V. Homeward Bound
The hobbits of the Fellowship were entertained by Poppy's stories for the length of their meal. Her seeming innocence, coupled with the sate, full feeling that they had after eating, put their spirits at ease. The earlier incident with Frodo seemed to have been forgotten, and the distrust was put aside. After telling Poppy their plans for the transportation of Crickhollow's furnishings to Bag End, the plates and cups were cleared and cleaned. Frodo invited Poppy to come with them on the trip, for her friend, Freddy Bolger, was in Hobbiton where he was recuperating in the Cotton's smial. She agreed to this suggestion, and she offered to help with the moving. Before she went to bed, she boiled some water with which to fill the large bath tubs in the far room for Frodo and his friends. She bid them good-night and turned in, but she did not find sleep until the sounds of splashing, wallowing, and Pippin's jolly bath-songs ceased.
At five o'clock in the morning, Poppy awoke to find that the house was already stirring with activity. Sam was cooking a large breakfast (luckily, Poppy had kept the pantry well-stocked and the garden of herbs well-tended) and humming softly; Frodo and Pippin were packing breakable items in paper and cloth and storing them in wooden chests; and Merry was outside guiding Bill the Pony (who looked rather sleepy), and the wagon to which Bill was attached, up to the front door. She heard Bill's obstinate whinny, and sympathized with him. She rolled out of bed and washed her face, then twisted her hair into a copper bun and pinned it into place. She dressed quickly, and packed a traveling sack among her things. She went to the kitchen and met Sam as he was cooking. She helped him with breakfast, and as they worked they sang some of the cooking songs that all hobbits know.
After a filling breakfast of sausage, pancakes, and eggs, the hobbits began the process of moving by piling the furniture onto the wagon: they took Bilbo's old writing desk with the brass inkwell, the round oak dining table, Frodo's armoire, the beds- -starting with the headboards, then the supports- - followed by trunks and chairs. Soon, little was left in the house that was needed, and Frodo carried out the last of his things: two wooden swords, which he and Bilbo had fenced with when he was a boy. During his childhood, they were also used in some of his imaginary adventures with Sam. He had fond memories of the two of them as children, pretending to be Bilbo and Thorin on their incredible journeys. He placed the swords tenderly inside his clothing chest on the wagon, then helped Merry to tether Strider next to Bill. He hopped onto the driver's seat, then helped to pull Merry and Poppy onto the seat next to him. Sam and Pippin climbed over the furniture stacked on the wagon until they reached Bilbo's favorite reading chair, then they squished themselves together in its cushioned seat. When all was in place, Frodo urged the horses down the drive and steered it towards the High Hay Path since they had decided not to wait for the ferry.
On the road, Frodo told Poppy the tale of Bilbo's famous adventure. They talked long about the part of the story which concerned trolls, and she seemed to already possess some knowledge of the horrible ogres. She guessed, before Frodo even told her, that the trolls' demise would come at sunrise by turning to stone. Frodo described to her the trolls' remains that were still in the Shaws, and how they were now moldering statues of their formerly fearsome selves. Then, curious, he asked her where she had learned of trolls.
She sighed whistfully, pulling her straw hat over her fiery hair and securing the blue ribbon under her chin before saying, "When I was little, and visited my grandparents in the North Downs by Lake Evendim, we were sometimes visited by elves who passed in that land. They knew of Hildifons and his family. They taught me songs, which I have mostly forgotten, and told stories of lands that have long ago died away. They found my brother and I once, wandering the Downs, and told us horrible stories about trolls and goblins to try to keep us home where we were safe." She fell quiet then, and Frodo studied herdelicate features, and her misty green eyes, which at the moment seemed to be looking far off into the distant past.
"Have you seen the elves since you were little?" asked Frodo.
"No, not since I was very small, but I still remember one song that they sang," she said, and began to hum to test her memory; and then she sang small, beautiful catches of a song in the fair elf language. Frodo listened, and then he also began to hum along, for the song was vaguely familiar, and then he began to sing along- -Not in elvish, but in the Common Speech, for that was how he first heard the song from Bilbo:
". . . Githonel! We still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees,
Thy starlight in the Western Seas. . ."
Poppy stopped singing, amazed by what she heard, and she listened to Frodo until his voice trailed off. "Do you know how to speak the Elven tongue?" she asked.
"Sure. Well, some; but by no means conversationally," confessed Frodo.
"Well, you know some songs. I know that much now. Say something to me in Elvish.... Please?" Poppy pouted rather playfully as she stretched the word 'please.'
"I don't know. . ." Frodo said, and he sighed as he considered his the extent of his rather small range of vocabulary. He couldn't think of anything that was really appropriate to say. He would rather not try to remember the elf-rhymes of his youth; his brain felt muddled, and thinking was difficult in the hot afternoon sun. But then again, Poppy wasn't a hobbit that one could easily say 'no' to. Finally, Frodo gave in. "Oh, why not?" he murmured, and he thought for a moment, then turned to her and said with a smile, "Le aen bain, A brennil o menel. Pedin len na 'lass!"
Poppy blushed, delighted by Frodo's smile and his adeptness at the language, and she gave a musical laugh. "Marvelous! I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded beautiful. Who taught you how to speak so well?"
"Bilbo did. He has many elf friends...In fact, he actually lives in Rivendell among them now."
"Rivendell! Oh, the Great Elf City!" Poppy clapped her hands together excitedly. "How lucky for Bilbo! The things the elves make are so complex and intricate. Can you imagine what their homes must be like?"
"We needn't imagine, Miss Poppy," said Merry, suddenly eager to impress. "Frodo, Pippin, Sam, and I have been there on our travels. We've also been to Lothlórien and Fangorn--Ah, Fangorn! What a place! You see these trees here?" He pointed to the large, mature trees of the Old Forest growing near the High Hay path. "They're saplings compared to Fangorn's forest! And a marvelous people they are, too, those Ents. Remarkable!"
Merry then told her of the Entwoods, Treebeard, and of the draught that he and Pippin drank that caused them to grow nearly six inches taller. Pippin woke from his sleep next to Sam in Bilbo's chair, and added a few bits to the story, but he was soon lulled to sleep again by the rocking of the wagon and the even beat of the ponies' hooves. The day was fading quickly as the hobbits chattered away. They stopped at sunset to rest for dinner, then rode on until they reached Bag End after midnight.
VI. Faysal of the Farlands
The hobbits unpacked until noon the next day, and then they went to visit Farmer Cotton and have lunch at his home. Freddy was recovering nicely at the Cotton Farm, and when Poppy went to see him, he had a glow of health around him. His joviality had been restored, and he hopped up from his place at the table and kissed her cheek when she entered, then welcomed Frodo and his friends. Sam stood in the doorway of the diningroom, fiddling with a button on his shirt awkwardly, and looking around until he found the object of his search. Rosie Cotton came out of the kitchen with a carved, roasted chicken on a big platter, stuffed with mushrooms. She saw Sam and quickly handed the roasted bird to Freddy, then ran to hug Sam. Sam blushed shyly and murmured, "Hullo, Rosie,"as Rosie embraced him.
Farmer Cotton chuckled at the young couple's tender actions and nudged Frodo. He said, "What'd I tell ya? Hmm?" Frodo smiled and nodded.
Freddy was putting the chicken on the table when he suddenly remembered something. "Miss Poppy!" he said, dropping the bird down on the table top, "I just remembered! Faysal's here!"
Poppy started, and grinned widely, "Here?! Now? Where is he?"
"He's on Bywater, last I saw him, talking to the locals there about the battle. He's looking for you, and I told him you were still at Crickhollow. I hope he's not left to go there."
"Oh, I've got to see him! But wait! Lunch! Right, lunch. Where are my manners?" she reminded herself. "I'm a guest of the Cottons first, then I can go see him. Faysal won't leave Hobbiton until he's visited the Green Dragon."
She tried to hide her impatience through lunch, and found that it was easy to do, for talking to Rosie Cotton was an engaging exercise and she soon put all thoughts of Faysal aside. She was pleasantly surprised by Rosie's warmth and amiable nature, and when the group started to break up after dessert, she was a bit sad to have their conversation end. After dessert was cleared away, Rosie and Sam started to talk quietly on their side of the table, the quiet interrupted only by Rosie's sporadic giggles and Sam's deep chuckle. Merry and Pippin were talking with Farmer Cotton and reliving the Battle of Bywater through each other's shared experiences. Frodo was talking to Freddy about the night after he left Crickhollow to set out on his quest, and every so often they asked Poppy if she had seen "Anything, anything strange at all?".
Finally, it seemed that Frodo and Freddy's anxiety over that night's odd happenings was assuaged, and their conversation became less serious. Poppy popped into their conversation, and she asked Frodo and Freddy if it would be all right if she went to go see Faysal.
"Who's Faysal? Where's he from?" asked Frodo.
"He's a wanderer, and he has all kinds of adventures, Master Baggins," answered Poppy.
"I daresay he's traveled enough to swap some interesting stories with you," said Freddy. He sat back in his chair thoughtfully. "Strange hobbits you and Faysal are! I'll never understand your so-called 'need' to travel out of the Shire."
"Oh, you should meet him!"said Poppy. She suddenly hopped up excitedly and grabbed her hat from the wall, and she was about to grab her cloak when she stopped. "Are you coming?" she asked.
Frodo laughed, then said, "All right, but let's say good-bye to Mr. Cotton."
And so, they all said good-bye to Farmer Cotton and thanked him for lunch . Well, all except for Sam, who remained behind with Rosie (and Freddy, who said he needed a nap). Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Poppy all headed towards the Bywater Road to look for the hobbit called Faysal. In the yellow afternoon, the walk was pleasant, and Poppy often spotted and admired exceptionally well-cared-for gardens in front of the houses near Bywater. She walked quickly and quietly, moving like a wisp of smoke in her white and blue cotton dress and grey cloak. The other hobbits had a heard time keeping up with her, though she seemed not to hurry. She turned onto Bywater Road, and the hobbits followed her. In the distance, they saw Faysal, a handsome hobbit with sharp features dressed like a traveller in green and brown. He was talking to Robin Smallburrow, a shiriff in the Shire, and his golden hair shone in the sun. He wore an old, but well-cared-for sword. When Poppy saw Faysal, she squealed with delight, then tore down the road to him. He turned from Robin and smiled as he caught her in his strong arms. Tears came to her eyes and flowed freely. She had not seen him in over a year, and for a while she had thought him dead, for he lead a dangerous life. She clung to him, and they spoke quietly together for a few moments before Frodo and his friends caught up to them.
Poppy released Faysal and dabbed at her dark lashes, still wet with happy tears, before introducing Frodo to Faysal. "Faysal, my wanderer of the Farlands, this--is Frodo Baggins, nephew of the adventurer Bilbo Baggins."
Faysal gave a warm smile and extended his tan hand. "Frodo! I've heard of your and your friends' great deeds from the elves. Suilad, mellon." (Greetings, friend.)
"Mae govannen. An Elf-friend is always good to see," (Well-met.) returned Frodo, and he took his proffered hand and shook it. "I've heard you've had a few adventures yourself."
Such an introduction called for story swapping, and all hobbits love to tell stories. So Frodo and his friends walked with Faysal and Poppy, and they settled on the grass under a great oak tree. Their afternoon was filled with tales of battles, wounds, orcs, and strange lands. Merry and Pippin recounted the Battle of Isengard to the marvel of their guests. Faysal then talked somberly of the battle against the ruffians in Bree on the New Year of the year before. As he told his tale, he took the pale hand of Poppy, who was leaning against him, and squeezed it gently.
A bit of jealousy rose in the hearts of the hobbits of the Fellowship for an instant. But as they watched her, they saw a shadow fall onto her fair face that worried them. The shadow remained until Faysal finished his tale. Perhaps it was some trick of the eye, but it appeared that her eyes held tears. Frodo somberly said that he had heard some of this tale from Barliman Butterbur, and he was sad to hear that such good hobbits had been lost in battle.
The sun began to sink, stomachs began to rumble, and the hobbits rose from the grass and stretched their limbs. Frodo invited Faysal to join them for dinner at Bag End. Faysal bowed respectfully, but declined. He said, "Thank you, but I cannot. All of this talk of Butterbur and Bree--it reminds me that I need to get back there, and the sooner I am off, the better. It has been an honor to meet all of you brave hobbits!"
He bowed again and gathered his weathered pack. Poppy stopped him with a hand on his arm, and a glance that was worth many words passed between them. She kissed his hand, then stepped back from him. "Good-bye Poppy." He said softly. Then he turned to them and said, "Farewell, Master Meriadoc, Master Peregrin, and Master Frodo, noblest of hobbits!" He shook their hands, and when he made contact with Frodo's palm, he said, "Navaer, nîn mellon!" (Farewell, my friend!)
"Navaer! Cuio mae, mellon!" (Farewell! Live well, friend!) said Frodo, and shook his hand. As Faysal turned and headed to the East, the hobbits waved good-bye, and Poppy's eyes held tears that would not shed.
VII. A Long-Expected Guest
The hobbits then turned towards Bag End, and there Poppy and Sam prepared the evening meal. Frodo, Merry, and Pippin tended the fires and set the table. As Pippin set the silverware round the table, he murmured to Frodo, "An interesting fellow, that Mr. Faysal is. It seems Miss Poppy's taken a shine to him." Frodo didn't respond, but knotted his brows a bit as he placed the sugars and salts on the table.
A hearty meal was served soon, and Frodo called for wine: a red, South Farthing vintage, well-aged, to be opened in celebration of the restoration of Bag End. The bottle was brought from Bilbo's prized wine cask and was poured freely. The hobbits raised their glasses in a toast and said: "To Bag End!" ('And Mr. Frodo!' Sam added.) They had just brought the glasses to their lips to complete the toast when they heard a soft knock on the door. Frodo frowned, drained his glass, and hopped up from his seat. The knock repeated more loudly as Frodo ran to the door to open it.
"GANDALF!" shouted Frodo. He embraced his wise old friend and said, "Come in! Come in!" He took Gandalf's cane and new pointed hat (which looked remarkably like his old one). Frodo laughed good-naturedly as Gandalf, in a grey traveling cloak over his white garments, bent over gingerly to keep from hitting the low ceiling beams.
"Come, sit in Bilbo's guest chair! It is sized for you," suggested Frodo. Gandalf followed him and reclined in the cushioned chair by the fire. The other hobbits in the house, upon hearing Frodo's exultant cry, came at once into the sitting room.
The room echoed with cries of "Hullo, Gandalf! Good to see you!" and "Gandalf! Hurray!" (The latter was Pippin's greeting, for he was the one among them that regarded the wizard with the most child-like wonder and awe.)
Frodo busied himself by going to the kitchen to fetch some refreshments for his guest, and Pippin introduced Poppy to Gandalf. Poppy was struck with a strong sense of familiarity.
"Gandalf. . . the Grey? Are you also Mithrandir, the Grey Pilgrim?" she asked.
"Indeed, I am known by that name and many others," he said. "I am a traveler by occupation, and I have been to many lands."
Frodo came back from the kitchen and brought Gandalf food and drink, for he could see that the wizard had been traveling for quite some time and was tired. Gandalf took the food and the wine gratefully, and after tasting the vintage, swirled the red liquid in his glass with approval. "1378. A very good year," he commented. "Your birth year.* You should have saved this for your birthday, Frodo."
"Hmm," said Frodo. "I didn't consider that, but I do hope that like this wine, I will get better with age."
Gandalf laughed. "Yes, like a good wine," he said. "The crop this year will be the best one ever, thanks to the efforts of all of you brave hobbits;-- well, that's according to the Gondor reports. Which reminds me of why I have come. There is a letter that came to me by means of an elf-messenger. It was written by our friend, Aragorn." He patted his garments until he found the letter in the breast of his white tunic. He revealed it with a flourish and extended it to Frodo. "Here you are, my boy."
Frodo broke the red wax signet seal of the envelope and took out the fine linen parchment. He read aloud that which was written in Aragorn's strong, rough script:
"' To Frodo, son of Drogo, Heir to Bilbo; To Samwise, son of Hamfast, beloved companion to Frodo; To Meriadoc, son of Seradoc, piercer of the Witch King;
and to Peregrin, Son of Paladin, knighted to me: Greetings from your King!
"'It is my deepest hope that all is now well with you; for last I gazed into the Palantir, I saw a great evil in your peaceful Shire. That feeling of shadow has long left me, and I believe you are victorious. Am I right? All is well in Gondor, for the land is healing. The White Tree is blooming, and a time of great celebration draws near. It would much please me to gather the Fellowship once more before the Sea calls to the Elves and Legolas and his people are beyond my reach. The celebration of which I aforementioned is a Wedding. Yes, it is true, though a loner and a bachelor I have been for many long years, the one desire of my heart is now coming to me: I am to wed Arwen Undómiel, daughter of Elrond, the Evenstar of her people, on Midsummer's Eve. It is my wish that you would do me this last favour, Frodo, and bear for me one last Ring on my wedding day. I would like for the four of you to bring other friends from your land, for my people have developed a love and curiosity for hobbits, and they sorely miss the company of little folk (And so do I)! Come soon to Minas Tirith!
-Le Suilannon o Minas Tirith-
'"STRIDER, King of Gondor'"
Frodo passed the letter to Pippin, who saw that Aragorn had added his alias "Strider" to the letter, and laughed.
"A wedding! To Arwen! Oh, but she's a beauty!" said Merry, and he raised a silent toast to the health of the elf-maiden.
* * *
NOTE:
* Changed from the book by me. (Author's liberty)
VIII. A Jolly Good Hobbit!
"We'll have to leave soon, won't we?" Sam mused with a thoughtful, pinched look on his face.
"Oh, no, not really,"said Frodo. "We have about three weeks before we've got to go."
"I was about to say, Rosie'd be upset if I up and left for Strider's wedding afore we had ou--" Sam stopped and turned very red.
Frodo turned to him in surprise, and he asked slowly, "Sam...Did you just say what I think you just said?"
Sam's eyes glistened. He nodded and grinned. "Rosie said to me, 'It's been nearly a year. Let's not put it off any longer.' And who am I to argue with her? Especially when she smiles so pretty and says to me, 'Sam, let's get married!'"
As though rallied with a battle cry, Pippin and Merry sprang to their feet and picked Sam up off the ground and hoisted him to their shoulders. "Hurrah for Sam! For his lady, too!" said Pippin.
"For he's a jolly good hobbit,
For he's a jolly good hobbit...." sang Merry, and the rest soon joined him.
They were half-way through the song when Sam suddenly shouted, "Wait! I haven't had Mr. Frodo's blessing yet!"
"Sam," said Frodo, "you have my blessing, and anything else that I can give to you!"
"A most perfect match! I foresee many children," said Gandalf, giving Sam a teasing wink. "Congratulations, my dear hobbit!"
Pippin and Merry tossed Sam playfully off of their shoulders and onto the couch. Then they poured more wine for celebration, and Pippin ran off to the cellar with his glass to get another bottle before they ran out.
"Oh! Won't Miss Rosie be a pretty bride!" exclaimed Poppy. "She's very lucky, Sam. I haven't known either of you very long, but I like you both very much."
"I'm glad you do," said Sam, blushing a bit. "I like you, too. Especially your stories." He gave a little bow, then refilled Poppy's glass with the last of the Southfarthing Vintage.
"Hmm. We're going to need a little help making the arrangements for a wedding,"said Frodo. "The party is the easy part, but...Poppy, do you know what flowers are usually at a wedding? You know, the good luck bouquets? And Gandalf, how do you order the events of the ceremony? I'm afraid to say I haven't been to a wedding in a while, and I've quite forgotten."
"The ceremony can be as traditional or personal as you wish," said Gandalf. "As long as you get married, it's a wedding."
"And the flowers are usually the choice of the bride," said Poppy. "But I'm guessing Rosie would like....roses."
"She'd be an angel with white roses in her hair..."Sam breathed.
"Hmm. Chocolate cake would be even more heavenly," said Merry.
"And fireworks! Don't forget fireworks!"said Pippin, as he came back into the room carrying a dusty bottle of a slightly younger vintage.
"Peregrin Took! Fireworks or no, you will not be in the vicinity of anything flammable while I am here!" exclaimed Gandalf.
The argument about fireworks lasted through an hour, but the hobbits eventually won out. After two hours of cursory wedding plans, the hobbits went to bed when Gandalf nodded off in Bilbo's big chair.
* * *
Hobbiton bustled with activity for two solid weeks as invitations spread. Such excitement! The news was everywhere, for the couple was well-known, and also well-liked: Samwise Gamgee, veteran of the Battle of Bywater, was to wed the golden-haired daughter of the prosperous Farmer Cotton. With all of the well-wishers and the assistants, Bag End and the Cotton's smial were the busiest in the Shire. Sam's wedding would have to be soon -very soon---before the hobbits set out to Gondor, and the preparations were nothing short of extravagant. Merry and Pippin had been given the job of finding a honeymoon cottage for Sam and his bride, and then furnishing and decorating it with Frodo's generous funds. Flour for cakes and pastries kept the mill running nearly nonstop. Most of the hobbit-lasses within a five-mile radius had been recruited to help with baking and sewing dresses for the bridesmaids.
The task of sewing Rosie's gown had fallen into the capable, aged hands of Mrs. Cotton, and occasionally to Poppy, who had a knack for delicate embroidery. The two females met often in one of Bag End's numerous guest rooms with Rosie in tow for a proper fitting. It was during one of these such meetings, two days before the wedding, that Rosie seemed a bit less than herself as she studied her reflection in the polished mirror.
"What's the matter, Rosie? Is it the neckline again? I could lower it a bit more if you'd prefer to be less modest,"offered Poppy, though the neckline was plenty low.
"No, It's fine. Beautiful. I wouldn't touch it...." Rosie absently brushed her hair out of her chocolate eyes. "I'm just thinking about, well...I'm worried that..."
"No cold feet now, dearie!" said Mrs. Cotton.
"I'm just worried about how Sam will adjust. I don't think he'll like being away from Frodo. He worries about Frodo, you know."
"Oh, is that all?" said Poppy, bending and checking the hemline of the gown where it brushed lightly against the top of Rosie's toes. "Why don't you two just move in with Frodo for a while as newlyweds? That smial's big enough for twelve hobbits, I daresay, and Frodo has already offered."
"Sam hasn't told me a word about it, but," she considered a bit, then said, "I suppose it would be all right... That is, if Sam still loves me then."
"'Still loves you then?' He's foolish for you! Otherwise, why would he be marry you?" insisted Poppy.
"He could be just that-- Foolish." Rosie bit her lip and turned from the mirror.
"This is silliness, child! Sam's a leaf-wise gentlehobbit who loves you very much!" said Mrs. Cotton with conviction. "He looks at you the way your father looked at me..."
"'Look-ed?' Past tense?" said Poppy, dubiously.
"I was a bit easier on the eyes back then, dearie," said Mrs. Cotton, with a wink. "Just like fair Rose there. Pink-cheeked and round-curved.... Though I don't recall being as buxom."
Rosie blushed red at her mother's statement. "Ma!"
"What's wrong with being busty? Sam doesn't mind!" Mrs. Cotton said.
Poppy couldn't help but laugh.
