It's hard to believe it's over. It's hard to believe the burden of the Ring is gone.

It's hard to believe we begin the journey home tomorrow. It's seems like an Age or more has passed since Sam, my cousins and I left the Shire. But it feels good to know that we're going to enter Bag End again, to know that Sam will probably marry his Rosie. I hope that he and Merry and Pippin will be happy there again.

As for me...As Gandalf once said, some wounds never truly heal.

And, as ashamed as I am to say it, a truly large part of me is glad to be leaving Minas Tirith. We have friends here, I would even go so far as to call them kin, and I know they mean only the best for us. But sometimes, it seems they go out of their way to make us as bloody uncomfortable as they can. Which is why we Hobbits are currently on our way to hide in the gardens.

"I can't believe we're finally going home," Pippin muses. "That the quest is finally over." He sighs. "I'm going to miss this, but I can't help but be relieved as well."

"Aye," Merry agrees sadly. "I hate to say it, for they've been so kind to us, but sometimes, I swear, they go out of their way to torture us."

"Aye!" Sam agrees. "Why, just yesterday --"

Suddenly, Pippin claps his hand over Sam's mouth. Merry's jaw drops open, and Sam slaps a hand over his eyes. I turn to follow their gaze.

It's Legolas and Kayli. Really not a surprise, since those two are often seen together. One would almost say they were courting. That's if one hadn't seen what we're seeing right now, of course. Now one would have to say they've gone a touch beyond courting.

Kayli's settled into Legolas's arms, the first time I can say I've ever seen her relaxed, truly without the sheilds that seem permanent, even around us Hobbits. And if I may say so, Pippin can soften anyone. One of Legolas's hands is tangled in her hair. And they seem to be quite passionately attached at the lips. I quickly turn my back.

Pippin sighs and rolls his eyes heavenward. "Finally!" he mutters.

Merry turns to glare at him. "You knew?" he hisses. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought everyone knew!" Pippin whispers back. "Everybody else knew, I just assumed you did too!"

"I didn't know," Sam says, though his voice is muffled against Pippin's hand and his own is still over his eyes. He slaps Pip's hand away. "Forgive me for sayin' so, sirs, but could we find someplace else to go? Not that I think they'd notice if we blew Boromir's horn in their ears, but this is mighty wrong, goin' in their private things like this."

Pip rolls his eyes. "Private? If they truly wanted privacy, they should be somewhere else!"

Merry looks at them consideringly. "Honestly, Pip, I don't think they know WHERE they are, exactly. They seem rather involved in what they're doing."

Sam groans and puts his other hand over his eyes. "PLEASE, Mr. Merry, I can't rightly get the image out of my head as it is!"

I laugh, then quickly clap a hand over my own mouth. "Shame on you, Samwise Gamgee," I say, and then snicker behind my hand as Sam goes red to the roots of his hair.

Pippin giggles. "I wonder if Boromir knows where his darling baby sister is," he whispers. "Or that she seems rather involved in our favorite Elf Prince."

"Favorite Elf Prince?" I say. "How many Elf Princes do you know, Pippin?"

"Mr. Pippin, if you don't stop right this instant, I'm going to deprive Mr. Frodo of his favorite Tookish cousin," Sam threatens. "It ain't right, starin' at 'em like you're doin'."

"I'm not staring!" Pippin protests. "I'm conducting a study on how long the Big Folk can go without breathing!"

"May I suggest you conduct it elsewhere?" suggests a quiet, melodious voice from behind us, and we turn to see King Thranduil looking at us, one eyebrow cocked and a smile on his face. He very firmly doesn't look in the direction of his son. He has his arms folded across his chest, and he looks rather intimidating, even to a Hobbit who has carried the One Ring.

Haldir, however, next to the Elvenking, is looking at them curiously, a strange smile on his face. I think he's plotting revenge for when Kayli stole his clothes. Not that I, a kind old gentlehobbit such as myself, helped my fiendish young cousins keep watch.

Just don't tell him that. I fear he'd take it the entirely wrong way. Which would, in it's own way, be the entirely right way. See?

Exactly.

Pippin quickly remembers his manners and bows to King Thranduil. "Yes, Majesty," he says, with his best impersonation of humbleness. Which isn't very good.

His Majesty shakes his head and sighs. "Begone, the lot of you. Shouldn't you be off depriving the rest of us of breakfast?" He pauses, and glances at Haldir. "Stop that. I can see your mind turning."

Haldir just smirks. And I decide to get out of us out of here before one of my cousins does something that will make his Rumored-to-be-Short-Tempered-Majesty to kick us clear to Mount Doom. "Come alone, Merry, Pippin. Sam, uncover your eyes, we're going the other way."

"It ain't right,"Sam mutters, but follows us.

I guess I'm going to miss these adventures more than I thought. But I think I'll leave this part out of my tale.

TBC...