Chapter 1. The Late Arrival
It was such a beautiful morning. Zilda Took didn't want to waste it indoors so she decided to take a walk. She grabbed a light jacket and put on some light leather shoes. She didn't have big hairy feet like a normal hobbit. Instead she had elf feet so to walk through the woods without hurting herself shoes were a necessity.
"Pippin! I'm going for a quick stroll in the woods!" she yelled. Suddenly, out of nowhere a young hobbit appeared.
"Can I come?" he asked excitedly. Zilda smiled and ruffled his brown curls. His green eyes shone.
"Not this time Pip. I just need to get out of the house for a bit. I won't be gone long." She kissed her younger brother on the head and walked out the door.
The sun was shining through the trees, creating just enough warmth to make it comfortable. Zilda sighed and started walking down the path she knew so well. It made a big loop and ended right back at her door. As she walked she began to think about the party tonight. It was her friends' Frodo and Bilbo Bagginses' birthday party and the biggest party of the year. Frodo would be 33 and at his coming of age and Bilbo would be the downright scary age of one hundred and eleven!
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think he had elvish in him like me." She thought. But there was one thing that was missing. Where was Gandalf the wizard? He was supposed to be here last week and Frodo and Bilbo were starting to get anxious, especially Bilbo. Gandalf had been his friend for a very long time now and had never missed his birthday. To tell the truth, Zilda was starting to get a little worried herself. In fact, she was a lot worried. Gandalf had always been like the grandfather she'd never had and she always looked forward to his visits. She hated to miss even one.
As she was walking along she heard a noise. She stopped and listened again using all the ability her elf ears had. It sounded like humming. Like… GANDALF! She turned toward the road and listened again. It was him! She started to run through the woods as fast as her legs would take her. She fell a couple of times but she always got up and ran on. As she got closer she could her Gandalf sing.
"The road goes ever on and on. Down from the door where it began…"
She was running down a hill now faster than she had thought she could run. Then just ahead of her she saw someone under a tree reading. She tried to see whom it was but she was running so fast that she was past them and a few more feet down the hill before she got stopped. She turned back around and saw Frodo look at her like she had lost her mind.
"Zilda? What on earth…"
"Come on Frodo! He's here!" she cried excitedly, her blue eyes shining, and started running down the hill again.
"Who?" she heard him call back.
She looked over her shoulder and yelled "Gandalf silly! Can't you hear him?" As she ran out of sight, Frodo heard the humming too and turned in the direction Zilda had gone. When he recognized the tune and the person who sang he began to run down the hill as fast as he could, still holding the book he had been reading. Suddenly he came to the end of the woods and up to a drop. At the bottom of the drop was a road and farther up the road Gandalf was approaching with his cart to fireworks. Zilda had reached the road before Frodo and had had time to brush off her clothes and finger comb her hair, so now she looked at least halfway respectable.
"You take long enough." She said in a teasing voice. "I thought you'd never get here."
Frodo smiled and began "Just because you're half elf and have longer legs and better hearing than I do…"
"Shhh! He's coming!" said Zilda excitedly. "You can complain to me later." She added with a wink. She watched down the road and listened as the singing got louder and louder. Suddenly from around the bend Gandalf appeared with his cart of fireworks. Zilda thought she would just shout for joy but she kept her composure. She and Frodo had been practicing what they would say to the wizard when he arrived all week and Zilda wasn't about to ruin all their hard work now.
As Gandalf approached, apparently oblivious to their presence Frodo exclaimed, "You're late!"
Gandalf the Grey stopped his cart and turned to see the slightly humorous looking pair glaring down at him, the young girl almost a foot and a half taller than the hobbit lad.
'And' he noted in his mind 'almost a half foot taller than when I last saw her not six months ago. She's grown like a weed.' He smiled to himself but on the outside he was a stern old man.
"A wizard is never late Frodo Baggins." He replied to the annoyed looking young hobbit. "Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to!"
"Then perhaps the wizard's calendar is off because, if he will recall, he sent word that he would be here a week ago." Replied Zilda with loftiness in her tone that Frodo had not expected. He tried to compose himself but gave up. The thought of Gandalf with a calendar trying to figure out dates was far too much and he let out a small chuckle that quickly turned into a full-fledged laugh. When Zilda thought of what she had said she started to giggle too and then Gandalf started laughing too. Frodo jumped into the cart and gave Gandalf a huge hug.
"It's wonderful to see you Gandalf!" he exclaimed. He sat down in the cart next to Gandalf and only then did he notice that Zilda was still standing on the edge of the drop looking perturbed.
"Frodo, I'm disappointed. I thought we agreed about this." Gandalf looked at Frodo who shrugged. He was just as confused as Gandalf. They both turned back to the girl on the ledge with looks of total innocence on their faces. Zilda smiled inside but on the outside she kept the look of annoyance securely on her face.
"Don't you remember? You promised." She got a sad tone of voice and tried to look thoroughly disappointed. Frodo thought she was going to cry. Zilda couldn't take it any more and jumped into the cart, across Frodo and gave Gandalf a huge hug. Frodo was rather surprised. Zilda turned around and laughed at the look of bewilderment on his face.
"Oh did you want one too?" she said as she leaned over and gave Frodo a hug too. The realization that Zilda had been joking hit Frodo and he laughed with her. Gandalf was still chuckling at the antics of the two friends as he jingled the reins and the horse began to walk. Unfortunately at that moment Zilda had been standing up to get in the back and hadn't been ready for the sudden movement. With a small cry of startlement she sat down hard in the seat between Gandalf and Frodo. This made them all laugh even more. After a little while they calmed down and Zilda crawled to the back of the cart and started rummaging through the bags. Then, Frodo piped up.
"What news of the outside world? Tell me everything!"
"Everything?" exclaimed Gandalf. "You've certainly grown curious for a hobbit. Most unnatural." He added with a sly look. Frodo just smiled.
"Well what can I tell you? Life in the wide world goes on, much as it has this past age. Full of it's own comings and goings, scarcely aware of the existence of hobbits. Of which I am very thankful." They crossed a small stone bridge and entered the quaint little town of Hobbiton. It was full of bustling hobbits and animals and noise. Suddenly, someone yelled.
"Oh look! It's Gandalf!" All eyes turned to them and there was much waving and hallooing and how-do-you-doing and such. When Zilda heard all the commotion she popped her head out of the cart and smiled. Everybody loved Gandalf. Well, almost everybody. She ducked back into the cart as they began to leave the town and head down the lane toward the country.
"Oh! Where are they?"
"Where are what?" asked Gandalf glancing back at her.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She said accusingly, glaring up at him. "My books!"
"Oh those." He said innocently, winking at Frodo. "I'm sorry. I forgot about books this time." He turned around to see Zilda's chin drop and a look of disappointment cloud her face.
"Oh. Well, that's all right. I'm sure you had more important things to think about."
Gandalf started chuckling to himself. Zilda looked up at him in confusion. He glanced back at her and produced a bag from the folds of his robes. Zilda took the bag and opened it. She let out a gasp of surprise. It was filled to the very brim with books!
"Oh you!" she exclaimed in annoyance but the smile on her face stretched from one daintily pointed ear to the other. As for Gandalf, you couldn't have wiped the smile off his face no matter how hard you tried.
'They really do love each other.' Observed Frodo silently.
They had been passing through the countryside at a fairly easy-going pace. Some of the grass was beginning to turn brown and the leaves to change to fall oranges, yellows and reds, but much of the plant life was still green which made for a very beautiful rainbow of colors in the fields and clearings.
They turned a corner and to the left in a rather large field, a pavilion, tents, chairs and tables were being set up. There were quite a few hobbits running about making sure everything was set up properly and also quite a few hobbits sitting about laughing at the other hobbits and blowing smoke rings.
"Well a long expected party!" observed Gandalf out loud.
"Yes, quite." Said Zilda. She then sat down in the back and began pouring over one of her new acquisitions.
"So how is the old rascal?" Gandalf asked, obviously referring to Bilbo. It was his party that was being set up in the clearing. "I hear it's supposed to be a party of special magnificence."
"You know Bilbo. He's got the whole place in an uproar."
"Well that should please him" commented Gandalf, rolling his eyes.
"I heard that half the Shire's been invited. Is that true, Frodo?" asked Zilda, suddenly interested.
"Yes that's true. And the other half are showing up anyway! But…" Frodo got quite serious all of a sudden.
"What is it Frodo?" Zilda was concerned. Frodo never just got serious for no reason.
"Well it's just that … Bilbo's been acting strange lately. He's up to something."
"He always is." Commented Zilda with a smile.
"Yes but this is bigger." Frodo gave Gandalf a sideways look that the wizard completely ignored. "Alright then keep your secrets!" Gandalf gave Frodo a very innocent look. "But I know you have something to do with it."
"Oh really?" Said Gandalf indifferently.
"You know, before you came along we Bagginses were very well thought of."
"Indeed?"
"Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected."
"If you're referring to the incident with the dragon I was barely involved." Said Gandalf indignantly. Frodo didn't look convinced. "All I did was give your cousin a little nudge out of the door." At this Zilda gave a snort of laughter.
"Well whatever you did, you've been officially labeled a disturber of the peace." Replied Frodo.
"Oh really?" said Gandalf almost to himself. At that moment a group of hobbit children came running from the hobbit holes and fields yelling.
"Gandalf! Gandalf!"
"Fireworks Gandalf!"
The children followed the cart to the end of the row of smials, laughing and repeating their request for fireworks. As they approached the end of the row, Zilda began to wonder if Gandalf had any fireworks. Surely he wouldn't deprive these children of a little cracker or two. She turned around.
"Gandalf?" He didn't answer, but only winked at her. Then, they reached the end of the hobbit holes. The children stopped and with looks of disappointment on their small faces watched the cart keep going without a sparkle. Then, to the surprise and delight of the little hobbits, out of the back of the cart, with a pop and a crackle, spirals of many different colors twirled in the air and disappeared in a poof of smoke. Gandalf smiled at the squeals of delight he heard behind him. He loved to surprise the young hobbits. They continued down the lane and Frodo realized they had reached a point where he could walk to another of his favorite reading spots. He stood and grabbed his book.
"Gandalf, I'm glad you're back."
"So am I dear boy!" Gandalf replied as Frodo jumped out of the cart.
"See you tonight Zil?" Frodo called over his shoulder.
"As always!" she called back and waved then watched him disappear into the woods. She sighed and put a piece of cloth in the book she was reading and replaced the book in the bag. She had noticed she was close to her home. Gandalf had taken notice of the look and sigh and now was watching her with a look of light amusement. Then, with a tone of indifference he mentioned,
"You know, he really is a nice boy." She had been tying her bag closed when he said this. She sighed again.
"Yes, he is. Well, I suppose I'd better get going too." She finished tying the bag and stood carefully, slinging the bag over her shoulder.
"I told Pippin I was going for a quick stroll. He's probably thinking it was some stroll!" Zilda chuckled to herself. Gandalf chuckled too. Pippin was always worrying about her. The wizard stopped the cart to make it easier for Zilda to jump down. She turned to go.
"Gandalf, thank you for the books."
"You're very welcome my dear." Zilda paused at the edge of the cart. Then to Gandalf's surprise, she turned around and hugged him around the neck.
"I really missed you." She whispered softly. The wizard reached behind him and patted her head.
"And I you Azaldia." He replied lovingly. After a moment, Zilda turned and with her bag of books, leaped from the cart. Gandalf watched as she walked through the woods towards home. He shook his head and started up the hill to Bag End.
