Chapter 4
..Several weeks later...
Frodo and the rest of the hobbits had returned back to their home without anymore delay. One by one the hobbits were dropped off to their front door until Frodo was saying goodbye to Sam. During the days home, Frodo never said a word about the hobbit with the golden hair. He was quite intrigued but could think of no possible explanation to go back that way. They would want to know why, and Frodo couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth. They might think him mad, seeing secret hobbits with blond hair and ears like an elf. But one thing was for certain, Frodo was determined to get to the bottom of this.
When he arrived at Bag End the first thing he did was go through all of Bilbo's books. He thought perhaps that one of them might say something about the stranger he met in the woods several days before. Anytime he could spare, he spent pouring over the books. For many days he did not even go outside, utterly fascinated by the girl's presence. But alas Frodo found nothing.
One night Sam had come over to bring Frodo some groceries from the market. "Mister Frodo," Sam began, "I don't mean to be gettin into your personal life, but you've been spending an awful lot of time in here. And everytime I'm over here you're readin one of them books. What exactly *are* you looking for Mister Frodo?" he asked.
Frodo pondered telling Sam the truth, but wasn't sure if he should chance it. At least until he got some proof of the girl's existance. "I'm just going over Bilbo's things..making sure there's nothing of urgance in them." He replied eventually. Sam was right though, he was spending far too much time inside and needed to get some air. "You're quite right Sam.. I've been in here far too long..let's take a long walk shall we?" Frodo asked Sam and put down his book on the table. As he got up, the page he had been looking at blew over to the next page. On the page was a picture of a small hobbit and a beautiful elf and a caption in elvish that said that the two had been in love. But Frodo never saw that, for he and Sam went out the door and onto their walk.
When Frodo arrived back to Bag End, he decided to leave his books alone for a while and went to bed. Completely ignoring the book on the table, Frodo went to sleep and for several more weeks never looked at the book on his table. And soon, the thought of the mysterious girl finally escaped his mind.
As it happened, Frodo was inside one sunny afternoon, trying to get something from the top of a cabinet, when he took a stumble and fell backwards onto the table which held the book. As Frodo fell to the floor, the book landed beside hi still open up to the page which the hobbit and elf who looked very much in love. Frodo rubbed his head since he hit it on the table and looked down at the page before him. Eyeing it curiously he picked it up and began to read. It did not say much, however it did say that there was a rumor of sorts that had gone on long ago of a hobbit and an elf who fell madly in love with each other. People did not think kindly of the match from either side, and so when the woman had gotten pregnant, she was forced to leave the hobbit she loved and into exile to have her baby. And that was all the book said.
Frodo reread the pages many times, trying to make some sense of all the events that had happened. And suddenly the mysterious hobbit came to him again and Frodo had a thought. It would make sense, since he saw a hobbit, but with features of an elf. Perhaps the old story was true, and he had run into the first and only half hobbit-half elf in all of Middle Earth. However the book did not explain how the mysterious hobbit got from a place of exile to the Shire with the old hobbit. Unless the old hobbit was her father. Frodo hmm'd as he held the book, those thoughts running through his head. Of course he could be entirely mistaken. He had no idea how old this hobbit was supposed to be, or when the events in the book took place. Closing the book but keeping the page's place he got up off the floor and put the book on the table. There was only one thing to do, and that was to find out what was going on. He must return to the small house at the end and confront the mysterious hobbit. And this time, he would inform Sam and the rest.
The next day, Sam came to see Frodo as he often did during tea time. Ever since their trip back from Mordor, Sam came to check on Frodo a bit more then he used to. He worried about his friend very much. He wished Frodo would settle down with a nice hobbit who could take care of him as he properly should. Sam was only counting the days until he got to marry Rose Cotton. What a fine day that would be. Sam was thinking all these things as he came into Bag End with a small picnic basket. "Oh Mister Frodo...It's I, Sam..I've come to have tea..." he trailed off.
Mr Baggins was busy packing a small satchel as if he were planning on going somewhere. Turning as he heard the door open Frodo peered over at Sam. "Oh Sam, thank goodness you've come."
"What exactly are you doing Mister Frodo?" Sam asked, setting the basket down on the table and walking over towards Frodo.
Frodo excitedly grabbed the book that was next to him and opened it. He showed Sam the same page that he read the night before. Sam read over the page carefully, seeming to get the gist of it. "What in sam's hill does this have to do with anything?" Sam asked.
"I think I've found it...er, her." Frodo replied.
"Excuse me?"
"You remember that small shack on the edge of the Shire where the old man wouldn't let us stay in his house? I think that's him.. The hobbit in the picture. I saw her Sam..the blond hobbit. Long blond hair like an elf, and pointed ears as well.."
Sam looked very baffled and shook his head to try and clear it. "I don't think I understand... Why are you packing your things..... Oh Mister Frodo, please don't tell me you're going to go find out if this girl you saw is the girl from in this story. It's just a *story* Mister Frodo..Bilbo must have heard it on one of his travels."
Frodo sighed. He knew that Sam wouldn't get it. "I can't help it Sam. I haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened. And I must find out. You're right, I'm going to see what I can find out. And you're welcome to come, and I can explain everything to you then but I feel I must leave right now if I'm to get anywhere before it gets dark." he told Sam in a bit of a rush.
"You know I don't like you going places alone Mister Frodo." Sam replied "I don't understand this at all and I bet it's wild goosechase, but...I'll go with you. When you're done we'll have to run to my house so I can get some things, but then we can be off."
Frodo beamed at his best friend and put a hand on his shoulder "Thank you Sam.. This means alot to me. That you don't think I'm...well crazy."
Sam shook his head as if to say 'no of course not.' but never said a word. Frodo grabbed up the rest of his satchel and then grabbed Sam by the hand. "Alright..well..let's be off." and the two wandered off to Sam's house to get provisions on yet another journey to the edge of the Shire.
..Several weeks later...
Frodo and the rest of the hobbits had returned back to their home without anymore delay. One by one the hobbits were dropped off to their front door until Frodo was saying goodbye to Sam. During the days home, Frodo never said a word about the hobbit with the golden hair. He was quite intrigued but could think of no possible explanation to go back that way. They would want to know why, and Frodo couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth. They might think him mad, seeing secret hobbits with blond hair and ears like an elf. But one thing was for certain, Frodo was determined to get to the bottom of this.
When he arrived at Bag End the first thing he did was go through all of Bilbo's books. He thought perhaps that one of them might say something about the stranger he met in the woods several days before. Anytime he could spare, he spent pouring over the books. For many days he did not even go outside, utterly fascinated by the girl's presence. But alas Frodo found nothing.
One night Sam had come over to bring Frodo some groceries from the market. "Mister Frodo," Sam began, "I don't mean to be gettin into your personal life, but you've been spending an awful lot of time in here. And everytime I'm over here you're readin one of them books. What exactly *are* you looking for Mister Frodo?" he asked.
Frodo pondered telling Sam the truth, but wasn't sure if he should chance it. At least until he got some proof of the girl's existance. "I'm just going over Bilbo's things..making sure there's nothing of urgance in them." He replied eventually. Sam was right though, he was spending far too much time inside and needed to get some air. "You're quite right Sam.. I've been in here far too long..let's take a long walk shall we?" Frodo asked Sam and put down his book on the table. As he got up, the page he had been looking at blew over to the next page. On the page was a picture of a small hobbit and a beautiful elf and a caption in elvish that said that the two had been in love. But Frodo never saw that, for he and Sam went out the door and onto their walk.
When Frodo arrived back to Bag End, he decided to leave his books alone for a while and went to bed. Completely ignoring the book on the table, Frodo went to sleep and for several more weeks never looked at the book on his table. And soon, the thought of the mysterious girl finally escaped his mind.
As it happened, Frodo was inside one sunny afternoon, trying to get something from the top of a cabinet, when he took a stumble and fell backwards onto the table which held the book. As Frodo fell to the floor, the book landed beside hi still open up to the page which the hobbit and elf who looked very much in love. Frodo rubbed his head since he hit it on the table and looked down at the page before him. Eyeing it curiously he picked it up and began to read. It did not say much, however it did say that there was a rumor of sorts that had gone on long ago of a hobbit and an elf who fell madly in love with each other. People did not think kindly of the match from either side, and so when the woman had gotten pregnant, she was forced to leave the hobbit she loved and into exile to have her baby. And that was all the book said.
Frodo reread the pages many times, trying to make some sense of all the events that had happened. And suddenly the mysterious hobbit came to him again and Frodo had a thought. It would make sense, since he saw a hobbit, but with features of an elf. Perhaps the old story was true, and he had run into the first and only half hobbit-half elf in all of Middle Earth. However the book did not explain how the mysterious hobbit got from a place of exile to the Shire with the old hobbit. Unless the old hobbit was her father. Frodo hmm'd as he held the book, those thoughts running through his head. Of course he could be entirely mistaken. He had no idea how old this hobbit was supposed to be, or when the events in the book took place. Closing the book but keeping the page's place he got up off the floor and put the book on the table. There was only one thing to do, and that was to find out what was going on. He must return to the small house at the end and confront the mysterious hobbit. And this time, he would inform Sam and the rest.
The next day, Sam came to see Frodo as he often did during tea time. Ever since their trip back from Mordor, Sam came to check on Frodo a bit more then he used to. He worried about his friend very much. He wished Frodo would settle down with a nice hobbit who could take care of him as he properly should. Sam was only counting the days until he got to marry Rose Cotton. What a fine day that would be. Sam was thinking all these things as he came into Bag End with a small picnic basket. "Oh Mister Frodo...It's I, Sam..I've come to have tea..." he trailed off.
Mr Baggins was busy packing a small satchel as if he were planning on going somewhere. Turning as he heard the door open Frodo peered over at Sam. "Oh Sam, thank goodness you've come."
"What exactly are you doing Mister Frodo?" Sam asked, setting the basket down on the table and walking over towards Frodo.
Frodo excitedly grabbed the book that was next to him and opened it. He showed Sam the same page that he read the night before. Sam read over the page carefully, seeming to get the gist of it. "What in sam's hill does this have to do with anything?" Sam asked.
"I think I've found it...er, her." Frodo replied.
"Excuse me?"
"You remember that small shack on the edge of the Shire where the old man wouldn't let us stay in his house? I think that's him.. The hobbit in the picture. I saw her Sam..the blond hobbit. Long blond hair like an elf, and pointed ears as well.."
Sam looked very baffled and shook his head to try and clear it. "I don't think I understand... Why are you packing your things..... Oh Mister Frodo, please don't tell me you're going to go find out if this girl you saw is the girl from in this story. It's just a *story* Mister Frodo..Bilbo must have heard it on one of his travels."
Frodo sighed. He knew that Sam wouldn't get it. "I can't help it Sam. I haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened. And I must find out. You're right, I'm going to see what I can find out. And you're welcome to come, and I can explain everything to you then but I feel I must leave right now if I'm to get anywhere before it gets dark." he told Sam in a bit of a rush.
"You know I don't like you going places alone Mister Frodo." Sam replied "I don't understand this at all and I bet it's wild goosechase, but...I'll go with you. When you're done we'll have to run to my house so I can get some things, but then we can be off."
Frodo beamed at his best friend and put a hand on his shoulder "Thank you Sam.. This means alot to me. That you don't think I'm...well crazy."
Sam shook his head as if to say 'no of course not.' but never said a word. Frodo grabbed up the rest of his satchel and then grabbed Sam by the hand. "Alright..well..let's be off." and the two wandered off to Sam's house to get provisions on yet another journey to the edge of the Shire.