"I'm bored," whined Toni. "What can we do?"
"Shut you up for a start," grumbled Lyra. Toni was starting to get on her nerves.
Bilbo walked past, engrossed in several sheets of parchment. However, he stopped reading as soon as he saw the ten hobbits sprawled out on the grass, looking depressed.
"What's wrong?" he asked, looking concerned.
"Nothing," replied Frodo, absentmindedly picking at the grass. "We're just bored out of our skulls."
"Well, I've got an idea," said Bilbo. "I set up a Treasure Hunt for some of the younger ones, but I've did it a bit too complicated. If you're up for a bit of fun, then you can all have a go."
"What? All of us?" asked Lizzie.
"You can split up into two groups, and see who finds it first," said Bilbo.
There was a lot of hassle as they split into two groups of five. It ended up with the first group being Marieke, Lizzie, Sam, Pippin and Toni, and the second group being Frodo, Mel, Rosie, Merry and Lyra.
"OK, now to make it fair, each team has to go a separate way into the woods," said Bilbo. "If team one goes into the right entrance, and team two goes into the left entrance. Also, look out for the marking points that I left around. They'll help you make sure you're on the right track."
Bilbo handed each group a sheet of parchment, which turned out to be maps of the woods, marked with an 'X' where the treasure was.
"Wow, an X. How original," said Lizzie sarcastically. "So what exactly is this treasure?"
"You'll have to wait to find out," smiled Bilbo. "Now stick to the paths and don't get wandering off. Leave the animals alone and stay with your group. Is that all clear? Good. Now on your marks, get set, go!"
Both groups ran into the woods as fast as they could. Team one entered through the right entrance, and team two through the left.
~*~
Not long after, team one had slowed to a walk. So far they hadn't seen the other team anywhere. And they hadn't seen any sign of the treasure either, or any of Bilbo's marking points.
"I think we're lost," announced Sam, pushing some branches out of the way. "We should have stuck to the paths like Bilbo said."
"Well it wasn't my idea!" snapped Marieke. "And whose stupid idea was it to leave Pippin in charge of the map?"
"Toni's been telling me which way to go," said Pippin.
"No I haven't!" protested Toni.
"Have too!"
"Have not!"
"Have too!"
"Have not!"
"SHUT UP!" cried Lizzie. "Let me try, I'm good at reading maps."
Lizzie didn't wait for an answer and snatched the map off Pippin.
"If we go this way," Lizzie motioned to an opening through the thicket of trees and bushes. "We should find ourselves back on the path. Then we can figure out where to go."
"You're a genius," praised Marieke, grabbing Lizzie's hand and giving it a grateful squeeze.
The five walked through the opening. Marieke and Lizzie's hands were still tightly clasped.
~*~
"If we go this way, then the treasure should be right through here," said Frodo, leading them down a small path. They ended up in an opening with a large oak tree in the middle.
"So where's the treasure?" asked Rosie.
"I hope it isn't buried," worried Mel. "Hey look, what's that?"
Mel pointed up into the crown of the oak tree. There was a small black satchel bag hanging from the branches.
"I bet you anything that's the treasure," said Lyra. "So who's gonna get it?"
Everyone immediately looked to Frodo.
"What? What are you all looking at me for?" he cried.
"Well you are a Baggins," replied Merry. "And everyone knows Bagginses have a thing for adventure. Take Bilbo for example."
"But that hasn't really got anything to do with it," Frodo pointed out.
"Whatever, just get up there," grinned Merry.
~*~
"Are you sure this is the right way? We've been walking through here for ages," whined Pippin.
"Yeah," agreed Toni. "I thought you said you were good at maps, Lizzie."
"I am," protested Lizzie.
"Well the trail on the map certainly looked shorter than it actually is," said Toni.
"That's what I'd thought," said Lizzie, checking the map again. "We must have gone through the wrong way. But if we carry on going we're bound to find the path sooner or later."
"Can we please hurry?" begged Marieke. "I'm getting bored of Sam's story."
"Hey!" protested Sam. "The story of mine and my old girlfriend's separation is not boring."
"It's quite sad actually," said Toni. "So stop now before you make me cry."
"You don't cry," said Marieke.
"I do sometimes, but very rarely," said Toni.
"Don't worry anyway, not all couples end up like that," reassured Pippin.
"Like who?" asked Toni, falling behind to hear what he had to say.
"Merry and Lyra," replied Pippin.
"That doesn't count, they only just met," said Toni.
"Well, what about Lizzie and Marieke? Or Mel and Frodo?" suggested Pippin.
"Same thing," answered Toni. "They've only just got together too."
"What about us?" asked Pippin.
Toni stopped, startled, and turned around. Lizzie, Marieke and Sam carried on walking.
"What do you mean, us?" questioned Toni.
"You know, as in friends," said Pippin.
"Oh," realised Toni.
"What did you think I meant?" asked Pippin.
"Nothing," mumbled Toni.
Suddenly, Lizzie, Marieke and Sam came back through.
"Come on guys," said Marieke. "What are you talking about?"
"Toni thought I was gonna propose to her," grinned Pippin. He knelt down on one knee and took Toni's hand. "Oh Toni, will you be mine?"
Toni pushed him over.
"I'll take that as a no then," laughed Pippin, getting up.
"You're right there," said Toni.
Marieke and Sam looked mildly amused, but Lizzie was getting impatient.
"Come on!" encouraged Lizzie. "Or we'll never win."
~*~
"Guys, I'm really not sure about this," Frodo called from high up in the tree.
"Just a little higher," encouraged Mel.
Frodo reached out and managed to grab hold of one of the bag's handles. The other handle was hooked over a branch, keeping it suspended in the tree. Just as Frodo had grabbed it, he slipped off the branch he was stood on. He clung on to the bag, but the extra weight pulled it along the branch and right off. Frodo screamed as he fell but luckily for him, he landed on Merry. Mel caught the bag in her outstretched arms.
"Frodo, are you OK?" Mel rushed over, worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Frodo, getting up and looking just slightly shaken.
"I'm not," groaned Merry. "Frodo, you must weigh a tonne!"
Rosie stood aside laughing, while Lyra helped Merry up.
"We got the treasure," grinned Lyra. "So what exactly is it?"
Mel emptied the bag onto the floor. Out spilled an assortment of stones. Everyone was baffled.
"What? That's the treasure?" said Mel in disbelief.
"I guess so," said Lyra. "It was in the right place according to the map."
"All this for a bunch of rocks," moaned Merry.
"Wait," ordered Frodo, looking thoughtful. "Maybe these are no ordinary rocks. If we take them back to Bilbo, he'll tell us what they're for. Come on."
They quickly stuffed the stones back into the bag. They then went off to find the entrance to the woods so that they could go back to Bilbo.
~*~
"Face it," said Toni, after what seemed like hours of walking. "We're lost, and we're never going to find the path."
"Have a little faith," said Marieke. "I'm sure Lizzie knows what she's doing."
"Trust me, it should be right through here. Keep going, Sam," Lizzie called to Sam, who was in the lead.
"OK," said Sam. "But watch it along here, don't trip over the tree roots."
"Don't trip over the what?" asked Pippin, not having heard what Sam had said since he was at the back. "What did you . . . AAAHHHH!"
Everyone stopped and turned round quickly to find Pippin sprawled on the floor.
"I told you to watch it," sighed Sam in exasperation.
"It's not my fault, I didn't hear you," said Pippin, trying to stand up but failing. "Ow, my foot!"
"Can you walk on it?" asked Marieke, concerned.
Pippin shook his head.
"OK, listen up guys," announced Lizzie. "We're not going to win now so there's no point any more, especially since Pippin can't walk. So if you wait here for a bit Pippin, the rest of us will go back the way we've came. And hopefully we'll be able to find our way out, and get someone to come back for you."
"I'm not staying on my own," said Pippin hurriedly. "What if it gets dark before you get back?"
"I'll stay with you," offered Toni, flopping onto the floor beside him. "Marieke, Lizzie and Sam can go back. OK, guys?"
"Yeah, that's fine," said the others.
"Just don't let Lizzie lead you," grinned Toni.
Lizzie pretended to be offended and swatted Toni with the map.
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that," laughed Lizzie. "Come on guys, we'd better hurry. We'll see you two in a bit."
Toni and Pippin sat in silence for quite a while.
"Does it hurt?" asked Toni worriedly.
"Nah, it doesn't. That's why I'm not going back with the others," snapped Pippin.
Toni felt confused. She hadn't known Pippin to be snappy before.
"Sorry," apologised Pippin. "Yeah, it does hurt. A lot."
"Where does it hurt?" asked Toni.
"I dunno," replied Pippin. "My foot?"
"I meant which part of your foot, silly. OK, does it hurt when I do this?" Toni touched Pippin's ankle softly.
"Nope," said Pippin.
"What about this?" Toni placed her hands gently around the sides.
"OW!" yelled Pippin.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," apologised Toni quickly.
Toni suddenly felt awkward and couldn't think of anything to say. She realised that Pippin was deliberately avoiding her gaze. Every time she looked at him and saw him looking, he quickly glanced away.
Toni stared at him, trying to think of something to break the tension. She locked onto his eyes, holding his gaze. This time he didn't look away. Pippin bent his head towards her, and Toni closed her eyes as he kissed her softly. Toni then kissed him back, brushing his hair out of his face.
Nearby in the bushes, Marieke, Lizzie and Sam were secretly watching. They'd stayed behind for a while before going back to the Shire, wanting to see what happened when they were left alone.
"Wow, Toni and Pippin, huh?" said Sam in amazement. "Who'd have thought it?"
Marieke and Lizzie said nothing, but exchanged sly smiles.
"Shut you up for a start," grumbled Lyra. Toni was starting to get on her nerves.
Bilbo walked past, engrossed in several sheets of parchment. However, he stopped reading as soon as he saw the ten hobbits sprawled out on the grass, looking depressed.
"What's wrong?" he asked, looking concerned.
"Nothing," replied Frodo, absentmindedly picking at the grass. "We're just bored out of our skulls."
"Well, I've got an idea," said Bilbo. "I set up a Treasure Hunt for some of the younger ones, but I've did it a bit too complicated. If you're up for a bit of fun, then you can all have a go."
"What? All of us?" asked Lizzie.
"You can split up into two groups, and see who finds it first," said Bilbo.
There was a lot of hassle as they split into two groups of five. It ended up with the first group being Marieke, Lizzie, Sam, Pippin and Toni, and the second group being Frodo, Mel, Rosie, Merry and Lyra.
"OK, now to make it fair, each team has to go a separate way into the woods," said Bilbo. "If team one goes into the right entrance, and team two goes into the left entrance. Also, look out for the marking points that I left around. They'll help you make sure you're on the right track."
Bilbo handed each group a sheet of parchment, which turned out to be maps of the woods, marked with an 'X' where the treasure was.
"Wow, an X. How original," said Lizzie sarcastically. "So what exactly is this treasure?"
"You'll have to wait to find out," smiled Bilbo. "Now stick to the paths and don't get wandering off. Leave the animals alone and stay with your group. Is that all clear? Good. Now on your marks, get set, go!"
Both groups ran into the woods as fast as they could. Team one entered through the right entrance, and team two through the left.
~*~
Not long after, team one had slowed to a walk. So far they hadn't seen the other team anywhere. And they hadn't seen any sign of the treasure either, or any of Bilbo's marking points.
"I think we're lost," announced Sam, pushing some branches out of the way. "We should have stuck to the paths like Bilbo said."
"Well it wasn't my idea!" snapped Marieke. "And whose stupid idea was it to leave Pippin in charge of the map?"
"Toni's been telling me which way to go," said Pippin.
"No I haven't!" protested Toni.
"Have too!"
"Have not!"
"Have too!"
"Have not!"
"SHUT UP!" cried Lizzie. "Let me try, I'm good at reading maps."
Lizzie didn't wait for an answer and snatched the map off Pippin.
"If we go this way," Lizzie motioned to an opening through the thicket of trees and bushes. "We should find ourselves back on the path. Then we can figure out where to go."
"You're a genius," praised Marieke, grabbing Lizzie's hand and giving it a grateful squeeze.
The five walked through the opening. Marieke and Lizzie's hands were still tightly clasped.
~*~
"If we go this way, then the treasure should be right through here," said Frodo, leading them down a small path. They ended up in an opening with a large oak tree in the middle.
"So where's the treasure?" asked Rosie.
"I hope it isn't buried," worried Mel. "Hey look, what's that?"
Mel pointed up into the crown of the oak tree. There was a small black satchel bag hanging from the branches.
"I bet you anything that's the treasure," said Lyra. "So who's gonna get it?"
Everyone immediately looked to Frodo.
"What? What are you all looking at me for?" he cried.
"Well you are a Baggins," replied Merry. "And everyone knows Bagginses have a thing for adventure. Take Bilbo for example."
"But that hasn't really got anything to do with it," Frodo pointed out.
"Whatever, just get up there," grinned Merry.
~*~
"Are you sure this is the right way? We've been walking through here for ages," whined Pippin.
"Yeah," agreed Toni. "I thought you said you were good at maps, Lizzie."
"I am," protested Lizzie.
"Well the trail on the map certainly looked shorter than it actually is," said Toni.
"That's what I'd thought," said Lizzie, checking the map again. "We must have gone through the wrong way. But if we carry on going we're bound to find the path sooner or later."
"Can we please hurry?" begged Marieke. "I'm getting bored of Sam's story."
"Hey!" protested Sam. "The story of mine and my old girlfriend's separation is not boring."
"It's quite sad actually," said Toni. "So stop now before you make me cry."
"You don't cry," said Marieke.
"I do sometimes, but very rarely," said Toni.
"Don't worry anyway, not all couples end up like that," reassured Pippin.
"Like who?" asked Toni, falling behind to hear what he had to say.
"Merry and Lyra," replied Pippin.
"That doesn't count, they only just met," said Toni.
"Well, what about Lizzie and Marieke? Or Mel and Frodo?" suggested Pippin.
"Same thing," answered Toni. "They've only just got together too."
"What about us?" asked Pippin.
Toni stopped, startled, and turned around. Lizzie, Marieke and Sam carried on walking.
"What do you mean, us?" questioned Toni.
"You know, as in friends," said Pippin.
"Oh," realised Toni.
"What did you think I meant?" asked Pippin.
"Nothing," mumbled Toni.
Suddenly, Lizzie, Marieke and Sam came back through.
"Come on guys," said Marieke. "What are you talking about?"
"Toni thought I was gonna propose to her," grinned Pippin. He knelt down on one knee and took Toni's hand. "Oh Toni, will you be mine?"
Toni pushed him over.
"I'll take that as a no then," laughed Pippin, getting up.
"You're right there," said Toni.
Marieke and Sam looked mildly amused, but Lizzie was getting impatient.
"Come on!" encouraged Lizzie. "Or we'll never win."
~*~
"Guys, I'm really not sure about this," Frodo called from high up in the tree.
"Just a little higher," encouraged Mel.
Frodo reached out and managed to grab hold of one of the bag's handles. The other handle was hooked over a branch, keeping it suspended in the tree. Just as Frodo had grabbed it, he slipped off the branch he was stood on. He clung on to the bag, but the extra weight pulled it along the branch and right off. Frodo screamed as he fell but luckily for him, he landed on Merry. Mel caught the bag in her outstretched arms.
"Frodo, are you OK?" Mel rushed over, worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Frodo, getting up and looking just slightly shaken.
"I'm not," groaned Merry. "Frodo, you must weigh a tonne!"
Rosie stood aside laughing, while Lyra helped Merry up.
"We got the treasure," grinned Lyra. "So what exactly is it?"
Mel emptied the bag onto the floor. Out spilled an assortment of stones. Everyone was baffled.
"What? That's the treasure?" said Mel in disbelief.
"I guess so," said Lyra. "It was in the right place according to the map."
"All this for a bunch of rocks," moaned Merry.
"Wait," ordered Frodo, looking thoughtful. "Maybe these are no ordinary rocks. If we take them back to Bilbo, he'll tell us what they're for. Come on."
They quickly stuffed the stones back into the bag. They then went off to find the entrance to the woods so that they could go back to Bilbo.
~*~
"Face it," said Toni, after what seemed like hours of walking. "We're lost, and we're never going to find the path."
"Have a little faith," said Marieke. "I'm sure Lizzie knows what she's doing."
"Trust me, it should be right through here. Keep going, Sam," Lizzie called to Sam, who was in the lead.
"OK," said Sam. "But watch it along here, don't trip over the tree roots."
"Don't trip over the what?" asked Pippin, not having heard what Sam had said since he was at the back. "What did you . . . AAAHHHH!"
Everyone stopped and turned round quickly to find Pippin sprawled on the floor.
"I told you to watch it," sighed Sam in exasperation.
"It's not my fault, I didn't hear you," said Pippin, trying to stand up but failing. "Ow, my foot!"
"Can you walk on it?" asked Marieke, concerned.
Pippin shook his head.
"OK, listen up guys," announced Lizzie. "We're not going to win now so there's no point any more, especially since Pippin can't walk. So if you wait here for a bit Pippin, the rest of us will go back the way we've came. And hopefully we'll be able to find our way out, and get someone to come back for you."
"I'm not staying on my own," said Pippin hurriedly. "What if it gets dark before you get back?"
"I'll stay with you," offered Toni, flopping onto the floor beside him. "Marieke, Lizzie and Sam can go back. OK, guys?"
"Yeah, that's fine," said the others.
"Just don't let Lizzie lead you," grinned Toni.
Lizzie pretended to be offended and swatted Toni with the map.
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that," laughed Lizzie. "Come on guys, we'd better hurry. We'll see you two in a bit."
Toni and Pippin sat in silence for quite a while.
"Does it hurt?" asked Toni worriedly.
"Nah, it doesn't. That's why I'm not going back with the others," snapped Pippin.
Toni felt confused. She hadn't known Pippin to be snappy before.
"Sorry," apologised Pippin. "Yeah, it does hurt. A lot."
"Where does it hurt?" asked Toni.
"I dunno," replied Pippin. "My foot?"
"I meant which part of your foot, silly. OK, does it hurt when I do this?" Toni touched Pippin's ankle softly.
"Nope," said Pippin.
"What about this?" Toni placed her hands gently around the sides.
"OW!" yelled Pippin.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," apologised Toni quickly.
Toni suddenly felt awkward and couldn't think of anything to say. She realised that Pippin was deliberately avoiding her gaze. Every time she looked at him and saw him looking, he quickly glanced away.
Toni stared at him, trying to think of something to break the tension. She locked onto his eyes, holding his gaze. This time he didn't look away. Pippin bent his head towards her, and Toni closed her eyes as he kissed her softly. Toni then kissed him back, brushing his hair out of his face.
Nearby in the bushes, Marieke, Lizzie and Sam were secretly watching. They'd stayed behind for a while before going back to the Shire, wanting to see what happened when they were left alone.
"Wow, Toni and Pippin, huh?" said Sam in amazement. "Who'd have thought it?"
Marieke and Lizzie said nothing, but exchanged sly smiles.