Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they are property of J.R.R.
Tolkien. The only characters I do own are Toralinda and Mimosa. Matilda
belongs to my friend Amael.
The hour was just past ten o'clock as the girls set out. Matti had taken her day's worth of food and carefully divided it into two small bags for the girls to carry, barely managing to fill the small pouches. Matti scrawled a short note to her mother on a small piece of parchment, and placed it in the pocket of her mother's folded apron.
"Alright, let's go." Matti said as she slung her pack over her shoulder.
The girls left the hobbit-hole and stepped out onto the rough dirt road. It was a warm autumn day, with a slight breeze rustling through the many-colored trees and scattering the fallen leaves. The small village was exceedingly quiet, and had been that way for quite a while. The usual talking and laughing of the younger hobbits had lessened more and more over the past year, until finally it had almost disappeared completely. There were now no more small gaggles of children running through the fields and hills that lined the road, nor were there any more gaffers and gammers sitting out in front of their holes smoking their pipes before taking a short nap. The road was almost wholly deserted, except for perhaps a small cart or waggon every now and then. The Shire had slowly lost its warmth and security over the past year, until it had become nearly a dismal place.
The girls pressed on through the day, talking quietly along the way about this and that, and wondering if their friends had changed very much since they had last seen them.
"What if we do not even recognize them?" Tori asked curiously. "What if we just pass them along the road, without even knowing it?"
"I'm sure they couldn't have changed that much." Matti answered. "It has, after all, been only a year."
"Yes," Tori agreed. "But you never know. Who knows where they have been and what strange ways they have learned? Why, they could, for all we know, have been crowned kings in a land of Men, or Elves!"
Matti let out a short sigh. Tori always did tire her out with her restless imagination.
"Well, we'll just have to wait until we see them then, won't we?" she said as they crossed a small footbridge.
They were coming close to the east end of Frogmorton, and it was nearing dark. They knew very well that it was against The Rules to be outside past sundown, so they decided to go on ahead to Mimsy's house at the far end of the village.
When they arrived, the only light to be seen was that of candlelight coming from the small kitchen window. They knocked lightly on the door, trying to be as quiet as possible, so as not to disturb anyone nearby and get into trouble. The door opened a crack and a timid, almost fearful voice drifted out.
"Who's there?" it asked cautiously.
Tori answered quickly and softly, "It's Toralinda Bolger and Matilda Brandybuck. We've been traveling all day, and we wondered, if it's not too much trouble, if we could stay the night with you."
The door opened wide, and a mid-sized hobbit girl stepped out. She held her candlestick up so that she could make out the travelers' faces.
"Why, it is you!" she confirmed. She placed the candlestick in a lantern near the door and embraced her tired friends. "What brings you so far out here to Frogmorton?" she asked as she stepped back and reclaimed her candle from the lamp.
"We heard that Frodo and the others were back, and that they were heading down this way. We came to see them, if we can find them. We haven't seen them yet, and they were supposed to be arrested here today, so we may have missed them." Matti answered.
"They've really come back? You're sure?" Mimsy asked gleefully. "But they're to be arrested? Why? Oh, how rude of me, why don't you come inside?. We just finished supper, and I'm afraid there's no food to spare, but you can come and rest by the fire and have tea if you wish."
"Thank you, Mimsy, and don't worry, we brought our own supper." Matti replied.
The girls stepped into the warmth of the hole and followed Mimsy as she led them into the study, where there was a small fire burning in the hearth. They sat down on the floor, since there were only two chairs, and both were occupied by Mimsy's mother and father. Mimsy went into the kitchen, and came out a moment later carrying a large kettle, which she set on its hook to boil over the fire.
"So, girls, what brings you to Frogmorton, and so late in the evening?" Mimsy's mother inquired.
"Well, you see, we heard news that Frodo and the others had come back, and that they were heading up this way towards Frogmorton. We wished to see them, so we came down here to find them, and, well, we haven't yet." Tori answered, taking an apple out of her pack.
"They're back? Oh, that's wonderful news! Why, I haven't seen those boys for over a year. I wonder why they left? They were such nice, respectable boys, until they went off on that adventure of theirs."
Tori nodded politely and laid back, resting her head on her hands.
The girls waited for the tea to boil, and they each had a cup while they sat talking about the recent events in the Shire. They ate the last of their meager supper, completely emptying their small packs, and then went to bed, not entirely satisfied, but still well enough to rest.
They awoke in the morning to the sound of people conversing quietly outside. Matti got up and sauntered over to the window, and gave a gleeful cry at what she saw.
"It's them!" she said. "It's them! There they are!"
Tori and Mimsy flew out of bed and over to the window where Matti stood hopping up and down joyfully.
They looked out and saw four hobbits sitting atop their ponies, apparently waiting for someone. They were talking and laughing amongst themselves, and every now and then, one of them would glance towards the shirrif house across the road from the girls. The hobbits were dressed very strangely, like they had just returned from a war. They were all wearing a coat of mail, and each had a sword at their side, but they all otherwise looked the same as when the girls had last seen them. There was no doubt about it now. They were back.
A/N Okay, so that one wasn't as good, but oh well, the next one will be better. Hopefully the next chapter will have just a tad of drama in it, and it should also begin the romance. Keep checking back! Oh and don't forget to review!
The hour was just past ten o'clock as the girls set out. Matti had taken her day's worth of food and carefully divided it into two small bags for the girls to carry, barely managing to fill the small pouches. Matti scrawled a short note to her mother on a small piece of parchment, and placed it in the pocket of her mother's folded apron.
"Alright, let's go." Matti said as she slung her pack over her shoulder.
The girls left the hobbit-hole and stepped out onto the rough dirt road. It was a warm autumn day, with a slight breeze rustling through the many-colored trees and scattering the fallen leaves. The small village was exceedingly quiet, and had been that way for quite a while. The usual talking and laughing of the younger hobbits had lessened more and more over the past year, until finally it had almost disappeared completely. There were now no more small gaggles of children running through the fields and hills that lined the road, nor were there any more gaffers and gammers sitting out in front of their holes smoking their pipes before taking a short nap. The road was almost wholly deserted, except for perhaps a small cart or waggon every now and then. The Shire had slowly lost its warmth and security over the past year, until it had become nearly a dismal place.
The girls pressed on through the day, talking quietly along the way about this and that, and wondering if their friends had changed very much since they had last seen them.
"What if we do not even recognize them?" Tori asked curiously. "What if we just pass them along the road, without even knowing it?"
"I'm sure they couldn't have changed that much." Matti answered. "It has, after all, been only a year."
"Yes," Tori agreed. "But you never know. Who knows where they have been and what strange ways they have learned? Why, they could, for all we know, have been crowned kings in a land of Men, or Elves!"
Matti let out a short sigh. Tori always did tire her out with her restless imagination.
"Well, we'll just have to wait until we see them then, won't we?" she said as they crossed a small footbridge.
They were coming close to the east end of Frogmorton, and it was nearing dark. They knew very well that it was against The Rules to be outside past sundown, so they decided to go on ahead to Mimsy's house at the far end of the village.
When they arrived, the only light to be seen was that of candlelight coming from the small kitchen window. They knocked lightly on the door, trying to be as quiet as possible, so as not to disturb anyone nearby and get into trouble. The door opened a crack and a timid, almost fearful voice drifted out.
"Who's there?" it asked cautiously.
Tori answered quickly and softly, "It's Toralinda Bolger and Matilda Brandybuck. We've been traveling all day, and we wondered, if it's not too much trouble, if we could stay the night with you."
The door opened wide, and a mid-sized hobbit girl stepped out. She held her candlestick up so that she could make out the travelers' faces.
"Why, it is you!" she confirmed. She placed the candlestick in a lantern near the door and embraced her tired friends. "What brings you so far out here to Frogmorton?" she asked as she stepped back and reclaimed her candle from the lamp.
"We heard that Frodo and the others were back, and that they were heading down this way. We came to see them, if we can find them. We haven't seen them yet, and they were supposed to be arrested here today, so we may have missed them." Matti answered.
"They've really come back? You're sure?" Mimsy asked gleefully. "But they're to be arrested? Why? Oh, how rude of me, why don't you come inside?. We just finished supper, and I'm afraid there's no food to spare, but you can come and rest by the fire and have tea if you wish."
"Thank you, Mimsy, and don't worry, we brought our own supper." Matti replied.
The girls stepped into the warmth of the hole and followed Mimsy as she led them into the study, where there was a small fire burning in the hearth. They sat down on the floor, since there were only two chairs, and both were occupied by Mimsy's mother and father. Mimsy went into the kitchen, and came out a moment later carrying a large kettle, which she set on its hook to boil over the fire.
"So, girls, what brings you to Frogmorton, and so late in the evening?" Mimsy's mother inquired.
"Well, you see, we heard news that Frodo and the others had come back, and that they were heading up this way towards Frogmorton. We wished to see them, so we came down here to find them, and, well, we haven't yet." Tori answered, taking an apple out of her pack.
"They're back? Oh, that's wonderful news! Why, I haven't seen those boys for over a year. I wonder why they left? They were such nice, respectable boys, until they went off on that adventure of theirs."
Tori nodded politely and laid back, resting her head on her hands.
The girls waited for the tea to boil, and they each had a cup while they sat talking about the recent events in the Shire. They ate the last of their meager supper, completely emptying their small packs, and then went to bed, not entirely satisfied, but still well enough to rest.
They awoke in the morning to the sound of people conversing quietly outside. Matti got up and sauntered over to the window, and gave a gleeful cry at what she saw.
"It's them!" she said. "It's them! There they are!"
Tori and Mimsy flew out of bed and over to the window where Matti stood hopping up and down joyfully.
They looked out and saw four hobbits sitting atop their ponies, apparently waiting for someone. They were talking and laughing amongst themselves, and every now and then, one of them would glance towards the shirrif house across the road from the girls. The hobbits were dressed very strangely, like they had just returned from a war. They were all wearing a coat of mail, and each had a sword at their side, but they all otherwise looked the same as when the girls had last seen them. There was no doubt about it now. They were back.
A/N Okay, so that one wasn't as good, but oh well, the next one will be better. Hopefully the next chapter will have just a tad of drama in it, and it should also begin the romance. Keep checking back! Oh and don't forget to review!