I Will Protect You
by: Serena-chan
The next morning, Frodo opened his eyes to sunlight streaming through the
window. The first thing he saw was Lorenthia's lovely face. She was
sleeping peacefully, her head on the pillow next to his. As he watched her,
she opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Good morning," she said softly, sitting up and stretching her still aching
muscles.
"Morning," he replied, sitting up also. "Guess I'd better get back to my
room before-"
He was cut off by the door swinging open. Fern stood there, looking
indignant. "I thought I told you to stay put!" She placed her hands on
her hips and attempted a stern frown, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Oh, honestly Fern!" Said Lorenthia, smiling, "He's fine."
Fern surrendered her attempt at seriousness and grinned back. "Alright,
you win. I just thought that I'd tell you that the lead healer wants a
word with both of you in the Meeting Chamber as soon as possible."
"We'd better get up then," Lorenthia said, swinging her feet onto the floor
and standing. Frodo stood also smoothing his rumpled clothes.
"I've told the cook to have a light breakfast sent up here. You can eat
before your meeting. Here," said Fern, turning to Frodo and handing him a
set of clothing, "you'd better change into something a little more suitable.
Just go behind that screen to change."
Frodo went toward the dressing screen that was on the other side of the room.
Stepping behind it, he changed into the clothes Fern had given him. There was
a tunic made from white rose petals and pants made from red rose petals.
The petals were soft and smooth but definitely not delicate. No matter how
hard you pulled, they would just stretch to meet that length. They would not
break. Must have fairy magic in them, Frodo thought as he finished dressing.
While Frodo was changing, Fern and Lorenthia had begun to speak in their
own language. It was like nothing Frodo had ever heard before. He stood
behind the screen long after he was finished dressing, just listening. It was
the most magical and beautiful sound that had ever met his ears. He tried to
catch a phrase and hold it in his mind, but it slipped away from him, like water
running through his fingers.
One thing he was able to distinguish, however, were visual images. When each
fairy talked, a picture shot into his mind's eye. Every time Fern spoke, he saw
an emerald green forest with golden sunlight shining down through the trees
onto a patch of deep green ferns.
Lorenthia's picture was completely different. With her, he saw a stream,
running silvery in the moonlight. It emptied into a calm pool of water. The
surface reflected the deep blue of the night sky and the diamond brightness
of the stars. In the center of the pool, a pure white water lily was blooming
as the moon shone down on it.
It was so calming listening to them. He felt as though he could stand there
forever, but at last, he knew he had listened enough. He stepped from behind
the screen, and Fern and Lorenthia ended their conversation. Fern ran over to
him and began making adjustments in the clothes with her magic so that it would
fit him properly.
A small servant girl brought up breakfast on a tray for them. It consisted of
tea and something Lorenthia called 'fairy cake.' The tea was wonderful and
strong. It reminded Frodo of violets and roses. There was simply no way to
describe the fairy cake. It was white and seemed to shine from inside with a
golden light. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
At last, when they had eaten as much as they could hold, Lorenthia led him
through the beautiful passageways of the fairy kingdom. She stopped in front
of a large set of golden doors. Beckoning to Frodo, Lorenthia opened the door
and slipped inside. Frodo followed her and found himself in a large room with
a dome ceiling. The walls were made of white marble with gold trimming. In
the center of the room, a long table was lined with chairs.
At the head of the table sat a man that reminded Frodo strongly of Gandalf.
His white beard was long, and his face was kind. He wore a robe made of white
lotus leaves, and a small crown lay upon his head. The wings that fell from his
back were sparkling white.
Lorenthia dropped a small curtsey before speaking, "Honored Healer
Grindwith, may I present Mr. Frodo Baggins. He was one of the boys who went
over the cliff. The other boy, I believe, is in your care?"
"Yes," the man said in a wise voice, "That is what I wanted to see you about.
Please be seated." Frodo and Lorenthia sat in two chairs near him.
"Please, sir." Frodo tried to keep his voice steady, "Can you tell me if Sam
is alright?"
"The boy, Sam," Grindwith began, "is in critical condition. He was dead
when we found him. I have managed to bring him back to life, but he is still
very weak. I'm afraid he'll need about a month to fully heal."
"But he will be alright won't he?" Frodo felt panic wash over him, "If he
rests here for a month, then he'll be fine, right?"
"Correct," said Grindwith, leaning back in his chair. "He is back to good
health and there's no danger of anything happening to him. He just needs to
regain his strength. In the mean time, you may visit him whenever you wish.
He's been moved to the room right across from yours so that Fern can look
after him."
"May I go see him now?"
Grindwith nodded and Frodo practically leapt from his seat. He walked as
quickly as his injured muscles would allow him, through the marbled
passageways of the fairy kingdom.
He reached the hall that his room was in and quickly noticed that there was
a door on the opposite side of the hall from his, directly in front of his door.
He could have sworn that it hadn't been there last night.
He rapped softy on the door before turning the crystal handle and stepping
inside. Sam was asleep on what looked (and smelled) like buttercup petals.
He heard the door open and opened his eyes. When he saw Frodo, his face
split into a huge smile.
"Frodo!" He said, his voice weak, but clear, "It's good to see you." He
tried to sit up, but a little choking noise fell from his lips and he lay back
on the bed, his face scrunched up in pain.
"Sam!" Frodo rushed over to him in alarm, "Are you alright?"
After a moment, Sam opened his eyes, "Yeah, I just can't move too much
yet."
"Grindwith says that you'll regain your strength in about a month. So,
looks like we'll be here for awhile."
"You can't afford to be here a month!" Said Sam worriedly, "Maybe you
should go on without me."
"No, I'm staying here till you recover Sam." Frodo told him, decidedly.
"But you have to take care of the ring!" Sam protested, "Besides, you
won't be alone anymore, will you? You'll have Lorenthia to look after you.
She's a better fighter than me anyway."
"Sam," said Frodo, looking his friend strait in the eye, "you've been with
me since the beginning. You've risked your life for me, and you've stayed
loyal when others haven't. I wouldn't dream of going one step further
without you."
"Thanks, Mister Frodo," said Sam.
They talked for about an hour more before Fern came in and ordered
Frodo out, telling him that Sam needed to rest. Frodo walked back to his
own room and flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about
all that had happened since his journey had begun.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Sometime after lunch, Frodo heard a soft tapping at his door. He sat up
quickly and called, "Come in!"
The door opened and Lorenthia stepped in, wearing a light summer dress
made of pale pink rose petals. Her long hair hung loose in golden waves
that reached just below her hips. Frodo realized that this was the first
time he had seen her in a dress. A blush crept to his cheeks as he caught
himself thinking about how pretty she looked.
"Thought you might like some company," she said, sitting down beside him.
"What have you been doing in here, all alone."
"Thinking," he answered simply.
"About what?" She asked, leaning back on her elbows.
"Nothing," he murmured.
"Liar."
"Well," he sighed, laying back on the bed, "I was just thinking about
\everything that's happened since the ring came to me. So much has
happened in such a short period of time. I miss my life back a the Shire
so much! I know it really hasn't been that long since I was last there, but
it feels like an eternity has gone by. Here lately, I just can't seem to get
that place out of my mind."
They lay there in silence for a few minutes, before Lorenthia sat up, her
eyes sparkling happily. "I have an idea of how to take your mind off all
that."
"What?" He asked looking up at her.
"There's a festival tonight in the village. You will come won't you?"
"Of course." He answered.
"Good!" She smiled. Frodo couldn't help but smile back. He loved the way
she smiled. Her whole face seemed to light up. They locked eyes for a
split second, and Frodo felt a great happiness swell in his chest. He
wondered where these feelings had come from. He had never felt anything
like this before. "See you tonight then!" She said, leaving a very confused
Frodo to try and sort out his new feelings.
______________________________________________________________
A/N: Well, I (finally!) got this next part in. What do you think of it so far? Keep
those reviews coming. They're the best motivation to write I have!
by: Serena-chan
The next morning, Frodo opened his eyes to sunlight streaming through the
window. The first thing he saw was Lorenthia's lovely face. She was
sleeping peacefully, her head on the pillow next to his. As he watched her,
she opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Good morning," she said softly, sitting up and stretching her still aching
muscles.
"Morning," he replied, sitting up also. "Guess I'd better get back to my
room before-"
He was cut off by the door swinging open. Fern stood there, looking
indignant. "I thought I told you to stay put!" She placed her hands on
her hips and attempted a stern frown, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Oh, honestly Fern!" Said Lorenthia, smiling, "He's fine."
Fern surrendered her attempt at seriousness and grinned back. "Alright,
you win. I just thought that I'd tell you that the lead healer wants a
word with both of you in the Meeting Chamber as soon as possible."
"We'd better get up then," Lorenthia said, swinging her feet onto the floor
and standing. Frodo stood also smoothing his rumpled clothes.
"I've told the cook to have a light breakfast sent up here. You can eat
before your meeting. Here," said Fern, turning to Frodo and handing him a
set of clothing, "you'd better change into something a little more suitable.
Just go behind that screen to change."
Frodo went toward the dressing screen that was on the other side of the room.
Stepping behind it, he changed into the clothes Fern had given him. There was
a tunic made from white rose petals and pants made from red rose petals.
The petals were soft and smooth but definitely not delicate. No matter how
hard you pulled, they would just stretch to meet that length. They would not
break. Must have fairy magic in them, Frodo thought as he finished dressing.
While Frodo was changing, Fern and Lorenthia had begun to speak in their
own language. It was like nothing Frodo had ever heard before. He stood
behind the screen long after he was finished dressing, just listening. It was
the most magical and beautiful sound that had ever met his ears. He tried to
catch a phrase and hold it in his mind, but it slipped away from him, like water
running through his fingers.
One thing he was able to distinguish, however, were visual images. When each
fairy talked, a picture shot into his mind's eye. Every time Fern spoke, he saw
an emerald green forest with golden sunlight shining down through the trees
onto a patch of deep green ferns.
Lorenthia's picture was completely different. With her, he saw a stream,
running silvery in the moonlight. It emptied into a calm pool of water. The
surface reflected the deep blue of the night sky and the diamond brightness
of the stars. In the center of the pool, a pure white water lily was blooming
as the moon shone down on it.
It was so calming listening to them. He felt as though he could stand there
forever, but at last, he knew he had listened enough. He stepped from behind
the screen, and Fern and Lorenthia ended their conversation. Fern ran over to
him and began making adjustments in the clothes with her magic so that it would
fit him properly.
A small servant girl brought up breakfast on a tray for them. It consisted of
tea and something Lorenthia called 'fairy cake.' The tea was wonderful and
strong. It reminded Frodo of violets and roses. There was simply no way to
describe the fairy cake. It was white and seemed to shine from inside with a
golden light. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
At last, when they had eaten as much as they could hold, Lorenthia led him
through the beautiful passageways of the fairy kingdom. She stopped in front
of a large set of golden doors. Beckoning to Frodo, Lorenthia opened the door
and slipped inside. Frodo followed her and found himself in a large room with
a dome ceiling. The walls were made of white marble with gold trimming. In
the center of the room, a long table was lined with chairs.
At the head of the table sat a man that reminded Frodo strongly of Gandalf.
His white beard was long, and his face was kind. He wore a robe made of white
lotus leaves, and a small crown lay upon his head. The wings that fell from his
back were sparkling white.
Lorenthia dropped a small curtsey before speaking, "Honored Healer
Grindwith, may I present Mr. Frodo Baggins. He was one of the boys who went
over the cliff. The other boy, I believe, is in your care?"
"Yes," the man said in a wise voice, "That is what I wanted to see you about.
Please be seated." Frodo and Lorenthia sat in two chairs near him.
"Please, sir." Frodo tried to keep his voice steady, "Can you tell me if Sam
is alright?"
"The boy, Sam," Grindwith began, "is in critical condition. He was dead
when we found him. I have managed to bring him back to life, but he is still
very weak. I'm afraid he'll need about a month to fully heal."
"But he will be alright won't he?" Frodo felt panic wash over him, "If he
rests here for a month, then he'll be fine, right?"
"Correct," said Grindwith, leaning back in his chair. "He is back to good
health and there's no danger of anything happening to him. He just needs to
regain his strength. In the mean time, you may visit him whenever you wish.
He's been moved to the room right across from yours so that Fern can look
after him."
"May I go see him now?"
Grindwith nodded and Frodo practically leapt from his seat. He walked as
quickly as his injured muscles would allow him, through the marbled
passageways of the fairy kingdom.
He reached the hall that his room was in and quickly noticed that there was
a door on the opposite side of the hall from his, directly in front of his door.
He could have sworn that it hadn't been there last night.
He rapped softy on the door before turning the crystal handle and stepping
inside. Sam was asleep on what looked (and smelled) like buttercup petals.
He heard the door open and opened his eyes. When he saw Frodo, his face
split into a huge smile.
"Frodo!" He said, his voice weak, but clear, "It's good to see you." He
tried to sit up, but a little choking noise fell from his lips and he lay back
on the bed, his face scrunched up in pain.
"Sam!" Frodo rushed over to him in alarm, "Are you alright?"
After a moment, Sam opened his eyes, "Yeah, I just can't move too much
yet."
"Grindwith says that you'll regain your strength in about a month. So,
looks like we'll be here for awhile."
"You can't afford to be here a month!" Said Sam worriedly, "Maybe you
should go on without me."
"No, I'm staying here till you recover Sam." Frodo told him, decidedly.
"But you have to take care of the ring!" Sam protested, "Besides, you
won't be alone anymore, will you? You'll have Lorenthia to look after you.
She's a better fighter than me anyway."
"Sam," said Frodo, looking his friend strait in the eye, "you've been with
me since the beginning. You've risked your life for me, and you've stayed
loyal when others haven't. I wouldn't dream of going one step further
without you."
"Thanks, Mister Frodo," said Sam.
They talked for about an hour more before Fern came in and ordered
Frodo out, telling him that Sam needed to rest. Frodo walked back to his
own room and flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about
all that had happened since his journey had begun.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Sometime after lunch, Frodo heard a soft tapping at his door. He sat up
quickly and called, "Come in!"
The door opened and Lorenthia stepped in, wearing a light summer dress
made of pale pink rose petals. Her long hair hung loose in golden waves
that reached just below her hips. Frodo realized that this was the first
time he had seen her in a dress. A blush crept to his cheeks as he caught
himself thinking about how pretty she looked.
"Thought you might like some company," she said, sitting down beside him.
"What have you been doing in here, all alone."
"Thinking," he answered simply.
"About what?" She asked, leaning back on her elbows.
"Nothing," he murmured.
"Liar."
"Well," he sighed, laying back on the bed, "I was just thinking about
\everything that's happened since the ring came to me. So much has
happened in such a short period of time. I miss my life back a the Shire
so much! I know it really hasn't been that long since I was last there, but
it feels like an eternity has gone by. Here lately, I just can't seem to get
that place out of my mind."
They lay there in silence for a few minutes, before Lorenthia sat up, her
eyes sparkling happily. "I have an idea of how to take your mind off all
that."
"What?" He asked looking up at her.
"There's a festival tonight in the village. You will come won't you?"
"Of course." He answered.
"Good!" She smiled. Frodo couldn't help but smile back. He loved the way
she smiled. Her whole face seemed to light up. They locked eyes for a
split second, and Frodo felt a great happiness swell in his chest. He
wondered where these feelings had come from. He had never felt anything
like this before. "See you tonight then!" She said, leaving a very confused
Frodo to try and sort out his new feelings.
______________________________________________________________
A/N: Well, I (finally!) got this next part in. What do you think of it so far? Keep
those reviews coming. They're the best motivation to write I have!