Disclaimer:

I owe nothing, everything belongs to mister Tolkien, who has created the wonderful books named 'the Lord of the Rings'

Chapter 7: Blue hair

"Sam! Samwise! " The yell of Rosie Gamgee went through the house and soon her husband was at her side in the hallway, " What is it?" he asked, hoping that it would not be too bad. But the look on his wife' face told him enough. It was one of happiness. "Elanor send us a letter, dear, and there is one for her friends as well." A huge smile appeared on Sam' face as well, "Let's call the children, they want to hear about their sister as well. "

Not long after that the Gamgee family was assembled in the Living Room. Most of the children were sitting on the ground. Frodo and Rose both had one of the younger children on their lap. Rosie had Tolman on her lap and was sitting on the couch. Her husband right next to her with the expected letter in his hand. "Well, it seems that Elanor has already send us a letter, who wants to hear what she has written? " That was a needless question, for all of the children wanted to hear how their sister was doing.

" Stop teasing us, dad," Frodo said, he now was the eldest child at home and he made sure that they would notice it. Rosie smiled to her eldest son and then poked Sam between his ribs, "Oi, lets hear what my daughter has been up to!" Sam laughed and slowly opened the letter; the room was completely silent except for the tearing of paper that could be heard. Carefully Sam folded open the letter and smiled when he saw the familiar handwriting. He began to read aloud to his family.

Dear everybody at home,

I miss you already! So I'm glad that I'm able to write a letter to you now. How is everybody doing? I hope that Primrose isn't feeling ill anymore. I'm doing great, except for the fact that I miss all of you. We are in Rivendell now and it is... well beautiful. What you told us dad, is just a little bit of it. I can't describe the feeling that I have when I see the house and everything else. Just Woow.

I don't really like the traveling, but Gimli keeps it funny. He told me that he only shares a horse with Legolas because he can sleep then and rest. He doesn't like traveling on horse back either. Bill is really cute! Nothing is wrong with that. Just that my back hurts and my bottom as well!

Legolas is really nice, as is Gimli. We're having a lot of fun while on the road and here in Imladris Legolas has promised me that he would teach me elvish. Isn't that cool! Then I can speak in two languages (if it is ever going to work).

I met the twin sons of Lord Elrond, they are funny, for they always try to do a prank. Not on me, luckily, but they dyed Legolas' hair blue. You should have seen his face! Now it's blond again, but sometimes it still seems like it's blue... Or it's just my imagination.

Anyway, tomorrow we are leaving for Edoras, that's the capital of Rohan. I'm really looking forward to that, but Legolas says that it is at least a 3 week journey. Can you imagine… 3 whole weeks on a pony! Gimli says that I will get used to it, but I can't really believe that now. Well. Got to get going on.

Say hello to everybody! And I will write another letter as soon as I can. If you are temped to write a letter, I think you had better send it to Gondor, I recon I will not have much time to send one while I'm in Edoras.

Miss you!

Elanor Gamgee

There was a smile on everybody' face when Sam had read the entire letter twice. " She seems to be having fun," Frodo said, smiling. Rosie smiled, " Yes, Frodo-lad, she does, now off with you! Go playing or something! " Everybody, except for Tolman and Ruby, left their parents alone to talk. They were all talking about Elanor' letter, especially the blue hair of Legolas was a good topic to talk about. But Ruby did not leave, she walked over to her daddy and looked up to him.

" Daddy? " the little girl ask, looking up to Samwise who had been re-reading the letter. " Yes dear?" Sam said, after looking to his youngest daughter, who looked up to him with her big blue eyes, " Can I go to Rifendell too? " Sam smiled and put the letter aside before lifting Ruby onto his lap, "When you are old enough and when the Queen needs another maiden of honor, you can go." Ruby nodded, she had quite a serious look on her face, which surprised Sam.

"Well, I'm 5 in 1 week, so then I'm old enough. Can I go then? " she asked all serious. Sam sighed and shook his head, " No, Ruby, when your as old as Elanor is now, or a bit older, then you may go." That did not seem to sheer up Ruby so Sam continued, " But there are lots of things to explore in the Shire, go and explore them now! " Now the child had a huge grin on her face again, " Alright! " she jumped of her fathers leg and ran out of the door.

Rosie looked to Sam, a look of worried was clearly written on her face, "If it continues like this, every daughter or son of us wants to head of for Gondor. That is not going to happen Sam!" This time it was Sam who shook his head, he wrapped an arm around his wife and smiled slightly, " No it's not..."

Not long after this the Mayor was walking down to the lake, where he hoped to find his daughters friends. He was lucky, they were there. As usual they were lying on the grass, staring up to the air, in which rain clouds began to be visible. " Lets hope it won't rain until tomorrow, " Sam thought, thinking about the work that still had to be done in the gardens of Bag End.

"Master Samwise!" Lissy said, for she had seen the Mayor coming. Immediately the three girls got up, " Is there news from Elanor? " Lily asked, looking curious. May straightened out her clothes and looked up to the Mayor as well, saying, " Did she write a letter?" The Mayor laughed and nodded, " Yes there is news from Elanor, I'v got her letter for you right here." He held out the envelop. " Could you read it to us? I mean, we can't... read, " May said, with a bit of a guilty smile on her face. " I will, come on young ladies, sit down. "

Soon the three girls were sitting on the ground, gazing to Sam who was reading the letter to them. It was much the same as the letter to the Gamgee family had been, only a bit more information on the blue hair of Legolas. Also, Elanor told them more about the elves and there Customs. These were well known in the Gamgee family, but absolutely new to the rest of the hobbits. Elanor ended with:

I hope you three will be alright without me, I can tell you that I miss you already, but that I'm looking forward to my little adventure as well... May and Lily, don't spend to much time in the corner of the Green Dragon, I'm no longer there to keep Lissy company. (joking) Just... have fun! I will write as soon as I can... please send something back?

Miss you!

Elanor Gamgee

The three girls had laughed out loud when Sam had read to them about the painting of Legolas' hair, but they were quiet by the end of the letter. " Well... " Lissy finally spoke, " Well have to send a letter to... uhm, what was it again? " Sam smiled, " Edoras, but she wrote in our letter that it will be best if you would send them to Gondor." The three girls nodded. " Thank you, Master Samwise, " The three of them said. " Your welcome, come to Bag End if you want your letter written! " Then he waves to them, before walking back up the road towards Bag End.

" She's just crazy, Elanor, that she is! " May said shaking her head, " I can't believe that she is actually having fun. And now she is asking us to send a letter back as well? " Lissy looked to her friend in surprise, " You have to be joking? Weren't you just as glad for her as Lily and me? "-- "Speak for yourself!" Lily said, she was frowning and had her arms crossed in front of her chest. " She's nuts, that's what she is. "

Lissy stared to her friends, " You aren't serious are you?" but May and Lily looked really sure of them selves, " We're not going to send of any letters to that girl, she's nuts!" With that they turned around and walked away, leaving Lissy behind alone. She was staring after them, "They really are crazy... " she muttered. Perhaps she could understand Elanor, simply because she was a Took. It was said that Tooks always had been a bit weird.

But the Gamgee family wasn't so weird now where they? It seemed that May and Lily thought they were. The two girls were standing on the bridge over the little river, "I say you that there is a curse on that hobbit hole," May said, earning a not understanding look from Lily. May rolled her eyes and continued, " That Bilbo Baggins, was crazy, and so was Frodo Baggins. Now that the Gamgee' live there, it's only normal that they are crazy as well. I mean, Master Sam is a good Mayor and all, but he acts strange sometimes... He can read for an example. And he has been gone for what? a year? "

It seemed that not only May and Lily were having this opinion about the eldest daughter of the Gamgee' leaving. Though it had nothing to do with Sam being a Mayor. He did his job wonderfully and in fact it was his third therm as the Mayor now, and he still was doing a wonderful job. But tongues were speaking about Bag End being cursed, now that Elanor had disappeared as well.

Back in Greenholm Fastred was out on the fields, working with his little brother on the land that was so precious to them. It was their way of life. They gained everything from that earth. Food of course. Everything from Mushrooms to potatoes, grew on their land. It wasn't so long ago in Fastred' mind that their father had died. He was leaning on a stick staring to the horizon. It was his brother who brought him back to the present.

"What is it Fastred?" his brother Hamfast asked him. He was a bit younger then Fastred, but no less wise. Except for the fact that he could not write or read. That was something that only Fastred could do. Why? Because his father had thought him. Fastred was the eldest child so he had to take care of things. That included writing letters, either to the Mayor or to the Thain of the Shire. Sometimes he had even had to write a letter to the Master of Buckland. But that was a rarity, the last time that a letter had been send to Buckland was when his father was still alive. And he passed away 2 years ago.

" I don't know, Hamfast," Fastred said with a slight smile. Besides their differences (Fastred was more the handsome hobbit in the Family, and Hamfast being the chubby lad) the boys were good friends. As brothers they had a great bond. " I keep thinking about some lass I met when I was in Hobbiton," Fastred continued why he looked to the stick in his hands. Hamfast had a sheepish grin on his face, "You're in love! " -- " No, I'm not! " Was the immediate reply of Fastred.

" What made you say that? " His brother smiled knowingly to him, "That look on your face, and you have not even worked half as much as you usually do. " Fastred laughed, "Well can I? And no, Hamfast, I'm not in love. " then a bell rang over the fields. It was a sound that they knew too well. " Dinner is ready!" Hamfast said joyfully, the matter which they had been discussing completely forgetting. " Lets get going! "

Not long after that the family was eating. They were just with 4 people. Hamfast, Fastred and of course their mother Rosa. It was quiet at the table when someone knocked on the door. Fastred got up, " I'll get it. " He opened the door to their little hobbit hole and was surprised to see one of the Sheriffs was standing in front of their door. " I have a message for Master Greenholm. " Fastred looked anxiously, could it be a letter from misses Gamgee? He took the letter and thanked the Sheriff, happy that it wasn't something bad.

" Who was that? " Rosa asked. Her hair, that was gray, hung in front of her face a little bit as Fastred re-entered the kitchen. " The Sheriff, he had a letter for me. I've eaten enough. I'll be in my room if you need me. " Without another word he opened the door that lead into his room, closing and locking it behind him. He sat down on his bed and opened the letter. It read:

Dear Master Greenholm,

I promised that I would write you from Gondor, but I've been able to send one earlier. Currently I am staying in Rivendell. As you might know (or not) this is a place where elves stay. Real elves, Master Greenholm. They all have long hair and it is very hard to tell their age. The ruling lords of Rivendell (respectively Elrohir and Elladan) are very kind, and you would not say it but they are 8915 years old. They still look like they are in their tweens so to say. Obviously they are a lot bigger then us hobbits.

Rivendell is beautiful, it is also called the Last Homely House (or the first, depends from what way you approach it) or Imladris. The last one is the elvish name for it. It's beautiful here, now that Fall is approaching all kind of colors can be seen in the leaves. It seems like every building fits in with nature. And everything seems so old, dear Master Greenholm, but it is old indeed. Even Lord Elladan could not tell me how long the valley had been inhabited by elves.

They drink the strangest things here. Wine they call it. It tastes bitter, and I don't like it. Legolas, that is one of my companions and an elf himself, says that no hobbit likes it. Only Bilbo Baggins (if you heard of him) did like this strange elvish liquor. So I stick to simple fruit juices for now. Gimli, my other companion (a dwarf), doesn't like the wine either, he drinks ale most of the times.

Tomorrow we are heading to Rohan, that is the land of the horse lords. Legolas had told me that it is a green country. Maybe it looks a bit like the Shire. But that I will see in three weeks. If you were temped to write a letter, then I suggest you send it to Minas Tirith (That is the big city in Gondor where I am going to stay) for I have no idea how much time we will spend in Edoras (that's the capital of Rohan). I was thinking about sending you a map, but I could not find one so quickly. So if your interested, just say so in your letters. If you still want to write.

Well I have to stop now, we are going to a feast held in our honor (Meaning Legolas' Gimli' and mine) It is a bit strange. Anyway. I hope everything is alright with your family and that you will have the crops in before Fall really sets in.

Sincerely yours,

Elanor Gamgee

For a long time Fastred read and re-read the letter until he had every detail in his head. With a smile he neatly folded it again, replacing it into the envelope. It seemed that Miss Elanor surely had had a good time in Rivendell. He sat down at his desk, got his ink and quill out and started to write a letter on a empty piece of parchment.

Dear readers,

Chapter 7 already. :) I hope you still enjoy it. Reviews are always appreciated.. so please people!

Greetzzz

Maikie