A/N: I don't own any of J.R.R Tolkein's characters or story (although I wish I did). Nor do I own Peter Jackson's portrayal of 'Lord of the Rings'. Anything in this story that does not appear in the movie or book, it is all mine. Don't sue me for using the script to get some conversations correct, I owe my thanks to the website 'http://blake.prohosting.com/awsm/script/LOTRFOTR.html'. I do hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!!!
Thanks!
*Meg*
P.S~ Hobbit's Rule!
P.P.S~ So does Orlando Bloom!
--------------
CHAPTER 1
Humming lightly, Paddamill Grase walked medium paced on an old rocky path that lead to a small township call Figlee, a few miles away from Rivendell. It was almost like the small town of Bree, only populated by Man and Elf, but many elves fled to Rivendell after Lord Elrond had established it many years earlier. For the people who remained lived poorly. Small shacks acquired the rocky roads of the small township. Many men were drunk half the time since most money was made from either bars or markets. With the habitat poorly taken care of, many elves fled away due to its lack of color and trees. The light that filled the streets were that of lit fireplaces and candles from houses and bars and it rained almost every day and whenever it didn't the sun would still be shielded by dark gloomy clouds. It was always cold and never warm. Many trees were either dead or cut down, and the only patch of grass in the whole town was that of the local professor who did extreme experiments. All in all, Figlee Township was run down and mainly for the humankind who had very little money.
As the brown haired girl walked along the road holding a brown paper bag in her left arm wearing the only appropriate article of clothing she had, her evergreen velvet dress with gold trim around the bell sleeves, waist belt, and neckline. She had walked to Rivendell to buy some fresh fruit for her family since Figlee fruit was bound to be poisonous. As she was coming closer to her Township, she noticed the trees started to die and the sun was beginning to vanish. With all the beauty she had witnessed in Rivendell she wished she could run away and live there. But her family would have refused to let their eighteen-year-old daughter go alone and in no way was her family going to plant new roots somewhere else. How she envied Rivendell folk. Her long chestnut hair flew in front of her face as the cold air chilled her. She pushed it behind her left ear with her right hand as she watched the wet gravel and mud. Paddamill walked quicker to get to her home since the cool air began to make its way underneath her clothes. By now she was cursing herself wishing she would've taken the horse, but since she wanted to enjoy the beautiful trees and flowers along the way, she refused.
The faint sounds of racing horses filled her ears. As she stopped walking and looked up towards the distant town nearly 5 miles away she stepped up onto the small hill that dipped quickly going into the ditch. She turned looking back down the foggy cold road waiting to see horses racing toward town. Her hazel eyes squinted as she tried to see if anyone was coming, but after a moment the horse hoofs stopped and she listened at the cool wind brush by her. She chilled and looked back at her homely town. 'They must've gone off trail' Paddamill thought as she stepped back onto the road hearing her black flat disrupt the moist gravel and dirt. She sighed and watched her warm breath quickly rise into the air, becoming part of the heavy fog that hung low within the trees. As she started to walk towards town, she heard the noise of hoofs once more. But she ignored it and began to sing a folk song she had learned after hearing the drunken men stumble out into the cold wet streets loudly singing many times. But before she knew it, she was stopped.
"Ugh!" A large heavy object flew out of the woods and jumped toward the road. Missing the main objective the thing had landed on Paddamill and knocked out all her fruits and vegetables onto the ground shining bright color of red, green, and orange.
Paddamill frowned pushing up on her palms trying to get off of her stomach to see what had hit her. The sounds of hooves became louder and that only made Paddamill more worried that the horses would run over her. Before she could sit up she felt two arms scoop her up and throw her over into a muddy ditch. The warmth of a body laid on her back. She wiped the mud off of her face and looked to the right to see the small manmade ditch's brown muddy slope. She leaned her head up a bit more and saw that black horse hooves were squashing all the beautiful fruit, throwing the brilliant colors into the air and splatter out onto the road. A hand pushed her head down.
"Don't let them see us." Paddamill frowned as she looked to the left so her face wouldn't be pushed into the mud once again. After a long moment the ground stopped shaking along with the loud noise of hoofs and she was relieved of the pressure of having someone on top of her.
"Are you all right?" She heard a soft mans voice question. A hand grabbed her left upper arm as another wrapped around her waist.
She frowned "Don't touch me!" She slapped at his arm that had a firm grip
"I'm trying to help you up." She slapped his hand off of her waist and jerked her arm away from his grasp only to slip from the muddy embankment. His hands grabbed under her arms as her legs went out from under her. With either a choice to slip back into the mud or let this poor man help, she decided to let him help. Until she was stable the hobbit let go watching her as she turned to see the man smiling.
For a hobbit he was quite strong. His brown hair curled from the wet air, his white shirt and brown pants were caked with mud. She sighed and looked at him, almost upset that it was a hobbit and not some handsome young prince coming to her rescue. He looked down the road both ways before stepping out of the ditch.
"Are you all right?" He asked again stepping up onto the road. She nodded pushing her muddy hair out of her way. She wiped her face with her hands and shook them vigorously trying to free her hands of thick cold mud. The man leaned down and held out his surprisingly clean hands offering to help her out of the ditch. Paddamill looked up at him and then to his outstretched hands waiting for her to take. "Come on, I won't bite." He laughed. Paddamill hesitated for a moment afraid to touch them but after a moment she ignored the fright then stretched out her hands slowly and placed her palms into his, small yet strong, hands. He squeezed them tightly and helped her up onto the road.
"Who are you? And why did you attack me?" She asked almost immediately. He looked around and then to her muddy face.
"My name is Frodo Baggins. I'm a hobbit from Hobbiton, and I am on a quest for Lord Elrond. Well, I was. I got lost from my fellowship." Paddamill frowned at his elaborate story.
"What kind of quest might that be?" She asked as she pushed off the wet mud that covered her favorite dress.
"Well..." He hesitated. He didn't want her to know he was carrying a ring with such great power that it could rule over any man. "A quest that only the fellowship and I must know." Paddamill rolled her eyes not really caring anyhow. "Those men were chasing after me, and when I saw a road I jumped, not meaning to land on you. Oh, I am terribly sorry, I ruined your dress and your food." Paddamill stopped trying to brush off the mud and adverted her eyes down to the ground to see it painted with color.
"Oh no." Paddamill said seeing that her brown bag had been crushed also.
"I'm truly sorry." Frodo proclaimed as he watched her sit on her knees and look at the ripped bag. "I shall reimburse you for the food." She waved her hand at him
"Don't worry. I guess you paid it back by saving my life and not allowing me to get run over by a bunch of horses." Paddamill sighed tossing the bag onto the ground.
Frodo walked over and bent down to her, looking at the dead ground. He frowned as his eyes scanned over the ground then up to the woman's dirty face. Her face was muddy along with her hair. He stared at it momentarily only being able to see the whites of her eyes along with the piercing color of hazel. He watched her teeth chatter from the cold before he realized how cold it really was. He had obviously taken a different route to Rivendell since he didn't remember a Town called 'Figlee' He thought as he watched the wooden sign swing wildly on the small arched entranceway into the lively little town. He sighed and looked back to the girl and stood up, holding out his hands once more. She took them and allowed him to help her up yet again but only after consideration.
"What is your name?" He asked leaning his head in slightly.
"Paddamill Grase." He nodded and put his hands into his pocket feeling the little golden ring move around his fingers. "Well come on Frodo Baggins, let's get you cleaned up." She said looking at his dirty clothes and face.
The two walked together into the small town. Frodo walked beside Paddamill as she told him about the small town and showing him particular places along the way to her home.
"Over there," Paddamill pointed to her right "that is Professor McDougal's cottage." Frodo looked over to the right to see a small cottage with straw thatched roof and a small round window for his bedroom. The place was built into a green mountain, a very odd thing to see in Figlee.
"Why is his home the only place with grass?"
Paddamill shrugged "I don't know for sure really. He does these weird experiments on nature and many other things." Frodo nodded, as he looked forward briefly glancing at his dirty little hobbit feet. "Right now," Paddamill started, as she looked forward "Professor McDougal is trying to figure out why the One Ring holds such great power." Frodo frowned and looked at the side of her face.
The two had stopped by a small shop to buy some cloth to clean off their faces. They had cleaned off their muddy faces the best they could, but still patches of dry mud stuck to their skin. She turned to see him looking at her with a surprised look
"Oh, don't worry. He doesn't have it here though." She reassured him. Frodo sighed out pretending to be relieved. "But rumor has it saying Mr. McDougal has made an exact replica, promoting it has the same great power." She let out a small laugh as she looked to the ground. "But I doubt it. Mr. McDougal can't even boil water without something going wrong." Frodo let out another sigh of relief. He only knew the powers the ring possessed and he would hate it if anyone should make something like that ever again. After a few moments of walking Paddamill stopped "Well, here we are." Frodo looked up from the ground and saw a wooden gate as she pushed it forward. Frodo walked inside the small yard glancing at the cottage that closely resembled the Professors house "Come on, my family will love having a guest." Paddamill grabbed his arm and walked him up to the door.
Inside the warm white cottage the fireplace from the sitting room gave the place an orange glow. Frodo sat in a wooden chair looking into the flames thinking of Mordor and his hard task of trying to not let that ring over power him. He sighed and rubbed his hot face. For the past hour he had been watching the flames and quite frankly he wished he could just sleep. But he worried about his fellowship and that damn ring that plagued his mind so much. Little did he know it was nearing 3 'o clock in the morning. Frodo had been invited to stay as long as he'd like by the large Grase family, who had two little blonde haired blue eyed boys and two brown haired green-eyed girls. The exact opposite of the parents, Bottom and Moruadh. Bottom had the brown hair and green eyes while Moruadh had blonde hair and blue eyes.
After eating meat pies, freshly baked bread, and three cups of milk, Frodo was stuffed. He hadn't had a good meal like that since he left Hobbiton and how he wished that his new acquaintances could've tasted the delicious food. He looked up to the left to see Paddamill standing in the doorframe wearing a long white gown and her long hair tied back in a knot. She looked back down the hall that led to the guest room and stairs that led up to the Grase bedchambers. She smiled at him as she held a pair of fresh clean clothes of her father's.
"I thought you'd be asleep by now." She said lowly as she walked into the room watching her step as she moved around a corner table and to a rocking chair. Frodo leaned up off his elbows and sat up. "I was bringing clean clothes to the guestroom but you weren't there," she leaned down and put the pair of black cotton pants and a white shirt along with a dark wool jacket on handcrafted rocker "they're my fathers so they'll be a bit big, hopefully you can still wear them." She smiled and looked up at Frodo. "But I guess it beats wearing one of my younger sister's nightgown." Frodo smiled and chuckled a bit. He looked down at the white gown that stopped before his feet.
"Yes, I suppose it does." He replied looking up at her faint smile. She looked away from his big beautiful eyes and sat down on the stool that was right next to the fire.
Paddamill frowned as she rubbed the large lump on the back of her head and the sore arm where she was tackled. Frodo watched her face show pain when she rubbed and rotated her left elbow.
"Are you sore?" He asked standing up and walking behind her and beginning to massage her shoulder. Paddamill grinned closing her eyes feeling relief from the pain she had been filling for the whole day. "My cousin Bilbo Baggins taught me how to relieve pain from the bones and muscles by a simple massage." He was smiling as he rubbed her shoulder and pushing in different spots with his fingers helping pressure points.
"Well I must say he taught you well." Paddamill replied as she sighed out relaxing. "Tell me a little bit about your journey." Frodo shrugged as he kept massaging Paddamill's arm.
"Well I don't really think I should." Paddamill smiled and turned her head to the side
"I promise I won't tell anyone." Frodo sighed and thought for a moment, wondering if he should tell her about his quest to take the ring to Mordor to destroy it in the fiery pits of Mount Doom.
"Okay. I will only tell you a little, that is if you really won't tell anyone." Paddamill grinned and looked forward.
"I swear."
After a long two-hour conversation about how he came to be the ring bearer and how he had gotten separated from the fellowship, Paddamill sat looking at him with wide eyes that were only concentrated on Frodo's face. Paddamill's expression was filled with emotions of excitement, amazement, awe, fright, and a bit of sadness. The adventure he had told was in explicit detail and perfect wording giving Paddamill almost an exact image of Hobbiton to Rivendell, black riders, and all the facial features on his fellowship. She leaned forward with her elbows propped on her knees and her face lit up with joy. She had never been so struck on a story that lasted more than a few minutes, the downside of being a human. When Frodo finished she was left with a yearning to know more but she knew that Frodo hadn't completed his task but when he did she wanted to let him know he must return and tell her everything that had happened or even better she could help him with the heavy task.
"And so...now I'm telling you this and I know that I am in big trouble if one little word gets out. The ring holds a great power and if anyone gets a hold of it...that could mean the end of the world for us Hobbit's, elves, Dwarves, and even man. It is very important Paddamill that you tell no one. Not a single soul."
"I promise, Frodo. None of this will ever be spoken of again." He sat back in his chair relaxed for the first time. His heart had been pounding the entire time he told her the story, and his senses had heightened. He could hear almost any little sound, and his visual sense had been expanded to where he could see the smallest speck of dust move. Paddamill grinned as she sat back. The left side of her face was extremely hot from the fire since she hadn't moved once Frodo had began telling her the story. She was amazed with the little hobbit.
"Well I do say I'm quite tired. My family is going to the market tomorrow and I have to take care of the house while they're away. If you wouldn't mind, perhaps maybe I could...assist you back to Rivendell?" Frodo grinned.
"Would you? That would be very nice." Paddamill smiled and stood up.
"Of course. It'd be my pleasure. You mustn't lose any time taking that ring to its destination. We will get up very early if you don't mind." Frodo smiled
"I think it already is early. Dawn actually." Paddamill looked out the window and gasped
"Have we been awake that long? Well then! We must get some sleep. It's a long walk to Rivendell." Frodo stood up and stretched. Paddamill yawned almost immediately as Frodo did. The two laughed lightly and walked back towards his room. "Well, goodnight Mr. Frodo." Paddamill said as she stood on the bottom step holding onto the wooden ornamented rail.
"Goodnight Paddamill." With that, Frodo and Paddamill retired to their beds.
The brown panel gave the guestroom a dark warm look as it meshed with its brightly colored hand quilted blankets and rug. Two small beds were sitting next to each wall and a small round table held a small vase with blooming flowers, something odd in Figlee. The window let the unseen sun shine some light into the room since the fireplace hadn't been lit that early morning. Paddamill's family had left quite early so they could get the freshest fruits and vegetables in another town that was close to Rivendell, and knowing her, they would probably stop in Rivendell too. They all would be back in less than three hours, just enough time to allow Paddamill to leave with Frodo before they could argue with her.
The two stood in the middle of the room looking at one another. "Oh now that won't do now will it." Paddamill giggled as she watched Frodo hold his arms out showing her that her father's sleeves were too large to even stay folded up too his wrists. Frodo smiled as he looked at them dangle over his hands.
"No, I guess not." He said glancing up at her letting his arms fall.
Paddamill raised her eyebrows "Well; there is a shop in town that makes smaller clothes for children. I am sure you could find something there that fits you correctly." Frodo nodded as he looked at the pant legs. "Here..." Paddamill grabbed her small change purse and got out 5 silver coins and held them out towards Frodo. "Why don't you go into town and get some new clothes while I make some breakfast."
"All right." Paddamill smiled and walked over to Frodo who stood in the middle of the guestroom.
Frodo had taken the money and quickly left the small cottage to get his new clothes. Paddamill gave him precise directions to the small shop and told him to hurry back before his breakfast would get cold. As she sat beside the fire pushing the wood with an inflammable staff, the smell of cooked eggs and bacon filled the room. She stood up setting the staff aside and walking over to the coal stove taking a small wooden spoon to scramble the eggs. She hummed lightly as she set the table quickly awaiting Frodo's return. She folded her blouses white sleeves up to her elbows after she placed the last bowl on the table. She brushed off her brown work dress and listened to her shoes tap lightly on the floor as she made her way to the skillet. She grabbed the small cloth to take the handle and walked over to the bowl and put half of the eggs on the plate along with two freshly baked biscuits and three pieces of bacon. She bent over the table to fix the small lilacs that were in a small glass vase she had purchased in Rivendell nearly three days ago when a loud knock at the door in the sitting room made her frown.
"Did I lock the door?" She asked herself as she grinned and walked to the front door. She pulled it open and saw a tall man standing in a ragged gray robe that was tied together at the waist by a golden rope, either gold or very dirty.
The large hood covered the mans face, only allowing her to see blackness. She frowned as she held the heavy door open with her right hand.
"Can you spare some change for a lonely old man?" His voice was worn and tired. He held out a small drawstring tote in his right hand. Paddamill smiled knowing he probably needed it more than she did by the way he stood hunched over and shaking.
"Of course." Paddamill replied feeling pity for the man. She turned away from the door to her left and opened her bag of change. The door slammed hard and she jerked up. Slowly and very cautiously Paddamill moved her eyes to her right then to the left. Two men were standing on either side of her with weapons drawn and anger written on their faces. She swallowed feeling frightened then turned slowly to see them looking at her, along with a blonde haired man standing in front of her with his bow and arrow easy to get to in case she did something stupid. Her heart began to beat quicker as her palms began to sweat.
"Take what you want." She said frightened hoping they'd do so without harming her. She held her small change purse in her hands, gripping it tightly. When they didn't speak she quickly threw the purse at the man in front of her with all her might making it hit him in the face. She then ducked quickly when the two men charged for her. She ran into the hall and closed the heavy wooden door that blocked their entry. She turned the key that stuck out from the black rusted lock and staggered back listening to their hard steps come to the door. The men beat on the door as she looked around trying to find something for her protection.
Burglars, thieves, and murderers weren't uncommon in Figlee and usually there would be a weapon of choice by people who had a family in case they decided to rob the only money they had.
"We don't want to hurt you! Just tell us where Frodo is!" She heard a man's strong voice yell from the other side of the door. She remembered what Frodo had told her the night before that people would try to harm him to get to the powerful ring. She knew not to tell anyone of his whereabouts.
"I don't know of any Frodo Baggins!" She gasped when she realized her mistake.
"We know that you have knowledge of where he is! Now tell us!" She frowned feeling panicked. She ran into his room and looked around for something. Knowing all three of those men were strong, she had no doubt in her mind that they very well could possibly break down the door. A load thump against the door worried her even more. They were going to break down the door! Paddamill bit her lower lip as she frowned heavily feeling terror overwhelm her. She saw a staff for the fireplace. She grabbed it and looked at its old condition after she swung it a few times. She wondered if it would even harm someone. Before being able to finish her own argument of strength, a man grabbed her by the mouth and waist. He obviously crawled through the window. But how could that be? The floors were all wooden and old, no matter how small or lightweight you were, they'd always creak.
"Tell us where Frodo is. We won't hurt you, nor will we tie you up." His soft voice said into her left ear. Her eyes grew wide. Tie her up! Was he serious? She struggled against the man for a few moments, but was overpowered by his strength. Paddamill let her body and muscles relax against the mans chest, letting him know she had given up.
Her father had always told her to do whatever the men would say if it were to ever happen. That way they'd get what they wanted and quickly be on their way without any troubles. The man thought for a moment then let his hand ease off her mouth and around her waist. Although her father's voice ran through her head, she was always stubborn. She screamed as loud as she could and used all her strength to wisp around quickly before he could grab her once more. He ducked when she swung the staff at his head. She ran into the hall and dashed towards the steps. The loud crash of the door breaking open didn't surprise her. Paddamill ran up to the second level where three rooms were situated behind the step entrance. A window was in front of her and a seat to where you could sit and watch over the yard and streets. She heard their footsteps quickly stomping up the steps behind her. She grabbed an edge of the small bookcase and pushed it to the top of the steps and tipped it back. It slowly toppled backward
"Go down...GO DOWN!" She heard a man yell to the others who were right behind him. They ran down the steps and out of the way before the bookcase could harm them. It slid quickly downward when the bookshelf hit the steps. Knowing it would delay the men for only a moment she looked at the window and ran over to open it. She gasped when she saw Frodo walking to the gate. She grunted as she tried to push open the window as best she could but her father had nailed the windows shut so the little kids wouldn't push them open and fall out of the upstairs window. A smart thing at the time, but now she was being attacked and she thought he was ignorant for doing something like that.
When she made no progress she grabbed the staff and broke opened the glass. "Help me!" She called out. Frodo stopped and looked up to the second floor. He gasped when he saw a dark figured man grab her mouth and pull her away from the window. He dropped the bag of clothes and ran into the house.
"Paddamill!" He screamed as he looked around the house and its broken door. He heard them in the hall and he ran to where the door had been broken. He grabbed an axe on the way and screamed racing towards the stairs to help her.
"NO! FRODO!" Legolas screamed as he fell back over a few books.
"Legolas?" Frodo said almost uncertain of whom it might be. He looked up at the stairs to see Aragorn and Boromir holding Paddamill, looking at Frodo with surprise.
"We didn't know if you were lost, dead, or had been kidnapped." Boromir looked at Frodo as they all sat at the kitchen table. They had apologized for seeming if they were going to harm Paddamill. They even helped her put the book case back up the steps. She was still a bit frightened but disregarded it since she was excited to meet the men who were going to help Frodo save the life of all existence.
"Where is everyone?" Frodo asked Boromir as he took a drink of freshly squeezed tangerine juice.
"They are at Rivendell. They are waiting for us, so if you don't mind Ms. Grase we should be on our way." She sat up in her seat not wanting them to leave just yet. She was having so much fun listening to them talking and glancing at her periodically almost afraid of giving her too much information. Frodo looked at her
"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I could lead you all to Rivendell from here." Boromir and Aragorn stood up fixing their weapons. as Legolas rose up out of the old wooden chair he shrugged
"That's very kind of you but we do know the way to Rivendell from here, but thank you." Paddamill sighed slumping down in her seat. Frodo stood up.
"Her family is in Rivendell. We could at least allow her to come with us and when she gets to Rivendell she can be with her family, obviously being alone here is fairly dangerous."
"Frodo," The two adverted their eyes to Aragorn "we couldn't possibly take her along. It is much more dangerous when you could be easily seen."
"I don't see any harm in taking Paddamill to her family." Legolas proclaimed as Frodo smiled at him. Aragorn sighed and looked to Boromir almost as if he were to decide the fate of Paddamill.
Aragorn sat on his horse as it walked steadily in front of Frodo and Boromir, keeping his eyes open as he followed the trail leading to Rivendell. Boromir and Frodo sat on the horse in the middle, periodically looking around. Frodo glanced over his right shoulder to see Legolas and Paddamill on the last horse. After they suggested it would be in her best interest if she rode on the horse furthest away from being hurt in case of an ambush by Orc's, she had to no time to protest. Paddamill looked down at the ground watching the horse kicking rocks forward. She had wished their adventure would be a bit more exciting since that was the only reason she wanted to go. They had been walking for nearly ten minutes in pure silence and Paddamill had been dying to ask what an Orc was since she had no true knowledge of such creatures.
After a moment of arguing with herself she finally asked. She leaned her head forward a bit and spoke into Legolas' right ear.
"What is an orc?" She softly whispered, keeping her eyes upon everyone in front of her. He looked around for a moment then leaned back in
"An Orc is a creature that was especially bred by Morgoth." He looked back at Paddamill's blank face. "You do know who Morgoth is, yes?" She grinned
"Mmmhmm. My father used to tell us the story of how Valor won the battle after the elves lost. He'd also tell us if we didn't go to bed early Morgoth would come and eat us." Legolas grinned as she giggled at the thought.
"Well Morgoth created them as a parody of elves. Truly omnivorous, they tend to be apelike in appearance but are skilled in mining and in making weapons and instruments of torture." Paddamill's eyes grew big, and all of a sudden her need for adventure had fled. "All sense for beauty and all compassion seem to have been bred out of them for they live for hatred and destruction, unlike us elves." Paddamill nodded looking around feeling scared by the new story of Orcs.
Legolas could feel her move around, obviously frightened by his explanation. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you." He assured her. Paddamill smiled and sighed feeling slightly better. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to relax after a moment. She would fill safer if she held onto something. Without thinking she stopped holding onto the saddle and wrapped her arms around Legolas' waist, grabbing her wrists so she wouldn't fall off in case of an attack by Orcs. Legolas frowned feeling them lightly squeeze around him. He looked down at the arms that appeared to have been growing out of his sides. He grinned to himself and looked forward.
Overflowing with beauty, Rivendell was peace to anyone's eyes. Just set outside of the misty mountains, it's beautiful woodlands, rivers that seemed to foam, waterfalls that soothed your soul blossoming trees, bright sunlight, beautiful buildings with mystic statues and arches made everyone relax. Paddamill would never understand how anyone could not live here. "It gets more and more beautiful every time." Paddamill thought as she looked around at the large waterfall just to the right flowing with elegance. Paddamill had learned every nook and crammy of Rivendell.
Out of one month she had visited Rivendell over thirty times. She loved it more than anything. But then again who wouldn't when you lived in a place where the weather was as unpredictable as the winding roads of Rivendell. A place that was always cold, always gloomy, no green land or fresh fruit and no peace and tranquility. How many times she wished to become an elf so she could live there forever couldn't be counted.
"Beautiful isn't it?" She heard Legolas say to her as she thought of how many times she had dreamt of living there. She sighed and looked up the side of Legolas' face. He was looking around and obviously back at her
"Yes, very."
The men walked to the market place in hopes of dropping Paddamill and beginning their quest. When she saw her family she quickly jumped off the horse.
"Thank you all very much." She said looking at them pause and look back at her.
"You family is over there." Frodo exclaimed getting off the horse. She nodded
"I know, I'm just looking at the beautiful blue bells." Boromir tapped Aragorn's shoulder hoping to leave.
"Well it certainly was a pleasure of meeting you." Aragorn said walking the horse close to her side and holding out his hand for her to shake. She glanced at the black glove and then up to his face.
"Likewise." She said taking it. He shook it twice then let go. Boromir said his Thank You and walked next to Aragorn. Legolas looked down at her as he grinned slightly.
"I'm sorry about earlier. Perhaps I could visit you again and have some more of that delicious breakfast." Paddamill smiled and his kindness and held his eye contact. After a moment of realizing she was looking at she looked away, slightly blushing.
"Good bye." He said turning the horse and walking to the rest of the men. Frodo sighed walking to her.
"I shall miss you. You have been very kind to have kept me after knocking you to the ground." Paddamill laughed and waved her hand at him.
"Don't be silly. It's not everyday you meet a brave hobbit willing to hold the ring with such great power. I hope that you will stop by and see me once again?" Frodo smiled and nodded.
"I would never decline such an offer." Paddamill grinned blushing brightly.
"Well, go on. Your fellowship awaits." Frodo sighed and looked at the three sit on the horses watching him.
"Yes. Good bye Paddamill." She smiled lowly and waved. He held her hand as to shake it but he kissed it and walked away. Paddamill stood watching the men walk trail off into the woods making their way to Lord Elrond's home. She had never felt so afraid for people she had never met before. The Ring held unimaginable power, and to take on such a responsibility would make any Elf, Dwarf, or Man, swoon at their feet.
After she met with her family she glanced around for fresh flowers. She hadn't told them about the brave men who were going to destroy the ring. But knowing how word travels fast she didn't doubt they would hear about it sooner or later. It was dawn before her family got home. They all had done their chores, taken their baths, and sat down for dinner. After sitting together talking they soon retired to their bedchambers dreaming of how lovely the food tasted and how beautiful Rivendell was. For her family being the busy bee's they are Paddamill wondered why they never traveled out of Figlee more often. While her family dreamt of rolling hills and fairies, Paddamill could only lay in bed listening to the harsh rain hit against her window. She rolled on her stomach and looked up at the moon shining brightly behind the clouds. She couldn't sleep, not after all she and Frodo talked about. She already missed him. She already missed everyone's company. She had made up the faces of Gandalf, Pippin, Merry, Gimli, and plump little Samwise. She grinned feeling her face grow hot when she thought of Frodo kissing her hand. Although it was short sweet and simple she thought it was the best kiss she had ever received. Not because he was a cute little hobbit, but because he was a strong guy who took on a strong responsibility and he always carried a ring. Paddamill giggled once more.
"Will you shut up!" Paddamill stopped giggling when she heard her older sister Annie yell.
"Sorry." She turned on her back once more trying to get cool. In a matter of minutes she was asleep dreaming of Frodo Baggins and his journey to Mordor.
After a long hard day at fighting through the crowded streets of Figlee trying to buy some more yarn for her quilt, Paddamill sighed when she found herself walking along the road going towards her home. She barely got any sleep the night before due to how hot and how bored she felt. It was like Frodo was plaguing her mind, but in a good way. At every corner, every store, and every face seemed to remind her of Frodo and the mysterious Fellowship. All day she had been thinking of many ways to see them again. Ways to become a member of their fellowship. She laughed lightly at herself as her thought ran away from her. Her smile was quickly swept away when she felt a cold drop of rain on her cheek. She frowned as she looked up at the dark sky. She felt a few more drips on her head and face before it turned into a rain shower. Paddamill screamed lightly as she began to jog towards the house just a mile away.
When she finally reached her gate, the small droplets were now mixed with medium sized drops, large drops, small drops, misty rain, and even a heavy downpour. She was almost soaked when she was halfway up the walkway. She stopped looking up at her house. Her small grin she had on her face with the enjoyment of being able to play in the rain had washed away. The front door was hanging by two hinges and for what Paddamill could see, the inside of the house was torn apart. She saw chairs turned upside down, the bookcase on the ground lying in the hall, the fire going, and windows broken out. Her heart beat quickly, and her head began to swirl. She continued to walk toward the house slowly. When she walked inside the whole house was torn to pieces. Furniture was broken, food, books, and quilts everything was destroyed. The fire was fading fast. She dropped her bag of yarn.
"Mother! Father!" She yelled quickly running into the dining room and kitchen. She swung open closet doors, cabinets, and cupboards making sure that every nook and crammy of that entire house was searched. She yelled for her brothers and her sisters, her mother and her father but after searching the whole downstairs she found nothing. She ran quickly to the staircase jumping over books and broken steps. She looked around at the two rooms. Feathers from her pillows were tossed upon the floor. Her heart could've stopped when she saw a few feathers colored in red. The silence of the house was filled with the loud beatings of her heart. The rain hit against the windows harder and the distant thunder was now overhead of Figlee.
"Mother? Father?" Paddamill asked walking very slowly towards their bedroom. Her heartbeats were at an all time high. It beat harder and harder at any moment she was waiting for it to fly out of her chest. Her breath picked up pace as she reached out her left hand to push the bedroom door open. She watched it shake uncontrollably as she felt the hard wood under her fingertips. It was wet and cold, from the rain. With one quick push the door swung open slowly creaking on it's rusted hinges. She saw a hand lying on it's knuckles unable to tell if the person was dead or alive. Paddamill slipped slightly when she stepped her right foot in front. She frowned and looked down to see a smear of blood and a few drops dripping off the tip of her flat. She jumped back and looked at her hand. The cold door was not wet by the rain, but by blood. It shimmered a bright crimson on her white slender fingers as it slowly rolled down onto her palm. She was choking, she couldn't breathe. It was as if someone was holding her so tight that she was getting no air supply and at any moment she would suffocate and pass out. She felt her head become unbelievably heavy and the objects in the hall become further away. She forced herself to walk forward. She gasped almost about to scream. Paddamill saw her Mother on the bed still asleep, Or so she wished. Blood dripped off her arm that was off the bed. It's dripping sound matched the sound of the blood pounding in Paddamill's ears. Her father was lying on his back in the middle of the room with an axe sticking out of his chest.
"No..." Paddamill managed to say. "Oh god..." She whispered as she felt her eyes begin to sting. "NO!" She yelled running into the dark room and falling to her knees to see if her father or mother was still alive, but they weren't. She then stood up and ran across the hall. She yelled out her younger sisters name
"Emily!" Then her older sisters "Annie!" She found nothing. She ran into the bedroom where her two young brothers slept. She opened the door and hugged the doorframe holding her right hand over her mouth. Her nails dug into the wood that held onto the doorframe and hot tears rolled down her eyes. "Oh god!" She screamed turning and running down the stairs screaming for her sisters. When nobody replied she ran out to the small playhouse her father had built.
Paddamill ran quickly down the steps, ignoring the books and other objects. She must've tripped three times before she ran into the kitchen and out the back door. She dashed across the yard, barely stable from the mud on the ground. She pushed the door open to gain access into the playhouse. She screamed when she saw her two sisters lying inside slaughtered like the chickens at the marketplace. The rain hit her hard as she looked around the muddy backyard. She could see footprints in the mud, that of something inhuman. It wasn't made by Man, Elf, nor Dwarf, but that of something unnatural. She frowned when she thought back to the other day.
'They tend to be apelike in appearance but are skilled in mining and in making weapons and instruments of torture...they live for hatred and destruction' The voice of Legolas was heavy in her mind as she remembered his explanation of an Orc. She remembered that Frodo had told her that those men on horses were chasing after him. She gasped when she put it all together. The creatures who killed her family were after Frodo and the ring. If Legolas and the others could find him, then so could they. She looked up from the footprint and ran back into the house. She gathered a few of her fathers pants and a pair of her mothers work boots, from when she'd help out her father. In less than ten minutes Paddamill had gotten on the black horse from the barn and headed to Rivendell.
Lord Elrond stood on his balcony leaning on the railing watching the Fellowship head off into the woods. He had so many things on his mind. He was mainly concerned for their protection along with his people. Sauron was becoming more powerful since he had many things in search of the ring. The safety of Middle-Earth was slowly fading and if Frodo and his men didn't destroy that ring soon then the world would be under enslavement.
"Lord Elrond?" He raised his eyebrows and woke up from his concentration.
"Yes?" He said to a servant of his.
"Someone needs to desperately speak with you." Paddamill burst into the room holding her soaking leather pack dripping water all over the marble floors. She was out of breath and could barely speak. Lord Elrond didn't even need to ask her what was wrong, he just knew.
"Take her to a room and get her some dry clothes. I will meet you in the great hall."
Thanks!
*Meg*
P.S~ Hobbit's Rule!
P.P.S~ So does Orlando Bloom!
--------------
CHAPTER 1
Humming lightly, Paddamill Grase walked medium paced on an old rocky path that lead to a small township call Figlee, a few miles away from Rivendell. It was almost like the small town of Bree, only populated by Man and Elf, but many elves fled to Rivendell after Lord Elrond had established it many years earlier. For the people who remained lived poorly. Small shacks acquired the rocky roads of the small township. Many men were drunk half the time since most money was made from either bars or markets. With the habitat poorly taken care of, many elves fled away due to its lack of color and trees. The light that filled the streets were that of lit fireplaces and candles from houses and bars and it rained almost every day and whenever it didn't the sun would still be shielded by dark gloomy clouds. It was always cold and never warm. Many trees were either dead or cut down, and the only patch of grass in the whole town was that of the local professor who did extreme experiments. All in all, Figlee Township was run down and mainly for the humankind who had very little money.
As the brown haired girl walked along the road holding a brown paper bag in her left arm wearing the only appropriate article of clothing she had, her evergreen velvet dress with gold trim around the bell sleeves, waist belt, and neckline. She had walked to Rivendell to buy some fresh fruit for her family since Figlee fruit was bound to be poisonous. As she was coming closer to her Township, she noticed the trees started to die and the sun was beginning to vanish. With all the beauty she had witnessed in Rivendell she wished she could run away and live there. But her family would have refused to let their eighteen-year-old daughter go alone and in no way was her family going to plant new roots somewhere else. How she envied Rivendell folk. Her long chestnut hair flew in front of her face as the cold air chilled her. She pushed it behind her left ear with her right hand as she watched the wet gravel and mud. Paddamill walked quicker to get to her home since the cool air began to make its way underneath her clothes. By now she was cursing herself wishing she would've taken the horse, but since she wanted to enjoy the beautiful trees and flowers along the way, she refused.
The faint sounds of racing horses filled her ears. As she stopped walking and looked up towards the distant town nearly 5 miles away she stepped up onto the small hill that dipped quickly going into the ditch. She turned looking back down the foggy cold road waiting to see horses racing toward town. Her hazel eyes squinted as she tried to see if anyone was coming, but after a moment the horse hoofs stopped and she listened at the cool wind brush by her. She chilled and looked back at her homely town. 'They must've gone off trail' Paddamill thought as she stepped back onto the road hearing her black flat disrupt the moist gravel and dirt. She sighed and watched her warm breath quickly rise into the air, becoming part of the heavy fog that hung low within the trees. As she started to walk towards town, she heard the noise of hoofs once more. But she ignored it and began to sing a folk song she had learned after hearing the drunken men stumble out into the cold wet streets loudly singing many times. But before she knew it, she was stopped.
"Ugh!" A large heavy object flew out of the woods and jumped toward the road. Missing the main objective the thing had landed on Paddamill and knocked out all her fruits and vegetables onto the ground shining bright color of red, green, and orange.
Paddamill frowned pushing up on her palms trying to get off of her stomach to see what had hit her. The sounds of hooves became louder and that only made Paddamill more worried that the horses would run over her. Before she could sit up she felt two arms scoop her up and throw her over into a muddy ditch. The warmth of a body laid on her back. She wiped the mud off of her face and looked to the right to see the small manmade ditch's brown muddy slope. She leaned her head up a bit more and saw that black horse hooves were squashing all the beautiful fruit, throwing the brilliant colors into the air and splatter out onto the road. A hand pushed her head down.
"Don't let them see us." Paddamill frowned as she looked to the left so her face wouldn't be pushed into the mud once again. After a long moment the ground stopped shaking along with the loud noise of hoofs and she was relieved of the pressure of having someone on top of her.
"Are you all right?" She heard a soft mans voice question. A hand grabbed her left upper arm as another wrapped around her waist.
She frowned "Don't touch me!" She slapped at his arm that had a firm grip
"I'm trying to help you up." She slapped his hand off of her waist and jerked her arm away from his grasp only to slip from the muddy embankment. His hands grabbed under her arms as her legs went out from under her. With either a choice to slip back into the mud or let this poor man help, she decided to let him help. Until she was stable the hobbit let go watching her as she turned to see the man smiling.
For a hobbit he was quite strong. His brown hair curled from the wet air, his white shirt and brown pants were caked with mud. She sighed and looked at him, almost upset that it was a hobbit and not some handsome young prince coming to her rescue. He looked down the road both ways before stepping out of the ditch.
"Are you all right?" He asked again stepping up onto the road. She nodded pushing her muddy hair out of her way. She wiped her face with her hands and shook them vigorously trying to free her hands of thick cold mud. The man leaned down and held out his surprisingly clean hands offering to help her out of the ditch. Paddamill looked up at him and then to his outstretched hands waiting for her to take. "Come on, I won't bite." He laughed. Paddamill hesitated for a moment afraid to touch them but after a moment she ignored the fright then stretched out her hands slowly and placed her palms into his, small yet strong, hands. He squeezed them tightly and helped her up onto the road.
"Who are you? And why did you attack me?" She asked almost immediately. He looked around and then to her muddy face.
"My name is Frodo Baggins. I'm a hobbit from Hobbiton, and I am on a quest for Lord Elrond. Well, I was. I got lost from my fellowship." Paddamill frowned at his elaborate story.
"What kind of quest might that be?" She asked as she pushed off the wet mud that covered her favorite dress.
"Well..." He hesitated. He didn't want her to know he was carrying a ring with such great power that it could rule over any man. "A quest that only the fellowship and I must know." Paddamill rolled her eyes not really caring anyhow. "Those men were chasing after me, and when I saw a road I jumped, not meaning to land on you. Oh, I am terribly sorry, I ruined your dress and your food." Paddamill stopped trying to brush off the mud and adverted her eyes down to the ground to see it painted with color.
"Oh no." Paddamill said seeing that her brown bag had been crushed also.
"I'm truly sorry." Frodo proclaimed as he watched her sit on her knees and look at the ripped bag. "I shall reimburse you for the food." She waved her hand at him
"Don't worry. I guess you paid it back by saving my life and not allowing me to get run over by a bunch of horses." Paddamill sighed tossing the bag onto the ground.
Frodo walked over and bent down to her, looking at the dead ground. He frowned as his eyes scanned over the ground then up to the woman's dirty face. Her face was muddy along with her hair. He stared at it momentarily only being able to see the whites of her eyes along with the piercing color of hazel. He watched her teeth chatter from the cold before he realized how cold it really was. He had obviously taken a different route to Rivendell since he didn't remember a Town called 'Figlee' He thought as he watched the wooden sign swing wildly on the small arched entranceway into the lively little town. He sighed and looked back to the girl and stood up, holding out his hands once more. She took them and allowed him to help her up yet again but only after consideration.
"What is your name?" He asked leaning his head in slightly.
"Paddamill Grase." He nodded and put his hands into his pocket feeling the little golden ring move around his fingers. "Well come on Frodo Baggins, let's get you cleaned up." She said looking at his dirty clothes and face.
The two walked together into the small town. Frodo walked beside Paddamill as she told him about the small town and showing him particular places along the way to her home.
"Over there," Paddamill pointed to her right "that is Professor McDougal's cottage." Frodo looked over to the right to see a small cottage with straw thatched roof and a small round window for his bedroom. The place was built into a green mountain, a very odd thing to see in Figlee.
"Why is his home the only place with grass?"
Paddamill shrugged "I don't know for sure really. He does these weird experiments on nature and many other things." Frodo nodded, as he looked forward briefly glancing at his dirty little hobbit feet. "Right now," Paddamill started, as she looked forward "Professor McDougal is trying to figure out why the One Ring holds such great power." Frodo frowned and looked at the side of her face.
The two had stopped by a small shop to buy some cloth to clean off their faces. They had cleaned off their muddy faces the best they could, but still patches of dry mud stuck to their skin. She turned to see him looking at her with a surprised look
"Oh, don't worry. He doesn't have it here though." She reassured him. Frodo sighed out pretending to be relieved. "But rumor has it saying Mr. McDougal has made an exact replica, promoting it has the same great power." She let out a small laugh as she looked to the ground. "But I doubt it. Mr. McDougal can't even boil water without something going wrong." Frodo let out another sigh of relief. He only knew the powers the ring possessed and he would hate it if anyone should make something like that ever again. After a few moments of walking Paddamill stopped "Well, here we are." Frodo looked up from the ground and saw a wooden gate as she pushed it forward. Frodo walked inside the small yard glancing at the cottage that closely resembled the Professors house "Come on, my family will love having a guest." Paddamill grabbed his arm and walked him up to the door.
Inside the warm white cottage the fireplace from the sitting room gave the place an orange glow. Frodo sat in a wooden chair looking into the flames thinking of Mordor and his hard task of trying to not let that ring over power him. He sighed and rubbed his hot face. For the past hour he had been watching the flames and quite frankly he wished he could just sleep. But he worried about his fellowship and that damn ring that plagued his mind so much. Little did he know it was nearing 3 'o clock in the morning. Frodo had been invited to stay as long as he'd like by the large Grase family, who had two little blonde haired blue eyed boys and two brown haired green-eyed girls. The exact opposite of the parents, Bottom and Moruadh. Bottom had the brown hair and green eyes while Moruadh had blonde hair and blue eyes.
After eating meat pies, freshly baked bread, and three cups of milk, Frodo was stuffed. He hadn't had a good meal like that since he left Hobbiton and how he wished that his new acquaintances could've tasted the delicious food. He looked up to the left to see Paddamill standing in the doorframe wearing a long white gown and her long hair tied back in a knot. She looked back down the hall that led to the guest room and stairs that led up to the Grase bedchambers. She smiled at him as she held a pair of fresh clean clothes of her father's.
"I thought you'd be asleep by now." She said lowly as she walked into the room watching her step as she moved around a corner table and to a rocking chair. Frodo leaned up off his elbows and sat up. "I was bringing clean clothes to the guestroom but you weren't there," she leaned down and put the pair of black cotton pants and a white shirt along with a dark wool jacket on handcrafted rocker "they're my fathers so they'll be a bit big, hopefully you can still wear them." She smiled and looked up at Frodo. "But I guess it beats wearing one of my younger sister's nightgown." Frodo smiled and chuckled a bit. He looked down at the white gown that stopped before his feet.
"Yes, I suppose it does." He replied looking up at her faint smile. She looked away from his big beautiful eyes and sat down on the stool that was right next to the fire.
Paddamill frowned as she rubbed the large lump on the back of her head and the sore arm where she was tackled. Frodo watched her face show pain when she rubbed and rotated her left elbow.
"Are you sore?" He asked standing up and walking behind her and beginning to massage her shoulder. Paddamill grinned closing her eyes feeling relief from the pain she had been filling for the whole day. "My cousin Bilbo Baggins taught me how to relieve pain from the bones and muscles by a simple massage." He was smiling as he rubbed her shoulder and pushing in different spots with his fingers helping pressure points.
"Well I must say he taught you well." Paddamill replied as she sighed out relaxing. "Tell me a little bit about your journey." Frodo shrugged as he kept massaging Paddamill's arm.
"Well I don't really think I should." Paddamill smiled and turned her head to the side
"I promise I won't tell anyone." Frodo sighed and thought for a moment, wondering if he should tell her about his quest to take the ring to Mordor to destroy it in the fiery pits of Mount Doom.
"Okay. I will only tell you a little, that is if you really won't tell anyone." Paddamill grinned and looked forward.
"I swear."
After a long two-hour conversation about how he came to be the ring bearer and how he had gotten separated from the fellowship, Paddamill sat looking at him with wide eyes that were only concentrated on Frodo's face. Paddamill's expression was filled with emotions of excitement, amazement, awe, fright, and a bit of sadness. The adventure he had told was in explicit detail and perfect wording giving Paddamill almost an exact image of Hobbiton to Rivendell, black riders, and all the facial features on his fellowship. She leaned forward with her elbows propped on her knees and her face lit up with joy. She had never been so struck on a story that lasted more than a few minutes, the downside of being a human. When Frodo finished she was left with a yearning to know more but she knew that Frodo hadn't completed his task but when he did she wanted to let him know he must return and tell her everything that had happened or even better she could help him with the heavy task.
"And so...now I'm telling you this and I know that I am in big trouble if one little word gets out. The ring holds a great power and if anyone gets a hold of it...that could mean the end of the world for us Hobbit's, elves, Dwarves, and even man. It is very important Paddamill that you tell no one. Not a single soul."
"I promise, Frodo. None of this will ever be spoken of again." He sat back in his chair relaxed for the first time. His heart had been pounding the entire time he told her the story, and his senses had heightened. He could hear almost any little sound, and his visual sense had been expanded to where he could see the smallest speck of dust move. Paddamill grinned as she sat back. The left side of her face was extremely hot from the fire since she hadn't moved once Frodo had began telling her the story. She was amazed with the little hobbit.
"Well I do say I'm quite tired. My family is going to the market tomorrow and I have to take care of the house while they're away. If you wouldn't mind, perhaps maybe I could...assist you back to Rivendell?" Frodo grinned.
"Would you? That would be very nice." Paddamill smiled and stood up.
"Of course. It'd be my pleasure. You mustn't lose any time taking that ring to its destination. We will get up very early if you don't mind." Frodo smiled
"I think it already is early. Dawn actually." Paddamill looked out the window and gasped
"Have we been awake that long? Well then! We must get some sleep. It's a long walk to Rivendell." Frodo stood up and stretched. Paddamill yawned almost immediately as Frodo did. The two laughed lightly and walked back towards his room. "Well, goodnight Mr. Frodo." Paddamill said as she stood on the bottom step holding onto the wooden ornamented rail.
"Goodnight Paddamill." With that, Frodo and Paddamill retired to their beds.
The brown panel gave the guestroom a dark warm look as it meshed with its brightly colored hand quilted blankets and rug. Two small beds were sitting next to each wall and a small round table held a small vase with blooming flowers, something odd in Figlee. The window let the unseen sun shine some light into the room since the fireplace hadn't been lit that early morning. Paddamill's family had left quite early so they could get the freshest fruits and vegetables in another town that was close to Rivendell, and knowing her, they would probably stop in Rivendell too. They all would be back in less than three hours, just enough time to allow Paddamill to leave with Frodo before they could argue with her.
The two stood in the middle of the room looking at one another. "Oh now that won't do now will it." Paddamill giggled as she watched Frodo hold his arms out showing her that her father's sleeves were too large to even stay folded up too his wrists. Frodo smiled as he looked at them dangle over his hands.
"No, I guess not." He said glancing up at her letting his arms fall.
Paddamill raised her eyebrows "Well; there is a shop in town that makes smaller clothes for children. I am sure you could find something there that fits you correctly." Frodo nodded as he looked at the pant legs. "Here..." Paddamill grabbed her small change purse and got out 5 silver coins and held them out towards Frodo. "Why don't you go into town and get some new clothes while I make some breakfast."
"All right." Paddamill smiled and walked over to Frodo who stood in the middle of the guestroom.
Frodo had taken the money and quickly left the small cottage to get his new clothes. Paddamill gave him precise directions to the small shop and told him to hurry back before his breakfast would get cold. As she sat beside the fire pushing the wood with an inflammable staff, the smell of cooked eggs and bacon filled the room. She stood up setting the staff aside and walking over to the coal stove taking a small wooden spoon to scramble the eggs. She hummed lightly as she set the table quickly awaiting Frodo's return. She folded her blouses white sleeves up to her elbows after she placed the last bowl on the table. She brushed off her brown work dress and listened to her shoes tap lightly on the floor as she made her way to the skillet. She grabbed the small cloth to take the handle and walked over to the bowl and put half of the eggs on the plate along with two freshly baked biscuits and three pieces of bacon. She bent over the table to fix the small lilacs that were in a small glass vase she had purchased in Rivendell nearly three days ago when a loud knock at the door in the sitting room made her frown.
"Did I lock the door?" She asked herself as she grinned and walked to the front door. She pulled it open and saw a tall man standing in a ragged gray robe that was tied together at the waist by a golden rope, either gold or very dirty.
The large hood covered the mans face, only allowing her to see blackness. She frowned as she held the heavy door open with her right hand.
"Can you spare some change for a lonely old man?" His voice was worn and tired. He held out a small drawstring tote in his right hand. Paddamill smiled knowing he probably needed it more than she did by the way he stood hunched over and shaking.
"Of course." Paddamill replied feeling pity for the man. She turned away from the door to her left and opened her bag of change. The door slammed hard and she jerked up. Slowly and very cautiously Paddamill moved her eyes to her right then to the left. Two men were standing on either side of her with weapons drawn and anger written on their faces. She swallowed feeling frightened then turned slowly to see them looking at her, along with a blonde haired man standing in front of her with his bow and arrow easy to get to in case she did something stupid. Her heart began to beat quicker as her palms began to sweat.
"Take what you want." She said frightened hoping they'd do so without harming her. She held her small change purse in her hands, gripping it tightly. When they didn't speak she quickly threw the purse at the man in front of her with all her might making it hit him in the face. She then ducked quickly when the two men charged for her. She ran into the hall and closed the heavy wooden door that blocked their entry. She turned the key that stuck out from the black rusted lock and staggered back listening to their hard steps come to the door. The men beat on the door as she looked around trying to find something for her protection.
Burglars, thieves, and murderers weren't uncommon in Figlee and usually there would be a weapon of choice by people who had a family in case they decided to rob the only money they had.
"We don't want to hurt you! Just tell us where Frodo is!" She heard a man's strong voice yell from the other side of the door. She remembered what Frodo had told her the night before that people would try to harm him to get to the powerful ring. She knew not to tell anyone of his whereabouts.
"I don't know of any Frodo Baggins!" She gasped when she realized her mistake.
"We know that you have knowledge of where he is! Now tell us!" She frowned feeling panicked. She ran into his room and looked around for something. Knowing all three of those men were strong, she had no doubt in her mind that they very well could possibly break down the door. A load thump against the door worried her even more. They were going to break down the door! Paddamill bit her lower lip as she frowned heavily feeling terror overwhelm her. She saw a staff for the fireplace. She grabbed it and looked at its old condition after she swung it a few times. She wondered if it would even harm someone. Before being able to finish her own argument of strength, a man grabbed her by the mouth and waist. He obviously crawled through the window. But how could that be? The floors were all wooden and old, no matter how small or lightweight you were, they'd always creak.
"Tell us where Frodo is. We won't hurt you, nor will we tie you up." His soft voice said into her left ear. Her eyes grew wide. Tie her up! Was he serious? She struggled against the man for a few moments, but was overpowered by his strength. Paddamill let her body and muscles relax against the mans chest, letting him know she had given up.
Her father had always told her to do whatever the men would say if it were to ever happen. That way they'd get what they wanted and quickly be on their way without any troubles. The man thought for a moment then let his hand ease off her mouth and around her waist. Although her father's voice ran through her head, she was always stubborn. She screamed as loud as she could and used all her strength to wisp around quickly before he could grab her once more. He ducked when she swung the staff at his head. She ran into the hall and dashed towards the steps. The loud crash of the door breaking open didn't surprise her. Paddamill ran up to the second level where three rooms were situated behind the step entrance. A window was in front of her and a seat to where you could sit and watch over the yard and streets. She heard their footsteps quickly stomping up the steps behind her. She grabbed an edge of the small bookcase and pushed it to the top of the steps and tipped it back. It slowly toppled backward
"Go down...GO DOWN!" She heard a man yell to the others who were right behind him. They ran down the steps and out of the way before the bookcase could harm them. It slid quickly downward when the bookshelf hit the steps. Knowing it would delay the men for only a moment she looked at the window and ran over to open it. She gasped when she saw Frodo walking to the gate. She grunted as she tried to push open the window as best she could but her father had nailed the windows shut so the little kids wouldn't push them open and fall out of the upstairs window. A smart thing at the time, but now she was being attacked and she thought he was ignorant for doing something like that.
When she made no progress she grabbed the staff and broke opened the glass. "Help me!" She called out. Frodo stopped and looked up to the second floor. He gasped when he saw a dark figured man grab her mouth and pull her away from the window. He dropped the bag of clothes and ran into the house.
"Paddamill!" He screamed as he looked around the house and its broken door. He heard them in the hall and he ran to where the door had been broken. He grabbed an axe on the way and screamed racing towards the stairs to help her.
"NO! FRODO!" Legolas screamed as he fell back over a few books.
"Legolas?" Frodo said almost uncertain of whom it might be. He looked up at the stairs to see Aragorn and Boromir holding Paddamill, looking at Frodo with surprise.
"We didn't know if you were lost, dead, or had been kidnapped." Boromir looked at Frodo as they all sat at the kitchen table. They had apologized for seeming if they were going to harm Paddamill. They even helped her put the book case back up the steps. She was still a bit frightened but disregarded it since she was excited to meet the men who were going to help Frodo save the life of all existence.
"Where is everyone?" Frodo asked Boromir as he took a drink of freshly squeezed tangerine juice.
"They are at Rivendell. They are waiting for us, so if you don't mind Ms. Grase we should be on our way." She sat up in her seat not wanting them to leave just yet. She was having so much fun listening to them talking and glancing at her periodically almost afraid of giving her too much information. Frodo looked at her
"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I could lead you all to Rivendell from here." Boromir and Aragorn stood up fixing their weapons. as Legolas rose up out of the old wooden chair he shrugged
"That's very kind of you but we do know the way to Rivendell from here, but thank you." Paddamill sighed slumping down in her seat. Frodo stood up.
"Her family is in Rivendell. We could at least allow her to come with us and when she gets to Rivendell she can be with her family, obviously being alone here is fairly dangerous."
"Frodo," The two adverted their eyes to Aragorn "we couldn't possibly take her along. It is much more dangerous when you could be easily seen."
"I don't see any harm in taking Paddamill to her family." Legolas proclaimed as Frodo smiled at him. Aragorn sighed and looked to Boromir almost as if he were to decide the fate of Paddamill.
Aragorn sat on his horse as it walked steadily in front of Frodo and Boromir, keeping his eyes open as he followed the trail leading to Rivendell. Boromir and Frodo sat on the horse in the middle, periodically looking around. Frodo glanced over his right shoulder to see Legolas and Paddamill on the last horse. After they suggested it would be in her best interest if she rode on the horse furthest away from being hurt in case of an ambush by Orc's, she had to no time to protest. Paddamill looked down at the ground watching the horse kicking rocks forward. She had wished their adventure would be a bit more exciting since that was the only reason she wanted to go. They had been walking for nearly ten minutes in pure silence and Paddamill had been dying to ask what an Orc was since she had no true knowledge of such creatures.
After a moment of arguing with herself she finally asked. She leaned her head forward a bit and spoke into Legolas' right ear.
"What is an orc?" She softly whispered, keeping her eyes upon everyone in front of her. He looked around for a moment then leaned back in
"An Orc is a creature that was especially bred by Morgoth." He looked back at Paddamill's blank face. "You do know who Morgoth is, yes?" She grinned
"Mmmhmm. My father used to tell us the story of how Valor won the battle after the elves lost. He'd also tell us if we didn't go to bed early Morgoth would come and eat us." Legolas grinned as she giggled at the thought.
"Well Morgoth created them as a parody of elves. Truly omnivorous, they tend to be apelike in appearance but are skilled in mining and in making weapons and instruments of torture." Paddamill's eyes grew big, and all of a sudden her need for adventure had fled. "All sense for beauty and all compassion seem to have been bred out of them for they live for hatred and destruction, unlike us elves." Paddamill nodded looking around feeling scared by the new story of Orcs.
Legolas could feel her move around, obviously frightened by his explanation. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you." He assured her. Paddamill smiled and sighed feeling slightly better. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to relax after a moment. She would fill safer if she held onto something. Without thinking she stopped holding onto the saddle and wrapped her arms around Legolas' waist, grabbing her wrists so she wouldn't fall off in case of an attack by Orcs. Legolas frowned feeling them lightly squeeze around him. He looked down at the arms that appeared to have been growing out of his sides. He grinned to himself and looked forward.
Overflowing with beauty, Rivendell was peace to anyone's eyes. Just set outside of the misty mountains, it's beautiful woodlands, rivers that seemed to foam, waterfalls that soothed your soul blossoming trees, bright sunlight, beautiful buildings with mystic statues and arches made everyone relax. Paddamill would never understand how anyone could not live here. "It gets more and more beautiful every time." Paddamill thought as she looked around at the large waterfall just to the right flowing with elegance. Paddamill had learned every nook and crammy of Rivendell.
Out of one month she had visited Rivendell over thirty times. She loved it more than anything. But then again who wouldn't when you lived in a place where the weather was as unpredictable as the winding roads of Rivendell. A place that was always cold, always gloomy, no green land or fresh fruit and no peace and tranquility. How many times she wished to become an elf so she could live there forever couldn't be counted.
"Beautiful isn't it?" She heard Legolas say to her as she thought of how many times she had dreamt of living there. She sighed and looked up the side of Legolas' face. He was looking around and obviously back at her
"Yes, very."
The men walked to the market place in hopes of dropping Paddamill and beginning their quest. When she saw her family she quickly jumped off the horse.
"Thank you all very much." She said looking at them pause and look back at her.
"You family is over there." Frodo exclaimed getting off the horse. She nodded
"I know, I'm just looking at the beautiful blue bells." Boromir tapped Aragorn's shoulder hoping to leave.
"Well it certainly was a pleasure of meeting you." Aragorn said walking the horse close to her side and holding out his hand for her to shake. She glanced at the black glove and then up to his face.
"Likewise." She said taking it. He shook it twice then let go. Boromir said his Thank You and walked next to Aragorn. Legolas looked down at her as he grinned slightly.
"I'm sorry about earlier. Perhaps I could visit you again and have some more of that delicious breakfast." Paddamill smiled and his kindness and held his eye contact. After a moment of realizing she was looking at she looked away, slightly blushing.
"Good bye." He said turning the horse and walking to the rest of the men. Frodo sighed walking to her.
"I shall miss you. You have been very kind to have kept me after knocking you to the ground." Paddamill laughed and waved her hand at him.
"Don't be silly. It's not everyday you meet a brave hobbit willing to hold the ring with such great power. I hope that you will stop by and see me once again?" Frodo smiled and nodded.
"I would never decline such an offer." Paddamill grinned blushing brightly.
"Well, go on. Your fellowship awaits." Frodo sighed and looked at the three sit on the horses watching him.
"Yes. Good bye Paddamill." She smiled lowly and waved. He held her hand as to shake it but he kissed it and walked away. Paddamill stood watching the men walk trail off into the woods making their way to Lord Elrond's home. She had never felt so afraid for people she had never met before. The Ring held unimaginable power, and to take on such a responsibility would make any Elf, Dwarf, or Man, swoon at their feet.
After she met with her family she glanced around for fresh flowers. She hadn't told them about the brave men who were going to destroy the ring. But knowing how word travels fast she didn't doubt they would hear about it sooner or later. It was dawn before her family got home. They all had done their chores, taken their baths, and sat down for dinner. After sitting together talking they soon retired to their bedchambers dreaming of how lovely the food tasted and how beautiful Rivendell was. For her family being the busy bee's they are Paddamill wondered why they never traveled out of Figlee more often. While her family dreamt of rolling hills and fairies, Paddamill could only lay in bed listening to the harsh rain hit against her window. She rolled on her stomach and looked up at the moon shining brightly behind the clouds. She couldn't sleep, not after all she and Frodo talked about. She already missed him. She already missed everyone's company. She had made up the faces of Gandalf, Pippin, Merry, Gimli, and plump little Samwise. She grinned feeling her face grow hot when she thought of Frodo kissing her hand. Although it was short sweet and simple she thought it was the best kiss she had ever received. Not because he was a cute little hobbit, but because he was a strong guy who took on a strong responsibility and he always carried a ring. Paddamill giggled once more.
"Will you shut up!" Paddamill stopped giggling when she heard her older sister Annie yell.
"Sorry." She turned on her back once more trying to get cool. In a matter of minutes she was asleep dreaming of Frodo Baggins and his journey to Mordor.
After a long hard day at fighting through the crowded streets of Figlee trying to buy some more yarn for her quilt, Paddamill sighed when she found herself walking along the road going towards her home. She barely got any sleep the night before due to how hot and how bored she felt. It was like Frodo was plaguing her mind, but in a good way. At every corner, every store, and every face seemed to remind her of Frodo and the mysterious Fellowship. All day she had been thinking of many ways to see them again. Ways to become a member of their fellowship. She laughed lightly at herself as her thought ran away from her. Her smile was quickly swept away when she felt a cold drop of rain on her cheek. She frowned as she looked up at the dark sky. She felt a few more drips on her head and face before it turned into a rain shower. Paddamill screamed lightly as she began to jog towards the house just a mile away.
When she finally reached her gate, the small droplets were now mixed with medium sized drops, large drops, small drops, misty rain, and even a heavy downpour. She was almost soaked when she was halfway up the walkway. She stopped looking up at her house. Her small grin she had on her face with the enjoyment of being able to play in the rain had washed away. The front door was hanging by two hinges and for what Paddamill could see, the inside of the house was torn apart. She saw chairs turned upside down, the bookcase on the ground lying in the hall, the fire going, and windows broken out. Her heart beat quickly, and her head began to swirl. She continued to walk toward the house slowly. When she walked inside the whole house was torn to pieces. Furniture was broken, food, books, and quilts everything was destroyed. The fire was fading fast. She dropped her bag of yarn.
"Mother! Father!" She yelled quickly running into the dining room and kitchen. She swung open closet doors, cabinets, and cupboards making sure that every nook and crammy of that entire house was searched. She yelled for her brothers and her sisters, her mother and her father but after searching the whole downstairs she found nothing. She ran quickly to the staircase jumping over books and broken steps. She looked around at the two rooms. Feathers from her pillows were tossed upon the floor. Her heart could've stopped when she saw a few feathers colored in red. The silence of the house was filled with the loud beatings of her heart. The rain hit against the windows harder and the distant thunder was now overhead of Figlee.
"Mother? Father?" Paddamill asked walking very slowly towards their bedroom. Her heartbeats were at an all time high. It beat harder and harder at any moment she was waiting for it to fly out of her chest. Her breath picked up pace as she reached out her left hand to push the bedroom door open. She watched it shake uncontrollably as she felt the hard wood under her fingertips. It was wet and cold, from the rain. With one quick push the door swung open slowly creaking on it's rusted hinges. She saw a hand lying on it's knuckles unable to tell if the person was dead or alive. Paddamill slipped slightly when she stepped her right foot in front. She frowned and looked down to see a smear of blood and a few drops dripping off the tip of her flat. She jumped back and looked at her hand. The cold door was not wet by the rain, but by blood. It shimmered a bright crimson on her white slender fingers as it slowly rolled down onto her palm. She was choking, she couldn't breathe. It was as if someone was holding her so tight that she was getting no air supply and at any moment she would suffocate and pass out. She felt her head become unbelievably heavy and the objects in the hall become further away. She forced herself to walk forward. She gasped almost about to scream. Paddamill saw her Mother on the bed still asleep, Or so she wished. Blood dripped off her arm that was off the bed. It's dripping sound matched the sound of the blood pounding in Paddamill's ears. Her father was lying on his back in the middle of the room with an axe sticking out of his chest.
"No..." Paddamill managed to say. "Oh god..." She whispered as she felt her eyes begin to sting. "NO!" She yelled running into the dark room and falling to her knees to see if her father or mother was still alive, but they weren't. She then stood up and ran across the hall. She yelled out her younger sisters name
"Emily!" Then her older sisters "Annie!" She found nothing. She ran into the bedroom where her two young brothers slept. She opened the door and hugged the doorframe holding her right hand over her mouth. Her nails dug into the wood that held onto the doorframe and hot tears rolled down her eyes. "Oh god!" She screamed turning and running down the stairs screaming for her sisters. When nobody replied she ran out to the small playhouse her father had built.
Paddamill ran quickly down the steps, ignoring the books and other objects. She must've tripped three times before she ran into the kitchen and out the back door. She dashed across the yard, barely stable from the mud on the ground. She pushed the door open to gain access into the playhouse. She screamed when she saw her two sisters lying inside slaughtered like the chickens at the marketplace. The rain hit her hard as she looked around the muddy backyard. She could see footprints in the mud, that of something inhuman. It wasn't made by Man, Elf, nor Dwarf, but that of something unnatural. She frowned when she thought back to the other day.
'They tend to be apelike in appearance but are skilled in mining and in making weapons and instruments of torture...they live for hatred and destruction' The voice of Legolas was heavy in her mind as she remembered his explanation of an Orc. She remembered that Frodo had told her that those men on horses were chasing after him. She gasped when she put it all together. The creatures who killed her family were after Frodo and the ring. If Legolas and the others could find him, then so could they. She looked up from the footprint and ran back into the house. She gathered a few of her fathers pants and a pair of her mothers work boots, from when she'd help out her father. In less than ten minutes Paddamill had gotten on the black horse from the barn and headed to Rivendell.
Lord Elrond stood on his balcony leaning on the railing watching the Fellowship head off into the woods. He had so many things on his mind. He was mainly concerned for their protection along with his people. Sauron was becoming more powerful since he had many things in search of the ring. The safety of Middle-Earth was slowly fading and if Frodo and his men didn't destroy that ring soon then the world would be under enslavement.
"Lord Elrond?" He raised his eyebrows and woke up from his concentration.
"Yes?" He said to a servant of his.
"Someone needs to desperately speak with you." Paddamill burst into the room holding her soaking leather pack dripping water all over the marble floors. She was out of breath and could barely speak. Lord Elrond didn't even need to ask her what was wrong, he just knew.
"Take her to a room and get her some dry clothes. I will meet you in the great hall."
