Angel

Chapter 3: How to Catch a Hobbit

Authoress' Notes: Again, I own nothing except Tersa!!!  SO MANY REVIEWS!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I love you all!!! *Hands everyone that reviewed so far flowers* Just a warning before I let you read though, I was sick as I wrote part of this chapter, So if you find a few more mistakes and whatnot than usual that is most likely why. Now on to the chapter!!! ^_^

"Gandalf? You wouldn't happen to know anything more about Tersa Took than you've already told us, would you?" Frodo asked later that night after all the guests had gone from Bagend except the Gandalf, whom was sitting in a chair by the fire gazing into the flames thoughtfully. The boys' curiosity had taken over soon after Tersa had left the kitchen, and they had all voted that it would be safest for Frodo to ask Gandalf about the mysterious girl after the party.

"Why do you wish to know my young friend?" Gandalf asked with mock-suspicion. "How do I know you won't use my knowledge for evil?"

"Gandalf please!" Frodo begged, his large blue eyes growing wide. "I won't tell anyone else except Merry, Pippin, and Sam, and then I'll swear them to secrecy! Tersa barely told us anything before she ran off!" He pleaded.

Gandalf chuckled. "Far too curious for a hobbit, most unnatural." Gandalf chuckled.  "I will tell you a bit about Tersa, but only enough so that you can catch her to interrogate on your own." He smiled at the young hobbit hanging onto his arm. "She likes music, reading, and art. Tersa used to be very much like your friends Samwise and Peregrin as well, before she decided she had to quit being that way if she wanted to remain unscathed by the remarks often directed at her." A sad look came into Gandalf's eyes. "She used to be very sweet, out going, energetic, friendly… She may still be underneath that shell of loneliness she's created for herself as far as that goes. If you do wish to be friends with her Frodo, be sure that you go about it carefully. She does not wish to be hurt again."

Frodo's blue eyes got even wider if at all possible. "What happened to her? Why is she like that now? Gandalf you're going to say the rest aren't you?"

"I have said far more than you need to know already, but I will tell you this." Gandalf got up from the chair and went to the front door to leave. "If you wish to speak to that girl, realize that she has been hurt and tricked in the past. If she feels the least bit threatened she'll run from you and you'll never see her again."

"Odd. Very odd." Pippin said thoughtfully after Frodo repeated everything the wizard had said after the party the next day in the clearing the four always met.

"Very." Frodo sighed. "The question is, how are we going to get to talk to h-" Suddenly a realization struck him and he dropped his voice to a whisper. "The watcher! She's the watcher!"

"What?" Merry looked as if he thought Frodo had gone mad. "We don't know who the watcher is! All we know is that whoever it is always watches over us from a ways away and probably thinks we don't know about them."

"So?! Tersa seemed far too comfortable around us for people she doesn't know. She acted like she knew us! Like she had been observing us!" Frodo exclaimed barely managing to keep his voice low. "She is who is always watching us! She has to be! She seemed to know us too well to have just met us. And I have a feeling that she is watching us now. Hence why I'm WHISPERING." Frodo glared at Merry.

"Oh shut up." Merry muttered.

"But Mr. Frodo, even if she is the one who's always watching us, how do we get her down here?" Sam asked, making sure he kept his voice soft. "She obviously is too shy to come near us."

"Well, Gandalf said she likes books. So maybe if I left one here and we all pretended to leave, she'd come down and investigate. She's a hobbit, so she's bound to be at least a little curious." Frodo pulled a small book out of his vest pocket. "And I have a book right here to leave."

"But how are we going to keep her here to speak with her?" Pippin asked. "Gandalf said she was easily scared off. And I think four hobbits suddenly pouncing on her as she came into a clearing might just frighten her a pinch."

"Good point." Frodo nodded thoughtfully. "Just one of us should go to confront her. The question is who would she be the least afraid of?"

"Sam." Merry and Pippin said simultaneously.

"What?! Me?! Why me?!" Sam exclaimed and was quickly shushed by the other three.

"Sorry." Sam whispered. "But why me?!"

"Because you're the quiet one that everyone is always going on about being so polite and sweet!" Pippin rolled his eyes. "Don't you EVER realize that people seem to always open up to you more than they do any of us?"

"But- I- "

"They're right Sam." Frodo shrugged. "You should be the one to speak to her."

"Please?" He added after Sam didn't respond.

"Alright." Sam finally agreed, seeing that arguing with them would get him nowhere. "But when are we going to put this plan of ours into action?" 

"Now, while we know she's still here." Frodo looked quickly over his shoulder. "Or at least while we think she's here. There's a bunch of bushes over there to hide behind as we wait for her. Let's go!"

"What the heck?" Tersa wondered aloud. "Those boys have been quiet for an extended period of time, something that never happens, and then they get up and leave, with Frodo dropping his book!"

'They're trying to lure you down there with them so they can make fun of you like everyone else does.' Hissed a voice in the back of Tersa's head. 'No one likes you, those four included. You've seen this trick before.'

 'They do too like me!' Tersa snapped mentally at the voice. 'Gandalf said they didn't believe all that worthless jabber they'd heard about me.'

'The wizard was just trying to make you feel better.' The voice insisted. 'You haven't had any friends before and you never will.'

'I will too!'

'No you won't.'

'Yes I will!'

'Stop being foolish! You will not, stop hoping!'

'I will too now shut up!' Tersa pushed the voice out of her mind, refusing to put up with its negative comments anymore. "I'm not letting fear run my life." She muttered aloud and started to creep towards the clearing where the book lay in the grass. "It won't hurt if I at least take the book back to Bagend before something happens to it…"

"There she is!" Pippin whispered excitedly as Tersa crept out of the trees on the other side of the clearing. "She came!!"

"I know she came!" Frodo answered looking over at his cousin a bit annoyed. "Did you think my plan wouldn't work?"

"I had my doubts." Pippin grinned at him. "But I don't anymore."

"That's all fine and dandy, but she's getting away!" Merry cried as he watched Tersa pick up the book and start back towards her hiding place.

"Good luck Sam!" Pippin said then with help from Frodo and Merry shoved Sam into the clearing. 

YAY! A long chapter this time! I hope you guys all liked it! Review like good little readers, okay?

See ya next Chapter! ^.~