Megan felt absolutely certain that she must have landed in Ireland;
EVERYTHING was GREEN. The landscape was rolling, verdant, lush, and almost
sickeningly picturesque. Into the sides of the gentle hills were built
brightly painted little round doors and windows.
Jeremie, Erynen, and Erynsir were turning in circles, trying to analyze their surroundings. Suddenly Jeremie began to laugh, half in confusion and half in relief. Megan realized where they were.
"And enter the leprechauns," Jeremie chuckled as a very young Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee rounded the bend at the foot of the Hill, pushing a wheelbarrow and whistling merrily.
"Hi! Master Hamfast!" Jeremie hollered.
The young Hobbit looked up in surprise, regarding the travelers with a prudent and wary eye. Muttering, he left his wheelbarrow and ambled over in their general direction. As he neared them, they caught a few of his low- spoken, mistrustful comments.
"Men... Elves. Men and Elves, Elves and Men, what have the Big Folk got to do with us? How in the name of wonder do they know me, and what do they want with me?" And on it went.
"Excuse me, Master Hamfast, but can you tell me, does Mr. Bilbo Baggins still reside in Bag End?" Jeremie asked politely.
Megan grabbed Erynsir's arm; the bewildered elf looked about ready to poke the Gaffer to see what he was.
"He does; 'e just got 'ome yesterday," Hamfast responded. "Who are you, then?"
"My name is Jeremie Williams. This is Megan Edwards, Erynen son of Amanen, and Erynsir son of Amansir."
"And just 'ow d'you know me, sir?"
"We're friends of some of Bilbo's friends," Jeremie answered.
"Friends of friends, eh? Well, alright, I guess. Mr. Baggins should be in. Is that all you wanted of me, then?"
"Yes, Master Hamfast; thank you very much."
This example of decent manners from one of the Big Folk seemed to please the little Gaffer.
"Well, you're very welcome," said he, and bowed and went back to his wheelbarrow.
"What IS that?" Erynen asked curiously.
"That, friend, is a Hobbit," Megan replied.
"Hobbit?"
"Hobbit, Halfling, Perian, whatever you prefer," Megan said, smiling up at the befuddled elf.
Erynen and Erynsir looked at one another in shock and burst out chattering in Elvish, none of which either Megan or Jeremie understood. The word 'Perian' was repeated frequently. As they traded back and forth their sparse respective knowledge of Halflings, Megan and Jeremie, began their own conference.
"WHY are we in the Shire right after 'The Hobbit'?" Megan demanded, frightened.
"I don't know," Jeremie said, shaking his head. "Something happened to throw us off course, obviously, but what it was, who knows?"
"What about the others?" Megan fretted. "D'you think they're alright?"
"I hope so," Jeremie muttered with a deeply furrowed brow. "We haven't been hurt, so there's no reason to assume that they've been put into any more danger than we have."
"True," Megan replied, "but a few things still worry me. For one thing, we landed in the Shire, which is a relatively safe environment, but they may have been sent into the middle of the Battle of the Pelennor fields, or something. Can you imagine Andrea in the middle of a battle, possibly without Sivi? Also, Legolas was hurt to begin with. Lastly, I think we've all managed to forget that, though our quest was to retrieve the rings, and we've accomplished that, whoever tried to steal them is still out there and could potentially be an extremely dangerous force. What if THEY'RE behind this?"
"I never thought of that," Jeremie said softly. "What can we do?"
"Nothing; that's just it. We have no ring, so we just have to wait till Sivi, Legolas, or Christina comes to rescue us - if they can."
"Bad business," Jeremie murmured quietly.
Jeremie rang the bell of Bag End and stepped back. Megan stood close to Erynen. Erynsir shifted his weight and eyed the door intently. There was the noise of scuttling feet, and the door swung open. Bilbo peered suspiciously out.
"Ah! Hello, hello, Bilbo Baggins, at your service," he said in some surprise.
"Jeremie Williams at yours," Jeremie answered, and then went on to explain, "We are friends of Legolas, son of the king of Northern Mirkwood."
"Ah! Legolas! Yes! What may I do for you, then? Will you come in?"
"We do not wish to intrude or impose," said Jeremie. "We are looking for a place to sleep for the night. Could you point us to the nearest inn?"
"Oh, well, that'd be the 'Green Dragon' in Bywater, sure," Bilbo nodded. "You won't come in? If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask me, understand?"
"Thank you kindly, Mr. Baggins," Jeremie answered. "Good day."
"Good day, sir."
By that evening, the news of the travelers' arrival had spread all over the Shire. The Tooks were particularly jealous of "Bilbo's Big Folk," and just as eager were they to have a look at the Elves.
Jeremie, Erynen, and Erynsir were turning in circles, trying to analyze their surroundings. Suddenly Jeremie began to laugh, half in confusion and half in relief. Megan realized where they were.
"And enter the leprechauns," Jeremie chuckled as a very young Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee rounded the bend at the foot of the Hill, pushing a wheelbarrow and whistling merrily.
"Hi! Master Hamfast!" Jeremie hollered.
The young Hobbit looked up in surprise, regarding the travelers with a prudent and wary eye. Muttering, he left his wheelbarrow and ambled over in their general direction. As he neared them, they caught a few of his low- spoken, mistrustful comments.
"Men... Elves. Men and Elves, Elves and Men, what have the Big Folk got to do with us? How in the name of wonder do they know me, and what do they want with me?" And on it went.
"Excuse me, Master Hamfast, but can you tell me, does Mr. Bilbo Baggins still reside in Bag End?" Jeremie asked politely.
Megan grabbed Erynsir's arm; the bewildered elf looked about ready to poke the Gaffer to see what he was.
"He does; 'e just got 'ome yesterday," Hamfast responded. "Who are you, then?"
"My name is Jeremie Williams. This is Megan Edwards, Erynen son of Amanen, and Erynsir son of Amansir."
"And just 'ow d'you know me, sir?"
"We're friends of some of Bilbo's friends," Jeremie answered.
"Friends of friends, eh? Well, alright, I guess. Mr. Baggins should be in. Is that all you wanted of me, then?"
"Yes, Master Hamfast; thank you very much."
This example of decent manners from one of the Big Folk seemed to please the little Gaffer.
"Well, you're very welcome," said he, and bowed and went back to his wheelbarrow.
"What IS that?" Erynen asked curiously.
"That, friend, is a Hobbit," Megan replied.
"Hobbit?"
"Hobbit, Halfling, Perian, whatever you prefer," Megan said, smiling up at the befuddled elf.
Erynen and Erynsir looked at one another in shock and burst out chattering in Elvish, none of which either Megan or Jeremie understood. The word 'Perian' was repeated frequently. As they traded back and forth their sparse respective knowledge of Halflings, Megan and Jeremie, began their own conference.
"WHY are we in the Shire right after 'The Hobbit'?" Megan demanded, frightened.
"I don't know," Jeremie said, shaking his head. "Something happened to throw us off course, obviously, but what it was, who knows?"
"What about the others?" Megan fretted. "D'you think they're alright?"
"I hope so," Jeremie muttered with a deeply furrowed brow. "We haven't been hurt, so there's no reason to assume that they've been put into any more danger than we have."
"True," Megan replied, "but a few things still worry me. For one thing, we landed in the Shire, which is a relatively safe environment, but they may have been sent into the middle of the Battle of the Pelennor fields, or something. Can you imagine Andrea in the middle of a battle, possibly without Sivi? Also, Legolas was hurt to begin with. Lastly, I think we've all managed to forget that, though our quest was to retrieve the rings, and we've accomplished that, whoever tried to steal them is still out there and could potentially be an extremely dangerous force. What if THEY'RE behind this?"
"I never thought of that," Jeremie said softly. "What can we do?"
"Nothing; that's just it. We have no ring, so we just have to wait till Sivi, Legolas, or Christina comes to rescue us - if they can."
"Bad business," Jeremie murmured quietly.
Jeremie rang the bell of Bag End and stepped back. Megan stood close to Erynen. Erynsir shifted his weight and eyed the door intently. There was the noise of scuttling feet, and the door swung open. Bilbo peered suspiciously out.
"Ah! Hello, hello, Bilbo Baggins, at your service," he said in some surprise.
"Jeremie Williams at yours," Jeremie answered, and then went on to explain, "We are friends of Legolas, son of the king of Northern Mirkwood."
"Ah! Legolas! Yes! What may I do for you, then? Will you come in?"
"We do not wish to intrude or impose," said Jeremie. "We are looking for a place to sleep for the night. Could you point us to the nearest inn?"
"Oh, well, that'd be the 'Green Dragon' in Bywater, sure," Bilbo nodded. "You won't come in? If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask me, understand?"
"Thank you kindly, Mr. Baggins," Jeremie answered. "Good day."
"Good day, sir."
By that evening, the news of the travelers' arrival had spread all over the Shire. The Tooks were particularly jealous of "Bilbo's Big Folk," and just as eager were they to have a look at the Elves.