Chapter 4
"Are you sure about this, Rosie?" Sam and Rosie were sitting at the kitchen table with Eleanor in his lap. They had just finished supper and Sam had told Rosie about the letter from Aragorn.
"Yes Sam. I want to go with you to Rivendell. The letter doesn't say that I'm not allowed to come." Rosie answered. "But it doesn't say that you are allowed to come." Sam pointed out. "And besides, what about Eleanor? Who's going to take care of her?" He said, putting his hand on her curly head.
"She'll come with us, of course." Rosie said casually. She then reached out and took Eleanor onto her own lap and kissed her forehead. "It would be a great experience for her to see the world outside of the Shire." Sam didn't really know what to do. He didn't think that it was a good idea for Rosie and Eleanor to be traveling all the way to Rivendell. It could be a dangerous journey. Remembering all the things they had to go through to destroy the One Ring made Sam even more uneasy.
"What if something would happen to you, or Eleanor? It's very dangerous traveling through the wilderness. No, I would feel better if you would just stay home." Rosie looked at him. She knew what was going through his mind.
"Sam." She started. Sam looked up and they locked eyes. "I really want to go with you. I could have lost you the last time you left home. I don't want to worry about you all over again." Tiny tear began to well up in her eyes.
"You were worried about me?" Sam asked, a bit surprised.
"Of course I was. Now, when does Mr. Frodo wish to leave?"
:~:
Frodo sat at his kitchen table with his supper sitting cold in front of him. The ham, cheese and mushrooms weren't touched at all. A half eaten piece of bread was the only indication that he had eaten anything. Frodo picked up his glass of the Old Winyard and took a small sip. For days, he hadn't had much of an appetite. It seemed like every time he thought about food, his stomach turned.
There was suddenly a light, gentle knock at the front door. Though it was quite soft, Frodo still jumped slightly in surprise.
"That must be Sam." He thought to himself as he placed the cup back on the table and pushed back his chair. As he opened the door, he was greeted by, not Sam, but Rosie.
"Good evening, Mr. Frodo." She said sweetly. Then, she looked down to her left side. Frodo also drew his gaze there. He found that Rosie had not come alone. A tiny hobbit girl with beautiful golden curls stood, holding her mothers hand. "Say good evening to Mr. Frodo, Eleanor."
"Good evening, Mr. Frodo." Eleanor answered very shyly.
"Good evening, Rosie." Frodo said then bent down. "Good evening, Eleanor." The little girl turned a bit pink and pulled closer to her mother. "How can I help you, Rosie?" Frodo asked, standing up straight.
"Sam told me about the letter you have received from King Elessar." Frodo looked at her, unsure as weather she was pleased with the invitation or fearful of it.
"Please, come in. We can talk in the kitchen." Frodo said, moving out of the doorway so that Rosie and Eleanor could enter.
"Thank you, Mr. Frodo." Rosie said graciously.
Inside Bag End, with Eleanor playing in the sitting room, Rosie and Frodo sat at the kitchen table and talked. Frodo's uneaten supper still lay in the plate on the counter.
"Sam is at Fredegar Bolger's house right now. He is going to come over as soon as he was done there. But I wanted to speak with you first, if that's alright." Frodo didn't really know how to respond. What did Rosie want to talk to him about? Was she going to ask if Sam could just stay back and not go to Rivendell? That wasn't really his choice; it was King Elessar's.
"What did you want to speak to me about?" Frodo asked.
"I wanted to know if I had your permission for Eleanor and I to accompany you and Sam on your journey to Rivendell." Frodo was shocked. This was the last thing he expected her to say.
"But why, I mean, if you don't mind me asking." Frodo said.
"It's quite simple, Mr. Frodo. When you and Sam left Hobbiton for the first time those years ago, I was so afraid I would never see Sam again." Rosie's cheeks brightened slightly. "Or you, of course, Mr. Frodo." She added quickly. "This time, I want to join you. Where ever you go, I want to be there too."
Frodo thought for a moment. Rosie and Eleanor traveling all the way to Rivendell? It was at least a 3 week journey from Hobbiton and the last time he made it, Frodo was being pursued by the Nazgul.
No. It would be far too dangerous.
But that was all over now. There were no more Nazgul or evil Dark Lords or betraying wizards around. The roads were once again safe for all to travel. The road to Rivendell was straight and quite beautiful at that. When would Rosie or Eleanor get another chance like this? If Sam had his way, Rosie and Eleanor would probably never leave the Hobbiton, much less the Shire.
"I..." Frodo was about to comment when there was another knock at the door. Both Rosie and Frodo looked towards the door then each other. Before Frodo could stand up to answer it, it opened and Sam entered Bag End. Eleanor, from the other room, came to see who was knocking.
"Daddy.*" She cried happily and ran into his arms. Confused, Sam bent down and picked her up.
"Eleanor, what are you doing here?" He asked but the little girl did not answer. Turning the corner, he stepped into the kitchen and took a step back in surprise.
"Rosie?" He seemed unsure of what to say. "Rosie? Is something wrong? Did something happen?" Rushing over to Rosie with Eleanor still in his arms, Sam began fussing over her like he was Frodo earlier, asking all sorts of questions in the process.
"Are you alright? Did something happen? Is Eleanor ok? Was there an accident?"
"Sam, Sam. Calm down." Rosie urged him, as she slowly took Eleanor from his tightening grip. "I'm fine, and Eleanor's fine too. We just came over to talk with Mr. Frodo." Sam looked over at Frodo who was quietly sitting in his chair. Nothing was making sense.
"Yes, we were just discussing the invitation we had received from King Elessar." Frodo explained as he stood up. "Take a seat Sam. We'll all talk together."
"Are you sure about this, Rosie?" Sam and Rosie were sitting at the kitchen table with Eleanor in his lap. They had just finished supper and Sam had told Rosie about the letter from Aragorn.
"Yes Sam. I want to go with you to Rivendell. The letter doesn't say that I'm not allowed to come." Rosie answered. "But it doesn't say that you are allowed to come." Sam pointed out. "And besides, what about Eleanor? Who's going to take care of her?" He said, putting his hand on her curly head.
"She'll come with us, of course." Rosie said casually. She then reached out and took Eleanor onto her own lap and kissed her forehead. "It would be a great experience for her to see the world outside of the Shire." Sam didn't really know what to do. He didn't think that it was a good idea for Rosie and Eleanor to be traveling all the way to Rivendell. It could be a dangerous journey. Remembering all the things they had to go through to destroy the One Ring made Sam even more uneasy.
"What if something would happen to you, or Eleanor? It's very dangerous traveling through the wilderness. No, I would feel better if you would just stay home." Rosie looked at him. She knew what was going through his mind.
"Sam." She started. Sam looked up and they locked eyes. "I really want to go with you. I could have lost you the last time you left home. I don't want to worry about you all over again." Tiny tear began to well up in her eyes.
"You were worried about me?" Sam asked, a bit surprised.
"Of course I was. Now, when does Mr. Frodo wish to leave?"
:~:
Frodo sat at his kitchen table with his supper sitting cold in front of him. The ham, cheese and mushrooms weren't touched at all. A half eaten piece of bread was the only indication that he had eaten anything. Frodo picked up his glass of the Old Winyard and took a small sip. For days, he hadn't had much of an appetite. It seemed like every time he thought about food, his stomach turned.
There was suddenly a light, gentle knock at the front door. Though it was quite soft, Frodo still jumped slightly in surprise.
"That must be Sam." He thought to himself as he placed the cup back on the table and pushed back his chair. As he opened the door, he was greeted by, not Sam, but Rosie.
"Good evening, Mr. Frodo." She said sweetly. Then, she looked down to her left side. Frodo also drew his gaze there. He found that Rosie had not come alone. A tiny hobbit girl with beautiful golden curls stood, holding her mothers hand. "Say good evening to Mr. Frodo, Eleanor."
"Good evening, Mr. Frodo." Eleanor answered very shyly.
"Good evening, Rosie." Frodo said then bent down. "Good evening, Eleanor." The little girl turned a bit pink and pulled closer to her mother. "How can I help you, Rosie?" Frodo asked, standing up straight.
"Sam told me about the letter you have received from King Elessar." Frodo looked at her, unsure as weather she was pleased with the invitation or fearful of it.
"Please, come in. We can talk in the kitchen." Frodo said, moving out of the doorway so that Rosie and Eleanor could enter.
"Thank you, Mr. Frodo." Rosie said graciously.
Inside Bag End, with Eleanor playing in the sitting room, Rosie and Frodo sat at the kitchen table and talked. Frodo's uneaten supper still lay in the plate on the counter.
"Sam is at Fredegar Bolger's house right now. He is going to come over as soon as he was done there. But I wanted to speak with you first, if that's alright." Frodo didn't really know how to respond. What did Rosie want to talk to him about? Was she going to ask if Sam could just stay back and not go to Rivendell? That wasn't really his choice; it was King Elessar's.
"What did you want to speak to me about?" Frodo asked.
"I wanted to know if I had your permission for Eleanor and I to accompany you and Sam on your journey to Rivendell." Frodo was shocked. This was the last thing he expected her to say.
"But why, I mean, if you don't mind me asking." Frodo said.
"It's quite simple, Mr. Frodo. When you and Sam left Hobbiton for the first time those years ago, I was so afraid I would never see Sam again." Rosie's cheeks brightened slightly. "Or you, of course, Mr. Frodo." She added quickly. "This time, I want to join you. Where ever you go, I want to be there too."
Frodo thought for a moment. Rosie and Eleanor traveling all the way to Rivendell? It was at least a 3 week journey from Hobbiton and the last time he made it, Frodo was being pursued by the Nazgul.
No. It would be far too dangerous.
But that was all over now. There were no more Nazgul or evil Dark Lords or betraying wizards around. The roads were once again safe for all to travel. The road to Rivendell was straight and quite beautiful at that. When would Rosie or Eleanor get another chance like this? If Sam had his way, Rosie and Eleanor would probably never leave the Hobbiton, much less the Shire.
"I..." Frodo was about to comment when there was another knock at the door. Both Rosie and Frodo looked towards the door then each other. Before Frodo could stand up to answer it, it opened and Sam entered Bag End. Eleanor, from the other room, came to see who was knocking.
"Daddy.*" She cried happily and ran into his arms. Confused, Sam bent down and picked her up.
"Eleanor, what are you doing here?" He asked but the little girl did not answer. Turning the corner, he stepped into the kitchen and took a step back in surprise.
"Rosie?" He seemed unsure of what to say. "Rosie? Is something wrong? Did something happen?" Rushing over to Rosie with Eleanor still in his arms, Sam began fussing over her like he was Frodo earlier, asking all sorts of questions in the process.
"Are you alright? Did something happen? Is Eleanor ok? Was there an accident?"
"Sam, Sam. Calm down." Rosie urged him, as she slowly took Eleanor from his tightening grip. "I'm fine, and Eleanor's fine too. We just came over to talk with Mr. Frodo." Sam looked over at Frodo who was quietly sitting in his chair. Nothing was making sense.
"Yes, we were just discussing the invitation we had received from King Elessar." Frodo explained as he stood up. "Take a seat Sam. We'll all talk together."