Frodo waved goodbye to Sam just as they crossed the bridge to Bywater, Sam
whistling merrily as he headed towards the little village. He watched until
Sam had disappeared into the distance and then passing the bridge himself,
turned off the path and headed up into the grassy hills, which overlooked
the village. He thought this the most likely place to find Ruryan, since
she often came here to escape the hustle and bustle of the town.
Frodo looked around the lonely hilltop, and his heart raced when he laid eyes upon a small figure in the distance. Taking a deep breath, he made his way over to the Hobbit-lass, who sat on the ground, arms grasping each other around the knees and her head resting on them. Frodo lightly touched Ruryans right shoulder. She jumped slightly and turned around to find out whom it was. Frodo smiled at her as she looked up into his face. "Hello Ruryan." He greeted warmly. Ruryan returned his smile and gestured for her friend to sit beside her. Frodo sat down gladly. "And hello to you too dear Frodo." Ruryan returned to her sitting position, her long dark hair falling down her back. "I was starting to worry about you Ruryan, Frodo said honestly, I think it has been about two days now that you have failed to visit Bag End, which has got to be a record for you." He added jokingly with a small chuckle. Ruryan fidgeted nervously and looked away from Frodo. She simply could not tell him the reason why she did not visit him as much as she used to. "I have been busy. My mother need help looking after my grandmother, she's quite ill at the moment." She said quickly, which gave Frodo the idea that she was not being entirely honest with him. Ruryan uncoiled herself from her position and made to hold herself up with her arms. When she leaned back, she accidentally put her hand on top of Frodo's. Frodo glanced at her in reaction to this, and blushing Ruryan quickly removed the offending hand. "Sorry." She apologised quietly, whilst staring at the ground. Frodo laughed good-naturedly. "You don't have to apologise Rury." A single sharp pain shot suddenly through Frodo's chest. He fell back a little, trying hard to hide his pain from Ruryan as he clutched his shoulder. Terrible memories and visions flashed before him of the dark place that he had tried for so long to hide away in the corner of his mind, memories of fire and shadow and pain, and visions of a piercing gaze. He closed his eyes and tried to push the thoughts away from him. He could not hide his anguish from Ruryan however, as she noticed at once and rushed to his side. "Frodo! What's the matter, Frodo, speak to me!" Frodo, still grasping his chest turned to face her and managed a smile. "Don't worry about me, its just a little pain, I'll be fine." "Its your wound again, isn't it." She asked concernedly. "It's been hurting again lately. Only on the odd occasion." He added hastily at the worried look on her face. "I wish there was something more I could do to help you Frodo, I feel so useless." She moved away from him and sat in her original position. Her hands covered her face as she sighed despairingly. Frodo flinched slightly as he moved to Ruryans side. "You have helped Ruryan, you have done nothing but help me since the day I met you." Ruryan felt Frodo's hand rest gently on her shoulder. She felt somehow comforted by his touch. Taking her hands from her face she turned to face him and found that his eyes were locked with hers. They both stayed silent for a few moments, and in that time Ruryan found herself leaning towards Frodo's face inch by inch. She pulled away quickly however, when she realised what she was doing. A crimson blush was running across her face as she directed her gaze to the ground once more.
Frodo looked around the lonely hilltop, and his heart raced when he laid eyes upon a small figure in the distance. Taking a deep breath, he made his way over to the Hobbit-lass, who sat on the ground, arms grasping each other around the knees and her head resting on them. Frodo lightly touched Ruryans right shoulder. She jumped slightly and turned around to find out whom it was. Frodo smiled at her as she looked up into his face. "Hello Ruryan." He greeted warmly. Ruryan returned his smile and gestured for her friend to sit beside her. Frodo sat down gladly. "And hello to you too dear Frodo." Ruryan returned to her sitting position, her long dark hair falling down her back. "I was starting to worry about you Ruryan, Frodo said honestly, I think it has been about two days now that you have failed to visit Bag End, which has got to be a record for you." He added jokingly with a small chuckle. Ruryan fidgeted nervously and looked away from Frodo. She simply could not tell him the reason why she did not visit him as much as she used to. "I have been busy. My mother need help looking after my grandmother, she's quite ill at the moment." She said quickly, which gave Frodo the idea that she was not being entirely honest with him. Ruryan uncoiled herself from her position and made to hold herself up with her arms. When she leaned back, she accidentally put her hand on top of Frodo's. Frodo glanced at her in reaction to this, and blushing Ruryan quickly removed the offending hand. "Sorry." She apologised quietly, whilst staring at the ground. Frodo laughed good-naturedly. "You don't have to apologise Rury." A single sharp pain shot suddenly through Frodo's chest. He fell back a little, trying hard to hide his pain from Ruryan as he clutched his shoulder. Terrible memories and visions flashed before him of the dark place that he had tried for so long to hide away in the corner of his mind, memories of fire and shadow and pain, and visions of a piercing gaze. He closed his eyes and tried to push the thoughts away from him. He could not hide his anguish from Ruryan however, as she noticed at once and rushed to his side. "Frodo! What's the matter, Frodo, speak to me!" Frodo, still grasping his chest turned to face her and managed a smile. "Don't worry about me, its just a little pain, I'll be fine." "Its your wound again, isn't it." She asked concernedly. "It's been hurting again lately. Only on the odd occasion." He added hastily at the worried look on her face. "I wish there was something more I could do to help you Frodo, I feel so useless." She moved away from him and sat in her original position. Her hands covered her face as she sighed despairingly. Frodo flinched slightly as he moved to Ruryans side. "You have helped Ruryan, you have done nothing but help me since the day I met you." Ruryan felt Frodo's hand rest gently on her shoulder. She felt somehow comforted by his touch. Taking her hands from her face she turned to face him and found that his eyes were locked with hers. They both stayed silent for a few moments, and in that time Ruryan found herself leaning towards Frodo's face inch by inch. She pulled away quickly however, when she realised what she was doing. A crimson blush was running across her face as she directed her gaze to the ground once more.