Chapter 1
It had been many years since she last saw Bilbo. The last time she saw him
was when he was returning from his trip from the Lonely Mountain with the
dwarves. Now he was back in Rivendell. A short while later, Gandalf had
reappeared.
"Kareesh, I need to go and find out more about this ring that Bilbo gave to Frodo," Gandalf was talking hurriedly as he and Kareesh went quickly down a long, sunlight hallway. "I may not be back for quite a while as I will have to do much research. But I well call for you when the time comes. When you get a letter from me, do exactly as it says as soon as you read it." They were at the end of the hallway now. It led out into an open courtyard. With the bright sunlight, it seemed that the grass was tinted with gold. At the far end of the courtyard was a small stable. An Elf was tending a tall brown horse. Gandalf stopped and turned to face Kareesh. "Do you understand what I am saying?" "Yes, Gandalf," Kareesh responded. "But what about Bilbo? I mean... what will he do about the Ring?"
Gandalf sighed. "Kareesh. I don't even know if Frodo's ring is the One Ring. I'll have to test my theory." Gandalf looked over to where the Elf and horse stood. "Looks like my horse is ready." He placed a hand on Kareesh's shoulder. "Do not tell Bilbo my suspicions. It may make him feel like it was all his fault and try to make things right."
Kareesh nodded solemnly. "I will do as you say, Gandalf." Gandalf patted her on the shoulder and then walked over to the stable. He talked to the elf for a little while. The elf backed away from the horse and Gandalf got onto the horse. The horse neighed and bucked its head once before Gandalf turned it around toward the gate. He waved back at Kareesh before urging the horse forward. Kareesh waved back at him until the great doors of the courtyard closed behind him.
Kareesh sighed. She turned and started to slowly walk down the long hallway once more.
A few minutes later, Kareesh was standing in Elrond's chambers.
"But Elrond," Kareesh insisted. "Gandalf has a suspicion that Bilbo's ring is the One Ring that..."
"Do not say that name here," Elrond said sharply turning around to face her. Elrond was not fully elven; his mother was an elf while his father was a human. "Evil should not enter Rivendell. We have strove very hard to keep it out."
"Alright," Kareesh muttered. "But, Elrond, you have to let me go! Gandalf needs my help!" Her voice was more urgent.
"But didn't Gandalf tell you to stay here and wait for a letter from him?" Elrond said stepping toward Kareesh. "You also have to watch over Bilbo."
"Elrond, this is important! Besides, this is Rivendell. There are more elves here to take care of him than..."
"Kareesh!" Elrond said sternly putting his hand on the table by his side. Kareesh quickly broke off her sentence and bowed her head a little bit. In a gentler voice, Elrond went on. "Kareesh, I do not approve of you going out and wandering around trying to find Gandalf. Think of what he would say if he were here."
Kareesh looked up at Elrond with an exasperated look and sighed. "We both know what Gandalf would say if he were here. 'Stay here Kareesh and take care of Bilbo until I send for you. Take care of Kareesh, Elrond.' Elrond, I am not like the young child you saved from that village in the Reign of Darkness. I am a grown..." She hesitated. "What am I?" she thought "I am a grown hobbit and a grown elf."
Elrond's gaze softened a bit as he spoke. "I know how you feel, Kareesh. Not knowing exactly who or what you are."
"No! He doesn't understand!" A voice in Kareesh's mind seemed to cry out. "Being a half-elf, half-human is more common than a half-elf half- hobbit!"
"You are a full grown hobbit and a full grown elf." Elrond sighed and turned away. He turned his head slightly to speak to her. "You are dismissed, but you may not go after Gandalf." Kareesh bowed slightly and walked out of the room.
She walked back to the courtyard. Only a few minutes before had she been there with Gandalf, but now she could not go and see him. She walked straight to the stable. A horse nickered and stuck its head out of the door. The color of it was a light brown with a little white star on its forehead. Kareesh laughed gently as she walked over to it. She started to pet its head.
"Oh Gentle Star," she said with a small laugh. "How are you? Hmmm? Have you been getting enough oats?" The horse nickered and bucked its head. Kareesh laughed. "Oh Gentle Star. Sometimes I wonder if you can actually understand me." Then another horse stuck its head out of the door right next to Gentle Star. This head's color was a darker brown with a white stripe going down to its nose. Kareesh smiled. The horse neighed and bucked its head. "Do you want some attention too, Midnight Runner?" Midnight Runner and Gentle Star both bucked their heads. Kareesh laughed.
"Kareesh, I need to go and find out more about this ring that Bilbo gave to Frodo," Gandalf was talking hurriedly as he and Kareesh went quickly down a long, sunlight hallway. "I may not be back for quite a while as I will have to do much research. But I well call for you when the time comes. When you get a letter from me, do exactly as it says as soon as you read it." They were at the end of the hallway now. It led out into an open courtyard. With the bright sunlight, it seemed that the grass was tinted with gold. At the far end of the courtyard was a small stable. An Elf was tending a tall brown horse. Gandalf stopped and turned to face Kareesh. "Do you understand what I am saying?" "Yes, Gandalf," Kareesh responded. "But what about Bilbo? I mean... what will he do about the Ring?"
Gandalf sighed. "Kareesh. I don't even know if Frodo's ring is the One Ring. I'll have to test my theory." Gandalf looked over to where the Elf and horse stood. "Looks like my horse is ready." He placed a hand on Kareesh's shoulder. "Do not tell Bilbo my suspicions. It may make him feel like it was all his fault and try to make things right."
Kareesh nodded solemnly. "I will do as you say, Gandalf." Gandalf patted her on the shoulder and then walked over to the stable. He talked to the elf for a little while. The elf backed away from the horse and Gandalf got onto the horse. The horse neighed and bucked its head once before Gandalf turned it around toward the gate. He waved back at Kareesh before urging the horse forward. Kareesh waved back at him until the great doors of the courtyard closed behind him.
Kareesh sighed. She turned and started to slowly walk down the long hallway once more.
A few minutes later, Kareesh was standing in Elrond's chambers.
"But Elrond," Kareesh insisted. "Gandalf has a suspicion that Bilbo's ring is the One Ring that..."
"Do not say that name here," Elrond said sharply turning around to face her. Elrond was not fully elven; his mother was an elf while his father was a human. "Evil should not enter Rivendell. We have strove very hard to keep it out."
"Alright," Kareesh muttered. "But, Elrond, you have to let me go! Gandalf needs my help!" Her voice was more urgent.
"But didn't Gandalf tell you to stay here and wait for a letter from him?" Elrond said stepping toward Kareesh. "You also have to watch over Bilbo."
"Elrond, this is important! Besides, this is Rivendell. There are more elves here to take care of him than..."
"Kareesh!" Elrond said sternly putting his hand on the table by his side. Kareesh quickly broke off her sentence and bowed her head a little bit. In a gentler voice, Elrond went on. "Kareesh, I do not approve of you going out and wandering around trying to find Gandalf. Think of what he would say if he were here."
Kareesh looked up at Elrond with an exasperated look and sighed. "We both know what Gandalf would say if he were here. 'Stay here Kareesh and take care of Bilbo until I send for you. Take care of Kareesh, Elrond.' Elrond, I am not like the young child you saved from that village in the Reign of Darkness. I am a grown..." She hesitated. "What am I?" she thought "I am a grown hobbit and a grown elf."
Elrond's gaze softened a bit as he spoke. "I know how you feel, Kareesh. Not knowing exactly who or what you are."
"No! He doesn't understand!" A voice in Kareesh's mind seemed to cry out. "Being a half-elf, half-human is more common than a half-elf half- hobbit!"
"You are a full grown hobbit and a full grown elf." Elrond sighed and turned away. He turned his head slightly to speak to her. "You are dismissed, but you may not go after Gandalf." Kareesh bowed slightly and walked out of the room.
She walked back to the courtyard. Only a few minutes before had she been there with Gandalf, but now she could not go and see him. She walked straight to the stable. A horse nickered and stuck its head out of the door. The color of it was a light brown with a little white star on its forehead. Kareesh laughed gently as she walked over to it. She started to pet its head.
"Oh Gentle Star," she said with a small laugh. "How are you? Hmmm? Have you been getting enough oats?" The horse nickered and bucked its head. Kareesh laughed. "Oh Gentle Star. Sometimes I wonder if you can actually understand me." Then another horse stuck its head out of the door right next to Gentle Star. This head's color was a darker brown with a white stripe going down to its nose. Kareesh smiled. The horse neighed and bucked its head. "Do you want some attention too, Midnight Runner?" Midnight Runner and Gentle Star both bucked their heads. Kareesh laughed.