The Sight
Sam knew he shouldn't approach the forest all alone, but every time he passed near by, he remembered Bilbo Baggins´ stories, and he almost expected any wonders coming out from there at any moment. Actually he always ended up running frightened to escape from the forest's dominion after some minutes letting his imagination take the best of him.
He was just a gardener's son and, as such, he must "keep his feet on real ground", as his Gaffer used to say. But when he didn't helped his father with Mr Bilbo's gardens, Sam liked to go searching for little animals or new plants because he knew inside that he would discover a new species one day or the other, maybe a wonderful creature that other hobbits weren't so attentive to see.
That day in early Autumn, the young prentice was at it. His eyes grew wide when he thought he had discovered a rare blue azalea, but he was soon disappointed "Sam, you, ninnyhamer, don't you even know a petunia when you see one?". He shook his head and walked one step too much without looking where he was going to.When Sam lifted his head, he was into the forest.
Well, it wasn't a forest as we know one, and it wasn't The Shire's border either, but for little Sam, this was the west end of his known world.
He marvelled at the sight of that new place and forgot his parents' advice not to venture there alone. It seemed to Samwise that those trees reached so high that he couldn't see the sun light properly. Without realizing it, Sam left the path to Bag-Shot row and entered deeper in what he thought was the wild world.
"Shreeeek!", shouted a big bird, probably startled by Sam's approach. The young hobbit startled as well. He looked all around in fear -"Oh, where am I?"-, and began to run desperately, until he was aware that he didn´t know the right direction to Hobbiton. The poor boy knelt and searched for any traces of the path among the numerous leaves on the ground, but there wasn´t a way any more and a lump formed in his throat. Sam´s heart raced. "SillySamwise, what will you do now?. You are not a hero like Mr Bilbo was, and sensible hobbits don't come this way if there's not need, you´ll dye here!". Then he covered his face with his hands and wept, feeling defeat.
Samwise didn´t know how long passed until he felt as if the last sun ray touched his hands and he looked up cautiously ."Oh", a shadow stood before him, and when the stranger moved slightly, Sam's eyes grew wide. "Then it is true…" he whispered in wonder as it was an elf who stood before his very eyes, exactly as he always imagined they would look like. The tall creature offered Sam his slender hand and said in a clear voice: "don't fear, come with me".Sam didn't know why but he trusted the mysterious elf and followed him until he recognized the path that led to home and got in the open. He was surprised to find out that it was dark also outside the forest… "Can you go on alone?" asked the elf. "Yes, yes sir". The magical being nodded at him and Sam approached his house door, looking back from time to time to the smiling elf. Just when Sam grabed the door´s knob he glanced back one last time, but his companion had disappeared.
Sam knew that he would get a scoulding from the Gaffer for being out too late for a young hobbit, but received a harder one when he tried to explain that he met an elf.
- "Samwise Gamgee, do you thing I'm a fool?. Tomorrow you´ll come with me to work at Mr Bilbo´s garden the whole day. Contact with plain earth is what you need".
So that's how Sam and his Gaffer headed to Bag End the next morning. When they reached the Hill, Mr Bilbo was already out to welcome them and that wasn´t usual at all. Sam frowned and looked up to his father who said: "Oh, yes, I almost forgot…Mind your manners Sam".
- "Hamfast, Samwise!", Mr Bilbo greeted them joyfully –"I'd like to introduce you to someone very dear to me". Gaffer Gamyee nodded at that and took his hat off, he made a warning gesture to his son and they followed Mr Bilbo inside. There, beside the Master of Bag End, stood the very elf that saved Sam!.
- "This is my young cousin Frodo Baggins".
Not an elf name indeed.
-"…and Frodo, this is Samwise. I´m sure you´ll become great friends".Mr Bilbo finished, somehow proudly.
- "Pleased to meet you, again" –replied Frodo with a broad smile.
Sam didn't know what was expected from him, so he just nodded and, after eying his father, replied very carefully "Mr. Frodo".
This Mr. Frodo wasn't certainly so tall as Sam have thought in the woods, but the young gardner-to-be felt that this was a special creature somehow and he didn't mean to miss all the wonders that surely were to come. So he couldn´t help a smile and, following his own thoughts, he said when the others were already retreting: "Thank you, Sir".
Mr.Bilbo and the Gaffer looked back at him, confused, but they soon went back and resumed their conversation.
It was then that the elf-hobbit looked Sam in the eye nostalgic like, as if reading something that Sam couldn't guess and, surprisingly, he whispered "Thanks to you".