I'm back! Just had to say that! The past few weeks have been a struggle for
me and it has come through in my writing. So, I decided to rewrite this
chapter before putting it up, hence, it is now much different! I hope you
like it! Please review after your done reading it!
Ok, um. Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Tolkien's and only a few of the characters here are mine, for now. There will be a lot more soon.
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The Long Road's Travels Chapter two: So it begins
Tuilë awoke to a gentle hand on her shoulder, softly shaking her from her listless dreaming. She slowly sat up and gingerly rubbed her eyes, peering up to see who it was that woke her.
"Hullo?" She said softly, her voice even sleepier than she was.
"Hullo indeed." Said the gentle voice of her grandfather. "And how is it that you fell asleep out here young lass?" He asked her jestingly.
"Wha-?" She replied, confused with the question.
"Well just look around yourself my dear!" Frodo said with a smile as he reached out his hand to help her up. Tuilë took the offer and slowly stood up, stretching her cramped legs as she looked around her.
"Why, I fell asleep outside!" She said in surprise as she realized that she was standing in the midst of the Party field and around twenty-three or so other sleeping hobbits.
"Yes, you did didn't you." Frodo answered with a smile and a chuckle. Tuilë smiled back. She honestly didn't remember how it came to be, but apparently she had slept on the Party field.
"Come, I have something to show you." Frodo said as he gave her hand a little tug and pulled her towards Bag End and the rising sun.
"What is it Grandfather?" She asked with excitement in her voice as she fell in step with him. Grandfather's surprises were always something special, a flower from Lothlorien, a hair ribbon from Numenor, why he had even given her a pony of her very own bred from the fine steeds of Rohan! She was very anxious to know what the surprise was and not to shy to show it either.
"Be patient my lass. You will see, you will see." Frodo replied with a smile on his face. He loved lavishing gifts on his granddaughter, mostly because they would always fuel her wish for knowledge of the lands beyond the Shire, and he was anxious to show them to her in due time.
As they reached the house, Frodo led the excited lass into the kitchen where he sat her in a chair. Tuilë looked at him questioningly and started to speak when he turned to her with a single finger to his lips.
"Now you wait right here my dear, and I shall be back in just a moment." He said with mystery in his voice and a reassuring smile on his face as he walked through the archway and into his study where he had all of his papers and books and such gathered in various piles. Searching quickly, he soon found the package he was looking for, right on top of a map in a frame. He gripped both of them together and strode back to the kitchen with a triumphant smile on his face.
"Here we are!" He said with a smile as he handed over the package to Tuilë and sat down on a three-legged stool beside her. Tuilë held the package tenderly in her hands, not sure whether she was supposed to open it or not.
"May I?" She asked softly and politely.
"Of course my dear! Now be gentle!" He said with a reassuring smile and a warning. Tuilë grinned and pulled the string from atop the package and let it fall loosely to the table as she gingerly unfolded the cloth. Pulling back the last fold, she looked up at Frodo, puzzlement written all over her tender face.
"What is it?" She asked as she stared down at what seemed to be an ordinary, besides very large, green leaf.
"Why this, my dear," Said Frodo as he puffed up with pride. "Is a leaf from the infamous Fangorn Forest!" He said as a sparkle came into his eyes.
"Oh!" Exclaimed Tuilë as she looked down at the giant leaf.
"It's larger than both of my hands put together!" She said as she slid her soft fingers beneath it and held it close to the table as it drooped off the edges of her palms on every side.
"Yes." Replied Frodo with a smile. "I had to go through quite a lot to get Treebeard to let me have it." He said as his eyes clouded over a moment in reflection. Tuilë looked up at him, her eyes wide in amazement.
"You got this leaf from Treebeard himself? The Ent of Fangorn forest? The one who helped in the War of the Ring?" She asked with awe. Frodo looked into her wide eyes and smiled fondly.
"The very one and the same!" He said softly.
"I had a time of it getting him to let me have it, but when I finally promised him I would have someone bring it back, he agreed to let me take it." He said with a sly smile on his face. Tuilë stared up at him in disbelief.
"Do you mean, that you're going to take it back to him?" She said with a tiny pout beginning on her lips.
"No, of course not my dear!" Frodo answered, his smile getting larger by the minute. Tuilë frowned in confusion.
"Then why did you promise him you would bring it back?" She asked in shock, her grandfather had never broken a promise. Frodo smiled back.
"Because you're going to take it back to him!" He said finally letting his secret out. Tuilë's mouth dropped open as her eyes became wider than they had ever been. Frodo laughed at her expression.
"Or would you rather me take it back to him?" He said jestingly.
"Are you serious?" She asked after a moment. Frodo frowned at her.
"Now when has your old grandfather ever lied to you? Eh?" He asked seriously. Tuilë looked at him again with disbelief.
"Do you mean that you could convince mother to let me go all the way to Fangorn forest?" She asked, the realization finally sinking in that Frodo was serious.
"Of course I do!" He said with a look of confidence coming onto his face. "But of course you'll need someone to protect you, and a guide, and-" He never got to finish his sentence before Tuilë cut him off.
"But you're coming aren't you?" She asked, shock in her voice.
"No my dear, I have quite a few matters to handle here." He said sadly as he gestured to the house.
"Well then how do you expect me to find my way?" She asked with a little frown on her face.
"Ah, I'm glad you asked!" Frodo replied with a smile on his face as he pushed the framed map before her. Tuilë looked down at the map studying it closely. Frodo smiled as he watched his only granddaughter pouring over the map.
"Well, who is to go with me?" Tuilë asked finally as she looked up with a smile.
"That is mostly up to you my dear." He said returning her smile genuinely.
"Now, I would ask that you take someone along who could protect you efficiently. Like Tilion, he would do nicely." He said with a knowing smile. Tuilë pretended not to notice as she looked up at the low hobbit sized ceiling thoughtfully.
"Alright, how about Arien? I would greatly enjoy her company and I'm sure she would be more than eager to go." She said with a smile.
"Yes, she would do nicely." Frodo said in agreement.
"How about one more to round off your number and make your party four?" He asked kindly.
"How about Dordo, I bet Arien would really like that!" Tuilë said with a mischievous grin.
"That would be fine my dear." Frodo agreed.
"Now, let us go make preparations and ask permissions. We have a lot of work to do!" He said happily as he rose from his seat and began towards the door followed closely by Tuilë who seemed just as eager, if not more, than himself. Frodo opened the door and light flooded in from the newly risen sun.
"So it begins." He said with a smile as he ushered Tuilë out the door before him.
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Wowser! Wasn't that fun? I hope you liked it! As usual, please review and tell me what you thought! Namarie, Ara :-*
Ok, um. Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Tolkien's and only a few of the characters here are mine, for now. There will be a lot more soon.
********************************************
The Long Road's Travels Chapter two: So it begins
Tuilë awoke to a gentle hand on her shoulder, softly shaking her from her listless dreaming. She slowly sat up and gingerly rubbed her eyes, peering up to see who it was that woke her.
"Hullo?" She said softly, her voice even sleepier than she was.
"Hullo indeed." Said the gentle voice of her grandfather. "And how is it that you fell asleep out here young lass?" He asked her jestingly.
"Wha-?" She replied, confused with the question.
"Well just look around yourself my dear!" Frodo said with a smile as he reached out his hand to help her up. Tuilë took the offer and slowly stood up, stretching her cramped legs as she looked around her.
"Why, I fell asleep outside!" She said in surprise as she realized that she was standing in the midst of the Party field and around twenty-three or so other sleeping hobbits.
"Yes, you did didn't you." Frodo answered with a smile and a chuckle. Tuilë smiled back. She honestly didn't remember how it came to be, but apparently she had slept on the Party field.
"Come, I have something to show you." Frodo said as he gave her hand a little tug and pulled her towards Bag End and the rising sun.
"What is it Grandfather?" She asked with excitement in her voice as she fell in step with him. Grandfather's surprises were always something special, a flower from Lothlorien, a hair ribbon from Numenor, why he had even given her a pony of her very own bred from the fine steeds of Rohan! She was very anxious to know what the surprise was and not to shy to show it either.
"Be patient my lass. You will see, you will see." Frodo replied with a smile on his face. He loved lavishing gifts on his granddaughter, mostly because they would always fuel her wish for knowledge of the lands beyond the Shire, and he was anxious to show them to her in due time.
As they reached the house, Frodo led the excited lass into the kitchen where he sat her in a chair. Tuilë looked at him questioningly and started to speak when he turned to her with a single finger to his lips.
"Now you wait right here my dear, and I shall be back in just a moment." He said with mystery in his voice and a reassuring smile on his face as he walked through the archway and into his study where he had all of his papers and books and such gathered in various piles. Searching quickly, he soon found the package he was looking for, right on top of a map in a frame. He gripped both of them together and strode back to the kitchen with a triumphant smile on his face.
"Here we are!" He said with a smile as he handed over the package to Tuilë and sat down on a three-legged stool beside her. Tuilë held the package tenderly in her hands, not sure whether she was supposed to open it or not.
"May I?" She asked softly and politely.
"Of course my dear! Now be gentle!" He said with a reassuring smile and a warning. Tuilë grinned and pulled the string from atop the package and let it fall loosely to the table as she gingerly unfolded the cloth. Pulling back the last fold, she looked up at Frodo, puzzlement written all over her tender face.
"What is it?" She asked as she stared down at what seemed to be an ordinary, besides very large, green leaf.
"Why this, my dear," Said Frodo as he puffed up with pride. "Is a leaf from the infamous Fangorn Forest!" He said as a sparkle came into his eyes.
"Oh!" Exclaimed Tuilë as she looked down at the giant leaf.
"It's larger than both of my hands put together!" She said as she slid her soft fingers beneath it and held it close to the table as it drooped off the edges of her palms on every side.
"Yes." Replied Frodo with a smile. "I had to go through quite a lot to get Treebeard to let me have it." He said as his eyes clouded over a moment in reflection. Tuilë looked up at him, her eyes wide in amazement.
"You got this leaf from Treebeard himself? The Ent of Fangorn forest? The one who helped in the War of the Ring?" She asked with awe. Frodo looked into her wide eyes and smiled fondly.
"The very one and the same!" He said softly.
"I had a time of it getting him to let me have it, but when I finally promised him I would have someone bring it back, he agreed to let me take it." He said with a sly smile on his face. Tuilë stared up at him in disbelief.
"Do you mean, that you're going to take it back to him?" She said with a tiny pout beginning on her lips.
"No, of course not my dear!" Frodo answered, his smile getting larger by the minute. Tuilë frowned in confusion.
"Then why did you promise him you would bring it back?" She asked in shock, her grandfather had never broken a promise. Frodo smiled back.
"Because you're going to take it back to him!" He said finally letting his secret out. Tuilë's mouth dropped open as her eyes became wider than they had ever been. Frodo laughed at her expression.
"Or would you rather me take it back to him?" He said jestingly.
"Are you serious?" She asked after a moment. Frodo frowned at her.
"Now when has your old grandfather ever lied to you? Eh?" He asked seriously. Tuilë looked at him again with disbelief.
"Do you mean that you could convince mother to let me go all the way to Fangorn forest?" She asked, the realization finally sinking in that Frodo was serious.
"Of course I do!" He said with a look of confidence coming onto his face. "But of course you'll need someone to protect you, and a guide, and-" He never got to finish his sentence before Tuilë cut him off.
"But you're coming aren't you?" She asked, shock in her voice.
"No my dear, I have quite a few matters to handle here." He said sadly as he gestured to the house.
"Well then how do you expect me to find my way?" She asked with a little frown on her face.
"Ah, I'm glad you asked!" Frodo replied with a smile on his face as he pushed the framed map before her. Tuilë looked down at the map studying it closely. Frodo smiled as he watched his only granddaughter pouring over the map.
"Well, who is to go with me?" Tuilë asked finally as she looked up with a smile.
"That is mostly up to you my dear." He said returning her smile genuinely.
"Now, I would ask that you take someone along who could protect you efficiently. Like Tilion, he would do nicely." He said with a knowing smile. Tuilë pretended not to notice as she looked up at the low hobbit sized ceiling thoughtfully.
"Alright, how about Arien? I would greatly enjoy her company and I'm sure she would be more than eager to go." She said with a smile.
"Yes, she would do nicely." Frodo said in agreement.
"How about one more to round off your number and make your party four?" He asked kindly.
"How about Dordo, I bet Arien would really like that!" Tuilë said with a mischievous grin.
"That would be fine my dear." Frodo agreed.
"Now, let us go make preparations and ask permissions. We have a lot of work to do!" He said happily as he rose from his seat and began towards the door followed closely by Tuilë who seemed just as eager, if not more, than himself. Frodo opened the door and light flooded in from the newly risen sun.
"So it begins." He said with a smile as he ushered Tuilë out the door before him.
***********************************************
Wowser! Wasn't that fun? I hope you liked it! As usual, please review and tell me what you thought! Namarie, Ara :-*