AN: Sorry for not updating in so long, and for the short chapter, but I felt this was enough for now. I must spend more time watching ROTK. Please read and review!
Chapter 1
She watched the small hobbit children playing as she sat on the river bank, the breeze blowing her long, wavy, black hair free from it's braid. Dawn Brandybuck love to watch other hobbits going about their daily business; it let her take in the details of their faces for later when she would recreate them in her sketch book But she would never speak to the people she drew. It wasn't that she was shy. She just knew what a stranger's reaction would be to her. She was only 18, not even a tween, and she was already pushing 4 foot 1, and still growing! Add her unusual height to her perpetually tanned skin, her large but hairless feet, and her almost-but-not-quite wavy hair. She was different. She knew she was. Her parents, Eliza and Merimac, used to try and explain things like 'You get it from Meriadoc The Magnificent. He was 4 feet tall' or 'You spend so much time playing outside, it's no wonder you've gotten a little more sun than most', but it was no use. She knew the story of how her parents had never had children, and low and behold, one day her mother found her in a basket, floating down the Brandywine. It was no wonder she had almost no friends.
Yes, she did have a few friends, but they were boys. Boys she'd known her whle life, and was related to in some fashion. One was Egret Took, the next in line to be Thain of the Shire. She and him had at least that one thing in common, for she was her father's only heir, meaning that if she didn't marry someone then she would be Mistress of Brandybuck Hall ( there had only been one other to hold that title, by the name of Marigold brandy buck, and she hadn't held it long, for she then married her second cousin thrice removed, who took her last name and let the rein of sucession last from father to son for generations until the present), but that was unlikely since Dawn had many relatives who were eager to snatch her inheritance away, unlike Egret. Though he came from a well to do family that was known for great courage, he was a coward. He'd run from a fight, and didn't even dare climb a tree for fear he would fall and break his neck. But she had befriended him, anyway, and she had enough courage for them both, just he had enough jolliness for them both (and to spare, for he at least had the Took family's hereditary good nature). He was also taller than most, but he only exceeded the norm by two inches.
Her other friend, well, more of an acquaintance, was Tarin Fairbairn. He was, as all his kind were, handsome and more ethereal than other hobbits, but he had taken it upon himself to betroth himself to Dawn back when they were small in spite of the fact that she had no interest in him. She still didn't, but that did not stop him from becoming her official suitor (though people thought he was loony for it, and not a good match at all).
The last of her friends, and the closest, was Danny. Danwise Bolger, one of the numerous relations that also lived in The Hall, but he stood out amongst them all. Not in any way of talent or skill mind you (for he was considered clumsy and quite shy of others), but for how he was the first to become her friend, though he was five years her senior. He had always watched out for her, been there to listen to her secrets, and she his, and he was considered just as different as she was; his father was half Baggins, and passed down his love of maps to Danny, while his mother was a Gamgee, pure and simple and born with a great love of gardening. In all truth, Dawn called Danny her heart's brother, for he alone also shared a slight curiosity for the world beyond the Shire. (It is true that Brandybucks, Fairbairns, and Tooks made a yearly pilgrimage to Gondor to visit the halls of the kings and pay respects to the last three members of the legendary Fellowship, but Dawn had never been since the journey was in winter, before Yule, and she always came down with coughing fits during winter. And since she couldn't go, neither did Danny, so he'd only been out of the Shire once in his life.)
But now, as she sat by the river, she heard familiar voices being carried across the wind.
"But she might not feel like having visitors," Danny said, worriedly.
"No fear, Danny boy," said Egret. "She seemed in a good enough mood at breakfast."
"That was before you ate her muffin," said Tarin.
"She didn't want it," Egret defended himself, "She hates blackberries."
"But it was impolite. For all your high heritage, you have no manners." "Please don't go disturbin her now. She said she didn't want to talk to anyone today," Danny begged them, but they had seen her, and soon they were standing in front of her.
Tarin made a very elaborate bow, put out his hand, and said, "Tis a pleasure to see you on this fine day, Miss Brandybuck."
"Tarin," Dawn sighed heavily with frustration, "You saw me at breakfast. I was fine then, and I'm still fine right now. And Egret, I hold you no ill will concerning that muffin. I just don't feel like talking."
"I tried to get them to leave," Danny explained as she got up and dusted off her skirts. She turned to her best friend and said, "It's quite alright. I was about to go in and sketch a few things, anyway." But they still followed her, and no wonder. She was the unofficial leader of their small company, having dragged them off into the woods time after time to go looking for trouble. But such a thing in the Shire was uncommon, and the only real adventures they'd had stemmed from climbing trees, at which her mother or Danny's would yell, 'You children get down from there! You'll fall and break your necks, and then where will you be?' (this was why Egret feared climbing so much).
But as they walked back to The Hall, two young Hobbiton lasses passed by, and Dawn heard them whisper, "That's the Giant." and "Oh my, she is the strangest thing I've ever seen." Dawn hated when others made these comments. Especially in the presence of her friends. If they ever heard those comments, they would often either start to defend her, making a scene she didn't want, or try to shower her with all her many virtues, which she wanted even less.
"You hear that boys," Egret said, "I'm a Giant!"
"Shut up, Fool of a Took," Tarin said, punching him in the arm.
"What was that for?" Egret asked, genuinely confused.
"Just stay quiet," Tarin said, "You'll offend the Lady Dawn."
"You offend her quite enough," Danny whispered beside her, making her laugh. So they headed off for luncheon
Chapter 1
She watched the small hobbit children playing as she sat on the river bank, the breeze blowing her long, wavy, black hair free from it's braid. Dawn Brandybuck love to watch other hobbits going about their daily business; it let her take in the details of their faces for later when she would recreate them in her sketch book But she would never speak to the people she drew. It wasn't that she was shy. She just knew what a stranger's reaction would be to her. She was only 18, not even a tween, and she was already pushing 4 foot 1, and still growing! Add her unusual height to her perpetually tanned skin, her large but hairless feet, and her almost-but-not-quite wavy hair. She was different. She knew she was. Her parents, Eliza and Merimac, used to try and explain things like 'You get it from Meriadoc The Magnificent. He was 4 feet tall' or 'You spend so much time playing outside, it's no wonder you've gotten a little more sun than most', but it was no use. She knew the story of how her parents had never had children, and low and behold, one day her mother found her in a basket, floating down the Brandywine. It was no wonder she had almost no friends.
Yes, she did have a few friends, but they were boys. Boys she'd known her whle life, and was related to in some fashion. One was Egret Took, the next in line to be Thain of the Shire. She and him had at least that one thing in common, for she was her father's only heir, meaning that if she didn't marry someone then she would be Mistress of Brandybuck Hall ( there had only been one other to hold that title, by the name of Marigold brandy buck, and she hadn't held it long, for she then married her second cousin thrice removed, who took her last name and let the rein of sucession last from father to son for generations until the present), but that was unlikely since Dawn had many relatives who were eager to snatch her inheritance away, unlike Egret. Though he came from a well to do family that was known for great courage, he was a coward. He'd run from a fight, and didn't even dare climb a tree for fear he would fall and break his neck. But she had befriended him, anyway, and she had enough courage for them both, just he had enough jolliness for them both (and to spare, for he at least had the Took family's hereditary good nature). He was also taller than most, but he only exceeded the norm by two inches.
Her other friend, well, more of an acquaintance, was Tarin Fairbairn. He was, as all his kind were, handsome and more ethereal than other hobbits, but he had taken it upon himself to betroth himself to Dawn back when they were small in spite of the fact that she had no interest in him. She still didn't, but that did not stop him from becoming her official suitor (though people thought he was loony for it, and not a good match at all).
The last of her friends, and the closest, was Danny. Danwise Bolger, one of the numerous relations that also lived in The Hall, but he stood out amongst them all. Not in any way of talent or skill mind you (for he was considered clumsy and quite shy of others), but for how he was the first to become her friend, though he was five years her senior. He had always watched out for her, been there to listen to her secrets, and she his, and he was considered just as different as she was; his father was half Baggins, and passed down his love of maps to Danny, while his mother was a Gamgee, pure and simple and born with a great love of gardening. In all truth, Dawn called Danny her heart's brother, for he alone also shared a slight curiosity for the world beyond the Shire. (It is true that Brandybucks, Fairbairns, and Tooks made a yearly pilgrimage to Gondor to visit the halls of the kings and pay respects to the last three members of the legendary Fellowship, but Dawn had never been since the journey was in winter, before Yule, and she always came down with coughing fits during winter. And since she couldn't go, neither did Danny, so he'd only been out of the Shire once in his life.)
But now, as she sat by the river, she heard familiar voices being carried across the wind.
"But she might not feel like having visitors," Danny said, worriedly.
"No fear, Danny boy," said Egret. "She seemed in a good enough mood at breakfast."
"That was before you ate her muffin," said Tarin.
"She didn't want it," Egret defended himself, "She hates blackberries."
"But it was impolite. For all your high heritage, you have no manners." "Please don't go disturbin her now. She said she didn't want to talk to anyone today," Danny begged them, but they had seen her, and soon they were standing in front of her.
Tarin made a very elaborate bow, put out his hand, and said, "Tis a pleasure to see you on this fine day, Miss Brandybuck."
"Tarin," Dawn sighed heavily with frustration, "You saw me at breakfast. I was fine then, and I'm still fine right now. And Egret, I hold you no ill will concerning that muffin. I just don't feel like talking."
"I tried to get them to leave," Danny explained as she got up and dusted off her skirts. She turned to her best friend and said, "It's quite alright. I was about to go in and sketch a few things, anyway." But they still followed her, and no wonder. She was the unofficial leader of their small company, having dragged them off into the woods time after time to go looking for trouble. But such a thing in the Shire was uncommon, and the only real adventures they'd had stemmed from climbing trees, at which her mother or Danny's would yell, 'You children get down from there! You'll fall and break your necks, and then where will you be?' (this was why Egret feared climbing so much).
But as they walked back to The Hall, two young Hobbiton lasses passed by, and Dawn heard them whisper, "That's the Giant." and "Oh my, she is the strangest thing I've ever seen." Dawn hated when others made these comments. Especially in the presence of her friends. If they ever heard those comments, they would often either start to defend her, making a scene she didn't want, or try to shower her with all her many virtues, which she wanted even less.
"You hear that boys," Egret said, "I'm a Giant!"
"Shut up, Fool of a Took," Tarin said, punching him in the arm.
"What was that for?" Egret asked, genuinely confused.
"Just stay quiet," Tarin said, "You'll offend the Lady Dawn."
"You offend her quite enough," Danny whispered beside her, making her laugh. So they headed off for luncheon