A/N: Second chapter ahoy! So I would like to point something out that may/may not seem obvious... I don't fully know the LOTR universe. Book OR movie. Matter of fact...I have the first two books and NEVER read them. I know characters and basic settings. Please forgive me if something is wrong. Also the language&grammar, as I'm not entirely used to this fandom yet. Give me time and I'll improve. Anyhoo, this story is supposed to be fun and a bit zany. Once next chapter rolls around, I'll be moving into some canon. Please bare with me readers! ^^ So thanks and I hope you continue to read.
MAJOR NOTE: Tori and Ashley will call each other by the names Torelian and Ashlyn just to keep things un-confusing. POVs are also pointed out with these names.
Chapter Two
(Torelian POV)
She awoke and heard snoring next to her. Torelian put on her glasses and kicked the bed Ashlyn was on. Ashlyn bolted up and said, "Wha-? Huh? What's goin' on?"
"You were snoring," Torelian said. "You up late?"
"Sort of…" Torelian narrowed her eyes with question. "No assumptions! I ate some food with Merry and Pippin. Found out some info that maybe of value, though."
"Like?"
"Like Bilbo's one hundred and eleventh birthday is in two weeks!" she hissed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Torelian asked.
Ashlyn leaned forward and told her in a low voice, "In the movie, it's the day before Bilbo's birthday. His one hundred and eleventh one." She grinned. "You know what this means?"
Torelian smirked. "I see where this is going."
"Smart elf," Ashlyn joked as she got up. "Breakfast?"
With a nod Torelian got up carefully and followed her smaller-than-usual friend into what seemed to be a dining room. Merry and Pippin rushed past them. "'Cuse us," Merry said.
Ashlyn huffed and put her hands on her hips. "What's the rush?"
"Best food is put out first, of course," Pippin said.
Ashlyn nodded and noticed Mrs. Took walk past them. "Mrs. Took!" she called as she hurried to catch up with her.
Torelian watched as Merry and Pippin bickered over food. She simply leaned over them and plucked a biscuit from the table before moving over to a table and sitting on a bench comfortably. Merry and Pippin sat down across from her and watched her eat the biscuit curiously. "Is that all yer gunna eat?" Pippin asked in shock.
"For now. Why?" she asked.
"Just kinda…odd," Merry told her before he dug into his food. She saw Pippin do the same and laughed at the two. 'Hopefully Ashlyn will be back soon. These two don't strike me as conversationalist…'
---
(Ashlyn POV)
"Mrs. Took!" she called before hurrying after her.
"Yes dear?"
"Um… Well I was just wondering if you…had a change of clothes I could use."
"Sure," Mrs. Took shook her hand. "I've got somethin'. I'll go get it quick."
Ashlyn gave a nod and stood there by the front desk. She could hear some loud voices from the dining room and assumed it was Merry and or Pippin. 'Probably fighting about food. Torelian will keep those boys in check.'
Just then, Mrs. Took came up to her. She had what looked to be a set of folded clothes in her arms. "These should fit you dear." She held out the folded clothes and Ashlyn took them.
"Thank you Mrs. Took. Is there anything I can do to repay you? Maybe wash some dishes or something?" she asked.
Mrs. Took shook her head, but then looked as if something came to mind. "As a matter of fact, you could do something small for me."
"Sure. What?"
"Try and keep Meridock and Peregrin in check. They've been getting' into so much trouble lately," she told her in a low voice.
Ashlyn just smiled. "Oh, you can count on me."
"Thanks deary," Mrs. Took said before leaving her again.
Walking to the room she shared with Torelian, Ashlyn looked over the set of clothes. It seemed to be a yellow dress and a white shirt with puffy sleeves. She got in the room and changed into the dress quickly. Assessing herself without a mirror, Ashlyn found the sleeves stopped before her elbows and the dress' hem line stopped at her calf. 'I still don't like wandering around barefooted… Maybe I could ask the elves about that if the plan goes right. Oh darn. I still have to tell Torelian the plan!' She walked out of the room, and then ran to the dining room. "Torelian!" she said loudly, catching not only Torelian's attention but also Merry's and Pippin's. The two hobbits looked at her with awe. Ashlyn could feel a blush rising and said, "Um… Can I talk to you quick?"
Torelian got up and said, "Good job. They stopped eating for once." She laughed and Ashlyn just sent her a glare. "What's wrong? And where'd you get the outfit?"
"Mrs. Took. Now I figured out this plan. Won't work for two weeks though…"
"Bilbo's birthday?" Ashlyn nodded. "Elves have good memories. Tell me."
"Okay," she said before cautiously whispering the plan to her elven friend.
---
(Torelian POV)
After Ashlyn told her the plan, she agreed. Hoping it would work and promising to prepare for it soon, they returned to the dining room. Merry and Pippin looked at them as they entered. 'Heh. They're looking at Ashlyn.' Tori stifled a laugh as they sat. "It's rude to stare," she told them sternly.
Pippin took a drink of his drink and Merry looked down at his plate. Torelian nudged Ashlyn and sent her a sideways smile. Ashlyn just gave her a look of pure embarrassment. She picked at nail. "Look. Found my hair tie," she told Torelian as she pulled her dark brown hair into a ponytail. Pieces of her bangs fell in her face messily and she left them go.
Torelian laced her hands on the table as Ashlyn said, "I want some food." She got up and wandered over to the food that was out.
Watching the two's eyes follow her friend, Torelian cleared her throat. They both snapped back and continued to eat. Torelian just laughed. Merry looked up and asked, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," she smirked. Pippin shook his head at her remark and Merry seemed to pay no attention.
---
(Ashlyn POV)
She grabbed a plate and some food before returning to her spot next to Torelian. "So what are you guys going to do today?" Ashlyn asked curiously. She took a bite of what looked to be a piece of meat.
Merry and Pippin exchanged looks. "Don't really know yet," Merry said.
"Why don't you two spend the day with us?" Ashlyn asked. She glanced at Torelian, who just smirked knowingly.
"Yeah. It'll be fun," Torelian added.
Pippin was first to answer. "Sure."
"Maybe we can find someone to play another joke on," Merry added.
"Like you did to poor Sam yesterday?" Torelian asked.
The two laughed. "That wasn't so bad. He jus' overreacted." Pippin nodded in agreement.
Ashlyn looked up from her meal and said, "You put dirt in his bed."
"Like Merry said, 'e overreacted," Pippin shrugged.
Ashlyn huffed and said, "I lost my appetite. Tori, you ready?" Torelian gave a nod and stood slowly. "If you two still want to come along, you'd best hurry up." With that, she got up and walked to the front door. Torelian and she walked outside. The sun was already beating down though it was early in the morning. "Where should we go?"
Torelian shrugged and the two began towards the stone bridge. Once they set foot on the bridge they could hear a voice shout, "Hey! Wait up!"
Looking back, Merry and Pippin were running after them. "We still have to get them back for Sam," Ashlyn whispered to Torelian. Her friend gave a nod and a curious grin came across her face. "What are you thinking?"
"I have a plan. You'll see."
"See what?" Merry asked.
Torelian and Ashlyn looked at each other. "Oh nothing," they said in unison.
Ashlyn grinned and said, "So boys, what shall we do?"
They stood there, thinking. Pippin's face lit up. "We should go through the cornfield to the farm."
Merry slapped him on the arm. "Pip, he'll catch us. He nearly caught us last time."
"Oh…right," Pippin said in a defeated tone.
"Why don't we walk down the river?" Ashlyn suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement and they crossed the bridge. Once across, Ashlyn took off in a sprint. She thought she was running fast but Torelian passed her. "Hey!" she shouted.
"The plan," Torelian said. Then she pushed Ashley into the river.
'I see the plan…' She went with it. Flailing around in the water, pretending she was about to drown. "Help!" Ashlyn shouted, before letting herself go under. She could her panicked voices and popped her head above the surface. Merry and Pippin looked to be freaking out, and Torelian wasn't making the matters better by lying and claiming she didn't know how to swim. The three looked over at where she was and Ashlyn quickly went back under. 'Let 'em think it. Payback for Samwise.' Carefully, she swam to the shore and Torelian was waving her arms around before turning Merry and Pippin around quickly. Ashlyn smirked and crawled up onto the shore, creeping up behind the two. "Boo!" she shouted.
Merry and Pippin screamed and jumped almost three feet into the air. Ashlyn was in stitches laughing as they frowned at her. "What'd you go and do tha' for?" Pippin asked.
Once she stopped laughing, Ashlyn said, "It was payback for what you did to poor Samwise."
"We we're really worried. We thought you were drowning," Merry said.
She softened her look and patted Merry on the shoulder. "Glad you were worried. Hope you learned something."
"You're drenched," Torelian said in a snicker. "Now what are you going to do?"
"Go back and change quick. I still have my other set of clothes. You guys can just stay here," she said as she began back towards the bridge and the inn.
"You sure you don't want someone to come with you?" Ashlyn heard Merry ask. She smiled and motioned for him to follow her. He hurried to her side and said, "It's a shame you got the dress all wet."
They crossed the bridge and she said, "Yeah. It was Mrs. Took's dress. I hope she's not mad." She picked at the cloth clinging to her.
"Well…that's not wha' I meant, but she probably won't be angry."
She looked at him sideways as they got nearer to the inn. "What did you mean?"
Merry shook his head. "I'll tell you after you change. Go on, before you catch something," he joked. Ashlyn just nodded and walked into the inn.
---
(Torelian POV)
Torelian sat on the grass, being careful of her dress. Pippin sat cross-legged beside her and looked at the river. "So I heard Bilbo's birthday is coming up," Torelian said casually.
"Oh," Pippin said, "yes it is. Knowin' Bilbo, he'll go all out for it too. Last year, he had one o' the biggest cakes I've ever seen."
She laughed. 'Hobbits really do love their food.' "How big?" Torelian asked, making conversation until Ashlyn and Merry got back.
"Half the size of the table we sat at this mornin'. And it was piled two high." His eyes lit up as he spoke of the enormous cake.
"That's pretty big." 'Hmm… Maybe Ashlyn and I could make an even bigger cake…'
---
(Ashlyn POV)
She changed into the outfit she arrived in. 'Is that what we should call it? Arriving? It felt more like we fell into Middle Earth really…' She walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Ashlyn wandered into the main room and saw Merry leaning against the wall by the front door. "I'm all ready," she told him.
Merry stood up straight and put his hands into his pockets. "Right then."
The two exited, waving to Mrs. Took as they left. "So what did you mean? You said you'd tell me once I had changed."
He looked at the ground and kicked a small pebble. "You looked…nice in the dress," Merry told her in a hushed voice.
Ashlyn smiled, looking at him sideways, and said, "Thanks." She narrowed her eyes quickly. "Wait… Are you jus' sayin' it because it was Mrs. Took's?"
Quickly looking at her he said, "No. No not at all." Merry smiled and they crossed the bridge back to Torelian and Pippin.
