A clock rang on the wall. The sound echoed though the room. But it was not a unique sound for this time of day. every hour, it chimed. Some rang out three times, others rang out ten or eleven.
The morning was slowly turning into noon as hobbits in every household sat down for something to eat. Most of them had risen for a late breakfast or, as it was now, an early lunch.
Diamond Took was in the kitchen. Her mood was not good. She had a white apron on. Faramir was a sleep in his cot. He had already woken up. But now, he had been fed and but back in his cot.
But still, Diamond was not alone. A small puppy was sitting by her feet. His paws were as fluffy as the top of his head. He had small brown eyes. A few times, the small puppy yawned.
Yesterday had been very busy for him. yet he couldn't understand why there was so much fuss about him all of a sudden.
"And this one" said Diamond as she picked up something from behind her.
There was a sad tone to her voice, one that she tried to hid.
"Is for you, pup" she said.
She lifted the small something and placed before him. Origo's eyes had followed Diamond hands. Ori stood up on her lap, wondering what it was.
"What is it?" he whined, looking at it.
His small wet nose picked up her scent right away. His small tail wagged happily.
"You wont have to jump over all the bed, you have you own one" she said.
But Origo was too busy with checking it to notice that his Diamond was still talking to him. Her hand continued to run over he soft and warm puppy. She loved spending time with him.
"But that's not all pup, I have one more for you"
Origo instantly looked up. Both Diamond and Origo, for a split seconds, felt like they knew each other deeper then what they know. But it was Diamond who was the first to break eye contact.
"Would you like your second present now?" she asked.
A small green fairy was sat up on the pillow to the side. She knew exactly what was coming. Origo's eyes were now on what Diamond had got in her hand. It was a knitted toy. One that, only the past few days, she had tried to hide from him.
"Do you know what this is?" she asked.
Origo looked at the strange thing in Diamond's hands. For a few seconds, only Origo's short tail was wagging gently. Diamond smiled.
"Its for you pup" she said, placing the toy in front of him.
Origo's small nose started to sniff it. Ivy, who had been sitting cross-legged on the empty cousin, had now got up. Origo whined and looked from the toy, to his Diamond.
"It's a turkey" she answered him, knowing that he didn't understand what it was.
Ivy fluttered and landed near by. She was smiling too.
"Oh, that is cute" she said, looking at the toy in Diamond's hand.
Diamond looked away, she was getting a bit tired now. It was then she felt a small tug. Her attention was now back on her puppy. Origo gripped the toy turkey with his teeth and was now trying to tug it out of his Diamond's hands. The next second, Diamond let go. Origo now had what he wanted and settled down again.
The puppy started to chew the toy. After a minute or two, he stopped and held it between his little paws. His puppy eyes were focused on his new toy.
"This doesn't taste like turkey" he thought.
He then looked up at his Diamond. She was looking down, her hand tickling the fur on his head.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
Origo, who couldn't really understand her.
"But, I want really turkey" he said.
A smile came over Diamond.
"Do you want to go to bed now?" she asked.
Origo nodded his head, still thinking he was going to get his turkey. Ivy fluttered up into the air and waited for her puppy. A mug sat on the table as Diamond placed her puppy on the floor.
Origo knew then that she didn't want to give him turkey. Ivy fluttered down lower as Diamond placed the toy on the floor. She picked up Origo's new bed and the empty mug and walked out.
The puppy watched his Diamond walk away. For a split second, Origo was going to run after Diamond. But first, he picked up his new toy turkey. He grabbed it and scooted out. Ivy followed on behind.
Diamond entered the kitchen. Everything was abnormally quiet. There was not much to do as she placed the mug beside the sink.
Origo was standing at the door. He looked even cuter with his toy. Diamond smiled as she slowly and tiredly walked over to him. She picked him and kissed him on the top on the head.
"Come on, lets go to bed" she told him, walking out of the room.
Ivy had fluttered elsewhere as Diamond and Origo went back to the bedroom. Origo whimpered and looked back at the kitchen. He wondered why he had not been given his turkey.
The door to Diamond's room was opened. Snoring came from the bed. They were from Pippin. He had drunk a bit too much hours before.
Diamond did not like this one bit as she placed Origo on her side of the bed. She secretly scowled at her husband.
"I'm going to get him up early tomorrow" she thought as she walked out of the room.
Origo was left standing on the bed by himself. The duvet that he was standing on was very warm and cosy. The puppy placed his small toy down on the bed and snuggled down to a particularly warm patch.
His little fluffy head rested on his equally fluffy paws. He knew now that he wasn't getting his turkey until the morning.
Origo's eyes started to become heavy as he waited for his Diamond. She had gone to the bathroom to get washed. But she seemed to be taking her time. The water in the bowl was now warm as it sloshed around the bottom of the bowl.
A flannel was then picked up and dunked in the water. Thoughts were running though Diamond's head.
"Maybe I'm not good enough for him any more" one voice said.
Her hands her left in the warm water as she looked deep into the mirror.
"But what should I do?" she asked herself.
Yes, she still loved him more then anyone. But she felt like she was being pushed aside. Merry seemed to be the one Pippin wanted to spend her time with. Not her.
Diamond slowly got washed and walked back to her room. Tiredness was now gripping her more then ever as she slowly and quietly closed the bed room door.
The window showed the darkness of the night as the midnight hour drew closer. Stars continued to twinkle as the air became clearer and clearer.
Diamond pulled the covers over her, making sure she made Pippins night as uncomfortable as possible. Origo had been placed in his little bed. He had already fallen asleep before she had come back.
The puppy was holding onto his turkey as he continued to snooze in his new bed. Origo was very warm and cosy in the new bed. His little eyes were closed.
But he did not have a dreamless night. In fact, he was in a dream at this very moment. Yet it was not a dream. This dream was more a memory.
There was a girl and a boy sitting in an abandoned house. One, it seem, that had been empty for many years. The glass that had made up the window was virtually gone. Creatures of every kind, from birds to bees, had made their presents known every once in a while. Weather it be a small buzz or a song.
Yet neither of the two people sitting there took any notice of them. For they had their own worries.
"But I don't want to die!" the girl said.
She had long, wavy hair and brown eyes. There was fright in her voice, one that the boy picked up.
"I know, I know" he answered, taking a deep breath and looking to the side.
The birds and sound of wind seemed to have stopped. No sounds entered the house at that moment in time.
"But what if it doesn't work?" the girl asked after what seemed a few minutes.
"What will we do then?"
It was a question the boy could not answer. Although he and the girl had seen many lifetimes in Middle-earth, this was the hardest question he had faced.
Or so he thought.
"We can visit Old Tom" he answered suddenly.
What he had just said had just popped out of the sky. For a few seconds, he wasn't sure if he heard himself right. But, after a deeper think, it was not such a bad idea.
"Old Tom?" the girl asked.
The boy nodded.
"He and Goldberry have a house in the middle of the forest, it'll make for a good place to stay for a while until Diamond and Pimpernel are older"
But the plan still made no sense to the girl. She knew of old Tom, but had only met him once or twice. She could barely remember him.
"But where does he live?" she asked.
The boy smiled.
"In the only forest, just a few days walk" he answered.
Unlike the girl, the boy knew of Tom well. He had been to his house many times before. a river ran near by as trees of every age drank from it. The river was called the Withywindle. Its water clear and its pace slow.
Flowers and trees grew in harmony on the soil. Yet, the forest did have many secrets to show. Wonders were usually unwelcome by the trees.
As many put it, the trees had more sense then others. They were more alive then any around them. It was said that paths were created by the trees. Other paths were closed off. Near the middle of the forest was a large burnt area.
The boy suddenly stood up. It was time to put the plan into motion. The girl remained sitting for a few more seconds.
"Where are you going?" she asked, getting up as well.
Her chair scrapped across the tiled floor. Four lines were now visible in the thin layer of dust.
"To Tom" the boy answered.
A small smile came over the boy. But the girl did not smile. She watched the boy turn into a small puppy before her eyes. She shook her head and did the same.
The day started to brighten up as the night gave way. The stars started to bury themselves under a blanket of light. The clouds of the east horizon brought on a pinkish colour. The sun slowly crept up, casting long shadows on the frosted ground.
The blades of grass that were poking out of the soil were now frozen in time. The wind slowly tickled the blades of frozen grass. There were many colourful doors lining the hillside. A few trees had been planted on top on the hill. But only their bare skeletons were visible.
Chimneys had been smoking nearly all night. Black, sooty smoke bellowed out of the top. Below the surface of the hill, hobbits were sleeping.
Normally, hobbits of every age would be getting ready for breakfast. But hardly anyone was. Yule had been and gone. Everyone had been fed well over the past few days.
Origo had started to wake up earlier then was normal. The light of the sun was still trying to over throw the night. The temperature of day slowly began to rise, but it was not going to get any hotter then it was. But that didn't matter, Origo was not planning on going out. his small eyes slowly opened. A yawn came over him.
it took him a few seconds to realise that he was not on the bed. A sad whine came from him, he thought he was being cuddled. He could now see his Diamond, sleeping in the bed. Only her head was visible laying on the pillow. Pippin was still snoring as he lay on the other side of the bed.
There was no sign of Ivy around. she always disappeared at night. Hunger was now gripping Origo worse then ever. He really needed his turkey, but the door was closed.
Origo lazily arose from his warm bed. His knitted turkey toy was picked up and carried with him. the small puppy rounded the corner. At the bottom of Diamond's bed was a small box. This was packed with all of their summer cloths. For hobbits had cloths to suit each of the four seasons.
Large, warm coats were warn in winter. They kept the temperature in very well. For hobbits liked all four of the seasons, finding a unique beauty in each of them.
Origo jumped onto the top of the box. Hobbits seemed to take up more space then humans or elves, despite them being shorter then them.
The puppy could now see the large mountains of duvet he had before him. he knew how hard it was for him to get past. But he had to do it, he was hungry, cold and wanting a cuddle.
So, leaving his toy at the bottom, he set off. He hopped over the small wooden plank at the bottom onto the soft duvet. The puppy looked back, just to see if his toy was alright.
Without another second wasted, Origo set off on his small journey. The duvet looked similar to small mountain ranges. They were easily over come. On either side, two similar shaped bumps rose.
One was Pippin and one was Diamond. Pippin's feet were sticking out of the bed. For he was not the size Diamond was. In fact, he and Merry were both the same size.
But the event now lasted in his memory. Pippin had seen so much hate and anger and death in his time. So much so, that even though there was now peace across the lands, Pippin was still hurting.
Origo had now reached his goal. But his Diamond was facing the other way.
"Diamond?" he whimpered, trying to wake her up.
But nothing happened. Origo whimpered and looked around. Pippin was facing the opposite way too. Origo seemed to lose hope now. The small puppy hung his little head and whimpered.
But then, an idea popped into his small fluffy head. He looked down at the duvet that he was standing on. It seemed to be wrapped around his Diamond.
Origo gripped the large duvet with his little teeth and pulled. The duvet only moved a few inches. Origo stopped, a few small teeth marks were imprinted in the duvet now.
But still, Diamond did not awake. But Origo wasn't going to give up that easily. He gripped the duvet again and pulled. This time, the duvet seemed to come away easier then normal.
It was then that Diamond began to wake. The difference in temperatures had awoken her. her eyes slowly opened, her dream had been taken away. There was a strange feeling running though her.
She knew she should be angry and annoyed at something. But she did not know what. Pippin's snores then met her ears. This seemed to unlock her feelings. The feeling of anger came back.
Origo was watching her, he tilted his head and whined to get her attention. Diamond looked down and saw her puppy standing on the bed looking at her. A smile came over her.
"Oh, so it was you" she said.
Her large hand moved as she stroked the top of Origo's head. Origo stuck out his small pinkish tongue out and gave a small whine. Diamond gave a small smile as her eyes darted over to her sleeping husband. She was very annoyed at him. The duvet was thrown off. A bit of it was pulled back on Pippin's side just enough to make him uncomfortable.
Diamond could feel the coldness of the air now. She sat up on the bed. Origo was how standing on her lap. Diamond yawned as she got ready to get up. Origo was held on her shoulder as she finally decided to get up. Origo rested his head on his Diamond. His small toy was sitting on the edge of the bed.
Diamond felt her puppy struggle. She looked down.
"What is it?" she asked.
Origo seemed very keen to get at something. Diamond looked down where Ori was. His turkey toy was sitting on the small box at the end of the bed. It was then that Diamond knew exactly what her puppy wanted.
She picked the toy up and gave it to Origo.
"Good boy" she said, kissing the top of his head.
The door was opened, quietly as to not wake her son. The two of them headed towards a different room. Origo was looked around, holding the toy in his mouth.
The kitchen had a table right in the middle with four or five wooden chairs around it. A kettle stood at the side of the heath. It looked like it had been used for many years before. There were cabinets and draws full of knives, forks and other things.
"So" said Diamond, placing her puppy on the work top.
"What would you like to eat?" she asked.
It was a question that she did not have to know the answer to. She smiled.
"Stay there" she said, walking away.
The puppy stood there, his small eyes watched her walking towards the cellar. The large door opened as Diamond went to get her puppies turkey. After a few seconds, Diamond came out of the cellar. Origo instantly placed his toy down. His small tail started to wag even more.
A cupboard door was closed and a new bowl placed on the work top. Origo's eyes were darting between Diamond and the packet of turkey.
Diamond ripped it opened and started to place the turkey in the bowl. Origo moved a little bit forward. Diamond placed the packet on the work top. She smiled as she picked up Origo and placed on the floor.
The bowl full of turkey was placed on the floor a few seconds later. Diamond made sure that her hand was out of the way before Origo started to eat.
She watched her little puppy scoff down the meat. Diamond smiled as she watched him. she knew how much he loved his turkey. The turkey toy was sitting on the top of the work top.
The hobbit picked it up and placed it on the floor. The clock chimed eight times. Normally, she would still be in bed, for another hour at least.
"But then, I have got work to do" she thought.
The dust had built up over the past few days. Diamond could a thin layer of dust on almost everything she looked upon.
"But I need some food and tea before I start" she said.
The cellar door had been left ajar as she walked towards it. The list of things she had to do by the end of the day grew as she looked at the shelves. They looked empty and bare. Yet there was enough to feed them for the next few days.
A minute later, she came out and closed the door. The hobbit also got out a pan and placed it on the oven. The oven below was cold, it would be another thirty minutes until the logs that Diamond was now placing in would be hot enough.
Pippin was still in the bed. But he was not awake. In fact, this was only an average sleep for him. Diamond had always awoken earlier then him. It was the same going to bed. Pippin was always the first.
His snores echoed around the room as he continued to sleep. Faramir, his son, was starting to wake. A small whine came from him.
Pippin was taken from his deeper sleep into a world where he could hear. His eyes slowly, but surely, opened. His eyes were some what sticky at the moment. His memory of last night was blurry and parts seemed to be missing.
The sound of his son then hit his ears, the reason that he had awoken.
"Alright there lad" he said, getting up from his bed.
Faramir was crying hard now. Pippin was still very tired as he picked him up. The next second, the door opened. In came Diamond. She had heard her son's cries from the kitchen.
She suddenly stopped. Her husband was holding their son.
"Pippin, give him here" she said coldly.
Pippin was confused.
"But, he's alright with me" he answered.
"Just, give him here" she said, walking up to her husband.
The next second, Pippin was handing over his son to his wife. Diamond took a hold of her son and walked away without another word. Pippin stood there, watching his wife walk out.
Pippin had no idea what was up with Diamond. A few seconds later, he walked out of the room and down the corridor. Noises came from the kitchen.
Pip entered and stood in the door way for a few seconds.
"Diamond, what's wrong?" he asked.
The bacon sizzled in the pan as it was flipped over. Diamond did not answer him. she was holding Faramir in one arm.
"I could hold him if you like"
Every word seemed to deepen her wounds. Faramir was still crying as she placed the spatula down.
"Diamond?" Pippin asked, now worried that he had done something wrong.
"Do you know what day it was yesterday, Pip?"
Pippin stood there, completely lost.
"It was Yule Two, wasn't it?" he answered.
His wife nodded.
"And what happens on that day?" Diamond asked.
The bacon in the pan had started to smoke a small bit, showing signs of being ready. There were two sliced and buttered pieces of bread sitting on the work top near by.
"Well" Pippin said, trying to remember back to yesterday.
But his memory was blank. It had been like he had never lived the day before at all.
"Well, well I cant remember" he said.
Diamond slowly shook her head.
"I know" she said.
There was a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I know why you cant. It was because you were drunk last night" she told him.
It was then Pippin's heart began to melt with guilt. She was right. Yule was the one time that he could have shown how much he loved her.
"Diamond, I'm so…"
But Pippin was stopped in midsentence.
"Don't Pippin" Diamond said.
A tear ran down from her blue eyes.
"Just don't, I think we should take a break from each other" she told him.
She knew it was the only way to forget about what happened.
"A break? You don't mean forever, do you?"
The guilt in his heart was too much. Deep down, Pippin knew that his wife was right. But he was still shocked at what she had said.
"I don't know Pip, I just need a break"
"But where will you go?" he asked, expecting her to leave.
"I'm not going anywhere Pip" Diamond answered.
"You are"
Origo had finished his turkey and was now wondering around the house. He was very lonely today, he could hear his Diamond and Pippin talking in the kitchen.
A small green light zoomed into the room. It landed beside the puppy.
"Good morning" she said, rubbing Origo's fur with her tiny hand.
Origo whined.
"You want to go out?" she asked.
The puppy nodded and looked towards the door.
"But, what are you going to do when your out there?" Ivy asked.
Origo had not thought out that.
"I suppose I could see Abira, I miss her" he whined.
Ivy smiled.
"Do you know where she lives?" she asked.
Origo shook his head and looked down. Ivy took a deep breath.
"Do you want me to find her for you?" Ivy asked.
Origo looked up and nodded. His small tail started to wag. Ivy's wings started to flutter as she lifted into the air.
"I'll be back soon pup" she said.
The puppy watched her as she fly quickly towards the wall. The next second, she was gone. The small fairy could go though solid walls and doors. Her small wings continued to beat as she entered the house.
This one looked similar to the one she had just left. Yet everything was different some how. There were different rugs to Diamond's home. These ones seemed duller then normal, like their colour had been taken from them.
Ivy searched each room, but failed to find Abira. She shook her head and fluttered onto the next. But the same thing happened here.
There was no sign of Abira here. Yet, there was still two more homes to look though. The fairy left the room. the next room smelt strongly of bacon.
"Here you go" said a voice.
A small puppy was wagging her tail as a bowl was placed on the floor. Ivy was fluttering near the ceiling. There were a few lit candles dotted around the room. a girl stood at the stove. A pan had taken off of the heat, but was still too hot to touch.
Ivy looked around a bit more. Another girl, similar in looks, but younger in age. This was Pimpernel. She gave a smile as she saw her puppy happily eating.
Pearl, her sister gave a big breath. She and her sister had already eaten their late breakfast. A mug of tea stood cooling on the table. Pearl brought her seat out and sat on it.
"Well, that was a good Yule this year wasn't it?" she asked.
Deep down, Pimpernel wanted to tell her sister the truth, but knew she couldn't.
"Yes" she answered, giving her sister a small smile.
Abira could be heard chewing on some of the bacon that she had. Ivy fluttered down and landed near by the puppy. Abira's eyes darted over to the fairy. They stared at her for a few seconds.
"Hello puppy" Ivy said.
As she said this, the small puppy backed off. She didn't like the look of this creature in front of her. Ivy was confused. She knew that this puppy had seen her before.
"Abira?" she asked, stepping forward.
The puppy tiled her head.
"How do you know my name?" she whined, still a bit scared of the fairy.
Ivy gave a small smiled.
"Its about Origo" she said.
The puppy instantly perked up. The fear of the small green fairy had seemed vanish in an instant.
"Has anything happened to him?" the puppy asked, a bit concerned.
But the fairy just smiled.
"No, he's fine" Ivy told her.
"He's just a bit lonely"
Abira looked over at her owner. She knew that her Pimpernel would never let her out. Abira looked down. She really wanted to see her Origo. But she knew it would be a hard time trying to see him again.
Meanwhile, Origo was standing in the door way. His Diamond was sitting at the table. The cooking bacon had been taken off of the heat. Yet she was not alone. Her son, Faramir, was in her arms.
Diamond was in pain. She could hear Pippin packing his things and moving out. neither of them knew for how long.
Origo continued to look at his Diamond. Deep down, the puppy knew what was going on. He placed his toy turkey to the side and slowly walked towards her. He stood there, looking up at her. There were tears running down her face. The hunger that had once gripped her had now gone.
Origo tugged at her dress, hoping to get her attention. Diamond, who had been looking into an imaginary spot, broke her gaze. She looked down on the floor to see her puppy standing there.
A forced smile came over her face.
"Hello, Ori" she said, taking a deep breath.
She sounded tired and upset. Origo whined and looked around at the door.
"Pippin is going away for a while" she said.
Even thinking about it made her upset. She could hear him getting his cloths off of the coat hangers. The house seemed quieter then before.
Pippin did not bother to fold his cloths. He took enough in his bag and did it up. He looked around the room, wondering if he would ever see it again.
The hobbit then took a deep breath as he put on his heavy bag. He then walked out of the room and closed the door. The smell of Diamond's bacon snaked down the hall way.
Pippin then came to he kitchen and stood at the door way. He looked over at Diamond. He could feel the hurt coming from. She didn't even look around.
"Good bye" he said.
Diamond closed her eyes, just wanting him to leave. And, after a few seconds, that's exactly what he did. He walked down to the big front door. His bag was then taken off and placed on the floor at his feet.
He took his coat off of the hook and put it on. He did up the sin brass buttons. But he did not leave right away. He looked around the house. All of the memories came flooding back.
But who could he blame apart from himself?
With a deep breath, he picked up his bag and put it on. The weight weighed him down, making it harder to walk. The large door was opened, a cold blast of air hit him. The wind screamed in his ear as he walked over the threshold and out into the outside world.
Lunch time was fast approaching as Merry sat down at his writing desk. A piece of parchment had been placed before him. A feather quill was laying in front of lots of jars. Some were empty, others had black ink in them.
"Now" Merry said, picking up the quill.
One of the bottles of ink had been opened. Its putter had been taken out. The quill was just about to be dabbed into the pool of ink when a knock from the door.
Merry stopped himself just in time and looked around.
"I wonder who that could be" he said to himself.
He then arose from his seat and walked out of the room. Merry was eager to see who was knocking at his door. Three more knocks echoed down the hall way.
"Hold your horses!" Merry said, opening the door.
Standing before him was one of his oldest friends. Pippin gave a small smile.
"Pippin?" asked Merry.
The warm air of the house was quickly being replaced by the cold.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
There was no sign of happiness in his voice. His eyes seemed to look further then Merry had ever seen them.
"Yes, of course" he said, moving out of the way.
Pippin slowly walked in, there were a few wet foot prints on the dry tiles as the door was shut.
"What happened?" Merry asked, looking at the big bag.
"Diamond and I had an argument and…"
But Pippin could not bring himself to say it. He was embarrassed and upset.
"How long can I stay with you?" Pip asked, slowly taking off his coat.
Merry smiled.
"As long as you want" he answered.
Pippin smiled as well, knowing that he could always rely on Merry. Pip picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"I'll just go and put this in the spare room" Pippin said, slowly walking to the bedroom.
The door was opened. This room seemed colder then the rest of the house. Merry wondered what had happened to make Pippin so sad. But this was short lived as the idea of writing his book came back.
Merry smiled as he walked back to the study. His chair and quill were right where he left them. The writing desk was facing a small window. One that looked out onto the frozen land before it.
The hobbit sat down and looked at the book that he had to fill. It was a fairly big one, having a couple of hundred pages.
"I better get thinking" he told himself.
But before he contemplated writing the book, he had to think of what to say.
"Right" he said, dabbing the pointed tip of the quill in the sea of ink.
"What types are there?" he asked himself.
The hobbit did not have to think for very long. The hobbit then started to write the first type of tobacco that he could think of.
Longbottom leaf
This held many good and many bad memories. Merry could see the small room he was in. Yet, there was something strange about it.