Bilbo was so miserable for the next few days. The pain medication the
healer had prescribed made the old hobbit very sleepy and rather
grumpy, but Frodo did not find this out for a bit.
The tweenager wasn't much better. He was often cooped up
indoors with Gandalf or his books for company. The wizard often
caught Frodo gazing through the closed window of his bedroom,
watching Sam and Hamfast conquer their daily chores.
Frodo would feel Gandalf's prescence and turn around, only to
find himself staring at a large, leatherbound book. "While you're
indoors you might as well make good use of your time," The wizard
told him. Out of protest, Frodo would snatch the book and throw it
down on the floor before storming off.
"He's so depressed, Bilbo." The wizard told the old hobbit one
particularly stuffy early August morning. "Perhaps I should humor him
and take him on an outing."
What Gandalf didn't know was that Frodo stood in the doorway
listening.
Bilbo nodded. "That would be all right. Im feeling rather ill
today and would just like to sleep. It's this dratted medicine." He
yawned loudly.
"Will you be all right alone?" Gandalf asked.
Frodo grinned and scampered away to get his things ready. His
two elders glanced at each other as they heard his footsteps
scurrying down the corridor and raised their eyebrows.
"Eavesdropping, eh?" Gandalf chortled.
It was Bilbo's turn to laugh when he heard Frodo sneeze loudly
from his bedroom. "Take good care of Frodo, Gandalf. Don't let him
out of your sight."
Frodo eventually came back into his Uncle's room with his
playclothes on and his pack ready. "I'm ready to go, Gandalf." He
announced.
Gandalf winked at Bilbo before turning to face Frodo with a very
serious expression. "Who said we were going anywhere?"
Frodo's face fell and his pack also fell to the floor. "You
did." He replied quietly.
"When did I tell you that?"
Frodo blushed. "Well--I--er--overheard you talking with Bilbo.
I would really like to go out, Gandalf. I hate being cooped up all
day."
The wizard nodded. "I see. Eavesdropping is not a good habbit,
Frodo. It could be perilous at times you know."
Frodo nodded. "I won't do it again."
"Yes, we are going out, lad, but I think the best place to visit
for now is the town. You are not strong enough to go romping all over
the countryside."
Frodo glanced at Bilbo who nodded. "You heard what the healer
told you, my boy. Your allergies can't handle a lot of physical
activity. But you can do a bit of shopping for yourself if you'd
like."
"All right." Frodo complied. He figured going into town was
better than not going out at all, though he was still disappointed.
"Give me a hug, lad." Bilbo encouraged and his nephew embraced
him in a tight hug.
"You feel a bit warm, Bilbo." Frodo told his uncle with concern.
"I'm all right. Go and have a good time." Bilbo shooed both of
them away.
Once outside, Frodo hopped around and took in a deep breath of
the sweet air, though it nearly choked him.
"Relax, Frodo." Gandalf laughed. "I know you're excited about
being out, but you can't risk your health over it."
Frodo stepped back so he walked side by side with Gandalf, who
plopped his large, floppy blue hat over the tweenager's head. It was
much too big for Frodo and slid down over the lad's eyes.
"Whoa!"
Gandalf lifted the hobbit into one arm and continued walking,
removing the hat.
"Look!" Frodo called, pointing to a figure walking in the
distance. "It's Ruby!"
Gandalf let the hobbit down and watched as he hurried to greet
the lass, knocking her over backwards. "Pinned ya!" Frodo teased.
Ruby raised an eyebrow before reversing positions so that she was on
top of him instead.
"I think not." She laughed. "So who are you with?" She asked once
they both stood up and brushed dust and dead grass from their
clothes.
Frodo pointed behind him and Ruby turned. "Gandalf!" She
cried. "I've heard all about you, of course! You're in a lot of our
stories and songs! I never thought I'd meet you in person--are you tr
uly immortal? My pa' says you are at least 1,000 years old!" She said
all of this very fast and the wizard laughed.
"I am immortal, miss. And what is your name?"
"I'm terribly sorry--I am Ruby Proudfoot." She curtsied. "A great
pleasure to meet you of course."
"The same to you. And you are a friend of Frodo's?"
She nodded. "We met at Fatty Bolger's birthday party last year."
Frodo turned to her. "Would you like to come into town with us?"
"Thank you, no. I actually just returned from town. I had to pick
up some eggs, flour and sugar for me ma--she's bakin' cookies today
for Frankie's birthday." Frankie Proudfoot was Ruby's elder brother
by 2 years."
Frodo nodded but turned his head and sneezed loudly twice.
"Are you ill, Frodo?" Ruby asked with concern.
"Not ill--just allergic to everything it seems."
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Oh yes--your Uncle Bilbo told me about
that when I saw him in town a few days ago. I hope you feel better
soon, Frodo."
"Thank you. Well--we'd best be off, but I'll see you later I am
sure." He winked at her and teasingly tugged her long, curly auburn
hair before receiving a poke in the side.
"You bet. Pleasure meetin' you again, Mr. Gandalf. Good evening."
She waved and headed home to her familie's smial. Frodo and Gandalf
eventually reached the town of Hobbiton, which was bustling as usual.
Frodo wanted to get Bilbo a gift to cheer him up and decided to go
into the general store for it.
"What were you thinking of getting your Uncle? That is a very
nice thought." Gandalf told the hobbit with a smile.
"I'm not sure. He has so many things at home already. Ooh--isn't
this beautiful?" He walked over to a silver quill trimmed with gold
in a crystal ink stand. He quickly checked his money pouch to see how
much he had to spend and was pleased to see that he had enough to go
on a bit of a shopping spree, so he decided to get the quill for
Bilbo, which was worth nearly three-quarters of his money. He also
bought a few new books for himself and then just wanted to walk
around the town and explore before Gandalf suggested they head home
for afternoon tea.
When they got back to the smial, Frodo carried his purchases with
a big smile and hurried straight for Bilbo's room. The old hobbit was
still asleep so Frodo went to give him a gentle shake.
"Bilbo," he spoke gently, but was startled when the old hobbit
did not awake. "Bilbo!" He spoke again but a bit more loudly this
time. Nothing. Then he was again aware of the intense heat coming off
of his uncle's skin and called for Gandalf.
healer had prescribed made the old hobbit very sleepy and rather
grumpy, but Frodo did not find this out for a bit.
The tweenager wasn't much better. He was often cooped up
indoors with Gandalf or his books for company. The wizard often
caught Frodo gazing through the closed window of his bedroom,
watching Sam and Hamfast conquer their daily chores.
Frodo would feel Gandalf's prescence and turn around, only to
find himself staring at a large, leatherbound book. "While you're
indoors you might as well make good use of your time," The wizard
told him. Out of protest, Frodo would snatch the book and throw it
down on the floor before storming off.
"He's so depressed, Bilbo." The wizard told the old hobbit one
particularly stuffy early August morning. "Perhaps I should humor him
and take him on an outing."
What Gandalf didn't know was that Frodo stood in the doorway
listening.
Bilbo nodded. "That would be all right. Im feeling rather ill
today and would just like to sleep. It's this dratted medicine." He
yawned loudly.
"Will you be all right alone?" Gandalf asked.
Frodo grinned and scampered away to get his things ready. His
two elders glanced at each other as they heard his footsteps
scurrying down the corridor and raised their eyebrows.
"Eavesdropping, eh?" Gandalf chortled.
It was Bilbo's turn to laugh when he heard Frodo sneeze loudly
from his bedroom. "Take good care of Frodo, Gandalf. Don't let him
out of your sight."
Frodo eventually came back into his Uncle's room with his
playclothes on and his pack ready. "I'm ready to go, Gandalf." He
announced.
Gandalf winked at Bilbo before turning to face Frodo with a very
serious expression. "Who said we were going anywhere?"
Frodo's face fell and his pack also fell to the floor. "You
did." He replied quietly.
"When did I tell you that?"
Frodo blushed. "Well--I--er--overheard you talking with Bilbo.
I would really like to go out, Gandalf. I hate being cooped up all
day."
The wizard nodded. "I see. Eavesdropping is not a good habbit,
Frodo. It could be perilous at times you know."
Frodo nodded. "I won't do it again."
"Yes, we are going out, lad, but I think the best place to visit
for now is the town. You are not strong enough to go romping all over
the countryside."
Frodo glanced at Bilbo who nodded. "You heard what the healer
told you, my boy. Your allergies can't handle a lot of physical
activity. But you can do a bit of shopping for yourself if you'd
like."
"All right." Frodo complied. He figured going into town was
better than not going out at all, though he was still disappointed.
"Give me a hug, lad." Bilbo encouraged and his nephew embraced
him in a tight hug.
"You feel a bit warm, Bilbo." Frodo told his uncle with concern.
"I'm all right. Go and have a good time." Bilbo shooed both of
them away.
Once outside, Frodo hopped around and took in a deep breath of
the sweet air, though it nearly choked him.
"Relax, Frodo." Gandalf laughed. "I know you're excited about
being out, but you can't risk your health over it."
Frodo stepped back so he walked side by side with Gandalf, who
plopped his large, floppy blue hat over the tweenager's head. It was
much too big for Frodo and slid down over the lad's eyes.
"Whoa!"
Gandalf lifted the hobbit into one arm and continued walking,
removing the hat.
"Look!" Frodo called, pointing to a figure walking in the
distance. "It's Ruby!"
Gandalf let the hobbit down and watched as he hurried to greet
the lass, knocking her over backwards. "Pinned ya!" Frodo teased.
Ruby raised an eyebrow before reversing positions so that she was on
top of him instead.
"I think not." She laughed. "So who are you with?" She asked once
they both stood up and brushed dust and dead grass from their
clothes.
Frodo pointed behind him and Ruby turned. "Gandalf!" She
cried. "I've heard all about you, of course! You're in a lot of our
stories and songs! I never thought I'd meet you in person--are you tr
uly immortal? My pa' says you are at least 1,000 years old!" She said
all of this very fast and the wizard laughed.
"I am immortal, miss. And what is your name?"
"I'm terribly sorry--I am Ruby Proudfoot." She curtsied. "A great
pleasure to meet you of course."
"The same to you. And you are a friend of Frodo's?"
She nodded. "We met at Fatty Bolger's birthday party last year."
Frodo turned to her. "Would you like to come into town with us?"
"Thank you, no. I actually just returned from town. I had to pick
up some eggs, flour and sugar for me ma--she's bakin' cookies today
for Frankie's birthday." Frankie Proudfoot was Ruby's elder brother
by 2 years."
Frodo nodded but turned his head and sneezed loudly twice.
"Are you ill, Frodo?" Ruby asked with concern.
"Not ill--just allergic to everything it seems."
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Oh yes--your Uncle Bilbo told me about
that when I saw him in town a few days ago. I hope you feel better
soon, Frodo."
"Thank you. Well--we'd best be off, but I'll see you later I am
sure." He winked at her and teasingly tugged her long, curly auburn
hair before receiving a poke in the side.
"You bet. Pleasure meetin' you again, Mr. Gandalf. Good evening."
She waved and headed home to her familie's smial. Frodo and Gandalf
eventually reached the town of Hobbiton, which was bustling as usual.
Frodo wanted to get Bilbo a gift to cheer him up and decided to go
into the general store for it.
"What were you thinking of getting your Uncle? That is a very
nice thought." Gandalf told the hobbit with a smile.
"I'm not sure. He has so many things at home already. Ooh--isn't
this beautiful?" He walked over to a silver quill trimmed with gold
in a crystal ink stand. He quickly checked his money pouch to see how
much he had to spend and was pleased to see that he had enough to go
on a bit of a shopping spree, so he decided to get the quill for
Bilbo, which was worth nearly three-quarters of his money. He also
bought a few new books for himself and then just wanted to walk
around the town and explore before Gandalf suggested they head home
for afternoon tea.
When they got back to the smial, Frodo carried his purchases with
a big smile and hurried straight for Bilbo's room. The old hobbit was
still asleep so Frodo went to give him a gentle shake.
"Bilbo," he spoke gently, but was startled when the old hobbit
did not awake. "Bilbo!" He spoke again but a bit more loudly this
time. Nothing. Then he was again aware of the intense heat coming off
of his uncle's skin and called for Gandalf.