Chapter 5
When the trio reached the Shire, they found Bag End quite easily. Frodo greeted his old friends happily, and they found that Sam was already there. Frodo had to laugh as Legolas told him of how Thranduil was trying to get him to marry. The two hobbits took a lot of interest in Terrico's study of Dragons, and in Sealeaf. She showed them her sketches, and a few new ones she had made of Legolas and Sealeaf. The best one she gave to Frodo, who had it framed and hung over his mantle. She told them that she was studying the Dragons that were in the woods nearby, and that she'd already found signs that there was an active Dragon community. "Plenty of territorial scratches and take-over scorches." She said, "I've gotten some information about them from other dragons. I know that they are their own species, and not one of the ones I've already studied. I call them Piquenia Dragons. They don't get very big. They are quite friendly, too, from what I've heard. The last Dragon I spoke with about them was the Gladias Dragon I got Sealeaf's egg from. She had seen them a while ago, when she swam up the river near here to get to her mate's territory." Frodo yawned, "I'm sorry, Terrico. You're not boring at all, but we hobbits normally go to bed at this time, and I'm quite tired. You all can stay here, if you want, I've got plenty of rooms." They accepted, and bid Sam good night as he left for his home. Terrico and Legolas, being much taller than the hobbit, had to walk bent over. Legolas decided that he would rest on some blankets near Frodo's tub, where Sealeaf would get another bath and a chance to test out his skills at swimming. Terrico decided that Frodo's bathroom was big enough for two. "Normally this would be quite queer, and it actually IS, but I understand since you've got that little one." Frodo laughed at the sight of two big elves laying around his tub, with a little dragon swimming in it. He laughed all the way back to his room.
The next morning Terrico got up right at sunrise. She knew Frodo slept in rather late and that Legolas wouldn't get up for a few more hours. She set a pot of water on a low fire to start breakfast, and left it where it would stay warm, but not spoil. She made them eggs, tea, and delicious pastry that was normally made in Greenhorn. The pastries were coiled up batter mixed with a seasoning spice that was very sweet and grew only near Redrock Dragon caves near Greenhorn. She left these with a note that she had gone off early to see if she could find any dragons nearby, since they were the least likely to attack when they first wake up. She told Legolas where she had left her pouch of fruit and meat that Sealeaf liked. It took her an hour to spot her first Piquenia Dragon. When she found it, it was hunting a goblin that was scouting out the Shire. She hid and watched. The Dragon used Camouflage Scale to hide its bronze scales, then used Wall of Fog to make sure the goblin didn't move. As Terrico watched it attack the goblin, she wondered where it came from. Goblins were not normally found near here, and a scout was even stranger, as it often ran ahead of large armies. She drew the Dragon, then approached it after it had finished eating. She made sure it knew she was there before she said anything. She called out a greeting in Redrock Draconic, and was surprised that it answered in Common. "You know the Redrock? That is odd for an elf, but then again you are an odd elf. Who are you? Are you after my food? You're not getting it! It took me an hour to find it!" "Calm down, if I wanted your food, I would have attacked you. I can wield magic as well as you. I have already eaten. I am studying Dragons to prove that not all of them are like Smaug." At Smaug's name, the dragon coiled up and hissed. "We hate Smaug! Him and his kind! Not like us, they are!" The dragon hissed again. "Then we share many views. I hated Smaug and I am glad that he is dead. My name is Terrico. What's yours?" "Silvian, you're quite a strange elf, if you don't mind me saying, Terrico. Where are you from?" The dragon relaxed and sat down in front of Terrico. He was as tall as she was. "I am from Greenhorn, a little elvish town near the territory of the Redrock Dragons and Gandalf's Tower." She mentally noted the dragon's height, approximate weight, and build. "Never been there, but I've heard the hobbits over in that town over there speak of him." Silvian motioned with his head towards the Shire. The two talked for quite a while, and Silvian was happy to find an elf that wanted to listen to him and learn the ways of the Dragons. They talked until noon, when some of the hobbits ventured out into the woods to gather firewood. Silvian left, and told Terrico where his nest was, so she could visit him. Terrico thanked him, the startled the hobbits by seeming to appear out of nowhere onto their path. She headed back into the Shire and went back to Bag End. As she walked past Sam's house, she saw him tending the flowerbeds in the front yard. "Hello Sam!" She called, startling him slightly, "Has anyone in Bag End gotten up yet?" Sam walked over to the fence. "Good day, Miss Terrico, no one's been out of Bag End, but I saw Mister Frodo walking about a little while ago. I think they're eating lunch now. It's a nice day out, isn't it? Did you see any Dragons?" Terrico bent down a bit so that she spoke on the hobbit's level. "Yes, a very nice bronze one named Silvian. They're quite nice and about as tall as I am, when they sit down. I'd say they stand about as tall as ol' Bill, but with longer necks and a longer tail." She noted the horse grazing in the fields nearby. "I'd like to stay and chat, but I've got to go and write what I learned down in my notes, I'll come back later. It is a nice day out, I think, good for gardening." She smiled to Sam and stood up. A few minutes later she returned to Frodo's home.
Frodo was almost surprised when Terrico came back, but he'd seen her talking with Sam. "Hello Terrico! I didn't expect you back so soon. Legolas is still in the bathroom, and little Sealeaf is much larger now. I think that the water did him good. I thank you for the delicious breakfast. I wasn't expecting it." Frodo smiled and pulled out a chair for Terrico. "Yes, well, a few hobbits came out and the dragon had to leave. I'm glad you liked my cooking. I thought that it was the best way I could repay you for letting us stay here. Is Gimli up yet?" Terrico went over to where she'd set her pouches, and pulled out a few rolls of paper. She opened a new one and wrote at the top "Piquenia Dragon". Frodo watched as she drew Silvian, and noted everything she had learned. By the time she was done, she had filled the paper with notes. It had size, color, age, habits, magical abilities, magic level, social type and status, diet, language, and a few other interesting facts. Terrico rolled up the paper and put it back into the set. "I think that I've gotten everything I needed. I'll have to take something to Silvian to repay him for a most productive morning." She got a bit to eat from Frodo and walked back to the bathroom. She found that just as Frodo said, Sealeaf was larger. He'd doubled in size. "Legolas, what did you feed him? A growth potion?" She was joking, of course, she knew that young dragons have to grow quickly because otherwise they would be easy prey for predators and would slow down moving flights. "No, but I think he likes the water." Legolas responded, laughing. He was in the water now with Sealeaf, his clothes lying in a pile on the side. Elves have no problems with nudity, unlike hobbits and all the other peoples. Frodo noticed the pile of clothes, and quickly turned away. "If you want," he said, studying a picture hung on the wall, "I'll wash your clothes for you, they're bound to be dirty from all of that traveling." Terrico handed him Legolas's clothes, and then hers. Frodo refused to turn around until after Terrico had climbed into the very large tub. "I'll bring them back when they're dry. There should be some towels in the corner there." He shut the door and sighed, "I wish they'd warn me." He then left to see if Gimli needed anything.
He found Gimli outside, chopping large firewood pieces into small ones. He asked if he needed anything washed, but the dwarf said "I'll do everything at once when I get a bath, which will be after I can chase those two elves and that pesky Dragon out." He sent his axe through the firewood and halfway through the stump he was chopping on. "I could use a drink, though. All this chopping is thirsty work." Frodo was more that happy to get him a drink, as it was better than having to turn from 'indecent' (in his opinion) exposure. He told Gimli about what had happened with him and the Elves, and Gimli only laughed. "Elves will do that. They're not like us in that sense, but don't worry, I'll warn you." The two laughed and walked back into the house.