~MY ADVENTURE~

Chapter I: A Departure from Home

Soon, a while after Bilbo Baggins's mysterious disappearance, I began to notice a change in Sam and in my other companions. They all began spending less time with me, and more time as if they were preparing for something. Then, one day, I found out why.

Sam came up to the front of my hobbit hole and knocked on it loudly, twice, just as he always did. But this time, when I opened it, he had a serious look on his face.

"Ah, Sam," I spoke with a smile, trying to cheer him up. "Come to hear more tales, I suppose? Well, I just thought of one that you would like, about-"

"Actually, Ms. Laurie, that's not what I came for"

"Ah, then, come to seek hiding from farmer Maggot? Have you been in his mushrooms again, where are the others?"

He smiled, "That's not it, actually, I've come to say goodbye."

"Goodbye, why? Where are you going Sam?"

"I'm going away with Mr. Frodo, Ms. Laurie," He said, "and I don't know when I'll be back. I wish I could tell you more, but I'm afraid that I cant. I'll miss you Ms. Laurie, your smile and your stories and your laugh, but Mr. Frodo needs me now."

I could feel tears in my eyes. "But-" I began.

"No, now there's no need to start any of that Ms. Laurie, please, I couldn't bare it. This is quite difficult enough already."

"But why?"

"I can't say any of that quite yet, but just you wait, the answers will come soon enough." His eyes then turned to up the road. "I have to go now. Please, watch over my ol' gaffer for me, he'll be worried 'bout me for sure," Sam said.

"I will." They were the only words.

"Goodbye, Ms. Laurie"

"Goodbye, Mr. Samwise. And regular old Laurie will do just fine, thanks"

And after a brief hug, Samwise Gamgee left the Shire, and left me standing baffled. Now, not only was Sam gone, but so were my other friends: Frodo, Pippin, and my beloved cousin Merry. Even my dear friend Elaina had gone to Rivendell a while ago to visit friends. I was alone.

So ended my carefree days in Hobbiton...

Days passed slowly during the lonely months which followed. I sat alone in my hobbit hole all day, staring out my round little windows. Something inside of me told me that my friends wouldn't be there, that they had something to do with something bigger than me, bigger than Hobbiton, bigger than the shire.

My mood became worse and worse as I grew lonelier and lonelier.

One lonely day, about three months after my friends left, a knock finally came on my door.

"Ah," I thought, "there's a sound I haven't heard in a while. It's probably just farmer Maggot coming to complain about my mushroom-stealing friends again, poor soul probably has no idea they're gone."

I opened my door, wondering whether or not I felt like sharing a cup of tea with the old hobbit.

"Hello Old friend," a familiar but at the same time, foreign voice spoke.

"Linmenel!" I exclaimed. I observed before me a tall creature, clad in mithril with long dark hair. Her eyes were grey and looked lost and forlorn. I knew at once that it was my dear old friend, Linmenel, and elf out of Lothlorien. "It's been far too long," I said.

"It sure has my dear hobbit, but I'm afraid I'm known as Tinalion now." I half saw tears beginning to form in the elf's beautiful grey eyes. "But, anyway, that's beside the point, let me have a look at you my dear Laurelin. How you've grown! You've turned out to be quite the little beauty."

"Hah, then your eyesight maybe isn't as good as legends say!" I mocked, "but where are my manners, how about a cup of tea?"

"I would love that my old friend."

"Half a minute then!"

So, there we were, a hobbit and an elf sipping on tea in my tiny kitchen, with Tinalion's head practically going through my roof. Few words were exchanged until Tinalion broke the silence.

"I sense a change in you my friend. Are you sure you haven't grown, you look much taller, as tall as halflings as yourself go."

"No, I'm afraid I haven't grown, but I have changed, though not for the better." So I began to tell her all that had happened. About Frodo, and Pippin, and Merry, but mostly about Sam, and about how I had felt since the whole thing began. "I feel like I've become empty," I explained, "Like someone has taken something away from me and now I'm lost, and things are spinning beyond my control. But you mustn't know what I'm talking about, such words are no words to offer to a guest. Come, would you like some cheese, or some fresh mushrooms?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the stomach for such food today, old friend," she said with a smile. Suddenly, her smile disappeared and her face became grave. She spoke in an urgent tone. "I must be off, I'm sorry to cut our visit so short, but I cannot explain."

"What? No! Please, don't leave me all alone again, I couldn't stand it! Don't leave me here to sit all by myself with everything spinning out of control around me!"

"Fear not, dear hobbit, for they are things beyond anyone's control."

"But, what am I to do?" I asked. She then looked into my tear-filled eyes for a moment.

"Come with me."

"Leave the shire?" The very thought of it struck fear in my heart. "But, where will we go?"

"Wherever the wind takes us, but we must make haste."

Suddenly the image popped into my head. A tiny hobbit outside of the shire, surrounded by strange beings, lost, with things whirling around me even faster. I could not do it! But, then, something inside of me told me that I should go. "I will come." I spoke finally.

"I am very pleased to hear it." Tinalion spoke, "but we must go quickly."

We hastily packed all my belongings that I could carry in my pack and stepped outside my door.

"Well, Laurelin Brandybuck," I though to myself, "Here begins a new chapter in your life. Perhaps you will make adventures like Mr. Bilbo's. Let's just hope that it has a happy ending."

Tinalion took me to where her horse, Arauka, was tied up. She took my pack and tossed it onto her horse.

"Oh no," I said, "I'd rather face what awaits me here than ride on that thing."

"Come, Laurelin, don't speak such words, you know not their meaning. Arauka is one of the swiftest and kindest horses in all of Lothlorien." Again, she began to speak with a sense of urgency, "Come, we must ride."

She mounted Arauka and lifted me up behind her. I shut my eyes tightly and clung onto her cloak until my knuckles were nearly white. We rode for hours upon her faithful steed and as each hour passed, I became more at ease upon the beast. I spoke little to my

friend, as she seemed very distracted.

Finally, I spoke, "You know, Lin-, Tinalion, us hobbits never go about changing our names so. And Tinalion is quite a mouthful, couldn't I just call you Linmenel, like in the old days?"

"I'm afraid those old days are behind me now Laurelin. You may call me Ali if you so need to."

"Yes, Ali, that fits quite nicely. But, what do you mean those days?"

Soon, the elf began to tell me of all her past, from the death of her father, to her fighting in battle, to the loss of her love, Legolas. I then began to understand.

"Well, here we are then, Ali. You and I, riding off into nowhere with a broken heart. But, as the old Gaffer used to say, 'nothing ever gets done sitting around sobbing about it.' Oh look at me, speaking just like Sam."

"You're right Laurelin, but I'm afraid we don't have any time for such sobbing, something draws near, I can feel it".......