{Prologue}
-----
For the most part, silence claimed the Shire. The morning was still new, and most had yet to awake from their slumber. A weightless rain fell in a mist, coating the land in a sodden blanket. For the most part, the rain was soft enough to be silent; the only available sound was that of the wind whispering through the tree branches.
Diamond of Long Cleeve stood just outside her front gate in the brisk- morning air, one hand steadying herself upon the fence. She shivered slightly as the rain cascaded down upon her form and the wind nipped at her exposed skin, but made no move to draw her cloak tighter about herself. Her gaze lingered upon the flowing rain around her; it stretched far into the distance, where the remote landforms touched the cloudy gray sky.
After a moment or two, she squared her shoulders in determination, forcing back her feelings of remorse and animosity. Brushing tears that she hadn't known to have formed in her eyes away, her hand left the fence and she started down the road. If the sun had been able to break through the thick rain clouds with its amiable rays, Diamond would have guessed it to be just touching the morning sky.
Diamond took her time, walking at a sluggish, even pace. She was in no hurry - the news she brought wasn't in the least bit pleasant. Biting her lower lip in an upset manner, she cast her eyes upon the rutted road under her feet. Scattered potholes held muddy water which was constantly rippling with the effects of the falling rain, and although Diamond steered clear of them most of the time, she found that this time she sloshed through them without a second thought.
I wouldn't be in the least way upset if this walk took forever, Diamond thought despondently, even as the rain began to descend harder than before. She pulled her cloak snuggly about herself as her feet tread down the familiar path. She had half a mind to turn back, but a determined resolution kept her moving. This was Rose she was talking about...Rose, her friend since she was a mere child, whom she had told everything to. Rose, who she had done everything with; she was there when Diamond had climbed the old tree near her house and was too scared to climb back down; she was there when Diamond trampled her mother's flower garden by mistake and had gotten into the worse trouble she had ever been in; she was there at every single one of Diamond's birthdays, and she was there whenever Diamond simply needed someone to talk to. Diamond had never had any trouble going to her with her problems - until now. This wasn't something that could be solved by one of their long talks or Rose's outlandish ideas - this was something that Diamond couldn't avoid.
Diamond stood now before Rose's house in the pouring rain. She grit her teeth in an unwavering fashion, striding to the door. She raised her fist to knock, paused, and just stood there. She was sure she looked quite idiotic with her hand in a knocking position inches from the door, gaping at it like it was the strangest thing she had ever seen. "Come on, Diamond," she whispered urgently to herself. Gradually, she lowered her fist to the door.
Before contact was made, the door swung open, and Diamond found herself face-to-face with Rose, who regarded her in a cheery manner and a wide smile. "I saw you approach," she explained. "From the window. I asked myself, 'Now what could that lass be doing out in weather like this, at this hour of the morning?'" As she spoke, she took Diamond's arm, leading her into the warmth and comfort of the house. "And I stood there pondering this for a moment or two, before I realized that I should most likely open the door and let you in!" Rose was now bustling about the kitchen, preparing tea while she chattered idly. Diamond stood there a moment, at a complete lost for words, before shedding her cloak and dropping into the nearest chair. She accepted the offered tea, and took a sip as Rose went to fetch a towel.
"There, now, that's better," Rose said in an approving tone as she returned. "Now, Diamond, tell me what you're doing here at this hour."
Tears threatened to spill down Diamond's cheeks, and she ducked her head briefly, pretending to be intently focused on the steaming tea within her cup. "Well..." she said after a pause. "I've had a talk with my father. A few days ago, I mean," she raised her gaze and met Rose's hazel-green eyes, who watched her with obvious interest. "You know he gets these senseless ideas into his head, Rose, and once he has them he's as stubborn a hobbit as they come. He won't relent."
"What has he done this time?" Rose asked, tone halfway between amusement and apprehension. "Nothing too horrible, I hope." Her eyes shone, giving away the fact that she was joking, and she lifted her cup to her mouth.
"As worse a thing as I could think of," Diamond replied wretchedly. At this, Rose paused with the cup halfway to its destination, sudden worry etching upon her face.
"What is it?" she asked.
"He's..." Diamond trailed off momentarily, fiddling with the handle of her cup. She found she couldn't look at Rose; she didn't want to see her friend's reaction. "Oh, Rose," she breathed. "He's making us move away from Long Cleeve!"
There was a stunned silence. "W-what?" Rose stuttered finally, setting her cup down hard upon the table. "You're not serious, are you?"
"I wish I wasn't," Diamond said softly. The news had come as much as a shock to her as to Rose; she had lived in Long Cleeve her entire life. She had grown up here; all her memories had been made and preserved here.
"Why?" Rose asked. "What can he possibly be thinking? There is no reason for you to move!"
"I don't know," Diamond said. "He seems to think it well to move from Long Cleeve. I have known for a few days now," she added quietly. "I didn't want to tell you..."
"Where are you moving to?" Rose asked, voice expressionless.
"Tuckborough."
"Estella lives there," Rose said softly, eyes closing briefly. "You should visit her."
"I should," was all Diamond could muster to say. "You should come visit."
"You know I will," Rose responded. "I just...I wish you weren't moving at all."
"As do I," Diamond said with a sigh. "But that doesn't seem possible." She met Rose's gaze firmly. "I tried to talk my father out of it, Rose; I tried for as long as I dared. He's set on making this move, and nothing I say can change that."
"You could not go," Rose said at once, eyes at once taking on the familiar glint they obtained when an obscure plan dashed into her mind. "You could stay here, with me. My parents would not mind, I'm sure of it." She looked at Diamond with evident hope sketched across her distressed face, eyes searching Diamond's wildly that this scheme might work.
"I can't, you know that," Diamond said, looking away as not to see the hurt in her friend's face. She wanted to stay; but she also didn't want to leave her family. She would miss them far too much, just as much as she would miss Rose. "Mother and Father would not approve...and I must help with the baby..."
"Oh," Rose said gloomily. "Yes, I knew that." She glanced away.
Diamond opened her mouth and found no words came. She shut it quickly, looking dismally at the floor. "I have to pack," she said shortly, at last. Rose nodded, not meeting Diamond's gaze.
"When are you leaving?"
"Three days from now."
"So soon? Hopefully the weather will clear up," Rose said idly, as if nothing was out the ordinary, and Diamond nodded. "Diamond, are you sure you could not stay with us?" Rose pleaded once more, and Diamond was reminded greatly of the little children begging their parents for whatever they fancied to have.
"I can come visit, but I cannot live here with you, Rose," Diamond said firmly. "I'm sorry...I would like to..."
"Yes," Rose said again. "I understand," but something in her tone told Diamond she didn't. "I can come help," she offered suddenly. "Help you to ready to move, I mean. You know, look after little Seredic or move things around for you."
"That would be great," Diamond said with an eloquent smile. "I am sure my parents would like that, as would I."
"I shall help you pack then," Rose said, brightening visibly at being able to spend the needed time with her friend before she left. "Do not plan anything for the day before you leave, however, Diamond," Rose warned suddenly as she stood to take her cloak from where it hung. "That day is for you and me. I want to plan a special day for your last day in Long Cleeve."
"Fair enough," Diamond agreed with a smile. "My last day here is for you."
-----
For the most part, silence claimed the Shire. The morning was still new, and most had yet to awake from their slumber. A weightless rain fell in a mist, coating the land in a sodden blanket. For the most part, the rain was soft enough to be silent; the only available sound was that of the wind whispering through the tree branches.
Diamond of Long Cleeve stood just outside her front gate in the brisk- morning air, one hand steadying herself upon the fence. She shivered slightly as the rain cascaded down upon her form and the wind nipped at her exposed skin, but made no move to draw her cloak tighter about herself. Her gaze lingered upon the flowing rain around her; it stretched far into the distance, where the remote landforms touched the cloudy gray sky.
After a moment or two, she squared her shoulders in determination, forcing back her feelings of remorse and animosity. Brushing tears that she hadn't known to have formed in her eyes away, her hand left the fence and she started down the road. If the sun had been able to break through the thick rain clouds with its amiable rays, Diamond would have guessed it to be just touching the morning sky.
Diamond took her time, walking at a sluggish, even pace. She was in no hurry - the news she brought wasn't in the least bit pleasant. Biting her lower lip in an upset manner, she cast her eyes upon the rutted road under her feet. Scattered potholes held muddy water which was constantly rippling with the effects of the falling rain, and although Diamond steered clear of them most of the time, she found that this time she sloshed through them without a second thought.
I wouldn't be in the least way upset if this walk took forever, Diamond thought despondently, even as the rain began to descend harder than before. She pulled her cloak snuggly about herself as her feet tread down the familiar path. She had half a mind to turn back, but a determined resolution kept her moving. This was Rose she was talking about...Rose, her friend since she was a mere child, whom she had told everything to. Rose, who she had done everything with; she was there when Diamond had climbed the old tree near her house and was too scared to climb back down; she was there when Diamond trampled her mother's flower garden by mistake and had gotten into the worse trouble she had ever been in; she was there at every single one of Diamond's birthdays, and she was there whenever Diamond simply needed someone to talk to. Diamond had never had any trouble going to her with her problems - until now. This wasn't something that could be solved by one of their long talks or Rose's outlandish ideas - this was something that Diamond couldn't avoid.
Diamond stood now before Rose's house in the pouring rain. She grit her teeth in an unwavering fashion, striding to the door. She raised her fist to knock, paused, and just stood there. She was sure she looked quite idiotic with her hand in a knocking position inches from the door, gaping at it like it was the strangest thing she had ever seen. "Come on, Diamond," she whispered urgently to herself. Gradually, she lowered her fist to the door.
Before contact was made, the door swung open, and Diamond found herself face-to-face with Rose, who regarded her in a cheery manner and a wide smile. "I saw you approach," she explained. "From the window. I asked myself, 'Now what could that lass be doing out in weather like this, at this hour of the morning?'" As she spoke, she took Diamond's arm, leading her into the warmth and comfort of the house. "And I stood there pondering this for a moment or two, before I realized that I should most likely open the door and let you in!" Rose was now bustling about the kitchen, preparing tea while she chattered idly. Diamond stood there a moment, at a complete lost for words, before shedding her cloak and dropping into the nearest chair. She accepted the offered tea, and took a sip as Rose went to fetch a towel.
"There, now, that's better," Rose said in an approving tone as she returned. "Now, Diamond, tell me what you're doing here at this hour."
Tears threatened to spill down Diamond's cheeks, and she ducked her head briefly, pretending to be intently focused on the steaming tea within her cup. "Well..." she said after a pause. "I've had a talk with my father. A few days ago, I mean," she raised her gaze and met Rose's hazel-green eyes, who watched her with obvious interest. "You know he gets these senseless ideas into his head, Rose, and once he has them he's as stubborn a hobbit as they come. He won't relent."
"What has he done this time?" Rose asked, tone halfway between amusement and apprehension. "Nothing too horrible, I hope." Her eyes shone, giving away the fact that she was joking, and she lifted her cup to her mouth.
"As worse a thing as I could think of," Diamond replied wretchedly. At this, Rose paused with the cup halfway to its destination, sudden worry etching upon her face.
"What is it?" she asked.
"He's..." Diamond trailed off momentarily, fiddling with the handle of her cup. She found she couldn't look at Rose; she didn't want to see her friend's reaction. "Oh, Rose," she breathed. "He's making us move away from Long Cleeve!"
There was a stunned silence. "W-what?" Rose stuttered finally, setting her cup down hard upon the table. "You're not serious, are you?"
"I wish I wasn't," Diamond said softly. The news had come as much as a shock to her as to Rose; she had lived in Long Cleeve her entire life. She had grown up here; all her memories had been made and preserved here.
"Why?" Rose asked. "What can he possibly be thinking? There is no reason for you to move!"
"I don't know," Diamond said. "He seems to think it well to move from Long Cleeve. I have known for a few days now," she added quietly. "I didn't want to tell you..."
"Where are you moving to?" Rose asked, voice expressionless.
"Tuckborough."
"Estella lives there," Rose said softly, eyes closing briefly. "You should visit her."
"I should," was all Diamond could muster to say. "You should come visit."
"You know I will," Rose responded. "I just...I wish you weren't moving at all."
"As do I," Diamond said with a sigh. "But that doesn't seem possible." She met Rose's gaze firmly. "I tried to talk my father out of it, Rose; I tried for as long as I dared. He's set on making this move, and nothing I say can change that."
"You could not go," Rose said at once, eyes at once taking on the familiar glint they obtained when an obscure plan dashed into her mind. "You could stay here, with me. My parents would not mind, I'm sure of it." She looked at Diamond with evident hope sketched across her distressed face, eyes searching Diamond's wildly that this scheme might work.
"I can't, you know that," Diamond said, looking away as not to see the hurt in her friend's face. She wanted to stay; but she also didn't want to leave her family. She would miss them far too much, just as much as she would miss Rose. "Mother and Father would not approve...and I must help with the baby..."
"Oh," Rose said gloomily. "Yes, I knew that." She glanced away.
Diamond opened her mouth and found no words came. She shut it quickly, looking dismally at the floor. "I have to pack," she said shortly, at last. Rose nodded, not meeting Diamond's gaze.
"When are you leaving?"
"Three days from now."
"So soon? Hopefully the weather will clear up," Rose said idly, as if nothing was out the ordinary, and Diamond nodded. "Diamond, are you sure you could not stay with us?" Rose pleaded once more, and Diamond was reminded greatly of the little children begging their parents for whatever they fancied to have.
"I can come visit, but I cannot live here with you, Rose," Diamond said firmly. "I'm sorry...I would like to..."
"Yes," Rose said again. "I understand," but something in her tone told Diamond she didn't. "I can come help," she offered suddenly. "Help you to ready to move, I mean. You know, look after little Seredic or move things around for you."
"That would be great," Diamond said with an eloquent smile. "I am sure my parents would like that, as would I."
"I shall help you pack then," Rose said, brightening visibly at being able to spend the needed time with her friend before she left. "Do not plan anything for the day before you leave, however, Diamond," Rose warned suddenly as she stood to take her cloak from where it hung. "That day is for you and me. I want to plan a special day for your last day in Long Cleeve."
"Fair enough," Diamond agreed with a smile. "My last day here is for you."