Marigold sat on her bed in Bag End. The room was surprisingly luxurious. She had actually never been inside a hobbit hole before. They were cosy and not at all damp. Frodo had led her to this room after dinner and had helped her sit down before leaving. At which point he had left. Marigold was bored. Marigold was also lonely. And bored. She wished that she had not made the 'on an adventure comment.' She really wasn't on an adventure. It was more of a tour. She had, after all promised to come back to Rivendell at the time when the evil returned. That was a long time ago. Marigold had been a different person then, when at the volcanoes edge she had promised Elrond that she would return when the time came for the evil to be destroyed. Actually, he was the only other person who had actually trusted her, what with her powers and all. But then Marigold had been called away on business and she hadn't got back until about a year before. Two years would have been enough to explore the whole of middle earth to get up-to-date with everything again. She had thought that anyway but now it seemed that she would prefer to spend the year she had left here. This feeling alarmed her still, although she was used to it. So much had happened in one day, a few hours. Marigold was a bit scared now at what would happen when she had to go back to Rivendell. Elrond would... well no probably not. He was married now, she remembered thankfully. He was married. Marigold sat on the bed, twiddling her thumbs. Marigold remembered something in her backpack, the backpack that she had nearly fallen on when Frodo had knocked her over and was now sitting on the bad beside her. A slight movement was now noticeable from said backpack and Marigold heard a small whine. That was certainly worth remembering. She had put Quellie in her backpack about an hour before arriving in hobbiton. The little puppy just couldn't handle all the walking. A small whine emanated from the backpack again and the backpack tried to get up and walk off the bed. Marigold picked up the backpack just in time, before Quellie managed to tip herself over. Marigold undid the clasp and lifted Quellie out of the pouch. The small irish setter jumped out of her arms and sat down in front of her.
"Well aren't I glad to be out of there." A voice appeared in Marigold's head. "As much as I am glad the bag is soundproof and linked to a small other dimension."
"Huh?" Marigold asked.
"Well you certainly seem to have made some new friends." Quellie raised an eyebrow, as much as a puppy can anyway. "Some very good new friends. Are we in Rivendell yet?"
"No. We've actually made a slight pit stop. We're still in hobbiton."
"But I've been in that bag for weeks!"
"Nope, You've been in there for a few hours. The dimension time acting up?"
"Erg, probably." Quellie looked annoyed. "This puppy body is really bothersome. I'm so small."
Quellie was about the size of a small drink bottle. She was a hobbit sized irish setter puppy, like the hobbit ponies are smaller than real horses, only Quellie was a dog.
"Alright, alright." Marigold conceded. "I can make you full grown again. I just won't be able to fit you back in the backpack."
"It doesn't bother me." Came the voice of Quellie. "I wonder if hobbits like dogs?"
Marigold clicked her fingers and Quellie grew quickly to about the size of a computer hard drive. Not that they had computers.
"That's better, all that cuteness was killing me." Quellies voice was slowly fading. "What? You're taking away my voice? How will I be able to tell them I don't like dog foo...?"
Finally Quellie's voice could no longer be heard.
"Sorry, Quellie." Marigold said. "Better you just be a normal dog. You know, so they don't run screaming into the wilderness."
Quellie nodded, but looked particularily miffed.
Frodo popped his head into the room just then.
"Hey Marigold." He said. "I was just wondering... hey! where did that come from?"
"Oh, the dog?" Marigold asked. "This is my dog Quelleannon, shortened to Quellie."
"Yes, I realize it is a dog." Said Frodo. "But where did it come from?"
"She must have followed me here." Said Marigold. "She's a very smart dog."
Marigold looked at Quellie knowingly, she had better not do anything too smart.
"Um... okay." Frodo said, staring at the dog. "So... does it have to stay here?"
Quellie growled and Marigold hastily replied. "Um... yes. I think she wants to stay."
Marigold glared at Quellie.
"Well... um, Okay then." Frodo looked awkward. "As long as it doesn't make a mess."
"Yeah... well, um. Look, I just want to apologise for earlier. I..." Marigold said. "I think I may have upset you."
"Oh, no trouble at all." Frodo relaxed. "So you didn't take offense?"
"And you didn't take offense either?" Marigold looked relieved. "I was worried that you..."
"Oh no, It's absolutely fine." Said Frodo. "But you're an adventurer? You don't look it."
"I'm sort of an adventurer." Said Marigold. "What gave it away? Was it the lack of a walking stick."
They laughed nervously and Quellie lay down, with her paws over her ears and whined.
"I... I think she needs to go outside." Marigold said. "I'll take her out, okay?"
"But what about your ankle." Said Frodo. "I'll take her outside if you want..."
"No, no... It'll be fine, really." Marigold reassured. "Umm... Quellie is very protective. She doesn't like me being out of her sight."
"Oh, okay... Strange dog." Said Frodo, walking out but pausing at the door. "I'll be in the back loungeroom, when you get back in. We could... talk or something."
"Sure." Marigold replied as Frodo left. "Sure..."
Marigold stood up, leaning on the dresser. "This is all your fault Quellie." She said. "Now I have to go outside. Why can't you act like a dog instead of a person for once?"
Quellie shook her head and walked over towards the door.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Said Marigold. "You don't really need to go outside but... just to keep up appearances."
Marigold hobbled outside with Quellie at her heels.
"Just because you're a witch in dog form, you think you rule the world. If I could change like that..." Marigold strated on Quellie. "But... I can't. And you're stuck like that anyway. Teach you to flaunt your powers."
Quellie growled.
"All right, all right." Marigold conceded. "You can have your voice back."
Quellie yapped in response.
"But I'm enchanting it." Continued Marigold. "I don't want anyone else hearing you. You can talk all you want and only I'll hear you. maybe that's enough and you'll behave more like a dog?"
Marigold raised an eyebrow and Quellie gave the best innocent dog-smile she could. Marigold snapped her fingers.
"Much better." Said Quellie. "But you were making an absolute fool of yourself."
" 's none of your business." Marigold pouted. "I can act all nervous and stupid if I feel nervous and stupid."
"You really like him huh?"
"Yep." Said Marigold. "Now... why don't you go chase some sheep or something while I try to rationalize your actions to Frodo."
"Ruff! I'll rationalize you." Quellie barked. "You just want alone time."
"Yep."
"Alright." Quellie called as she loped off. "But if I get caught and shot as a foreign delicacy, these hobbits eat alot I've heard, It will be your fault."
Marigold smiled as Quellie retreated into the distance.
"And stay out." She muttered and she turned and went back inside.