"Where are we going now?" Liera asked, happy that they left the Bombadil
residence.
"Well, we are in the Shire." Legolas said, shooting a glance at his sister.
"And they would be mad if we didn't stop." Relaen said, a grin forming on her face.
"Who would be angry? What are you two planning?" Ereht asked, dreading the answer.
Relaen smiled and took Ereht's hand. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as the Bombadil place. Hobbits aren't that happy about everything."
Liera smiled and jumped on Legolas's shoulders. "We are going to see the Hobbits?" she asked happily.
Ereht looked at Relaen with a raised brow. "Hobbits?" he asked.
Relaen grinned and nodded. "Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, Samwise Gamgee, along with his wife Rosie and his daughter Elanor!" Ereht rolled his eyes. Relaen laughed. "It won't be that bad."
"I think I've dealt with more happy and joyful people in the past month and a half than I have in my entire life." Ereht sighed, making the other three elves laugh.
Legolas put his arm around Liera's waist. "C'mon guys, if we hurry, we can get there by sundown."
"Then let's go slowly." Ereht mumbled.
Relaen put her arm around Ereht's shoulders. "Don't worry, it won't be to bad. Most Hobbits don't even like Elves, so it won't be to pleasant of a trip."
Ereht put his arm around Relaen's waist, holding her close to him. "At least I have you to keep me sane." He said with a handsome smile.
Relaen smirked. "Well, for me to keep you sane, we had better get there to drive you crazy." She pulled out of his arm and ran ahead, daring him to chase her by the look on her face.
Legolas laughed as he watched his sister dodge Ereht. "Do you remember when we were like that?" he asked Liera, pulling her closer to him.
Liera looked at Legolas with a raised brow. "What do you mean 'were'?" she said before pulling away from him.
Legolas grabbed her hand. "I'm fast enough to catch you now." He said with a smirk.
Liera pulled from his hand and jumped into the branches of the closest tree. "We'll see about that!" she said with a grin.
"Do I hear the sound of elfish laughter?" a voice said through the trees. A head popped out of a bush. It had curly brown hair.
Everyone except for Ereht recognized the head immediately. "Pippin!" the three yelled, running towards the Hobbit. Ereht hung back, eyeing the Hobbit suspiciously.
"What are you all doing way over here?" Pippin asked, coming fully out of the brush. "Shouldn't you be in Mirkwood?"
"We are on a journey near here and decided to visit you." Liera explained.
"Everyone will be happy to see you.but who is that?" he asked, nodding towards Ereht.
"That is Ereht. He is journeying with us." Legolas said, motioning for Ereht to join them. Hesitantly, Ereht walked over to where the rest of the group was.
"So why don't you lead us to everyone, Pip?" Relaen said happily. Pippin agreed and lead the group of elves through the core of Hobbiton. As they walked, inquisitive eyes from the curious Halflings followed the group through the town. After a few minutes, they reached Bag End.
Pippin knocked on the round door. Before waiting for an answer, he opened it and stepped inside. "Sam! Rosie! Merry! We have some guests!" he yelled to the others in the house.
From three different rooms, three curly haired Hobbit heads popped out of the rooms. One had brown hair, like Pippin. One had dark blonde hair, and the other had red hair. The brunette ran forward to greet the elves.
"Relaen, Legolas, Liera!" he exclaimed, shaking all of their hands.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it Merry?" Relaen said with a grin.
The other two Hobbits came forward slower. "I know you," the blonde said, indicating Legolas. "but I don't know any of the others."
Legolas smiled and stepped toward the Hobbit. "Sam, I want you to meet my sister, Relaen, and our friends, Liera and Ereht."
Sam stepped forward and shook hands with everyone there. He then stepped back and stood next to the red head. "I want all of you to meet my lovely wife, Rosie." He said with a smile. Rosie blushed and curtsied to all in the room.
"Well aren't we just bein the worst hosts in the Shire. Please, come in and sit. Have a drink, or perhaps something to eat?" Merry said, pushing everyone into the sitting room.
Everyone sat down around the fire while Sam and Rosie poured drinks for them. "Some of the best brew in the Shire, this is. Made by my Gaffer before my time." Sam said proudly.
Ereht took a sip of the liquor from the cup and tried not to show his utter distaste. He leaned over to Relaen. "If this is the best in the Shire, then I'd hate to taste the worst." He whispered.
Relaen elbowed him in the ribs. "Behave." She whispered back, seeing the hurt on Sam and Rosie's faces. "I'm sorry Sam, Ereht just doesn't seem to have the taste for ale."
"Yes, please excuse him." Liera said, eyeing Ereht warily.
Rosie stood and took the glass from Ereht. "I'm sorry you didn't like it. I'll try to find you somethin' more suitable for elfin tongues."
Legolas shot a look at Ereht. "Smooth move. You've already managed to be rude to our friends." He said while Rosie was out of the room.
"I didn't mean for it to be so rude. It was a joke." Ereht said with a sigh. "I'm going for a walk, please give my apologies to our hosts." He said as he left the house.
The other elves sighed while they apologized profusely for their companion's behavior.
In one of their rare, silent moments, Merry asked, "You're other friend, Ereht, he isn't from Mirkwood, is he?"
Liera shook her head. "He's from somewhere out here actually, just north of the Shire."
Pippin and Merry exchanged glances. "Really?" Pippin asked, intrigue in his voice.
"Yes. Why do you ask?" Legolas queried.
Pippin leaned forward. "There are strange tales comin from the north. Stories of evil elves. Dark Elves some call them. Everyone who has gone into the northern wood tells his story of dangerous encounters and such, if they ever come back."
Ereht left the Hobbit Hole and walked around the empty fields, ignoring the prying eyes of the Shire. He faced north and looked over the land. It was the land he grew up in. He knew it like the back of his hand. He knew every creature that walked the land, animal and elf. He knew every nest and home to the animals and he could tell you where each of the elves were at any given moment. It was by all definitions, his home, and he longed to return.
He leaned against a tree and looked in the window of Bag End. He could just see his three elfish companions in the round glass. He knew them too. He knew their strengths and weaknesses in battle and otherwise. He knew what upset them and what calmed them down. He knew who to talk to about what subjects. He could tell you exactly what they would say to almost everything. He felt safe and at home with them. He felt like he belonged.
Now the question was, to which end should he lead? He could do as he set out to do and lead the other three elves to an uncertain death in the woods north of the Shire or he could tell them everything now and get it over with. If he led them north, there was no turning back. But if he told them, then he would loose both of his homes. He banged his head against the tree trunk. He had no idea what he should do, but he had to decide before the sun rose the next day.
"Well, we are in the Shire." Legolas said, shooting a glance at his sister.
"And they would be mad if we didn't stop." Relaen said, a grin forming on her face.
"Who would be angry? What are you two planning?" Ereht asked, dreading the answer.
Relaen smiled and took Ereht's hand. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as the Bombadil place. Hobbits aren't that happy about everything."
Liera smiled and jumped on Legolas's shoulders. "We are going to see the Hobbits?" she asked happily.
Ereht looked at Relaen with a raised brow. "Hobbits?" he asked.
Relaen grinned and nodded. "Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, Samwise Gamgee, along with his wife Rosie and his daughter Elanor!" Ereht rolled his eyes. Relaen laughed. "It won't be that bad."
"I think I've dealt with more happy and joyful people in the past month and a half than I have in my entire life." Ereht sighed, making the other three elves laugh.
Legolas put his arm around Liera's waist. "C'mon guys, if we hurry, we can get there by sundown."
"Then let's go slowly." Ereht mumbled.
Relaen put her arm around Ereht's shoulders. "Don't worry, it won't be to bad. Most Hobbits don't even like Elves, so it won't be to pleasant of a trip."
Ereht put his arm around Relaen's waist, holding her close to him. "At least I have you to keep me sane." He said with a handsome smile.
Relaen smirked. "Well, for me to keep you sane, we had better get there to drive you crazy." She pulled out of his arm and ran ahead, daring him to chase her by the look on her face.
Legolas laughed as he watched his sister dodge Ereht. "Do you remember when we were like that?" he asked Liera, pulling her closer to him.
Liera looked at Legolas with a raised brow. "What do you mean 'were'?" she said before pulling away from him.
Legolas grabbed her hand. "I'm fast enough to catch you now." He said with a smirk.
Liera pulled from his hand and jumped into the branches of the closest tree. "We'll see about that!" she said with a grin.
"Do I hear the sound of elfish laughter?" a voice said through the trees. A head popped out of a bush. It had curly brown hair.
Everyone except for Ereht recognized the head immediately. "Pippin!" the three yelled, running towards the Hobbit. Ereht hung back, eyeing the Hobbit suspiciously.
"What are you all doing way over here?" Pippin asked, coming fully out of the brush. "Shouldn't you be in Mirkwood?"
"We are on a journey near here and decided to visit you." Liera explained.
"Everyone will be happy to see you.but who is that?" he asked, nodding towards Ereht.
"That is Ereht. He is journeying with us." Legolas said, motioning for Ereht to join them. Hesitantly, Ereht walked over to where the rest of the group was.
"So why don't you lead us to everyone, Pip?" Relaen said happily. Pippin agreed and lead the group of elves through the core of Hobbiton. As they walked, inquisitive eyes from the curious Halflings followed the group through the town. After a few minutes, they reached Bag End.
Pippin knocked on the round door. Before waiting for an answer, he opened it and stepped inside. "Sam! Rosie! Merry! We have some guests!" he yelled to the others in the house.
From three different rooms, three curly haired Hobbit heads popped out of the rooms. One had brown hair, like Pippin. One had dark blonde hair, and the other had red hair. The brunette ran forward to greet the elves.
"Relaen, Legolas, Liera!" he exclaimed, shaking all of their hands.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it Merry?" Relaen said with a grin.
The other two Hobbits came forward slower. "I know you," the blonde said, indicating Legolas. "but I don't know any of the others."
Legolas smiled and stepped toward the Hobbit. "Sam, I want you to meet my sister, Relaen, and our friends, Liera and Ereht."
Sam stepped forward and shook hands with everyone there. He then stepped back and stood next to the red head. "I want all of you to meet my lovely wife, Rosie." He said with a smile. Rosie blushed and curtsied to all in the room.
"Well aren't we just bein the worst hosts in the Shire. Please, come in and sit. Have a drink, or perhaps something to eat?" Merry said, pushing everyone into the sitting room.
Everyone sat down around the fire while Sam and Rosie poured drinks for them. "Some of the best brew in the Shire, this is. Made by my Gaffer before my time." Sam said proudly.
Ereht took a sip of the liquor from the cup and tried not to show his utter distaste. He leaned over to Relaen. "If this is the best in the Shire, then I'd hate to taste the worst." He whispered.
Relaen elbowed him in the ribs. "Behave." She whispered back, seeing the hurt on Sam and Rosie's faces. "I'm sorry Sam, Ereht just doesn't seem to have the taste for ale."
"Yes, please excuse him." Liera said, eyeing Ereht warily.
Rosie stood and took the glass from Ereht. "I'm sorry you didn't like it. I'll try to find you somethin' more suitable for elfin tongues."
Legolas shot a look at Ereht. "Smooth move. You've already managed to be rude to our friends." He said while Rosie was out of the room.
"I didn't mean for it to be so rude. It was a joke." Ereht said with a sigh. "I'm going for a walk, please give my apologies to our hosts." He said as he left the house.
The other elves sighed while they apologized profusely for their companion's behavior.
In one of their rare, silent moments, Merry asked, "You're other friend, Ereht, he isn't from Mirkwood, is he?"
Liera shook her head. "He's from somewhere out here actually, just north of the Shire."
Pippin and Merry exchanged glances. "Really?" Pippin asked, intrigue in his voice.
"Yes. Why do you ask?" Legolas queried.
Pippin leaned forward. "There are strange tales comin from the north. Stories of evil elves. Dark Elves some call them. Everyone who has gone into the northern wood tells his story of dangerous encounters and such, if they ever come back."
Ereht left the Hobbit Hole and walked around the empty fields, ignoring the prying eyes of the Shire. He faced north and looked over the land. It was the land he grew up in. He knew it like the back of his hand. He knew every creature that walked the land, animal and elf. He knew every nest and home to the animals and he could tell you where each of the elves were at any given moment. It was by all definitions, his home, and he longed to return.
He leaned against a tree and looked in the window of Bag End. He could just see his three elfish companions in the round glass. He knew them too. He knew their strengths and weaknesses in battle and otherwise. He knew what upset them and what calmed them down. He knew who to talk to about what subjects. He could tell you exactly what they would say to almost everything. He felt safe and at home with them. He felt like he belonged.
Now the question was, to which end should he lead? He could do as he set out to do and lead the other three elves to an uncertain death in the woods north of the Shire or he could tell them everything now and get it over with. If he led them north, there was no turning back. But if he told them, then he would loose both of his homes. He banged his head against the tree trunk. He had no idea what he should do, but he had to decide before the sun rose the next day.