After I ate a quiet breakfast by myself and began mending Lady Arwen's dress, I heard a soft tap on my bedroom door. I bid the knocker to enter and the great wizard walked calmly through the door. He seemed to be a little more at peace than he had been the previous night and when he saw me, he smiled faintly.
"Good morning, Gandalf."
"Good morning to you as well Berythna. Frodo is not awake yet and will not need your service today, but he is much better. Lord Elrond removed a splinter last night and he is in better health, but he must rest. I will announce when he is awake so that you may start your duties."
I bowed gracefully as he took his leave and turned my attention back to Arwen's dress.
There is not much to tell about that day. It was just a normal day in Rivendell and I began counting down the days until I would travel into the West to live forever in the Undying Lands. I had yet to tell Lady Arwen, but I wanted to wait a while longer.
When evening arrived, Aragorn and three other hobbits arrived in Rivendell. They had been traveling all day and wanted nothing more than rest and food. I was asked to attend to their needs and did it graciously. Lord Aragorn accepted the food I served with a "thank you" and a nod to me. The three hobbits however couldn't seem to keep their eyes away from me and I smiled as Aragorn began telling them a little about myself as I left the room to retrieve more food. I remembered from my days in the Shire that hobbits ate a lot when there was food to be found, but I had almost forgotten just how much they could stomach during a meal.
When I returned with the food, I learned their names were Merry, Pippin and Sam. Apparently, Sam was Frodo's personal servant and would take care of him. I objected to this and said that I had been asked and that I should fulfill my duty, but Sam insisted on taking care of his master.
"You are in Rivendell, Sam," Aragorn said. "You need your rest as well as the rest of us. Berythna is part elvish and does not require rest as we mortals do." He smiled at this. "You should let Berythna do her job. She lives here in Rivendell, but you have never seen it's beauty and I believe you would enjoy its elvish glory. Rest here, Samwise. You will need it for later journeys and you can care for your master in later journeys as well."
"Yes, Master Gamgee, please rest," I replied. "I can care for Master Baggins during his time here in Rivendell. You don't need to worry."
Sam admitted that it would be nice to explore Rivendell and let me accept the duty of caring for his master.
During the next couple of days while Frodo still slept, I gave the other three hobbits a tour of Rivendell, showing them the immense beauty of the elves. For the most part, all three hobbits were very shy of me and would hardly even glance at me. Yet I caught Sam staring for quite some time as we sat under a tree taking lunch. I pretended that I didn't notice, but I imagined they had never seen anything such as a creature who was part hobbit and part elvish. Perhaps they had heard the legend and were wondering if they had stepped into a fairytale.
On October Twenty-Fourth, Gandalf came rushing downstairs into the dining area where Aragorn and the three hobbits were having a small lunch.
"Frodo is awake."
"How is he?" Aragorn asked anxiously.
"Remarkably well."
"May I see him, Gandalf?" Sam asked as he rose from the table.
"We all want to," Pippin remarked.
"Of course. You all shall see him."
One after another, Sam leading the way, they all filed upstairs to see their friend as I stayed behind and continued to serve Lord Aragorn his lunch. At that moment, Lady Arwen came down from her quarters and she and Lord Aragorn left for a mid-afternoon walk through the countryside. Moments later, the wizard returned and announced that Frodo wanted something to eat.
I fixed him a small plate of deer meat and fresh vegetables, filled a glass with water and ascended the steps to his room.
When I arrived, I knocked and I heard Gandalf's raspy voice say, "Enter, Berythna."
When I entered, I saw Gandalf sitting on the far side of the bed and the three hobbits on the bed itself talking with another hobbit who was sitting against the back of the headboard with his left shoulder bandaged. When I drew closer to his bedside, I caught my first real glimpse of this hobbit. He was taller than the rest with fair skin completed with dark hair and clear blue eyes that pierced my heart when he turned his attention to me.
"Ah, Frodo, this is Berythna, the part hobbit and elf creature that Sam has talked about so frequently during the past few days."
Sam blushed immensely at this and Gandalf laughed heartily.
"Master Baggins, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"The pleasure is all mine," he answered. His voice was very fair for a normal hobbit voice. He looked to be more elvish than hobbit himself. "I see you were right, Sam," I heard him whisper and then turned his attention back to me. "Sam told me that you had hair so yellow it was almost a silvery white. He has complemented your elvish face and form, which I see has not been exaggeration after all. I'm sorry I doubted you, Sam." He smiled at this and Sam blushed.
He accepted the platter of food and water graciously.
"Why don't we leave Frodo to eat in peace?" Gandalf asked as he rose and the other three hobbits tumbled off the bed. "Berythna, this room needs to be straightened. It's an absolute mess, which is mostly my fault. Would you mind?"
"Not at all."
"Thank you."
After they left, I began performing my duties and after a while, the room was perfect once more. Frodo had long since finished his meal and was sitting up in bed watching my every move. I glanced up at him and he hastily turned away and blushed. I actually blushed as well.
"Do you require anything else, Master Baggins?"
"No, thank you, Berythna."
I nodded, took the platter and glass from him, and made a hasty retreat downstairs and into the kitchen area where two elves were talking about the war starting in the East.
"What does this hobbit have in possession that is so valuable?" I heard one ask in native elvish.
"I know not," the other answered as he shook his head. "I only know that Lord Elrond has called a council sometime in the near future to decide what is to be done. I do not know what it will entail, but I have been invited to attend. It shall take place when the ill hobbit is well enough to attend. It has to do with him immensely I believe. Why the fate of Middle-Earth is in the hands of a hobbit, I do not know."
I left and retreated to my room before I could hear anymore.
That evening, I fixed a rather large supper for Frodo. Knocking before I entered, I found Frodo sitting up in his bed, holding his left shoulder in pain.
"Good evening, Master Baggins."
"Good evening."
"Are you in pain?"
"I will be fine, thank you."
He removed his hand from his shoulder and began to eat his dinner. I rose to leave him when he said, "I am very lonely. Will you stay with me and keep me company?"
I swiftly turned back around to see that he was quite serious and I nodded in agreement that I would stay. I walked around to the other side of his bed and sat in the large chair Gandalf had sat in that afternoon.
"Sam tells me that you are the living legend that we have heard so much about in the Shire."
"And what legend would that be pray?"
He smiled half-knowingly as he took a bite of mushroom. I had almost forgotten how these hobbits hoard their precious mushrooms.
"You know the legend I am speaking of. An elf marrying a hobbit lass back before any recorded history of the Shire. Your parents used to live in the Shire, did they not?"
"Yes, I was born in the Shire, but my parents must be long dead. I am beyond many mortal years."
"I am aware of that."
"What about you? Why are you here in Rivendell?"
"You must not ask."
He barely looked at me but whether it was because he was astounded by my elvish beauty and grace or whether it was because he was too preoccupied by his food, I couldn't tell. Either way, I was too taken aback by how much I was beginning to have feelings for this small witless halfling. I had never felt feelings such as this as long as I could remember.
"I apologize," I answered hastily.
"Thank you for the food. It was very good."
He pushed the platter aside and then really looked at me. I gazed back into his incredibly blue eyes and almost lost my breath as he smiled softly.
"I really should leave you to rest or Gandalf may be upset with me," I exclaimed as calmly as I could as I gathered the empty platter and glass.
"Thank you for your company, but I am really feeling rather good. I think tomorrow morning I shall like a look around, if you are willing to guide me."
I agreed almost too eagerly and then turned around to leave. I could feel the weight of his eyes on me as I left his room in silence.