"I'm just waiting for your mother to get the chickens out and then we'll be going into the lounge" Marigold answered, picking Elanor up.
Elanor was still quiet small. Her height and length of her feet were still growing. There were fine strands of very golden hair on top of her feet. For all hobbits had curly hair on both their feet and on top of their heads.
Rosie came out of the cellar and placed a large wrapped chicken on the work top. She then turned around and walked back in the cellar to get the second one.
Meanwhile, Sam was sitting beside Frodo's bed. Frodo seemed to had got his apatite back and was now eating the rest of the loaf. The mug of cool water was almost drained. Frodo continued to eat the fresh bread.
Sam was smiling. He had his son back. But there was a very dark matter to discus with him.
"Frodo, we need to talk" said Sam, sitting up and leaning forward.
He was ready to ask where his son had been. Frodo stopped chewing and looked at his father. There was a sense that Sam was going to shout.
But that was not the case.
"I want you to tell me where you have been" he said.
Frodo's eyes darted from side to side for a few seconds.
"I…"
He knew his friends would get into trouble. But he knew that he would also get into trouble if he didn't answer his father.
"It wa…" he started, but stopped.
"It wasn't my fault"
Sam took a deep breath and sat back.
"I am not angry at you, I'm just disappointed" he said.
Guilt was now strong in Frodo's heart. He took a deep breath and looked down.
"I'm sorry" he said, his hunger was now gone.
He knew that he shouldn't have gone over the ridge of the hill. But he couldn't help it. He thought that he could get back in time. But the coldness had gotten a hold of him before he could turn back.
Rosie had now placed the second giant bird on the work top. She smiled as she took the kettle off of the hook. It was very hot, that's why she used a cloth to hold it. The two cups were sitting on the work top. Elanor was looking around, she was still on her aunties lap.
The very hot water was poured into both of the mugs. A small bit of water vapour snaked off the top of the water. The tea leaves that had been placed in the mug before hand were now floating around in circles.
The kettle was then placed back on the hook.
Rosie smiled as she started to stir the cups of water. The tea leaves were now spinning around even more, sending their taste into the warm water. The sugar had been placed on the table.
"There you go" Rosie said, placing the mug on the table.
"Thank you" Marigold said, taking it from Rosie.
Rosie turned around and picked up hers. She pulled out a seat and sat down. The small pot of sugar had a small silver spoon poking out of it.
"Alright darling, Auntie Marigold needs to drink her tea and talk to mummy" she said, making Elanor stand.
Elanor looked around, she now had nothing to do.
"Mummy, could I go outside please?" she asked.
It was a question that Rosie didn't want to answer. But she couldn't lose face in front of Marigold and her daughter.
"Just be back before lunch is ready and don't go over the bridge" Rosie told her daughter.
Elanor nodded and smiled as she went out of the room. She made her way down the corridor to the front door. There were lots of coats and scarves hanging on and across the pegs. Elanor looked and, after a few minutes, found her coat.
It had been hidden under her mother's. The girl carefully tried to get her coat off, but her mother's fell off. Elanor took a deep breath and looked up. She wasn't yet as tall as her parents.
Elanor tried her hardest to reach it. But she was still not tall enough. The young girl knew that both her parents were busy.
So, she left the coat laying on the floor. She quickly put her coat on and buttoned it up. Her mother was heard talking to Marigold.
The large front door was opened and shut quickly. Elanor had stepped out into a cold, white world. Snow covered nearly every inch of every surface. The stone walls that had once been topped with green moss were now topped with white snow. Small foot prints of birds could be seen all along the floor.
A few hobbits were still out. Snowballs were being thrown at each other. Elanor, who was quite popular among the younger hobbits. So, she opened the gate that lead to the path.
The gate creaked as she shut it again. The chimneys sprouting out of the tops of the hills were all smoking. The back smoke was carried gently away by the cold breeze.
Elanor made her way down to where the small group of hobbits were playing.
"Hello Elanor" said one of the girls.
She had brown, curly hair and large blue eyes. She was the smallest out of the group.
"Good morning"
The small girl sniffed and looked around. She was shivering a bit, having been out in the snow longer then Elanor had been. The boys laughed as snowballs flew towards their targets.
A few of the snowballs hit their targets. They shattered into pieces and fell back to the floor. Elanor talked to her friends about the meals that they had and were going to have. The second day of Yule was a busier day then the one before. Later on that night, everyone would be exchanging their presents.
Diamond had already brought all her presents. Faramir had his own present, Origo had his as well and Pippin had one as well.
Pippin was sitting in the lounge. He too had brought his wife and son a present. But he had hidden it very well, so well that his wife did not know where it was.
A large mug of ale had been set on the table. The smell of chicken started to seep though the tiny cracks of the door. Pippin looked up and sniffed. He loved his wives cooking.
The fire raged inside the heath. But the smoke did not fill the room. Instead, it rose up the black stained bricks. Pippin yawned as he sat there. The clock slowly ticked like it had been for many years before.
There was a small table standing on a rug. The rug seemed to have lost a bit of its colour. Faint stains were present on the rug. Some stains were dark red, others were small and only effected a few strains of the rug.
A book was held in Pippin's hands. His eyes scanning over the many words on the pages. All of the letters, words and paragraphs were all hand written. They were all written down before Pippin or rather Pippin's father, Paladin, was born.
There were many pages to this book. The pages were crisp as he flipped over to the next page. Everything around him fell on deaf ears as he was transported into a different world.
This world was different from the one he was presently in. Rouges, goblins, orcs, rats and strange creatures all flashed before him. Strange dungeons and smells radiated from the words he was reading.
Time seemed not to be a problem for him. In fact, it seemed to go quicker. The door to the lounge opened. Pippin's eyes were torn away from the world.
"Lunch is ready" Diamond said, smiling.
Pippin smiled back and placed the book down. He then rose from the couch and walked out. The top of the door seemed to be lower then normal. But that did not bother Pippin.
The smell of cooked chicken grew and grew as he got nearer and nearer. As he got to the kitchen, faint cries from his son met his ears. He gave a small smile, Diamond heard it as well.
"I'll go and get him" Pip said, walking out of the room again.
Diamond opened the draw and got out a carving knife. The draw was closed as the cries from her became louder. She smiled as she got plates out. Origo's small bowl was still sitting on the floor. It was empty, yet still had small bits of turkey stuck to the inside of the bowl.
Diamond now felt guilty as she looked at it.
"Where are you?" she asked herself.
Her heart was heavy as she started to cut the turkey. Two plates had already placed near by. The crisp brown skin of the cooked bird was then cut into. It was still warm from coming out of the oven.
Hobbits hardly wasted any food. Especially at Yule time. The kitchen table had been set up for the two of them to eat at. Knives and forks had been lain in their places.
Pippin entered the room again, holding Faramir. He was still crying. Diamond looked over at the two of them. She smiled and went back to cutting the bird.
A few minutes later, enough meat had been placed on the plate. Pippin had already sat down on his seat, cradling his son.
"There you go" Diamond said, placing the plate before Pippin.
He smiled.
"Thank you" he said.
Diamond turned around and picked up hers. She placed it on her tablemat. But she did not sit down. Instead, she got to mugs out and went into the cellar. Pippin had yet to start loading the different foods onto his plate. He was looking at his son, who was still crying.
Diamond filled the mugs with ale and came back out. the door to the cellar was closed.
Outside. Origo was slowly walking though the snow. A small fairy was fluttering by him. Origo was wet and cold, having spent nearly two days out in the coldness of winter.
Hunger was getting to him. He had not eaten a thing all day. He was shivering and whimpering. The small bridge that crossed water came into view.
The Green Dragon looked silent and empty, but there were dwarves in there. They were preparing for the second Yule meal. But it would not be few another few hours.
There were doubts in Origo's heart that Diamond would have him back. He wasn't expecting any more love from her.
"Maybe I should just give up" he told himself.
The snow was making it even more difficult for him to walk. The clouds above seemed to me moving quicker. The sun light was blocked out a few times. But it didn't really matter. The coldness around them was deep and sharp. The hills that housed the hobbits came into view. Origo could see where his Diamond lived.
The small puppy stopped and looked up at it. Ivy stopped as well.
"Puppy?" she asked, landing beside him.
Origo little eyes were fixed on the small door that he could see. There were now two voices arguing in his head. One for going on and one against going back.
"She doesn't love you, cant you see that?" asked one of the voices.
But the other one came in as well.
"Origo, she does love you, why don't you get out of the cold?"
The small puppy was now very confused. He didn't know which one to believe, if any. The wind blew around him, ruffling his fur. Without warning, Origo started off again. He trotted along quite quickly. The path ascended a little bit as the first of the homes came into view.
Ori quickly rushed past them. His little paw prints embedded in the snow. Ivy followed closely behind. The gate and wall that kept Diamond's garden at bay came next.
Origo stopped and looked though the small gaps in the gate. The door was green and reflected a bit of the sunlight come down to it. Ivy stood next to him.
"Do you still want to go on?" Ivy asked.
Origo nodded and snaked though the gaps in the fence. A few long blades of grass stuck though the carpet of whiteness around him. There were a few trees rustling in the wind.
Origo reached the large front door. Ivy fluttered and yet again, landed near by. The puppy stood there for a few seconds.
Diamond and Pippin were eating, Pippin had to do everything with one hand. Just then, a different noise echoed though the house. It was not of wind or fire. It was a noise that they knew.
"Is that…?" Diamond started.
She quickly placed down her knife and fork and walked out of the room. More of the same noises echoed though the house. Diamond smiled as she reached the big front door. She opened it and looked outside. Origo was standing there. His tail instantly began to wag.
"Origo!" Diamond said, scooping the wet puppy up.
"Now where have you been?" she asked.
Ivy smiled and zoomed in as the large door was shut. She barely made it in. the coldness had been blocked out by the big door. Ivy looked back at it, but Diamond was already walking away.
Her sprits were now high again. She walked back into the kitchen.
"Look who I found" she said to Pippin.
Pippin smiled as he saw Origo.
"How did he get outside?" he asked.
That was a question that had been running though her head ever since she had noticed that he had vanished.
"I don't know" she said, looking down at her puppy.
Diamond took her seat again. Now both of the hobbits were having to eat their roasts with one hand. Origo sat on his Diamond lap. His thoughts had been wrong. His Diamond did still love him.
Ivy fluttered and sat on the table near Origo. The puppy yawned as he sat there. He had not been in the house few what seemed a while. He looked up at his Diamond. One of her hands was tickling his ear.
She looked down and smiled. The puppy gave a small whine and looked around for his bowl. Diamond placed down the fork and lifted her puppy up.
Diamond placed him on the floor.
"I'll get you some turkey in a minute" she told him.
Origo stood there, his little sad puppy eyes looking up at his Diamond. The fork was picked up again. Small, soft whimper came from where Origo was standing. Diamond looked down. Her heart just melted. The combination of the fluffiness, the large puppy eyes and his soft whimper just melted Diamond's heart. The hobbit took a large breath. She couldn't bare to leave her lovely warm lunch. But then again, Origo needed his food.
"Alright" she said, getting up.
She took a deep breath as she walked towards the cellar. Origo blinked twice and followed her. The darkness of the cellar made him stop in his tracks.
He could just about see his Diamond inside the darkness. A small whine came from Origo, he was very hungry indeed.
Diamond immerged from the dark cold cellar. She was holding a large packet of precooked turkey. Origo's small tale started to wag as his little nose picked up the faint smell of the turkey. Diamond noticed a sudden change in him.
She knew that he loved his turkey. The bowl was picked up. Diamond looked inside. It had small bits of turkey stuck on it.
"A new bowl" she told herself, walking over to the sink.
She placed it in and tuned around. a smile came over her lips. She walked over to the cupboard and opened it. There were many bowls and plates of all sizes. They were all made of smooth china. Some had small blue patterns on them. Others were just plain.
Diamond placed the bowl on the work top. The large packet turkey was ripped open. Now even Diamond could smell the turkey.
The bowl was almost full to the brim with turkey. Diamond smiled and picked it up. Origo was eagerly waiting for his food.
"There you go" she said, placing it on the floor.
Before she could move her hand away, Origo was already eating. Diamond gave a small smile and looked back at her husband. They were now a family again. Faramir was giggling as Pippin made funny faces.
Diamond took her seat again and picked up her knife and fork again. Pippin was getting more roast potatoes out of the large bowl. Only one potato was picked up at a time.
The level of gravy was slowly emptied as both of the hobbits poured it all over their food. All around Hobbiton, lunches were being served.
Large chickens were being cut into and eaten. Parsnips, sprouts, sausages, bacon, carrot and turnip and sauces of every kind were sitting on the table.
But there was one hobbit that was not sitting at a table. Fredegar was still lying on the bed. He had not moved for the entire day.
The door opened slowly. Estella Bolger, his little sister, stood there. There were no candles burning in the room now. The fire was just red hot ash in the heath.
The plate of food that her mother had brought in hours ago was untouched and still on the small bed side table. Estella took a deep breath.
"Fredegar?" she asked.
But there was no movement from her brother. Estella took a deep breath and walked a bit nearer. Fredegar still did not show any signs of movement.
"Are you still going to the Green Dragon?" she asked.
Her eyes darted to the stale sandwich on the table. She reached her hand out and took the plate. It was a waste of food.
Something was different about her brother. He did not leave food. Everyone in Hobbiton and the surrounding area knew that he could eat more then others. But at this moment in time, he had not eaten a thing all day.
Estella was getting worried about him. Of course, his father had died the night before.
"Fredegar, please talk"
But there was still no answer. The girl stood there for a few more seconds before giving up. She knew that she couldn't force him to talk. But she hoped he would.
Without another word spoken, she turned around and walked out of the room. the door was closed, shutting off the light from the corridor.
Estella took a deep breath and started to walk back to the kitchen. Rosamunda was in the kitchen as well. She looked around as her daughter came in.
"He didn't eat it?" Rosamunda asked.
She had her hands in a warm bowl of water. On one side of her, there were dirty plates. On the other were wet, clean plates.
"No" Estella said sadly.
Both girls were now worried about Fredegar. They knew full well that he would have eaten in, no matter his mood. But this time was very different.
"He's taken it very hard" Estella said.
Rosamunda continued to wash up.
"It will be some time before he is himself again. We must not push him into things that he does not want to do" Rosamunda answered.
She continued to wash up, the pates dripping as they came out of the water. A few minutes later, all of the dishes were clean and wet. The water in the bowl was now dirty. Small particles of food floated around in the water.
The plug was pulled out, changing their courses dramatically. The bubbles in the surfaces popped.
Rosamunda turned around. There was a cloth on back on one of the chairs. Rosamunda picked it up and started to dry her hands.
Fredegar's lunch and breakfast were still sitting there.
Deep down, she knew that she would have to throw it away.
Marigold smiled and kissed little Elanor on the cheek.
"You be good for your mother now, wont you?" she asked.
Elanor smiled.
"I'm always good" she answered.
Marigold laughed and put her back on the floor. Rosie was waiting at the door as well. Marigold picked out her coat.
"Thank you for the tea, it was nice talking to you again"
The two of the hugged. Marigold opened the door to the cold world and walked out. Elanor watched as the door closed.
She looked at her mother and smiled. Rosie did not know it, but Elanor had heard nearly everything that they said. The young girl had stopped in the corridor. She could hear her mothers voice.
Elanor found it hard not to breath as she inched slowly closer to the door. Her coat had been left unhooked as she had come back in a little bit early to hear what was going on.
"Well" said her mothers voice.
"A few days ago, Frodo went missing"
Elanor could not see the reaction of her aunt.
"Missing?" she asked, drinking her tea.
"Yes, for the past few days. We've been worried sick" Rosie told her.
Elanor knew that something had happened to her brother, but she did not full know.
"Where was he?" Marigold asked.
Rosie took a deep breath.
"We don't know, we haven't asked him yet" Rosie answered.
There was a strange silence.
"Do you have any idea of where he went?" Marigold asked.
Elanor looked around, making sure that her father was not coming. Inside the kitchen, Rosie was shaking her head.
"No we don't. We asked all of his friends and none of them seemed to be with him that day"
In fact, Rosie was being lied to. Frodo had indeed been with his friends that day. All was waiting to be uncovered. But for now, all would be covered up.
Elanor now knew more then she was meant to. Both Rosie and Marigold continued to talk. The subject matter changed every now and again. From snow, to the children, to the prospect of having a warm summer this year.
"Well, I best be heading out now" Marigold said, looking at the clock on the wall.
Elanor scooted off to her room as both Marigold and Rosie stood up. The two mugs were left in their places. Rosie opened the door and walked out. she had no idea that her oldest daughter had just eavesdropped on their conversation.
"I'll just go and get Elanor" Rosie said.
Marigold smiled and walked down the opposite way to where Rosie was. Elanor was laying on her bed, her favourite horse was standing up. She was looking at it with a smile.
Just then, two knocks came at the door. Her mother walked in a few seconds later.
"Auntie Marigold is going now" she said.
Elanor smiled and sat up. She slid off of the bed and went out of the room. She and her mother walked down the corridor to the front door. There, Marigold was waiting.
She smiled as her niece came towards her. Mari picked her up.
"Good bye Elanor" she said, kissing her on the cheek.
Elanor giggled.
"Good bye auntie Marigold"
The two of them hugged for a few seconds.
"You be good for your mother now, wont you?" she asked.
Elanor smiled.
"I'm always good" she answered.
Marigold laughed and put her back on the floor. Rosie was waiting at the door as well. Marigold picked out her coat.
"Thank you for the tea, it was nice talking to you again"
The two of the hugged. Marigold opened the door to the cold world and walked out. Elanor watched as the door closed. Rosie walked away, back to the kitchen. She had a lot of work to do now.
Elanor walked after her mother. She knew what they were talking about, but could not give the game away. Rosie picked up the two mugs as her daughter walked in.
"Would you like any help mummy?" she asked.
Rosie smiled as she turned around.
"No thank you dear" she answered.
Elanor stood there for a few more seconds before walking out of the room.
Origo had now been asleep since lunch time. The large bowl of turkey that he had consumed had taken its toll on him. The pillow that he was snoozing on was nice and warm. A fire was gently dancing in the heath as the hours past on.
Images were crossing his eyes. But they were not of books or the present time. They were of very old memories. A table sat in the middle of a room. there were seats around it. A young looking boy sat there, all alone.
He had long black hair. The windows were broken, the glass smashed. Plants were growing in from the outside. The weather was good at this time of year. Birds and beasts roamed the land in countless numbers.
A sound echoed though the empty house. The boy looked up. He knew exactly who it was. A being opened the creaky door.
It was a girl. Unlike the boy, she had blonde hair. But both were the same length. Her eyes were big and dark brown. She gave a small smile as she walked in.
"It is nice to see you again" she said.
The boy gave a small nod, but nothing more. The girl pulled out a chair and sat down. There was dust on near enough everything. The house was in a bad state of repair. It was obvious that no one had been living in it for a few years.
"Did you find her?" asked the girl.
The boy nodded and smiled.
"Of course I did" he answered.
The girl smiled.
"Is she what you hoped for?" she asked.
The boy nodded.
"She is perfect"
The mood in the room darkened a small bit. There was now a seriousness to it.
"I think we should do it when there a bit older" said the boy.
The girl leant forward a small bit.
"A bit older?" she asked.
In the real world, Origo was snoozing peacefully on the pillow. Diamond walked into the room, holding a baby. Faramir was sleeping as well. She looked over and saw her puppy curled up on her pillow.
Origo looked peaceful. Diamond placed her sleeping son down in the cot. Faramir started to cry a bit, but soon the noise died down.
Diamond took a deep breath and smiled as she looked back over at her puppy again. Deep down, she knew that he loved her.
"But if only he could talk" she sighed, walking out of the room.
Back in the dream, Origo was in fact talk. But I was not in the form he was now. Long ago, both Origo and Abira, although they were not known at their present day names, were sent to protect Diamond and Pimpernel.
"They are too young and they would not understand" the boy said.
The girl looked down and took a deep breath. Deep down, she knew that what she had been sent would result in something happening to her.
"But what if I don't want to?" she asked.
The boy was confused.
"We are the only two left. We need to do it" he explained.
The girl was scared. She knew that they were laying nearly everything on the line for these two girls.
"But I don't want to die!" she said.
The boy knew that she was scared. He was scared as well. But it was the only way that they could do it.
"I know, I know" he said.
The birds and sound of wind seemed to have stopped. No sounds entered the house.
"But what if it doesn't work?" the girl asked.
"What will we do then?"
That was a question the boy could no answer. For he did not know what would happen. There was a high risk that it wouldn't work. But then again, there was a possibility that it would.
The boy and girl were the last two of their race in Middle-Earth. All of their race had been killed off. The boy took a deep breath and looked over at the window. He could see leaf filled trees rustling in the wind. Birds flew past like small black dots.
There were no answers. The boy had put a lot of thought into what they were going to do. He knew that it was the right thing to do.
Meanwhile, the time continued to pass. One o'clock came and went. In the Green Dragon, the dwarves were moving the packets of food. There still seemed to be quite a lot left over.
The chickens had been taken from the cellar and were now sitting on the work tops waiting to be prepared. The pots and pans that had been used the day before had been cleaned.
Pans were being put on hobs of the ovens. Yet it would still be a few hour until the fire underneath was hot enough to cook anything.
Rosie Gamgee was at home. She had a lot of work to do tonight. Sam seemed to be in higher sprits then the day before.
"Would you look after the children while I go and see the doings at the Dragon?" she asked.
Sam nodded. Frodo was still in bed. But he was not awake. He had fallen asleep again. There was a moment of awkwardness as Rosie stood there. A sense of not being welcomed suddenly came over her. She quickly closed the door.
Elanor was in her room. She could hear her mother walked down the corridor to the front door. Rosie put her coat on and buttoned it up. She took a deep breath as she opened the door. A sudden cold blast of air met her.
The wind ruffled her curly hair as she closed the door. There were no hobbits about, save from the few children that had gone out again. A few unfinished snow hobbits had been left for another time. The surrounding countryside was carpeted in a white blanket.
The clouds were gathering, threatening to throw more and more coldness their way. But for now, they were saved from another snow fall.