The gravy was then poured onto everything. Vinnie then placed it down and for the third time, started to eat. The sound of china being scrapped had started to subside as bellies became full.

But the drinking had not stooped. Laughter became louder and more fruitful then ever. On some tables, there was hardly anything left on plates.

The empty plates were taken away as the hobbits began to get ready to leave. A few got up from their seats. Pervinca watched them, she had nearly half finished it. It was when she had finished her roast potatoes that she had began to feel full up.

The dwarves were busy taking plates back into the kitchen. Empty bowls were taken and not replaced.

"See you tomorrow" said a hobbit to Rosie.

She smiled.

"See you tomorrow indeed"

The Green Dragon would open tomorrow as usual. But there was still a lot of excitement to come. Presents were going to be handed out. It was tradition on the second day of Yule to hand out the presents. Families would gather around and give each other gifts.

Pervinca was now the only hobbit left, save from an elder that had fallen asleep. Her coat was still hanging over the seat.

"I see your finally finished" said Rosie as she walked up to her.

Pervinca smiled. She knew that she was the last one to finish.

"I know, but it was a very good meal" she answered.

Rosie looked over at the elder that had fallen asleep. He had grey curly hair, but it was thinning. His wrinkles were deeper then normal. this was due to excessive smoking over the many years.

Rosie knelt down as Pervinca stood up. The clocks on the wall showed that she had been there for nearly two hours. Pervinca put her coat on and did up the buttons. The door to the Green Dragon was closed, keeping the heat in.

The dwarves were now clearing away everything from the tables. Bowls, plates, table mats, knives, forks and spoons were all taken into the kitchens.

"Come on, lets get you home" Rosie said, trying to get the man up.

But the man grumbled as he resisted.

"I am comfortable here!" he said.

Rosie took a deep breath. A cold rush of air blasted though out the pub as the door opened and then closed. Pervinca was now in the coldness of night. The days grew dark earlier at this time of the year. There were now no songs of birds. Only the cruel whistling on the wind met Vinnie's ears.

The coat did not help much as she walked back home. Shivers ran up and down her body. But all she could do was bare it.

It took her a few minutes to reach her door. She opened it with very numb fingers. The warmth of her home hit her like a rush of water. A smile came over her face. Her cheeks were rosy from the coldness. The door was quickly shut. Pervinca knew that that would not be the only time that she would have to go out into the coldness.

Pearl had invited her over for the presents. Vinnie only had an hour to rest up and eat or drink what she wanted. But on this rare occasion, she was neither hunger or thirsty. A yawn came over her as she made her way to her room.

"I think a wash is in order" she said.

Her complexion was flawless, much like her sisters. Each of the Took girls had flawless skin. In fact, they nearly all looked similar. The colour of their hair was nearly all the same, save for Pimpernel, she had darker hair. But not by much.

Each of them had light blue eyes. And, like all hobbits, their hair was curly on both their heads and tops of their feet.

Pervinca walking into the kitchen. There was a strange nothingness about the place. All that had to be done had been done. There was no need to eat or make any tea, she had had enough at the feast.

The fire was burning a healthy glow around the room. There were no plates to wash up.

"I guess I could go a bit early" Pervinca thought,

walking slowly out of the room.

Pimpernel and Pearl were sitting in the lounge. A small puppy was curled up on her owners lap. This was Abira. She looked very much like Origo. Apart from Abi was just a little bit smaller.

"What time is Vinnie coming over?" asked Nelly, tickling Abira's soft ears.

"In about an hour" Pearl answered, sipping her tea.

In fact, Pervinca would arrive much earlier then planned. She was getting ready just at that very moment. A draw was opened. But it was not for cloths, it was where she had put the presents. They were not big, yet not too small to use.

A bottle of clear liquid. The bottle had a screw top so that the liquid did not seep out. This was perfume for Pimpernel. Nelly always liked to smell nice, even if it was just going to the market or putting on a dinner.

The second gift was another bottle. But this was one bigger. The bottle was that of whiskey. Pervinca had had it for a few years now. The taste would have matured by now.

Both presents were placed on the bed. A wash was in order. The bath room was just down the hall. The sink was made of brass. There were no taps pointing into the bowl.

Instead, a fire place had been built into the wall. A hook had been nailed into the shallow arch made of bricks. The fire was raging merrily as Pearl approached. There was a small tong standing at the wall to one side.

Pearl picked it up and started to move the burning logs around. a few embers shot up into the chimney. There was a kettle sitting on the floor. It was cold now, but it had yet to be placed over the fire.

Pearl picked into up and looked inside. There was only a small puddle sloshing about inside. She took a deep breath and turned around. she had to get water from the kitchen tap.

"You'll alright, wont you?" asked Rosie, putting her coat on.

"Don't worry about it, we'll wash up and head back"

Rosie smiled.

"And you'll give me the key after?" she asked.

The dwarf nodded.

"Of course my lady" he answered.

Rosie smiled.

"Thank you, I guess I'll see you next year?" she asked.

The dwarf smiled under his large bushy beard. The dwarves certainly did enjoy cooking for the hobbits.

"Of course" he said.

The other dwarves all nodded. Each one had different coloured beards.

"Good" Rosie said.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Rosie took a deep breath.

"I'll see you next year" she said.

The dwarves said their good byes and Rosie left. The temperature outside had dipped lower then the nights before. The door to the Green Dragon was shut, locking in the warmth and out the coldness.

Rosie smiled as she made her way up to her own home. As she approached, she could see candles flickering in the windows. The chimneys were hidden in the blanket of night. The gate to Bag End came into view.

Rosie opened and closed it as she continued on with her journey. The large front door was opened. The warmth instantly hit her. A smile came over her lips.

"Home at last" she said tiredly.

There was a lot of sound though out the house. Merry and Rose were running around. Elanor was in her room, but soon emerged.

Pippin was sleeping in his cot. He was still too young to walk and play by himself like the others. Frodo and Samwise were in the same room. But only Samwise was awake.

Upon hearing his wife's return, Samwise got up. He slowly and quietly opened the large door, walked to the other side and closed it again behind him.

Rosie was taking off her coat as Samwise walked down the hall to meet her.

"How is he?" she asked.

Sam took a deep breath.

"He's sleeping at the moment" he answered.

Rosie nodded. It was then that there small talk was interrupted.

"Can we have our presents now?" asked Rose.

Rosie smiled.

"Of course you can, just go and wait in the lounge and I'll bring them though"

Rose and Merry ran off happily. They sure were excited.

"What about Frodo?" Sam asked.

"We can give him his presents when he wakes up" Rosie answered.

At that, Rosie walked down the all way to her room. There was a lot of noise. Cries came from her room. Little Pippin was now awake.

"Oh dear" she said, smiling as she walked to the cot.

Pippin was the gently picked up. But it stop him from crying any less. Now Rosie only had one hand to lift all of the presents. The door to her room was closed.

A large cupboard door was opened. Inside, her children's presents. There was a large box and a few smaller things. Rosie took them out, it was very difficult with only one hand. She then placed them on the bed. The next thing she did was open the large door to the corridor outside.

"Do you need any help mummy?"

It was Elanor. She was standing on the other side of the threshold. Rosie smiled.

"Could you take the presents?" she asked.

Elanor nodded and reached for them. They were heavy, yet not too heavy for her. Samwise was in the kitchen making two mugs of tea. The kettle was hanging over the fire as a door was shut down the hall way.

"Into the lounge dear" Rosie said, walking in the wake of her daughter.

The fire in the lounge was roaring merrily, greeting who ever came in with a wave of warmth. Rosie smiled as her children danced about. Their attention quickly changed from having fun, to wanting to know who's presents were who's.

A minute or two later, Samwise came in with two bug mugs of hot tea.

"Thank you dear" Rosie said.

Samwise sat beside her and smiled.

"Right then, lets start"

Now all of the children's attention was focused on the presents. Rosie picked up the first present.

"Rose, this one is for you" she said, handing it to her daughter.

"Thank you" she said.

Rose went and sat on the floor again. She had high expectations of what it was going to be. The present was wrapped in paper, like of which they did with food.

But this was not food. Inside the wrapping, which was now torn off, was a small box. Rose smiled and looked at it. The box was smooth and reflected some of the light of the candle. The small girl slowly opened it. Inside, a lot of beads. But they were not loose. There was a small bit of string going though each one.

A small knot had been tied in the string. The beads seemed to get bigger in the middle and smaller either side. The beads were pearly white.

"Thank you mummy" Rose said, getting up.

She could not give Rosie hug or a kiss due to baby Pippin. The beads made a funny noise, one that she liked. The piece of string was just long enough to get around her head.

Rose placed it around her neck. She smiled as it sat there. Her mother was now handing out the different presents.

"And this one is for Elanor" Rosie said, smiling as she handed her daughter a large wooden box.

Elanor smiled.

"Thank you" she said.

Rosie looked down. There were only a few presents left on the table.

"One of Frodo's" Rosie said, moving it out of the way.

The clock on the wall ticked ever onward. The hour of eight o'clock was nearing. Elanor was now looking at the box.

Questions were running though her head;

What could it be?

Why was it in such a large wooden box?

Where did they get it from?

Elanor took a deep breath. There seemed to be two small latches at either end, both facing the came way. Without knowing it, her mother was watching her. the two latches were lifted. The top was then swung open. Inside, there were many compartments. And, contained beads of many different colours.

There were red beads, yellow beads, orange beads, both light and dark green beads, light and dark blue beads were in the next two compartments. There were purple, silver and gold beads. The string was in a bundle. It was made from very fine strands.

Elanor's eyes darted from segment to segment. Her small hand reached in and picked up some of the light blue beads. She smiled and looked up at her mother.

"Do you like them?" Rosie asked.

Elanor smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I do" she answered.

She then looked down at the beads again. She couldn't wait to start making the bracelets. She had had a lot of practice with them. Yes, some of the snapped, sending beads everywhere. But Elanor knew that she was not going to make any snap.

Samwise was in a happier mood today. The past few had been very trying for him. He had not left his sons side for a while now. Not even to sleep in his own bed. But things were looking differently.

Frodo had been left sleeping by himself. But, unlike past sessions of sleep, there were no dreams. The covers had been thrown over him. His small eyes were closed.

The door had been left open just in case anything happened. In Sam's mind, anything could happen. Frodo was very precious to him. Not only due to his name, but he was Sam's first born son.

The children had started to play with their presents. Merry got a spinning top. The tiled floor was perfect for him to spin it on. The whole spinning top was made of wood. Merry watched it as spun. Yet, at the same time, it got slower and slower. The balance from top started to quiver as the momentum ebbed away.

After a minute or two, the spinning top hit the floor and stopped. Merry picked it up and, with one twist, started the top up again.

A knock then came at the door. Samwise looked up, having been daydreaming. Rosie was looking around as well.

"That must be him" she said, standing up.

The hobbit then walked out of the room. Samwise was confused. She hadn't told him that they were expecting visitors. The large front door opened onto a deep night.

Standing there, a dwarf. His beard was dark grey, black almost. Under his bushy beard, he gave a small smile.

"I have the key for you" he said, holding out his hand.

On either hand was a think, leather glove. Rosie smiled and took the key from him.

"Thank you" she said.

The cold wind blew in the house, the candles blew and Rosie's children could be heard in the lounge.

"I'll see you next year" Rosie said after a few seconds.

The dwarf turned and walked away. The large door was then shut. Rosie looked down at her son as she walked to the small table.

A draw was opened and she placed the keys inside. Hunger was now on her mind. So, she walked back to the lounge and went in.

"Sam dear, could you take Pip?" she asked.

Samwise smiled and placed his empty mug on the small table before him. He then took his youngest child and sat back again. The children were still playing in the lounge. Apart from Elanor. She had gone back to her room. She had closed the door. The large box was on the bed. She grabbed her favourite horse and sat on the bed.

"Do you want me to make one for you?" she asked.

She waited a few seconds.

"Alright then"

The box was opened again. The strings were taken out. she smiled down at the horse.

"What colour would you like first?" she asked.

Once again, she waited. On the outside, it was just a wooden horse that her father had given her. On the inside, it was her best friend. To other people, it didn't say a word, but to Elanor, it talked to her.

"This one?" she asked.

The horse agreed. So, Elanor started to place the different coloured beads onto the string. A few times, it was hard for her to get the string though.

"Oh come on!" she said, getting a bit angry at it.

But soon, there were many beads on the string. Both ends were being held in her hands. After a few minutes, the string was full of beads. Elanor smiled and tied the two ends together. She made sure that they were nice and tight so that they wouldn't come apart.

"There you go" she said, placing it around the horses head.

The small bracelet hung around its neck. In her mind, the horse loved it.

"Your welcome" Elanor answered.

She smiled as she placed the horse back on the table where it belonged. She then started to make one of her own.

"Odovacar?" she asked, holding his cold hand.

His dry lips moved. A few inaudible words came out. Rosamunda's eyes started to fill up with tears.

"Get Estella" Rosamunda said, looking back at her son.

But Fredegar could not move. He was looking at his father.

"Fredegar, please?" she asked.

The hobbit looked down at his mother. Without a word, he spun and waddled out of the room.

"Estella?" he asked, looking around.

It was very hard work for him. But there was no answer.

"Estella?" he called out again.

He stopped in the hall way. The hobbit was breathing heavily. His eyes darting around. Estella was no where to be seen. In fact, Estella was in her room. Tears ran down her face. she could hear her brother calling her, but she didn't want to go outside.

It was then that she remembered her diary. Hatred ran though her like never before. she knelt down and violently lifted up the duvet. Before her were lots of boxes. Without little care, she removed the boxes. Inside each box were books full of writing. These were Estella's diaries.

They were filled with personal words. Words that could never be repeated. She opened one of the boxes and tipped it upside down. The books feel open at random pages. It was then she stopped. She saw countless words sprawled over each page.

The words had not been read for weeks, months or even years. Estella slowly picked up the nearest book. Her eyes were still teary, but they were in focus enough to read what the words said.

14th Astron

Today was amazing. I went on a very long walk with my mother and father today. Fredegar stayed at home. The sun was shining and bird were singing.

My feet are hurting though. The fields seemed to be bigger then I remember. Our lunch was very good today. We sat outside in the garden to have it.

Butterflies seemed to be out in full force today. They were all different colours. Red, blue, some were green.

Estella could see exactly where she was sitting. She could see the basket of food laying on the meadow.

"There you go" said Rosamunda.

Estella was handed a large plate of cooked chicken. It had been tarred into small pieces. Every so often, Estella had to waft away a fly. There were colourful flowers all around them.

Some blades of grass were longer then the others. Yet all of them danced in the gently, warm wind. Rosamunda, Odovacar and Estella's plates were full with food. A few knives and forks had been brought out as well. A bottle of wine had been placed in the basket, but had not yet been opened.

Estella then started to eat. The chicken was first to be eaten, as always with her. The meat was very juicy, just how she liked it. While her mother and father had the whiter parts, Estella had the darker bits.

There were different foods as well. Estella and her mother and father laughed and joked as they sat there. The food supply slowly started to vanish.

After about an hour or so, the food was all gone. Estella yawned as the heat of the sun got to her. The bees, wasps and flies were beginning to annoy Estella now.

"Right, I think we should start heading home again" Rosamunda said, looking tired as well.

All three hobbits had become very tired. They had walked near enough to the horizon. The plates and food was packed away.

"Shall I leave the bread?" Estella asked, looking at it.

Rosamunda looked at it. Yes, there wasn't much left. Yet neither of them was hungry.

"Yes, the birds would enjoy it"

So, Estella took the bread and started to rip it up. The small pieces were then scattered into the grassy field. The blanket that they were sitting on was followed up.

"Are we all ready?" asked Rosamunda.

Odovacar smiled as he picked up the basket. It was much lighter and easier to carry back then it was to where they were.

The three hobbits then set back off on their long trek home. The power of the sun was now fading as it sank into the western horizon. But the temperature didn't seem to fall as quickly. The blades of grass seemed to make a sea of green as the three hobbits made their way though it.

Butterflies were disturbed from their perches. Their wings seemed to barely keep them flying as they zoomed off. Clouds ran in front of the sun, blocking out the light and casting a shadow on the dry earth below.

Ants and other earth bound creatures ran for shelter as the three giants walked past.

Below the surface of the parched earth, a whole different world existed. Worms slid though the earth slowly. They had a pinkish colour to them and a slimy touch.

Yet worms were not the only living creature down in the depths of the ground. Chambers full of ants were dotted every so often. The only visible sign that there was any life below were small black dots. A few tiny mounds of earth indicated the entrance to their nest.

The town of hobbit could now be seen. Estella's hands brushed against the large stalks of the sunflowers. They stood taller then any plant there. Others were not so tall. Some were a light purple colour or dark blue. Yet, some were just white with a yellow middle.

The bread that Estella had put out was now being consumed by a large number of crows. Some ate quickly so that it wouldn't be stolen from them. Others would fly off, closely followed by three or four others. And yet, crows continued to fly in. Their squawks could be heard as the hobbits continued to walk away.

It took them an hour or two to reach Hobbiton again. The small town was very busy today. Children were playing games, running about as they did.

The market place was very busy. Hobbits gossiped about weather and doings of other hobbits. Chickens were running around in a small pen. Cows and pigs were being led to different areas of the town.

They each had different purposes. The cows would be milked or used for beef. The pigs would be fattened up for meals later on.

Estella and her mother and father walked over the bridge. There was a small bit of moss growing in the gaps of the stones that made up the bridge.

Water flowed under it. Below the surface, there was new world to explore. There were small fish swimming gently in the shade of the bridge.

The water was gentle and warm in the summer sun. Small tadpoles were swimming in the shallows. They knew that bigger fish were hunting for any stray creatures to eat.

In the real world, all of those creatures had either grown or died. The weather was very cold now. The sun travelled low in the sky now.

Leaves had fallen off of trees and darkness came early. Estella was now sitting on the bed. A different book lay before her. Some how, she felt comfort reading her past.

She place the book down. There were still some on the floor. The second book was thicker then the first. This too was also filled with writing.

The words were, like always, hand written. The style was very different from the others. This was when she was first starting out in the writing of diaries. The cover was then flipped. Staring at her was a date. The first date that she had ever written in the book.

4th Afteryule

It was the fourth day of the year. All of the hobbits in Hobbiton were still recovering from the large, rich meals that had been served up for two days running.

Dear diary, it's a new year and a fresh start I guess. Father gave me this book as a present. He said that I need to start writing my feeling down. Some how, he said, it would help me later on. But I am not sure what to say.

Of course, I am happy. A new year has started. Yet the weather does not seem to be letting go.

Fredegar is eating like usual. He seems to be growing now by the day. he still has those dreams of him.

There was a sadness to this last part. It was full of buried memories. Memories of hatred and unsettling times. But now, it seemed, all things were looking as though they were going to be brought back to haunt them.

In the room down the corridor, Fredegar was now asleep. Hunger had plagued him all day. yet the urge to eat had been fought off.

Fredegar, who would have normally fallen asleep due to food and drink, had now fallen asleep due to sadness. The death of his father had seemed to hit him hardest.

There was no explanation for his feelings. He knew deep down that his father's death was immanent. But it was still a shock when it actually happened.

He could feel something strange. It was like a hand on his shoulder. It had been there for most of the day. Fredegar could make out each finger.

In his mind, his father was talking to him.

"Don't worry lad" Odovacar said.

His face appeared before him. But there seemed no illness in it. Everything seemed to be alright with him.

"But, I just cant take it!" Fredegar said.

His heart was heavy. The feeling of blackness gripped around his heart. All of the colour that he had once had in heart was now non-existent.

The candles continued to flicker as the night wore on. Estella too was getting tired. She was now sitting on her bed. Her eyes were fixed on a point of nothingness. A small smile came over her lips. Her sprits seemed to heighten as she thought about the after life.

Estella then took a deep breath and looked over at the clock. The hands point in the high numbers. It was only one and a half hours until midnight. The day had been very hard on her. The lack of sleep did not help much. Estella placed the book down on the bed side table.

She then yawned as she got up from the bed. Both her mother and her brother were now tucked up in bed. Her door was closed. There was a dark glow around the room. the door was slowly opened on the corridor. There were no noises, no movement.

Estella walked down the corridor to a smaller room. there, she heated a kettle of water so that it was hot enough to use. She then poured it into the bowl. A small bit of vapour rose from the surface of the water.

After a few seconds, all of the water was drained from the kettle. The kettle, which was still warm to the touch, was then place down on the floor.

A mirror had been placed on the wall over the sink. A bar of soap and a flannel had been left on the edges of the sink. The soap was then picked up, a small of summer hit Estella's nose. She then, with the soap, placed her hands in the water.

Her hands were then taken out. She rubbed the soap between them, creating a soapy broth on her hands. She then closed her eyes and started to rub her face.

A few seconds later, an equal amount of soap bubbles were clinging to her face. She opened her eyes. All that she could see were bubbles on her face. The flannel was then picked up. It was the soaked in the water. After a few seconds, the flannel was then rinsed and rubbed over her face.

All of the soap bubbles had taken off the dirt of the day. Some how, Estella always felt better when she did this. Being too tired now, she left the water for the morning. The bubbles were floating around in the water.

Estella was now clean and ready for bed as she silently walked back to her bed room. The candles were still burning, giving off a small amount of heat.

The door was closed with a small click. The books were still laying on the floor. Estella took a deep breath as she picked up the years of memories. The small box which they were kept in was near by.

The books were the neatly placed back in the box and its lid closed. Estella left it on the floor. She was too tired to pick the rest up.

The hobbit got changed into her night gown and pulled the duvet up. She slid into bed and laid down. The duvet was then pulled over again. Estella's head rested on the pillow.

Another day had ended.