Chapter 7
The next morning, Sam woke up to find a beautiful sunrise. Turning over in his bed, he looked next to him and smiled. Rosie was still asleep. The rays of sun streaming thought the window made her golden curls glow and her beautiful face shine.
How he loved her. Leaning over, he gently kissed her cheek. Rosie stirred slightly and rolled over. Her gorgeous eyes sparkled and, as a smiled crossed her lips, the whole room seemed to be filled with light.
"Time to go?" She asked sleepily. Sam nodded and Rosie rolled over again.
As she began to get ready, Sam thought again about the last time he had taken this path.
Watching her, he began to wish that they had never received that invitation, so that they could just continue their lives as they were. But there was nothing they could do now. So it was with a heavy heart that he rose from his bed and walked into the kitchen.
:~:
At Bag End, the day had begun before the sun had even reached the hills of the Shire. Frodo had a difficult time sleeping that evening, so he finally decided to be productive. He began checking the packs, filling the water bottles and re-examining Bag End. He knew he would return and that there was nothing to worry about, but at that moment, he had a sudden urge to say good bye to it all.
Merry and Pippin were awake just in time for the breakfast that Frodo had busied himself preparing. The three enjoyed the eggs, bacon, toast and jam in silence, thought the same thoughts were running thought each of their heads.
A short time after they had finished, Sam arrived driving the cart from Fatty with Eleanor sitting happily next to him. Rosie was close behind them, leading 4 ponies. Jumping down from the drivers' seat, Sam helped Rosie tie up the ponies then reached up and lifted Eleanor down. Pippin had heard the cart pulling up the hill and rushed out the door just as they pulled up.
"Morning, Sam!" He called as Merry and Frodo followed him outside.
"Morning, Mr. Pippin." Sam said. A second later, Rosie was at his side, stooping over to pick up Eleanor.
"Morning, Rosie." Merry greeted as he and Frodo approached. "You and Eleanor come to see us off?" Rosie looked at Merry then to Sam, who just shrugged, then made himself look busy by re-checking the cart. Rosie smiled and turned back to Merry.
"Morning, Mr. Merry. Beautiful day for traveling, isn't it?" Rosie said, shifting Eleanor on her hip.
"Yep. You couldn't ask for better weather." Merry answered, not realizing that his question had gone unanswered.
"Why don't we all go inside and relax for a while." Frodo said. His suggestion was met with a group nod of agreement. So with that, everyone followed him inside Bag End.
Inside, the group talked little about their plans. Instead, they discussed the weather, the tater crops and various other, random topics. Everyone had been talking for so long, no one realized that it was a bit past second breakfast. That is until they all heard the sounds of a tiny stomach growling. All eyes moved to Eleanor, who was sitting patiently on her mother's lap, her hands clasped over her thin midsection.
"Well, someone's a bit hungry, aren't they?" Merry said playfully, reaching over and stroking Eleanor's pink cheek. "And isn't she right, we've almost missed second breakfast. Come on now, let's get cooking. We need to be off soon."
Rosie volunteered to prepare the second breakfast for the soon-to-be travelers. So soon after they had eaten a wonderfully filling second breakfast, was it time to leave. Everyone helped to clean the second breakfast dishes and put Bag End into tip-top shape.
When the final things were put in there proper place, everyone filed out, with Frodo last in line. Standing in the round door frame for an extra moment, he took one last look at the smial he had lived in since he was 12 years old. He breathed in the aroma of a recently extinguished fire and the ever present sent of adventure. This was left long ago by Bilbo and never seemed to leave, and that's just how Frodo liked it.
With a final turn of a key, Bag End was locked up. Frodo sighed heavily, as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. Looking up, he saw his companions were making the final adjustments to the cart and ponies.
"Well, I guess it's time." Frodo announced. Merry and Pippin had already mounted their ponies when Frodo began to mount his own. Merry looked around for a moment, a bit confused.
"Wait a minute." He said. "There's an extra pony here." Everyone looked at the brown pony still tied up.
"That's Bill." Sam said. "And he's not an extra. I'm riding him."
"But...but what about the cart?" Merry stuttered. "Who's driving that then?"
"I am." The 2 youngest hobbits of the group turned and looked at Rosie, who stood with Eleanor in her arms. Pippin didn't know what to say, but Merry had an idea.
"What? You mean you're. . ." Rosie nodded. "And Eleanor? She's. . ." Merry continued, pointing at Eleanor. Rosie nodded again. Sam walked over to his wife and daughter.
"Do you want to ride with me, Eleanor?" He asked the smiling child.
"Yeah!" She cheered happily as Sam took her from her mother's hold and placed her on the vacant pony. Then, returning to the cart, he helped Rosie up into the drivers seat. Finally, Sam mounted his pony, with Eleanor witting happily in front of him. Nodding to Frodo as a signal that he was ready, the small band of hobbits began to move out.
"Well, this makes things more interesting, doesn't it Merry?" Pippin commented as they began the second journey of their lives, traveling down the same road as they did the first time.
**I know this chapter is a little short, but I'll make it up in the following chapters! Thanks for reading and looking for updates! Don't forget to Review!**
:~: Aoura Maiden :~:
The next morning, Sam woke up to find a beautiful sunrise. Turning over in his bed, he looked next to him and smiled. Rosie was still asleep. The rays of sun streaming thought the window made her golden curls glow and her beautiful face shine.
How he loved her. Leaning over, he gently kissed her cheek. Rosie stirred slightly and rolled over. Her gorgeous eyes sparkled and, as a smiled crossed her lips, the whole room seemed to be filled with light.
"Time to go?" She asked sleepily. Sam nodded and Rosie rolled over again.
As she began to get ready, Sam thought again about the last time he had taken this path.
Watching her, he began to wish that they had never received that invitation, so that they could just continue their lives as they were. But there was nothing they could do now. So it was with a heavy heart that he rose from his bed and walked into the kitchen.
:~:
At Bag End, the day had begun before the sun had even reached the hills of the Shire. Frodo had a difficult time sleeping that evening, so he finally decided to be productive. He began checking the packs, filling the water bottles and re-examining Bag End. He knew he would return and that there was nothing to worry about, but at that moment, he had a sudden urge to say good bye to it all.
Merry and Pippin were awake just in time for the breakfast that Frodo had busied himself preparing. The three enjoyed the eggs, bacon, toast and jam in silence, thought the same thoughts were running thought each of their heads.
A short time after they had finished, Sam arrived driving the cart from Fatty with Eleanor sitting happily next to him. Rosie was close behind them, leading 4 ponies. Jumping down from the drivers' seat, Sam helped Rosie tie up the ponies then reached up and lifted Eleanor down. Pippin had heard the cart pulling up the hill and rushed out the door just as they pulled up.
"Morning, Sam!" He called as Merry and Frodo followed him outside.
"Morning, Mr. Pippin." Sam said. A second later, Rosie was at his side, stooping over to pick up Eleanor.
"Morning, Rosie." Merry greeted as he and Frodo approached. "You and Eleanor come to see us off?" Rosie looked at Merry then to Sam, who just shrugged, then made himself look busy by re-checking the cart. Rosie smiled and turned back to Merry.
"Morning, Mr. Merry. Beautiful day for traveling, isn't it?" Rosie said, shifting Eleanor on her hip.
"Yep. You couldn't ask for better weather." Merry answered, not realizing that his question had gone unanswered.
"Why don't we all go inside and relax for a while." Frodo said. His suggestion was met with a group nod of agreement. So with that, everyone followed him inside Bag End.
Inside, the group talked little about their plans. Instead, they discussed the weather, the tater crops and various other, random topics. Everyone had been talking for so long, no one realized that it was a bit past second breakfast. That is until they all heard the sounds of a tiny stomach growling. All eyes moved to Eleanor, who was sitting patiently on her mother's lap, her hands clasped over her thin midsection.
"Well, someone's a bit hungry, aren't they?" Merry said playfully, reaching over and stroking Eleanor's pink cheek. "And isn't she right, we've almost missed second breakfast. Come on now, let's get cooking. We need to be off soon."
Rosie volunteered to prepare the second breakfast for the soon-to-be travelers. So soon after they had eaten a wonderfully filling second breakfast, was it time to leave. Everyone helped to clean the second breakfast dishes and put Bag End into tip-top shape.
When the final things were put in there proper place, everyone filed out, with Frodo last in line. Standing in the round door frame for an extra moment, he took one last look at the smial he had lived in since he was 12 years old. He breathed in the aroma of a recently extinguished fire and the ever present sent of adventure. This was left long ago by Bilbo and never seemed to leave, and that's just how Frodo liked it.
With a final turn of a key, Bag End was locked up. Frodo sighed heavily, as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. Looking up, he saw his companions were making the final adjustments to the cart and ponies.
"Well, I guess it's time." Frodo announced. Merry and Pippin had already mounted their ponies when Frodo began to mount his own. Merry looked around for a moment, a bit confused.
"Wait a minute." He said. "There's an extra pony here." Everyone looked at the brown pony still tied up.
"That's Bill." Sam said. "And he's not an extra. I'm riding him."
"But...but what about the cart?" Merry stuttered. "Who's driving that then?"
"I am." The 2 youngest hobbits of the group turned and looked at Rosie, who stood with Eleanor in her arms. Pippin didn't know what to say, but Merry had an idea.
"What? You mean you're. . ." Rosie nodded. "And Eleanor? She's. . ." Merry continued, pointing at Eleanor. Rosie nodded again. Sam walked over to his wife and daughter.
"Do you want to ride with me, Eleanor?" He asked the smiling child.
"Yeah!" She cheered happily as Sam took her from her mother's hold and placed her on the vacant pony. Then, returning to the cart, he helped Rosie up into the drivers seat. Finally, Sam mounted his pony, with Eleanor witting happily in front of him. Nodding to Frodo as a signal that he was ready, the small band of hobbits began to move out.
"Well, this makes things more interesting, doesn't it Merry?" Pippin commented as they began the second journey of their lives, traveling down the same road as they did the first time.
**I know this chapter is a little short, but I'll make it up in the following chapters! Thanks for reading and looking for updates! Don't forget to Review!**
:~: Aoura Maiden :~: