Chapter Seven: Partings and Potatoes

Frodo woke up to the sight of a pair of boots dangling outside his window. With a thud, the rest of the body followed and landed. It was Aragorn, climbing down from an upper level. Upon seeing Frodo, he raised on finger to his lips and gestured from him to be silent.

Something Gandalf had said the day before came back to him. Aragorn was supposed to have left Rivendell yesterday with Elrond's sons. Frodo nodded. Aragorn lowered his hand and beckoned him to windowsill.

"You're supposed to be gone," Frodo whispered as he got out of bed.

"I know," said Aragorn, his voice deep but soft. "Elrond's sons are waiting for me some miles away. I must leave before I am discovered."

"Was it because of the Lady Arwen? That you stayed the extra night, I mean."

"Yes. It has been a very long time since our last meeting. Much, much too long."

Sam rolled over in his sleep. Aragorn reached through the window and grasped Frodo's hand. "I ought to leave. But hopefully it will not be long before I see you again." His look became more intense, and for a moment Frodo was reminded of the frightening way Aragorn had looked when they first met. "Will you keep an eye on Arwen for me?"

"I will," Frodo whispered.

"I cannot ask you to take care of her, for it is a very great task. She has great periods of sorrow, and they are not good for her health, nor that of those who care deeply about her. But I do ask you to be her occasional companion while I am gone. Can you do that for me, Frodo? It would ease my mind greatly."

"Yes," Frodo whispered.

Aragorn nodded and clasped his hand tighter before he let go. Frodo noticed for the first time an unsaddled chestnut horse a few feet away. Aragorn mounted it in one swift motion and looked back at Frodo one last time.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Strider."

"Oh, and don't let Sam worry too much about you," said the Ranger. "He cares about you very much." And then, with a clattering of hooves, he was gone.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Frodo stared after him until he was merely a speck in the distance. He heard the bed springs squeak behind him and turned around. Sam had woken up.

"I thought I heard noises," he said, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

"I was just talking to myself."

"You weren't having any more nightmares, were you?" His look was one of both suspicion and concern.

"No, I actually slept very soundly and deeply last night."

Sam smiled. "I'm glad to hear it, sir." He yawned. "Must be Rivendell. I can't imagine anyone suffering for too long in this place."

"Or else it's because you were here with me," aid Frodo. Confused as he was, he still wanted to tell Sam what he had wanted to tell him in the dream. "Sam…I'd like to thank you for being a good friend to me."

Sam blushed and looked down. "It's nothing, sir," he muttered.

"No, I mean it," Frodo insisted. "I really don't know where I'd be without you. You were there after Bilbo left and you're here now and you're going to be with me in Mordor. That means a great deal to me."

Sam raised his head, his honey-colored curls falling back from his forehead. "Thank you, Mr. Frodo." He pulled back the blanket and slipped out of bed. "Now, I say we get dressed and see about those taters of Mr. Bilbo's."

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Not only did Bilbo have a garden, he had a small chicken coop, which made Sam very happy, especially after Bilbo told him that Elves didn't like eggs very much. "Well, except for Elrond," he said, leaning against the door of the coop, "but then he has mortal blood in him, which may account for it." He unhooked the latch to the door. "Now, my lads, let's go and see if the hens are being generous today."

Inside were one rooster and four hens, one of whom looked particularly sour. When Bilbo tried to lift her up to check for eggs, she pecked him hard and jumped down in a flurry of feathers.

Bilbo rubbed the spot on his hand where she had attacked. "Blasted Lobelia."

Frodo laughed, the first time in a very long time and most certainly the first time in Rivendell. "You named her Lobelia?"

"It seemed fitting," said Bilbo, scooping up two eggs.

They gathered five eggs in all: one for Bilbo, one for Sam, two for Frodo ("And no arguing, neither, sir!") and one for Elrond. Then it was off to the potatoes.

"I'm afraid they're not nearly as good as the ones your Gaffer can grow, Sam," said Bilbo. "I tried all of his advice, but I just don't have the touch." He picked up a small spade and began to dig in the ground.

It was unusually hot for autumn, Frodo noticed. Not only hot, it was humid. He wiped his brow with his handkerchief and took off his vest.

"My Gaffer's not growing too much these days, sir," said Sam. "His joints has gone all stiff."

"Sam does all the gardening now, Bilbo," said Frodo. "And I'm pleased to report that his potatoes grow every bit as large."

Bilbo reached down into the soil and brought up a small potato. Looking at its rough brown skin made Frodo's mouth even dryer. Bilbo was right, though. His potatoes were about half the size of the Gaffer's and somewhat more shriveled.

"Well, it's not bad, Mr. Bilbo," said Sam. "But you're right, they're not as healthy as they could be. What are you using for fertilizer?"

The sun was scorching, and Frodo's shirt was beginning to soak through with sweat. He was just beginning to undo the top button when everything went black.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

"Look, Sam, he's coming to."

Frodo blinked and sat up a bit, dazed. He felt Bilbo's hand on his shoulder.

"When was the last time you had any water, lad?"

Frodo opened his mouth but then shut it again. He couldn't remember.

"Too long ago, I'd say. Best thing to do would be to get you back to your room and get you something to drink straight off."

Frodo began to sit up, but Bilbo's hand gently pushed him back down. "Oh no you don't. I won't have you walking. Let me see…Sam, do you suppose you could carry him?"

"Probably I could," said Sam. "He's a good bit thinner than he was when we left home." Bilbo moved over and Sam knelt down at Frodo's side. "Here, Mr. Frodo, put your arms around my neck."

With one arm under Frodo's knees and the other on his back, Sam carried him away to the Last Homely House, with Bilbo close behind. The position placed Frodo's head on Sam's chest. He listened to the steady rhythm of Sam's footsteps falling and his heart beating.

"What happened!" Frodo heard a soft female voice exclaim when they were inside.

"I'm afraid my nephew's dehydrated, my lady."

Frodo gazed up to see a soft curtain of dark hair and two cerulean eyes, Elrond's eyes in a maiden's face.

"And it's no surprise, what with the heat outside," said the Lady Arwen. "While you two take him to his chamber, I will go and get him some water."

"Plenty of it, please, my lady!" Sam called after her as she walked down the hall. Arwen turned back and gave him a reassuring smile.