit. The eagle had dropped them off at the house Frodo Baggins shared with his uncle near the hill of Tuna, and for the last ten minutes Hini had been leaning over in his chair with his eyes closed, trying to recall what the absolute darkness of Mandos was like.
The hobbit had been sitting across from him, staring at him with wide blue eyes.
Now he asked his question again.
"What are you?"
Hini sighed.
"I am a Maia. I am a servant of Yavanna Kementari."
"You can't be just that," The hobbit said, frowning a little. "Gandalf-or Olorin rather, since that's what everyone's calling him lately- he said it was very important that I bring you back here, and I really don't know why. But what I do know is that every time I look at you I get a funny feeling, like something not quite real is occurring. Now what are you?"
Hini spread his arms.
"I, Frodo Baggins, am your creator. I envisioned the race of Hobbits, I made them. Stoors, Fallohides, Harfoots or any mixture of each, I am the Father of them all. Does that answer your question?"
Frodo had gone very white.
"Y-yes. B-but I have another question. Why were you locked up? And how was it connected to me?"
"That's too complicated." Hini said. "I'd have to tell you my entire life story to explain everything."
"Well?" Frodo was smiling now. "Why don't you? We have time."
Now Hini had gone white.
"Look, Master Baggins, I don't want to talk about it."
"But I'd really like for you to tell me, Hini-that is your name, right?"
"Yes, Hini is my real name. I have always been called that. The fact that my name means 'child' signifies my impudent, juvenile behavior. The behavior that I once possessed, and possibly still do possess."
Frodo was nodding.
"Go on."
**************************
Kay. I think I have a good idea here, along with a pretty good outline.
Feedback! R&R!