Chapter 4: Bilbo's Ring
Belamir shivered as she walked toward Bag End. A light breeze stirred her damp curls.
'I should have brought a cloak. It was stupid not to.' she thought. 'Or not so, perhaps. I was warm when I left, and I hadn't expected to be drenched in dish-water.'
When she reached the hobbit-hole, she opened the round green door. She turned round with the intent of closing it, only to see Bilbo Baggins materialize right in front of her. The girl stared at him for a moment, then screamed quite loudly. When finished, she began hurriedly explaining why she was there. "I'm not breaking in, I swear! I just, I was cold, so I, I decided to..to come back here and-
Bilbo laughed and there was a glint of gold as he put something nito his vest pocket. "Not to worry, lass. It's all right!"
Belamir nodded in response, and leaned against the wall for support. Bilbo went off to another room, humming, and soon she heard Gandalf's voice as well. Intrigued, she snuck to the doorway quietly and peeked around ther side to look in.
"And what about this ring of yours?" Gandalf asked. "Is that staying too?"
"Yes, yes. It's in an evnvelope over there on the mantlepiece." Bilbo replied, gesturing to the fireplace as he packed his things. "No. Wait, it's...here in my pocket."
"That must be what he had, then..." Belamir muttered to herself, turning her head a bit to see the two better.
Bilbo took the ring out of his pocket and looked at it in his hand. "Isn't that-? Isn't that odd, now? Yet, after all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it?"
Gandalf stepped toward him, raising his bushy eyebrows. "I think you should leave the ring behind, Bilbo. Is that so hard?"
"Well, no." Bilbo said, turning to him with a start. He then looked back at the ring, and he started to sound slightly iritated. "And yes. Now that it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine. I found it! It came to me!"
"There's no need to get angry."
"Well, if I'm angry, it's your fault!" He said, and then whispered, as if to the ring in his hands, "It's mine...my own...my precious..."
"Precious? It's been called that before, but not by you."
Bilbo turned around sharply, and his voice was harsh again. "What business is it of yours what I do with my own things?"
"I think you've had that ring quite long enough."
"You want it for yourself!"
Gandalf appeared to grow taller, and his shadow suddenly filled the small room. "Bilbo Baggins! Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not trying to rob you." He seemd to diminish back into an old man, an the candle light flickered back into life. "I'm trying to help you."
Bilbo approached him, and he kneeled down so he was level with the hobbit. "All your long years, we've been friends. Trust me as you once did. Let it go."
"You're right, Gandalf. The ring must go to Frodo." He picked up his bag and walking stick and opened the door. Belamir hurried and ducked behind a cabinate to avoid being seen.
"Bilbo," Gandalf warned as the hobbit stepped out the door, "The ring is still in your pocket."
He pulled it out, and looked at it in his palm for a moment before letting the gold ring fall to the floor and walking outside. Gandalf followed, and after they said farewell, came back inside. Belamir approached him, after changing into dry clothes.
"Where is Mr. Baggins?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.
"I know you were eavesdropping, Bela. You are not as careful as you may think."
She sighed and rolled her eyes, then bent down to look at the ring. "Oh, you spoil all my fun, do you know that? Anyway, what's so special about this ring? It looks pretty plain to me." she reached down to examine it, but Gandalf grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away, as if she was a small child about to touch a hot pan.
"Do not touch it, Bela."
Getting up, she dusted herself off. "Why not?"
"Because I told you so. Go to your room and begin your studies. You've gotten behind on them today.
"But-"
Gandalf looked at her sternly. "Do as I say, Belamir."
~
Belamir lay on the bedm, stretched on her stomach. A large, dusty book lay open in front of her. As she turned the page, Gandalf walked in through the open door. "Bela," he said, and she looked up. "Pack your things. We will be leaving shortly."
"Why?" she asked flatly, not moving.
"No question, Belamir. Get started, and hurry."
She rolled her eyes, but flopped off the bed and began to put her things back into her bags. After packing, she threw her long, dark green cloak on over the plain blue dress she had changed into. She picked up her bags and headed out to find Gandalf. To her surprise, Frodo was also there. He was holding an envelope, and looked as confused as Belamir felt.
"Where are you going?"
Gandalf started toward the door. "There are some things I must see to."
Frodo and Belamir followed, the latter almost tripping over a combonation of hobbit, bags, and her own feet. "What things?"
"Questions. Questions that need answering."
"You only just arrived! I don't understand."
Gandalf paused and turned around. "Neither do I. Keep it secret. Keep it safe."
Belamir turned to Frodo as the wizard left. "Well...I suppose this is goodbye. I don't know when I'll see you again."
He smiled and kissed her cheek lightly. "Hopefully soon. Namarie." He said, using the elvish word for farewell.
Belamir smiled sadly as she walked out the door. Turning one last time, she rasised her hand in farwell. Then she followed Gandalf down the path, wiping a small tear away from her eye. "Namarie..."
A/N: Haha...The fourth chapter? You like? Tell me! You know, by reviewing...*wink**cheesy grin* Anyway, the next chapter will take place wehen Gandalf comes back to the Shire and finds out about the ring. I'll have it done before too long, never fear! And I'm working on the next chapter of Roses Have Thorns. I've got the first three paragraphs finished.
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. I think we've already established this in the last 3 chapters, didn't we? Well if we didn't, I don't own Lord of the Rings sooooooooo.......
Belamir shivered as she walked toward Bag End. A light breeze stirred her damp curls.
'I should have brought a cloak. It was stupid not to.' she thought. 'Or not so, perhaps. I was warm when I left, and I hadn't expected to be drenched in dish-water.'
When she reached the hobbit-hole, she opened the round green door. She turned round with the intent of closing it, only to see Bilbo Baggins materialize right in front of her. The girl stared at him for a moment, then screamed quite loudly. When finished, she began hurriedly explaining why she was there. "I'm not breaking in, I swear! I just, I was cold, so I, I decided to..to come back here and-
Bilbo laughed and there was a glint of gold as he put something nito his vest pocket. "Not to worry, lass. It's all right!"
Belamir nodded in response, and leaned against the wall for support. Bilbo went off to another room, humming, and soon she heard Gandalf's voice as well. Intrigued, she snuck to the doorway quietly and peeked around ther side to look in.
"And what about this ring of yours?" Gandalf asked. "Is that staying too?"
"Yes, yes. It's in an evnvelope over there on the mantlepiece." Bilbo replied, gesturing to the fireplace as he packed his things. "No. Wait, it's...here in my pocket."
"That must be what he had, then..." Belamir muttered to herself, turning her head a bit to see the two better.
Bilbo took the ring out of his pocket and looked at it in his hand. "Isn't that-? Isn't that odd, now? Yet, after all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it?"
Gandalf stepped toward him, raising his bushy eyebrows. "I think you should leave the ring behind, Bilbo. Is that so hard?"
"Well, no." Bilbo said, turning to him with a start. He then looked back at the ring, and he started to sound slightly iritated. "And yes. Now that it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine. I found it! It came to me!"
"There's no need to get angry."
"Well, if I'm angry, it's your fault!" He said, and then whispered, as if to the ring in his hands, "It's mine...my own...my precious..."
"Precious? It's been called that before, but not by you."
Bilbo turned around sharply, and his voice was harsh again. "What business is it of yours what I do with my own things?"
"I think you've had that ring quite long enough."
"You want it for yourself!"
Gandalf appeared to grow taller, and his shadow suddenly filled the small room. "Bilbo Baggins! Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not trying to rob you." He seemd to diminish back into an old man, an the candle light flickered back into life. "I'm trying to help you."
Bilbo approached him, and he kneeled down so he was level with the hobbit. "All your long years, we've been friends. Trust me as you once did. Let it go."
"You're right, Gandalf. The ring must go to Frodo." He picked up his bag and walking stick and opened the door. Belamir hurried and ducked behind a cabinate to avoid being seen.
"Bilbo," Gandalf warned as the hobbit stepped out the door, "The ring is still in your pocket."
He pulled it out, and looked at it in his palm for a moment before letting the gold ring fall to the floor and walking outside. Gandalf followed, and after they said farewell, came back inside. Belamir approached him, after changing into dry clothes.
"Where is Mr. Baggins?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.
"I know you were eavesdropping, Bela. You are not as careful as you may think."
She sighed and rolled her eyes, then bent down to look at the ring. "Oh, you spoil all my fun, do you know that? Anyway, what's so special about this ring? It looks pretty plain to me." she reached down to examine it, but Gandalf grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away, as if she was a small child about to touch a hot pan.
"Do not touch it, Bela."
Getting up, she dusted herself off. "Why not?"
"Because I told you so. Go to your room and begin your studies. You've gotten behind on them today.
"But-"
Gandalf looked at her sternly. "Do as I say, Belamir."
~
Belamir lay on the bedm, stretched on her stomach. A large, dusty book lay open in front of her. As she turned the page, Gandalf walked in through the open door. "Bela," he said, and she looked up. "Pack your things. We will be leaving shortly."
"Why?" she asked flatly, not moving.
"No question, Belamir. Get started, and hurry."
She rolled her eyes, but flopped off the bed and began to put her things back into her bags. After packing, she threw her long, dark green cloak on over the plain blue dress she had changed into. She picked up her bags and headed out to find Gandalf. To her surprise, Frodo was also there. He was holding an envelope, and looked as confused as Belamir felt.
"Where are you going?"
Gandalf started toward the door. "There are some things I must see to."
Frodo and Belamir followed, the latter almost tripping over a combonation of hobbit, bags, and her own feet. "What things?"
"Questions. Questions that need answering."
"You only just arrived! I don't understand."
Gandalf paused and turned around. "Neither do I. Keep it secret. Keep it safe."
Belamir turned to Frodo as the wizard left. "Well...I suppose this is goodbye. I don't know when I'll see you again."
He smiled and kissed her cheek lightly. "Hopefully soon. Namarie." He said, using the elvish word for farewell.
Belamir smiled sadly as she walked out the door. Turning one last time, she rasised her hand in farwell. Then she followed Gandalf down the path, wiping a small tear away from her eye. "Namarie..."
A/N: Haha...The fourth chapter? You like? Tell me! You know, by reviewing...*wink**cheesy grin* Anyway, the next chapter will take place wehen Gandalf comes back to the Shire and finds out about the ring. I'll have it done before too long, never fear! And I'm working on the next chapter of Roses Have Thorns. I've got the first three paragraphs finished.
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. I think we've already established this in the last 3 chapters, didn't we? Well if we didn't, I don't own Lord of the Rings sooooooooo.......