The night was quiet. Quiet and still. The wind hardly blew the leafless trees. Like the night before, the same creatures came out. Foxes and owls mostly. The snow from last snow fall had been melting the whole day. Most of it had gone. But more was expected.
There was a small creature walking though the forest that didn't want snow.
His name was Origo and he was lost. He had run away from a small girl, Sevossi. Sevossi had opened the gate. It was apart of Origo's plan. He knew that she couldn't resist him cuteness.
He was right.
The small girl had opened the gate for him. It was then that Origo did what he had planned to do all along.
He ran.
He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, leaving Sevossi standing there. Origo could hear her calling for him. He wished that he didn't hurt her feeling. But he had to get home.
The only problem was that he didn't know which was home was.
He had come down the road he was on at night time. He didn't recognize any of the houses. So, he stopped. Looking around, he saw the road lead off in front of him.
The level of light had started to fade. The coldness was strengthening. His fur kept most of the warmth in, but he could still feel it.
His small eyes started to scan the area.
Something then caught his eye. A small figure running though the trees to his right. It seemed to stop every so often, then run on again. Origo was very curious about this.
So, he started to slowly walk over to it. Yet, the figure was still going away from him. So, Origo decided to see who it was. His speed picked up. Yet the figure didn't stop.
Origo then barked.
The figure in front suddenly stopped. Origo stopped as well. His head tilted.
"Hello?" he barked.
To human and hobbit ears, he was just barking. But to other dogs and puppies, he was talking. The small silhouette was in between the trees.
Origo looked at it. He had the strange feeling that they had met before. The tree roots came out of the ground like waves of wood.
Twigs and leaves were bound together in a muddy soup. Origo stopped. He was now a few feet away from the creature now.
"Who are you?" he barked.
Without warning, the creature turned and ran. It took a few seconds for Origo to realize what had just happened. Without a seconds thought, he ran after it.
He skipped though the puddle of mud in front of him. He jumped over small roots that got in his way.
The figure was still in his sights. There were fallen trees and tree stumps in the path of both the creatures.
But Origo was far slower then the creature he was chasing. Trees that had fallen were now approaching them. The figure that was being chased, dived under the small gap between the trunk and the soil.
Origo was a few meters behind. He did the same. But he was bigger then the figure he was chasing. But, after a second or two, he got to the other side.
When he did get though, he saw the figure running off. So, he started to run after again. His fur now had a small bit of mud clinging onto it.
The figure was now stretching it's lead over Origo. The pup found it hard to keep up. What had been a five meter lead had now turned into fifteen.
The figure could barely be seen by Origo any more. So, he started to slow down. He looked where he had last seen the figure. But it wasn't there any more.
Origo came to a stop. His eyes darting around the area. It was much darker then before. His eyes couldn't see the light of day any more. But it was set to get much darker then this.
The coldness in the woods was less intense then on the road. The trees had kept most of the coldness out. Yet the wind still whistled though the gaps in the trees.
Origo now knew that he was lost in a woods that he didn't know. He knew that the night was fast approaching. Yet he had no where to stay.
"I want to go home" he whimpered.
His ears flopped down and his head hung. The darkness was now very much upon him. The puppy started to walk though the dark and scary forest.
Origo could hear strange noises. Echoes of creatures near by and of far. Deer and owls. The occasional bat would swoop past the puppy.
His eyes were not used to the darkness. They would dart around, small figurers would be seen by him. But in fact, there was nothing there. Origo's eyes were playing tricks on him.
In Hobbiton, all of the hobbits were asleep. All apart from one.
Estella Bolger.
She had woken up again. Guilt was too strong. She still had her day wear on and the candles were still burning.
Estella looked at the ceiling. Her head resting on her pillow. Decisions were being formed in her head. Mostly due to Folco.
She needed to make him understand. A few times she had sat up in her bed, only to lay back down again.
Estella couldn't decide on the time to go and visit Folco. But the choice kept her awake. Hungry started to grip her now. Normal she would be asleep and wait till morning. But the worrying was making her hungry.
The hobbit then got out of her bed and walked out of the room. She rarely woke up at night, unless it was summer and she was thirsty.
So, Estella walked though the corridor that lead up to the kitchen. The door was wide open and small crackles could be heard coming from the room ahead. The fire was in embers now. There were white, red and black bits in the fire.
Estella walked over to a cupboard. She opened it and looked inside. On the middle shelf, there were some decorated glasses. They had spirals and flower shapes in them. Each glass was clean and smooth to the touch.
The hobbit picked one up and closed the door. Estella looked around at the tap.
A few minutes later, she sat down at the table. Estella placed the glass down on the table. The liquid inside was amber in colour.
It was neither beer or water, but whiskey. Estella pulled out the chair and sat in it. The low level of light is what she wanted.
Her mind was driven back to Folco. She wished that he would understand that he could not be with her. Only Merry could.
A small bit of anger ran in her veins. But she knew that Merry didn't like her. Anger quickly turned to sadness. A small tear ran down her perfect skin. Her eyes were like large polished marbles. They reflected the flickering candles.
The glass was raised. The whiskey rippled around the glass. Estella's eyes narrowed on the liquid. Her hand twiddled the glass around. The liquid swirled around the glass.
The glass moved towards her lips and she drank. There was enough for one mouthful. She placed the glass to her lips and tipped it back. The liquid rushed into her mouth. After a few seconds, she placed the cup back down.
Estella swallowed the whiskey. It was quite strong. She made a face for a few seconds, then the sharpness subsided.
The glass was placed down on the table. The glass made two bangs. A dull thud after a louder one. Estella took a deep breath. She could feel the whiskey warming her from inside.
Her mind was working over time. Estella took a deep breath and got up. The chair scraped along the tiles as Estella stood up. She began to walk to the door. Her ankle seemed not to bother her at that moment.
There was no turning back now.
But for Origo, he did not know which way to turn. He tried to walk back, but the forest seemed to go on forever. There were many trees that looked the same.
Large trees with old scars from where they had once had branches. Leaves, twigs and roots covered the ground in a natural carpet where the snow didn't.
A small stream flowed on Origo's path. There were small rocks laying in it. They were smooth if picked up, having spent most of their lives being shaped by the water. Yet, there were some rugged stones, ones that resisted the power of the water better then others.
Twigs and leaves lay at the bottom. Some leaves floated away, caught in the current. Origo looked down the water. The low level of light made the water look jet black.
The trees above him blocked out nearly all of the small points of light from the stars. The branches swung in the wind like large fingers feeling the air.
Origo then looked around.
"Maybe if I follow it" he told himself.
So, the puppy started to follow the small stream. The water wound though the trees. Roots would drive into the water. Leaves lay and moss grew on the roots.
Origo hopped over them and continued onwards.
Estella walked along the road. Folco's home was long the road from where she lived. The coldness was not getting to her as much as it should. The whiskey was still effecting her.
A few minutes later, she raised her hand and knocked on the round wooden door three times. The sound echoed though the hole.
Inside, Folco was sleeping. His dream was abruptly stopped. His eyes suddenly opened.
"Did I just…?"
Estella banged at the door again. This time Folco knew that they were coming from the door. So, Folco got up. The house was warm. The hobbit opened his bedroom door. The light from the burning candles made his eyes hurt.
The front door banged again. Estella was now getting cold. Her feet were getting cold.
The door suddenly opened and there, stood Folco.
"Estella?" he asked.
The door didn't opened fully. Instead, he opened a peak and looked though.
"I need a word" Estella told him.
Folco's eyes squinted, he thought quickly. The door then opened fully.
"Come in" he said.
The coldness was quickly over taking the warmth. Estella quickly walked in. Folco shut the door.
"What do you want?" asked Folco, half speaking and half yawning.
"I… I…" Estella stuttered.
She couldn't find the words to say. Folco yawned yet again.
"I cant do it" she said.
Folco was confused.
"Can't do what?" he asked.
Estella took a deep breath and looked away.
"I don't think I can be friends any more" she said.
Folco's tiredness had been stripped off of him like a sheet.
"What? Why?" he asked.
Estella looked at him.
"I… I don't know" she answered.
There was an awkward silence. Folco looked at Estella in disbelief. Estella was now looking down.
"Is it because I liked you?" Folco answered.
He yawned and rubbed his eyes. This made them blurry, but he could still see.
"Yes" Estella answered.
Folco took a deep breath and looked to the side. He knew that he liked the wrong person. Estella had never shown any signs of liking him.
"Please, can you just let me go? I'm sure that there's some other hobbit out there for you, I really do!" she said.
Folco smiled.
"I'm sure there is a hobbit out there for me" he agreed.
There was another moment of silence before Folco broke it.
"We're still friends, right?" he asked.
Estella looked at him.
"I didn't say that we never stopped being friends" Estella pointed out.
Folco started to feel better.
"That's good then" he said.
Estella yawned. She suddenly felt very tired.
"Well, I better go back and get to bed" she said.
Folco nodded and smiled. He went to open the door for her. It creaked open. Estella smiled.
"Thank you" she said as she walked out.
Folco closed the door behind her. He lent against it and took a deep breath. Estella stood at the door for a few more seconds, then started to walk.
Merry was walking as well. But he was not alone any more. Two very old friends had found him out in the snow.
Legolas and Gimli.
Legolas was the tallest out of the three. His hair was blond and straight. It hardly blew in the wind.
Gimli was the now equal height to Merry. But it was not Gimli who had shrunk. It was Merry that had grown.
And it was all thanks to Treebeard.
Merry and Pippin had drank some of the Ent water. Ent water was not a normal type of water. It made the drink taller and made it sped up.
Pippin was the first to drink the water. He had started when Merry had been asleep. The water of the Ents came into a small pool.
Treebeard had gone.
"Hello?" asked Merry, calling out.
He could not see Treebeard anywhere.
"Treebeard?"
His voice echoed around the wood. Yet there was no answer.
"Where's he gone?"
"I had the loveliest dream last night. There was this large barrel, full of pipe-weed. And we smoked all of it. And then you were sick. I'd give anything for a whiff of Old Toby"
Merry smiled. He knew that Pippin loved his pipe weed.
While Merry was walking along the path, he tripped. A large tree root had been the culprit. Merry fell flat on his stomach.
Legolas had a flaming torch. The glow seemed to radiate off of him more then Merry or Gimli. Gimli was walking at the other side of the road.
"Here" said Legolas, holding out one hand.
Merry looked at it and held it. The elf helped him up.
"What happened?" Legolas asked.
The hobbit brushed himself off.
"I tripped" answered Merry.
He sounded a bit embarrassed about the fall. The flaming torch cast a shadow over the area. The light hit the trees. The bark created shadows and lit areas. The trees stretched for miles in either direction.
The light of the flame was just a small dot in the vast darkness of night.
Merry Brandybuck yawned. Legolas noticed this.
"I think that you need rest" he said.
Merry looked over at him and nodded.
"Yes, I do" agreed the hobbit.
The trees around him were big and leafless. Gimli was looking at the two of them. His breath could be seen rising into the blackness above.
"We will rest here" Legolas said, putting his bag down.
Merry was shivering. His feet, toes and fingers were numb and hurting. The hobbit looked around, wondering what was beyond the edge of the light.
The hobbit walked over to one of the large trees and slowly sat down. He curled up and shivered. Legolas was looking around the area. His eyes were darting around the trees.
"I will go and have a look around" he said.
The elf handed the lit torch to his dwarf friend. Gimli took the wooden handle of the torch. It was much bigger in the hands of the dwarf then in had been in the hands of the elf.
Merry could feel the warmth from the flame heating him up. Gimli watched the elf vanish into the realm of darkness.
The hobbit and dwarf were now alone. There was hardly sound around them. The wind blew around them. The flames were moved, snapping back. It seemed to want to go upwards, but was being pushed to all different angles.
The light created moving shadows. Sometimes, many shadows lay on the ground. They ranged in strength. From faint shadows to distinct ones.
Gimli was still standing up. His axe was laying in the tree next to Merry.
"You alright there laddie?" he asked, looking down at the hobbit.
But Merry didn't look up at him. The coldness was getting to him. So, Gimli took a deep breath and slowly sat down next to him. the dwarf moved his axe so that it laid on the floor.
"The elf is always doing that" Gimli told him.
The dwarf moved the torch from one had to the other.
"Doing what?" Merry asked.
Gimli looked at him.
"Wondering off into the woods and leaving me on my own" the dwarf answered.
Merry looked at his friend for a few more seconds.
"Why?" he asked.
Gimli took a deep breath.
"I don't know laddie. Maybe its because he still think evil is about" he answered.
Merry and Gimli fell into quietness.
A few minutes later, the elf came back. At first, he wasn't noticed. Merry's eyes slowly looked around. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Merry could see Legolas standing just within the boundaries of the flame.
The bag was now in his hands. The elf looked inside. Lembas and flasks of water were not the only thing they had packet.
There was been Elven rope and Elven blankets.
Elven blankets were magical. To someone out in the wild, on a cold night, it would capture the warmth they generated.
Legolas took his hand out and looked at the small blanket. Merry watched him. Legolas' eyes looked down at Merry.
"Take this" he said, handing the blanket to the hobbit.
Merry took it. His fingers touched the softness of blanket.
"We will sleep here tonight. We will start walking to Bree tomorrow"
Merry nodded. He unwrapped the blanket. Some of it fell on his legs. He could feel the warmth already. Merry moved the blanket over his bare feet.
The hobbit looked back at the floor, making sure that there were no roots there. There were none. So, he laid back down and rested his head.
The blanket was pulled up. Merry tucked his hands under it. The coldness was magically blocked out by the blanket. Legolas had walked past and was now standing near Gimli.
"Why don't you sit down laddie?" he asked.
Merry had shut his eyes, yet he could still hear Gimli and Legolas talking. Their voices started to vanish. Yet Merry didn't notice that he was asleep.
Origo, on the other hand, was still walking. The small stream was still running towards him. The trees were like large pillars rising up to the heavens.
The night was old and Origo was tired. There were many roots and fallen trees that he to jump over or go under. His paws were hurting and wet.
His walking pace had dropped dramatically. He couldn't carry on any more. His little legs gave way and he fell to the ground.
Origo was weak. It had been a few hours since he had had some food. His eyes were darting around the ground. He could see twigs and leaves.
His head was resting on the ground. There were trees getting smaller and smaller the further they were away from him. A few stars could be seen in the sky. They twinkled in their position.
The wind pushed the branches swung in front of the stars, blocking them out for seconds at a time. Some of the branches creaked over head.
Dolly was now sleeping. The cart had stopped rolling. The ponies that they had for driving the cart were standing the coldness.
A blanket was laying over the curled up hobbit. Pippin was gently snoring, his breath was rising in the coldness. His hands were under the blanket.
Without warning, Pippin woke up suddenly. His heart rate had gone from calm and relaxed, to scared in a matter of seconds.
Pippin sat up and looked around. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was. The blanket had fallen to his waist.
The hobbit looked around the cart. He saw Dolly sleeping peacefully. Pip started to wonder what she was dreaming about.
His eyes ran over and stopped on the second figure in the cart. This one was the most precious hobbit that he ever knew.
Diamond Took.
She was Pippin's wife. A few years before, Pippin had start to notice her around. She had a beauty that was like no other.
And, after the things that Pippin had been though, he found it easier to forget and live when she was around. His eyes would dart towards her when she was near.
Something made him behave around her. Then, at Sam's and Rosie's wedding, Pippin accidently stood next to her. He tried hard to not look at her or to not make her think he is.
Frodo and Merry were there as well. It would one of the last few days that Frodo was in the Shire. There were a few close friends there.
Sam's brothers and sisters were there as well. Sam had three older siblings, Halfred, Daisy, May. And one younger sibling called Marigold.
The three Gamgee brothers were all looked the same. It was common for siblings to look like their brother's or sisters. Families of hobbits could be recognized by their looks.
But Hobbiton and everyone in it felt like a million miles away. The coldness felt different. It felt more evil then in the Shire.
In day light, there was less colour in the land of men then in the land of hobbits.
Pippin yawned as he took the blanket and moved over to the end on the cart. His legs dangled towards the ground. Pip looked down, he saw that there were not puddles that would get his feet wet.
His feet touched the ground. The last bridge to Rivendell had come and gone. How far, Pippin didn't know. But he knew that he was close to his goal. The road ran away to the front and to the back. There were many miles to go, yet they had come more miles then they had left.
Pippin stretched and yawned. His eyes scanned the skies. He was in awe of the vastness of the sky above. A small, yet quick and bright.
His eyes darted to the light. But, as soon as it appeared, it vanished, never to be seen again. Pippin's eyes looked around the sky. A faint line in the sky heading off to either side of him.
Pippin was lost for a moment, in the sky for a moment. His eyes snapped back down to earth.
"Well, lets get going" he said.
Dolly was still asleep in the cart as Pip got on. The cart suddenly started to roll on. The wheels clunked on the rocks.
Yet, they were chasing a boy. This boy had been sent out before them with a message. But, just as Pippin had started, he had stopped. The horse he was on started to slow down. The horses feet clumped in the silence of the night.
The boy's eyes were used to the darkness. The forest of Trollshaws had come and gone. The boy stopped at the edge of the forest. There was still a few miles to the end of the woods.
The boy slowed his horse right down and hopped off. His eyes darted around the area. The woods went in every direction. Trollshaws stretched for miles along the road and away from it.
There was a small cove on the side of the road. It was a treeless area where many people had stopped over the years. The tree trunks had been cleared and a small metal pegs embedded in the wood of the trees. These were for tying the reigns of the horses to.
The boy led the horse to the pegs and tied the reigns to the rusty peg. An owl hooted a few trees away. The boy's eyes darted to where the sound came from.
The boy slowly took his pack from his back, but held it in his hands. There was a large tree, perfect for resting against. He walked over to it and laid on the floor.
The coldness had made every muscle in his body stiff. The bag was placed next to him. The boy took a blanket out of his pack.
He unwrapped it and put it over himself. He took a deep, cold driven breath. His horse neighed, it's head down eating the grass.
Shivers continued to run though his body. Yet, the blanket helped the warmth build up. The boy's teeth started to bang together.
It was going to be a long night.
The hours of the morning wore on. One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock. The sun was coming up. Birds started to wake up.
Hobbiton markets were getting ready. The sun came up over the hills. The trees were swaying in the wind. Waves of wind swapped over the big, grassy fields.
There were no flowers in bloom. It was too cold. Samwise Gamgee was already out in his garden. Yet, there were no plant pots about. There was no need in winter. Instead, he was pulling the weeds out from the grass and soil. A ripping sound came from the garden.
There was a small bundle of weeds around the garden. In the beds, there were winter plants. For hobbits had a good knowledge of what plants grew in what seasons.
The winter garden had as much, if not more colour as in the summer.
There were bushes of Holly at the back, their red berries stood out in the green of the leaves. White Yule roses and rich purple flowers called Lungworts. Bushes of Barberry grew on the cold stone walls. Spindle trees were dotted around the garden. They swayed in the wind.
The clouds had started to gather. They sailed along the sky with the wind, changing from every second.
Sam looked up. His hair blew like the clouds.
His house had a large yellow door with a knocker and handle. Both made of brass.
The door opened suddenly. A woman looked out and saw her husband kneeling on the ground.
"Sam, breakfast is ready now" she said.
Sam looked around and smiled. It was Rosie. She had been getting breakfast ready for her family.
"Alright" he said.
He dug his trowel into the ground. The hobbit quickly got up. The door had been left open. Sam walked towards the door. Small echoes ran though the house as Sam made his way to the kitchen.
As the hobbit got closer, smells started to hit his nose. Cooked bacon mostly. The door had been left ajar. A small girls voice could be heard talking to her mother.
Elanor was talking. Yet, she was not the only Gamgee child around the table. Elanor had four younger siblings. Frodo Gamgee, named under Sam's friend, Rose Gamgee and Merry Gamgee, also named after one of his friends.
The four and youngest had only been born two weeks before and had been called Pippin.
The table had been made bigger due to the demand for space. Which was decreasing every few months.
"I think we're going to need a bigger table" Sam said, rubbing his hands together.
Rosie looked around and smiled. The sound of sizzling bacon filled the room as Sam sat down. Toast had already been made. Golden brown and warm. A stick of butter lay on a clear glass dish.
Sam took a few pieces of toast. There was a plate already set in his place. The sound of sizzling bacon grew louder and then quieter.
Rosie used a small woods spatula to flip the cooking bacon. The bacon started to brown as the heat cooked it. Her free hand gripped the wooden handle.
She then lifted it off of the heat. The hobbit turned around and walked the few feet to the table. There was a plate on the wooden table. A few pieces of the bacon that had been placed there were sitting in their fat. Rosie scooped the pieces that she had just been cooking onto the plate.
The pan was still hot as she did this. Sam took his fork and scooped up a few pieces and placed them on his buttery toast.
Rosie then put the pan back on it's hob as her husband started to eat. There was a small packet of bacon rashers just waiting to be cooked and eaten.
"I hope we get the invitations soon" Sam said, still with food in his mouth.
Each year, the Green Dragon would send out one hundred invitations to hobbits in Hobbiton and the surrounding hobbit villages.
Hobbits were getting ready for a six day celebration. Yule tide was one of the richest and longest holidays in the Shire.
Rosie looked around.
"I'm sure you will, dear. Every year you get worried about being left out" she said.
Sam poured a large cup of tea. His sleeves were rolled up and had a bit of muck on his fingers.
"I just don't want to be left out, that's all" he told his wife, putting down the pot that had tea in it.