Hey guys and welcome to chapter 1. This is where the story starts. We won't be seeing Aisling for a while but you will just have to deal with Kathryn and ,well, me.
So read, read, I demand you READ!
I do not own anything from Lord of the Rings and sadly never shall.
*#~The Shire ~#*
Kathryn's eyes fluttered open, a beam of bright light almost blinding her. Bird song filled the air bringing a smile to her face. She had always loved to hear the dawn chorus, it was so beautiful she didn't know why but the melody seemed to fit the easy life of the Shire. She just listened for several minutes, wondering where her friends were on such a fine day like this. Most people would be preparing for Bilbo's and Frodo's party., but she knew they wouldn't be there. Frodo was most likely off reading somewhere nearby he loved this place almost as much as she did, he found it calming. Merry and Pippin were probably off stealing more crops or getting in trouble. Then there was Sam, her smile grew at the thought of him, she always liked him best. He was most likely off gardening. She stopped her thoughts of her friends when something else plagued her mind. How long had she been out here? Looking around her and taking in her surroundings. She was laying comfortably among the trees, bushes, flowers popping up everywhere all different colours. The grass a bright green. Millions of litle weeds surrounded the tall trees. Beautiful, rolling hills as far as the eye could see. Just beyond these hills was her home. The Shire. At the thought of her home her brain felt rather fuzzy but she simply shuck it off and pushed the feeling to the back of her mind. For some reason she felt rather small. Yet among her friends she was rather tall. She looked down at her short legs and bare, hairy feet. She was actually quite tall for a hobbit. She shakely got to her feet. She swayed slightly on her feet, giving herself another shake she took another look around. Just as her chocolate coloured eyes landed on a large blackberry bush her stomach gave a loud growl, she must have been out for a while. She hadn't realised she was so hungry until she had already swallowed several berries. After eating her fill she turned away, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth.
She wore a simple light green dress that flowed down to her knees, there were several slight grass stains but nearly all her clothes had that. Her brown hair fell into her eyes causing her to push it back every few seconds.
She could hear someone singing from not that far away.
"You're late." A familiar voice came from past a clump of trees. Frodo!
She rushed through the trees to see who it was her friend was talking to. She finally emerged, just in time to see Frodo lunge forward and wrap his arms around a man sitting in a cart.
This man had a long grey beard with just as grey and long hair, a pointed hat and old grey robes. There was only one person this could be.
"Gandalf!" She yelled and ran towards the cart which held her friends. Gandalf gave her a kind smile when he saw her. Frodo gripped her hand and pulled her up beside him.
"It's so good to see Gandalf" said Frodo a large smile on his face. 'Gandalf must be here for Bilbo and Frodo's birthday' she thought.
"What about me?" came a voice filled with hurt sarcasm. Their voice was like music.
Suddenly someone jumped onto the back of the cart, which held all the fireworks. The figure landed gracefully, waist length shiny brown hair pulled back in a long, tight braid that fell over her right shoulder. Familiar piercing blue eyes with specks of gold met her warm brown ones. Her skin flawless, she towered above the hobbits in height and her pointy ears were easily visible.
"ÁINE" Frodo and Kathryn yelled with excitment, both lept forward wrapping their elf friend in a tight embrace. She simply laughed.
She wore a short white dress that seemed lightly torn around the bottom, a red sash around her waist. From the waist the dress split in two up to the shoulders, inbetween was a kind of gold material covered in designs. She wore white fingerless gloves that reached her elbows and tall white boots that reached up to mid-tigh which were bound with rope around her shin. Upon her back was a beautiful golden bow and quiver full of arrows. There were now bright purple streaks running through her hair that were visible in her plait.
It had been months since either Frodo or Kathryn had seen Aine or even Gandalf.
As they drove along down the road closer towards the shire, their conversation shifted from Bilbo's birthday to their adventures.
"What news of the outside world?" Frodo asked, Kathryn waited impatiently as always for the answer. "Yes, tell us everything" she added on.
He didn't tell them much and kept it very vague.
As he talked, quite seriously, they crossed the bridge into the Shire where children played and people worked and chatted along the roads and pathways. People walked up and down from the stalls observing the items for sale. Slowly people started taking notice of ine and Gandalf's arrival, excited voices could be heard shouting, muttering and just simply talking amung themselves of 'its them, they're back!' and 'look its Gandalf and ine is there too!' Áine had always been just as popular as Gandalf in the Shire being an elf and most didn't ever get to see one. But she took it in her stride and she just adored the halflings especially the tiny children.
They could see hobbits setting up for the party.
"Oh, the long expected party!" Gandalf called out, Kathryn had to stifel a laugh.
"So", Gandalf continued shifting his gaze from Frodo to Kathryn and back again, "how is the old rascol? I hear its going to be a party of special magnificince!"
"You, know Bilbo" Frodo shrugged, "He's got the whole place in an uproar."
"Ah, that should please him" he muttered just loud enough for them all to hear, well loud enough for Kathryn and Frodo, Aine would hear no matter what with her elvish hearing.
Kathryn laughed, "half the Shire is invited." Aine just shuck her head, "I'm sure the other half will show up anyway!" Gandalf nodded his head in agreement with the elleth.
"He's up to something" Frodo confesed suspiciously. Kathryn gave him a confused glance. "oh" Gandalf said sounding not so surprised. "Really?" Áine asked in exactly the same tone.
"Alright then, keep your secrets" Frodo exclaimed, it was obvious they knew something, "before you came along, we Baggins were very well thought of"
Kathryn agreed, "he's right."
"Indeed" Gandalf answered in a deep, slight amused tone.
"Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected" he said with a smile. Gandalf relaxed back in his seat, slacking his hold on the reins slightly.
"If you're revering to the incident wih the dragon" He began, "we were barely involved" ine finished for him a smile lit up her, "All we really did was.." she stopped trying to find the words, a look of fake concentration on her face.
"Give your uncle a bit of a nudge out the door" continued Gandalf, ine let out a musical laugh.
"Whatever you did, you 'both' have been labelled disturbers of the peace" Kathryn said with a faked serious voice and serious expression. "Really?" Gandalf wondered out loud, looking up thoughtfully.
A large gathering of Hobbiton children grouped together looking after the cart, expecting fireworks. But when none came all were disappointed. Áine, along with Frodo and Kathryn, gave Gandalf a mysterious smile, when... suddenly a puff of smoke erupted and bright golden swirls filled the air. They children squealed with delight, bring a smile to all their faces. Gandalf even let out an amused laugh.
Then Frodo got to his feet, followed by Kathryn who immediatly jumped down from the moving cart, Frodo stayed a few seconds longer.
"Gandlaf, I'm glad you're back" He jumped down, "So am I" Gandalf called out as Kathryn and Frodo ran back into the trees after waving goodbye. "So am I" he muttered again.
ine climbed into the seat next to Gandalf and the two laughed as they drove on closer to Bag's End.
The Shire was a beautiful place, full of kind hobbits and beautiful scenery. It was truely a dream, a dream that didn't have to deal with the drama and wars of the outside world.
The two finally turned a bend and reached the home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. Gandalf stopped the cart-horse and simply strode through the gate, Áine let a small laugh excape at the sign that was nailed to the door.
'No Admittance, exception party buisness' Shaking her head she walked after the tall grey haired man. She walked up and took her stance next to him as he stepped forward and banged on Bilbo's front door with his wooden staff.
"NO, Thank you!" an irritated, male voice boomed out from the other side, "I don't want any more visiters, well wishers or distant relations!"
Gandalf and ine shared an amused look. Gandalf raised an eyebrow, then the elleth and the Istar turned back to the door. "And what about very old friends?" Gandalfs voice rang out, loud enough so to be heard by the hobbit inside. The door flew open to show an old, kind looking hobbit, wearing a large red waist coat with grey hair.
"Bilbo. Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf smiled at the halfling. Bilbo's eyes snapped from to two figures before him. "Gandalf!" He called out as the man kneeled down to embrace his of them could stop laughing. Bilbo then turned to ine and she repeated the gesture. "My dear, Aine, you seem to get more beautiful every time I see you!" Again a musical like laugh erupted from her lips.
"111 years old! You couldn't believe it!" Gandalf and Bilbo stared at one another smiling, Gandalf had a hand on Bilbo's shoulder, "You haven't aged a day."
Laughing once more, Bilbo jogged back inside beckoning for them to follow. Gandalf went first but Bilbo and Gandalf spun at the sound of a loud thud and a musical voice call out in pain slightly.
What met their eyes made them laugh and their eyes twinkled. Áine was standing there rubbing her forehead with her palm, "I always seem to never bend down enough in this place, I always hit my head off the door frame, or atleast the chandiler." Áine never really adapted to the lower roof in the hobbits' houses.
While Gandalf talked with Bilbo about refreshments, she looked around it was just as she remembered. Papers all over the desk, shiny wooden walls and floors. Shelfs filled with things from their adventures over the years. She gave a small giggle when she caught Gandalf banging his head on the chandiler, "Thats for laughing when it happened to me" she said seriously, he just gave her an amused look. Turning and not really paying attention Gandalf banged his head and the low door frame that led into the next room. The elleth covered her mouth this time to stop her self laughing to death.
She followed him in shaking her head at him. 'I guess I'm not the only one' she thought to herself. This was a nice room with a balzing fire, small wooden chairs and tables cover in scrolls and maps, baskets of papers covered te floor. Same old messy Bilbo, you'd think with Frodo here things would be cleaner, he wasn't praticularly a messy person.
Bilbo wandered into the room with some bread and cheese when a loud banging came from the other side of the front door. "BILBO! BILBO BAGGINS" A female voice yelled in.
"I'm not at home" he whispered loudly to his two friends, "I've got ot get away from these confounded relatives, never giving me a moments peace!" Gandalf and Aine both took seats in the small kitchen.
"I want to see mountains again. Mountains Gandalf!" he said turning to face the two. "Then find a nice place to relax and finish my book. Oh tea!" He said rushing across the room to fix it up.
"So mean to go through with your plan?" Áine asked, slowly reaching behind her to clasp her long braid and bring it around front.
"Yes, yes its all in hand, the arangements are made" Biblo answered turning slowly, a heavy pot of tea in his hands. Áine undid her plait slowly and let her brown with slight purpled streaked hair fall around her.
"Frodo suspects something" Gandalf informed him, Áine nodded. Bilbo just simply answered with, "Of course he does, he's a Baggins."
"You will tell him won't you?" Gandalf asked seriously, pouring his tea and then some for his elvish companion. "" he said rather quickly.
"He's very fond of you" ine said kindly, a slight smile on her lips of her thoughts of the young hobbit. He nodded his head at her comment, "I know. He'd probably come with me if I asked him."
He walked towards the window. "But in his heart, I believe, Frodo is still in love with the Shire, the woods, the fields, the rivers." He turned to the window. "I'm old Gandalf, I know I don't look it."
"Speak for yourself" Áine said with a slight smirk on her face, Bilbo gave her wide smile, then went back to being serious, "But I'm beginning to feel it in my heart." Áine and Gandalf noticed Bilbo fiddling with something in his pocket. "I feel skinny, sort of stretched, butter spread over to much bread" he explained sadly. Gandalf nodded in understanding. "I need a holiday, a very long holiday and I don't expect I shall return" he continued seriously.
"In fact, I mean not to." Gandalf and Áine shared a concerned glance before turning back towards their friend.
Well how was the first chapter, cause I really want to know! The next part is the Bilbo's party and several other things, Kathryn will be in that one more but sadly, Aisling won't be here until the third or forth chapter, not sure yet. Thanks for reading. Review agus favourite. I want to know if anyone reads tis besides me and my friends.
Well, Slán go fóill,
Áine