Chapter2
THE NEXT DAY. OUTSIDE THE BLUEMOSS RESIDENCE
Pippin walked up uncertainly to the teal colored door. Dressed in a light shirt, and plain breeches, he suddenly felt underdressed for the occasion. He fiddled with the bouquet of flowers he was carrying.
Determined to see this through though, he stood his ground and knocked. Softly. When there was no answer, he knocked harder. He heard a muffled "Coming!" from within.
The door opened with a creek. And Pippin found himself looking down upon a little hobbit lass, about three or four, with dark brown hair, and almost black eyes. She smiled sweetly up at him and whispered with a giggle "You're really tall!"
"I know!" he said, and smiled as he leaned down. He pulled a daisy out of the bouquet he and stuck it gently into her hair. She giggled again. And offered her hand. She was inviting him in.
When they were inside, she went and shut the door. He offered her the rest of the bouquet, and she ran down the hall, her little hobbit feet making a soft tapping sound. Pippin smiled after her, thinking to himself what a nice little hobbit she was. She looked back and waved at him.
When she was a little farther down the hall, she shouted out the name "IRA!" in her bell like voice. That jolted Pippin back to the present, it was as if he was lifted from a spell. He remembered why he was there. And was suddenly nervous again.
'Oh no,' he thought. He wondered why he was so jumpy, for goodness sake; all he was doing was greeting a few new hobbits! He had already made it out alive from the 'War of the Rings' almost completely unscathed. And here he was acting like a dimwitted know-nothing.
He heard the padding of feet, and looked up. There was the little girl again, running toward him, and leading someone else behind her.
"I told you he was real Ira! I told you I didn't make him up!" she squealed excitedly.
"I see that now Jenni," someone said sternly. "But what did I tell you about strangers?" the voice continued. It was female.
"But he's not a stranger! He's nice!" The little hobbit, Jenni, protested. Running forward and grabbing Pippin's hand.
Pippin smiled nervously. The other speaker came forward. She was a hobbit, middle to late tweens. With very short smoky brown hair, and stern, more-hazel-than-green eyes. And she was TALL. She was one of the only other hobbits, beside Merry, to be able to look him in the eye. She was wearing a long green skirt, that touched the floor, and a navy colored top.
She looked him over coolly. He almost squirmed under her intense gaze. She then abruptly extended a hand. "I'm Irene Bluemoss, you MAY call me Ira. I assume you are the gardener?" She looked at a name penned on the inside of her wrist. "Samwise Gamgee?"
"Uh...no I'm not actually. I'm Pippin . . .Peregrin . . .Took." he finished lamely. He heard Jenni's quiet giggle, and blushed a hot red.
Ira saw it. "Well Mr. Took, would you care for something to drink? Have you had second breakfast yet? I was just setting some for Jenni and I, you may join us if you like." She added with a smile.
Pippin noticed the delicious smells, wafting in from one of the other rooms, he was starving. All he could manage was a nod. Ira laughed, a clear music like sound. And started forward. She beckoned him with the cup of her hand. Pippin followed.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Pippin's second breakfast that day was the best he'd had in a long while. He was thinking about how much better it was then just eating with his parents, when he ran right smack into someone.
Both of them ended up on the ground, and a left over roll flew out of Pippin's pocket. He looked up. He had run into Sam.
"Oh Pippin! I was looking for you! Do you know what time it is? Past second breakfast! I thought you'd said you'd already be at my place waiting for me by now! But you weren't there! Scared the living daylights out a me! You did! I thought something had happened to you!" Sam said loudly.
"SAM! I'm fine!" said Pippin as he got up and dusted himself off. He looked at his now ruined breakfast roll with disdain.
"Oh, well then tell me what happened already! You'll give me a slow death with all this waiting." Sam said excitedly.
"They thought I was the gardener!" Pippin said with a grin. "Called me Sam, and everything!"
Sam chuckled, and shook his head. "Imagine, you, a gardener!" he said with a smile. Then, "so what are they like? Are they goblins or something?" He asked.
"No Sam, they're not, they're actually very...nice. I'll admit, they might be a little odd, but who isn't? I only met the daughters though. Ira, and Jenni. That Jenni is as cute a rose bud, I swear. And her older sister, is very...mature." Pippin said with a lopsided grin, and a mischievous note to his voice.
Sam smiled again. "Thanks Pip, for helping me out. I had real jitters about this job. Glad it was just over nothing though.'
BACK INSIDE THE BLUEMOSS HOME . . .
"JENNI! What did you think you were doing? Bringing HIM in here like that. I bet you spelled him too? Didn't you!" Ira said angrily. Her heart was still pounding wildly. She had spelled Pippin a bit herself, too. Just to be safe.
"Only a LITTLE." Jenni protested. "He was nice! And he had flowers for us!"
"But Jenni, you can't just go doing that. You can't! Okay sweetie? I'm not going to tell Mum for now though. Our little secret. Okay? Just PLEASE don't do it again. No more strangers Jenni." Said Ira, voice strong with emotion.
"Okay." Mumbled Jenni. Ira bent down and scooped her into her arms. She proceeded back to Jenni's room. Still carrying her little half-sister, whose head was now resting on her shoulder...
Pippin's POV
"Merry! You should've seen her! She was so TALL! I couldn't believe it. Made me think we weren't the only hobbits, to have a sip or two of the Treebeard's drink. Amazing!" said Pippin excitedly. He didn't quite know why he was getting so excited over that almost plain looking hobbit, Ira. But he was.
"Pip, I told you! Yes, I've met them already. I HAVE okay? They're an older couple with some kids. What's so special about that? Frankly, I didn't see anything wrong with them myself. Hobbits around here are so touchy now days!" answered Merry.
"Yes, I know Merry, but have you met HER?" Said Pippin.
"The older daughter? No, I haven't. Why?" Merry questioned, with a sly look in his eyes. "You sound like you're sweet on her, and you just met her. Maybe I should pay a visit." On his mouth was a devilish smile.
"Now Meriadoc, would you really do such a thing to Estella? Shame to you!" Pippin said with a laugh.
"Nah, I guess I wouldn't. First of all Fatty would kill me. If there was anything left, that is, after Estella's father was through. You just make this girl Iris or whatever, sound so...mysterious, I love uncharted territory! You know I do."
Pippin did know. Merry was right. She WAS mysterious. 'Where did she come from? Why?' Oh well, he loved a good challenge.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
THE NEXT DAY. OUTSIDE THE BLUEMOSS RESIDENCE
Pippin walked up uncertainly to the teal colored door. Dressed in a light shirt, and plain breeches, he suddenly felt underdressed for the occasion. He fiddled with the bouquet of flowers he was carrying.
Determined to see this through though, he stood his ground and knocked. Softly. When there was no answer, he knocked harder. He heard a muffled "Coming!" from within.
The door opened with a creek. And Pippin found himself looking down upon a little hobbit lass, about three or four, with dark brown hair, and almost black eyes. She smiled sweetly up at him and whispered with a giggle "You're really tall!"
"I know!" he said, and smiled as he leaned down. He pulled a daisy out of the bouquet he and stuck it gently into her hair. She giggled again. And offered her hand. She was inviting him in.
When they were inside, she went and shut the door. He offered her the rest of the bouquet, and she ran down the hall, her little hobbit feet making a soft tapping sound. Pippin smiled after her, thinking to himself what a nice little hobbit she was. She looked back and waved at him.
When she was a little farther down the hall, she shouted out the name "IRA!" in her bell like voice. That jolted Pippin back to the present, it was as if he was lifted from a spell. He remembered why he was there. And was suddenly nervous again.
'Oh no,' he thought. He wondered why he was so jumpy, for goodness sake; all he was doing was greeting a few new hobbits! He had already made it out alive from the 'War of the Rings' almost completely unscathed. And here he was acting like a dimwitted know-nothing.
He heard the padding of feet, and looked up. There was the little girl again, running toward him, and leading someone else behind her.
"I told you he was real Ira! I told you I didn't make him up!" she squealed excitedly.
"I see that now Jenni," someone said sternly. "But what did I tell you about strangers?" the voice continued. It was female.
"But he's not a stranger! He's nice!" The little hobbit, Jenni, protested. Running forward and grabbing Pippin's hand.
Pippin smiled nervously. The other speaker came forward. She was a hobbit, middle to late tweens. With very short smoky brown hair, and stern, more-hazel-than-green eyes. And she was TALL. She was one of the only other hobbits, beside Merry, to be able to look him in the eye. She was wearing a long green skirt, that touched the floor, and a navy colored top.
She looked him over coolly. He almost squirmed under her intense gaze. She then abruptly extended a hand. "I'm Irene Bluemoss, you MAY call me Ira. I assume you are the gardener?" She looked at a name penned on the inside of her wrist. "Samwise Gamgee?"
"Uh...no I'm not actually. I'm Pippin . . .Peregrin . . .Took." he finished lamely. He heard Jenni's quiet giggle, and blushed a hot red.
Ira saw it. "Well Mr. Took, would you care for something to drink? Have you had second breakfast yet? I was just setting some for Jenni and I, you may join us if you like." She added with a smile.
Pippin noticed the delicious smells, wafting in from one of the other rooms, he was starving. All he could manage was a nod. Ira laughed, a clear music like sound. And started forward. She beckoned him with the cup of her hand. Pippin followed.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Pippin's second breakfast that day was the best he'd had in a long while. He was thinking about how much better it was then just eating with his parents, when he ran right smack into someone.
Both of them ended up on the ground, and a left over roll flew out of Pippin's pocket. He looked up. He had run into Sam.
"Oh Pippin! I was looking for you! Do you know what time it is? Past second breakfast! I thought you'd said you'd already be at my place waiting for me by now! But you weren't there! Scared the living daylights out a me! You did! I thought something had happened to you!" Sam said loudly.
"SAM! I'm fine!" said Pippin as he got up and dusted himself off. He looked at his now ruined breakfast roll with disdain.
"Oh, well then tell me what happened already! You'll give me a slow death with all this waiting." Sam said excitedly.
"They thought I was the gardener!" Pippin said with a grin. "Called me Sam, and everything!"
Sam chuckled, and shook his head. "Imagine, you, a gardener!" he said with a smile. Then, "so what are they like? Are they goblins or something?" He asked.
"No Sam, they're not, they're actually very...nice. I'll admit, they might be a little odd, but who isn't? I only met the daughters though. Ira, and Jenni. That Jenni is as cute a rose bud, I swear. And her older sister, is very...mature." Pippin said with a lopsided grin, and a mischievous note to his voice.
Sam smiled again. "Thanks Pip, for helping me out. I had real jitters about this job. Glad it was just over nothing though.'
BACK INSIDE THE BLUEMOSS HOME . . .
"JENNI! What did you think you were doing? Bringing HIM in here like that. I bet you spelled him too? Didn't you!" Ira said angrily. Her heart was still pounding wildly. She had spelled Pippin a bit herself, too. Just to be safe.
"Only a LITTLE." Jenni protested. "He was nice! And he had flowers for us!"
"But Jenni, you can't just go doing that. You can't! Okay sweetie? I'm not going to tell Mum for now though. Our little secret. Okay? Just PLEASE don't do it again. No more strangers Jenni." Said Ira, voice strong with emotion.
"Okay." Mumbled Jenni. Ira bent down and scooped her into her arms. She proceeded back to Jenni's room. Still carrying her little half-sister, whose head was now resting on her shoulder...
Pippin's POV
"Merry! You should've seen her! She was so TALL! I couldn't believe it. Made me think we weren't the only hobbits, to have a sip or two of the Treebeard's drink. Amazing!" said Pippin excitedly. He didn't quite know why he was getting so excited over that almost plain looking hobbit, Ira. But he was.
"Pip, I told you! Yes, I've met them already. I HAVE okay? They're an older couple with some kids. What's so special about that? Frankly, I didn't see anything wrong with them myself. Hobbits around here are so touchy now days!" answered Merry.
"Yes, I know Merry, but have you met HER?" Said Pippin.
"The older daughter? No, I haven't. Why?" Merry questioned, with a sly look in his eyes. "You sound like you're sweet on her, and you just met her. Maybe I should pay a visit." On his mouth was a devilish smile.
"Now Meriadoc, would you really do such a thing to Estella? Shame to you!" Pippin said with a laugh.
"Nah, I guess I wouldn't. First of all Fatty would kill me. If there was anything left, that is, after Estella's father was through. You just make this girl Iris or whatever, sound so...mysterious, I love uncharted territory! You know I do."
Pippin did know. Merry was right. She WAS mysterious. 'Where did she come from? Why?' Oh well, he loved a good challenge.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?