Diamond awoke after the least amount of sleep she had had in a long time. The clock on the wall showed the time to be only nine o'clock in the morning.
But she did not arise from her warm bed. Her lay there, thinking things over in her mind. A few times, memories came back to haunt her. memories of happier times.
The hobbit wondered if she would ever see those times with Pippin again. But at this moment in time, that did not seem very likely. Diamond wished that Pippin would see sense in what he did. But she knew he wouldn't.
Origo was still sleeping in his small bed. His chest rising and falling away few seconds. His small brown eyes were close.
Diamond smiled and got out of her bed. She had her night gown on which almost touched her large feet. The tiles that made up the floor were cold.
The door to Diamond's room was then opened. The candles that were dotted around the room had been put out the night before. Diamond smiled as she walked down the corridor. Every so often, there was a patch of light. Theses were candles that had been left to burn over night.
The kitchen door had been left open. The room was warmer then the hall. The fire was now burning in red hot embers.
"I think some tea is in order" Diamond told herself.
Faintly, she could hear the birds chirping outside. The snow was still falling in very large, feather like flakes. For as far as anyone could see, snow fell. There seemed no way to distinguish any points on the land. Trees that could be seen from a mile off on a clear, normal day, were now shrouded in a sea of white.
The ground all around Hobbiton was thick in cold snow. Inches had fell over night. And there seemed no let up in the velocity of flakes falling from the sky.
The horizon looked like strangle. There was no point to distinguish the point where sky met land. in the middle of the storm stood a small village. Yet this was not a normal village. This village had few buildings. Or this was what thought when approached for the first time.
Instead, all homes seemed to represented by large, colourful doors. There seemed to be a forest of chimneys dotting the hill. A sign of what was really going on.
The large doors opened onto long, snaking corridors. There were doors on either side. There were studies, kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, cellars, rooms full of cloths, other rooms full of wine and food.
In the study, there were writing desks. For most of the hobbits had learnt to read and write. Small ink pots, both empty and full, were lining the top of the desk. The rest was on a gentle slope so they could write properly.
There were lots of shelves, full of hand written books. Some were newer then others. Some were just a few months old, some were generations old.
Cookbooks, made up stories of old tales and other important documents made up the shelves. A heath was standing at one wall. Yet there was no fire burning in there.
The kitchens were one of their favourite rooms. Another door led of to a cellar. There were shelves upon shelves of food.
Chocolate, eggs, chicken, sprouts, carrots, parsnips were contained in paper packets. Along the back wall were barrels and bottles of wine and ale. For hobbits both liked their food and drink in high quantities.
"Food is no use without a drink to keep it at bay" said the elders.
Diamond was stocking up the fire in the heath. But it still wasn't hot enough to boil a kettle full of water. yet, slowly, the fire started to build up. The flames grew higher as the fire caught its destructive grip on it. The crackles started to become more and more common as Diamond stood back up.
She looked around and smiled. Hunger was now getting to her. Her mind was settled on what she would have for breakfast.
The cellar was opened and entered. The stocks were now recovering after Yule.
"That reminds me" Diamond thought, giving a small smile.
"I have to clean" she said.
She picked up the packet of bacon and walked out again. A part of Diamond kept an ear out for her son, Faramir. But he was still sleeping in his cot.
A pan was then placed on the hob of the oven. The fire had been ranging for only a few minutes. Diamond smiled as she walked back to the cellar.
She came back out with a large glass. She took the stopper out and poured the liquid into the pan. The liquid had a yellowy colour to it. It was not water or wine. But oil. Only a small bit was poured into the warm pan. The fire underneath was slowly heating up the metal.
Diamond placed the stopped back on the vase of oil and placed it on the work top. The next second, Diamond picked up the already opened packet of bacon.
She unwrapped the open end and took out the slices of bacon. She smiled as she put three into the pan. Yet the pan, which was getting extremely hot now, was not hot enough yet.
A draw was opened. Inside were knives, spoons and forks. A spatula made from a wooden handle and a flat metal blade on the other end. The tool looked well used as Diamond got out a cutting knife as well.
The draw was closed with a soft thud. The sound of sizzling started as Diamond looked into the pan. Small bubbles seemed to be coming off of the bottom of the pan.
The noise grew louder and louder. Very soon, the redness of the bacon had started to change. The bubbles only grew bigger as the pan grew hotter.
A wave of smell came over Diamond. The bacon was defiantly cooking now.
The wave of smell slowly travelled though out the house. The smell slowly closed in on a small puppy who was sleeping back in the bed room.
Yet the smell so weak that hobbit noses could not pick it up. But Origo was not a hobbit. His nose twitched as the smell hit it. He gave a small whine, not liking the smell of bacon much.
Origo yawned and turned over. But he could not get comfortable again. His toy turkey was moved out the way by one of Origo's small paws. A yawn came over the pup as sounds met his ears.
Diamond could now be heard in the kitchen. The sound of sizzling bacon met Origo's ears as well. Other sounds were coming from the other side of the door.
"I suppose I should get up" he told himself, yawning again.
He gave a small whine as he got up and stretched. The small pup shook himself and looked around. The next second, he picked up his toy and scooted out of the room.
The sounds grew louder the nearer he got to the kitchen. The door had, like the bedroom, been left ajar. Origo slowly poked his head around the door. His eyes scanned the room before spotting his Diamond.
The puppy wagged his tail as he made his way towards her. But she did not notice him. The toy was placed down on the floor and looked back up.
But still, she did not look around. Origo looked down at her night gown. This was the only way he knew how to get her attention.
Just then, Diamond felt three small tugs on her gown. She smiled curiously and looked down. On the floor, holding her night gown, was Origo. He looked up and stopped tugging. A second later, he let go.
"Morning puppy" Diamond said, reaching down and picking him up.
The puppy wagged his tail and started to lick his
Diamond. She smiled.
"Alright, alright" she said, making him stop.
Origo looked down at the pan. He didn't like the smell of bacon one bit. Diamond yawned and placed her puppy on the floor. Origo gave a small whine as Diamond looked in the bread bin.
A loaf of the bread had been made and placed in there. Yet, it seemed that there had been a few slices taken out. Diamond unwrapped the paper that had been put around it and looked at the white surface.
She poked the surface of the bread. It was stale. She took a deep breath and placed the loaf on the work top. A small whine came from the floor as Diamond got out a cutting knife.
"Alright Ori, I'll get your turkey in a minute" Diamond said.
The kettle was now boiling as Diamond cut the bread. One slice was cut off. But this would be thrown away. The next two sliced would be used to make up Diamond breakfast.
The bubbles in the kettle were now becoming louder and quicker. The bacon was turning a lovely brown colour. The two slices of bread were quickly buttered. The pan was then picked up and taken off of the heat. The spatula was then used to pick up and place the bacon on the buttered slices of bread.
The pan was then taken off of the heat. There was only a small bit of oil left in the pan as Diamond placed it on a cooler hob.
The other slice of bread was then placed over the bacon, making a sandwich. There was a cutting knife near by. Diamond picked it up and cut the freshly made sandwich.
Origo was watching her.
"Why isn't she make me anything?" he whined.
The cellar door had been left ajar. Origo looked back at his Diamond once more, then started to walk towards the cellar. The puppy stopped at the edge. He could hear his Diamond behind him.
The puppy looked into the cellar. There were large shelves, towering up. Origo blinked and looked around. his Diamond was too busy to notice him.
So, facing his fear, Origo walked inside. The air in the cellar was colder then the kitchen. There were no lights to lead the way. Origo's eyes were only just good enough to make out the shelves. The puppy wondered deeper and deeper into the cellar.
Diamond smiled as she placed tea leaves into the hot cup of water. The leaves started to slowly float around as a silver spoon was dipped in the hot water.
The water began to swirl as Diamond moved the spoon around. The water brought on a light brown colour. Evidence that the taste was seeping out into the warm water. A strange sound came from the cup of tea. It was the spoon hitting the inside of the mug.
Diamond smiled as she picked the mug and the plate up. She then turned around and looked at the table. Diamond placed the plate down and the mug before settling down herself.
She smiled, picking up the first bit of her freshly made sandwich. It was then that something was caught out of the corner of her eye. Diamond turned her head to see a small wagging tail coming out from the cellar.
"Origo?" she asked, looking at it.
A puppy re-emerged from the darkness of the cellar. He looked right at his Diamond.
"What were you doing in there?" she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.
She smiled and looked away. Origo yawned and walked over to his Diamond. He stood there, looking up. The hobbit looked down at him.
"I'll feed you in a minute pup" she said, finishing her first piece.
The second was then picked up. It was warmer then the first, having waited longer. She took a bite. The bacon was very crispy. She smiled, looking around the room.
"I have to clean up later" she told herself.
Origo whined, attracting her attention yet again.
"Alright puppy, I'll get you your turkey now" she said, getting up.
She finished the last of her sandwich on her feet as she walked towards the cellar. Origo followed again. But this time, he stayed out of the cellar.
Diamond picked up the packet of turkey and walked out again. She took a deep breath as she finished off the last of the sandwich. Her tea was sitting on the table, cooling by the minute.
The cupboard door was opened and a bowl taken out. Origo was at his Diamond's heals as he waited. The packet was emptied into the bowl. Lovely roasted pieces of turkey.
Origo wagged his tail as Diamond picked the bowl up.
"Right" she said, not putting the bowl on the floor.
Origo tilted his head, wondering what she was doing. He could see that Diamond had no intention of giving him his turkey yet.
"Puppy, I want you to sit" she said.
But Origo did not sit. He was looking from the turkey, to the bowl.
"Origo"
Diamond's voice was harder and more determined. She looked down at him. Origo only whined, not really understanding what she was doing.
"Sit and I'll will give you the turkey"
But it seemed not understand what she was saying. Diamond took a deep breath.
"One day, Origo, one day you'll sit down for me" she said, placing the piece of turkey back into the bowl.
Diamond then placed the bowl on the floor and walked away.
The day was getting on now. It had been an hour since Diamond had arisen. Hobbits of every age were waking up. Elanor Gamgee lay in her nice, warm bed. She was listening to the sounds of her younger siblings that had already woken up.
She looked over to one side. Standing on the bed side table were lots of toy horses. Some were small and decorated to look exactly like horses. But there was one that always made her smile.
It was the largest horse she had. A string of multicoloured beads rested around his neck. She smiled and picked her horse.
She smiled.
"Good morning" she said, smiling.
The horse, although made of wood, seemed to answer back.
"And how are you?" asked Elanor, moving the beads around his neck.
She smiled as, in her imagination, the horse answered back.
"I'm tired as well" she said, yawning a bit as well.
Hunger was now getting to her. With her spare hand, she whipped the duvet away. She was wearing a night gown, like she always did.
The air around her was very cold. So cold, in fact, that Elanor started to shiver.
"I cant wait for summer to come" she told her horse as she placed him back where he belonged.
The small girl took a deep breath. The coldness of the tiled floor shot up her large feet as she made her way to the door. She pulled on the handle and opened.
The large round door squeaked as she walked into the corridor. She smiled as she looked each way. There seemed to be more noise coming down from one way to the next. This quickly became louder.
Merry and Rosie were laughing and chasing each other. They laughed and rushed past Elanor. Elanor watched them as they ran down the corridor, then carried on to the kitchen.
In the kitchen was Samwise and his wife, Rosie.
"Good morning" Elanor said, smiling.
Samwise was eating some toast as Elanor smiled. A small stick of creamy butter lay on a small glass butter tray. A knife had been placed on the side. Elanor sat upon her seat. There was a rack of lightly toasted bread.
Elanor took a few slices and placed them on her plate. She then, carefully, picked up the small tray. Elanor placed it down nearer to where she was and picked up the knife.
Sam smiled as she took one of the three pieces of toast that he had left. He took a bite and watched his daughter. Elanor then started to spread butter over the warm slice of the toasted bread.
She placed the knife back on the butter tray and started to eat. Rosie was humming to herself as she held her youngest child.
"Alright, mummy is going to get your food now" she said, smiling.
Samwise smiled as Merry and Rose ran in.
"Be careful now" Samwise said.
"We want to go outside!" Merry said, standing there.
Samwise took a deep breath, knowing that he couldn't stop his children from going out and enjoying the snow.
"Alright" he said, taking a deep breath.
"But let me finish my breakfast"
Merry and Rose smiled and ran out of the room. Samwise picked up his mug of tea. The water was warm and drank up. Samwise took a deep breath as he placed the mug on the table mat.
He smiled, looking at his youngest son. Pippin was now getting bigger and bigger as the days went past. He was now eating solids and learning to walk. But it seemed harder with the amount of children running around.
Samwise got up from his seat. There seemed to be more toys out lately. Yet, he knew why. Yule had come and gone a few days before.
"I'm just going to check on Frodo" he told his wife.
Rosie smiled and nodded. She was not cooking any more, but cleaning. She had a wet cloth and was now wiping down the surface of work top. Pippin was giggling as he grabbed his mothers hair and let go.
He had only just started to talk.
"Dun!" he said, wriggling.
Rosie took a deep breath.
"You be careful now" she said, watching him waddle off.
Rosie took a few seconds to watch what he was doing, then went back to work. The sink was filled with warm water. Rosie placed the cloth in and rung it out. She then started to scrub again.
But she was not the only hobbit to have a large cleaning up session. Diamond, who had had something to eat and drink, was now dusting every little surface of her home.
"Maybe I'll take Faramir over after lunch" she thought, looking at the clock.
She knew that she could get most of the cleaning done on her own. She took a deep breath as she finished dusting the kitchen.
Diamond was still very tired as she walked down to a small cupboard. The small door, much smaller then all of the others and the only one that wasn't round.
The door was opened, a small squeak came from the hinges. There were buckets, mops and brooms. Diamond slid a mop out and a bucket. She then closed the door as a small puppy came in from the kitchen.
Diamond smiled.
"I'm going to Pearl's again today, would you like to come?" Diamond asked, standing there.
The reaction of the puppy made Diamond smile.
"We're going after lunch, alright?" she asked.
Origo nodded and ran off. Diamond continued to the kitchen and placed the bucket in the sink and the mop to one side. She took a deep breath as the bucket started to fill with water. Only the bathroom did not have running water.
After a minute, boiling hot water was filling the old, wooden bucket. A small bit of water vapour was snaking upwards off of the surface of the water. Diamond took a deep breath and placed the bucket on the floor.
Origo was now wondering the house. His eyes were searching the place.
"Where is she?" he asked, looking around.
Ivy and Origo were playing a game. But Origo could not see her anywhere. His little eyes ran all the room. he knew that she was there somewhere.
In fact, Ivy was right above him. She was giggling silently, knowing that he didn't know she was there. Origo then turned around and walked out of the room again.
"Puppy?" she asked, then zoomed out of sight.
Origo spun around. but nothing was there.
"Ivy?" he asked, walking back a bit.
But there was still no sign of his little fairy. The puppy began to whimper sadly.
"Maybe she doesn't love me" he whined.
Ivy poked her head though the door.
"Of course I love you, puppy" she said.
Origo looked around, his tail wagged. Ivy then knew that it had been Origo's plan all along.
"You're a very sneaky puppy, you are"
Origo wagged his tail.
"You have to find me now" he told her, bounding off.
Ivy smiled and waited. Origo ran down the corridor and into the kitchen. But he was stopped. A large broom was being swept over the tiled floor.
"Watch out, Origo!" his Diamond told him.
Origo stopped and stood there for a few seconds before running out of the room again. Diamond smiled, yet a small bit of her wanted to know what he was doing.
But this was soon chased out of her mind by the task she had in front of her. she had a lot of cleaning to do, but not very long to do it. The mop was then placed in the water again. The sound of drips erupted when she took it out.
The candles that were burning on their stands showed up where the water was. But Diamond still had the rest of the room to do. There was a dramatic difference in the cleanliness of the tiles.
Meanwhile, Origo was hiding where he thought was a good place. His little ears seemed to pick up sounds better then normal. He could hear the ticking of the clock and the small crackles of the heath.
Origo's eyes were now getting used to the darkness under the bed. It was then that he started to hear it. Faramir had started to wake up. But Origo was not the only one to hear him. Diamond took a deep breath. But she did not stop mopping the floor. Origo was looking at the crib. But there was no sign of Ivy or Diamond.
Ivy was in fact still looking for him. She knew that he could not have gone in any of the rooms with closed doors. There were only a few rooms where the doors had been left open.
Ivy fluttered into the kitchen. Diamond took a deep breath. She was tired as she finished up mopping the floor. She yawned as she lifted the bucket up. The water was dirty and the sound of Faramir crying grew louder.
The bucket and mop was placed near the wall. Diamond slowly made her way to her room. The door opened onto the warm room.
"Alright, alright" she said, walking over to the cot.
Faramir was then picked up and hushed. Origo was still hiding under the bed. He could see his Diamond's feet. But he was playing a game. He needed to be quiet.
A few homes down the road, Abira scurried after her owner. But neither of them were heading outside. Lunch time was fast approaching. Pimpernel smiled as she walked into the kitchen. Pearl was already getting lunch ready.
Pimpernel opened the cellar door and walked in. Abira, unlike Origo, walked in as well.
There were many new smells in here. Some that Abira had never smelt before. Pimpernel picked up the bacon off of the shelf. Pimpernel looked down at her puppy.
"Come on then pup" Pimpernel said, walking past.
But Abira did not move. She wanted to explore every packet that she could see. But hearing her Pimpernel call her, Abira had to save the exploring until later.
Pimpernel smiled and closed the door after her puppy. But Pimpernel was not going to cook the bacon. Pearl was.
"I'll leave this for you" Pimpernel told her sister, placing the pack on the side.
Pearl looked at the packet.
"Don't you think you can do it yourself now?" she asked.
But Pimpernel knew that she was not ready to do it yet.
"I don't…"
But Pimpernel could not find the words to say what she meant. The memory of the fire was still too near. Not enough time had past yet. Pearl took a deep breath, knowing that she will probably never know what her sister had been though.
"Alright, just leave it with me" Pearl said.
Pimpernel gave a smile of embarrassment. She knew that she had to take care of her puppy by herself. But she was not ready. Abira had been looking up at her Pimpernel. For some reason, Pimpernel thought that her puppy knew what they were saying.
"But, she cant…" she thought.
Pimpernel gave a small smile and picked her Abira up. The puppy was very warm and soft.
"You alright, girl?" Pimpernel asked, kissing her puppy on the head.
Abira gave a small whine and licked her Pimpernel. Nelly giggled and walked out of the room, leaving Pearl working on the chicken.
Origo, meanwhile, was getting very sleepy where he was. The warmth of the fire and the wait had made his very sleepy. But he would soon be woken up. A small green light fluttered into the room.
"He's a very good hider" she thought to herself.
But yet, there was no sign of him in here. The fairy landed softly on the floor. There were no other sounds as she slowly looked around.
"Origo?" she asked.
But she did not expect an answer. She knew that he would not give himself away that easily. The fairy slowly walked over to the bed and fluttered up.
"Maybe he's under the duvet" she told herself.
She walked over, the bed was very bouncy and soft. The duvet was akin to a mountain to her small stature. She knew that she could never be able to lift it.
Sounds echoed from the kitchen. Faramir was crying again. Ivy did not know how close she was to the puppy as she fluttered around the room. Her hair waved in the wind as her fragile wings lifted her off of the surface of the bed.
It was then that she had an idea.
"Maybe he's under the bed" she thought, as she stopped and fluttered in midair for a few seconds.
She then darted to the floor and stopped inches before she crashed. She landed lightly on the floor again. Ivy made for the small gap under then bed.
It was then she saw the first signs of a puppy being under the bed. The dust had small paw prints in the dust. She smiled and walked in, leaving no foot prints what so ever.
The fairy had a small green glow about her. Which was helpful in the darkness under the bed. Ivy stopped and listened. The sound that she could hear from in the room were now blocked out by the bed.
The fairy slowly made her way deeper in the darkness. The boxes that were stored there were taller then her.
As she rounded one of the many boxes, her green glow fell on what she was looking for. A smile came over the fairies face. Origo had fallen asleep under the bed.
"He can sleep anywhere" she though.
Origo was resting on his dusty paws. His little eyes were closed.
"Origo?" asked the fairy, walking slowly up to him.
But the puppy did not wake. Ivy took a deep breath. It would be lunch soon. The snow outside was still stacking up outside. There seemed to be no end to the snow. There were no birds flying around. They had all hunkered down in the canopies of trees.
The wind was too strong for them to fly. Small robins nestled on large branches. Snow seemed to stick to nearly every surface. Yet, there were dark ribbons running though out the land. these were rivers, ancient ones. There were a countless number of bends and twists as the river wound towards the distance lake or ocean.
Ancient forests, once teaming with life, were now still and cold. But not all was as it seems. A bang came from deep within the heart of the forest.
A large leg came down and slammed into the earth. But it was not a leg of any living being. This was of wood. Treebeard was walking in the forest. His slow pace meant that he would not reach his destination until the night.
Treebeard was thinking deeply. Drips were running down the bark and branches of the old tree.
But his memory was getting the better of him. But yet, he was one of the wisest creatures to walk the lands.
"Maybe a song" Treebeard told himself, taking a deep breath.
Yet he did not start. There seemed a substantial delay as he took a very deep breath.
"O Orofarne, Lassemista, Carnemirie!
O rowan fair, upon your hair how white the blossom lay!
O rowan mine, I saw you shine upon a summer's day
Your rind so bright, you leaves so light, your voice so cool and soft:
Upon your head how golden-red the crown you bore aloft!
O rowan dead, upon your head your hair is dry and grey;
Your crown is spilled, your voice is stilled for ever and the day.
O Orofarne, Lassemista, Carnemirie!"
It took him quiet a while to finish. Ents were slow, but sure creatures. The snow continued to pelt down as Treebeard continued on his journey.
The hours were passing as the snow, after nearly half a day, looked like it would finally run out. Origo had now been found and woken up. Diamond was sitting at the table in the kitchen. She held baby Faramir in her arms. But he seemed not to cooperate with her. A spoon full of home made baby food. But Faramir cried even harder the more Diamond tried to feed him. Diamond was tired. She needed all the help she could. But Pippin had, in her eyes, taken the wrong path.
"Should I take him back?" she asked herself.
Origo was eating his own lunch. He seemed not to have an idea of what was going on. all he knew was that he was going to see his Abira again.
The bowl was licked clean. He loved his turkey as much as his Diamond and his Abira. The puppy wagged his tail as he scooted around to his Diamond. The tired hobbit looked at him and smiled.
"You seem awake" she said, sounding very tired.
Just then, as she went to pick up the spoon again, a knock came at the door. She looked around.
"Just what I need" she said to herself, slowly getting up off of her chair.
She walked down the corridor and, with one hand, opened the large door. The door swung open and, standing in the freezing temperature, was Pearl.
She smiled, her was cold.
"Hello" she said.
Snow flakes had been caught in her large coat and had started to melt.
"My Pearl, you must be freezing, come in" said Diamond, moving out of the way.
Pearl shivered as she walked in. Freezing drips of water were falling from her coat. Pearl started to take off her coat.
"Oh, he's not very happy, is he?" she asked, giving a small smile.
But she knew she had said something which Diamond did not approve of.
"Sorry" Pearl said, taking a deep breath.
The atmosphere was now tense. Diamond took a deep breath. Her mood was now sharper then usual.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
Her voice sounded sharp and a small hint of anger erupted.
"Well, I was hoping I could take Faramir to ours early" Pearl told her.
But the baby was still crying. Diamond looked down at her son.
Was she ready to trust someone else with her son this soon?
"Well, I do need to get the house cleaned" she answered, thinking about what to do.
Origo was standing behind them.
"Alright, but what will you do about Pippin? You said you were going to talk to him today"
Pearl nodded.
"I have thought of this, Pimpernel can look after him while I'm gone" Pearl said.
But that idea did not suit Diamond. After all, Pimpernel was the cause of the fire.
"I don't know, it's just…"
But Diamond did have to finish the sentence.
"I know what you think and Pimpernel did not mean to start the fire. That does not mean she will do it again"
There was said with a small bit of coldness.
"I know it was an accident, but then again, it could happen again. I'm just not sure at the moment"
Deep down, Diamond knew for a fact that it would not happen again. But she could not risk it. It would take a lot to convince her otherwise.
"Diamond, you haven't even seen Pimpernel since you came back. She's changed. She is not herself any more. I remember her being carefree and happy"
There was a slight pause.