CHAPTER SIX

TRUMPKIN

Frodo, Trumpkin, Legolas and Aragorn were walking back to Lord Elrond's Great Hall for supper when Trumpkin turned to Frodo and asked, "Who's Lord Elrond?"

"He's in charge of all the elves and is the head of council, and the one who put our Fellowship together, along with Gandalf, The Grey. He's a wizard."

"So, who else is in the Fellowship?"

"I am the Ring bearer. Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn are three parts of the fellowship, along with three other Hobbits, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Gandalf."
"All of these creatures just to take one ring to be burned in one volcano? Why do you have to destroy it, anyway?"

"Why do you have to ask so many questions about our business?" Aragorn snapped from behind the Hobbit and Dwarf.

"Aragorn, he is clearly NOT a threat!" Frodo told him.

"Can you be sure, Ring bearer?" Frodo hesitated.

"Leave the Dwarf alone, Ari." Legolas turned around from the front.

"I didn't think your type liked Dwarves, Leggy."

"Please, stop arguing!" Frodo yelled just as two Hobbits, smaller than himself, came running out of the courtyard and almost into Legolas. One had long, curly, strawberry-blond hair and the other with ginger hair of the same type.

"Frodo!" exclaimed the ginger one.

"Hi, Pippin, Merry, this is Trumpkin." Frodo said to them as they used him as a crash mat.

"You didn't say anything about a Pippin or a Merry…" Trumpkin said to Frodo.

"Trumpkin, this is Meriadoc Brandybuck," Frodo said, pointing to the Strawberry-blond Hobbit, "More commonly known as Merry, and Peregrin Took," he pointed to the ginger Hobbit, "More commonly known as Pippin. Guys, this is Trumpkin. Somehow, he has come from his world and switched places with Gimli."

"You mean the grumpy fat dwarf is gone?!" Pippin exclaimed; then the two of them started dancing around; singing, "FOR HE'S A GRUMPY FAT FELLOW, AND NOW THAT GRUPY IS GONE, WE ARE HAPPY YOUNG HOBBITS… OH NOW THAT GRUMPY IS GONE!"

"GUYS! Don't insult the Dwarf!" Frodo told them, "If you won't behave, the both of you can go home!"

"But he's not here to hear us," Pippin frowned

"Ugh, come on," Frodo began to walk back to the courtyard when another hobbit, Frodo's size, with strawberry-blond curls, came wandering through the ivory archway, "Mr Frodo!? Mr-"He stopped when he bumped into Legolas and muttered something of an apology, "Mr Gandalf asked me to come and find you, Mr Frodo, supper's ready."

"SUPPER?!" Pippin and Merry exclaimed as they raced across the courtyard.

"Thank you Sam, oh, and this is Trumpkin. Trumpkin, this is Samwise Gamgee."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr Trumpkin," Sam said.

"Yeah, and you," Trumpkin replied.

"Do they ever stop?" Legolas turned to Frodo from watching Pippin and Merry.

"They asked for second breakfast this morning," Aragorn said.

"Sorry, they're always getting into mischief, you can ask Gandalf, they're always in trouble with him," Frodo told them.

"What sort of mischief?" Trumpkin asked Frodo as they walked through the large elven carved wooden doors.

"There was one occasion," a tall man with long grey hair, a beard of the same and a tall, grey, pointed hat, who was standing in the doorway at the other side of the entrance hall began to recount a memory, "it was in the Shire, the home of the Hobbits, and it was Frodo's uncle, Bilbo Baggins' 11th birthday party. Peregrin and Meriadoc decided to play with my fireworks."
"What happened?" Trumpkin asked him.

"The young fools set one off in the tent."

As they sat down for supper, there was a lot of discussion about Gimli's absence.

"That man, was that Gandalf the Grey?" Trumpkin asked Frodo.

"Yes," Frodo replied, "He's the oldest and wisest of us all."

At that point, Legolas, who had heard the whole conversation, leant over the table and whispered, "Except for Lord Elrond."

As if on cue, the do ors to the main hall opened and a tall elf with long hair, like Legolas' but brown; not blond, had the weirdest eyebrows Trumpkin had ever seen and a very stern, serious look on his face. He somehow reminded Trumpkin of Miraz; he shuddered.

"Please, my guests, sit," the Company had stood up at the elf's presence. He seems kinder than Miraz Trumpkin thought, but first impressions can be deceiving.

""That's Lord Elrond," Frodo began.

"King of the elves, if you like," Legolas added.

"And highly respected," Frodo finished.

"A great leader, I suppose?" Trumpkin asked.

Frodo and Legolas nodded, No wonder he reminds me of Miraz.