The night had been very hard for one small puppy. The room he had been staying in was very cold and uncomfortable. The wind that had whistled though the gaps was near enough constant all night.
But at least he was not outside. For the night had been very harsh on the land. White dew made the patches of exposed grass crunch underfoot.
It was harder to find food through the winter. Squirrels ran on the ground and dug at the hard soil. But the buried nuts were hard to get to. The soil was harder the it usually was. But that did not deter them.
Birds of every kind started to sing as the sun rose in the East. The shadows of the trees started slowly growing longer as the sun crept ever upwards.
Origo yawned as he felt a cold tickle on his fur. His sleep seemed to slip away as the world around him slipped into its place. Ivy, his small green fairy friend, was sitting on the unmade bed near him. A smile came over her as she heard his small fairy stood up and walked the short distance to the pup.
"Good morning" she said.
Origo yawned and rolled onto one side. He gave a small whine and closed his eyes. But his eyes did not stay closed for long. Ivy smiled as she looked around.
"I think we should get moving today" she said, looking out of the window.
The puppy yawned and gave a small whine.
"Why?" asked Ivy, looking a bit confused.
"Because we have to get to Radagast" she answered.
The puppy gave another whine and was now concentrating on her.
"You'll see" she answered.
Downstairs, the girl was very busy. She was walking to and from the main bar. The bar was busy this morning. Men were laughing as they sat at their table. Nearly all of which were full.
The girl placed plates of cooked food before them. Knives and forks had been placed in front of them as well.
"There you are" she said, placing the plates before each of the men.
The door seemed to open and close as people either left or arrived. But the small inn was not the only building that had people wanting food.
Hobbiton was waking up as well. But there was one hobbit who had been up for most of the night. Elanor had had a very bad argument with, not only her father, but her mother.
Her father had walked in on her reading the Red Book.
"As I have said before, you are not allowed to be in my room. Not only have you broken one rule, but you've broken two!" Samwise said.
Elanor was now crying. She was incredibly sorry, but her parents did not seem to see it.
"I'm sorry" she whimpered, standing there.
The Red Book was now safely in Sam's possession again.
"You can be sorry all you want, it will not change the fact that you broke our rules" Rosie told her daughter.
There was a moment of silence between the two of them. Elanor sniffed as tears ran down her face.
"Am I.. I in trouble?" she asked, between sobs.
Rosie did not like having to punish her children. But this was very serious indeed.
"We have no other choice" she answered.
Samwise seemed to be angry with his daughter where as Rosie seemed to be disappointed. Rosie's answer seemed to make Elanor cry harder.
Sam took a deep breath.
"You will go to bed now and stay there until morning" he said.
Elanor opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it.
"But, what if I'm hungry?" she asked, hoping she would get more time out of her room.
"You'll have to wait for breakfast in the morning" Samwise told her.
This seemed to have no effect on the young girl. Tears continued to stream from her face.
"Get to bed, we'll talk in the morning" Rosie told her daughter.
Elanor looked down. Her mother and father walked out of the room leaving the young girl by herself. Elanor watched the door closed, feeling very, very unloved at the moment.
She took a deep breath and climbed on the bed. Her favourite figure horse stood proudly in the middle of all the other figures. It was the biggest one of them all and had been brought by Samwise.
Elanor loved it dearly, even though she knew she would never get to ride a horse herself.
"How are you?" the horse asked.
Elanor looked around, but did not answer. She took a deep breath and turned so that she faced away from the creature.
"You got into quite a mess" said the horse.
Elanor hated what it said. She suddenly thought on.
"It's your fault" she said, slowly rolling over to look at the horse.
"What?" it asked.
Elanor slowly sat up on the bed. Everything that had happened was the fault of the horse.
"You're the one that told me to get it. Everything is your fault!"
The horse was shocked.
"My fault?" it asked.
Elanor grabbed the horse and quickly took off the beads that were hanging around its wooden neck. Elanor placed them on the bed and placed the horse back on the table.
"I don't want to speak with you" she said, laying down again and turning over.
Sam and Rosie were now ready for bed. Sam was still feeling very angry at her daughter.
"Why did she do it?" Rosie asked, her back resting on the headboard.
Her youngest child was crying in her arms. Sam took a deep breath. He was thinking about many things. Including the time he had had with Frodo and the other members of the fellowship.
Sam started to fall slowly to sleep. The hours seemed to slowly pass around him as morning came. Rosie was the first up, having a crying baby to tend to.
She smiled as she took his out of his cot. The rest of the household was unusually quiet. Everyone else, including Elanor, was asleep.
The kitchen was warm as a fire had been burning all though out the night. Rosie took a deep breath, spotting the pile of washing that had yet to be done.
The clock ticked around, coming up to eight o'clock. The sun seemed to slowly light up the clear sky. More wood was thrown in before Rosie went to get her youngest son's food.
It seemed to be a few hours until everyone was up and moving. Samwise was the last one to do so. But there was one small girl that was not up to seeing her family today.
Elanor lay in her bed, listening to the commotion outside of her room. The smell of breakfast seeped though the door.
Bacon.
Elanor's stomach rumbled as she lay there. She looked at the door, figuring out if she stay or go.
But the Gamgee household was not the only busy household. Nearly everyone in Hobbiton was up and ready for their first, of many, meals of the day. Rosie smiled as sat down. A bowl had been place on the table before her. As always, a bowl of orange coloured mush was in it. For all hobbit newborns were fed on it.
Frodo, who had just about recovered from his little adventure just two weeks before, had woken up as well. But now, all the worries were forgotten and life went on as it before it ever happened.
The small boy, the second eldest of Sam and Rosie's children, was the first to walk into the kitchen. He smiled, looking more like his father in more ways then one.
"Hello dear" Rosie said, smiling as her son took his place.
Frodo smiled back.
"Hello" he said, looking around.
There was no food on the table yet. The table looked empty and out of place in the kitchen. But that was soon to change. Rosie continued to feed her youngest
A noise then came from down the hall way. Samwise was up and was now dealing with the children. Due to the growing family and the lack of space to fit them, both Rose and Merry shared a room.
"Alright you two, time to get up" he said.
The candles were flickering as the brother and sister woke. Merry yawned, his hair more wild then usual. Sam smiled as he lit the candles and stocked up the fire.
Merry drew back the duvet and felt the coldness of the air around him. The boy stretched and stood on the cold tiles that made up the floor.
Like any normal hobbit, Merry was hungry after a good night of sleep. So, walking out of the room, he made his way to the one place he went before anywhere else.
The kitchen.
As he walked in, he noticed that he was not the only one up. Frodo yawned again as he waited for his food. Rosie had now finished feeding young Pippin.
Samwise and Rose came in one after the other.
"Sam, would you hold Pip while I make breakfast?" Rosie asked.
Samwise smiled and nodded, taking his youngest son from his mother.
Rosie smiled as she walked towards the cellar and opened it. Only Elanor had not entered the kitchen and she had no plans to.
The cellar had a noticeable coldness to it as Rosie walked in. Shelves of food were all around her. Some had more packets on then others.
All of Rosie's previsions that she needed were in there. But they would soon run out in a few days. The markets seemed to have closed up and moved into warmer spaces. Rosie knew exactly where each hobbit lived that provided the right food.
It was normal in the depth of winter to move the markets inside. But normally, people would by in bulk and wait until the weather warmed. Food was eaten the most in winter. Stews and meats were the most eaten. A quick warming up after the bitterness of being outside.
But hobbits tried to avoid the coldness as much as possible, normally walking quicker to their destinations. Large, warm coats were warn to keep in the heat of their homes. But the longer they stayed out, the more the heat would be lost to the coldness.
Origo was far from the warmth of his Diamond's house. In fact, he did not know where he was or why he was there. Yet he had a small bit of help in the form of Ivy, a glowing fairy that had just appeared one day.
But Ivy's origin was still unknown to the pup. He had never thought of where she had come from. But the question did not pop into his head just yet.
Hunger was now getting to him as he sat on the bed. There was nothing much to do in this bland room. The heath that, over night the fire had been put out.
"What is this fire doing lit?" asked the mean woman.
The girl had been sitting on the bed, Origo slowly falling asleep. But the voice of the woman had awoken him again.
"I don't know" the girl said.
Even though it sounded like a lie, it was truth. The girl had no idea how the fire started. She did not have the faintest idea how the wood had been placed there or how the fire had started.
"What do you mean you don't know?" asked the woman, her voice was stern and sharp.
The girl knew that what ever she said, the woman would not believe her.
"I mean, it was lit when I got in here" the girl said.
Her voice sounded blunt and argumentative. This did not help matters one bit.
"Do you think I am stupid?" asked the woman.
Inside the girl's head, the answer was yes. But in reality, the girl knew not to make things worse.
"No" she answered, her hand subconsciously stroking the pup.
The woman stood there, her face old and wrinkled. Ever since the girl had been forced to work here, she had been hated and mistreated.
"Put that fire out" the woman said, a strange and disturbing calmness came over her.
"I do not want to see that fire lit ever again"
At that, the woman turned, walked out and slammed the door behind her. A bit of wood dust came down from the frame. The girl continued to sit there, seeing how long she could wait until she went to put it out. A creak from the other side of the door was a catalyst for her to move.
The puppy was the gently placed on the bed and the girl stood up. She took a deep breath. The warmth was sinking into her dirty skin. It had been the first warmth she had felt since summer.
The door opened as the girl walked out. A cold blast of air hit the small puppy, making him lose what warmth he had. He whined as he curled up. Ivy fluttered over to the small pup.
"Are you still cold?" she asked, stroking the small puppy's ear.
Origo gave a small nod and rested his head on his fluffy paws. Ivy smiled.
"Do you want me to make you warm again?" she asked.
Origo gave another small nod. It took a few seconds for the warmth to circulate around the small pup. But, when it did, he was in a much happier mood. All of his muscles seemed to loosen and energy rose in him.
His small tail started to wag.
Ivy knew that Origo seemed to like it here. But every hour spent in the room was an hour lost. Ivy knew the importance of getting to Radagast. But it was easier said then done.
The girl came back with a large jar of water. She took a deep breath, feeling the wonderful warmth for a few more seconds before the water was tipped on the burning fire.
Ivy watched as the a large plume of smoke rose up the chimney. Sizzling indicated the fire was now out. The light and heat seemed to instantly stop as the wood went from dry and hot, to wet and cold.
The girl took a deep breath and looked over at the pup.
"I'm sorry, pup, I had to do it" she said.
Origo looked over, the girl knew that he could not understand her. The girl was thinking about running away from this place.
But she had nowhere to stay. Bree was the only other place that she could stay. But that was many miles away.
"I could take one of the horses" she thought, walking down the stairs again.
The bar was less busy now. But she knew that lunch was about to start and that she was needed. Her plans had to wait 'til cover of darkness.
Ivy seemed to have the same idea.
"But I don't want to leave" whined the puppy.
Ivy took a deep breath and looked at the pup. She knew that they had to get moving. But it was just a case of sneaking out without being seen.
"But we have too" Ivy told him.
"We have to get going as soon as possible"
Origo seemed to give the small fairy a blank look. Ivy took a deep breath and looked at the clock. It was not even midday yet. Ivy knew how hard the girl worked and it would be a few hours until she would find out that he was gone.
Ivy smiled as she thought of a way to get Origo to go with her.
"Listen puppy, I'll give you a very big plate of food if you come with me" she said, smiling.
Origo tilted his little head.
"I don't like what you give me" he whined.
Ivy was now the one to be confused.
"You don't like turkey?" she asked.
Ori shook his head.
"It's too hot" he whined, blinking twice.
Ivy gave a small smile. She knew that it was something that she could fix.
"Would you come with me if I making it warm instead of hot?" she asked.
Origo thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Tom Bombadil walked into the room. A large smile came across his face as he saw Pilith sitting at the table with Mya. The two of them had been talking.
"Have my good friends come to an agreement?" he asked, taking his seat.
Pilith and Mya had a difference on opinion. Tom's presence made it harder to talk.
"But we could help them!" Mya said.
Pilith was shaking his head.
"Of course we could, but we're talking about the most powerful enemy that has ever existed!" whispered Pilith.
But whispering was useless when Tom was around. He could hear every word of it as though it was said normally.
"But they need all of the help we can get" Mya told him.
Pilith took a quick glance at the old being sitting at the other end of the table. Tom looked right back, seemingly waiting for an answer.
"What we have to worry about, if we do go, is getting caught by Sauron's orcs"
Tom had yet to revile another secret, one that would change everything again.
"Sauron is not the only one to worry about" Tom told them.
Both Mya and Pilith were now looking at the old man.
"Not the only one?" asked Mya.
She stood up from her seat.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Tom gave a small smile.
"Lunch will be…"
But the Tom was interrupted.
"Do not try and get out of it, Tom. You know more then we do. You want us to do your work, then tell us what it means!"
Tom simply sat where he was, smiling at the girl standing there.
"I know what I know. You, in due course, will also find out what I know. But to be honest, what I know may not be what has to be known" Tom said.
This took a couple of seconds for the words to sink in.
"Are you trying to say that we'll find out what it is?" asked Pilith.
Tom gave one nod.
"Exactly" he answered.
Mya could not believe what was going on. It was akin to them walking into Mordor itself.
"But why won't you tell us?" Mya asked.
Tom found her a very hard person to convince.
"Because you are not ready. I am sure he knows of the ring of power, but there is now a fork in his path"
Pilith looked at Mya.
"I don't know what else we can do" he said, taking a deep breath.
"I guess we have to go and help if Sauron is rising again"
This was what Mya wanted. She smiled, knowing that she was ready for what ever the evil would throw at her.
"You must leave right away" Tom said.
Just as he told them this, Goldberry came out carrying two heavy looking bags. Pilith took a deep breath. He obviously did not want to leave. But if they had to go and help, then they had to do so.
"What should we do when we get to Gondor?" asked Pilith, taking the pack.
Inside, a few loaves of bread, blankets and flasks of water made up the weight. Mya's bag was packed exactly the same.
Tom gave a small smile.
"You will stay low and wait for Gandalf. He is an old friend of mine and will tell you everything you need to know"
It was then that Pilith was ready to go. He knew that there was a very important job for them to do. So, he placed the pack on his back. Mya did the same.
"You will have to wait for Gandalf at Minus Tirith"
Mya smiled. She had never been to the white city before. But now was her chance. The pack was very heavy due to all their provisions for the journey ahead.
There was a few moments of silence as the two of them stood there. It would seem that they would have to wait to change back into puppies. But changing could come as an advantage in Minas Tirith.
Mya gave a quick thought to Pimpernel. Mya knew that she was safe. If there was a way
"Well, I guess this is goodbye" Pilith said.
He held out his hand and waited for Tom to take it.
"For now" Tom answered.
Mya smiled, seeing Goldberry come out of the kitchen.
"We shall see each other again, my friends. Sooner or later" she said.
She gave Mya a large hug.
"Be careful" she said.
Mya smiled and nodded.
"We will"
After another few minutes, the door was opened and the two of them walked out. Tom and Goldberry came out after them and saw them off.
Mya and Pilith started to make their way off towards the Great East Road. The day around them was bright and sunny. Birds were singing and raising their young. Nests had been built all over the place. From the ground, they were just black lumps in the trees.
But inside, a mother bird sat on three or four little eggs. The father had gone out to collect some food for them both.
But there were many different types of bird in the old forest. Pigeons, robins, crows, blackbirds, pheasants and wood peckers all flew around.
But birds were not the only creatures that lived in the woods. Squirrels, rabbits and hares, and the occasional deer were all wondering the wild too.
Aragorn was standing in a warm, lit room. A small bundle was held in his arms. And, within that bundle, a baby born just twenty four hours before.
"We have to think of a name" he said, looking at his Elven wife.
Arwen smiled, she looked as perfect as ever. A trait that only elves had.
"I've already thought of one" she said.
A maid walked though the open door. She was carrying a trey. On that trey, a bowl of fruit that had been placed along with an uncut loaf of bread.
Arwen smiled as the trey was placed on her. Her legs were covered with a thin sheet. The maid bowed and walked out of the room again without a word spoken.
Arwen took a deep breath as she picked off a grape. She smiled as she ate it.
"I was thinking of Eldarion" she told him.
Aragorn thought for a moment.
"Is that good enough?" she asked.
A smile came over his face.
"It is perfect" he answered.
The small baby, who would now be known as Eldarion, started to cry. Aragorn took a deep breath, the line of Kings was set in stone for the rest of time.
A lone horseman rode up the six levels of the city. The day had truly began. Breakfast had come and gone. The lone horseman entered the last level. There were a few guards on either side of the entrance, guarding the King and Queen from any unwanted intruders. But they did nothing to stop him from entering.
Faramir stopped and dismounted. A bag was hanging off one shoulder. A servant of the King came out and took the reigns from him.
Faramir walked though the snow covered court yard and up the few stairs to the main hall. A messenger had been sent before hand, warning the King of his presents.
The King handed his son to one of the young maids and walked out. A minute later, Aragorn met him.
"It is good to see you" he said.
Faramir nodded.
"And you"
The two of them walked over to the table that had been set out. It had an extra seat had been set around it. Faramir stood as Aragorn was the first to sit. Faramir remained standing for a few more seconds. He pulled out a few rolls of paper.
One of them had a very detailed map of the city of Osgiliath. The second had a long list on it.
"I have gathered information on what buildings need repairing" Faramir told the King, handing the parchment to him.
Aragorn took the piece of parchment and looked at it.
"It will take a lot to rebuild Osgiliath" the King told him.
Faramir, who had now taken his seat nodded once. Aragorn took a deep breath, his mind working quickly. A plan came into his head, one that might speed up the regeneration of the small city.
"I will make sure you get the supplies needed to rebuild the city in the quickest way possible"
Faramir nodded, but a question sprung in his mind.
"We are running out of wood and stone, how long will it take to replenish?" he asked.
Aragorn knew that he had a well organised group of workers.
"A few days, the wood will have to be cut down in the nearest forest" Aragorn told Faramir.
The nearest supply of wood was Nardol. It had been used for many years before. But now it was time to put more people to work.
"Get as many men as you can" Aragorn started.
"Split them in half and have one half cutting the wood and the other, stone"
Faramir nodded. He knew that the rebuild of Osgiliath was under way. It would soon turn back into its glory that it had lost during the war.
"I will do your will, my lord" he said, standing up and bowing.
Aragorn stood up too. Faramir rolled up the parchment and put them into his bag. Faramir bowed once more and departed to his horse.
In the Shire, lunch was now ready. Most of the hobbits had eaten a few meals since they had risen from their sleep. But there was one young girl that was still very hungry.
But her sadness stopped her from going to the kitchen. But her mood seemed not to improve much as the door creaked open.
Elanor took a deep breath and turned over. Rosie followed soon after and closed the door. Samwise stood there for a moment.
"Elanor?" he asked.
But the young girl kept as still as a rock. Rosie took a deep breath and looked at her husband.
"Elanor, we need to talk" Samwise said, there was a hint of authority in his voice.
But still, Elanor did not move. Sam now had no other choice but to tell his daughter what decision they had come to.
"You are ground for a week starting today"
Elanor seemed to sprung into life, turning over quickly. There was anger and surprise in her eyes.
"A week?" she asked, not trusting her ears.
But Sam's words were final. Not even Rosie could change what he said.
"A week" answered Sam.
Elanor's eyes started to fill up again.
"But you can't!" she argued, hoping that they would show her a small bit of sympathy.
But it did not work. Her mother said nothing to her after this. She took a deep breath.
"Come and get something to eat" she said, as Sam walked out of the room.
Elanor did not move.
"You can't let him do this!" she said, trying to win over her mother.
Rosie took a deep breath and closed the door. Elanor watched as she mother came and sat by her.
"Your father is very upset about what you have done" she started, placing an arm around her daughter.
"That book is the most precious thing that he owns, apart from us of course"
Rosie took a deep breath and looked at her daughter. Elanor was a miniature version of her mother. Their eyes were exactly the same colour, their hair seemed to wave in the same way.
"Will he ever love me again?" Elanor asked, her eyes glinting like two small marbles.
Rosie found this very silly indeed.
"Elanor, he loves you no matter what you do" she answered.
Elanor rested her head on her mother's shoulder, a tear ran down from her eye.
In the kitchen, Sam had poured himself a large mug of ale. The rest of the children seemed to have free reign of the house. Apart from one room.
Sam grabbed the mug that stood before him. He raised it to his lips and took a mouthful of ale. A few seconds later, the mug was placed down without a noise.
His mind was racing. The noise of his children seemed not to bother him. The sound of a door closing echoed down the corridor. Rosie was coming to the kitchen. She took a deep breath as she entered.
"How are you?" she asked, spotting a blank looking Sam.
But he did not answer. Rosie took a deep breath and opened the cellar door. A minute or two later, Rosie came out with two rectangular packets.
Sam did not look at her or question why she had it. Rosie took a deep breath and walked out of the room. There was nothing more she could say.
The door was left ajar as Rosie went back down the corridor. There were toys all along the corridor. Elanor was now sitting with her back against the back bored, looking very sorry for herself.
Rosie smiled as she closed the door.
"I don't normally let you have this" she said, holding out the two bars of milk chocolate.
Elanor gave a small sniff as she took the two bars from her mother.
"Thank you" she said.
Rosie smiled.
"I'll will bring your lunch in to you" Rosie told her daughter.
Elanor nodded and started to revile a smooth bar of her favourite food. Rosie closed the door and walked back down the hall way. She gave a small smile as she closed the door to the kitchen.
A plate of food had been left for Elanor. The table had now been cleared of all bowls and plates. Sam took a deep, loud breath as he sat there.
"I think we we're a bit harsh on Elanor" Rosie said, picking up the plate.
But Sam did not answer.
"I do not think a week inside is good for anyone, especially her"
Sam gave a quick glance at Rosie. But nothing more then half a second.
"It will be good for her, she needs to learn that she can not always get what she wants" Sam said.
Rosie shook her head. She did not know what came over Sam. The last few hours were very difficult for the both of them.
"I agree, but she is young. Her heart lays outside of this house. It is not right" she said.
Sam was the one that shook his head now.
"Not right?" he asked.
The mug was then picked up, a little more quickly then before. A large mouthful of ale was taken.
"What is not right is that she took the book from my possession!" Sam told her.
The oven door closed, trapping the plate in a box of fire.
"Yes, yes that is not right" Rosie agreed.
But what Sam said next, was something that Rosie never thought that he would ever say.
"That book is more precious then anything I own. Yes, of course that all my family are precious to me"
Sam's voice was now very calm, his eyes seemed to be fixed on one spot.
"Do you know where I was at the end of all things?" Sam asked Rosie.
They were now getting into a subject that Rosie had never thought Sam would ever enter. Rosie started to shake her head, she knew that Sam had seen many distressing things when he had been away. For she had read a small chapter of the book.
"I do not know" she answered, her thirst for more information grew.
"Would you like to know?" Sam asked, he slowly looked around at his wife.
Rosie nodded, forgetting about the food that was now steadily heating in the oven.
"It was on a mountain of fire. The same one that stands in the heart of Mordor"
Rosie seemed to drink up every single word Sam told her. The room became smaller.
"The place where the Ring of Power was made all those years ago. The heat from the lava was intense. Frodo was standing right at the edge of the small pathway. He was facing away from me at first. But he slowly turned around. He then said 'I'm here Sam'"
These words still echoed in Sam's head to this day.
"The rumbling from the mountain was intense. I could hardly hear myself think"
There seemed to be strange silence around the room now. Rosie slowly walked over to the table and took a seat.
"What happened next?" she asked, her eyes seemed to be in an unbroken gaze.
"There was a change in Frodo. One that I never thought would ever come over him. 'Destroy it!' I shouted at him. His arm was extended over the edge. But something was holding him back. Something that had changed him. 'Go on, now!' I told him. 'Throw it in the fire!" But still, nothing seemed to happen. Time was running out. 'What are you waiting for?' I asked him."
Another few seconds of silence came as Sam drunk from his mug. Half of the ale had now gone.
"But still, Frodo just stood there. The Ring dangling off its silver chain. 'Just let it go' I told him. But the Ring had too much power of him. Instead, the Ring was not dropped. Frodo slowly turned to face me and…"
Samwise's eyes seemed to focus on a distance spot. Rosie knew that telling the story was hard. The smell of the dinner was hitting her nose. But it would be another few minutes until it was at the right temperature.
Elanor had now finished the first of her two large chocolate bars. Her sprits were lifting just a small bit. But she was still feeling a little down. The young girl sniffed as she looked at the unwrapped bar. She could feel herself welling up again. A single tear came down from her eye.