Hey! Visit my profile for notes on this story before you continue. AKISS is now offically completed, but there are things you should know :)
Feelings by the Fire Side
Pippin was grinning. Merry was looking to the side. Mayline was frowning.
The three stood at the bottom of the hill below Bag End, waiting for Frodo and Sam to meet them at the bottom. Packs of personal camping supplies were strapped to their backs, and the summer air was particularly hot that day—or at least, Mayline's temperature was skyrocketing.
The two hobbits in front of her knew the secret, and because of that, there also stood a chance that before the day was over, he might know too.
"Honestly," Pippin said at last, "I would just like to walk up there and see if Frodo and Sam need any help. They've kept us waiting for quite some time."
Mayline narrowed her gaze. "I wouldn't risk it, Peregrin. You'd love to meddle."
Pippin shrugged. "Must I say anything, anyway? It was obvious long before we got it out of you."
Mayline's cheeks flushed. She glanced quickly behind her, making sure Frodo and Sam were not on their way toward them before saying quietly: "It wasn't obvious—Merry, do you think he knows?"
Merry brought his eyes from the ground. "I can't say. Frodo is a little more out of tune when it comes to certain matters…"
He closed one eye and moved a finger in his ear. For some reason Mayline felt there was more he had declined to say, but didn't press for it. She sighed.
"Well you two wait here. I suppose they have been taking a while. I'll go up and—"
While she spoke, Mayline had been turning to travel back up the path to Bag End, but in doing so she'd nearly crashed into Sam, who'd appeared from nowhere.
"Mayline!" he burst. "It'd sooner be easier to go around me than through me."
She blinked and fell back a step. "Sam! I didn't realize you were—are you ready to go? Where's—?"
From a few feet behind Sam, Frodo stepped off the trail and stood in the grass. Both had packs of camping supplies strapped to their backs as the other three did, and his eyes were wide.
"A bit restless are you today Mayline?"
Had she not heard Pippin snicker behind her, her cheeks wouldn't have flushed again.
"I'm fine—well, it's the heat, you know. It gets to you after standing for a while."
She looked away and Frodo grinned. Lately, she'd been acting somewhat funnier than normal. He had given it some thought, but on the same token, decided it might be too rash to assume any suspicions.
"I imagine it would be so," he replied. "If we're all ready, let's begin. By the time we reach the Suron Wood there should still be enough sun to set camp."
Sam nodded, still in agreement with the advice Bilbo had given them just minutes before they'd descended down the hill. Mayline nodded as well and turned, following the lead of Merry and Pippin who led the group the rest of the way out of Hobbiton.
The area the four decided to camp for the next few days was one Frodo had once found with Bilbo, and believed there was no place better. After moving along a beaten trail for some time, he led the group into the lush grass deeper beneath the trees.
Although none of them saw any markers and wondered how he was finding his way—if indeed they were not lost—they kept their mouths shut, and at last realized Frodo knew what he was doing when he stopped and smiled at them all.
In front of them, the trees had thinned, and the fading sun fell upon a lush clearing. The sound of water could be heard flowing somewhere near, and Mayline exhaled at the beautiful sight. Golden rays illuminated the grass, and each one of them knew the heart of the wood had been found, for no part of it was ordinary.
At dusk, Mayline knelt in the middle of their circled sleeping bags, trying to start a fire in a small space she'd cleared of grass. Some twigs and a few branches lay on the ground, and she struck one stone against another, hoping for a spark.
For a while she did this, and each time a spark failed to fly, the more pathetic she felt.
"Come on," she said, biting her lip. "Just spark."
With a final strike, Mayline hit the rocks, but no spark jumped.
"Do you want help?"
Footsteps approached in the grass, and peering over her shoulder Mayline saw Merry. She smiled and moved aside.
"Yes! Please take over before I convince myself I'm not a true hobbit at all."
Mayline sighed but soon stared in amazement as Merry suddenly struck several sparks at once and her little heap of twigs flickered slightly. Down on his hands Merry blew into them, and their faces were suddenly illuminated with yellow light. Mayline blinked, her eyes on him as he sat proper again.
"How in all the lands…" she started, astonished.
Merry shrugged, but also smiled. "Don't think too much of it—I imagine I've spent more nights in the wood than you have."
Mayline nodded. "It's true, but I'm no less amazed Meriadoc."
He scratched his head. "It's strange to hear that name."
Mayline laughed a little. "Perhaps I should stick to Merry like everyone else."
"No—call me that if you like. It's strange, but if you want too—"
Again, the sound of footsteps in the grass came from behind them. Merry stopped, and his eyes lingered on Mayline a second before he followed her example and twisted around. Frodo and Sam were there behind them, their arms full of more branches and twigs. They moved around the two and sat on the opposite side of the fire, adding in more sticks.
"I see you finally have the fire going, Mayline," Frodo said. "It's a nice one."
She shook her head. "All credit goes to Merry. Without him we'd still be in the dark."
Smiling she peered at him, but he was a little more restless than she expected.
"I suppose I should find out where Pippin wandered too," he said quickly. "Have either of you seen him?"
"He followed us in the wood, but disappeared," Sam answered. "I've no clue where he's run off."
Merry rose from the grass and left them without another word. A yard or so away, he disappeared quietly into the trees. Mayline furrowed her eyebrows and brought her eyes to the fire. She'd been grateful for his help and thought nothing of it, but now, it seemed…
The empty impression in the grass beside her was suddenly filled again. Looking over, Mayline caught Frodo's blue gaze. Immediately her concerns for Merry disappeared, and she hated not knowing whether the heat on her face was from the fire.
"It's interesting," Frodo said thoughtfully.
Mayline waited, but: "What is?"
"Pippin shared something with me earlier that I suppose I should have realized."
Muscles tensing, Mayline's eyes widened. Nearly a hundred different ways to get her revenge flashed through her mind, and this time, the heat of the fire had nothing against that of her emotions. Reaching up, she twirled a strand of loose hair and bit her lip.
"I feel stupid really—I told him not to tell you, but he said it was already obvious and I guess it was—or is, I mean, I don't know." All of it was rushing from her mind to her mouth in complete word-vomit. "What do you think? I'm not expecting love or anything—actually I'm not expecting anything at all—"
"Mayline, slow it down."
"Perhaps I should just go—"
She had halfway risen from the ground when Frodo's hand grasped her wrist. Mayline's heart was pounding, and his touch although gentle, made her feel like a doe caught in a snare.
"I was talking about cloaks," he said. "I thought we were prepared, but if it rains we have none. I was going to ask if you brought any."
Mayline blinked. Cloaks?
She settled back into the grass, her heart still racing. Frodo's hand remained wrapped around her wrist.
"Oh—I see." It was all she could manage. Cloaks?
"What was all that you were saying before?"
"Nevermind it."
"No—I'd like to hear more."
Mayline turned her head and her gaze fell on him. "You'd like to hear more?"
It was Frodo's turn to look away. His cheeks normally had a tinge of red to them, but now it seemed the color was deepening. If he wasn't careful, he might experience his own episode of word-vomit. He let go of her wrist, and Mayline leaned closer to him, curious.
"You're usually quiet Baggins," she said with a small smile. "But not this quiet."
She raised her hand. "If you don't say something now, I'll put a wet willy in your ear."
His eyes returned to her as the fire started to crackle noticeably. Oh, Mayline.
"Why hello the loveliest of love birds!"
Out of nowhere, Pippin landed behind them, and his arms laced around their necks. Immediately Mayline and Frodo fought against him and he laughed and withdrew his arms.
"A lad and lass shouldn't keep certain things bottled up, ya know—they might end spilling out in front of everyone."
Mayline shot up from the grass, the skin of her nose wrinkled.
"Pippin! Where have you been?"
"Roaming the woods, exploring this and that if you must know," he said innocently. "Thought it might do some good to give you and Frodo some well-deserved—"
Merry coughed abruptly. He'd gone unnoticed a few feet away until then. Frodo rose from the grass.
"About time we got dinner started isn't it?" he said. "Sam?"
Frodo looked across the fire. Everyone else's gaze followed. To their surprise and amusement, Samwise was asleep on his side in the lush grass, unaware of all the squabble.
Mayline took one look at him and grinned. Opportunity had presented itself. She creeped around the fireside and the others watched curiously. She hunkered in the grass only a foot or so from Sam, a few years too old now to be completely hidden, but none the less playful.
In an instant Mayline jumped up and tackled him, laughing before they even collided. Sam woke with a start, letting out a holler that caused Frodo, Merry and Pippin to burst out laughing.
"Beasts!" Sam cried. "Night-stalkers! Run, they're here!"
By the time he had dashed to the other end of the clearing, he realized there was no danger at all—just the laughter of the other hobbits. Sam's face turned bright pink, and he abruptly sat in the grass.
"I was just talking about dinner Sam," Frodo said between laughs, "but I didn't mean you!"
It took a while for the hobbits to settle down after that, and once a meal had indeed been made and sat heavily in their stomachs, one by one they slipped beneath the cover of their sleeping bags. Eventually, only Mayline and Frodo lay awake, their bags apart from the circle and side by side. Their arms were behind their heads as they stared at the stars.
Mayline sighed gently. She closed her eyes and thought back to the moment Frodo had encouraged her to continue babbling.
I wonder what it means, she thought. Was he just curious about how I felt? Or was there something he wanted to admit…
"Do you believe in promises?"
Mayline opened her eyes. Slowly she turned her head. Frodo wasn't looking at her—his blue gaze was on the dark sky, illuminating his pale complexion with hundreds of small lights.
"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.
"I mean some are broken, and yet some are kept," he replied. "You grow up being told a promise is a promise, but sometimes, it's not."
Mayline furrowed her eyebrows. Still, she had no idea where he was going. Frodo took his eyes from the sky and looked at her, realizing she was at a loss.
"I want you to promise me you'll always stay in the Shire," he said at length.
Mayline blinked. "Frodo… why?"
"Because I never want to leave, not for good."
The hobbit-girl rolled on her side. "Neither do I. I love the Shire… and if you'll always be there, so will I."
Frodo smiled slightly. "Promise me that, then. But only if you believe in them."
Five or so inches lay between them, and Mayline closed her eyes as she moved and filled the space. It was natural to be so near him, to feel his warmth and fall asleep because of it.
"I promise."
