Hamson headed for the opposite end of the large room. There, a door led to the back. And there, Hamson would be able to get to the waterwheel.
Hamson's stomach began to rumble, it was the first sign that he needed something to eat. But, the prospect of having a nice warm lunch afterwards and dry cloths were enough to make Hamson do his job.
The second door was then opened. There was more snow on the ground here and less foot prints. For this part of the land was not walked on much.
The snow had melted to a point where it was just a crisp, wafer thin sheet. Even though hobbits were light on their big feet and hardly made a sound, Hamson could not stop the crunching coming from the sheet of ice below him.
The raging river came into view again. The gap between the building and the muddy water seemed to be less then it looked when he was on the bridge.
"Oh no" he said, surveying the thin area that he had to walk on.
The log was now only a few feet away from where he was standing. But still, he could not reach it. He needed to be careful. For the small area of grass between the building and torrent of water was very slippery.
Hamson knew that if he put one step wrong, he would surely slip and fall in. He had to find another way around this problem.
It took him only a couple of seconds before he realised that rope was the answer. And there was plenty of it in the building near by.
So, without another thought about what he could do, he walked away. The rope in the building was perfect for the job Hamson had to do.
Hamson was not only good at making rope, but he had become increasingly good at making knots. So, opening the door, he walked in. There were piles of rope that he could use.
"I'm sure he wont mind" Hamson told himself, thinking of his uncle.
Hamson shook off this thought and picked up a decent length of rope.
"This will do" he said to himself, giving a small smile and walking towards the door again.
In a perfect world, things were much more different for Pimpernel. Sadness and loneliness were not present in her heart. In fact, happiness over powered almost everything.
But that did not mean her life was perfect. In fact, pain was still present in her heart and she could feel it. The fact that the love of her life was not here any more made things ten time for difficult.
But things were made easier by the fact a small puppy was now by her side. Pimpernel smiled as her sister placed the bowl on the cool, tiled floor.
Abira's small tail wagged as she started to eat. Pearl smiled, taking a few seconds to look at the furry pup eating. The stove had a it very own chimney to feed the smoke out of. The smoke continued upwards until it came out into the cold air.
Pimpernel bit into a piece of toast. Creamy butter had been spread all over the surface of the burnt bread. She gave a small smile as her eyes met with her sisters.
Pearl took a deep breath and sat down. She took another piece of toast from the long rack in the middle of the wooden table.
"Could you pass the butter please?" Pearl asked her sister.
Pimpernel gave a small smile and passed the small butter dish over to her sister. Pimpernel took a large bite of toast and started to chew.
"Vinnie is coming around later" Pearl told her sister, spreading butter onto her toast.
Pimpernel nodded as she took yet another bite.
"Does this mean you'll be cooking dinner?" she asked.
Pimpernel loved Pearl's cooking as much as her own mothers. Pearl nodded.
"Sure, I'll have to start soon though. I know the amount of food that us girls can get through" Pearl told her.
Nelly gave a small giggle and continued to eat her piece of toast. As she did so, Abira was finishing up as well. Every rasher of crispy bacon had been eaten by the small pup.
Pearl was always surprised at how fast Abira could finish her food. But it was not as much of a surprise anymore. In fact, she had gotten used to the small pup eating so vigorously and so quickly that it had become normal.
In reality, Hamson was closing in on his goal. His hands seemed not to work as well due to the coldness. But the knot he had tied was now secure.
He smiled, knowing that this was the best way to dislodge the log that was stopping the wheel. So, carefully edging along the small ledge that separated him from the river, Hamson got closer to the log then before. But it was still out of reach.
This was where he had to use the rope. The sound of the water licking the side of the bank was the only sound he could hear. But that was quickly drowned out but the quickening of his heart beat.
The rope dangled inched from the surface of the water. Hamson focused on the log, half emerged in the icy cold water. With one swooped, he swung the rope. He hoped it would be an easy task for him. But it was not.
The rope did not hit his target. Instead, it rested on top. This made Hamson quite annoyed. He knew that he should have got it on the first go.
But this did not deter him. The rope was wheeled in. He would have to start again. So, his concentration deepened. His eyes fixed on the log. A few seconds later, the rope was then thrown again.
This time, he got what he wanted. The rope encircled the wood. Hamson pulled tight, the rope pulled tight. Hamson gave a small smile.
So, with a large tug, the log came free. Hamson slowly pulled the log towards him. But the current of water made this very hard.
But, after a minute, the log was safely brought to land. The water wheel slowly started to move again. A few seconds after, the sound of rushing water started to meet his hears.
Noise erupted from the machines inside of the large building near by. Hamson untied the wet and mud rope and picked up the slippery log.
Near by, there was another pile of wet logs. Hamson walked over to it and flung the new log in with the rest. His mind had now changed and was now set on lunch.
The door to the large building was opened. The rope placed to one side. He could not sell that piece now. But it did not matter. There were many miles of rope hanging from hooks that had been nailed into the low rafters.
Lunch was Hamson's next port of call. But first, he had to wash his hands and make sure that everything had been turned off.
So, walking towards the door that led to the road, Hamson went for lunch. He had to endure one more wave of coldness before he got back to the house. The mud was making the coldness even more cold as he walked along the boggy path.
The house he was heading for was just a minute or two down the road. Trees grew on one side and fields sat on the other. And, on those field, white sheep were standing, looking very cosy in their warm coats. Hamson took a deep breath and continued on with his journey.
Within the walls of the house, Hamson's uncle was sitting in front of a burning fire. A book was held in his hand and his eyes scanning over the many written words.
Just then, the large, round front door opened. A cold wave tickled his bare feet. There was a click a few seconds later and the warmth started to over power the coldness again. The fire crackled, letting out black smoke and a wonderful wave of warmth.
Hamson's auntie walked out and shook her head.
"You'll have to wash those in the bathroom" she said, seeing how dirty her nephews feet and legs were.
Hamson gave a small smile.
"I think so too" he said, hanging up his coat.
So, before any food was eaten, he would have to clean himself up. Like the homes back at Hobbiton, the dwelling had a large round door. But there were no hills in this part of the Shire.
So, hobbits had to build their homes over land. These were just the same as the ones back in Hobbiton. There were no stairs in this house.
Apart from not being built into the side of a hill, it had everything a hobbit needed. A study, a kitchen, bedrooms, panties and large wardrobes, cellars and dinning rooms and a few bathrooms were all on the same level.
But, unlike the homes that lay in Hobbiton, this one was over ground. This meant that a lot more light could make its way in. But the lack of hill meant nothing to the hobbits living there.
A few times, Hamson's mind was tricked. The house felt like he was still back in Hobbiton. But, a quickly glance out of the window showed him flat fields. This spoilt his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.
Hamson walked down the winding corridor to the bathroom. The door creaked open as Hamson reached the bathroom.
Candles were flickering in the corridor he had just left. Painted pictures had been hung on the curving walls. Small semi-circled shaped tables were standing with their backs to the wall.
In summer, they had large vases full of flowers. But now, winter had come and they would not bloom time the warmer months.
Now, small candles were flicking as they stood there, giving out a small bit of light and warmth. The bathroom door was closed and locked so that no one could disturb him.
Inside the bath room was a brass bath. Mounted to the wall was a brass sink. A single tap with two nozzles attached to it. Hamson twisted one of the nozzles. Hot water started to pour out. The sound of trickling water met his ears.
A flannel was then picked up and held under the small torrent of warming water. After a minute or two, Hamson was ready to start washing. Soap was now picked up and rubbed between his hands.
It took a few minutes to wash each leg. The flannel's colour started to change to a darker brown. Mud had imbedded itself into the fabric of the flannel.
Hamson smiled as he looked down at his cleaner legs. The torrent of water coming out of the tap now ceased. Yet two small drips escaped and fell to the brass surface.
The flannel was now wet and dirty.
"Oh, this wont do" Hamson thought, looking at the light brown stains on the flannel.
"It'll have to be washed" he said.
So, Hamson started to dry his legs. The coldness of the outside world had now turned to the warmth of the inside.
Hamson smiled as he walked out into the winding corridor. He made his way back to his room. The room that he was staying in was one of the spare, smaller rooms that his uncle had. But it was good enough for him.
Hamson opened the door to his warm room and walked inside. He smiled, knowing that lunch was almost upon him.
The hobbit closed the door and then walked over to his wardrobe. It took a minute or two to change. But, when he did, he felt much better and ready for lunch.
The kitchen had a very welcoming smell to it. The table was set, a few table mats were lain out. Hamson's cousin was helping with the cooking. The oven opened, letting out nearly all of the heat it had stored inside.
Anson smiled as he took out a large roasted chicken. His mother was standing on the second stove, making sure the vegetables were cooking properly.
Hamson and his auntie's eyes met.
"Do you need any help?" Hamson asked.
His auntie gave a warm smile.
"No dear, it's nearly done now" she said.
Hamson gave a small nod. It was then that he noticed that the mugs of ale they normally had at meals were not yet on the table. So, walking over to cupboard, he got out four mugs.
Without a word of explanation, Hamson walked over to the cellar and opened the door. He suddenly felt the difference in temperature between the warm kitchen and the cool cellar. The cellar was stocked full of delicious food, wrapped in separate paper packages.
But food was not the only thing stored in the cellar. A thin layer of dust had collected on the cold bottles. Hamson placed the four large mugs on the shelves. The wine bottles were now grabbing his attention.
So, he picked one up. The label was old, older then Hamson himself. A date gave away the true age of the bottle he was holding.
"The year two thousand, nine hundred and twenty eight" he said, giving a small smile.
The hobbit placed the bottle back with the rest. His attention was now back on the empty mugs standing on the shelves.
So, picking one up, Hamson squatted down and placed it on the floor. The hobbit had placed it so that it sat right under a tap. Hamson slowly turned the tap on, unsure that he had positioned it correctly.
But, when the beer started to hit the bottom of the mug, he knew that he had placed it correctly. Hamson did this three more times so that all four mugs were now full of golden beer. He smiled as he carefully picked up two mugs in each hand.
Meanwhile, Origo and Ivy were ever nearing their goal. But yet, they had a few days of walking until they finally reached Bree. And, even then, they would not be even half way to reaching Radagast.
The hours seemed to pass as Ivy led Origo down the snow path. The bright sun created shadows of the leafless trees. They were stretching as the sun slowly sank towards the western horizon.
The coldness was getting to the small pup now. The bubble of warmth that Ivy had magically wrapped around him was now wearing off yet again.
A small whimper came from the pup as twilight descended on the already freezing lands. Ivy took a deep breath, having a small inkling of what the fluffy pup wanted.
"Alright" she said, fluttering to a stop.
Origo yawned as he looked around. The warmth that the fairy gave his trickled though every muscle in his small body. His small tail started to wag. Ivy smiled, stroking the fluffy face of her pup.
"Come on, lets keep going" Ivy told him.
Origo gave a small nod and started to trot again. This was the kind of good behaviour that Ivy loved. She did not have to say things twice to get him to do then things she wanted.
Ivy fluttered after the pup. But flying was made harder for her to keep up. Origo seemed to be in his own world as the hours past.
The bridge over the Brandywine was coming up next. But the two of them would not reach it until tomorrow. But they were not the only ones heading towards the bridge. A young girl with greasy hairs and a muddy blouse was now approaching the Brandywine river.
The sound of wind and the hooves of horse she was on was all that she could hear. It was then that, out of the thin mist that hugged the cold land.
A black ribbon of freezing water run though the land. Bridges were the only way to cross them safely. Although there were some roads that crossed the river without the aid of bridges.
They had been built so that water ran over the road that passed through it. A few meters to one side were stones placed in a shallow part of the river. They were stepping stones so that walkers would not get their feet wet.
The horse slowed from a gallop to a trot as the bridge came into view. The young girl could see the river. As she got closer, she could hear the trickling sound.
A moment later, the horse came to a complete stop. She jumped off of the beast and stood there. Her eyes were heavy as she looked around. But she could not sleep yet.
"It's a bridge" she said, wondering if she had in fact gone the right way.
She had only seen Bree once, but that was on a map that she had looked at before she left home.
"This must be the Brandywine" she told herself.
This meant she was half way to her goal of reaching Bree. The girl walked slowly onto the bridge. Her curiosity got the better of her. She walked over to the edge and took a look down.
Below, icy water continued to trickle to an unknown lake or large body of water. Leaves were trapped under immovable stones and rocks.
Some of the stones were jotting out of the torrent creating small bubbles, which were washed away. But they were fragile. Only a few made it to calmer water. But even they did not last long.
The young girl took a deep breath, knowing that any delay in her journey would make her later to reach Bree.
"Right" she said, looking at the big horse standing curiously over her shoulder.
"A small bite to eat, then we much be on our way"
The horse wildly nodded its head in agreement. So, the girl led the horse off of the bridge. On both sides of the road was a thick forest. Mist seemed to congregate more in here then in open areas. The trees were akin to a wind block as the girl made her way though the trees.
The coldness seemed to be more intense here. But it was nothing the girl could not handle. Drips of freezing water fell to earth and impacted on the decaying leaves from a summer past.
The girl smiled, looking back. The road that she had left was barely visible from where she stood.
"This will do" she said, getting the rope and tided it around the nearest tree.
The ground was soaking wet, there was little grass for the horse to eat. But he would have to make do with what he could find.
The girl, on the other hand, had as much as she could eat in her bag. The coldness was now getting to the girl as she sat down on the wet ground. But she had a small bottle of amber liquid to cure her coldness.
She opened it up and gave it a big sniff. Its smell made the back of her nose tingle. But, it was upon drinking it that she felt its full effects. The amber liquid started to seep down. At the same time, a strange warmth started to circulate around her body.
She smiled, taking a deep breath. The coldness was sharp on the back of her throat. Food was now on her mind. The girl looked into the bag and saw half a loaf of bread sitting there. She picked out the loaf and started to eat it.
Crumbs started to fall to the ground as the girl ripped off a sizable piece of bread. The darkness grew quicker as the sun fell behind the western horizon.
Bird song was now few and far between. The darkness seemed to hide their movements. But, every so often, their songs could be heard echoing through the empty woods.
The girl was many miles away from where she had been staying the night before. Her whereabouts were not known to the woman she had worked for.
"Are you up yet?" the woman asked, knocking on the door.
The knocks echoed through into an empty room. The woman then lost her patients and entered the room. It was then she was met by the sight of an open wardrobe and an empty bed.
It did not take long for her to put two and two together. Anger started to fester in her veins as she stomped out of the room. The woman's heavy feet impacted on the wooden steps.
The door opened so violently that it impacted on the shelves behind it. The woman took a deep breath, knowing that she would have to go after the girl, even if it meant going a hundred miles to find her.
The woman approached one her workers. The man's beard was tatty and his eyes were deep set. Like the woman that approached him, he too did not like the girl much.
"The girl has gone missing" the woman said, leading the man outside to the back.
"I want you to find her and bring her back here"
The man took a small nod. The woman did not approve of having two of her workers away from where they were meant to be. But she needed the girl back. And she would do anything to make that happen.
The man walked up the creaking wooden stairs to the room he was staying in. The night was cold and he would have to wrap up as much as he could to keep that coldness out.
But the coldness was not the only thing he had to contend with. The darkness had now fully grasped the land. There were no clouds to speak of. Stars were shining through as the curtain of sunlight faded with every passing second.
The songs of birds had now full ceased. All activity from the day would have to wait until the sun came up.
Origo continued to walk along the road. But tiredness was now grabbing him and slowing down is pace. Ivy noticed this.
"Alright pup, lets go and find some shelter for the night and carry on tomorrow" Ivy told him.
Origo gave a large yawn, his ears flopping back. His small brown eyes were slowly started to shut as the tiredness started to win. Ivy knew that she did not have long to find some shelter before Origo would sleep where he fell.
"Lets go this way" she said, looking at the large trees on one side of the road.
She had no knowledge of these woodlands. In fact, she had little to no idea what lay before her. Origo only had a small green fairy to follow in the darkness now. There were pillars of black trees all around him. The sound of his small paws falling on brown leaves was the only sound he could hear.
Origo continued to follow the green fairy ever onwards and ever further from the road. There was still no sign of shelter for the pup. Ivy seemed to have better eye sight in the darkness. But that only gave Origo and Ivy a few feet of green glow.
The clock slowly ticked over. But the small pup was still not tucked up and sleeping. But Origo did not have to wait much longer as, a burnt out tree came into view. Ivy smiled, looking around at the small pup that was following her.
"I think we have found a place to stay, pup" she said, fluttering to him.
The puppy could not see anything apart from the small circle of light coming from Ivy.
"Come on, follow me" Ivy said, fluttering slowly away.
The small fairy fluttered towards her destination. Ivy looked back to see Origo slowly climbing over a log. A small whimper came from him as he jumped down the opposite side.
"Come on, not long to go" Ivy said, fluttering her fragile wings.
They had just enough power to keep her airborne. Origo whimpered some more. Ivy knew that he was on the verge of snoozing where he stood. The meters were slowly counting down as the small pup continued towards the tree.
Ivy smiled as she fluttered by the entrance of the tree she had chosen. Origo yawned and stopped just a few feet from it. Ivy tilted her head to one side, wondering why the pup had stopped.
"Come on, its not that bad" she said, looking inside.
The floor of the tree was black, just like the other burnt out tree that Origo had to stay in. Origo wished that he was back at the house he had left the day before.
Pervinca smiled as her sister placed a plate before her.
"Thank you" she said, picking up a spoon.
Pimpernel was sitting at the table as well. She had a plate before her. Sitting on the plate was a large slice of chocolate cake.
Pearl placed a third plate in front of her place and sat down. The bowls from dinner had been cleared away. Now, only a pot of the thickest cream stood.
Pimpernel smiled as she picked it up. She smiled as she poured the cream all over her large piece of cake. Pearl and Vinnie watched and waited for Pimpernel to stop pouring.
Nelly looked up. Pearl was waiting patently for her turn. A smile came over Pearl's face as she was handed the cream.
"Thank you" she said.
Pimpernel picked up her spoon and broke a piece off. Cream seeped through the small bubbles in the cake. Pervinca was passed the cream after Pearl had finished with it.
"How is it?" Vinnie asked her sister, seeing a familiar glint in Pimpernel's eyes.
Pimpernel gave a large smile.
"Its very good" she answered.
"You should do it more often"
Pearl now picked up her spoon as well. She too cut a large chunk off. It was scooped onto her spoon. She placed the piece in her mouth. It took a few seconds before she could start to taste the rich, dark chocolate.
After a few more seconds, all the girls were silenced. This happened a lot when they were eating. In fact, eating was more important then talking at times.
The pieces of cake were very big indeed. For their small stature, hobbits could eat a lot. Their meals were larger then man, dwarf or elf. Men would struggle to finish even half of the meals hobbits had.
Hobbits were renowned for their ability to eat. They would have large feasts every day if they could get it. Even when they were not eating, they were filling up the sides, as it were.
Pimpernel was the first to finish. Her spoon scrapped along the face of the plate. She smiled as she scooped up the last bits. The spoon was then placed down on the plate.
Pimpernel was now feeling very full. But there was a place for a little bit more. Her mug of beer had yet to be finished. Pearl finished soon after, leaving Pervinca to finish hers.
"Well, that's was most delicious" Pearl said, taking a deep breath and taking a deep swig of her mug.
Pimpernel nodded in agreement. Vinnie smiled, eating the last small bit of her cake.
"You will have to cook it again sometime" Pimpernel said.
Pervinca nodded.
"I will defiantly be back around here" she said.
Time wore on as the clock ticked ever onwards. Dinner had finished and now it was time for relaxation. The kettle was filled with cool water and placed on the hook that had been hammered into the top of the brick arch.
Pearl smiled as she took a deep breath. The clock on the wall showed her that nine o'clock had come and gone. Ten o'clock slipped into being. Pervinca opened the door and walked in. Pimpernel and Pearl were already sitting down.
"Tea should be a few more minutes" Pervinca told her sisters.
Pimpernel nodded and turned her head back to look at the fire. The fire was burning nicely as Pimpernel continued to watch. The flickering flames seemed to hypnotise the girl.
Pervinca smiled, looking around. She noticed that not all of the candles were lit. So, picking up a small box full of thin, brittle twigs, she started to light the candles. She smiled, extinguishing the flame.
The kettle was now bubbling happily as it hung over the tickling flames.
"I'll be back in a minute" she told her sisters, walking towards the door.
There were no words exchanged. Pearl smiled as she went out of the warm, light room into a darker corridor. There were no sounds to be heard save from the small whistling sound coming from the cracks in the door.
A cupboard door was then opened to revile a mass of mugs and cups. Pearl took three out and closed it.
Next, she walked to the cellar. She brought out a small box and a large box. In the smaller of the two, white grains of sugar sat. In the larger, tea leaves.
The tea leaves had been dried and were now ready to use. Pearl placed two leaves in each large cup. The kettle continued to bubble until the time was right.
And that time was soon. Pearl grabbed a small towel that had been hanging on the back on the wooden chair. She knew that the kettle would be very hot indeed. So, grabbing the handle, she carefully lifted it off of the hook. The very hot water inside was poured into each one of the cups. Pearl could feel the heat radiating off of the water. She was careful not to have her skin touch the metal kettle.
The kettle was then placed back on the hook. Pearl smiled, looking into the mugs. The tea leaves were now floating around, giving off a light brown colour.
A draw was then opened and a small silver spoon was taken out. Pearl opened the lid of the smaller box. The spoon was dunked into the mountain of sugar in the wooden box.
But only two of the three mugs had sugar put into it. Pimpernel's mug was left to soak up the leaves of tea it had in it.
Pearl took the leaves out, leaving a light brown ting to the cooling water. The leaves were placed on the work top to be cleared away later. Spoonfuls of sugar were placed into Pearl's and Pervinca's mugs. Pimpernel's was left to cool further.
A sound of metal on porcelain started to echo around the kitchen as the sugar was stirred in. The sound ceased for a moment, then started up again. Pearl smiled, placing the spoon on the work top. She gave a small yawn, then picked up the three mugs.
Carefully, Pearl made her way back to the lounge. Pimpernel's eyes were heavy as a small movement caught her eye.
Pearl had entered the room. Pimpernel mustered the strength to lift herself up and hold the mug.
"Thank you" she said, taking the sugarless tea.
The second mug was pasted over to Pervinca, she too was very tired. Pearl walked and sat on an armchair nearer the fire. She slowly sat down, making sure she did not spill a drop of her tea.
The girls sat in silence, their conversation having dried up over dinner. Pimpernel's mind was now on a very different subject. She missed her dear puppy. For some reason, Abira kept crawling back to the front of her mind.
No matter how hard she tried to forget about the pup, something was not letting her. Pearl was looking at her sister. There was a deep bond between the three of them. Words did not need to be spoken to understand each other.
It was then that Pimpernel broke her gaze. It swivelled around to her sister. Their eyes met for what seemed like a minute. No words were exchanged, but Pimpernel's look said a million words that she could never say.
Pearl took a deep breath, then took a small sip of her lukewarm tea. Pimpernel looked back to the fire, her blue eyes glinted in the flickering flames.
Time continued to tick on, tea was drank, but conversation had surely dried out. The clock chimed in the quiet room.
"Well, I think I better get home" Vinnie told them, placing her mug on the table.
Pearl smiled, taking a deep breath and standing up. The three girls, who had been tired and relaxed a few seconds before, were now all standing.
"Thank you for the dessert" Pimpernel said, hugging her sister.
Pervinca smiled.
"Any time" she answered.
Pearl smiled, hugging Pervinca. The three girls left the room, leaving the mugs sitting on the table. Pervinca was followed by her sisters down the warm hallway down towards the large front door.
"Would you like to take some of your cake home?" Pearl asked, watching her sister button up her coat.
"Oh" Pervinca said, shaking her head.
"You have it"
Pearl smiled as she went and opened the door.
"Be safe now" she said, opening the door on the coldness.
Pimpernel felt the rush of coldness hit her cheeks. Pearl gave her sister one last hug.
"Be safe" Pimpernel told her.
Pervinca looked back and smiled. Pearl watched her sister's figure sink into the inky blackness of night. After a few more seconds of watching her sister's outline get to the gate, Pearl closed the door.
The door shut with a click, stopping the heat escaping. The candles stopped flickering as Pearl looked around.
"Right, I think it's time for bed" she said.
Pimpernel nodded, feeling her tiredness slowly return.