Miles away, a cart was rolling along a snowy path. Birds sang all around them. Pippin was sitting at the helm of the cart. the coldness was getting to him.
Pippin sat in a day dream. His eyes seemed to be glazed over. The scenes were flashing before him. He could see his two friends as though they were just before him.
Legolas was tall and slim. The flickering candle of the lantern seemed to be reflecting from his hair. The elf seemed to be glowing in the low light.
Gimli was shorter, but a bigger build then Legolas. The dwarf had heavy boots on. The coldness was getting to the poor dwarf. Tiredness seemed to cling to the dwarf all the time.
But now, they were gone. Gone for, what Pippin know, ever.
"We will try, but don't expect us any time soon" said the elf.
Pippin found hope in that sentence. He gave a small smile as the town of Frogmorton past on either side. Other horses and ponies were standing in front of houses.
There was an inn standing near the centre of the small town. Hanging over the wooden door was a sign. It hung on two rusty chains. Inscribed on the plank of wood was the name of the inn.
The Floating Log.
The door opened and closed every so often. No body seemed to care that Pippin was passing by. The snow still sat upon the thatched roves. Icicles hung like sharp needles threatening to fall at any moment.
But Pippin did not stop. He could see the candles inside the inn flickering every so often. The people were sitting inside the inn. Breakfast was being severed up. Hot food was being served up. Sausages, bacon and eggs were being severed along with rolls of bread and chunks of cheese.
Pippin longed to get home. The town was now racing away from him. Peregrin had yet to eat breakfast. He could hear Merry talking behind him.
Merry had a lot of questions to ask now days. Merry had lost his memory. Everything had been forgotten. All of the memories had been wiped from him.
But Pippin still had hope. Hope that something would unlock the memories again. But he had to wait. Hobbiton still lay twelve miles away.
Peregrin knew that he would make it there a few hours after lunch. But wished it would come sooner. The vision of his nice warm house came into his mind as Pippin started to day dream again. The hobbit could see the fire raging before him. The sounds of it crackling came strongly into his ears.
The smell of food then met his nose. But both were quickly taken away from him. Pippin was quickly snapped out of his day dream by a crow swooping over head.
For a moment, Pip thought it was going to hit him. but the bird missed by a foot or two. Pippin was now back in the real, cold world. His day dream had been driven out of him.
The hours continued to drag ever onwards.
Eleven o'clock came and went along with breakfast. Pimpernel had still not awoken from her sleep. Pearl sat in the kitchen, her hunger had been tamed for now.
Twelve o'clock came. Samwise was still wondering the wilds in search of his son.
"Frodo?" he called out.
A few times, deer and bird would be scared off. Sam's eyes seemed sharper then usual. But there was still no sign of his son.
Sam's hunger was now shouting at him. so, he stopped. Laying on the floor there was a large old log that looked burnt. There was no snow on the surface, but it was still quiet wet.
But Sam sat down on it anyway. He needed to take the weight off of his feet. The pack was then opened to revile two loaves of bread, a flask and, at the bottom, a blanket.
Sam took out of one the loaves and looked at it. Without a seconds more thought, he ripped it. Crumbs started to fall on the floor.
Sam took a deep breath and bit into the bread. The piece he bit off was a bit big for him. but Sam didn't mind. His attention was then turned to the surroundings. Everything looked different and bigger some how. There were more trees here. The hill had been conquered. Sam had now safely reached the bottom on the other side.
Hobbiton was now unseen though the trees. There were no hobbit-made or man-made sounds around Samwise now. His hearing seemed to be sharper.
Memories came flooding back to Sam as he sat there. Before him, he could see his younger self. He could also see four younger hobbits with him.
"No, why don't you go and hide?" said one of them.
This hobbit had large blue eyes and black curly hair. It was a young Frodo Baggins. Samwise smiled as his daydream reviled more.
"Because I did it last time"
Merry Brandybuck was standing there. He looked similar to how he did now days.
"No you didn't!" said Frodo.
"He did" answered a lad.
Peregrin Took was standing next to his friend. They all seemed to happy. Fredegar Bolger was the only one that had not said anything.
He was big, much bigger then Sam or the others were. He had a larger belly and a chubbier face. Fatty, as he was known, was breathing heavily.
"Well what about Fatty?" Pippin asked.
Fredegar's looked towards in horror.
"No I…" but it was too late.
"Yes, my dear Fredegar, why don't you look for us this time?" asked Frodo.
"But I…"
Yet it was no use. His four friends had run off. Fredegar took a deep tired breath.
"Don't want to" he said to himself.
He watched his four friends run away. But all Fatty wanted to do was to go home. But his excuses were few in number. His dinner would not be ready for an hour.
Fatty sighed and walked over to a log near by. He sat upon it in the silence.
Sam suddenly felt sorry for old Fredegar. Sam had never got as close to him as he did with the three others. Many years had past since then. And now, paths had been crossed and friends lost.
Samwise himself sighed and looked up at the sky. He had small comfort in him. He wondered what other paths were to come ahead and if he could handle them.
Sam ate and drank to his fill. He placed then back in his bag and stood up. The coldness had stiffened his legs and feet. But the hobbit knew that he had to keep going.
As the hours past, the sun sank deeper and deeper in the sky. The light started to fade. Samwise had walked further and further but with no success.
Origo was now waking up from his long sleep. The cart, he noticed, was still moving.
Hunger was now getting to him. The poor pup had been ill over the past few days. But now, the illness was subsiding. All that Origo wanted to do now was eat.
A blanket had been wrapped around him. His fur had kept him nice and warm in the coldness of the night and of the day. Origo wriggled out of the blanket and stood there. He felt weaker then normal. The pup shook his fluffy body and looked around.
He instantly put his nose to the wood of the cart and sniffed quickly. Three different smells met him.
One was Merry's. He was sleeping peacefully. His near golden hair was moving gently in the wind.
The second smell was not of Diamond, but of Dolly. She too was sleeping on the floor of the cart. She had curly hair, but it was grey. Dolly had been Diamond's midwife, but had been caught in the journey that Pippin had lead them on.
The third and final smell was the one Ori was looking for.
Diamond was laying on her back, a blanket had been drawn up to her shoulders. Long dark hair was, like Merry's, dancing in the breeze.
Origo slowly walked up to her and stood there. He watched her sleeping for a few more seconds before stepping a bit closer.
He then started to lick her face. Diamond, slowly but surely, started to wake from her sleep. Her eyes opened to find her puppy standing there. A tired smile came over her.
"Hello Pup" she said.
A hand came and scooped the puppy nearer. But all Origo did was whine and look towards the basket. He then looked back at his Diamond with large brown eyes.
Within a few seconds, she got what he wanted.
"Alright" she said.
She took a deep breath and heaved herself up. Origo was still in her hands, he struggled to keep his eye on the basket.
The day outside was still cold and bright. But it overcast now. Both breakfast and lunch had come and gone. The cart was now only five miles from its final destination.
Diamond reached over and grabbed the basket. Origo continued to look inside it. It was then he saw it. The packet of turkey that he wanted. The pup then began struggle, but the grip that Diamond had on his tightened.
"Ah, not yet" she said.
She could now hear him whimper. Diamond knew that she shouldn't, but she couldn't help smiling at his cuteness. The packet was then taken out of the basket and placed on her lap. Origo was placed on her lap as well.
She could feel him struggling to get to the turkey quicker. With her spare hand, she started to open the packet. But it was still quite hard to do so.
The smell of turkey filled the air. Origo whimpered even louder as his Diamond took out a piece and looked at it. He needed it very badly. His little eyes were darting from his Diamond, to the turkey in her hand.
Diamond, after a few more seconds, gave it to her puppy. Ori certainly seemed to be better. Diamond smiled as her hand gently rubbed his soft, warm fur.
Faramir was waking from his sleep. He whines started off quietly. But grew in a small amount of time. Diamond took a deep breath and lifted the puppy off of her lap.
Origo whined as he was put on the floor. He stood there for a couple of seconds. the feeling of being loved started to seep away as Diamond picked up Faramir.
The packet of turkey had been left on the other side of Diamond. It seemed now to have slipped her mind. Origo whined louder. It was enough to get Diamond's attention again.
"Oh, here you go" Diamond said, placing the open packet of turkey in front of him.
Origo's sprits lifted up again, his tail started to wag. Faramir was still crying as his mother sat back down.
Merry, on the other hand, shuffled into a new position. The waking up of Faramir had started to annoy him. The hobbit peaked over his shoulder.
"Why cant he just sleep?" he asked himself.
Even though Merry's memory had gone, he still had emotions deep within him. At the moment, annoyance was running though him. He was tired and could not stand the sound of the baby crying. So, Merry placed his fingers in his ears.
There were four miles left to go until they reached home. The time had now reached three o'clock in the afternoon. Pippin and Diamond were not the only hobbits away from their nice warm houses. Samwise Gamgee was also away from his home. But, unlike his fellow hobbits, he was travailing away from where he lived.
The trees around him were getting thicker and bigger. An unexplored wood. The snow on the ground seemed thinner then the woodless areas.
Birds sang and perched high on the branches above him. But they were not to worry about. Sam got ever closer to a pack of wild animals. Animals that had even more power then he could and would ever have.
The wolves had been running for most on the previous night and most of the day. the wolves were now resting. Their goal was just two miles away now.
Sam, who had been looking around, stopped in the tracks. He could see, though the pillars of trees, movement. At first, Sam thought that they were just men, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't have been more wrong.
Without a second to think, Sam rushed and stood behind one of the nearest trees. His heart rate was now increasing. He had no sword and was outnumbered dramatically.
Sam slowly peered around edge of the tree. He kept as far back as he could. The sight of the wolves met him again. There seemed to two standing up. The were looking around.
"Scouts" thought Sam.
Birds continued to sing all around him. But something was about to happen that put Samwise's life in danger. A twig had been snapped, sending sound echoing though the surrounding forest.
The wolves that had been resting were now all standing up. Their ears had poked up, listening to anything. The leader was now looking around. The two scouts looked back at the leader.
After a few seconds, the two wolves started to search the area. Sam now knew that he was in trouble. He wished so much that they didn't find him. but it was now use. The wind was blowing his scent towards the wolves.
The two scouts closed in on him. they were as silent as the clouds above.
Samwise needed to act quickly. A growling sound came from his right hand side. Samwise's worst fears were confirmed. The wolves had come.
Without a second glance, Sam ran as fast as he could. The wolves bounded after him. Ten in total. They were much faster then he was.
A plan now needed to be made. He needed to fend then off for as long as possible. As he ran, a large stick met his sights. It was partly covered over with snow. Sam ran ever faster towards it. The wolves were catching up.
In one swoop, he managed to pick up the large stick and keep his balance. The wolves behind him continued to run. But they stopped.
Sam had stopped and was now facing them. the animals were growling, showing their large yellow teeth. The leader slowly walked up to him. Sam wished ever so much that the wolves would leave him alone. But that was now the case.
They had anger and hatred in their eyes. Sam moved the stick along the line of wolves, keeping them in check. No one around knew what trouble he was in.
The light above was starting to fade. But that did not bother the wolves.
The wolf leader suddenly jumped for him. Sam saw the big teeth coming towards him. Everything seemed to slow down. Sam's natural instant was to block it. The stick travailed straight towards the head of the wolf.
Pippin continued driving the cart and he was making good speed. The turning for Hobbiton lay just a few hundred meters from where he was now.
The road turned off and became smaller and less pronounced as the main one. The country side seemed to turn wilder off on either side. Hills started to sprout out of the ground.
Pippin could smell the air now. It had a different smell from the rest of the land. The hobbit didn't know what it was, but he liked it. He had the same feeling and smell that he had when he came back from his adventures all those years ago.
The turning came upon the cart. The pony that led the cart was steered around the bend. The hobbits were now off of the great east road.
Peregrin Took was now on the home stretch. The cart continued to roll ever onwards towards where they lived. Inside the cart, Faramir had stopped crying. Origo was now snoozing on his Diamond's lap. Her hand was slowly running over the puppy's fluffy head.
Ori was nice and warm. He had been much warmer then she had been. The coldness seemed to be kept at bay by his fur. Diamond suddenly picked him up and placed the pup on her shoulder.
"Oh, it's alright pup" she said.
Her cheek touched the warm fur. She smiled. The puppy looked incredibly cure as he slept there. Origo's small chest could be seen rising and falling peacefully. He stretched out one of his little paws. Diamond kissed him on the top of the head. Her pup gave a small whine.
Merry was now awake. He was looking around. everything still seemed new to him.
"I'm a bit hungry" Merry said.
Diamond looked at him and smiled.
"Get some lambas out of the basket" she said, nodding towards the basket.
Merry was not the only hungry traveller. Pippin was now hungry as well. The talk of lambas bread made him miss sitting in the back. But the fact that he was almost home made him more excited to get there.
But Pippin knew that it would be another hour or two before he would finally get something good to eat.
Two miles away.
Birds continued to sing in the ever growing darkness. The nearer that Pippin got home, the calmer and happier he got. But, over the happy feeling would soon be taken away from him.
One mile away.
The hills started to round off. The trees grew even thicker in these parts. Everything seemed to be greener as well. Pippin loved this part of the land dearly. But there was a contender to its beauty.
Not for the first time had his mind gone to a far off land. A white city came into view. A tree stood in a white court yard. A gentle breeze caressed the small tree. Saplings had sprung up in the clear sunshine.
Snow had settled on the ground all over the city and on the planes of Pelennor. Below the court yard, the city rose up on many different layers.
A large door opened into a large room. Statues of men lined the hall way. Two chairs sat upon a Dias. One had been place at the bottom. This was black chair, made of marble. White marble stairs led up to a white marble thrown.
None but the King of Gondor was allowed to sit on it. but for the moment it was empty. A table had been set out. it had four wooden legs. Plates of food had been set out by the servants. It was a relatively simple feast.
A roast chicken had been served. It was light brown and dripping with juice. Tomatoes, grapes, bread and cheese had all been placed on table as well.
Foot steps echoed around the hall. A messenger was walking towards the king. The king looked up.
"I was not expecting any messages" he said as the man bowed at him.
"My Lord, I bring word from the Shire"
The king, who had a hand of tomatoes. He slowly moved them over to his plate.
"Continue" King Elessar ordered.
Elessar listening intently to the news.
"This is a cause for celebration" he said.
"Call Faramir in, I would like to tell him myself"
The messenger nodded, turned around and walked out. Aragorn, as he used to be known, was now thinking back to the days where he had been with the hobbits.
For many years now, he had wanted to visit the Shire. But being King took a lot of work. Osgiliath needed a lot of work. The men of Minus Tirith were slowly, but surely, rebuilding the city.
There were many building with out roves or walls. Many large boulders in peculiar places. The streets of Osgiliath were lined with rubble.
The bodies of the men had been removed. They had been given proper burials. The orcs that they there were taken and thrown in a large pit. It was unmarked.
Faramir's footprints were heard echoing around the hall. After a few seconds, the soft echoes of his feet stopped.
"My Lord" Faramir said, bowing to the king.
Aragorn stopped eating and looked at him.
"I have good news to bring you" he said.
The sound of wood on marble echoed the hall as the king stood. Faramir said nothing.
"I have just had word" said Aragorn.
"Of a certain hobbit, Peregrin Took"
The name sparked a bell in Faramir. A small smile came over him.
"One of my messengers, not five minutes ago, told me that Pippin's wife had given birth to a boy"
Faramir nodded.
"That is good news" he said.
"The messenger has also told me that the boy was name Faramir, after you I suppose"
Deep down, Faramir knew that Pippin had liked him. after all, the hobbit had saved his life.
"I think this deserves a drink" Aragorn said.
Without warning, a servant of the king came out of what seemed to be nowhere. She was a young looking girl. Her cloths were dark green in colour. Her foot prints were silent on the cold marble.
In her hands was a large jug. The jug was full of the richest wine in Gondor. She poured out two mugs of the wine. She handed one to the King and the other to Faramir. Without another word or sound, she slipped back into silence.
"To Faramir and Pippin" said Aragorn.
The two glasses his each other, sending the sound out around the hall. The two drank to their health. Aragorn took the cup away. the coldness blew in from the large door.
"Well, I better head down. Osgiliath will not build itself" Faramir said, placing the cup on the table.
He bowed one last time, turned and walked away.
Meanwhile, Pippin was a few hundred meters from his home. The twilight was deepening. Tiredness was now getting to him also. The ponies continued trot along, they seemed less tired then the hobbit.
The shallow slope led down to the bridge. A small bit after the bridge, Pippin could see it. The Green Dragon. Lights were flickering in its windows.
But Pippin know that he couldn't stop. The bridge came and went, the cart turned and headed down the road that lead to the homes of Hobbiton.
The cold air blew at Pippins face. The skin started to tingle as he continued to sit there. A few minutes later, the cart pulled up to hobbit hole and stopped.
Inside the cart, Diamond looked to the back. Only the wind could be heard. But, out of the sound, foot prints were carried in the air. Pippin had now hopped off of the driver's seat and was now walking to the back of the cart.
The small cloth that had been placed over the back was pulled away.
"Pippin, what are you doing?" asked Diamond.
Pippin gave her a small smile.
"We're home" he answered.
"Home?" repeated Diamond.
Pippin gave a nod.
"Come on, lets get inside"
So, the four hobbits started to unload the cart. Diamond carefully handed a sleeping Faramir to him. Merry jumped down onto the cold snow below.
The area around them was dark. But there were small twinkling lights. The lake in the middle of Hobbiton could be seen. The twinkling lights from the Green Dragon could be seen dancing on the lake.
"Come on Merry" said Diamond.
Merry looked around. Pip had already gone and opened up the door. Faramir and the cot had already been taken inside. Dolly was now awake and was walking towards them.
"I'll take the baskets in" she said, slowly getting back onto the cart.
The hobbit slid the baskets towards her. There was nothing left in the cart. A small puppy, which had been sleeping, had been taken inside.
Origo was now looking around the house. It was colder and darker then normal. Sounds now echoed though it. New smells were running different paths though the house.
Origo just had to investigate.
"Alright" came Pippin's voice.
"I'll go and sort out the cart and ponies" he said.
There was tiredness in voice and across his face. An early night in his own bed was calling to him. but yet he had to go back out in the snow one more time.
The door closed, but it made no difference to the temperature in the home. Diamond was now in the kitchen. There were no lights in the house, but she knew where she was going. Every bit of fire had burnt itself out.
But Diamond knew what to do. There were two cold stones resting on the shelf. There were other things standing on the small shelf above the heath.
A small vase full of dirty water and dying plants sat there. They were not the only death plants. Nearly all of them had died.
Mice and rats had been running free around the house. But when the hobbit had arrived home, they had scattered into the walls unseen.
Diamond picked up the two hard stones and knelt down on the floor. She held a stone in each hand and struck them together. A spark flew off of the two stones. But it seemed to be only a flash. It was no enough to start a raging fire.
Diamond did it for a second, third and fourth time. But with no success. But Diamond was determined to get the fire going.
Merry, meanwhile, was standing there. He was looking around the home. Everything, yet again, was new to him. As he was looking around, something very interesting caught his eye. An unlit candle on its stand. It was just inside his reach.
So, seeing that Diamond was busy, Merry walked over to it. The candles looked unchanged. Their shapes were unique. Running down the side of the candle were many solid drips of cold wax.
Merry slowly reached up. His hand wrapped around candle. He then pulled. But it didn't come off. Merry looked up at it. He then pulled even harder then before. But still, it did not come loose.
Diamond was having trouble of her own. The stones were not working. The hobbit was getting frustrated. Normally, Pippin would be the one to struggle. But instead, it was her.
Behind her, Merry had now gripped the candle with two hands. He tugged and tugged at it. But little did he know that the stand, as well as the candle would soon break off. The stand that had been mounted to the wall was giving way.
Without warning, the stand, the candle and Merry fell to the floor. The metal stand feel to the floor with a crash that echoed around the near empty home.
Diamond stood up quickly and looked around. She could just about see Merry's large feet sticking out from the other side of the table.
"Merry?" she asked.
Merry quickly got up and smiled.
"What happened?" Diamond asked.
The candle and the stand was still held in his hand. He slowly hid it behind his back.
"Nothing, nothing happened" he said.
Diamond gave a look. She didn't quite trust him. Origo stood in the door way, looking at the two hobbits. There was still no light, but Origo knew who was in there.
Hunger was now gripping Origo. A bark came from the door way. Diamond looked around and saw the little black pup standing there. The brown patches on his paws and over his eyes could be seen.
"Alright Ori, I'll make you something to eat soon"
At that, the front door opened. Pippin had come back. He took his coat off, but it would have been better to leave it on. The hobbit walked into the cold kitchen.
"I thought you'd have that lit by now" he said.
He held out his hand. Diamond handed him the two stones. But Pippin didn't got to the fire, instead he walked out of the room. Diamond wondered what he was doing.
She then turned to Merry. Merry was caught red handed.
"Merry!" she said.
The hobbit jumped, dropping the candle and its handle. The holder spun in the air and hit the tiled floor. The sound echoed around the room. The candle shattered, sending pieces flying everywhere.
Diamond closed her eyes, she didn't want to shout at him. it wasn't his fault after all.
"Just sit down" she said, pointing the wooden seats.
Merry looked down, without another word, he sat down. Diamond took a deep, tired breath as Pippin came back into the room.
He had been rummaging for a spare book. The sound of ripping came from the hobbit as he stood before the fireless heath. Diamond looked over at him.
"What are you doing?" she asked as her husband continued to rip.
Pippin crumpled up the small pieces of paper and threw them into the heath. The paper created a small pile. Pippin then took the two stones out of his pocket and held one in each hand.
After a minute or two, the paper started to burn more and more. Pippin continued to throw paper onto the fire until it got big enough.
There was a small metal stand with thin logs sitting on it. Pip picked up one or two and started to build the fire. The wood crackled as he placed them over the flames. The paper that had been all burnt up, the fire had now moved onto the wood.
Its hunger grew and grew. The flames continued to grow. Pippin continued to place the wood into the hot flames. The coldness was slowly being fought off by the ever increasing heat of the fire.
The coldness outside was only getting deeper. There were no hobbits outside save for one. He was running. Running from predators that were going to take his life. But he wasn't going to make that the case.
Samwise Gamgee reached the bridge near the mill. The night had now set in around him. His eyes darted around, but could not see the wolves.
The search for his son had taken a dramatic turn. Sam now had a different job to do. The Green Dragon was now emptier then it had been a few hour before.
The wolves were now nearer to Hobbiton then Sam thought. But Sam didn't know it. He had a more important matter on his mind. One that he needed help with.
So, he started off again. His legs were aching. From running up and down hills. But now, he had one last hill to conquer. Sam's home lay on the hill side.
Bag end looked the same as it did twenty years before and twenty years before that. The door was exactly the same colour, green. It was large and round, just like every other front door in Hobbiton.
Leading up to the door were many stone steps. Normally, blades of grass would be sticking up though the gaps. But most of them had been covered up by a crunchy layer of snow.
Sam opened the gate, but didn't close it after. He walked up the stairs and stopped. His hand rested on the handle. Sam turned his head, there was a strange feeling of being watched. But he didn't know by who or what.
The door creaked open. Sam went in as quickly as possible. The coldness and the wolves were left outside. Sam stood leaning on the door.
The candle danced as the cold wind rushed by them. Rosie, Sam's wife, looked around the corner.
"Sam, what's wrong? Where's Frodo?" she asked, slowly walking to him.
Sam gave her a look that send the message without words. Rosie looked even more upset then she had been.
"How far did you go?" she asked.
But Sam was no worried his son at the moment. A more pressing matter was now at hand. After a minute or two, Sam started to walk. He walked right past Rosie.
The door to his room was the opened. Rosie, wondering what he was doing, followed. But she stayed at the door. She watched her husband kneel down and look under the bed.
"Sam, would you please tell me what is going on" she said.
Sam looked up.
"Wolves" he said.