The night rolled on. The only creatures around were rats and owls. The owls perched on snowy branches. Their big eyes were suited to the darkness around them. On the ground, the owl could see a four legged creature. It was sniffing in the snow. It didn't notice the owl eyeing it from above.
The creature looked around and sat down. His ears was large and his coat was iron red. There was a another creature that looked exactly the same as him, a few miles away. The fox then screamed out. His scream echoed and travelled for miles. No human, dwarf, hobbit, elf or wizard hear it.
But does that mean he didn't bark?
But it was not the only time that he screamed into the night. He sat there, listening for a reply. From the far distance, his question was answered by another bark. Three more barks came after.
Without warning, the fox started to run towards where the other fox was. He bounded though trees and over small rivers. A road lay a few miles away. The snow had settled on the rocks. Worms that had been in the ground had been force to dig further into the soil.
Small drips of water leaked though the already wet soil. Ants sheltered in their nests. It was too cold for them to go out into the daylight. Yet they were not with out food. They had gathered everything that they needed for the cold winter ahead.
Yet there were some creatures who were travelling on the road. They were making good ground, yet they were still about three hundred miles from their destination.
In the cart, a hobbit slept. His head moved as the cart rolled over small stones. But it was not enough to wake him. He had a green jacket on. The air around was cold, yet he had no scarf on. A small blanket lay over him, but it wasn't enough to trap the warmth.
The bottle of whiskey had leaked onto the wooden panels. A small bit was trapped in the bottle. Small ripples raced back and forth in the glass bottle. Pippin's hands were still around the neck of the bottle. His eyes were closed.
The hobbit was not the only in the cart. There was also another hobbit laying down. Her name was Diamond. She was very ill and in need of Elven help. But Rivendell was three hundred miles away. It would take another six days by cart to reach it.
Pippin was more worried for Diamond then he was of Frodo and the one ring. For Diamond was more precious to him then freedom.
The third hobbit was also a woman. She was the only one that was awake. Her name was Dolly. She was a midwife in Hobbit and the surrounding areas. She had been assigned to help Diamond and Pippin though the pregnancy. Never in her fifty years of helping hobbit women in the Shire, had she been out of Hobbiton.
Dolly's eyes had now gotten used to the dark now. The snow helped her see her way down the road. The trees were big oaks on each side. Their leaves covered by snow.
In the cart, there was also a snoozing puppy by the name of Origo. He had only been with Diamond a few days, but he was now sleeping next to her.
Origo was shivering as well. He was also very hungry. There hadn't been any turkey in Bree. Origo was a very fussy pup. Turkey was all that he was eat. There was bread and a bit of cheese, but Origo wouldn't touch them.
No one understood that turkey was all that he liked. Ever since Diamond had given it to him, he had just wanted more and more. But, at the moment, he couldn't get any.
Back in the Shire, all hobbits were asleep. Apart from one. His name was Merry Brandybuck. Sleep had surely deserted him. Thoughts were running though his head. Regrets were strong as well.
"Why didn't I just tell her?" he asked himself.
His hands were resting on the pillow. A small bit of light radiated into his room. But it was not enough to lit up the whole room. Merry then rolled so that he was laying on his back. The ceiling had wooden beams running along it from one side to the other. Merry took a deep breath. He wanted to sleep, but he couldn't make himself.
"I wonder where Pippin is" he said to himself.
He was starting to get worried. Merry had seen neither Diamond or Pippin for the last few days now.
"Maybe I should go to Bree, someone must know where he is" Merry told himself.
The time was now three hours past midnight. Too late to stay up. But Merry had a plan; he would ride to Bree in the morning. Merry had two ponies. One called Stybba, who he got from King Theoden and one called Swish-tail. Swish-tail had been one of the five ponies that he had got ready at Crickhollow all those years ago.
But Swish-tail was now very old. He was not used for long distance journeys any more. Merry sat up in his bed.
"Maybe I should go now" he thought.
But then his thoughts turned to Estella. He wondered if it was a good idea after all.
"But then, what if their fine?" he asked.
The hobbit couldn't make up his mind. He started to wonder why he had even fallen for Estella. Merry got out of bed anyway. He walked over to his door and opened it. The hall way was lighter then his room for there were candles lit. Merry yawned as he walked towards the kitchen.
Merry opened the door. The kitchen was as dark as the bedroom. There was a burning candle on the wall. Merry picked up the tray with the candle on and walked over to the first unlit candle. He put the flaming candle to the tip of the unlit one. He held it there for a couple seconds to catch alight. But, when it did, he took the candle away. The wick flamed as Merry stood and watched it.
There were seven more candles around the kitchen. It took a few minutes to light them all. Merry stood there, looking around. All eight candles were lit. Merry took a deep breath and placed the candle back.
The hobbit walked over to a cabinet and opened the polished wooden door. Inside were ales, beers and whiskies of every sort. There were also a few bottles of wine as well.
But there was one bottle that he had never opened. And he wasn't planning on doing so. It was called Elverquisst. Elrod had given it to him before he departed home. Merry had kept it quiet from his friends for years and years.
The label on the bottle was getting harder to read. A small bit of dust lay on the surface of the cool glass. His finger pints could be seen on the dust.
The hobbit then put the glass back in its holder and looked at the other glass bottles. There were some bottles from Bree and Bywater. Others he had brought from Helms Deep and Edoras. There were empty glasses standing upside down. Merry picked one up. He had to make his decision soon. So, he picked out an ale and closed the cabinet door.
He walked over to his table and placed the cup and bottle on table. He pulled out his chair and sat down on it. The night outside was still young.
Merry sat there and looked at the amber liquid. The bottle was filled nearly to the top. There was a small bit left at the top where the liquid didn't fill. There was a cork stopping the ale from escaping. Merry then got out of his chair and walked towards the draws.
He pulled out the draw and looked inside. Inside were silver knives, forks and spoons. There were also cutting knives laying there as well. There were ones for cutting cheese and ones for meat.
But they were not what Merry was looking for. His eyes scanned the draw. Merry then found what he had been looking for.
A corkscrew.
He picked it and closed the draw. He walked back to the table and sat down again.
Outside, an owl swooped past his window. Its wings were silent as it glided over the land. It's head looked from right to left. The lane was left far behind as it swooped nearer the lake in the middle of Hobbiton. A small field with a massive tree could seen. It was called the party tree.
For many year before, Bilbo had had a very big birthday party. For he had reached one hundred and eleven. It was also the place where the ring first came to Gandalf's knowledge.
The bird swooped past the tree and out towards the fields. The owl looked down. There were small rabbits hopping in the field. The only evidence that they would leave for who ever would go there would be their prints in the snow.
But, the owl was not hungry. He flew on, in the gold air, his feathers flapped in the wind.
In the far distance, there was a great road. This was the great east road. One of the many trading routes of Middle-Earth. It ran from the Grey Havens, though the Shire, past Bywater. It continued to run though the Old Forest where, beyond it, lay the Great North Road. Once crossing the road, Bree was only a few miles away.
In the night, a small cart had stopped on the road. There were three hobbits in the cart. Two females and one male.
The first female was called Dolly and she was a midwife. The second was called Diamond and she was in trouble. She was pregnant. But something had happened to her. And now, she needed Elven help.
Pippin was the only one who knew what to do.
But now, the cart had stopped and Diamond was still days away from Rivendell. But there one last hope. There was an inn only a few miles down the road.
It was called the Forsaken Inn.
It was Pippin's last hope of getting more food. But he also had to get lots of turkey.
Why?
Because he had a puppy with him. This puppy was called Origo and he ate nothing but turkey. Origo had black, fluffy fur. But there were two small brown patches of fur over each eye. And brown paws.
The pup was snoozing next to Diamond like he had been for the last few hours.
Pippin slept like then others. But he was about to be woken up. A freezing cold drip had gathered right about his head. It was seconds from falling.
The drip finally lost grip and plummeted towards earth. A second later, it him Pippin's eye. The hobbit was instantly woken up. But he didn't open his eyes straight away. He turned his head. Something was sliding down his face to his ear.
Pip groaned and raised his hand. He wiped the drip away. It was then he stopped. Sound had reached his ears.
It was the sound of silence. Pippin wondered what was missing. The hobbit slowly opened his eyes. He raised his head and looked around.
The cart wasn't moving. Pip sat up and looked around. The darkness around him was deep.
"Why aren't we moving?" he asked.
But Pip didn't get an answer. He started to get worried. So, he got up. He could stand to his full height in the cart. Pippin went to the back and jumped off.
His feet touched the snow, which was now melting. The clouds over head were still think. The night sky was starless. There were no other lights around. The cart only had one light at the front. It was swinging in the wind. Pippin came around the cart and saw that Dolly was sleeping.
She had lain down and covered herself up. She had been asleep for about an hour. Dolly had pulled the cart over. The tracks of the cart had shown where they had gone. Pippin smiled. He looked back down the road where they had come. Then, up the road where they were going to go.
There was nothing around. Only the wind could be heard. Pip walked back towards the back of the cart. He stood there, wondering what was beyond the darkness. He lent back on the cart and looked down. His feet were not cold, even though his was against freezing snow.
Pippin looked to his left. There, he saw trees with small lines of snow resting on the branches. Pippin smiled and walked towards the tree. His mischief side was burning.
He placed his hand around the branch and shook it. Snow started to fall on him and on the ground. He smiled. But it was that kind of happiness that made him miss Diamond even more. He looked down.
"Maybe I should take Dolly's place" he thought.
But then again, he only had a few hours sleep. Pip then walked back to the cart. He went to the front and saw Dolly with her eye closed.
"Dolly?" he asked.
The woman didn't move. Pip smiled. He raised his hand and touched Dolly. He shook her gently. Dolly woke and slowly lifted her head.
"Dolly, do you want me to drive?" Pippin asked.
"What?" asked Dolly.
There was a bit of snow resting on her hear. Her cloths were all wet and cold. Her bare feet were wrinkled.
"You can go in the cart now, it's my turn to drive"
Dolly sat up. Her eyes were still drooping. She yawned and stretched. Pippin was waiting for her to get down and into the cart. He then started to think.
"Maybe if we go on till sunrise, then we can rest again" he thought.
It sounded like a good plan to him. Yet, he did not know when sun rise was.
"It should be soon, shouldn't it?" he asked himself.
He took a deep breath as Dolly came down from the driving seat.
"How are you?" she asked Pip.
Pippin shrugged and didn't answer.
"I'll drive until sunrise, then we can have a rest. We need all the strength that we can get" he said.
Dolly nodded.
"Drive until you want a rest Pippin, don't worry about me" she said.
It was not Dolly that he was worrying about. It was Diamond.
"I need to get to Rivendell as soon as possible" Pippin said.
Dolly nodded and looked up at him.
"She'll be fine" she answered.
Pippin took a deep breath and looked down the road. It was then it hit him. The map that he had looked at, it was engraved in his head. Pippin then started to walk down the path a few meters.
Dolly was confused.
"Pip?" she asked.
"This is The Great East Road" he said.
Dolly didn't understand.
"I know we're on The Great East Road, but what has that got to do with anything?" Dolly asked.
Pippin smiled as he turned back.
"And we've passed Bree, right?" asked Pippin, walking up to her.
Dolly was still confused.
"Yes" she answered.
Pippin smiled and walked quickly back to the cart.
"Pip, maybe I should drive"
"No, I have an idea" he said, getting his bag.
He looked in his bag and got out a small map. He opened it up. In fact, it was quite big. Pip looked down and saw a line going east to west.
"There is Bree" he said, pointing at a small dot.
The name "Bree" was written beside it.
Pip then moved the map over. A few inches away, there was another dot.
"I know it!" he said loudly.
He was now smiling.
"What? What have you found?" Dolly asked.
Pippin looked at her.
"Look, look here" he said, pointing to the paper.
The map looked warn. There were faded red lines to represent the roads. There were settlements marked on the map as well.
"That's where we are, right?" asked Pippin.
Dolly did not know anything outside Hobbiton and Bywater.
"Well, there's an inn, just a mile or two down the road. I'm sure that they didn't hear about what happened" Pippin said.
Pip knew it was gamble. But there was a life involved.
"But what if they have?" Dolly asked.
"Then I'll have to steal more food again" Pippin told her.
They both looked at each other. Dolly took a deep breath.
"But what if you…"
She was interrupted.
"I wont" Pippin snapped.
A few more seconds of silence followed.
"Get in the cart, its only a few miles down the road" Pip told her.
So, without another word, Dolly walked to the back and got in. Pippin climbed up and took the reigns. He took a deep breath. The coldness of the air hit him in the back of the throat.
The cart suddenly rolled on. The road was smoother then Pippin had felt last time he had been at the front. Pippin guided the cart onto the road and away from where they had stopped.
Pippin was starting to have hope again.
"Only a few days now" he said to himself.
But deep down, he knew Diamond could hear him. Pip knew that she could.
Back in Hobbiton, Merry still had not opened the bottle of whiskey. The cork screw was being twisted him one hand and the other was tapping the table. His eyes focused on the bottle. The candles were reflecting on the glass. Merry could see his. Other things were reflecting in the glass and bottle as well.
Merry could see his elongated face staring right back at him. His sandy coloured hair could be seen, but his face was hard to make out. He took a deep breath and looked away, thinking deeply.
The table that he sat at was made of polished wood. It was made from the finest Shire oak. It was not as big as human and Elven tables. It was much too small for them.
But, since Merry had gotten back from his quest with Frodo and the others, he had to lift it up a few centimetres.
It was said that Merry and Pippin were the tallest hobbits that ever lived. Bandobras Took had been the tallest hobbit before both Merry and Pip had drunk the Ent-draught.
The two of them drank so much that when they returned to the Shire, they were taller then when they had left. But now, all of the world was the same it had been before the quest.
Merry was lost in thought. He didn't know that Pippin was heading for Rivendell without him. Merry then moved suddenly. Not to get up, but to open the bottle. Merry placed the metal screw into the cork and held it there. With his free hand, he started to screw into the cork.
It took a minute or two to make it pop out of the bottle. It bubbled, almost spilling over the neck of the bottle. But the bubbles subsided. The bubbles came up from bottom of the of the bottle. Merry was tapping again.
Would he regret it?
Merry then placed the cork screw down. The metal screw was still embedded in the cork. Now both of Merry's hands were free. He placed his right on the bottle. The glass was in his free hand.
Voices were arguing in his head. He couldn't take it anymore. So, he gripped the whiskey and started to pour. The liquid sloshed in the small glass. Merry finished pouring. There was more whiskey in the glass then he would have liked. There were only a few millimetres left until the whiskey over flowed.
Merry looked at the glass. He could see bubbles floating upwards. There were hundred floating up. Some from the very bottom of the glass, others from half way up the wall.
The hobbit took a deep breath and lifted the glass up.
"Well, here's goes nothing" he said.
He slow placed the glass to his lips and took one sip. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Merry made a face and instantly started to cough. The small sip was too much for him. He instantly started to cough, placing the glass down. Merry placed the glass down and held his hand to his mouth.
The coughs echoed around the house. He coughed for the next few seconds and stopped. The whiskey was too strong for him. But Merry did not care. He knew that the first sip was always the strongest. So, he picked the cup up again and took another swig.
This time, it took much less effect. Yet it was still strong. Merry's eyes started to droop. The whiskey was taking effect on him already.
"Maybe I should go back to bed" he thought.
But then he looked at the glass. There was still a lot of whiskey left.
"But then, it would be such a waste"
Merry didn't know what to do. He couldn't put the cork back in. That would ruin a perfectly good and expensive whiskey. Merry took the glass. He looked inside and took a deep breath. This made him yawn.
There was nothing for it. He was too tired to stay up.
"I'll put it away in the morning" he said.
He then put the glass down and headed for the door. He walked though into the corridor and closed the door. Merry left the candles burning as the door clicked.
Merry headed back to his dark room. His bed was unmade as he walked up to it. He sat down on the bed and swooped his legs in. He then pulled the covers over his legs. The duvet came up to his shoulders as he laid there.
Merry turned over onto his left arm so that he looked right. Outside, the day was slowly braking though. Yet Merry could not see it. The darkness above the clouds was lifting. Yet it was still not enough to see properly.
Under the clouds, a small cart rolled. Pippin was still driving. Dolly had been driving for a while, but she had fallen asleep. Pip now needed to plan ahead.
He knew that he and dolly needed the more rest they could. It was then that he got a plan. His plan was for Dolly to drive in the day and Pippin at night.
That way they were sure to always be moving. But the night was coming to an end and they needed sleep. The inn that they were heading for was only a mile away now. Pippin yawned as he steered the cart around the bend. The road was flat and straight for a few more miles. But the trees on either side of the road made it hard to see a few hundred meters in front.
Pippin was now only about eighty miles from Weathertop. The best part of another few days journey.
Weathertop was where Frodo Baggins was stabbed by The Witch King Of Angmar. Pip had been there as five of the nine Nazgûl had surrounded them. Pippin watched it happen. He watched the Nazgûl stab thin air. Five seconds later, Pippin saw Frodo re-emerge from the last place he had been.
If the sky was bright around Pippin, he would have known that he was coming up to the Midgewater Marshes. The marshes were breeding grounds for millions up on millions of Neekerbreekers. Yet it was too cold for them at this time of the year.
Pip was now only four hundred meters from the inn. But he couldn't see it. The building loomed into view. A small light could be seen in the window.
Pippin smiled as he rode towards it. He pulled the cart over to the right. The cart rolled to a stop. Pippin smiled. He got up and jumped off of the cart. He walked around to the back. Inside, Dolly, Origo and Diamond were still there.
"Dolly, wake up!" he said.
Dolly, who had been sleeping on the wood, slowly woke up.
"What's… what's going on?" she asked.
Her hair was in a mess. It was frilly and tattered. She looked around.
"We're at the inn, we need to get inside" Pippin answered.
So, Dolly got up. She looked around and saw Origo still snoozing next to Diamond. She slowly picked him up. Origo whined as he was disturbed from his sleep.
"Ori?" Dolly asked.
Origo whimpered sadly, but didn't open his eyes. He was too comfortable.
"Origo, wake up" she said.
Pippin then got in the cart.
"Is he alright?" he asked.
Dolly nodded.
"He's just tired, like us" Dolly said, smiling.
Pippin walked over to Diamond and knelt down beside her. He lifted her to a sitting position. Dolly looked at her. Diamond's lips were still red, her hair was in better shape the hers.
"Dolly, could you help me?" Pippin asked.
Dolly nodded.
"Of course" she answered.
So, she placed the whimpering puppy back down. Origo was placed out of the way. He curled back into a fluffy ball again. Pippin and Dolly were slowly moving Diamond closer to the edge of the cart.
"Dolly, stay here. When I say push, you push, alright?" Pippin told her.
Dolly nodded and stood behind her.
Diamond's head flopped to one side. Her face unchanged from when she was in the Shire. Pippin hopped back out of the cart and onto the snow. There were only a few patches now. Some of it had gathered up mud. It was not white now any more. It was in fact brown snow. It was getting slippery.
"Right, push her now" Pippin told Dolly.
Dolly nodded and pushed. Diamond was pushed to the edge. Pip was standing there as her legs came out first. Diamond then fell. He caught her just before she fell. Pippin quickly put her limp arm around his neck.
"Have you got her properly?" she asked.
Pippin nodded. Dolly then got Origo and got off of the cart as well. The ponies were left out in the cold, although it didn't bother them much.
"Get the door" said Pippin as he got there.
Rushing before him, Dolly opened it. The room inside was dark. No candles were lit.
"Are you sure its safe?" the woman asked, looking in.
Pip knew that there was a possibility of the men being hostile.
But what choice did he have?
Pippin knew that he couldn't go a day further without more food and more rest.
"We have no other way" he said.
So, he heaved Diamond into the inn. Pippin had never had the chance to go in. It was similar to The Prancing Pony. The bar was at one end. Glasses had been packed away. Pip could see lots of bottles on the back. There was a musty smell to in Inn. The windows were square and had curtains pulled over them.
The walls were painted, yet the green and gold patterns had faded. The strong smell of tobacco smoke hit his nose. There were small bowls filled with white, grey and place ash. There was one bowl on each table. The table was imprinted with rings. These were rings left from the beer that had spilled down the side of thousands and thousands of mugs and cups.
"Should we wait until morning?" Dolly asked.
Pippin looked back.
"Keep your voice down, we don't want them to…"
But something was coming. Pippin heard it coming from a door behind the bar. His heart rate jumped. The door slowly opened. A small candle flame hovered in the door way. But it was being held by a man.
The door creaked and stopped.
"Hello?" asked the voice.
Pippin stood still, hoping that he would be seen. But the man did not retreat and close the door. He walked along the bar, the candle flickered even more and he walked to the end. There was a small plank of wood at the end. The man lifted it up, walked though, then placed it down quietly.
Should Pippin do something?
But it was too late.
"Who are you?" asked the man.
He had come across Pippin and the others. His eyes were glinting in the candle light. He scanned Pip's face.
"Sir, we are in need" Pippin said.
"My wife is sick and we are on our way to Rivendell" Pippin told him.
The man looked confused. He looked from Dolly and Diamond.
"What do you want from me?" asked the man.
Pippin took a deep breath. He was nervous.
"We… We need food and water, sir" Pippin answered.
The man was still wondering if these hobbits were up to no good.
"What is your name?" the human asked.
It was the question that Pippin didn't want the answer. But then, he would never get the man's trust without answering.
"My name is Peregrin" Pip answered.
"Peregrin Took"
The man thought for second and then smiled.
"Well, well. Peregrin Took, the Peregrin Took"
The man laughed and turned around. Pippin looked down.
"I shall get you food" he said.
"And you may rest here"
The man smiled and walked back towards the bar. But he did not go back around to the bar. There were candles sitting in small holder.
Just like Merry, he placed the burning wick to the tip of unlit one. A second later, it caught alit. It flickered. The man did the same to a few others.
"I will get you some food to eat" said the man.
"I have a cook that will be willing to help you on your journey" he said.
Pippin nodded. He could now see the inn in clear light. It was a beautiful inn. It was in very old looking, like it hadn't changed in hundred of years. The carpet had lost nearly all of its colour from people walking over it.
There were pictures on the wall. Pippin looked at them. Each painting was water colour and had a ancient looking frame. Some had small dead bugs trapped at the bottom.
Pippin looked at one of the painting. It was on The Misty Mountains. Pip had wanted to go there ever since he was little. But now was not the best time to think about it.
The man came back from behind the bar with a few plates.
"My cook will be down in a minute" said the man, placing the two plates down.
Origo then came and stood near Pippin. Origo looked up and barked.
"I need turkey for my puppy" Pippin said.
He looked down at Origo and smiled. The pup looked around the inn. He wondered why he was here with Pippin and Dolly. Pippin then sat down at the table. He looked over at Diamond. She was still limp.
The man came back with knives and forks. He placed a knife on one side of the white plate and a fork on the other side. Both of the knife and forks were silver.
"What kind of food would you like?" asked the man.
Pippin hadn't thought about what food he would like to have.
"Umm" he said.
The man smiled.
"How about I do you a nice fry up?" he asked.
Pippin smiled. He liked fry ups. Pip would have one every time he would go around to Merry's
"Yes please" Pip answered.
The man smiled and turned away. He walked back and went beck though the door that he had first come out from. Pip's hair was tangled in places and looked very unappealing. Dolly's was the same. Origo's, how every, was as soft and dry as ever.
The puppy sat on the carpet at Diamond's feet. His little brown eyes were scanning the area.
Just then, without Pip or Dolly noticing, Origo stood up and walked away. The puppy made his way though the many tables and stools towards the bar. Origo sniffed the ground as he went.
The bar came into his view. It was made of dark wooden panels. Origo could see a bit of the light reflecting on the polished panel.
He then walked along until he came to the edge.
"I wonder if I can get my turkey though here" Origo wondered.
He looked back, but couldn't see Pip. Just as Origo was about to move, the man came back. Origo stood still, not wanting to be seen. The man was standing at the bar. The pup peaked around the corner to see a very tall man standing there. He was cleaning a mug and looking in the direction of Pippin and the others.
"Should I?" Origo asked himself.
He was wondering if he should get past the man. Without warning, a large foot came Origo's way. The pup moved his head just in time. Yet, the man still didn't see him.
The man walked past Origo and towards Pip and Dolly. Ori watched him as he walked between the tables. The curiosity was burning again. The puppy then started to move again. Behind the bar, there were bottle upon bottle of alcohol and wine. Glasses were lined on shelves as well. Two barrels were standing at the end. Both had a tap at the bottom. Attached to the tap was a cord that lead up to the beer pump.
Origo looked left. The door was open just a few inches. Yet it was enough for him to get though. Ori looked back to make sure the coast was clear.
Sure enough, it was. So, the pup stuck his head in to make sure no one was there. So, Ori slow went into the next room. It was a small hall with a small stair case and a few doors.
The pup stood looking up at the stairs.
"What are these?" he asked.
For the pup had never seen stairs before. He started to sniff them, wondering if they were safe. His little nose sniffed the carpet of the first step. He was so small that he could rest his head on the step. The pup licked his lips. Hunger was starting to talk to him again.
So, the pup walked towards the doors. There was a strange smell in the air. One of sausages. He looked around to see which door it was coming from. Ori didn't like sausages. Even though he had never tried them before. The smell was getting stronger nearer and nearer to the door.
Ori could hear someone chopping something.
But what?
Origo knew that he had to investigate. So, he moved towards the door. The chopping stopped. Foot prints came to his ears. Acting quickly, Origo ran and stopped behind the opening door. He saw a man walk out. The door was to the kitchen. It swung inwards and outwards.
Origo quickly ran though the door and into the kitchens. The pup sat there, looking around. He sat on the floor and wondered what he was going to do.
Outside, Pippin was still sitting down. He know had a mug of tea. There was a small bowl of sugar near him. Dolly had sat down and was now looking around. The two of them had yet to notice that Origo was gone.
"This is nice" Pip told her.
Dolly had not touched hers yet. The mug was much bigger then the ones back home. Yet the tea was just as nice. Pippin sipped his again. He looked over at Dolly.
"You not going to drink any?" he asked.
Dolly was looking at Diamond. A strange feeling of helplessness came over her. She wished she could have done something earlier.
"I'm not thirsty" she answered.
There was a small metal pot on the table. It was full of hot water for their tea.
"Its not all that bad, you know, this human tea" Pippin told her.
Dolly smiled.
"And that's coming from a person who has breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper everyday!" Dolly answered him.
Pippin smiled and drank up. The woman then placed her small had around the large handle of the cup. To a human, the handle was small. But Halflings only came up to the waists of a average sized man.
Outside, the sun was now rising. Yet the clouds lingered on. Pippin and Dolly had hardly slept a wink all night. And it would be the best part of an hour before they get into a bed.
In the kitchen, Origo was not sniffing the air. He could smell turkey in the air, but it had been a few hours since a turkey had been cooked.
"Where is it?" he whined.
Just then, the door opened again. Origo quickly hid, knowing he wasn't allowed in there. He waited there.
"What shall I do now?" he asked himself.
His little eyes surveyed the area that he was in. There was no other doors around. The door that he had come though was too heavy for him to open by himself.
He was trapped.
Back outside, Pippin was getting very hungry indeed.
"Oh, I have to get some turkey for Origo" he said.
So, the hobbit got out of his seat and walked towards the bar. But the man wasn't there. He had gone back though the door that lead away from the bar. Unlike most hobbits, Pippin could see over the bar. But only just. He could see the shine of the oak wood that made up the bar surface.
"Hello?" he asked.
The hobbit waited a few more seconds, but there was no answer. He looked back at Dolly. She was drinking her tea.
"Hello?" Pippin asked again.
He walked down the empty bar a bit and stopped. He wondered where the man had gone. So, Pip went back to his seat.
"Looks like I'll have to wait" he said.
Pippin looked into his mug. All of the tea was nearly gone. Pippin looked back at Diamond to make sure she was alright. She was. But Pippin still worried about her.
In the kitchen, Origo had now found the cooker. He was looking up at to see flames though a small gap. Ori wondered what these were. He moved a bit closer. It was nice and warm. The cooker was on four metal legs. There was a small gap under it. It wasn't took hot for Origo, then again, it wasn't too cold.
"Hmm, this is nice" he thought as he went further inside.
The heat from the cooker made Origo very sleepy indeed. He yawned as he laid down. The area under was dusty and dirty. But that didn't matter to the pup.
"If I just close my eyes" he told himself.
"I wont be long here"