The next morning was clear and crisp. Clouds seemed to be few and scattered as the sun rose in the east. A lake sat surrounded by hill on one side and flat, farmable land on the other. A small river split the two sides. Yet, a small bridge connected in.
The land was covered in a think carpet of white snow. But lift went on as normal. Two small puppies were cuddling up together under a large, warm blanket.
Origo and Abira was both snoozing. But they were not alone. Pimpernel was also sleeping. She had had the best nights sleep in a while.
"Come pup" Pimpernel had said, putting on her coat.
Origo whimpered, knowing that he would have to leave his Abira. But he did not want to. Pimpernel took a deep breath as she did the up the last button.
Pearl was standing in the hall way, smiling at the small puppy.
"It looks like he doesn't want to go" she said.
Origo looked over at her. the next second, the pup ran and stood behind her legs. Pimpernel took a deep breath and looked towards the door. The time was late and she wanted to go to bed. But she had to return him to his Diamond.
"Maybe I could tell Diamond that he wants to stay here tonight" Nelly said.
Origo instantly perked up. His small tail started to wag. Pearl smiled as she looked down at the puppy.
"I think he agrees"
Abira was near by. She looked between the three of them.
"But I still have to tell Diamond, she might be worried"
Pearl nodded.
"I'll look after them" she told her sister.
Pimpernel nodded and turned around. The large door opened, letting in a blast of clod air. A second later, the door slammed shut, keeping the coldness at bay.
Outside, the night was very deep and cold. Stars glinted above as the small figure of Pimpernel walked to the gate. The night seemed brighter then normal. The snow seemed to make the darkness unusually brighter.
The snow crunched under foot as Pimpernel made the short walk to Diamond's house.
Diamond yawned as she drew her duvet over her. A yawn came as she lay on her side. The hobbit was just getting comfortable when three bangs came from the from door.
Her attention was now on who ever knocked.
"At this time of night as well!" she said, a bit angry.
The duvet was then taken off and Diamond stood up. Three more bangs echoed down from the door. Pimpernel shivered as she looked around.
Just then, a small click came from the door. Diamond peered around the edge.
"Pimpernel?" she asked, a hint of tiredness was evident in her voice.
The door swung opened wider.
"Hello" Pimpernel said.
"Do come in" Diamond said, moving out of the way.
Pimpernel quickly came in and the door was closed.
"I'm sorry to bother you at this time" Pimpernel told Diamond, looking a little bit worried.
"No, it's fine" Diamond told her, a small smile came over her.
"Well, the thing is, Origo seems to want to stay around tonight" Pimpernel told her.
"So, is that alright?" she asked.
Diamond nodded, knowing that the only reason Origo wanted to stay was because of Abira.
"Of course" she answered.
There was a moment of awkward silence.
"Well" said Pimpernel, breaking the silence.
"I best let you get back to sleep" she said.
Diamond nodded and opened the door for her friend.
"Sleep will and stay safe" Diamond told her as Pimpernel crossed the threshold.
Pimpernel gave a smile.
"Good night"
The door was quickly shut, stopping the cold from coming in. Diamond took a deep breath as she walked back down to her bed room. Luckily, Faramir had continued to sleep though the small talk that his mother had just had. The candles gave Diamond a small bit of light to see her way to the bed.
For the second time that night, Diamond got into her bed. This time, the tiredness did not come back. All the comfort that she felt had been lost.
Pimpernel arrived back at her sisters house and closed the door. The sound of small paws coming towards her. she smiled as Abira came into view.
Pimpernel placed her coat on her own peg and scooped up the small puppy.
"It looks like you have a friend staying the night" she said, kissing the top of Abira's warm head.
Pimpernel walked to her room and placed the puppy on the bed. A few seconds later, Origo came into the room. he seemed more active then normal. Abira looked off of the bed. She gave a small bark.
"Your Diamond said your could stay!" Abira told him.
Origo's small tongue came out and his tail wagged. Pimpernel left the room. She headed to the bath room and closed the door.
After a few minutes, a bowl of water was run. The water was nice and warm. The flannel was then taken and dunked in the water. Pimpernel smiled as she took her hands out and grabbed the soap.
The soap too was then placed in the water for a few seconds and taken out. the soap was then twisted around in her hands creating a lather. The soap was then placed back.
In the other room, Origo and Abira were now waiting for Pimpernel. Abira had jumped off of the bed and was now standing near Origo. Origo was sniffing the hard tiled floor.
Abira yawned as she stood there.
"I want to play" whined Origo.
Abira tiled her head.
"But its bed time" she whined, looking back up at the bed.
Origo tilted his head. He really wanted to play. But he knew that Abira would not play. A noise came from down the corridor. Abira knew that her Pimpernel was coming back.
And she was right.
Pimpernel came into the room. She smiled as she changed into her night gown.
"Right" she said, scooping up to two very cuddly puppies.
"Lets go to bed" she said.
The two puppies were placed on the pillow. Pimpernel drew back the duvet and got in. the two puppies moved out the way. The duvet was not drawn over Pimpernel just yet.
"Come on" she said, tapping a small space.
Both Origo and Abira made there way to it. Pimpernel smiled, knowing that they did as they were told. Origo yawned and settled down, play was now out of his mind. It had been replaced by sleep.
Abira too snuggled down near by. The large, warm duvet was pulled over, resting on the sleepy pups. Pimpernel smiled as one of her hands stroked one of the pups.
A sudden yawn came over the girl as she lay there. her eyes slowly started to shut. Before she knew it, sleep had caught her and dragged her off to a land of dreams.
Hours past as the night wore on. The clock ticked ever onwards. Two o'clock slowly changed into three. Everyone was now asleep. Three turned slowly into four.
Stars slowly moved across the night sky. Hours continued to tick by as everyone slept. But, after a few more hours, the sun slowly crept up on the eastern horizon.
Five o'clock came and the first signs of life came. Bird song echoed around ancient forests. But the day was still young. Foxes were still roaming the land, looking for small scraps of food to eat.
Their main source of food was a small pub called The Green Dragon. However, if there was a shortage in the supply, rabbits would be on the menu.
But the sun was a queue for them retire to their dens. The snow was the only evidence that they had been out. Tracks seemed to cross the snow.
As the foxes went to their dens, hobbits seemed to be getting up. Diamond was awoken earlier then normal. a crying baby met her ears. Diamond, unwilling, opened her eyes.
She took a deep breath as she rolled over. Her eyes seemed to stick together, unwilling to open any wider. But the crying of her only son seemed to grow louder.
The duvet, which had now gathered up the nights warmth was lost as she got up. A tired smile came over her as she stood up.
"Good morning" she said, gently picking up her son.
Faramir's face was screwed up. The small blanket that he had been wrapped in was now loose around him. Diamond looked down at his face.
"Shush, shush" Diamond said, holding him.
The window then caught Diamond's eye. The sun was barely up. The blackness of night was still giving way to the sun. Only a few stars were seen now. the blanket of light seemed to cover them up again.
Diamond opened the door and walked out into the corridor. The different between the bedroom she had just left and corridor she had just entered made the hobbit shiver. But the coldness did not last long. Diamond took a deep breath as opened the kitchen door with her spare hand.
But things could not be any more different in reality. For one, Origo was not staying with Abira and Pimpernel.
In fact, he had left Hobbiton altogether.
The poor puppy had lost his memory in an accident. An accident caused by a small, green fairy called Ivy. The puppy was sleeping, for the sixth time, outside. But, luckily for him, the fairy was magical. And that, in this weather, was a very good thing.
Origo's sleep was cut short today.
"Puppy?" a voice said.
Origo gave a small whine, enjoying his sleep. The coldness of the outside world had been repelled by a bubble of warmth that Ivy had placed around him.
"Puppy, wake up"
Something touched his fluffy paw, stealing his sleep away from him. his eyes slowly opened to a green glow. Ivy heard small whimpering coming from him. A smile came over her as the puppy woke.
"Too sleepy" Origo whined and rolled over.
Ivy took a deep breath and looked to the side.
"Puppy, we have to go going" Ivy told him.
Origo yawned, but did not answer. Ivy took a deep breath and thought of what to do next. But there was nothing more that she could do. Everything relied on the puppy.
"I guess I'll just have to go alone" she said.
Origo opened his eyes just a little bit at this. The temptation to move grew in him. but he fought it off.
"Good bye puppy"
The green light suddenly went out, leaving Origo in a dark abyss. His eyes were fully open now, yet he could not see a thing.
Worry started to rise as he could not see the fairy any more.
"Ivy?" he asked, trying to make out any sign of her.
Worry turned into fear. There was no escape. Ivy was in fact just inches away from him. But, when Origo started to bark, the game was over.
"Puppy, puppy calm down" a voice said.
The green light lit up the way out. Ivy was left in the dirty den all by herself. A second later, she fluttered up though the entrance, suddenly realising that Origo had run off.
The ground around the den was covered in hardening snow. Ivy could see a small figure running away down the path.
"Puppy!" she shouted, but knew that her voice would not carry.
Her small wings propelled her though the strong wind. But she was still not fast enough to catch up with the pup. The figure of Origo got slowly smaller as the distance between him and the fairy widened.
But Ivy was not going to give up. Yes, she may have lost sight of the pup. But the snow kept his prints fresh. All Ivy had to do was follow his trail.
At some points, it was harder then she expected. For there were many other tracks. Tracks that belonged to passing foxes, deer and occasional rabbit criss-crossed the road.
A few times, Ivy lost sight of Origo's tracks. The fairy stopped in midair. Her eyes scanned the area below. but what she saw was not the small prints in the snow. It was something different.
A small black figure was running though the trees. A smile came over her as she fluttered into the forest.
"Origo, stop" she shouted.
But this failed to work. For Origo ran away again. Ivy took a deep breath, resisting the urge to use her magic. Her small wings continued to flap though the strong gusts of wind.
"Please stop" she said.
Origo seemed not to care which direction he was going. All he cared about was getting away from the dark. Ivy seemed not to exist now.
But what Origo did not understand was that there were beings, hobbits and wizards, that cared for him. Yet Origo did not know that. In fact, he did not know anything about the world around him.
The magic bubble of warmth that Ivy put around him was slowly ebbing away from him. The coldness was growing around the pup. His little pinkish tongue was sticking out as he ran and ran.
There were a few obstacles in his path. Small dips in the ground and a few rotting logs to jumped over. The trees started to thicken as he got deeper into the forest. Ivy's tracking skills were pushed to the limit as the snow on the ground seemed not to be as thick here.
Drips from the leafless canopy of the forest fell to the ground. A few drops landed on the cold puppy. But this did not bother him.
A few times, the pup looked around. There was no sign of Ivy any more. This made him slow down just a little bit. But Origo still needed to put as much distance between her and himself.
His little chest was rising and falling quicker then normal as he came to a stop. The wind was blowing in his ears. But there was a strange silence around him. On distance trees, birds sang their songs.
Suddenly, a bird swooped by the puppy, scaring him and making him run. Origo hid behind the nearest tree. His eyes were fixed on the big crow that had swooped down and was now perched on a large branch.
Origo looked at the crow and quickly moved on. He did not like the sight of him.
Meanwhile, Ivy was fluttering though the forest as well. She could just make out Origo's small paw prints. But it was getting even harder without snow.
"Origo?" she shouted out, hoping that he could hear her.
But he could not.
Deep down, Origo had started to regret running away. The pup was now getting hungry and had no idea where he was. The small puppy looked back the way he had came. All he could see were trees and trees. Drips continued to fall around him.
"Ivy?" he barked.
It echoed around for a second or two, then there was silence. He had no idea where Ivy was or if she could hear him.
"Maybe if I try this way" he thought, heading back the way he came.
Everything looked bigger and more scary with the fairy. Ivy, unlike Origo, was very worried. She had lost the only friend she had.
Fear was getting stronger with every passing minute. The fear slowly, but surely, turning into desperation. She knew that she was responsible for the pup.
"Origo!" she shouted out, looking around.
Her heart rate was rising along with the fear. Ivy felt so worried that she had to land on the ground. she bend double trying get as much air into her lungs as she could take.
"What am I going to do?" she asked herself.
It was then that something met her ears. It was very far off in the forest. So far off in fact, that she could not see what or who was making it.
The small fairy fell silent. Only the wind and her heart beat could be heard. Ivy waited and waited for the noise again, breathing very little.
And then it came.
It echoed around her and went. For a moment, she did not know what it was. But something clicked in her head. It was then she knew who and what it was.
Her wings started to move, quicker then ever. The fairy lifted off of the ground into the cold air. She headed in the direction that she thought the noise came from.
"Ivy?" Origo called out, standing still and looking around.
But there was no hope that he would ever see the fairy again. The puppy was now very lost and alone. He had nowhere to go.
So, the pup started in the direction he felt was the best. He lowered his head as the hunger grew. The coldness of the wind was getting even deeper. His fur seemed not to help much in the bitter coldness of winter.
Ivy was still fluttering though the trees. She was eager to get to where she heard the barks. It was then, that she saw something though the trees. In fact, the glimpse was quick, that Ivy had to take a second look.
She stopped suddenly, focusing on the small creature walking away.
Wind was whistling around the abandoned building that lay in the valley. Rivendell had been empty for many years. But yet, it was not fully empty. Four beings were staying there. Three Elves and one dwarf.
Gimli, the only dwarf for miles around, entered a large hall. In the middle was a long wooden table. Seats had been lined up on either side. There were two large chairs sitting at opposite lengths of the table.
Three elves were sitting at the table. In front of them were plates and bowls full of food.
"It is good that you are up" said Elladan, giving a small grin.
The dwarf took a deep huff and took his seat. Unlike the elves, Gimli did not have enough height to properly see over the table like the elves did. This bothered Gimli, but he did not show it.
In fact, he coped well with it as he reached out and picked up the large mug of Elven water. Legolas, who was sitting opposite the dwarf gave a small smile.
"Do you need help, my friend?" he asked.
Gimli looked a bit angry at his Elven friend.
"No" he said, trying to not admit it.
"No, no, no. I can do it myself"
But the elf picked up on his lie straight away. Yet, for the sake of Gimli, he did not help. The jug, full of water, was poured into Gimli's empty mug. A few seconds later, it was full to the brim with cool, refreshing water.
The jar was then placed down again. hunger was now getting to the feisty dwarf. Different bowls held different food. One held the richest tasting berries. Strawberries with cream to pour over. Different fruit, such as apples, pears and peaches. Meats were also available. From chicken, to fish.
"So" said Gimli, picking up a bit of the warm chicken and placing it on his plate.
"What are your plans for today then?" he asked.
Only Legolas made an eye movement, yet none of the elves said a thing. Gimli shook his head just a big and continued to pile food onto his plate.
"Not very talkative" he mumbled.
A split second later, Both Elladan and Elrohir stood up. Gimli took a deep breath and watched them walk out of the room. But that was only for a few seconds before he turned his attention back to his food.
Several days had past since Pilith and Mya arrived at the house of Tom Bombadil. Life seemed very calm and quiet in the forest. Mya's accident seemed many, many weeks back.
But life still had its worries. Worries for Pilith at least. Words that tom had said were still echoing in his mind.
"Evil will devour this world. It is only a matter of time before he is ready"
It seemed, to Pilith, that the world would end. But Tom seemed to have an unnatural calmness about him. Pilith could not understand this. Evil was spreading, yet Tom went on as though nothing would happen.
Breakfast had come and gone, but Pilith seemed not to eat as much as before. His eyes seemed to dart to tom every few seconds.
Goldberry stood up and cleared away the plates. It was then that Pilith noticed that Tom was looking right back at him. There was a glint in his eye that made Pilith feel a little uneasy.
Mya was oblivious to Tom and Pilith's eye contact.
"So" she said, taking a swig of the cool water.
"What are we going to do today?" she asked.
Pilith took a deep breath and looked over at her.
"Well, there is an outcrop of rocks that I went to last week, we could go there" he suggested.
Mya smiled and nodded.
"That'll be good" she said.
So, after they had let their breakfast settle, the two of them were ready to go on a small walk to the rocks. Pilith had visited it a few times since then, but each time Mya had stayed at the house.
"Right" Pilith said, entering the room.
He had a small pack on. he had put two flasks of cool water in and a loaf of bread.
"Lets get going"
Mya smiled as she placed a small bit of paper in the book and closed it. The book was then placed on a table and the girl got up. Pilith smiled as she walked towards him and out the door. He followed her.
The day was bright, but cool. Clouds were floating slowly across the sea of blueness above. Birds and beasts were going about their daily business.
Pilith and Mya started the walk to the out crop of rocks. It would take a good half an hour to reach.
"So" Mya said, looking at her friend.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
There was no answer from Pilith. He did not want to talk much for he had more important things to worry about. Mya found this strange.
"Pilith, what's the matter?" she asked.
The boy suddenly stopped and looked at Mya.
"The world will change, Mya. A wave of darkness threatens the whole of Middle-earth" Pilith said.
Confusion spread over Mya's face.
"Darkness?" she asked, not trusting her ears.
Pilith looked around, scared that something would attack them. He looked back and nodded.
"Do you remember, in the second age, the Last Alliance?" he asked.
Mya knew exactly what he was talking about. But the reason why was still a mystery.
"Of course I do" she said, falling into confusion even more.
Pilith took a deep breath.
"We have to get to the rocks" he said, pushing her towards the rock.
It took a few more minutes before they reached the large mound of rocks. Mya looked towards them.
"What are we doing here?" Mya asked.
Pilith stopped and looked up at the top.
"Follow me" he said before he started to climb.
Mya watched him. for a moment, she did not want to. But then, she needed to find out what was going on. so, Mya started to climb as well.
After a few minutes, she reached the top.
"Here" said Pilith, holding out his hand.
Mya took his hand and was helped up on the top on the rocks. Sweat was running down her face in small beads. Her heart rate quickened as she tried to take in oxygen.
"Do you like it?" Pilith asked, looking at the girl then back out at the view.
Mya smiled, all she could see was a sea of green for miles. The trees waved in the wind, creating a sound like calm waves on a shore of sand.
Pilith sat down on the warm rock, heated by the sun. The pack that had been put around his back was then taken off. Mya slowly sat down beside him, her eyes still looking around at the view.
"Pilith, can we continue our conversation?" she asked.
Pilith took a deep breath and looked at her. A flask was held in his hand. Thirst had caught him after the small climb.
"I will" he said, unscrewing the cap.
He placed the neck to his lips and drank. The cool water seemed to refresh him instantly. He took the neck away from his lips and took a deep breath in. His eyes scanned around the area.
"Sauron has awoken in Mordor" Pilith said with no hesitation.
Mya's heart sank. She knew what wrath that came from the dark lands. For she had witnessed many things that Sauron had done. But it seemed that the days of peace were once again coming to an end.
"But, I thought that the ring had been destroyed!" she said.
Worry was going though her.
"We have to warn people!"
Pilith shook his head.
"We do not. The ring lays safe for now" Pilith told her.
Mya took a deep breath.
"The ring is never safe" she said, almost to herself.
Pilith, from Tom, had been told where it supposedly lay. He could not bare to think its location.
"That is true" he said.
He turned to Mya and looked her straight in the eyes.
"We can not help them" he said, looking deep into Mya's eyes.
"No matter how much you want to. No matter how much it hurts, we must keep ourselves secret"
A small tear ran down from Mya's eye. All that she could think about was Hobbiton and all its inhabitants.
"But what if the Dark Lord finds us?" she asked, knowing that he would see right though their disguise.
Pilith had no answer to this.
"Only time will tell" he said.
Origo and Ivy had now joined up again. Ivy was fluttering near by. Origo had not said a word to her since then joined up again.
"Would you like some turkey?" she asked.
Origo's small eyes darted to her, almost answering her. but he caught himself just in time. The puppy and fairy continued to walk, Ivy was guiding the way back to the road.
The many pillars of trees seemed to stretch on for as far as the eye could see. The clouds above were thickening, but showed no signs of throwing down any more snow. But there was a noticeable coldness to the air. Even Origo's breath could be seen rising in the coldness.
Ivy took a deep breath, knowing that Origo was a very stubborn puppy and would go as far as to become hungry to do it. Ivy knew that she had to get food into the pup as soon as possible.
So, as Origo was walking, a plate appeared a few feet before him. Origo suddenly stopped. He eyes focused on the pile of steaming turkey lay on the white plate.
The small pup looked over at the fairy. He knew that she was teasing him. a few seconds later, Origo waked on again, the plate had vanished.
Ivy smiled as she made a second plate of turkey appear. This time, Origo got a small of it. Even though he had lost his memory, he knew that what ever turkey was, he liked it.
The puppy stopped again. The temptation that welled up inside him was too much. Ivy smiled as she saw the small puppy bound to the plate and start eating right away.
"So you are hungry" she said.
Origo was too busy to notice her now. Small chops came from the pup as he stood and ate. Ivy stood next to him, she was a little bit shorter then Origo at his standing height.
After a few minutes, the plate of warm turkey had gone. But Origo was still hungry. He turned his head and looked at the fairy. Ivy seemed to know exactly what he wanted, even without him telling her.
"No puppy, you've had enough for now" she said.
A low rumble came from the pup, he was growling at her.
"And that wont help either" she said, a little cross at being growled at.
Origo's growling seemed to grow louder. Ivy sensed a pounce coming her way. So, before Origo had a chance, she fluttered out of the way.
Origo's small brown eyes followed her as she fluttered upwards.
"You have to learn puppy" she said as she looked down at him.
"Fairies are not for pouncing"
Origo tilted his head, trying to trick the fairy into thinking that he was not going to pounce at her. Ivy took a deep breath and made the empty plate vanish again.
"Ori, we have to get moving again" she told him.
"We have to find the path again"
Origo knew that he had to go with the fairy. But not yet.
"Why did you leave me?" he asked Ivy.
Ivy turned around and took a deep breath. She knew what she had done was wrong. Origo was not in the best state to be on his own. Ivy needed all of Origo's trust on this journey.
"I was only playing" she said, knowing that she shouldn't have done that.
Ivy knew that Origo had been scared by the darkness, but she did not know why.
"But I don't like the dark!" he barked.
Ivy took a deep breath and looked away. She did not know what to say. She knew that Origo was more fragile the she was.
"I'm sorry puppy, it wont happen again"
But there was something about those words that Origo had to believe and, at this moment, he did not. Ivy saw a small glint in Origo's eye that told her that Origo did not trust her as much as he once did.
"Puppy, it wont!" she said, trying to make the pup see.
But it was not working. Ivy took a deep breath and looked around. they needed to find the road again.
"Come on then, lets get moving" she said, fluttering away.
Reluctantly, the puppy followed her in the direction that she was heading.
Meanwhile, Elladan was walking down a steep set of stairs towards the very bottom of the valley. A long pole, made of maple was carried on one hand. A small bit of Elven string had been tied to the end. And, on the end of thin string, a metal hook.
A box was held in his free hand. This was full of wriggling maggots. These were used as bait for catching the fish. It took a few minutes to make it to the bottom. The cliff seemed to level out.
The river raged down the valley, violently hitting the cliffs. But this did not bother Elladan. For there was a small, dry cove where he was. The river seemed not to touch it as it rushed past.
Yet, there were big and small peddles, rounded off by ferocious current of the water. Elladan placed the little box, full of bait, was placed down. The string was then pulled in and the elf's focus was now on the hook.
The water that was rushing past was clear and very cold. To any other being in Middle-earth, the water would kill them in five or so minutes.
But to elves, the water was not cold. For elves could not feel heat or cold. In fact, they were happy in nearly all environments.
Elladan opened the small, metal box. Inside, a mass of maggots met his eyes. The elf concentrated as he hooked the maggot onto the end of the string.
Everything was now ready to catch fish. The elf walked further towards the raging river. Elladan stopped and drew back his rod. The next second, he cast out. The fine string flew and landed in the cold water. The maggot that had been attached to the hook sank the raging water.
Below the surface, the current was very strong. The string was draw down river, but stopped as it ran out of length. Elladan watched and felt for that tell-tale sign that a fish had taken his bate.
His eyes were suited to seeing if any fish had come close. And he did not have to wait long for a curious and hungry fish to come.
The fish slowly swam up to it, the string that the maggot was on was unseen in the bubbling torrent. On the bank of the river, Elladan was stood patiently.
It did not take long for a second fish to arrive. The first fish now had competition. But there was one obstacle in his way. The current. He had been stationary for a minute or two. The other fish had the advantage of speed and was quicker off of the mark.