Frodo was sitting at his desk when he felt someone tugging at his trousers. He looked down and saw a pair of bright eyes, one of which was partly covered with a lock of golden hair. Underneath them sat a smile so innocent, that it could only be produced by a really young child. Frodo glanced at the door of his study and noticed that he had accidentally left it open. He looked back at the tiny girl and smiled faintly. "So you saw the door standing ajar and thought it interesting to pay me a visit, didn't you?"
One year old Elanor Gamgee lifted up her hands and pulled her 'pick me up, please'-face. Frodo shook his head. "Will I ever learn to say 'no' to you?" He then bent over and picked up the little hobbit-lass. Elanor's face beamed as she proudly sat on her uncle's lap. She was too small to understand what an uncle was exactly, let alone grasp that Frodo was not really their kin by blood, but Frodo called himself her uncle nonetheless.
The girl looked about in awe. Normally she was not allowed to enter Frodo's study, her mother saw to that, but today she had somehow managed to escape Rosie Gamgee's ever watchful eyes. Elanor pointed at the book that was lying on Frodo's desk. He had been writing in it, until Sam's daughter had walked in. "That is a book," said Frodo to the cheerful girl, "A red book." The hobbit-child tried hard to repeat the word 'book', but for some reason she never got any further than the first consonant. When she realized she was still incapable of saying 'book', she looked up at her uncle and smiled her sweetest smile, as if to apologize for not accomplishing the task she had set out for herself.
"You will learn to say it one day," Frodo said and pressed the tip of his little finger softly against the girl's nose. Suddenly a cloud shifted and a ray of sunlight fell through the round window. In the several seconds that past by before another cloud hid the sun, the young girl was bathing in light. The sun made her hair shine as if it was made of real gold and the warm light made the small girl giggle. When the sunlight disappeared, the girl looked up at Frodo, and her eyes seemed to ask him where the lovely light went.
Suddenly Frodo felt a shiver run down his spine. "Where there is no light, there is darkness…it is everywhere…nobody can escape…" His voice fell to a mere whisper and he did not really know to whom he was speaking. "It is haunting me…" It was then that the sun decided to show itself again and once more the study was filled with a golden light. Frodo sighed and ran his hand through Elanor's hair. "No, I should not talk like that. The shadow has gone and the world has been saved."
He then looked at the little Elanor who was staring at a brown bird that was sitting on the windowsill. "You are going to grow up to be a fine girl, Elanor." At the hearing of her name the young hobbit-lass looked at Frodo. "You have a lovely mother and the best father you could possibly wish for, little girl. They will make sure that you will lead a happy life, right here, in the Shire."
Then Frodo's eye fell on the red book that was lying on his desk. He had been writing in it for months now and he was less than two chapters away from the end of his story. As he stared at the words on the page, the sunlight faded again. "I just wish that I could be there to see you as a grown woman, but that simply cannot be. A time is coming in which that book over there will be the only thing that reminds the Shire-folk of the War of the Ring…and I will soon be forgotten."
To his own surprise Frodo wrapped his arms around the little Elanor and held her tight. The child somehow knew that this was not a moment for play and laughter, and held still. "But I do not want to be forgotten, Elanor. However, the day that I must leave the Shire in order to escape the darkness that is constantly threatening to overcome me, is drawing near." Tears began to well up in Frodo's eyes. "Or would it be a wrong decision to go? Would it perhaps be better to stay here and face the music instead? Oh Elanor, if only I knew that I would not be forgotten than I would be able to leave with an untroubled heart. Do you think they will forget me?"
He looked down at the girl, who was staring up at him with no apparent expression in her eyes. Suddenly Frodo sighed. "Look at me. I am so mixed up, that I am asking a child of barely one year old to give me some good advice." He took a deep breath. "And even if you did have an answer for me, how would you give it to me? You cannot talk." Elanor blinked with her eyes and began to wriggle her left arm free from Frodo's embrace. She then lifted it up and pointed at something that was lying on Frodo's desk.
Frodo reached out for the object in question and picked it up. It was the drawing that Elanor had made for him yesterday. The little girl had been very taken in with herself and saw it as her greatest masterpiece yet. On the sheet stood some lines of pencil and some coloured streaks of crayons. Elanor had drawn four hobbits. The two on the left were rather small; one of them had dark hair and was carrying a book, while the other was a redhead and held a shovel in his hand. The pair of hobbits on the other side of the paper were very tall and the both of them had an enormous amount of curls on their head. Frodo smiled as he looked at the portrayal of himself, Sam, Merry and Pippin.
The sun jumped out from behind the clouds again rather unexpected and Frodo winced as he was temporarily blinded. "No," he said to himself, "I will not be forgotten. We have gone through too much together. Even though I may be gone soon, I will live on through my friends. Our friendship survived the War of the Ring, so why would I fear that a small ocean will erase my memory from their minds? No, I will not be forgotten." He placed the drawing back on his desk and kissed Elanor's forehead. "Thank you," he whispered.
"So there you are! You're mother and I have been looking all over for you!" As Elanor saw her father come in, she waved at him. "I do hope she has not been much trouble to you, Mr. Frodo," Sam said. "Oh no, absolutely not." He then handed the little girl back to her father. "Since I'm here now anyway," began Sam, "I would like to remind you, that it is nearly time for elevenses. Rosie has prepared a lovely meal for us. Will you not forget about it, like you did yesterday? You must eat enough to keep you fit, Mr. Frodo."
"Do not worry, Sam. Today I will most certainly be there. Yesterday my mind was clouded, but it is not anymore." He then burst out laughing as little Elanor pressed the tip of her little finger against her father's nose. "I guess I taught her something new." Sam smiled and said, "We will see you at dinner then, Mr. Frodo." He then turned around and walked out of the study, closing the door behind him so Elanor could not sneak in a second time.
Frodo sat back in his chair and looked out of the window. The weather was lovely. The sun was shining and the children were playing in the fields. They still had so many years to live, so many places to go. "I, however, have only one more place to go to," Frodo whispered to himself. When he realized that he no longer feared going there, he smiled and picked up his pencil. "But before I can go there, I have to finish my last task. I must finish my part of the story before I leave." After having dipped the pen in a small ink pot, he put it to the paper again and continued to write down his tale. At the same time he made a mental note to write a letter to Gandalf that very night, to let him know that he was accepting the offer of Galadriel and Elrond.
The End.