Bex woke at dawn, from a habit of needing to be up before her father. El
rolled over on the ground and covered her head, mumbling unpleasant things
about the infuriating birds and the damned cat should be there to step on
her head soon and why wasn't mom showering?
She picked up her head and leaned on her elbows. "Oh, bleeding hell."
Bex grinned at her.
El sighed heavily. "We're still here."
"That's a bad thing?"
"Well I dunno. No, 's not. My cat'll miss me though."
Bex made a sad face. "Aww. Oh well. Come on, let's explore!
"Tally ho," El muttered and brushed dirt out of her hair.
"Learn Hobbiton like the back of our hands!" Bex continued, standing up. "That way, if they ever make a movie, we can help make it look realistic!"
El snorted. "Ha. Wouldn't that be a joke." She got up and brushed her pants off. Bex wandered off, chuckling.
"This place is so cool!"
El followed. "You know, there is a rather appealing serenity to it all."
"Yes, and the sunrise is beautiful."
They sat down on a slope and watched the sun peek over the horizon. El smiled. "I wonder if they get up this early, or do they all wait like sensible people.
"Looks like they sleep in," Bex said, looking over the hills. "Good, lazy, wonderful, hobbit folk. I love 'em all and th- hey, look over there. People are up an about. Is that Sam's place? Or, Frodo's... or... whatever?"
"Sam's now," El said, following her pointing finger. "Frodo's gone... over... the... holy-! Look, Bex, look!" She pointed emphatically.
"I'm looking!" Bex got up and ran down the hill and crouched behind a bush. El followed.
"MAYBE IF WE STAY LOW," she said loudly, "WE WON'T BE SEEN IN THE CROWD OF HOBBITS." El rolled her eyes and walked up the edge of the crowd.
Bex shook her head and went toward another bush closer to the front door, to hear what was being said, and not to close to the way too loud hobbit crowd.
El walked right up to the front and swore. "Dear Elbereth! It's Frodo!"
Bex stood up. "What?!"
"It's Frodo!" El repeated, turning back to her friend. "Frodo's back or something!"
Bex grinned. "What do you know!"
Sam heard her voice and grabbed her shirt. "Come inside," he said quietly, and El beckoned to Bex. Sam pulled them inside and closed the door rather forcefully.
"Why'd you bring us?" El asked skeptically.
Sam shrugged. "You know, I'm not sure. I was rather compelled, though. But I can see you two are not going to be all suspicious."
"How was Valinor?" El asked abruptly. Bex smacked her forehead. Frodo looked alarmed.
"It was... erm... well how did you know?"
"I- uh..." El had successfully dug herself into a nice little hole. She bit her lip. "I just knew."
Bex smacked her forehead again. A small cut bled. She swore.
Sam hugged Frodo. "It is nice to have you back, though I wonder why you came back. You needed the healing!"
Frodo shrugged. I'll tell my story later. What I want to know now is how this lass knew where I was."
Sam ushered them all into the kitchen and began to make tea.
"So tell us," he said, "How did you know?"
Bex looked at El. El looked at Bex. This truly was a dilemma.
She picked up her head and leaned on her elbows. "Oh, bleeding hell."
Bex grinned at her.
El sighed heavily. "We're still here."
"That's a bad thing?"
"Well I dunno. No, 's not. My cat'll miss me though."
Bex made a sad face. "Aww. Oh well. Come on, let's explore!
"Tally ho," El muttered and brushed dirt out of her hair.
"Learn Hobbiton like the back of our hands!" Bex continued, standing up. "That way, if they ever make a movie, we can help make it look realistic!"
El snorted. "Ha. Wouldn't that be a joke." She got up and brushed her pants off. Bex wandered off, chuckling.
"This place is so cool!"
El followed. "You know, there is a rather appealing serenity to it all."
"Yes, and the sunrise is beautiful."
They sat down on a slope and watched the sun peek over the horizon. El smiled. "I wonder if they get up this early, or do they all wait like sensible people.
"Looks like they sleep in," Bex said, looking over the hills. "Good, lazy, wonderful, hobbit folk. I love 'em all and th- hey, look over there. People are up an about. Is that Sam's place? Or, Frodo's... or... whatever?"
"Sam's now," El said, following her pointing finger. "Frodo's gone... over... the... holy-! Look, Bex, look!" She pointed emphatically.
"I'm looking!" Bex got up and ran down the hill and crouched behind a bush. El followed.
"MAYBE IF WE STAY LOW," she said loudly, "WE WON'T BE SEEN IN THE CROWD OF HOBBITS." El rolled her eyes and walked up the edge of the crowd.
Bex shook her head and went toward another bush closer to the front door, to hear what was being said, and not to close to the way too loud hobbit crowd.
El walked right up to the front and swore. "Dear Elbereth! It's Frodo!"
Bex stood up. "What?!"
"It's Frodo!" El repeated, turning back to her friend. "Frodo's back or something!"
Bex grinned. "What do you know!"
Sam heard her voice and grabbed her shirt. "Come inside," he said quietly, and El beckoned to Bex. Sam pulled them inside and closed the door rather forcefully.
"Why'd you bring us?" El asked skeptically.
Sam shrugged. "You know, I'm not sure. I was rather compelled, though. But I can see you two are not going to be all suspicious."
"How was Valinor?" El asked abruptly. Bex smacked her forehead. Frodo looked alarmed.
"It was... erm... well how did you know?"
"I- uh..." El had successfully dug herself into a nice little hole. She bit her lip. "I just knew."
Bex smacked her forehead again. A small cut bled. She swore.
Sam hugged Frodo. "It is nice to have you back, though I wonder why you came back. You needed the healing!"
Frodo shrugged. I'll tell my story later. What I want to know now is how this lass knew where I was."
Sam ushered them all into the kitchen and began to make tea.
"So tell us," he said, "How did you know?"
Bex looked at El. El looked at Bex. This truly was a dilemma.
