Disclaimer: I own nothing in this fic, especially the very special hobbit
family that resides in the Tower Hills
Thankyous:
Beatrice- Glad you though last chapter was nice! And as requested, here is more.
The Mad Writer- Hini's happy he's not sorry too. Regret can make your life a hell, so it's good he let go. As for Hini finally seeing Yavanna again, she will welcome him back into her service and he will accept his duities once again. I'm telling you this because it's not going to be shown. We never see Yavanna talking to Hini again. This chapter skips to a very interesting situation.
Naheka and Joe the Nazgul- Glad you were still staring, it shows you're extremely interested! And yes, I myself would *love* to sleep for 17 days. However, one must remember that the reason Hini slept for 17 days was because that was the amount of time Frodo had the Morgul shard in his shoulder. It took over two weeks to drag him out of the well. And Joe, Naheka's right; you shouldn't sit in from of the screen too long. It ruins your eyesight. And wraiths have bad enough vision as it is.
The Phantom- I'm happy you were so absorbed in the story that you forgot it was a flashback! That means I'm doing a good job telling it in the third person. I'm glad you think I made Frodo sentimental. I like to think of him as a cute, sweet, angsty fluffball. He's my second favorite character, and would be my favorite of not for the slimy green hissing fishing lisping split-minded cretin who TOTALLY ROCKS THIS WORLD!!!!! And lastly, thank you for the e-mail on September 22nd! It brightened my day considerably!
*********
Twenty-four-year-old Elfstan had just finished setting the table when he heard the front door creak open.
"Mother!" The tweenage hobbit called into the kitchen. "Father's home!"
"Of course he is, lad! I've got ears, you know." Elanor called good naturedly as she walked into the dining room, removing her apron and hanging it on a chair.
Elfstan heard the door slam shut, then his father walked into the room, dusty and slightly dirt-stained from working in the fields all day.
"Good afternoon, you two!" He said, smiling broadly.
"Hello, dear. How was your day?" Elanor said, crossing the room so she could give her husband of thirty-four years a peck on the cheek.
"It was quite fine, thank you. I had some help."
"Oh, really?" Elanor raised an eyebrow. The few hobbits that had settled in the Tower Hills with them were often too busy with their own crops. Help was an uncommon occurence.
"Aye." Fastred responded. "A traveler was walking along, and asked me if I needed a hand. I said I did, and he aided me for the rest of the day. He asked if I could spare a bite to eat, and I said we could. So I brought him back."
Fastred turned and looked down the hall. At the front door, a hobbit was still dusting his woolly toes off on the mat.
Finally satisfied with the condition of his feet, he walked down the hall. Entering the dining room, the hobbit bowed slightly.
"Good afternoon, Ma'am." He said. This traveler hobbit's voice had a musical lilt to it, and for a moment Elanor and her son were entranced by it, just as Fastred had been entranced when he had first heard it.
"Good afternoon, Sir." Elanor said, snapping out of her momentary trance. "I'm most thankful for your help, and you are certainly welcome to stay for dinner. Elfstan? Would you make room for an extra place, please?"
Elftan nodded and did as he was bid. Soon the family of three and its dinner guest were seated around the table, eating heartily.
Elanor studied the strange hobbit. He seemed normal enough, dressed in pants, shirts, suspenders and a coat. He ate like a hobbit too, heartily yet politely.
What bothered Elanor was his face. Hie features were so downright hobbit- like they seemed unnatural. His curls were just a bit too long, going down over his shoulders. And his blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the light of the fire. They were unnaturally bright.
"So, where are you from?" Elfstan inquired boldly, looking at the stranger.
"Don't be rude, Elfstan." Fastred said automatically, reaching for the potatoes.
"Nonsense." The hobbit said, smiling broadly. "He was not being rude, he was asking a question. And to answer that, I come from the West."
"West of here?' Fastred suddenly said, sitting up a little. While working with this hobbit, they had only discussed the weather, and the better ways of growing corn and wheat. Fastred knew nothing about this traveler, not even his name.
"But there are no hobbit dwellings West of here." Elanor said, looking as puzzled as her husband.
"I have been living far away from my people for a long period of time." The stranger said, cutting up the meat on his plate. "I only recently decided to enter the Shire."
"Why?' Fastred asked, refilling his tankard.
"I wish to see the sights, and see some relatives of mine." The hobbit said simply.
"Who are you related to?" Elfstan questioned again, eyeing the stranger with interest.
"Oh, quite a few people." The hobbit said, an odd smile crossing his face. "I wasn't to keen on coming here, but I was eventually persuaded by a fellow who passed my way some time ago."
"Who did you meet?" Asked Elanor, thinking that if this hobbit lived somewhere between the Shire and the Grey Havens, it must have been---
"A Master Samwise Gamgee, I do believe." The hobbit said, leaning back in his chair as he sipped ale from his mug. "A very kind and honorable hobbit."
"Why, that's my father!" Elanor said happily. "He left here some three years ago."
"Is that so?" The traveler said, delight clearly visible in his amazing blue eyes. "Fancy that! And to think I'm sitting here, dining with part of Master Gamgee's family!"
"Where did you meet him?" Elfstan asked, excited for news of his grandfather.
"He stopped by my dwelling one day. He was off to see a friend of his, and because of that, I didn't keep him long. But we did share some leaf by my fireside, and discussed events in my life and his."
The Stranger's eyes twinkled merrily.
"He had quite an interesting tale to tell, actually."
"I'm sure he did." Said Elanor, beaming happily.
The four hobbits continue talking merrily all through the meal, although the subject was switched to events that had occured in the Tower Hills, Hobbiton, and all over the Shire.
As the meal drew to a close, the traveler stood up and bowed.
"Thank you, Master Fastred, for letting me enjoy the wonderful cooking of your wife, and the lovely company of you and your family. I must be off now."
"But it's almost dark!" Elfstan said. "Don't you think you ought to spend the night?"
"Nay." The stranger said, smiling broadly. "I've a long way to go, and I'd like to get where I'm going as soon as possible."
The hobbit walked to the door of the dining room, then turned back to look at the seated family.
"You have been kind and courteous. And for that, I wish upon you as many blessings as the future can hold."
With that, the hobbit turned and walked out. He stopped at the clothes rack to grab his cloak and walking stick. Then, exiting the house, he began to walk down the road, humming a mery tune under his breath.
The three people in the house suddenly seemed to snap out of a trance.
Suspicions filled their minds, and questions they had not thought of asking came into their heads.
"I wonder," Fastred said. "Why I invited him to come back with me, when I knew nothing of him?"
"We still know nothing of him." Elfstan said. "He never told us exactly where he lived, nor who he was related too. He didn't even say his name. And we didn't ask."
"Who do you suppose he was?" Elanor asked her husband. In response, Fastred shrugged his shoulders.
"I have no idea." He said. "But I'm not worried about it. He was a very nice hobbit, helpful and polite. And I'm sure everything he told us was true."
Fastred stood up and picked up his plate, smiling.
"Come on, let's do the dishes. If there's still time before bed, we can have a chat and a smoke by the hearth."
************
I want to thank everyone who ever reviewed this fic, and double thank yous to everyone who reviewed more than once.
I consider this peice my best work so far, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I hope all of you are too.
Once again, thank you all! : )
Thankyous:
Beatrice- Glad you though last chapter was nice! And as requested, here is more.
The Mad Writer- Hini's happy he's not sorry too. Regret can make your life a hell, so it's good he let go. As for Hini finally seeing Yavanna again, she will welcome him back into her service and he will accept his duities once again. I'm telling you this because it's not going to be shown. We never see Yavanna talking to Hini again. This chapter skips to a very interesting situation.
Naheka and Joe the Nazgul- Glad you were still staring, it shows you're extremely interested! And yes, I myself would *love* to sleep for 17 days. However, one must remember that the reason Hini slept for 17 days was because that was the amount of time Frodo had the Morgul shard in his shoulder. It took over two weeks to drag him out of the well. And Joe, Naheka's right; you shouldn't sit in from of the screen too long. It ruins your eyesight. And wraiths have bad enough vision as it is.
The Phantom- I'm happy you were so absorbed in the story that you forgot it was a flashback! That means I'm doing a good job telling it in the third person. I'm glad you think I made Frodo sentimental. I like to think of him as a cute, sweet, angsty fluffball. He's my second favorite character, and would be my favorite of not for the slimy green hissing fishing lisping split-minded cretin who TOTALLY ROCKS THIS WORLD!!!!! And lastly, thank you for the e-mail on September 22nd! It brightened my day considerably!
*********
Twenty-four-year-old Elfstan had just finished setting the table when he heard the front door creak open.
"Mother!" The tweenage hobbit called into the kitchen. "Father's home!"
"Of course he is, lad! I've got ears, you know." Elanor called good naturedly as she walked into the dining room, removing her apron and hanging it on a chair.
Elfstan heard the door slam shut, then his father walked into the room, dusty and slightly dirt-stained from working in the fields all day.
"Good afternoon, you two!" He said, smiling broadly.
"Hello, dear. How was your day?" Elanor said, crossing the room so she could give her husband of thirty-four years a peck on the cheek.
"It was quite fine, thank you. I had some help."
"Oh, really?" Elanor raised an eyebrow. The few hobbits that had settled in the Tower Hills with them were often too busy with their own crops. Help was an uncommon occurence.
"Aye." Fastred responded. "A traveler was walking along, and asked me if I needed a hand. I said I did, and he aided me for the rest of the day. He asked if I could spare a bite to eat, and I said we could. So I brought him back."
Fastred turned and looked down the hall. At the front door, a hobbit was still dusting his woolly toes off on the mat.
Finally satisfied with the condition of his feet, he walked down the hall. Entering the dining room, the hobbit bowed slightly.
"Good afternoon, Ma'am." He said. This traveler hobbit's voice had a musical lilt to it, and for a moment Elanor and her son were entranced by it, just as Fastred had been entranced when he had first heard it.
"Good afternoon, Sir." Elanor said, snapping out of her momentary trance. "I'm most thankful for your help, and you are certainly welcome to stay for dinner. Elfstan? Would you make room for an extra place, please?"
Elftan nodded and did as he was bid. Soon the family of three and its dinner guest were seated around the table, eating heartily.
Elanor studied the strange hobbit. He seemed normal enough, dressed in pants, shirts, suspenders and a coat. He ate like a hobbit too, heartily yet politely.
What bothered Elanor was his face. Hie features were so downright hobbit- like they seemed unnatural. His curls were just a bit too long, going down over his shoulders. And his blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the light of the fire. They were unnaturally bright.
"So, where are you from?" Elfstan inquired boldly, looking at the stranger.
"Don't be rude, Elfstan." Fastred said automatically, reaching for the potatoes.
"Nonsense." The hobbit said, smiling broadly. "He was not being rude, he was asking a question. And to answer that, I come from the West."
"West of here?' Fastred suddenly said, sitting up a little. While working with this hobbit, they had only discussed the weather, and the better ways of growing corn and wheat. Fastred knew nothing about this traveler, not even his name.
"But there are no hobbit dwellings West of here." Elanor said, looking as puzzled as her husband.
"I have been living far away from my people for a long period of time." The stranger said, cutting up the meat on his plate. "I only recently decided to enter the Shire."
"Why?' Fastred asked, refilling his tankard.
"I wish to see the sights, and see some relatives of mine." The hobbit said simply.
"Who are you related to?" Elfstan questioned again, eyeing the stranger with interest.
"Oh, quite a few people." The hobbit said, an odd smile crossing his face. "I wasn't to keen on coming here, but I was eventually persuaded by a fellow who passed my way some time ago."
"Who did you meet?" Asked Elanor, thinking that if this hobbit lived somewhere between the Shire and the Grey Havens, it must have been---
"A Master Samwise Gamgee, I do believe." The hobbit said, leaning back in his chair as he sipped ale from his mug. "A very kind and honorable hobbit."
"Why, that's my father!" Elanor said happily. "He left here some three years ago."
"Is that so?" The traveler said, delight clearly visible in his amazing blue eyes. "Fancy that! And to think I'm sitting here, dining with part of Master Gamgee's family!"
"Where did you meet him?" Elfstan asked, excited for news of his grandfather.
"He stopped by my dwelling one day. He was off to see a friend of his, and because of that, I didn't keep him long. But we did share some leaf by my fireside, and discussed events in my life and his."
The Stranger's eyes twinkled merrily.
"He had quite an interesting tale to tell, actually."
"I'm sure he did." Said Elanor, beaming happily.
The four hobbits continue talking merrily all through the meal, although the subject was switched to events that had occured in the Tower Hills, Hobbiton, and all over the Shire.
As the meal drew to a close, the traveler stood up and bowed.
"Thank you, Master Fastred, for letting me enjoy the wonderful cooking of your wife, and the lovely company of you and your family. I must be off now."
"But it's almost dark!" Elfstan said. "Don't you think you ought to spend the night?"
"Nay." The stranger said, smiling broadly. "I've a long way to go, and I'd like to get where I'm going as soon as possible."
The hobbit walked to the door of the dining room, then turned back to look at the seated family.
"You have been kind and courteous. And for that, I wish upon you as many blessings as the future can hold."
With that, the hobbit turned and walked out. He stopped at the clothes rack to grab his cloak and walking stick. Then, exiting the house, he began to walk down the road, humming a mery tune under his breath.
The three people in the house suddenly seemed to snap out of a trance.
Suspicions filled their minds, and questions they had not thought of asking came into their heads.
"I wonder," Fastred said. "Why I invited him to come back with me, when I knew nothing of him?"
"We still know nothing of him." Elfstan said. "He never told us exactly where he lived, nor who he was related too. He didn't even say his name. And we didn't ask."
"Who do you suppose he was?" Elanor asked her husband. In response, Fastred shrugged his shoulders.
"I have no idea." He said. "But I'm not worried about it. He was a very nice hobbit, helpful and polite. And I'm sure everything he told us was true."
Fastred stood up and picked up his plate, smiling.
"Come on, let's do the dishes. If there's still time before bed, we can have a chat and a smoke by the hearth."
************
I want to thank everyone who ever reviewed this fic, and double thank yous to everyone who reviewed more than once.
I consider this peice my best work so far, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I hope all of you are too.
Once again, thank you all! : )