How it started.
A/n: sorry guys, I have had no inspiration to write anything for ages. However, I was just scanning the pages of my geography jotter, when I found a paragraph of a story I was trying to write in 55 mins for a LOTR writing competition – but I never finished it. So I've decided to use this as a little interlude 'cause I can't write the next chapter. Anyway, this is in first person, in Kalina's pov.
So much had changed. The happy, joyful area that I lived by had changed drastically. From a pretty, joyful Hobbiton always full of bustling around, chatting happily. Now, 'the Chief' as we were forced to call him, inhabited Bag End, the trees had been chopped and cut, large ugly buildings had replaced our homes. Barely anyone left their holes, in fear of being accused or arrested and thrown into the tiny compacted prison.
I don't really know how I could describe living in Hobbiton when it was like that. I spent a long time in my room, staring out the window, crying over what had once been beautiful. I hated 'the chief', I hated Sharkey, I hated the ruffians and I hated the hobbits that were Shiriffs. I hated the stone buildings, I hated the lack of trees, plants and greenery. It just all happened so suddenly, before I could never even imagine that happening here. All too fake, and then it became real.
The worst blow, was apart from staying in my hole all the time, apart from the ugliness and the way anyone could be arrested for doing nothing, was that Rosa's grandmother got thrown into Lockhole, the prison. It was such a tiny, packed building and all the prisoners got treated so badly, they even got beaten. Anything to keep them silent, break down their determination and their own voices, beat the rebellious thoughts that rushed through all our heads. Barely anyone ever voiced these thoughts to anyone except in their own holes, afraid it would be them carted off to Lockhole next.
I'd never got to see Rosa often since anyone could get arrested for just being outside, but if I ever could, she'd always be happy as usual, trying to raise everyone's spirits. Her entire family thought Merry had died, and by being her happy bustling joyful self, she'd helped relieve the grief, but she'd never managed to let her grief out. She'd cried herself to sleep; desperately missing him, never believing he'd died. Merry – dead? Never. Always in her heart was that strand of hope, that told her plainly he was alive, but the tension in her family had been so tense and emotional, sometimes she just cried because of that, desperately wishing that Merry could tell them he was alive or something.
But when her grandmother got thrown in Lockhole, Rosa just gave up. She, like me, spent half her time locked in her room, either crying or thinking or sometimes remembering what everything had been like.
The atmosphere in her house, was like that of many other holes.
One hobbit who always seemed to be happy and only to happy to rush to other hobbit holes' when the ruffians were away was Asphodel Gardener from Needlehole.
. She was desperate to try and relieve everyone's depression so she'd stop by when she could and just constantly talk. She was pretty close to me, and she'd always stop by. Even in her happy talkative 'everything's going to be fine' mood, she just managed to raise hobbit's spirits. She wasn't always like that though, she was very emotional and the energy she always seemed to possess was all an act to try and cheer people up. Unluckily, she wasn't able to come by often due to the shiriffs and ruffians. The one time she had gone out with them within sight, they'd punched her and she always waited until they'd left sight before she went out again.
There were a few other hobbits like this and they were always welcome in any household. The hobbits like this always made them believe in hope again.
When news that Pippin, Merry, Sam and Frodo had returned reached everyone's ears, there was a great raise in people's spirits, especially the Brandybucks. Rosa had ran out screaming that Merry was alive, but had hastily dived in the Cotton's hole when the shiriffs heard her.
Asphodel had been arrested for diving into other hobbit holes to spread the news and the shiriffs had caught her as she was leaving the Hobs. She was partially arrested for that, but she'd been commenting rudely on something about 'the Chief' loudly.
When Merry had blown the Horn of Buckland, many hobbits had left their holes to join the 'army'. They'd simply had enough and wanted the Shire to go back to what it had been. And then Pippin had gathered all the Tooks and I'd watched from my window until they were out my sight. I'd followed them, a distance behind and watched as they'd killed the leader of the ruffians – in self defence, he'd cried out for the rest of the ruffians to attack the hobbits. The rest of the ruffians had given themselves in after he'd been killed.
They'd been another gang of ruffians after a while, and I'd watched as a battle broke out, killing nineteen hobbits, killing around seventy of the ruffians. I'd hated it, hated seeing them with their weapons, hated seeing the bleeding wounds, hated seeing the bodies fall the to the ground, lifeless.
I'd watched as Frodo talked to Sharkey. I saw Sharkey stab a dagger into Frodo and I saw that dagger shatter. I heard Frodo yell for the hobbits not to kill Sharkey. Watched as Sharkey called for Worm and set off. My heart had been in my throat when Frodo had called after Worm, to tell him he didn't need to follow Sharkey. Watched as Sharkey taunted Worm, as Worm stabbed Sharkey, killed him and then died himself as the hobbits loosed arrows at him before Frodo could speak. I saw the grey mist surround Sharkey's body, watched it rise up in a grey cloud and dissolve into nothing.
That's when I lost my heart to Frodo. He was so brace, so just. That's when I realised that even though my family were meant to curse the sound of his name, that it was just wrong. It was plain unfair to judge someone on their ancestors.
Everything had grown better since then.
They'd first released all the prisoners from Lockhole. Lobeila, for her rebellion against the ruffians, had received a massive cheer from the crowds as she left the desolate building. Asphodel had been last out, she'd been helping all the other prisoners out, some were half starved, others too weak to walk, others had beatings all over them. She hadn't suffered much for her day in the prison.
Frodo was made deputy mayor, as Will Whitfoot had been in Lockhole longer than others and he was far too weak to rule.
The every single hobbit had removed every building that Sharkey's men had built, and used the material from that to repair ruined hobbit holes. Massive stores of food were found and shared out, Bag End was cleared out and Bagshot Row was returned. Sam had used his gift from Galadriel to restore all the greenery and that spring was one the best ever. That year, 1420 was great, wonderful sunny weather, refreshing rain, a beauty in the air and the Shire that no one could describe and a harvest so rich and plentiful that every barn was full.
I don't think back then I realised just how much I loved Frodo. It's not an obsession that my life revolves around, it's just a deep feeling in my heart for him, such a desire to hold him running through my veins. The way my heart skips a beat when his crystal blue eyes glanced into my eyes, the way his dark curls ruffled in the wind, the soft sound of his voice made me tremble. I don't think he ever knew how I felt about him before he left for the Undying Lands. That's when my heart realised just how much I loved him, for the first few weeks I'd pined for him and nothing could cheer me up. Rosa and the Brandybucks were ectastic that Merry was back, as was the Tooks (and Asphodel) over Pippin, the Gamgee's & Rosie were delighted over Sam's reappearance and everyone was overjoyed with Frodo being back.
Both Asphodel and Rosa had tried their hardest to cheer me up, and they both helped with their own experiences. With Rosa missing Merry and Asphodel had revealed to me that she secretly loved Pippin. (That was partially why there was such a big grin on her face when Pippin had helped her out after she was sure everyone had been taken out.)
No matter how many times my parents had hinted about my marriage, no matter how many hobbit lads out there desperately wanted to walk out with me, I could never do that. My heart was with Frodo, very much like Asphodel's was with Pippin. And my heart will forever be with Frodo, no matter what, no matter if I'm meant to curse the sight of him.
The stupid feud isn't ever going to dampen my heart because he obliviously made me believe in hope again. I'm just going to follow my heart and pray that it's path leads me to Frodo.
A/n…New chappy coming tonight guys! I'm so glad 'cause I haven't updated since *September!!!!!!* But anyhow, review…? Please…? J (PLEASE let the formatting work this time!)(ok…work this time…)
