The puppy curled up into a fluffy ball. He had not felt warmth like this since leaving the Took's home.
After a few minutes, the pup was in a deep sleep. Neither Dolly or Pippin knew that he had gone. The cook then came back in the kitchen. Just like the hobbits outside, he had no idea that Origo was in the kitchens.
He was getting their fry up ready. Bacon, sausages, eggs, toast, butter, tomatoes, mushrooms and home made chips. The kitchen was filled with all different noises and smells. There was bacon sizzling in the pan and the noise of a knife hitting the chopping board after slicing though a mushroom.
There was then sounds of pans being put on the heat. The cook placed a few pans on the stove. He opened up the stove door.
"Hmm, needs more wood" he said.
The cook then took some wood from a small basket. It had already been chopped. The man placed them in the fire.
"That should do" he said, putting the last piece in.
He then closed the door and stood up. The bacon was now ready, the mushrooms and eggs were being cooked. The cook then got out some plates and placed them on the work surface.
The bacon was done, so he scooped them onto the plate. With the pan, he placed it down and picked up the sausages. They were pink and uncooked. They were in a small brown paper packet, just like Merry's had been. But these sausages were twice as big as the hobbit's.
The man then placed them down in the pan.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five.
Each one of them began to sizzle as they lay there. A bit of fat bubbles in the pan. The cook rolled them with a metal spatula. They were already starting to turn brown on one side. He left them to sizzle as he walked away. He was going to make some toast.
Outside, Pippin was getting hungry and impatient.
"We need to get moving as soon as possible" Pippin said.
Dolly had stood up and went to looked at some of the pictures. She had been standing at a picture of Minus Tirith. It was a sketch from before the great battle of
Pelennor Fields.
Dolly looked over at him.
"We need food and drink pip, we cant last like this much longer" Dolly told him.
Pippin took a deep breath. He knew that he had to be strong for Diamond.
"Yes, but we cant stay the day, we will have to get moving before twelve" he said.
Dolly nodded.
"Before twelve" she said.
The hobbit then made her way back to her seat and sat back down.
"Cant want for the fry up. It'll be the best meal we've had in days" Dolly said.
Pippin smiled.
"Yes, I know" he said.
His stomach was rumbling like it had been for the past few hours. Bread had been the only thing they could eat. But for Origo, he had nothing but a small bit of turkey.
A few minutes later, the cook came out with two large plates. They were full of all different food. Pippin smiled as the man put one plate down in front of him and the other in front of Dolly.
Pippin's mood had risen.
"Thank you good sir" he said.
The cook smiled.
"Enjoy" he said.
Pip and Dolly picked up their knives and forks. They then started to eat. Neither of them talked as Pippin started on his mushrooms. They were just as he liked them. A buttery taste. Dolly has started on her sausages.
The outside was brown, not burnt, but just right. The middle was oily and just right. Dolly took her first mouthful. It was the nicest bit of food she had ever had.
She could already feel the strength returning to her. The light of the candles seemed to brighten with ever passing minute. She had never been as hungry as she was and never wanted to be.
Pip had already finished half of his fry up. To Dolly, that wasn't unusual. His mushrooms had been the first to go. He had bitten into his toast a few times, but had left it. The butter had melted right into the brown toast.
He was now cutting the thin egg. The cook, yellow yoke spilled out. Pip whipped it up with the white bit of the egg and eat it. Dolly was now cutting into her crispy bacon. It crunched under the cutting knife. A small bit of white fat held on. But Dolly easily cut though it.
The only thing now left on Pippin's plate were chips and toast. The bar man had come back and placed a big mug of water for each of them. Pippin had every so often drank from his mug. Dolly had drank, but not as much at Pip.
The chips had been cooked to perfection. Yet he was let down by not having any bread so that he could make chip butties.
A few minutes later, Pippin put his knife and fork down.
"My, my, that was nice" he said happily.
Dolly smiled. She still had her mushrooms, chips and her toast to eat yet. The hobbit started on her chips. They had a little bit of salt on.
Pippin was sitting back on his chair. He looked around as he took a deep, satisfied breath. He was now feeling very happy. But then he saw Diamond again. The happiness started to fade.
Pippin had had a good meal, but Diamond was still in a state that he didn't want.
Meanwhile, back in Hobbiton, Estella had woken up. She was in her own home for she had left her mother and father's. Estella was planning to visit her mother and father for lunch.
Odovacar Bolger, Estella's father, was very ill. She knew that he would not survive very long. Estella wanted to spend as much time as possible there.
But first, she had to do some cooking. She was going to take along fruit and muffins for him. She knew how much he liked her homemade muffins.
So, Estella got washed and dressed. She then walked into the kitchen. Her kitchen was clean and in order. It looked better then Merry's kitchen. There was no dust or bits on the tilled floor. Her table was polished. There was a bowl of fruit in the middle of the table. There were grapes, pears and apples sitting there.
The table had four seats. But Estella had rarely had three other people for dinner. The table was polished oak, there were no rings of dry beer or water. For Estella had always used her table mats. Even for snacks.
There were no plates out, she had always washed them. Hobbit women were like that. They hated dirt and unclean houses. They always had everything in perfect working order.
Estella hummed as she put on her apron. It was a flowery apron. It was knitted by fine cotton. The apron was the whitest white in the Shire.
Estella opened a cupboard door and looked in. Inside were different sizes of pots and pans. Estella picked out the largest bowl. But, to you and me, it was a small bowl. Estella placed it on the work surface. She then got a whisk out. Estella closed the cupboards and took a deep breath.
She then want to her cellar. She had lots of jars and brown packets. There was a jar of eggs. But Estella only needed two or three. A few feet down, she found the sugar. There were small racks of different small bottles. Estella looked though and found the one that she wanted.
It was vanilla essence.
Estella smiled as she walked out of the cellar and closed the door. She placed the ingredients on the work surface. She continued to hum as she walked over to a shelf with books on. Most of then had no writing on, but some had faded gold letters. Estella picked out a book with a deep purple cover.
She took it out and opened it up. She turned the pages. It was a book full of cakes. All of it was had written many years ago. The pages were warn and some had been torn. Estella flicked though until she got to the cupcakes. A smile came across her lips. She flicked though a few more pages and came to the one that she wanted.
A chocolate chip muffin.
She walked over to where her ingredients were and looked at them.
"Right, so I have chocolate, vanilla essence, sugar"
She paused and looked back at the book.
"Ah, I some flower!"
So, she rushed back into the cellar. A minute later, she came back with a jar of white powder. She placed it down and looked back into her book.
Estella shook her head.
"Always something I've forgotten" she said.
She yawned and walked back towards the cellar for a third time.
Another few minutes and she was already to go. The cooker was hot and ready for cooking on. But first, Estella had to get the mixture ready. There were little cups of paper on the work top. The hobbit picked them up and placed one in each. There were twelve all together.
"Right" Estella said as she place the tray to one side.
She then got the flower, chocolate and sugar. On the side, there were scales for measuring. They were made of metal. She picked it up and moved it in front of her. There was also a box of weights as well. She picked them up. They were very heavy.
She picked out the butter to be weighed first. She got a spoon and started to scoop the flower and place it on the small metal tray resting on one side of the scales.
She put three spoonfuls on and then got out some weights.
"So I need" she said, looking back at the book.
"Two hundred and fifty grams" she said.
So, she placed a fifty gram weight on. There were more fifty gram weights in the box. Estella placed four more on the metal tray.
The scales were now lopsided. The flower was higher then the weights. So, Estella scooped more onto the tray. The weights slowly started to rise.
Every so often, Estella would check to see if it was level. After another few seconds, they were. So, the hobbit put it into a bowl. She then placed the tray back and smiled. She screwed the lid back on the flower. She then took the sugar.
Estella needed one hundred and seventy five grams.
At the same time, Pippin and Dolly were getting back into the cart. Pippin was struggling to get Diamond into the cart. They had past on having a rest. They would find somewhere to park on the way.
"I have prepared some food for you when you are on the road" said the man.
He was carrying a large basket of fruit, cooked mushrooms and sandwiches. Pippin smiled as he held Diamond up.
"Thank you" he said.
Dolly was standing near by as the man placed the basket in the back of the cart. Diamond was still days from help. The man looked around.
"Well, good luck" he said.
There was an awkward moment of silence. The man then turned and walked back into the inn. Pippin then lifted Diamond and sat her on the edge of the cart. Dolly was already inside and dragged Diamond carefully inside.
Pippin made sure she was safe. When he did, the hobbit went to the front and got onto the driving platform. The area where they had parked was bit. There were grooves in the ground where hundreds of carts had gone before them.
Pippin then unwrapped the reigns and started the ponies trotting.
The cart followed the two ponies as they turned a tight right. Pippin made sure that he was lined with the road as the cart picked up speed.
The cart and hobbits entered the road.
"We should be at Rivendell in the next few days if we're quick enough" Pippin said.
Dolly nodded as she sat on the wood that made the floor of the cart. Neither of the hobbits was shivering any more. Yet the cold was on it's way back.
But one creature was not going to be cold for quite a while. His name was Origo and he was snoozing peacefully under a burning stove. But he was not burning. His fur was fluffy and warm as he slept. Yet he was not the only in the kitchen. There was a cook in there as well.
He was tired and yawned as he made some toast. There were a few people in the inn. All of them were there for breakfast. Some had been wondering all night and were very hungry. A few of them had just sat down. A few of them had been regulars for many years before.
"What'll it be then?" asked the bar man as he walked around.
A few were already eating.
"Oh, just toast for me" said the man.
He had a very strong YorkShire accent. His face was wrinkled with a few freckles. His hair was greying, but was not entirely colourless.
"And what about tea?" asked the bar man.
"Aye, I'll be having tea as well"
The bar man walked away and went back to the kitchen. He opened the door and could smell the meals being cooked. There were loaves on bread on the work top. There was a cutting knife resting along with a half cut loaf. The bar man picked up the metal knife by it's wooden handle.
He started to cut though the crush and the soft middle bit. After a minute or two, there were three slices laying on the work surface. The man picked them up and went over to the cooker. There was a small grill over one of the massive hobs. The hobs were made of swirls of metal that were red hot. The fire below heated them.
There was only enough space for two slices. So, he placed the third slice down and took a deep breath. He had been up longer then usual. But he needed to do his job. There were people to feed and money to make.
After a minute or two, he turned the bread over. One side had been toasted by the heat. The other side was still white. He did this to other slice.
The man did not know that Origo was sleeping just a foot away from where he was standing. To him, it was a normal day. The same people and the same orders.
Apart from there had been one difference. Three hobbits had come in earlier that morning. The event had been on his mind all day. He knew the hobbit. He knew that Pippin had been apart of the nine that destroyed the ring.
Yes, the story had reached even the man who lived the furthest away. Most thought that hobbits were cursed. Others thought that they were now useful. The rest did not care for them.
Pippin had kept strong bonds with the men of Gondor and Rohan. But Pippin was now in trouble again and no one knew what had happened.
The day outside was still brightening. Hobbits in the Shire had come out. The markets had opened up again. The elders were sitting in chairs and swapping stories of old and stories of new. There were a few hobbit children running though the centre of Hobbiton.
"These young children, too much energy if you ask me" said one of the elders.
There were a few hobbit children out and about. Even though the snow had gone. But each of them hoped for more snow the next day.
A mother and daughter walked though the town market.
"Mummy, where's Daddy?" she asked.
Her mother looked down.
"He's at the Dragon, dear" her mother answered.
Her mother was wearing a very nice looking blue dress. Her hair was blond and curly. Her daughter's hair was exactly the same.
The mother smiled.
"Morning Rosie" said a hobbit.
It was Estella. She had made her muffins and was now on the way to her father's.
"Hello there Estella, how are you?" Rosie asked merrily.
Estella smiled.
"I'm good, just on my way to see Odovacar" she answered.
Rosie nodded. Elanor was looking up at Estella.
"Hello dear" Estella said.
Elanor smiled.
"Hello" she answered.
"Well, I better get moving" Estella told them.
Rosie nodded.
"Take care!"
So, the hobbit departed and went their own separate ways. Estella walked along the muddy road. For a human, it was very muddy and should be avoided. But for a hobbit, they were able to walk right though without worrying about having to clean their shoes. Hobbits didn't wear shoes. As you know already.
Estella continued walking towards the other side of Hobbiton. A few minutes later, she arrived at her destination. She knocked at the large round door and waited.
A minute later, she heard foot steps coming to the door. The door opened widely. Estella instantly started to smile.
"Estella!" said the old woman, hugging her instantly.
"Hello mum" Estella said merrily.
Estella's mother was called Rosamunda. She was old indeed, but in better health then Odovacar.
"Come in, come in. we cant have you standing out in the cold!"
So, Estella walked in. She knew that her mother was only trying to help, but she wasn't cold.
"I made these" said Estella, holding out the basket.
Her mother looked down at it.
"Oh, what are they?" she asked.
"It's father's favourite, chocolate chip muffins" she answered happily.
Her mother gave a cheeky smile.
"Did he ask you to make them?" she asked.
Estella smiled.
"Come though to the kitchen, Fredegar is already here"
So, the two hobbits walked into the warm kitchen. An old man was sitting still in his chair. His was old and had a small bit of his grey hair left on top of his head. Fredegar was already sitting down.
"Morning" said Fredegar.
Estella smiled.
"And morning to you" she answered.
Estella placed the basket on the table.
"Lunch will be ready in about an hour" Rosamunda said.
She walked towards the stove. There was a large chicken being cooked along with roasting potatoes. On the work surface were different vegetables. Some had been chopped and others were waiting.
Estella had gone to her father and was now face to face.
"Daddy?" Estella asked.
She held her father's hand. It was unusually cold. But her father didn't answer. Estella took a deep breath.
"He's been going down hill day after day" her mother's voice said behind her.
Estella stood up and nodded.
"I wish there was something we could do" she said.
Her mother placed a hand on hers.
"Don't worry yourself about it dear"
Fredegar was looking at the three of them. The table before him was set with four places. One for each of them. Four knives and four forks. There were also wooden table mats.
"I'll put these in the cellar for now" Estella said.
Her mother nodded as she stood there. As Estella walked away, her mother went back to cooking. The kitchen was hot due to the flames of the stove. It had a small round window lettering the light though. There were flowers in a clear vase full of water, roses. They were the deepest red.
There were shelves of books, just like the ones Estella had. Each was hand written. Most of them were hundred of years old. They were written by Estella's great-great-great-auntie's.
Estella had, a countless number of times, asked her mother if she could write them into new books.
"Oh no, it's too much trouble!" was he answer.
A few times, Rosamunda had read a wrong ingredient and made the meal inedible. But her statement still stood.
Estella came back out of the cellar. Fredegar was sitting back in his chair with his dirty feet on the table.
"Fredegar!" his mother said and wacked his feet.
"Owww!" he said, dropping his feet to the floor.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"How many times have I asked you not to put your feet on the table?" his mother asked.
Fredegar mumbled something.
"Pardon?" asked his mother.
Her voice was very strict.
"Sorry" he said.
His mother's temper was not as bad as it could have been. Fredegar then got up and walked out of the room.
"That boy had no manners!"
Meanwhile, the cart rolled ever on. Pippin was a little bit more happier then he had been a few hours before.
"We'll keep going for another hour, then we can have second breakfast" Pip told dolly.
Dolly was sitting at the other end of the cart. She was looking down the road where they had already come.
"Alright" she answered.
She had a strange feeling that something was missing.
"But what?" she asked herself.
The cart rolled over large stones and small holes. Each time, Dolly would get moved about. The ponies had been fed hey as they stood outside of the Inn.
The trees on each side of the road were leafless and bare. Yet the wind still blew though them. For mile upon mile, the landscape hardly changed. The road barely turned either left or right. Yet it went up and hill many, many times.
Pippin was starting to get tired again.
"Dolly, I'm getting tired, maybe we should rest now" Pip told her.
Dolly looked back again.
"It's up to you Pippin" she answered.
"Do what ever you want"
Pippin smiled and looked back. The two hobbit's eyes met. Pip then went to concentrate on the road again. He yawned again as the cart turned a shallow bend. There was a small, treeless area to the right.
To Pippin, it was a perfect place to park. So, he steered towards it and stopped the cart.
"Right, lets have breakfast and a sleep" he said.
So, he jumped out of the cart as Dolly opened the basket up. Inside were sandwiches full of crispy bacon. A bowl of seasoned and cooked mushrooms was in the basket also. There were a few large flasks of water.
"I think we should have the bacon sandwiches first and save the mushrooms for dinner tonight" Dolly told him.
Pippin nodded.
"We cant have too many sandwiches, we're still days away from Rivendell and we're going into unmarked territory" Pippin told her.
So, Dolly got out a few of them. There were many in there. Enough for a hobbit picnic. But they had to make it last another three days.
Pippin was first to take a bite. He chew for a while.
"This is nice" he said and smiled.
His sprits lifted just slightly. But a few hours later, they would be taken away from him again.
Origo, on the other had, was still sleeping. He was miles away from anyone and no one knew he even existed. But that was about to change. As the cook neared the stove, a plate slipped out of his hands. It hurtled towards the floor. A second later, it smashed on the tiles.
Pieces shattered in a million directions. Some went under the stove, waking the pup that had been sleeping.
Origo woke with a start and bolted out of the stove. He ran right into the cupboard before him. The cook saw a dot of black fur rush past his feet. A second later, he heard the bag.
"What's this?" he asked in shock.
He saw a small pup at his feet. It was whimpering. The man placed the rest of the plates on the side.
"Now, how did you get in here?" he asked, picking it up.
It's fur was nice and warm. The cook held it out. It was furry and a little bit cute. But he was still confused as to where it came from.
So, the man looked back to the door. He wondered if it was anyone's out in the bar. So, he walked towards the door. Origo rested his head on the man.
The door opened. The man walked along the bar where Origo had been a few hours before hand. There were less people there. Most of them had finished their food and had left. Yet some of the older men had stayed to talk to others.
The man looked around. None of them looked like they owned a young dog. Especially as young as the one in his hands.
"Alright, so I guess none of these people are your owners?" he asked.
The pup raised his head. Origo looked around. He knew where Pip and Dolly had been sitting. But they were not there any more. The pup then looked down and barked.
"Do you want to go down?" he asked.
Origo nodded. So, the man set the puppy on the floor. Ori then darted off. The man followed him quickly. He could see him though the tables going right to where he had been last night.
Origo stopped and looked around. There was no sign of them anywhere. The man looked down at the pup as he scooted out of the open door, into the daylight.
"Oh no" Origo thought.
"They've forgotten me!"
His eyes scanned the road. But Ori did not know which way they had gone. So, he started to sniff the ground quickly. Without warning, he started to run off. The man watched the little puppy run away.
"Hmm, what a strange thing" he said.
He chuckled and went back inside.
Meanwhile, Pippin had finished his food and was now having a drink.
"Well, that was very refreshing" he said merrily.
Dolly was eating slowly. Something was bothering her very much.
"Dolly, are you OK?" Pip asked.
The woman took a deep, thought filled breath.
"Well, ever since we left that inn, I feel like something has been left behind" she answered.
Pippin looked at her.
"I have the same feeling" he said.
There was an awkward silence as the two of them tried to think what they have left behind.
"I'm sure its nothing" Pip said, breaking the silence.
Dolly nodded and smiled. She then looked in the basket and got out one of the flasks. She unscrewed the top and drank. The cold water ran down her neck. She could feel it refreshing her already.
Pippin yawned.
"I think we should get some sleep now" he said, sounding tired.
Dolly nodded as Pip lay down next to his wife. Dolly laid down and tried to get herself as comfortable as she could make herself. She took a deep breath and rolled over to one side. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Pippin was finding it harder to close his eyes. Just a few minutes ago, he learnt that Dolly had the same feeling as him.
"But what have I forgotten?" he asked himself.
He started to get angry.
"Calm down, Pip, calm down" he told himself.
Pip started to take deep breaths. He knew he had to calm down. The hobbit turned on his side and looked at the wood that he was laying on. He heard noises all around him. Birds and the ponies mostly. His eyes were getting saw and heavy.
He yawned and rubbed his eyes. Pip didn't knew if Dolly was already. He looked around, but she was facing away from him. Pip cuddled up to himself and yawned again.
The hobbit closed his eyes. The more he tried to get to sleep, the more he couldn't.
"Why cant I sleep?" he asked himself.
Dolly, meanwhile, was already in a light sleep. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was calm. She didn't know that Pippin was having trouble getting to sleep.
Slowly, Pippin feel to sleep. But it would be a very uncomfortable sleep indeed.
But there was one creature that couldn't sleep. Origo was still running. His little paws touched the ground three times a second. But it would not be enough to catch up with Pippin. He was not as tired as his owners, so he could try and catch up with them. But Ori did not know what way they had gone.
The cart tracks had now gone and the pup was all by himself. So, he started to slow down and look around. He stopped.
Was he lost?
Origo barked around. But there was no answer. The trees around him were like massive scary pillars. The pups ears had flopped down and he was whimpering.
"Hello?" he barked.
A bird was digging for a worm just a few meters away.
"Hey!" Origo bark, bounding towards it.
"Do you know where my owners are?"
The bird suddenly flew away. Origo watched as it fluttered into the trees and out of sight. The puppy looked down sadly. He was alone in the wild. The clouds were gathering over head. The wind blew on his fur.
The puppy then walked up to the line of trees. He was too small to see all the way in. There were tufts of long grass rising a little bit above him. A few small snow flakes fell near to him. It was a sign of what was to come.
Origo slowly made his way though the tufts of grass and came to a small, hollowed tree. The pup stopped and looked up at it. Ori thought for a while.
"Is it safe?" he asked himself.
He looked back around, just to make sure nothing nasty was tracking him. But he couldn't see anything. The trees blew around him as he slowly walking into the burnt out tree.
A few week before, there had been a large thunderstorm. A single bolt of lighting crashed into the tree, making it explode from the inside out. Wood flew everywhere. Birds that had been nesting close to the tree were scared away.
Yet no one knew what had happened to it and no one ever would.
Origo entered the tree and sniffed around. It seemed safe, he inspected a bit more. The snow flakes increased in number as the seconds rolled by. There were decaying leaves on the ground. Brown muddy sticks lay on top of the rotting leaves.
Origo, who had already had a good sleep, was feeling tired and cold again. He had yet to have anything to eat. The pup laid down on the dirty floor and curled up. He thought of the warmth that he could have still been in if it were not for that man.
But that thought was pushed out by another. Diamond came into his mind. He needed to find her. Even though Ori couldn't understand them, he knew that Diamond was in trouble.
The pup rested his head on his paws and whimpered. The wind blew even stronger then before. Something was about to happen. There was electricity in the air. Origo could see outside. Every so often, a small snow flake came to the ground. It melted almost instantly.
Back in Hobbiton, Estella and her family were eating their large dinner. Their plates had been full of roasted chicken, beer and pork chops, roasted potatoes, new potatoes and chips, boiled parsnips, carrots, spinach and peas, mushrooms and lots of stuffing. There were rolls of white bread and soft butter.
Each roast dinner was covered in rich, brown gravy. There were a variety of sauces sitting on the table. Apple sauce, mustard, mint sauce. There were bowls of all the foods that they had on their plates. It was not unusual for the hobbits to have more then enough food.
Fredegar, who was known as Fatty to most of his friends, had already finished his. He took a drink from his big mug and took a deep breath.
He then reached for one of the spoons and started loading his plate with food again. There was a small boat shaped holder which had cooling gravy inside. Fatty picked it up and poured it onto the food that was now on his plate. He placed it back on the table mats that kept the table in nice condition.
He picked up his fork again and started to eat. Estella was still on her first helping of roast dinner. She smiled as her brother started to eat again. She knew he had a good appetite on him, that's how he got his name. He was always much bigger then the rest of his friends, but not in height.
Estella finished her meal and laid her knife and fork down. Her father was still eating. He was the slowest and oldest at the table.
"Do you want any more dear?" asked Estella's mother, holding the bowl of roast potatoes for her.
"Oh, no mother, I'm alright" Estella answered.
Rosamunda placed the bowl back and continued on with her dinner. A few minutes later, everyone had finished.
"I'll go and get the muffins" Estella told them.
Rosamunda nodded and stood up as well. She gathered the plates up and placed them in the sink. She would wash and dry them later. She went back and got the knives, forks and spoons. She also placed them in sink.
Estella opened up the cellar door and looked inside. She saw the basket full of the muffins she had made earlier. She picked it up and stood up.
She came out and closed the door behind her. Rosamunda picked up the bowls and placed them on the side. Estella placed the basket on the now clear table.
"I made quite a few, so have as many as you want" Estella told them.
Fredegar smiled as Estella got out some of the muffins. They were large. There were white with chocolate chips embedded in them. Estella's mother had gotten for small plates out. She placed one in each place. Estella then put three muffins on each plate. Fredegar looked at his.
"Why have you given me the smallest ones?" he asked.
Fredegar looked at Estella.
"Their not the smallest ones, their the same as all of the others" she answered.
Fredegar was still not convinced.
"Fredegar!" his mother shouted.
"Are you being disrespectful towards your sister?" he asked.
The woman was angry. She marched over to him.
"You say your sorry right now!"
Fredegar was a little bit scared for his mother. Her voice was stern and intimidating. She was not a hobbit to mess with when she was angry.
"Sorry" Fredegar said.
Estella placed her own plate down.
"Apology accepted" she said.
Fredegar then picked up his muffin and started to take the paper cup off. A few crumbs fell to the plate, but that didn't bother him. He took a bite and started to chew. Estella and her mother sat down and started to eat as well.
Odovacar slowly picked up his muffin. His hand was shaking due to his oldness. Estella was watching him as she ate. Her mother took a deep breath.
"I remember when he could lift you up on his shoulders" she said.
"And now, he cant even lift a book"
There was a sadness to her voice. Estella didn't answer. She loved her father very much. She dreaded the day when he would finally go.
"But then again, it is for the best" she kept telling herself.
The family ate their muffins. Odovacar was only half way though his first muffin when Fatty had finished all three of his. There were three paper cups laying empty on his plate. Estella had only just started on her last. She broke a bit off and eat it.
The clouds in the sky were covering the blue sky. The sun had now past mid day. There was a dark cloud on the way. It held the day's and night's snow fall.
A few minutes later, Estella and her mother had finished. Fredegar was eyeing the basket again. He was still a bit hungry. He looked over at his mother, she was looking at him.
"No" she said.
"You've already had three and three is enough"
Fredegar took a deep breath.
"May I be excused from the table?" he asked.
"You may" Rosamunda answered.
So, Fatty got up and put his chair in. His father was now sitting, his head drooped. Fredegar walked out of the room. He had his own house, on the other side of Hobbiton.
He got his coat and walking stick, for he got tired easily. He walked back to the kitchen.
"Well, I'll be off back home" he said.
He walked up to his mother and kissed her. He then looked around to his sister.
"Thank you for the pudding" he said.
Estella smiled.
"Thank you for eating it"
The two of them laughed. Rosamunda shook her head and smiled.
"It was very nice indeed" she said.
Fredegar then left, sneakily taking one last muffin. Neither Estella nor Rosamunda saw this. Fredegar walked out, muffin in one hand, walking stick in the other. He opened the round door. The cold wind blew on his face. He took a deep breath and walked out. He closed the door behind him.
Pippin suddenly awoke. His heart rate had shot up and he had cold sweat on his forehead. He had the same dream again. The same feeling of helplessness.
The light of the sun had all but gone. Snow had been falling for the last few hours. Dolly was sleeping in exactly the same position. Pippin took a deep breath and put his hand to his head. This time, he remembered what the dream was about.
"I will not let that happen" he told himself.
"I wont let it happen!"
So, Pippin got up.
Should he wake Dolly?
He thought better of it. After all, it was him that was going to be driving. So, Pippin jumped off of the cart onto cold snow. He looked down. It was much deeper then the bout of snow hours before. Pippin shivered as he walked to the driving seat. His feet were already hurting.
Large snowflakes floated to the ground. The place where Pip was going to sit was wet and cold. He wiped the snow away with his bare hands. He could see his breath again. The light from the sun had not completely gone down yet. A small hint of blueness above the clouds was the only sign that night was winning.
The cart started to move again. The wheels left an imprint in the soft snow like before. The road was no less bumpy then before they left.
Pippin, every so often, wiped his face. The snowflakes were making it hard for Pippin to see. This was made even more difficult by the receding light.
But Pip carried on regardless.
It was going to be a long night.