One year had passed since the destruction of the ring. Most of the damage
done to the Shire had been mended. Sam Gamgee had been working none stop,
replanting trees, growing new ones and re-plenishing all of the Shires
natural life, with the help of his gift from Lady Galadriel. Merry
Brandybuck had become the Master of Buckland and Peregrin Took, the Thain
of Tookborough.
As for Frodo Baggins, he was once again living under the roof of Bag End, as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins had finally passed away earlier that year. Ruryan Whitfoot had since been a regular visitor to Bag End, and Frodo enjoyed her company. They had become quite close friends during the past journey and Frodo was quite attached to her. Since the time Frodo was attacked on Weathertop, he had never really recovered from his wound and was often ill. During these times, Ruryan tended to him, making sure he ate properly and got enough exercise. And for this, Frodo felt all the more grateful to her. He felt that he owed her a great debt that could not be repaid, for throughout the journey, he had been unforgivably nasty to her.
This had been no fault of his own however; he had been under the powerful influence of the ring. All the same he still felt terrible.
He stretched and yawned loudly. The afternoon sunlight poured through the circular windows of Bag End. A knock at the front door awoke him from his thoughts, and Frodo got up from his writing desk to see who it was. Samwise Gamgee. Sam stood there in a white shirt, green tweed waistcoat and his Mayors medallion about his neck. "Good afternoon Mr. Frodo, lovely day outside." He smiled at Frodo, who stepped outside and closed the door behind him. "It is a lovely day Sam. How are you? And how is Rose?" Frodo asked looking at his friend. "We're just fine Mr. Frodo, and our Rosie's expectin! Can you believe it, our first bairn!" "I'm truly happy for you Sam, you deserve a loving family." Frodo said sincerely. The two of them walked to the end of the garden path. "Well what about you Mr. Frodo? You deserve a loving family more than anyone." Frodo didn't answer. "I've seen miss Ruryan just an hour ago, Sam continued, not that I'm saying anything. Said she was goin down to Bywater, didn't say why." He finished. Frodo turned to his friend. "To sit and think more than likely, she always has something on her mind." "So when are you going to do it then Mr. Frodo?" Sam said, out of the blue. "Do what?" Frodo asked taken aback for a moment. "Why propose to Miss Ruryan of course, if you don't mind my askin sir." "Propose?!" Frodo said in a kind of nervous embarrassment. "Well its blatantly obvious that you like the lass, and I know fine well that she likes you." "Of course I like her Sam, after all, she's one of my closest friends." Frodo replied and began to fiddle with his sleeve cuff. "Oh, I'd say she's something more than a friend to you Mr. Frodo." Sam said knowingly. Frodo stopped playing with the cuff and thought for a moment or two. Sam glanced at his watch. "Right, what I'd come up here in the first place for is to ask whether you'd like to come and have a drink at the Green Dragon with me. Merry, Pippin and my sister Mavyan will be there." He informed. "No thanks Sam, I don't feel like drinking, but I'll walk down to Bywater with you anyway. I'm going to see if I can find Ruryan."
As for Frodo Baggins, he was once again living under the roof of Bag End, as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins had finally passed away earlier that year. Ruryan Whitfoot had since been a regular visitor to Bag End, and Frodo enjoyed her company. They had become quite close friends during the past journey and Frodo was quite attached to her. Since the time Frodo was attacked on Weathertop, he had never really recovered from his wound and was often ill. During these times, Ruryan tended to him, making sure he ate properly and got enough exercise. And for this, Frodo felt all the more grateful to her. He felt that he owed her a great debt that could not be repaid, for throughout the journey, he had been unforgivably nasty to her.
This had been no fault of his own however; he had been under the powerful influence of the ring. All the same he still felt terrible.
He stretched and yawned loudly. The afternoon sunlight poured through the circular windows of Bag End. A knock at the front door awoke him from his thoughts, and Frodo got up from his writing desk to see who it was. Samwise Gamgee. Sam stood there in a white shirt, green tweed waistcoat and his Mayors medallion about his neck. "Good afternoon Mr. Frodo, lovely day outside." He smiled at Frodo, who stepped outside and closed the door behind him. "It is a lovely day Sam. How are you? And how is Rose?" Frodo asked looking at his friend. "We're just fine Mr. Frodo, and our Rosie's expectin! Can you believe it, our first bairn!" "I'm truly happy for you Sam, you deserve a loving family." Frodo said sincerely. The two of them walked to the end of the garden path. "Well what about you Mr. Frodo? You deserve a loving family more than anyone." Frodo didn't answer. "I've seen miss Ruryan just an hour ago, Sam continued, not that I'm saying anything. Said she was goin down to Bywater, didn't say why." He finished. Frodo turned to his friend. "To sit and think more than likely, she always has something on her mind." "So when are you going to do it then Mr. Frodo?" Sam said, out of the blue. "Do what?" Frodo asked taken aback for a moment. "Why propose to Miss Ruryan of course, if you don't mind my askin sir." "Propose?!" Frodo said in a kind of nervous embarrassment. "Well its blatantly obvious that you like the lass, and I know fine well that she likes you." "Of course I like her Sam, after all, she's one of my closest friends." Frodo replied and began to fiddle with his sleeve cuff. "Oh, I'd say she's something more than a friend to you Mr. Frodo." Sam said knowingly. Frodo stopped playing with the cuff and thought for a moment or two. Sam glanced at his watch. "Right, what I'd come up here in the first place for is to ask whether you'd like to come and have a drink at the Green Dragon with me. Merry, Pippin and my sister Mavyan will be there." He informed. "No thanks Sam, I don't feel like drinking, but I'll walk down to Bywater with you anyway. I'm going to see if I can find Ruryan."