CHAPTER SIX --- 2618 --- Spring (April) --- On the Other Side of the Window ---
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Gailethil was a year and a half old right now, and measured about a foot and a half feet tall. A cute little bundle with her curly ash-blonde hair and intense bright eyes . She was already walking around on her own and forming semi-coherent sentences. She kept trying to convince her father that she had a friend, a three foot tall boy with dark curly hair and striking blue eyes, wanting to know his name. She'd 'seen' him. She'd long since given up trying to ask her mother for anything for Torialas was as unresponsive as ever and it was often the case that Gail had to find her own amusement.
Gail was never alone through Lomendil's strict orders. She had six elleth who served in Lomendil's household watching her at various times and could not quite identify all of them yet. Its probably why she grew up feeling that she had no real mother…so many females taking care of her.
It so happened one day as birds chirped in the valley on a beautiful spring morning that Gail's playpen was placed near the largest window in her chamber. She stood up with a couple of toys, and set them on the windowsill, a little horse…a little princess doll…a prince doll…a knight and a toy tower…and a large troll doll…Each toy was crafted from wood and painted lovingly. There was also a little dog, and a couple of normally dressed people. She put them all on the top of the windowsill.
On either side of the window was a potted plant that had purple lilacs blooming contentedly in the spring sunlight. She babbled a little to herself as she played with the little people in a singsongy voice as her mother painted in the background and one of her guardians was watching over her kindly, stitching something. Perhaps reliving some tale that her father may have told her, or just simply imagining.
As the hour passed, and she continued to play, she smiled suddenly, looking at the other side of the window. The boy was there and he was watching her. He was not quite so pale or worn from the last time she had seen him, but it was still him, and he was sitting in a lovely garden by himself, just outside…and he was fingering the lilacs. His face paled just a little when he saw her, but softened upon her brilliant smile and eager expression. "Play?"
And he ventured over, cautiously, but curiosity was clear in his features. He seemed healthy enough this time, but it was obvious that he had been getting over something. His face was a little drawn, and his bones a little too easy to see, everything about him was a little too frail. "Where are you?" he asked as he laid a trembling hand on the outside of the open window, kneeling down. He saw the elleth in the room beyond the window, but they did not see him…though he wished they could. He wished with all his heart.
She did not respond to his question, but set up the male figures on his side and the female figures on her side. The animals and monsters in between for both of them to play with. "At home." she answered in a bell-like voice.
He wanted to reach out and touch her…to see if she was real…but something held him back. Something…deep within. Something that he could not understand. He decided that he'd rather not think about it too much and would do what she wanted. He would accept her invitation and play with her, perhaps some understanding would come from that. He knew that she wasn't speaking his language…he knew that somehow he could understand her, but not what it was. "I'm Frodo…" he said suddenly, fingering the knight absently, marveling at the realistic craftsmanship. Twas then that he realized that . "Frodo Baggins. Who are you?"
"Frodo!" she laughed merrily at the name, to her it was silly…like the name a child would give her doll. The elleth who was stitching glanced up as the little girl laughed excitedly. Well…as long as she was having fun…and not getting into trouble. "Gailethil." the word he's heard before, he knew he had but he just could not…remember clearly. He never seemed to be able to when it came to this.
"What are we playing?" Frodo asked softly, his voice a little hoarse, he had recently had a bad case of the flu and his throat was still sore despite the best efforts of his cousins. His uncle Bilbo had stopped by recently, and had been speaking to one of his Aunts, but he had no idea what they were talking about..and really…he didn't care right now. He wasn't sure he cared about anything…yet somehow…the little elleth that wanted to play with him mattered more to him than anything else he'd ever known. He wanted to know…
"A game." she took the princess doll and had her move as though she was walking towards the castle. "You start!" laughing, she plucked a lilac from one of the plants and gave it to him. "Favor…Daddy says all Princesses give them to the prince!" she seemed to consider herself quite wise in the way of royalty and would not be swayed.
Taking a deep breath he took the petal, and felt a strange jolt within him, but it passed away and he shrugged it off. He tucked the petal into his pocket so it was just poking out, and smiled, "There."
He took the Prince doll and began to fight the ogre who got in the princess' path.
Together they played…the pieces moving around in a merry melody, both laughing, both feeling the warmth of the sunshine and the brilliance of spring. But then…there was a call from somewhere, a pull…and the boy began to fade away before the game was done. And Gailethil began to cry, trying to reach out of the windowsill.
The dark-haired boy lay on the ground in the garden at Brandyhall, one of his cousins bending over him, "Are you all right Frodo…you were out cold…"
He blinked…confusedly…and a bit feverishly…he remembered…feeling sick, but now he felt okay, his tomach had settled. He glanced at his pocket, drawn to it…and there was a purple lilac petal peaking out.
None of the lilac flowers under the window were missing any leaves…though the two cousins did not notice that….and Frodo did not remember where it came from….he must have picked one of the flowers…
"Lets get you to the doctor, c'mon."
Frodo shivered as he rose, he did feel better…and not just better…wonderful. But he didn't really know why, only fleeting images passed through his mind…a laugh…and the touch of warm fingers… But…who? He allowed his cousin to lead him away without resistance, gazing back at the garden with large curious eyes…thinking he'd have liked to remember that dream…"Do we have a cousin named Gail?" He asked his cousin nervously.
The other looked at Frodo with a raised eyebrow, "No…Why do you ask?"
"No reason, its just…well…" he sucked in his breath a little and then sighed. Maybe he was going crazy…or maybe…he just desperately wanted someone who understood him…someone who would treat him…normally. He was frustrated at his relatives in Brandy Hall…too many cousins…and no one really wanted to deal with him…"Never mind, lets go…"
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Gailethil was a year and a half old right now, and measured about a foot and a half feet tall. A cute little bundle with her curly ash-blonde hair and intense bright eyes . She was already walking around on her own and forming semi-coherent sentences. She kept trying to convince her father that she had a friend, a three foot tall boy with dark curly hair and striking blue eyes, wanting to know his name. She'd 'seen' him. She'd long since given up trying to ask her mother for anything for Torialas was as unresponsive as ever and it was often the case that Gail had to find her own amusement.
Gail was never alone through Lomendil's strict orders. She had six elleth who served in Lomendil's household watching her at various times and could not quite identify all of them yet. Its probably why she grew up feeling that she had no real mother…so many females taking care of her.
It so happened one day as birds chirped in the valley on a beautiful spring morning that Gail's playpen was placed near the largest window in her chamber. She stood up with a couple of toys, and set them on the windowsill, a little horse…a little princess doll…a prince doll…a knight and a toy tower…and a large troll doll…Each toy was crafted from wood and painted lovingly. There was also a little dog, and a couple of normally dressed people. She put them all on the top of the windowsill.
On either side of the window was a potted plant that had purple lilacs blooming contentedly in the spring sunlight. She babbled a little to herself as she played with the little people in a singsongy voice as her mother painted in the background and one of her guardians was watching over her kindly, stitching something. Perhaps reliving some tale that her father may have told her, or just simply imagining.
As the hour passed, and she continued to play, she smiled suddenly, looking at the other side of the window. The boy was there and he was watching her. He was not quite so pale or worn from the last time she had seen him, but it was still him, and he was sitting in a lovely garden by himself, just outside…and he was fingering the lilacs. His face paled just a little when he saw her, but softened upon her brilliant smile and eager expression. "Play?"
And he ventured over, cautiously, but curiosity was clear in his features. He seemed healthy enough this time, but it was obvious that he had been getting over something. His face was a little drawn, and his bones a little too easy to see, everything about him was a little too frail. "Where are you?" he asked as he laid a trembling hand on the outside of the open window, kneeling down. He saw the elleth in the room beyond the window, but they did not see him…though he wished they could. He wished with all his heart.
She did not respond to his question, but set up the male figures on his side and the female figures on her side. The animals and monsters in between for both of them to play with. "At home." she answered in a bell-like voice.
He wanted to reach out and touch her…to see if she was real…but something held him back. Something…deep within. Something that he could not understand. He decided that he'd rather not think about it too much and would do what she wanted. He would accept her invitation and play with her, perhaps some understanding would come from that. He knew that she wasn't speaking his language…he knew that somehow he could understand her, but not what it was. "I'm Frodo…" he said suddenly, fingering the knight absently, marveling at the realistic craftsmanship. Twas then that he realized that . "Frodo Baggins. Who are you?"
"Frodo!" she laughed merrily at the name, to her it was silly…like the name a child would give her doll. The elleth who was stitching glanced up as the little girl laughed excitedly. Well…as long as she was having fun…and not getting into trouble. "Gailethil." the word he's heard before, he knew he had but he just could not…remember clearly. He never seemed to be able to when it came to this.
"What are we playing?" Frodo asked softly, his voice a little hoarse, he had recently had a bad case of the flu and his throat was still sore despite the best efforts of his cousins. His uncle Bilbo had stopped by recently, and had been speaking to one of his Aunts, but he had no idea what they were talking about..and really…he didn't care right now. He wasn't sure he cared about anything…yet somehow…the little elleth that wanted to play with him mattered more to him than anything else he'd ever known. He wanted to know…
"A game." she took the princess doll and had her move as though she was walking towards the castle. "You start!" laughing, she plucked a lilac from one of the plants and gave it to him. "Favor…Daddy says all Princesses give them to the prince!" she seemed to consider herself quite wise in the way of royalty and would not be swayed.
Taking a deep breath he took the petal, and felt a strange jolt within him, but it passed away and he shrugged it off. He tucked the petal into his pocket so it was just poking out, and smiled, "There."
He took the Prince doll and began to fight the ogre who got in the princess' path.
Together they played…the pieces moving around in a merry melody, both laughing, both feeling the warmth of the sunshine and the brilliance of spring. But then…there was a call from somewhere, a pull…and the boy began to fade away before the game was done. And Gailethil began to cry, trying to reach out of the windowsill.
The dark-haired boy lay on the ground in the garden at Brandyhall, one of his cousins bending over him, "Are you all right Frodo…you were out cold…"
He blinked…confusedly…and a bit feverishly…he remembered…feeling sick, but now he felt okay, his tomach had settled. He glanced at his pocket, drawn to it…and there was a purple lilac petal peaking out.
None of the lilac flowers under the window were missing any leaves…though the two cousins did not notice that….and Frodo did not remember where it came from….he must have picked one of the flowers…
"Lets get you to the doctor, c'mon."
Frodo shivered as he rose, he did feel better…and not just better…wonderful. But he didn't really know why, only fleeting images passed through his mind…a laugh…and the touch of warm fingers… But…who? He allowed his cousin to lead him away without resistance, gazing back at the garden with large curious eyes…thinking he'd have liked to remember that dream…"Do we have a cousin named Gail?" He asked his cousin nervously.
The other looked at Frodo with a raised eyebrow, "No…Why do you ask?"
"No reason, its just…well…" he sucked in his breath a little and then sighed. Maybe he was going crazy…or maybe…he just desperately wanted someone who understood him…someone who would treat him…normally. He was frustrated at his relatives in Brandy Hall…too many cousins…and no one really wanted to deal with him…"Never mind, lets go…"
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