Disclaimer: Me? Own The Lord of the Rings? Yeah, right.
A/N: Thank you to those who have been reading. And I think I should tell you right now that I will be messing with the timeline a little bit to suit the story. I mean, let's face it, most people don't develop instant bonds and instant trust for each other.
ChibiConfettiQueen: No, she hasn't seen the movie. In fact, for this story I want you to pretend that the movie doesn't exist. At least to Valora. She doesn't know anything that's going to happen. I wanted to keep her knowledge of Middle-Earth to a bare minimum. I thought that would make things more interesting. Pretty much the extent of her knowledge is revealed in this chapter and maybe a little in the next chapter.
KaterinaKasdorf: I'm trying not to fall into too many traps here. She will develop a bit of a bond with Gandalf, but it won't exactly be a father- daughter type of thing. The bond will mostly come from the fact that he's the one who found her. There will be moments of serious irritation with each other. Valora will develop some strong bonds with several characters, though. But that's going to take a while. Also, I didn't think it was too important to show everyone's reactions to her clothes. Besides, with this girl, they're gonna have more important things to deal with than her clothes.
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Valora had been traveling with Gandalf for nearly two days now. She sat on his left side as he drove the wagon.
After she had fainted, Galdalf had stopped to make camp for the night. He had watched over her until she woke up and found, to her horror, that it hadn't been a dream. He'd been very kind to her, allowing her to camp with him for the night and giving her food. After that, he'd found himself hard pressed to just leave her alone in the middle of the wilderness, though it was tempting, considering she was claiming to be from another world. But, other than that, she seemed sane enough. So, he had offered to take her with him to the Shire.
Valora had been reluctant to accept his generosity. First of all, she didn't like charity, or pity cases as she called them. Second, she didn't really want to be here at all. She wanted to go home. She had hoped that Gandalf might know a way to help her get out of here, but... Well, he hadn't seemed to buy her story of being sucked into a book. Partly because she wouldn't elaborate about the book in question. She couldn't. She didn't have the heart to tell him that he wasn't real in her world. So, she had hesitated to take him up on his offer. But, in the long run, she didn't really have a choice. There was no way she wanted to be out in the wild alone and she didn't have anyone else to trust. So, here she was, on the road to the Shire with Gandalf the Grey. And, though Gandalf hadn't said much about it, she knew exactly where they were going. To Bilbo Baggins's birthday party.
Gandalf was humming that blasted song again. It was driving her nuts. She had liked it at first, but Gandalf hummed and sang it so often that Valora was about ready to rip her hair out. But she didn't want to say anything about it. Gandalf had gone out of his way to be nice to her and she wasn't about to repay him by telling him to shut the hell up. Anymore than she would ask him to stop smoking that pipe of his around her. That problem, thankfully, had already been taken care of. Gandalf had noticed that she tried not to cough whenever a puff of smoke drifted into her face and was now avoiding blowing the smoke in her direction. Some smoke occasionally still drifted over to her, but she could deal with it.
"You're late," stated a voice.
Gandalf stopped the wagon. "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins," he said, looking up at the Hobbit that stood on the small ridge on the side of the road. "Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Valora gave Gandalf a strange look. Alrighty. Never late and never early. Okay. She pressed her lips together to contain the smile at the absurdness of the statement.
Frodo and Gandalf both began to laugh. Frodo suddenly launched himself at Gandalf, who laughed even more as he caught him. "It's wonderful to see you, Gandalf!"
"You don't think I'd miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday?"
Frodo smiled, but it faded a little when he finally noticed Valora. She smiled timidly and a little nervously back at him. What was Gandalf doing traveling with a girl?
"Oh, where are my manners?" said Gandalf. "Frodo Baggins, meet Miss Valora Caley."
"Hello," he said, giving her a warm smile.
"Hi."
Frodo settled on the other side of Gandalf and they were off again. "So, how is the old rascal?" Gandalf asked Frodo. "I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence."
"You know Bilbo. He's got the whole place in an uproar."
Gandald snorted. "Well, that should please him."
"Half the Shire's been invited. And the rest of them are turning up anyway." He and Gandalf both laughed. Valora had to smile a little. She didn't feel very comfortable joining in on their conversation or laughter. Instead, she looked with interest at the Hobbits working in the fields and in their yards. They had such quaint little houses.
"To tell you the truth, Bilbo's been a bit odd lately," Frodo admitted, frowning slightly. "I mean, more than usual. He's taken to locking himself in his study. He spends hours and hours poring over old maps when he thinks I'm not looking." His frown deepened. "He's up to something."
"Indeed?" muttered Gandalf.
Frodo looked up at him suspiciously. Gandalf immediately turned his head forward and plastered an innocent look on his face. That look alone was enough to arouse the suspicions of both his companions.
"Alright, then, keep your secrets," said Frodo, smiling slightly.
"What?" asked Gandalf, turning to look down at him.
"But I know you have something to do with it."
"Good gracious, me?"
"Before you came along, we Bagginses were very well thought of."
"Indeed."
"Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected."
"If you're referring to that incident with the dragon, I was barely involved." Noting that both Frodo and Valora were looking at him as if they didn't believe a word of what he was saying, he added, "All I did was... give your uncle a little nudge out of the door."
Valora snorted. She may not have ever finished reading this book, or even read The Hobbit, but she did remember seeing the cartoon movie of The Hobbit when she was young. A nudge? More like an all out shove. Gandalf looked at her, but she was saved from any questioning by Frodo.
"Whatever you did," he told him, "you've been officially labeled a disturber of the peace."
"Oh, really?" Gandalf looked to the nearest house. The two Hobbits in the yard looked up at him as they passed by. They both scowled.
Great, thought Valora. As if the Hobbits weren't going to be giving her enough strange looks because of her jeans, grey v-neck t-shirt, combat boots and the simple fact that she was human. Now she had to worry about being associated with a "disturber of the peace."
"Gandalf! Gandalf!" The shouts were coming from a group of children. They began running after the wagon, calling for fireworks. When Gandalf didn't respond, they began groaning in disappointment. Valora jumped when a few small fireworks went off from the back of the wagon. The children cheered. Frodo and Gandalf laughed. Valora had a sneaking suspicion that they were laughing just as much at her for jumping as they were at the children's delight. She couldn't help herself. She laughed with them.
Frodo stood to leave.
"Frodo, take Valora and show her around the Shire a bit, would you?" asked Gandalf. "I'd like to visit with your uncle."
Frodo nodded. "Of course."
Valora stood as well, preparing to jump off the wagon. "I'll see you later then, Gandalf."
"Gandalf," said Frodo, "I'm glad you're back." He jumped off the wagon, Valora doing the same on the opposite side.
"So am I, dear boy," assured Gandalf, waving as they walked away. "So am I."
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They didn't see Gandalf again until the party that night. Frodo had spent most of his afternoon showing Valora around Hobbiton. She had loved the tour. He had even introduced her to some of his friends and neighbors. Though they were a bit wary, as Hobbits tended to be of other creatures, most of them seemed to like the somewhat shy girl. Frodo and Valora got along quite well themselves. He had invited her to Bilbo's party. She had thanked him and told him that she would have gone anyway, as she had agreed to help Gandalf with his fireworks, but she appreciated the invitation.
Valora had never really been one for parties, but she had to admit that she was having fun. Just watching the Hobbits celebrating was an entertaining activity. She honestly didn't understand how they could possibly eat and drink so much, though. They were so little, yet each one seemed capable of putting away enough food for several grown men. And she was amazed that they weren't all completely drunk with the amount of ale they drank. Valora herself was mostly helping Gandalf set off his fireworks, which were like nothing she'd ever seen before.
Valora had to smile as she saw Samwise Gamgee, a young Hobbit Frodo had introduced her to earlier, sneaking glances at a pretty girl Hobbit. Sam had struck her as a bit shy and soft-spoken when she'd met him. He was very sweet to her. She fought the urge to laugh as she watched Frodo literally push Sam out onto the dance floor and into the arms of the Hobbit he had been watching.
She frowned when she went to get a few more fireworks for Gandalf. They seemed to be in a different order than they had left them in and a few of them looked a little squashed. Her frown deepened when she realized she couldn't find a particular firework that was shaped like a dragon. She had asked Gandalf what that firework would do, but he had told her he would explain later, or maybe even use it. She made her way back over to him, carrying a few fireworks in her arms. Setting them down, she looked up at him. "Gandalf, did you take that dragon-shaped firework?"
He gave her an odd look. "No. I told you that if I used it, it would not be until later."
"Well, it's not there anymore." She gestured towards the cart.
"Are you quite sure?"
"I couldn't find it anywhe-" She was cut off when a tent suddenly took off into the sky. The telltale sound of a firework launching went with it. "I think I know where it went," she said.
Gandalf nodded.
The firework flew high into the sky. When it burst, it took on the form of a very lifelike giant red dragon, which swooped down close to the ground. The Hobbits began to panic, rushing to get out of the dragon's way. The dragon flew right over them as they ducked down and continued to the horizon. There, it burst into one of the most spectacular firework displays anyone had ever seen. The Hobbits quickly forgot their previous fear and began clapping and cheering.
Valora noticed two Hobbits standing where the tent had once been. They were covered in soot. She quickly pointed them out to Gandalf, who was not looking very pleased at the moment. He stalked over, moved behind them and took a hold of one of each of their ears. "Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took," he said. "I might have known."
Valora tried not to laugh as she watched Gandalf put the two to work washing dishes. In all honesty, she had been tempted to set off that firework herself, just to see what it would do. But she had decided against it, not wanting to risk the wizard's wrath. Obviously, those two hadn't thought that far ahead. If they had thought at all. How stupid could they have been, setting it off inside a tent? Sheesh. Still, she had to complement Gandalf on the coolest firework display she had ever seen, and probably ever would see, in her life. That had seemed to lighten him up slightly, but he was still not happy with the two Hobbits.
After a time, everyone began calling for a speech from Bilbo. Valora watched with mild interest from the cart, which she had now been asked to guard. She lost interest quickly, though she continued to watch. She became interested again when she saw him reach into his pocket and then hide his hands behind his back. What was he up to? She found out soon enough, when he bid everyone farewell and vanished into thin air.
The Ring. Of course. She remembered from what she'd read and that old movie that the Ring granted its wearer invisibility. All the guests were in an uproar. That had been an awfully mean trick. Funny, but mean.
When she looked around and didn't see Gandalf anywhere, she remembered that he had gone to speak with Bilbo. There would be an argument about the Ring. She felt a little guilty, not telling Gandalf about the Ring. But, she had decided it would be best not to. She didn't want to upset the balance of the story. Besides, she didn't know all that much to begin with, since she'd never gotten very far into the book.
After a while, she decided she could leave the cart. No one was going to mess with the remaining fireworks after Bilbo's little disappearing act. Knowing she wouldn't find Gandalf, she went in search of Frodo. "Frodo, have you seen Gandalf?" she asked when she found him, pretending clulessness. "I can't find him anywhere."
"He's probably with Bilbo. Come with me." He led her off in the direction of Bag End.
When they reached the house, Frodo ran in excitedly. "Bilbo!" he called. He got no answer. Looking down, he spotted the Ring on the floor. Frowning, he picked it up. Seeing Gandalf sitting by the fire, he approached him. "He's gone hasn't he?" he asked a bit sadly. "He talked for so long about leaving. I didn't think he'd really do it." Gandalf said nothing to either Frodo or Valora. He just kept staring at the fire while smoking his pipe and muttering to himself. "Gandalf?" asked Frodo.
Gandalf finally turned around to look at him. "Bilbo's ring," he said, glancing at Frodo's hand. "He's gone to stay with the elves. He's left you Bag End." He held out an envelope to Frodo, who placed the Ring in it, looking a little confused. "Along with all of his possessions," said Gandalf, sealing the envelope with wax. "The ring is yours now." He handed the envelope to Frodo. "Keep it somewhere out of sight." Then he got up and went hastily to the door.
"Where are you going?" asked Frodo, trailing behind him. Valora was at his heels.
"There are things I must see to."
"What things?"
"Questions. Questions that need answering."
"But you've only just arrived," protested Frodo. "I don't understand."
Gandalf stopped and turned around. "Neither do I." He noticed Valora. He'd forgotten about her. Looking from her to Frodo and back, he said, "Valora, I want you to stay here with Frodo."
"What?" she asked, bewildered.
"Stay here with Frodo."
"Gandalf," she stammered in protest, "you can't just dump me on Frodo."
"Stay here," he repeated firmly. "I will be back, but now I must go and I can't take you with me." Turning back to Frodo, he laid a hand on his shoulder. "Keep it secret. Keep it safe." He left them.
After a few moments of silence, the two looked at each other. Valora gave him a very weak and somewhat nervous smile, which he didn't return. "Um, I'm sorry about this Frodo," she said finally. "I don't have to stay here if-"
He cut her off with a wave of his hand. He knew very well that she had nowhere else to go and he wasn't about to turn her out. "I don't mind," he assured her.
"Thank you." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "When do you think he'll be back?"
"I don't know. He comes and goes as he pleases." He paused. "I'll show you to a room you can sleep in."
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I'm not getting many reviews. That's cool. If no one wants to read my story, it's fine. It's just kind of depressing to see some stories getting like 20 reviews per chapter and I get like 4 per chapter. I don't need reviews. (Silence) Oh, who am I kidding? *PLEASE* review?!
A/N: Thank you to those who have been reading. And I think I should tell you right now that I will be messing with the timeline a little bit to suit the story. I mean, let's face it, most people don't develop instant bonds and instant trust for each other.
ChibiConfettiQueen: No, she hasn't seen the movie. In fact, for this story I want you to pretend that the movie doesn't exist. At least to Valora. She doesn't know anything that's going to happen. I wanted to keep her knowledge of Middle-Earth to a bare minimum. I thought that would make things more interesting. Pretty much the extent of her knowledge is revealed in this chapter and maybe a little in the next chapter.
KaterinaKasdorf: I'm trying not to fall into too many traps here. She will develop a bit of a bond with Gandalf, but it won't exactly be a father- daughter type of thing. The bond will mostly come from the fact that he's the one who found her. There will be moments of serious irritation with each other. Valora will develop some strong bonds with several characters, though. But that's going to take a while. Also, I didn't think it was too important to show everyone's reactions to her clothes. Besides, with this girl, they're gonna have more important things to deal with than her clothes.
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Valora had been traveling with Gandalf for nearly two days now. She sat on his left side as he drove the wagon.
After she had fainted, Galdalf had stopped to make camp for the night. He had watched over her until she woke up and found, to her horror, that it hadn't been a dream. He'd been very kind to her, allowing her to camp with him for the night and giving her food. After that, he'd found himself hard pressed to just leave her alone in the middle of the wilderness, though it was tempting, considering she was claiming to be from another world. But, other than that, she seemed sane enough. So, he had offered to take her with him to the Shire.
Valora had been reluctant to accept his generosity. First of all, she didn't like charity, or pity cases as she called them. Second, she didn't really want to be here at all. She wanted to go home. She had hoped that Gandalf might know a way to help her get out of here, but... Well, he hadn't seemed to buy her story of being sucked into a book. Partly because she wouldn't elaborate about the book in question. She couldn't. She didn't have the heart to tell him that he wasn't real in her world. So, she had hesitated to take him up on his offer. But, in the long run, she didn't really have a choice. There was no way she wanted to be out in the wild alone and she didn't have anyone else to trust. So, here she was, on the road to the Shire with Gandalf the Grey. And, though Gandalf hadn't said much about it, she knew exactly where they were going. To Bilbo Baggins's birthday party.
Gandalf was humming that blasted song again. It was driving her nuts. She had liked it at first, but Gandalf hummed and sang it so often that Valora was about ready to rip her hair out. But she didn't want to say anything about it. Gandalf had gone out of his way to be nice to her and she wasn't about to repay him by telling him to shut the hell up. Anymore than she would ask him to stop smoking that pipe of his around her. That problem, thankfully, had already been taken care of. Gandalf had noticed that she tried not to cough whenever a puff of smoke drifted into her face and was now avoiding blowing the smoke in her direction. Some smoke occasionally still drifted over to her, but she could deal with it.
"You're late," stated a voice.
Gandalf stopped the wagon. "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins," he said, looking up at the Hobbit that stood on the small ridge on the side of the road. "Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Valora gave Gandalf a strange look. Alrighty. Never late and never early. Okay. She pressed her lips together to contain the smile at the absurdness of the statement.
Frodo and Gandalf both began to laugh. Frodo suddenly launched himself at Gandalf, who laughed even more as he caught him. "It's wonderful to see you, Gandalf!"
"You don't think I'd miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday?"
Frodo smiled, but it faded a little when he finally noticed Valora. She smiled timidly and a little nervously back at him. What was Gandalf doing traveling with a girl?
"Oh, where are my manners?" said Gandalf. "Frodo Baggins, meet Miss Valora Caley."
"Hello," he said, giving her a warm smile.
"Hi."
Frodo settled on the other side of Gandalf and they were off again. "So, how is the old rascal?" Gandalf asked Frodo. "I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence."
"You know Bilbo. He's got the whole place in an uproar."
Gandald snorted. "Well, that should please him."
"Half the Shire's been invited. And the rest of them are turning up anyway." He and Gandalf both laughed. Valora had to smile a little. She didn't feel very comfortable joining in on their conversation or laughter. Instead, she looked with interest at the Hobbits working in the fields and in their yards. They had such quaint little houses.
"To tell you the truth, Bilbo's been a bit odd lately," Frodo admitted, frowning slightly. "I mean, more than usual. He's taken to locking himself in his study. He spends hours and hours poring over old maps when he thinks I'm not looking." His frown deepened. "He's up to something."
"Indeed?" muttered Gandalf.
Frodo looked up at him suspiciously. Gandalf immediately turned his head forward and plastered an innocent look on his face. That look alone was enough to arouse the suspicions of both his companions.
"Alright, then, keep your secrets," said Frodo, smiling slightly.
"What?" asked Gandalf, turning to look down at him.
"But I know you have something to do with it."
"Good gracious, me?"
"Before you came along, we Bagginses were very well thought of."
"Indeed."
"Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected."
"If you're referring to that incident with the dragon, I was barely involved." Noting that both Frodo and Valora were looking at him as if they didn't believe a word of what he was saying, he added, "All I did was... give your uncle a little nudge out of the door."
Valora snorted. She may not have ever finished reading this book, or even read The Hobbit, but she did remember seeing the cartoon movie of The Hobbit when she was young. A nudge? More like an all out shove. Gandalf looked at her, but she was saved from any questioning by Frodo.
"Whatever you did," he told him, "you've been officially labeled a disturber of the peace."
"Oh, really?" Gandalf looked to the nearest house. The two Hobbits in the yard looked up at him as they passed by. They both scowled.
Great, thought Valora. As if the Hobbits weren't going to be giving her enough strange looks because of her jeans, grey v-neck t-shirt, combat boots and the simple fact that she was human. Now she had to worry about being associated with a "disturber of the peace."
"Gandalf! Gandalf!" The shouts were coming from a group of children. They began running after the wagon, calling for fireworks. When Gandalf didn't respond, they began groaning in disappointment. Valora jumped when a few small fireworks went off from the back of the wagon. The children cheered. Frodo and Gandalf laughed. Valora had a sneaking suspicion that they were laughing just as much at her for jumping as they were at the children's delight. She couldn't help herself. She laughed with them.
Frodo stood to leave.
"Frodo, take Valora and show her around the Shire a bit, would you?" asked Gandalf. "I'd like to visit with your uncle."
Frodo nodded. "Of course."
Valora stood as well, preparing to jump off the wagon. "I'll see you later then, Gandalf."
"Gandalf," said Frodo, "I'm glad you're back." He jumped off the wagon, Valora doing the same on the opposite side.
"So am I, dear boy," assured Gandalf, waving as they walked away. "So am I."
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They didn't see Gandalf again until the party that night. Frodo had spent most of his afternoon showing Valora around Hobbiton. She had loved the tour. He had even introduced her to some of his friends and neighbors. Though they were a bit wary, as Hobbits tended to be of other creatures, most of them seemed to like the somewhat shy girl. Frodo and Valora got along quite well themselves. He had invited her to Bilbo's party. She had thanked him and told him that she would have gone anyway, as she had agreed to help Gandalf with his fireworks, but she appreciated the invitation.
Valora had never really been one for parties, but she had to admit that she was having fun. Just watching the Hobbits celebrating was an entertaining activity. She honestly didn't understand how they could possibly eat and drink so much, though. They were so little, yet each one seemed capable of putting away enough food for several grown men. And she was amazed that they weren't all completely drunk with the amount of ale they drank. Valora herself was mostly helping Gandalf set off his fireworks, which were like nothing she'd ever seen before.
Valora had to smile as she saw Samwise Gamgee, a young Hobbit Frodo had introduced her to earlier, sneaking glances at a pretty girl Hobbit. Sam had struck her as a bit shy and soft-spoken when she'd met him. He was very sweet to her. She fought the urge to laugh as she watched Frodo literally push Sam out onto the dance floor and into the arms of the Hobbit he had been watching.
She frowned when she went to get a few more fireworks for Gandalf. They seemed to be in a different order than they had left them in and a few of them looked a little squashed. Her frown deepened when she realized she couldn't find a particular firework that was shaped like a dragon. She had asked Gandalf what that firework would do, but he had told her he would explain later, or maybe even use it. She made her way back over to him, carrying a few fireworks in her arms. Setting them down, she looked up at him. "Gandalf, did you take that dragon-shaped firework?"
He gave her an odd look. "No. I told you that if I used it, it would not be until later."
"Well, it's not there anymore." She gestured towards the cart.
"Are you quite sure?"
"I couldn't find it anywhe-" She was cut off when a tent suddenly took off into the sky. The telltale sound of a firework launching went with it. "I think I know where it went," she said.
Gandalf nodded.
The firework flew high into the sky. When it burst, it took on the form of a very lifelike giant red dragon, which swooped down close to the ground. The Hobbits began to panic, rushing to get out of the dragon's way. The dragon flew right over them as they ducked down and continued to the horizon. There, it burst into one of the most spectacular firework displays anyone had ever seen. The Hobbits quickly forgot their previous fear and began clapping and cheering.
Valora noticed two Hobbits standing where the tent had once been. They were covered in soot. She quickly pointed them out to Gandalf, who was not looking very pleased at the moment. He stalked over, moved behind them and took a hold of one of each of their ears. "Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took," he said. "I might have known."
Valora tried not to laugh as she watched Gandalf put the two to work washing dishes. In all honesty, she had been tempted to set off that firework herself, just to see what it would do. But she had decided against it, not wanting to risk the wizard's wrath. Obviously, those two hadn't thought that far ahead. If they had thought at all. How stupid could they have been, setting it off inside a tent? Sheesh. Still, she had to complement Gandalf on the coolest firework display she had ever seen, and probably ever would see, in her life. That had seemed to lighten him up slightly, but he was still not happy with the two Hobbits.
After a time, everyone began calling for a speech from Bilbo. Valora watched with mild interest from the cart, which she had now been asked to guard. She lost interest quickly, though she continued to watch. She became interested again when she saw him reach into his pocket and then hide his hands behind his back. What was he up to? She found out soon enough, when he bid everyone farewell and vanished into thin air.
The Ring. Of course. She remembered from what she'd read and that old movie that the Ring granted its wearer invisibility. All the guests were in an uproar. That had been an awfully mean trick. Funny, but mean.
When she looked around and didn't see Gandalf anywhere, she remembered that he had gone to speak with Bilbo. There would be an argument about the Ring. She felt a little guilty, not telling Gandalf about the Ring. But, she had decided it would be best not to. She didn't want to upset the balance of the story. Besides, she didn't know all that much to begin with, since she'd never gotten very far into the book.
After a while, she decided she could leave the cart. No one was going to mess with the remaining fireworks after Bilbo's little disappearing act. Knowing she wouldn't find Gandalf, she went in search of Frodo. "Frodo, have you seen Gandalf?" she asked when she found him, pretending clulessness. "I can't find him anywhere."
"He's probably with Bilbo. Come with me." He led her off in the direction of Bag End.
When they reached the house, Frodo ran in excitedly. "Bilbo!" he called. He got no answer. Looking down, he spotted the Ring on the floor. Frowning, he picked it up. Seeing Gandalf sitting by the fire, he approached him. "He's gone hasn't he?" he asked a bit sadly. "He talked for so long about leaving. I didn't think he'd really do it." Gandalf said nothing to either Frodo or Valora. He just kept staring at the fire while smoking his pipe and muttering to himself. "Gandalf?" asked Frodo.
Gandalf finally turned around to look at him. "Bilbo's ring," he said, glancing at Frodo's hand. "He's gone to stay with the elves. He's left you Bag End." He held out an envelope to Frodo, who placed the Ring in it, looking a little confused. "Along with all of his possessions," said Gandalf, sealing the envelope with wax. "The ring is yours now." He handed the envelope to Frodo. "Keep it somewhere out of sight." Then he got up and went hastily to the door.
"Where are you going?" asked Frodo, trailing behind him. Valora was at his heels.
"There are things I must see to."
"What things?"
"Questions. Questions that need answering."
"But you've only just arrived," protested Frodo. "I don't understand."
Gandalf stopped and turned around. "Neither do I." He noticed Valora. He'd forgotten about her. Looking from her to Frodo and back, he said, "Valora, I want you to stay here with Frodo."
"What?" she asked, bewildered.
"Stay here with Frodo."
"Gandalf," she stammered in protest, "you can't just dump me on Frodo."
"Stay here," he repeated firmly. "I will be back, but now I must go and I can't take you with me." Turning back to Frodo, he laid a hand on his shoulder. "Keep it secret. Keep it safe." He left them.
After a few moments of silence, the two looked at each other. Valora gave him a very weak and somewhat nervous smile, which he didn't return. "Um, I'm sorry about this Frodo," she said finally. "I don't have to stay here if-"
He cut her off with a wave of his hand. He knew very well that she had nowhere else to go and he wasn't about to turn her out. "I don't mind," he assured her.
"Thank you." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "When do you think he'll be back?"
"I don't know. He comes and goes as he pleases." He paused. "I'll show you to a room you can sleep in."
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I'm not getting many reviews. That's cool. If no one wants to read my story, it's fine. It's just kind of depressing to see some stories getting like 20 reviews per chapter and I get like 4 per chapter. I don't need reviews. (Silence) Oh, who am I kidding? *PLEASE* review?!