Chapter 3
Indeed the hobbits were gone several weeks at Gondor. They arrived with a royal welcoming, and departed in the same way. Aragorn had called for them because Legolas had fallen mysteriously ill. But that was another story left for another time, and Legolas was fine and well several weeks later. After several weeks on the beaten path, Pippin, Frodo, Sam and Merry all came to the edge of the Shire and the quiet mysterious house they had left months ago. Nothing really had changed about the house, and there was no sign of the mysterious stranger that Frodo had seen on the side.
The whole time they had been in Gondor, Frodo's mind had only been half there. He couldn't get the long blond hair out of his mind, or the extremely elf-like ears out of his mind. And walking past the house only brought the questions back to the fore-front. He just had to know what was going on. "What do you all say we stay here again like we did last time?" Frodo asked casually to his mates.
After much contemplating, they all agreed to ask the permission of the older hobbit to stay the night once more. This time it was Frodo who knocked upon the door. Sure enough, the elderly hobbit came to the door once more. "Aye...well if it isn't the buncha hobbits who were on their way outta the Shire not too long ago...What can I do fer ye?" he asked.
Frodo explained their situation for a second time and the hobbit agreed to let them stay where they had stayed before. Frodo thanked him and went to join the others, helping to settle down for the night. Around nightfall, the four hobbits drifted into sleep. Well most of them, for Frodo was only half asleep - the thoughts of the mysterious hobbit keeping him awake.
Sometime in the night, Frodo awakened with a start. It was nowhere near morning for it was still completely dark and there were no birds singing. Again something moved in the night. Slowly Frodo realized it was a door creaking shut. Knowing there was only one door in the area, Frodo sat up, trying to see who or what was coming out of the old house. All he could make out was a small hooded and cloaked thing. His eyes lit up...The mysterious hobbit!
Frodo got to his feet as quiet as he possibly could as the cloaked figure took off down the path and as quiet as he could, Frodo followed. Always being the one for curiousity and adventure, he noticed that the cloaked figure looked somewhat distressed. It would look over it's shoulder from time to time, making Frodo have to hide behind a tree.
He was hiding behind a tree when he got the shock of his life. No longer looking at the road, something jumped upon Frodo's back, wrestling him to the ground. He let out a little yelp as he was knocked to the ground. He could barely see, but he realized that the cloaked figure was on top of him. He fought back, struggling against someone who was almost too strong for him. He could not see the figure's face as hard as he tried. Soon he had the upper advantage and pinned down the figure with his own body weight.
"What in blazes are you doing?!" Frodo whispered fiercely into the night.
"What am *I* doing? What are you doing following me?" A soft whisper, equally as mad whispered back into the night.
Frodo could still not see the face in the darkness, especially with the cloak on. "I saw you.." he admitted.
The figure immediately tried to struggle once more, but Frodo pinned it down completely. "What did you see?" The mystery seethed.
"I saw that you have blond hair..and pointed ears...What kind of hobbit has blond hair?" Frodo demanded back.
"It's none of your business!" It practically yelled back and gave one hard shove in Frodo's direction, sending him sprawling into the dirt.
At once the figure was up and moving, but Frodo grabbed a hold of the bottom of the cloak. This made the cloak shrink back some and the hood fell off the figure's head, revealing what was underneath. What was underneath made Frodo gasp. He had only seen a glance before, but this was a whole lot closer. And even though it was dark out, he could make out that it was indeed a hobbit. Or something like a hobbit. It turned out to be a girl, and in fact did have amazingly long very blond hair. And the ears were indeed very pointy. Blond hair even graced the bottom of the girls feet like a hobbit. But that's where the hobbit likeness stopped. She was really no taller then Frodo, but she had a radiant face even in the night. Her skin was smooth and pure and her eyes were light. She looked like she had been touched by an angel and Frodo longed to reach out and touch her skin to see if it was as smooth as it looked, or possibly because he thought she might disappear before him.
Taking this long look at her seemed like an eternity for Frodo, who gave a soft gasp. But in reality, as soon as the hood came off the girl, she shrank back as if in horror. Giving a mad grunt, she pulled the hood back over her head and then ran as fast as she could, taking off into the night. She reminded Frodo of something, but what? The way she moved down the road she looked like a short Ringwraith. Frodo shuddered. No that could not be it. And he did not follow after her, for he now knew what she had reminded him of.
An elf. More specifically a shorter and much younger version of the Lady of the Wood.
Indeed the hobbits were gone several weeks at Gondor. They arrived with a royal welcoming, and departed in the same way. Aragorn had called for them because Legolas had fallen mysteriously ill. But that was another story left for another time, and Legolas was fine and well several weeks later. After several weeks on the beaten path, Pippin, Frodo, Sam and Merry all came to the edge of the Shire and the quiet mysterious house they had left months ago. Nothing really had changed about the house, and there was no sign of the mysterious stranger that Frodo had seen on the side.
The whole time they had been in Gondor, Frodo's mind had only been half there. He couldn't get the long blond hair out of his mind, or the extremely elf-like ears out of his mind. And walking past the house only brought the questions back to the fore-front. He just had to know what was going on. "What do you all say we stay here again like we did last time?" Frodo asked casually to his mates.
After much contemplating, they all agreed to ask the permission of the older hobbit to stay the night once more. This time it was Frodo who knocked upon the door. Sure enough, the elderly hobbit came to the door once more. "Aye...well if it isn't the buncha hobbits who were on their way outta the Shire not too long ago...What can I do fer ye?" he asked.
Frodo explained their situation for a second time and the hobbit agreed to let them stay where they had stayed before. Frodo thanked him and went to join the others, helping to settle down for the night. Around nightfall, the four hobbits drifted into sleep. Well most of them, for Frodo was only half asleep - the thoughts of the mysterious hobbit keeping him awake.
Sometime in the night, Frodo awakened with a start. It was nowhere near morning for it was still completely dark and there were no birds singing. Again something moved in the night. Slowly Frodo realized it was a door creaking shut. Knowing there was only one door in the area, Frodo sat up, trying to see who or what was coming out of the old house. All he could make out was a small hooded and cloaked thing. His eyes lit up...The mysterious hobbit!
Frodo got to his feet as quiet as he possibly could as the cloaked figure took off down the path and as quiet as he could, Frodo followed. Always being the one for curiousity and adventure, he noticed that the cloaked figure looked somewhat distressed. It would look over it's shoulder from time to time, making Frodo have to hide behind a tree.
He was hiding behind a tree when he got the shock of his life. No longer looking at the road, something jumped upon Frodo's back, wrestling him to the ground. He let out a little yelp as he was knocked to the ground. He could barely see, but he realized that the cloaked figure was on top of him. He fought back, struggling against someone who was almost too strong for him. He could not see the figure's face as hard as he tried. Soon he had the upper advantage and pinned down the figure with his own body weight.
"What in blazes are you doing?!" Frodo whispered fiercely into the night.
"What am *I* doing? What are you doing following me?" A soft whisper, equally as mad whispered back into the night.
Frodo could still not see the face in the darkness, especially with the cloak on. "I saw you.." he admitted.
The figure immediately tried to struggle once more, but Frodo pinned it down completely. "What did you see?" The mystery seethed.
"I saw that you have blond hair..and pointed ears...What kind of hobbit has blond hair?" Frodo demanded back.
"It's none of your business!" It practically yelled back and gave one hard shove in Frodo's direction, sending him sprawling into the dirt.
At once the figure was up and moving, but Frodo grabbed a hold of the bottom of the cloak. This made the cloak shrink back some and the hood fell off the figure's head, revealing what was underneath. What was underneath made Frodo gasp. He had only seen a glance before, but this was a whole lot closer. And even though it was dark out, he could make out that it was indeed a hobbit. Or something like a hobbit. It turned out to be a girl, and in fact did have amazingly long very blond hair. And the ears were indeed very pointy. Blond hair even graced the bottom of the girls feet like a hobbit. But that's where the hobbit likeness stopped. She was really no taller then Frodo, but she had a radiant face even in the night. Her skin was smooth and pure and her eyes were light. She looked like she had been touched by an angel and Frodo longed to reach out and touch her skin to see if it was as smooth as it looked, or possibly because he thought she might disappear before him.
Taking this long look at her seemed like an eternity for Frodo, who gave a soft gasp. But in reality, as soon as the hood came off the girl, she shrank back as if in horror. Giving a mad grunt, she pulled the hood back over her head and then ran as fast as she could, taking off into the night. She reminded Frodo of something, but what? The way she moved down the road she looked like a short Ringwraith. Frodo shuddered. No that could not be it. And he did not follow after her, for he now knew what she had reminded him of.
An elf. More specifically a shorter and much younger version of the Lady of the Wood.