A small puppy lay on a comfortable pillow. The house she was in was very warm. Night was slowly turning to day. The inky night was turning to a lighter blue. But clouds were still covering nearly every direction.

The coldness had fallen deeper then any other night before. But the small pup was safe as she continued to sleep. Her owner, an old man, slept peacefully in his bed.

Normally, by this time in the morning, the man would have woken. But not today. Instead, the man kept on sleeping. But this could not be said for the small puppy in the lounge. Sleep was now gently slipping away from her. Her small brown eyes seemed to slowly open. Her quota of sleep had all been used up. Hunger was quickly growing as the small pup gave a big stretch. Her ears flopped as she shook her head. A quick glance around told her that she was alone.

"I best see where he is" she thought.

So, the puppy left the warmth of pillow and trotted out of the room. The house was quiet as the young pup made to her owners room.

The door had been left ajar during the night. The little puppy poked her small, fluffy head around the door. The bed came into view.

The pups tail started to wag as she made her way to the end of the bed. There, she jumped on a small dressing box full of her owners old clothes.

The puppy could see the mound of the man underneath the duvet. It was then that she started on her short trip up towards the pillow. The clock on the wall gently chimed eight times.

"He should have been up an hour ago" the puppy whimpered.

But, he wasn't. The small pup continued her journey towards him. Her little paws sank into the warm duvet. After a minute or so, the pup reached the other end of the bed.

There, the old mans head lay on a pillow. He had his eyes closed. The puppy's tail wagged as she saw him.

"Wake up" she whined, trying to grab his attention.

But it did not work.

The pup blinked twice and gave another, louder whine. But this was still not enough to arouse the man from his slumber.

It was time to make her presents known. So, moving a little bit further up the bed, she reached the man's face.

"Hello?" she whined, sniffing the man.

But there was something wrong with him. He was not responding to anything she did. The puppy's mind slowly ticked over to the only answer it could be.

He was dead.

The puppy whimpered and waddled to the edge of the bed. She looked down. The pup bent her legs and took off. But what hit the solid ground was not a small puppy, but a fully grown girl. This girl had flowing blonde hair, unnaturally clean. It flowed all the way past her shoulders. Her large brown eyes were exactly the same as the puppy's that had been standing on the bed.

"I'm sorry" she said, knowing that she could not do anything about what had happened.

Now was the time to start her plan. She needed to find Origo. But there were no clues as to where he was. Yet this did not stop the young girl from trying to find him.

So, she walked out of the warm room, leaving the man peacefully laying in his bed. The girl now put her plan into action as she walked to the kitchen.

A few things were needed before she could set off. Food was one of these things. The cellar door was closed, soon to be opened. She, unlike her puppy form, did not have to act any more.

Mya, as she was known to only Tom Bombadil, Goldberry and her friend, Pilith, took a hold of a small burning candle. It flicked as she opened the door.

Unlike the rest of the house, the cellar was the only room that was accessed by stairs. It was also the coldest and darkest. Food and drink were stored down here, ready to be used.

But there would be no one around to use them any more. And Mya did not need all of it for her journey. Bread was the made food she would need for the journey. The coldness made sure that her hands would not work as well.

Three large loaves of untouched bread sat on their own shelf. This was exactly what Mya needed. So, she placed the candle on an empty shelf just near by.

She knew that she could not take all of the loaves and still be able to carry the candle as well. So, she took two loaves and walked out. The candle seemed to produce just enough light to find her way back to the stairs.

She ascended them and came out into the kitchen. Upon placing the loaves down, she turned and made her way back to the cellar again.

This time, the last loaf of bread was picked up. The candle was also picked up, making the flame dance around. But, just as she reached the door, something took a hold of her sight.

So, Mya placed the candle down and picked up this new packet. The loaf of bread was then held under her arm as she surveyed the packet.

An orange tinge came through the packet. Mya smiled, realising that it was a block of cheese. This was perfect for the young girl.

So, leaving the loaf propped under her arm, she made her way out. The stairs were not made of wood, but cold stone. The stairs ended as Mya arrived back in the kitchen.

She smiled, placing the candle down on its small shelf. Mya then placed the loaf of bread and the block of red cheese on the table, along with the other food.

"I can not carry all this by myself" Mya thought.

She knew that a bag was needed. But she had never explored the house on two feet before. So, leaving the food on the table, she started to search the kitchen.

Cupboards were opened, then closed. Pots, pans, knives, forks, all were present. A fifth cupboard door was opened. This was full of old, unopened wine bottles.

Dust had settled on the cold glass. It seemed to be untouched for a number of years. Until now. Mya's curiosity led her to slide one of the very old bottles out.

The label was very old and very brittle. It shed flakes as she tried to read it. The liquid inside showed itself to be deep red in the flickering candle light.

Mya could see her own reflection in the smooth glass. The light coming from window glinted in the opposite side of the round bottle.

After a minute, Mya placed the bottle back. Her curiosity had been filled and her mind was now back on finding a bag. But there were none to be found in the kitchen. So, making her way out of the room, she came across a small cupboard.

It was then that she found what she had been looking for. A few very old looking bags lay in a pile on the floor. She smiled as she took them out.

Most of them were too small to get three loaves of bread in. But there was one that was perfect. This one was left out as the others were placed back. The door to the cupboard closed with a click.

It took a few minutes to place all of the loaves into the bag. The block of orange cheese was the last thing to be packed. But there was one more object that Mya needed to get.

Water.

Down the road was a well full of water. Mya had only been there once before. This was when the man needed some water. Flasks were now needed.

Water was vital for survival in the wilds. Many people had died in the ancient forests. But Mya could not make this mistake. She needed all of her strength to find Origo. And the coldness would make sure it drained everything that she had.

So, upon finding many empty flasks, she put them in her bag.

"Well, this is it" she said, swinging the pack onto her back.

The house was unusually quiet. It was a shame to leave such a lovely home. But there was no reason for her to stay anymore. She had spent more time here then she would have liked.

But there was one last thing she needed to do. So, walking back to the bed room, she stopped. The man had not moved from where he was. His eyes closed, his lips had a hint of blueness about them.

Mya slowly walked up to the old man. She knew that, without him, she would have never seen Origo again. It felt wrong to leave him, after the attention that he had given her.

But she had to.

"Thank you" she said.

Deep down, she knew that his sprit would be with her forever. But for now, she had to get moving. So, with one last look, she turned around. That would be the last time that she ever saw him.

Mya walked through the house to the outside world. The front door creaked open. Cold wind instantly dug into Mya's perfect skin. Her hair blew gently in the wind as she took in the whiteness of the world before her.

A few seconds past before the young looking girl before she placed foot into the outside world. The door was then closed after her. But this was pointless now. For that man that had lived there was no longer living.

Mya's quest for Origo had now begun as she headed to her first stop. A well, full of water, was her first port of call. But she was not the only one wanting water.

As the well came into view, two figures came into view also. Mya stopped. She knew that the people of Middle-earth were not as friendly as she was. Every move she made would have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

"Well, there's nothing for it" she said.

So, the young girl set off again. The snow crunched underfoot as the well came ever closer. Mya's whereabouts were now known as one of the figures, a woman, spotted her.

But nothing happened.

Mya strolled up to the well and stopped. The other figure was a man. He was slowly drawing up a bucket full of very cold water.

"We wont be a moment, dear" said the woman.

She gave a warm smile. Mya nodded and returned the smile. The rope had been tied to the handle of the old bucket. Both the bucket and rope were soaking wet.

The man grabbed the bucket and placed it on the stone wall. He took a deep breath and looked around.

"Alright, better get it over with" he said, knowing what was coming next.

The woman smiled as she took her pack off. She opened it up and picked out five flasks. Each were empty, waiting to be filled with cold water.

So, the woman handed one over to the man. The top was then taken off and placed it in his pocket. What came next took his breath away. He emerged his hand into the freezing water.

The water started to trickle into the empty flask. After a while, the pain started to cease as he got used to the coldness. The flask was then taken out. It was much heavier then before. The stopper was placed back and handed to the woman.

This happened a few more times.

"All yours" she said.

Mya smiled.

"Thank you" she said.

The bucket was left on side of stone wall. Mya looked into the bucket. There wasn't enough water to fill her own flask. So, upon taking a deep breath, Mya started to lower the bucket down towards the water.

Meanwhile, Origo was still laying in the snow. His small paw prints could be traced back a mile or two in the snow.

But he was not alone. A small robin and an invisible fairy were near by. Ivy's spirits were the lowest they had been in hundreds of years. She knew that she had almost lost him.

"I shouldn't have let it happen" she said, kneeling in the snow.

Origo was resting on his side, eyes shut. His chest seemed to barely move as Ivy knelt there. Warmth was circulating around Origo's little body.

Life was slowly taking him back, pulling him into reality. His head became light and airy. A small bit of faint light met his eyes.

But sound was not present. He did not know that his friend, Ivy, was just a few inches away from him.

"It was inevitable, my dear" the robin told her.

Ivy took a deep breath.

"But still, it happened. I was not there for him"

The robin looked around.

"Life if full of ups and downs. It is just how we handle them that makes a difference. Some of us push on where others fall" he said.

These words were very encouraging for Ivy. She knew that she had forced Origo to do too much. A slower rate of travel was needed. Ivy knew that she and Origo were already days behind schedule. But nothing could be done to speed up this process.

But this was about to change.

A young girl was walking through the snow on the ground. Her hair blew as the wind rushed past. A large pack, full of bread, water and cheese rested on her shoulders.

It was enough food to get her to her next destination. But her destination was in an unknown direction. There were no signs that pointed to Bree.

So, the girl trundled ever onwards. The wind seemed to become colder then before. The bottom of her flowing white dress was now wet. She could feel it sticking on her legs.

The path seemed to wind through the forest for what seemed like hours. No greenness could be seen. Just black and white.

The rate of snowflakes seemed to be steady. A few landed on the girls dress. But they were too small to bother her.

After a few hours of walking, the girl's energy seemed to be all spent. Her stomach was now very empty, having not eaten since the night before.

"I guess I shall need some food then" she thought.

Unlike the house she had left an hour or two before, there was nowhere dry or warm to rest. But Mya had to get used to this. For there would be no places to stay until she reached Bree.

So, taking her pack off, she sat down. Her back rested against a large tree. The wind seemed not to be harsh here. A small smile came over her as she opened the bag.

Meanwhile, Hobbiton had woken up to a glorious day. Breakfast had been made, served and consumed. Children were now playing out in the snow.

Snow hobbits were being constructed out of the very snow that lay on the grassy fields. Elanor Gamgee and her friends were now pushing a very large ball.

But their power was not enough to make it any bigger then it was. They had been pushing the boulder of snow for a good half an hour. But it had only gone a few inches.

"Oh, this is hopeless" a young girl said, taking a deep breath.

The ball of snow was now solid. Evidence of the terrain underneath could now be seen. For the large ball of snow was not pure. Mud and blades of grass were stuck in the ball as well.

"I think it's big enough" said another.

Elanor Gamgee took a deep breath. She knew that if they just had more power, then they would be able to make it very large indeed.

But she knew this was not going to happen.

"I guess so" she said, giving into the fact that the large ball of snow was not going anywhere.

Gloria, one of Elanor's closes friends, bent down and picked up a handful of snow. Elanor watched as her friend squeezed compacted it into a solid ball. A minute later, Gloria started to roll it across the surface of the ground.

In the Gamgee household, a very lonely boy sat on his bed. His mother and father had stopped him from enjoying the lovely snow outside.

"You can go outside tomorrow, dear" Rosie said as she washed up the dishes.

Frodo seemed not to argue anymore. He knew that what ever he said would not be in agreement with his parents. So, he would trundle back to his room and gently close the door. A few times, Frodo had stood on his bed and looked out of his window.

His room over looked the fields of Hobbiton, right down to the lake. He could see for many miles. Only the horizon stopped his gaze from going any further.

This made the little boy upset indeed. He loved the snow, unlike his father who did not like the coldness.

"Get's into your very soul, this weather does" he said.

And he was right. The coldness seemed to burrow into to the depths of anyone's soul, making them shiver. Feet, although they acted like shoes, became numb and stiff after time.

Only the warmth of a fire could eradicate any coldness. Warm food was also very useful to fight of the coldness. And food was what one small creature needed more then anything.

Ivy and the robin had been waiting an hour or two for the small puppy to wake. And, eventually, he did. Ivy was resting on the warm puppy when she heard it.

At first, Ivy did not believe what she had heard. But the quickening movement in Origo's small chest made Ivy's suspicions become solid.

"Origo?" she asked, slowly standing up.

Miraculously, Ivy's wings seemed to have pealed apart due to Origo's warmth. But she was too concerned with the little pup to bother flapping them.

The small puppy did not move. He did not have the energy to do so. Yet another whimper came from him. Sounds were coming back to him now.

"Puppy?" asked a voice, echoing around in his airy head.

The small pup knew this voice. He knew that it belonged to Ivy. But another sound came into the puppy's light head. This one was much louder and scarier for him.

"Is he alright?" the robin asked.

Only Ivy could understand the small bird.

"I think he will, he just needs some turkey"

At these words, Origo's eyes seemed to open. All he could see was a sea of white. The snow seemed to block his vision.

"Ivy?" he asked, trying to raise his head.

Ivy smiled as she walked over to the little puppy.

"Origo, are you alright?" she asked.

Small tears were running down her little face. She knew that if Origo had enough energy for food, then he would be alright.

Origo's eyes were slowly moving around. Snow was not the only thing Origo could see. His little brown eyes were now filled with green light. He could see a blurry figure squatting down.

"Puppy, you need to eat some food" she said, wiping away a small tear.

Origo gave a small whine, making Ivy know that he was listening. The robin was taken aback at what happened next. A large plate of warm turkey appeared before him.

"How did that get there?" the robin asked.

But his question was ignored. Ivy needed Origo to just eat one piece. Even if it was just a small morsel.

"Puppy, please eat something" she said.

The smell of turkey seemed to give Origo just enough strength to lift his head now. But still did not have enough to grab a piece of turkey.

Ivy thought quickly. She smiled as she picked out a large piece. For the fairy, it was massive and a bit heavy. She smiled as walked back to the puppy.

"Puppy, do you remember this?" she asked.

Origo gave a small whine. Of course he knew what it was. His small pink tongue slid out and gave a small lick. He could taste the turkey more then he ever had before.

Ivy smiled as she felt Origo tug on the small piece of turkey. It quickly vanished as Ivy let go. Origo could taste the turkey as he swallowed it.

"More?" Ivy asked, knowing the answer to this already.

Origo gave a small whine. The small puppy now had enough energy to lift his fluffy head up. Ivy fed him a few more pieces.

She smiled as Origo shook off the tiredness. His eyes still tried to drag him back to sleep. But turkey would soon win over this battle.

Ivy smiled as the small puppy slowly stood on all four paws. A large, long yawn came from the pup. Ivy now did not need to help feed Origo now. For he had enough energy to stand and feed himself.

The plate of turkey took longer then normal to finish. But the turkey seemed to vanish none the less.

"I think a little bit more is in order" said Ivy, making the plate magically fill with fresh turkey.

The robin was now getting very hungry himself. His mind started to wonder.

"I wonder if she can make some food for me" he thought.

Ivy smiled, as she watched the little puppy gobble up the remaining food.

"Excuse me" said the robin, grabbing Ivy's attention.

The fairy smiled as she looked around.

"Yes?" she asked merrily.

The robin seemed to stall at asking her. But, Ivy could read the robin as easily as she could read Origo.

"I guess you need a bit of food as well?" she asked.

A glint in the robin's eye told her that she was right.

"Yes, if you don't mind" he answered.

Ivy knew exactly what the robin needed. A large apple appeared before his very eyes. It was much bigger then both Ivy and himself. The glint in the robin's eyes changed to surprise.

"Well, I never" he said, his song echoing around.

The robin seemed to be mesmerised by the size of the apple before him. So, without another second lost, the robin started to eat.

But there was one young girl who would not eating. She was laying in the middle of the floor. The room was cold. A heath was standing in the wall, but it was not alight.

The girl shivered as she listened to the sounds. Voices echoed from downstairs. People were talking, laughing, eating and drinking. They had no knowledge of the girl laying on the floor upstairs. Only two people in the main lobby knew of her.

The old woman smiled and pulled a leaver. A small nozzle erupted into life. Amber liquid started fill up the large mug. The liquid took less then a minute to fill it.

The old woman smiled, lifting the mug onto the counter.

"There you are, love" she said.

The man nodded.

"Thank you" he said.

He walked away from the bar, back to his seat. There, three other men were sitting down. Empty plates sat in the middle of the table. A few remnants of food remained on plate.

But there was no one to gather them up. The lobby was now very busy. Plates and mugs seemed to be left on the tables. There were not enough people to tidy up and serve at the same time.

"Here, now" said the old woman said.

One of the workers, a rugged looking man, came over.

"We need one more worker, the maggot upstairs will have to come down" she told him.

"And make sure she is alive, a slice of stale bread should do it"

The man gave small nod and walked out again. The woman went back to serving as the door that lead into the back closed.

The sound of footsteps met the girl's ears a few minutes later. The door flung open. She moved her head and saw a large looking man standing there. It was the one who brought her back to this horrible place.

Without a word, a plate was placed on the floor. The man turned and walked back out of the room. The girl, who could see her breath in the room, raised her head. She could see the plate down by her feet.

Only one slice of bread lay on the plate. This wasn't enough to keep her going. But she could do nothing about it. She did not have the energy to fight any more.

As she sat up, her head started to spin. For a moment, she thought she was going to pass out. But the rate of dizziness slowly subsided.

The thin piece of bread was picked up. The girl took a deep breath, she could feel how stale it was. Deep down, she knew that this was the best that she would get.

But, little did she know, Barliman was on his way. For the first time in many years, the Prancing Pony had closed its doors.

A noticed had been hammered into the very wood of the door. It swung gently in the bitter wind.

"What does it say?" asked one of the group, standing around.

There was much talk among the cold group.

"It's those bad times again" said one of them.

All thoughts turned to one race of creatures.

Hobbits.

But, there were no hobbits around to blame. Everyone knew that there was not a hobbit left in Bree. They had scattered after the War Of The Ring.

"Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for this" said one of the younger men.

But his thoughts were quickly thrown out as preposterous. Most of the drinkers and merry-makers had walked from all different corners of the town.

But there were more then just locals waiting outside. Travellers from nearly all corners of Middle-earth stood there.

"What are we going to do now?" they asked.

Barliman was now riding through the snowy world. He had put a saddle on one of the many horses that had been standing in the cold stable.

The wind seemed to become colder as he set off. The coldness seemed to eat into his very soul. Barliman's eyes slowly started to water as he rode past Old Harry, the gate keeper.

Harry shook his head, knowing that Barliman was up to no good. For he had heard the happenings up at the inn. He knew of the fight that Barliman had gotten into.

But his curiosity ended there. The old man closed the gates and turned. Old Harry sniffed as he walked back into the small building situated next to the gate.

In there, a fiery heath had been lit. It was the only way to keep the coldness at bay. Harry was getting older and older. His joints were soothed by the flickering flames.

But this was soon taken away from him again as three knocks came from the gate. Harry took a deep breath. He had been up and down since the morning.

Sleep had been, ever since he had started gate keeping, disrupted nearly every night.

"Maybe I should just retire" he kept telling himself.

But he could not find a replacement, no matter who he asked. For the times had changed. The youngsters of Bree were more interested in causing disruption and arguing.

Groups of youngsters gathered in dark allies. Sometimes, they would pick on travellers who did not know this area very well.

Money and possessions were stolen when ever they got the chance. Intimidation was the main way of getting what they wanted. Sometimes, if the victim fought back, they would be punished.

But the colder weather drove them in doors for longer periods of time. But this did not mean that they were inside all of that time.

As Old Harry sat in the warmth of the small room, a bang came from the window. Harry seemed to know exactly what this meant. For he had had to deal with the youths before.

So, he stormed out of the room. There, he saw seven or eight of them. They were all facing him.

"Get away from here!" Harry said, anger rising.

His voice was sharp and angry. But this only made the situation worse.

But, Harry's situation was not as bad as Origo's. The puppy was now cuddled up in a small, abandoned rabbit hole. But he was not alone. A glittering fairy stood by him, creating a glow that lit up the surrounding chamber.

Ivy and Origo had now left the small robin to his own devises. The fairy sighed, wondering what would happen next.

For the two of them were still heading towards Bree. There, Ivy would figure out what to do next. But, neither of them knew that a being was actually being tracked down by a girl.

This girl took a deep breath as she stood in the middle of the road. Another road flowed from right to left. But she had no idea on which way to go.

"Now" she thought, looking up at the sun.

Every so often, the carpet of cloud would rip, showing ponds and lakes of blue. The sun seemed an even rarer sight. Mya now had to guess which direction Bree was.

Birds were the only living creatures that could be seen at the moment. But, a rumble made the girl look around. A cart, drawn by two massive horses, was quickly baring down on the young girl. She had seconds to react.

But the opportunity was not going to be missed.

"Excuse me!" she shouted as the sound and rumbles grew louder.

A man was sitting on the seat at the front. In his closed hands were the reigns that had been tied to the horses. The man slowed the horses down to a stop.

Mya smiled as she walked down to meet him.

"Excuse me, do you know where Bree is?" she asked.

The old man smiled.

"Yes, it is. I am on my way there myself" he said.

Mya smiled.

"Would you like a lift?" he asked.

The young girl knew that this was an offer she could not refuse.

"Thank you" Mya said, climbing up.

The man seemed to move over a bit, letting her sit there. A few seconds later, the cart started up again. Mya could feel the coldness sharpen on her face.

No words were said for what seemed like hours. But curiosity had caught the man. It grew until he could no longer keep his words contained.

"So, what reason have you got to go to Bree?" he asked.

Mya could barely hear him. But she knew what he had asked.

"I am on my way to find one of my friends" Mya said, her voice raising over the sound of the wind.

Her hair blew as she looked around. On one side of the road, a thick, ancient forest. It was edged by a river to the East. And, without knowing it, Mya had actually past her friend.

Origo was now snoozing again. His small eyes were closed and his small fluffy head rested on his paws. Ivy was sitting near by. But she too was not awake.

Ivy found it easier and quicker when she slept. Her mind was at ease. A strange dream came over her. An experience that was similar to her.

Darkness and coldness surrounded her. But the darkness was broken by many colours. Ivy could not move. She seemed to be suspended on a rope, unable to grab anything.

Purple was the first colour to fill her vision. Ivy knew this as Petal. It zoomed slowly past her sight a few times. But, what happened next scared her. Another few coloured lights came out from the darkness.

All of them were zooming past her. And, as they did, they picked up speed. The colours slowly started to merge into one another. The individual colours had now blended into one.

White.

The light got brighter and brighter, blocking out the darkness. Ivy could feel her eyes start to hurt. But her dream was cut short by a coldness touching her.

A whine made the dream slip away even faster. Origo was now up and hungry again. It was then that Ivy's eyes opened. All she could see was a big wet nose and the brown eyes on the puppy glinting with the green light she was giving off.

A large smile came over the small fairy as she sat up.

"Did you have a good sleep?" she asked, reaching out and touching the puppies large face.

Origo gave a small whine. Ivy took a deep breath and stood up.

"I know, pup" she said.

Ivy took a deep breath. Magic took a small bit on energy each time. But this did not bother the fairy, for she could recover a few minutes.

The first bit of magic was to make the puppy warm and cosy. The coldness was getting to him, even though he had a large furry coat.