Disclaimer- I still don't own LOTR, but I do claim the story and any characters not mentioned by Tolkien.
spoilt_alex- Thanks for the review! I hope the format is better on this new chapter.
GreyLadyBast- My story's on your favorites list! [Jaw drops] Thanks a lot! This isn't my first fic, technically, but it's the first one I've posted that's not going to end up becoming a never-been-finished story. (Hopefully!) Thanks for your review!
A/N- The format should be easier to read now, and as always, please read and review!
Chapter 2
"Thanks, Poppy," Dandelion grumbled as the two made their way down a steep hill that was filled with thorns. "First, telling Papa how I ripped my dress, and now, leading us into a maze of briars!"
"Me?" Poppy asked incredulously, "I led us? How can I lead if I'm behind you, O All-knowing One?"
Dandelion stopped and turned to face the other hobbit, her face the picture of confusion. "Wait. You're not leading us?"
"No!"
"Then who is?"
Poppy's eyes widened. "You don't mean to say that you don't know the way, do you?"
"Er, well, uh," Dandelion mumbled.
"This is just wonderful, I'm lost in the Shire with a hobbit who's supposed to be a teacher and she can't find her way to Buckland!"
"Now hang on," the golden-haired hobbit interjected, "I can find the way to Buckland, even if I don't know where we currently...are."
"And how will you do that?" Poppy asked as they made their painful way back up the hill.
"Simple!" Poppy raised an eyebrow as the Took continued. "The Brandywine is east, right?" "Right."
"And it's past tea-time, so the sun is in the west. So, we just put our backs to the sun and we'll be going east, to the Brandywine and Buckland!"
"Wow, Dandelion, that plan might actually work," Poppy said in amazement as they walked down a less-thorny side of the hill.
They carried on for a few seconds, then the older hobbit stopped, blinking. "What d'you mean, 'might actually work'? I'll have you know, all of my plans always work!"
"Oh, yes," Poppy added, laughing, "like the time you painted your mum's fence--"
"I didn't know she didn't like purple."
"And the time you 'taught' Theo fencing--"
"It was just a little scratch, he got over it."
"And the time you made mushroom hot-cakes--"
"Not everyone got sick over those."
"And the time--"
"Enough! Okay, maybe all of my plans don't work. But," Dandelion held up a finger, "this one is foolproof."
'Good,' Poppy thought, 'because I'm being dragged halfway across the Shire by a foolish Took.'
"Hey!"
"Did I say that out loud?" Poppy winced and ran due east, an irate Dandelion behind her.
"I'll 'foolish Took' you!"
* * *
A few hours, a wild chase, and a truce later saw the pair ready to make camp. Or at least, saw Dandelion ready to make camp.
"Poppy, we don't have to reach Buckland today," she called to her friend, who was quite a distance in front of her.
"Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were right behind me, Dandy. I take it you want to rest?" Poppy smiled.
"Yes. Let's make our camp," she stomped the ground resolutely, "here."
"That's fine with me, but you might want to ask the bees how they like it."
"What?" Dandelion looked to her left, and then her right. Perilously close to her head was a large bee hive. "Ouch!" she yelped as she was stung by a bee. She quickly ran off from the insects, shaking her hand as if trying to make the sting go away. Poppy followed, shaking her head in feigned despair.
When she judged they were far enough away from the 'danger zone,' Dandelion stopped. She was about to propose they make camp again, when she heard a noise. She strained her ears. It sounded like...
'Water? Running water?' she thought. "The Brandywine!" Pushing through some hedges in her path, she beheld the sight of the large (to hobbits) river that marked the border of Buckland.
"Goodness, we must have traveled a lot faster than I thought," said Poppy, coming up beside her.
"See, I told you my plan would work. You need to trust me more, Poppy," said Dandelion smugly.
"Please accept my dearest apologies, great Dandelion Took, descendent of heroes, expert pathfinder and teacher of children!" exclaimed Poppy, curtsying in mock reverence.
"You are pardoned for the time being," answered Dandelion in the same grave speech, "but do not let it happen again. And remember that a Dandelion Took plan always works!"
Poppy could not contain herself any longer and burst into laughter. Dandelion joined her as the Cotton girl gasped out, "Unless they weren't made in the past few hours!"
* * *
After dinner (and supper), Dandelion laid down, arms underneath her head, and sighed in contentment. "If only all days were like this," she said softly.
"Like what? You getting into a fight with Fred Sandyman, resulting in us being expelled from Tuckborough, getting tangled in brambles, getting lost, and then sleeping by the side of a river?" Poppy smiled up at the stars.
"You know what I mean. If all nights were as peaceful as this: the soothing sound of the water, the soft green grass, the pretty stars, the giant snakes..."
"Snakes?!"
Suddenly, Dandelion realized what she had seen and bolted upright. Poppy followed her. A giant snake, indeed, watched them, eyes glinting evilly in the firelight. "Oh Elbereth," Dandelion whispered as she walked backwards to her pack, eyes locked on the snake. When she reached it, she thrust her hand inside and grabbed the old blade her father had given her that had once belonged to his father. She unsheathed it and pointed at the snake. "Stay away! Leave us alone!"
Poppy, beside her, pulled out a pocketknife from the folds of her skirt. It was a small weapon, but better than nothing.
The snake hissed, its long tongue flickering in and out. It had thought it had found an easy meal, but the pair had bright, shiny cutters. It weighed its choices, and then lunged swiftly at the nearer of the two.
Dandelion was ready, though, and she dodged and stabbed at the serpent as it passed by. It sprung at Poppy, but she too jumped aside. Dandelion grabbed its tail as it slithered around, and it turned to her, hissing maliciously. Unfortunately for the snake, it had turned its back to Poppy, and the young hobbit sent a vicious blow to its neck. It swayed, uncertain, for just the time Dandelion needed. Yelling angrily, she sliced its head straight off with her sword. The snake's body fell to the ground, and Dandelion sank to her knees, shivering in fear.
"Dandelion! Are you all right?" Poppy cried as she dashed over to her friend.
"I- I- oh, Poppy, I killed it!"
"Yes, but you had to, you know, or it would have killed you and me as well." Dandelion shivered again as Poppy pulled her upright, away from the body of her foe. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. And me, too," she added, glancing at the reptile's blood on her hands and knife. She picked up Dandelion's sword from where the other had dropped it.
Dandelion, meanwhile, stumbled to the bank of the Brandywine and dipped her hands in it, washing off the evidence from her battle. When her hands were clean, she washed her face. Poppy handed her a towel and a change of clothes to replace her torn and dirty ones. When they had both finished changing, Dandelion packed up her things and put out the fire. "Let's find a new campsite."
Poppy nodded wordlessly as they left the small clearing for one in which there had been no recent conflict.
spoilt_alex- Thanks for the review! I hope the format is better on this new chapter.
GreyLadyBast- My story's on your favorites list! [Jaw drops] Thanks a lot! This isn't my first fic, technically, but it's the first one I've posted that's not going to end up becoming a never-been-finished story. (Hopefully!) Thanks for your review!
A/N- The format should be easier to read now, and as always, please read and review!
Chapter 2
"Thanks, Poppy," Dandelion grumbled as the two made their way down a steep hill that was filled with thorns. "First, telling Papa how I ripped my dress, and now, leading us into a maze of briars!"
"Me?" Poppy asked incredulously, "I led us? How can I lead if I'm behind you, O All-knowing One?"
Dandelion stopped and turned to face the other hobbit, her face the picture of confusion. "Wait. You're not leading us?"
"No!"
"Then who is?"
Poppy's eyes widened. "You don't mean to say that you don't know the way, do you?"
"Er, well, uh," Dandelion mumbled.
"This is just wonderful, I'm lost in the Shire with a hobbit who's supposed to be a teacher and she can't find her way to Buckland!"
"Now hang on," the golden-haired hobbit interjected, "I can find the way to Buckland, even if I don't know where we currently...are."
"And how will you do that?" Poppy asked as they made their painful way back up the hill.
"Simple!" Poppy raised an eyebrow as the Took continued. "The Brandywine is east, right?" "Right."
"And it's past tea-time, so the sun is in the west. So, we just put our backs to the sun and we'll be going east, to the Brandywine and Buckland!"
"Wow, Dandelion, that plan might actually work," Poppy said in amazement as they walked down a less-thorny side of the hill.
They carried on for a few seconds, then the older hobbit stopped, blinking. "What d'you mean, 'might actually work'? I'll have you know, all of my plans always work!"
"Oh, yes," Poppy added, laughing, "like the time you painted your mum's fence--"
"I didn't know she didn't like purple."
"And the time you 'taught' Theo fencing--"
"It was just a little scratch, he got over it."
"And the time you made mushroom hot-cakes--"
"Not everyone got sick over those."
"And the time--"
"Enough! Okay, maybe all of my plans don't work. But," Dandelion held up a finger, "this one is foolproof."
'Good,' Poppy thought, 'because I'm being dragged halfway across the Shire by a foolish Took.'
"Hey!"
"Did I say that out loud?" Poppy winced and ran due east, an irate Dandelion behind her.
"I'll 'foolish Took' you!"
* * *
A few hours, a wild chase, and a truce later saw the pair ready to make camp. Or at least, saw Dandelion ready to make camp.
"Poppy, we don't have to reach Buckland today," she called to her friend, who was quite a distance in front of her.
"Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were right behind me, Dandy. I take it you want to rest?" Poppy smiled.
"Yes. Let's make our camp," she stomped the ground resolutely, "here."
"That's fine with me, but you might want to ask the bees how they like it."
"What?" Dandelion looked to her left, and then her right. Perilously close to her head was a large bee hive. "Ouch!" she yelped as she was stung by a bee. She quickly ran off from the insects, shaking her hand as if trying to make the sting go away. Poppy followed, shaking her head in feigned despair.
When she judged they were far enough away from the 'danger zone,' Dandelion stopped. She was about to propose they make camp again, when she heard a noise. She strained her ears. It sounded like...
'Water? Running water?' she thought. "The Brandywine!" Pushing through some hedges in her path, she beheld the sight of the large (to hobbits) river that marked the border of Buckland.
"Goodness, we must have traveled a lot faster than I thought," said Poppy, coming up beside her.
"See, I told you my plan would work. You need to trust me more, Poppy," said Dandelion smugly.
"Please accept my dearest apologies, great Dandelion Took, descendent of heroes, expert pathfinder and teacher of children!" exclaimed Poppy, curtsying in mock reverence.
"You are pardoned for the time being," answered Dandelion in the same grave speech, "but do not let it happen again. And remember that a Dandelion Took plan always works!"
Poppy could not contain herself any longer and burst into laughter. Dandelion joined her as the Cotton girl gasped out, "Unless they weren't made in the past few hours!"
* * *
After dinner (and supper), Dandelion laid down, arms underneath her head, and sighed in contentment. "If only all days were like this," she said softly.
"Like what? You getting into a fight with Fred Sandyman, resulting in us being expelled from Tuckborough, getting tangled in brambles, getting lost, and then sleeping by the side of a river?" Poppy smiled up at the stars.
"You know what I mean. If all nights were as peaceful as this: the soothing sound of the water, the soft green grass, the pretty stars, the giant snakes..."
"Snakes?!"
Suddenly, Dandelion realized what she had seen and bolted upright. Poppy followed her. A giant snake, indeed, watched them, eyes glinting evilly in the firelight. "Oh Elbereth," Dandelion whispered as she walked backwards to her pack, eyes locked on the snake. When she reached it, she thrust her hand inside and grabbed the old blade her father had given her that had once belonged to his father. She unsheathed it and pointed at the snake. "Stay away! Leave us alone!"
Poppy, beside her, pulled out a pocketknife from the folds of her skirt. It was a small weapon, but better than nothing.
The snake hissed, its long tongue flickering in and out. It had thought it had found an easy meal, but the pair had bright, shiny cutters. It weighed its choices, and then lunged swiftly at the nearer of the two.
Dandelion was ready, though, and she dodged and stabbed at the serpent as it passed by. It sprung at Poppy, but she too jumped aside. Dandelion grabbed its tail as it slithered around, and it turned to her, hissing maliciously. Unfortunately for the snake, it had turned its back to Poppy, and the young hobbit sent a vicious blow to its neck. It swayed, uncertain, for just the time Dandelion needed. Yelling angrily, she sliced its head straight off with her sword. The snake's body fell to the ground, and Dandelion sank to her knees, shivering in fear.
"Dandelion! Are you all right?" Poppy cried as she dashed over to her friend.
"I- I- oh, Poppy, I killed it!"
"Yes, but you had to, you know, or it would have killed you and me as well." Dandelion shivered again as Poppy pulled her upright, away from the body of her foe. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. And me, too," she added, glancing at the reptile's blood on her hands and knife. She picked up Dandelion's sword from where the other had dropped it.
Dandelion, meanwhile, stumbled to the bank of the Brandywine and dipped her hands in it, washing off the evidence from her battle. When her hands were clean, she washed her face. Poppy handed her a towel and a change of clothes to replace her torn and dirty ones. When they had both finished changing, Dandelion packed up her things and put out the fire. "Let's find a new campsite."
Poppy nodded wordlessly as they left the small clearing for one in which there had been no recent conflict.
