Chapter 2
Frodo sent word to Aragorn that he and the other four hobbits would be travelling to Gondor within the next couple of days. The four packed and planned their trip as precisely as they could. This time, they would be ready for anything that this trip would bring them. Several days after Frodo had sent the letter, he, Merry, Pippin and Sam started out of Bag End towards the end of the Shire. Getting to the edge of the Shire took several days, but was fairly uneventful. They sat and talked, and ate as all hobbits do. And at night they slept out among the stars if the weather was good enough, or indoors when the weather wasn't as nice. Soon they came to the edge of the Shire, and what was there hadn't been there the last time they had set out that way.
There upon the outskirts of the Shire, sat a tiny smial. It was very quaint and quite a ways from anyone at all. In fact, the hobbits hadn't seen anyone else at all for the past day. As they approached closer to the house, Merry questioned whether or not they should knock on the door and ask for safe keeping for the night. It looked like it was going to rain, and almost time for sleep. The rest agreed, and although Frodo had reservations - he never said a word to the other three. Merry was nominated to be the one to ask for shelter. Merry made his way to the door of the Smial and knocked on it. An elderly hobbit, probably around Bilbo's age, or somewhat younger answered the door. He had glasses perched upon his nose, and wore a simple pair of trouses, and a white blouse. Taking off his glasses to see what was at his door, he questioned what these hobbits were doing so far from the main part of the Shire, and what they wanted.
Merry explained to the elderly hobbit that they were on their way to Gondor on official business and needed a place to stay if it decided to rain for the night. The old man's expression turned to a sour one and shook his head. "I'm quite sorry," the elderly man began, "But I've not got the room at all. I'm here all by myself and it's rather a small house. You're welcome to stay just outside though, if you think that might give you some protection instead of being on the road."
Merry looked like he wanted to protest, but the elderly hobbit at once closed the door on Merry's face. Looking slightly dejected he wandered back to his friends. He told them what the hobbit said and about his offer to stay outside and off the road. Thinking this was better then sleeping on the road, they made their camp just outside the Smial in the middle of nowhere. Soon after eating and getting ready for bed, all the hobbits fell asleep. Thankfully, rain did not in fact come to them that night.
Early the next morning, before any of the other hobbits had awakened, Frodo sat up and looked around. Something had awoken him, some noise or somesuch. He looked around at the others, noting that they had not awoke to the noise. Frodo stood up and looked more carefully around the house, when he heard the noise again. It sounded like a woman crying. But surely he was hearing things. There were no women around here, he thought surely. 'Didn't Merry say that the old hobbit was all alone?' Frodo thought. Peeping very quietly around one of the large bushes in the front of the house, Frodo spied a cloaked figure who was indeed weeping. He wanted to draw closer, but did not for fear of risking his hiding spot. At first Frodo thought that the cloaked figure was just the elderly man and perhaps that he just had a girlish voice although Merry had not said anything about that.
He stood there looking at the figure for quite some time, wondering if he should go over to see what was the matter. And then a gasp caught in his throat. The cloaked figure put down the hood and revealed the back of the hobbit. But this was no ordinary hobbit - for the hobbit had long blond hair and was wearing a dress. He peered curiously, wondering if he was indeed beholding a female hobbit with blond hair. Those were indeed quite rare, quite rare indeed. The gasp however alerted the mysterious hobbit to his presence and she turned around. It was indeed a girl, but Frodo wanted to see no more. He turned around quickly and fled back as quietly as he could to the camp site. But something bugged him in the back of his head. Did that hobbit have pointy ears?
As he got back to the camp site, he looked backwards. No one was following him and he let out a sigh of relief. "And what exactly were you doing, Frodo?" A voice peeped up behind him. Turning he saw it was Pippin, and the only one awake.
"Oh Pippin it was you. Do you remember Merry saying that the old hobbit said it was just him living here by himself?" Frodo asked.
Pippin thought about this for a moment and then nodded. "I think so..why? What *were* you doing Frodo?" he asked again.
Frodo shook his head, "Oh I just..thought I heard a noise and I went to go investigate. It had awoken me. And I found ..well there was someone on the side of the house, but they didn't seem to see me. And they were crying. I thought it was the old man, but then the hobbit pulled down the hood and it was a girl with long blond hair. Doesn't that just seem weird to you Pip?"
Pippin blinked in surprise "A girl hobbit? Blond hair? Wow Frodo..is she good looking?" he winked at Frodo and smirked. "I guess it's a little weird, but it's probably just his daughter. And he didn't want us in his home..so he told us some whopper. It wouldn't be the first time. Just forget it Frodo..we should get up and get moving."
Frodo nodded absently and turned to look behind him once more. Yes, he should just forget about the mysterious figure. He and Pippin awoke the other two sleeping hobbits and soon they were on their way again towards Gondor and onto the promise of a new day and a new start. But something was bugging him. The mysterious girl. He was sure he had seen pointed ears. But she was small..with blond hair. He tried to shrug the thought of her off, but it did not come easily.
Frodo sent word to Aragorn that he and the other four hobbits would be travelling to Gondor within the next couple of days. The four packed and planned their trip as precisely as they could. This time, they would be ready for anything that this trip would bring them. Several days after Frodo had sent the letter, he, Merry, Pippin and Sam started out of Bag End towards the end of the Shire. Getting to the edge of the Shire took several days, but was fairly uneventful. They sat and talked, and ate as all hobbits do. And at night they slept out among the stars if the weather was good enough, or indoors when the weather wasn't as nice. Soon they came to the edge of the Shire, and what was there hadn't been there the last time they had set out that way.
There upon the outskirts of the Shire, sat a tiny smial. It was very quaint and quite a ways from anyone at all. In fact, the hobbits hadn't seen anyone else at all for the past day. As they approached closer to the house, Merry questioned whether or not they should knock on the door and ask for safe keeping for the night. It looked like it was going to rain, and almost time for sleep. The rest agreed, and although Frodo had reservations - he never said a word to the other three. Merry was nominated to be the one to ask for shelter. Merry made his way to the door of the Smial and knocked on it. An elderly hobbit, probably around Bilbo's age, or somewhat younger answered the door. He had glasses perched upon his nose, and wore a simple pair of trouses, and a white blouse. Taking off his glasses to see what was at his door, he questioned what these hobbits were doing so far from the main part of the Shire, and what they wanted.
Merry explained to the elderly hobbit that they were on their way to Gondor on official business and needed a place to stay if it decided to rain for the night. The old man's expression turned to a sour one and shook his head. "I'm quite sorry," the elderly man began, "But I've not got the room at all. I'm here all by myself and it's rather a small house. You're welcome to stay just outside though, if you think that might give you some protection instead of being on the road."
Merry looked like he wanted to protest, but the elderly hobbit at once closed the door on Merry's face. Looking slightly dejected he wandered back to his friends. He told them what the hobbit said and about his offer to stay outside and off the road. Thinking this was better then sleeping on the road, they made their camp just outside the Smial in the middle of nowhere. Soon after eating and getting ready for bed, all the hobbits fell asleep. Thankfully, rain did not in fact come to them that night.
Early the next morning, before any of the other hobbits had awakened, Frodo sat up and looked around. Something had awoken him, some noise or somesuch. He looked around at the others, noting that they had not awoke to the noise. Frodo stood up and looked more carefully around the house, when he heard the noise again. It sounded like a woman crying. But surely he was hearing things. There were no women around here, he thought surely. 'Didn't Merry say that the old hobbit was all alone?' Frodo thought. Peeping very quietly around one of the large bushes in the front of the house, Frodo spied a cloaked figure who was indeed weeping. He wanted to draw closer, but did not for fear of risking his hiding spot. At first Frodo thought that the cloaked figure was just the elderly man and perhaps that he just had a girlish voice although Merry had not said anything about that.
He stood there looking at the figure for quite some time, wondering if he should go over to see what was the matter. And then a gasp caught in his throat. The cloaked figure put down the hood and revealed the back of the hobbit. But this was no ordinary hobbit - for the hobbit had long blond hair and was wearing a dress. He peered curiously, wondering if he was indeed beholding a female hobbit with blond hair. Those were indeed quite rare, quite rare indeed. The gasp however alerted the mysterious hobbit to his presence and she turned around. It was indeed a girl, but Frodo wanted to see no more. He turned around quickly and fled back as quietly as he could to the camp site. But something bugged him in the back of his head. Did that hobbit have pointy ears?
As he got back to the camp site, he looked backwards. No one was following him and he let out a sigh of relief. "And what exactly were you doing, Frodo?" A voice peeped up behind him. Turning he saw it was Pippin, and the only one awake.
"Oh Pippin it was you. Do you remember Merry saying that the old hobbit said it was just him living here by himself?" Frodo asked.
Pippin thought about this for a moment and then nodded. "I think so..why? What *were* you doing Frodo?" he asked again.
Frodo shook his head, "Oh I just..thought I heard a noise and I went to go investigate. It had awoken me. And I found ..well there was someone on the side of the house, but they didn't seem to see me. And they were crying. I thought it was the old man, but then the hobbit pulled down the hood and it was a girl with long blond hair. Doesn't that just seem weird to you Pip?"
Pippin blinked in surprise "A girl hobbit? Blond hair? Wow Frodo..is she good looking?" he winked at Frodo and smirked. "I guess it's a little weird, but it's probably just his daughter. And he didn't want us in his home..so he told us some whopper. It wouldn't be the first time. Just forget it Frodo..we should get up and get moving."
Frodo nodded absently and turned to look behind him once more. Yes, he should just forget about the mysterious figure. He and Pippin awoke the other two sleeping hobbits and soon they were on their way again towards Gondor and onto the promise of a new day and a new start. But something was bugging him. The mysterious girl. He was sure he had seen pointed ears. But she was small..with blond hair. He tried to shrug the thought of her off, but it did not come easily.