To the Shire
They rode for what felt like weeks to Tinu, as she was forced to ride in front of Gandalf or Strider for the first few days to help insure that should her mother be caught by any pursuers that they would not get mother and child. Though once it seemed that Gandalf was sure that they were not being followed, he allowed Tinu to ride with her mother as they traveled at varying speeds during the day only to camp at night. It seemed to be a constant thing for Tinu, being moved from one place to another, never being allowed to experience happiness for too long. As she knew deep down that she would never be happy on her birthday again all due to how her father had been wishing her a happy birthday only to be snatched away from her.
'It is my fault…' she thought to herself as she rode in front of her mother on the horse as she knew her mother was getting worried about her. All due to how the young elf had not smiled since her father had surrendered and allowed the elven king to take him back to Mirkwood. 'All I wanted was for me to live with mommy and daddy…' she thought sadly as they continued to ride until the light in the sky began to fade as they came to a stop in the woods. Tinu was only vaguely aware of the fact that her mother had stopped the horse they were riding and gotten down. Even as Tauriel had reached up and gently caught Tinu and lifted her up from the back of the horse and down to the ground.
To Tinu it was the same thing as every other night, they stopped and would make a small fire to cook anything that Strider would catch or kill as the light faded and then Tinu would be put to bed until she would wake the following morning already back on the horse. However, even while this night was the same for Tinu, it was not for the three adults who sat figuring where it would be best to hide the small child and mother from the possible scouts the elven king may send after them.
"I think the Shire would be the best place." Gandalf said after he had lit his pipe as he drew a deep breath, enjoying the flavor the smoke left in his mouth before exhaling. "I have told little Tinu stories of the hobbits that inhabit the Shire and she expressed wishing to meet some, but one in particular." He said glancing to the small elf who was sound asleep with her small head resting on her mother's lap. "That and with how the Shire is not well known, it is likely that the three of you will be able to hide there for a good while." Gandalf said as Strider thought for a moment while Tauriel looked down at her small child who she thought deserved to be able to be in a home more stable than she had known to this point.
"And once we get there, will you stay with us?" Strider asked after a moment as he glanced out of the corner of his eye toward Tauriel to see the worry on her face. Though he did not linger on that as he turned his full focus to the wizard.
"No, I will not." Gandalf said shaking his head. "However, while I am leaving Tinu with you and Tauriel for the time being, I am all but certain her placement in the Shire will only be temporary…" he said trailing off in thought as he stared into the flames of the small fire they had built. He could feel the fiery filled green eyes of Tauriel on him, but he ignored them for a moment as he stared into the flames almost as though he were trying to pull a truth from the bright embers. "She will be able to remain there until she is sixteen." Gandalf said as he then spend a good hour explaining his plan to the disapproving Tauriel and Strider.
/
Over the next few days they continued to travel as Tinu seemed to remain in a bit of a mood, though they could not risk stopping for long to allow her to enjoy the scenery that they passed because of how there was no telling if they were being followed at the moment. It was not until a cold morning with thick fog that they arrived at the border of the Shire when they slowed down so that their horses were walking at a steady pace instead of going at a full out run, as they even all dismounted and walked to give the horses a bit of a break after the long journey. During this time was the first that Tinu had spoken more than a few words since the night when her father had given up his freedom to allow them their chance to escape.
The small elf glanced around through the fog, her eyes seeing that they were in a forest, even in the thick fog that blanketed everything around them. "Where are we?" she asked looking to her mother as Tauriel walked beside her daughter holding the reigns of their horse.
"We are in the Shire." Tauriel said as she saw a light she thought had all but left her daughter come back to life.
"The Shire? You mean the one from the stories?" Tinu asked in a happy tone as a laugh graced her ears, drawing her attention to her right to where Strider and Gandalf were both walking their horses along like Tauriel was. "Is it?" Tinu asked as she was all but bouncing up and down on her feet, drawing even more laughter from the three adults.
"Yes, we are, young Tinu." Gandalf said as Tinu then glanced around half expecting to spot a hobbit in the fog only to not spot any. But before the young elf could voice that she had been trying to spot one, Gandalf spoke up again. "We are not that far into the Shire, the hobbit I told you the stories of lives in Hobbiton to the north." He explained as Tinu still smiled but seemed a little sad.
"I really want to meet him." She said as her mother reached out resting a hand on her daughter's soft silver blonde hair. "Can we please go there, mommy?" Tinu asked looking up at her mother with pleading eyes.
"If that is near where we will be settling." She said as Tinu became overly enthused at the thought of how she might get to see the hobbit from Gandalf's stories.
For the rest of the day they traveled in silence besides when the fog started to lift, Tinu walked over closer to Gandalf to ask him if he could tell her more stories of the hobbit, Bilbo. Those being her favorite because of how Bilbo had been a simple typical hobbit at the start of the story, one who did not like adventures only to go on one. Then how throughout the journey he changed and became like a completely different hobbit.
/
It was another day before they reached the border of Hobbiton, as Gandalf revealed that he thought that would be the best place for them to settle, in the woods near the place Tinu had wanted to see. So while the three adults were busy building the make shift home, Tinu ran around playing, but always being sure she remained in sight of the adults. But by nightfall when the house was completed enough to at least allow some shelter, which was good because a steady rain had moved into the area as they all got under the make shift roof for shelter. Things continued like this for near a month before the small house was completed. It was not long after that time in which Gandalf took his leave, promising Tinu that if she went into Hobbiton with her mother and Strider she was sure to meet Bilbo and that if she asked nicely that he might tell her even more stories of his adventures.
Though thanks to her mother and Strider's abilities to hunt and gather what they needed from the forest around them, there was never a need for them to go into Hobbiton, something that Tinu had asked about by the second month they lived there. Both adults had explained to Tinu that it was not safe for them to be seen anywhere just yet and that surely she would be alright waiting a little while longer to meet Bilbo. So for a while longer Tinu stopped pressing the matter and made use of her time playing by a nearby river that Strider had told her ran right into Hobbiton. She found herself wishing more and more that her mother and Strider would let her go there. But time passed as the seasons changed and years passed. In that time Tinu had grown from the small child that her father and Strider had saved into an energetic child of ten years. Granted she was still small for her age and each day was becoming more and more agile, coming into her own elven heritage.
However, one day in the winter after she turned twelve she could have never guessed that day would be any different. She had gotten up and dressed as usual. A form fitting green tunic that went down past her waist but was held down by a brown belt and form fitting green pants and brown boots that fit snug over her feet. She knew her mother and Strider were out gathering what they could in a hunt. Something she thought was funny since her mother had once told her it was not that common for elves to eat meat, but Tinu found she did not mind since she had been brought up to just enjoy what food could be provided. Though she knew her favorite was when they had the stuff to make fresh bread or biscuits, but that was not that often because of how Strider only ventured to get things for them once every few months or so, even less in the winter.
She did not linger on that thought knowing it would be spring before they got to have any again, so she instead finished getting ready. She grabbed her green cloak her mother had made for her as she rested it over her shoulders as she headed from her room heading for the front door as she grabbed her dagger that was attached to a holster she rested on her belt before retying it. She never ran into trouble, unless one counted when she encountered a baby deer she had tried to pet when she had been only seven. Just thinking about that time brought a smile to her angelic face as she thought how the parents of the baby had spotted her before she saw them and had promptly chased her away from the baby and up a tree where she had to sit and wait until Strider had come and chased them away to allow her a chance to get down.
'I know I never need it, but if mom and Strider come back and find it still here and me gone I will get in trouble.' Tinu thought to herself as she pulled her cloak more about herself and moved her hood up to hide her face before she opened the door and stepped out closing it behind her. 'So peaceful.' She thought to herself as she glanced around at the fresh fallen snow as even more was drifting down. 'Today I am going to go closer to Hobbiton since this is the only way I can do so.' She thought as she was still eager to be allowed to go there to find Bilbo even though she was no longer a little kid. So as she walked, she glanced back seeing how her feet were barely leaving any indents on the snow as she walked along on top of it.
"You are every bit your father's daughter."
The voice of her mother rang in Tinu's mind as she found she wished that she could remember more of her father, though her mother had pointed out at times that it was due to how she had still been young and the last time she had seen her father was the night of her sixth birthday. 'Even if it was not a good memory besides when he danced with me…I wish I could remember him more…' Tinu thought to herself as her smile fell. 'Even Strider says at times I am the living image of my father besides having my mother's eyes only brighter.' She thought to herself.
She continued walking along the fresh fallen snow, heading toward the river to follow it as she always did when she wished to go see Hobbiton up close, well from the opposite shore. An outsider looking in on the innocent haven. She was near the edge of the woods after following the edge of the river as far as she could to where it opened up and went further into Hobbiton as she could easily see what Gandalf had once described to her. Bag end.
'One day I will go there and meet Bilbo.' She thought to herself not noticing the one that had been sneaking up behind her, their bow already drawn as the arrow was aimed for her. Though as the arrow was let go she heard the displacement in the air as she turned narrowly managing to dodge by diving into the snow sending the fresh powder up into the air as she slowly pushed herself up looking toward the source. After a brief second she saw that it was a tall stranger with an elven bow in hand, their hood drawn up as they notched another arrow and aimed it for her.
"Who are you?!" Tinu demanded as she pushed herself up to be back on her feet as she stepped back away from the one who had their arrow trained on her. She got the strangest feeling that she knew who the person was, but at the same time she did not think that this was going to end well for her or possibly this stranger. Though as she studied how they were standing she noticed they were on top of the snow like she had been a moment ago, meaning they were an elf. Out of instinct she reached for her dagger as the arrow was loosed but it struck the side of her hood forcing it back away from her face.
"Just as I thought." The elf said notching another arrow as Tinu stepped back closer to a ledge that was over the river. "The one that the king wishes dead." He said as before Tinu could speak he loosed and arrow as it struck dangerously close to her heart because she had managed to move slightly at the last second.
She felt the sharp stabbing pain of the arrow, but she knew it had missed her heart as bits of her blood were now on the white snow as she fell forward on her hands and knees tense from the pain. 'Mom…Strider…' she thought as she could faintly hear the elf approaching her. 'I am sorry…' she thought before the elf lifted Tinu up by the front of her cloak as she stared at him unable to see his face due to the hood as he spoke.
"I know the king would rather kill you himself, but why waste the energy dragging you back when I know you will die here." He said as he stepped closer to the ledge and threw Tinu down into the water.
She smacked her head on her way into the water on some of the ice that had formed on the surface, but that was nothing compared to the pain she felt once she was down in the water. The pure shock of it knocked the air from her lungs as she sank at an angle due to how she was thrown. Her green eyes distant as she could see the one above her turn and walk away as her hair moved about her in the frigid water. She knew there was water in her lungs due to how it was burning and freezing her from the inside all at the same time. She tried to move her body but the cold had caused her to go numb as soon her head hit something jagged and hard causing her to know no more. Her world went dark as her eyes closed as she knew no more.
A/N: I know, I am horrible for ending this chapter on such a cliff hanger, especially after the delay in an update. Though I will try to not leave it at a cliff hanger for too long. I want to take this moment to thank 2000Aerobars and Toraah for their reviews. I hope that everyone liked this chapter even though I did skip ahead six years in Tinu's life to get the story moved along faster since this story was never planned to be super long. Though there is still a way to go to get to the ending. I will try to update again very soon!
