The second was a plate of warm turkey. For turkey was the only thing Origo would eat. And Ivy knew this. She had tried, along with Diamond, to get Origo to eat something else. But the puppy was having none of it.
So, to make Origo happy, Ivy produced a large plate of warm turkey for him. But Origo was not the only creature that was hungry.
Ivy was hungry as well. A smaller plate appeared near by. She smiled as she picked up one of the snowberries. She smiled as she started to eat. But the rate of eating was very slow compared to Origo's.
The small puppy continued munch. The large pile of turkey was slowly vanishing. Ivy smiled as she started to eat. The berry was massive compared to her.
If she stood as tall as a human, the berry would be the size of an average watermelon. Ivy took a big bite and started to chew.
It was then that Ivy started to feel strange. A strange airiness came over her as the vision before her eyes changed. She stood there, eyes glazing over.
She could see a cart, rolling through the forest. Ivy could see, barely, the outline moving along. Her vision did not include Origo. Instead, she was on her own.
Her wings were fluttering, propelling her through the air. The trees zoomed past as she made her way to the cart. And, as she did so, the cart seemed to slow down.
Ivy was still fluttering through the trees, but she was neither gaining nor reseeding from it. No matter how much she tried, the cart was not going to be caught.
So, Ivy decided to see if it would move away as when she stopped. So, slowing down, she came to a stop. Her wings were still beating, but she was not moving an inch.
And neither was the cart.
Ivy could see two figures sitting at the top. One was an old man, the other, a young girl. The young girl had blonde hair, waving in an invisible wind.
Even though Ivy was not moving, the trees were still flying past. The road took a shallow bend. And it was then that Ivy's vision stopped.
Origo, who had finished his turkey, was now looking at her. A small whine came from him, wondering what she was doing. Only a bite had been taken out of the berry. But this was all that Ivy was going to eat. She seemed to have lost her appetite.
Origo gave another small whine. Ivy's eyes seemed to move over to Origo. The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Ivy started to talk.
"Sorry, pup" she said, now smiling.
Origo was now full and ready for the day ahead. But Ivy was distracted. Yet, she had to get Origo moving again. The fairy made both plate vanish.
Ivy took a deep breath as she looked around.
"Right" she said, smiling at the large puppy.
"I think we should get going again" she said.
Origo's eyes gave a glint that told Ivy that he was ready to go as well. So, both of them emerged from the abandoned rabbit hole.
The day around them was bright. Yet the sun could not be seen. Birds were fluttering everywhere. The robin that was around earlier was nowhere to be seen.
He had fluttered off, back to his tree. His part in the tale adventure was now over.
"Come on, puppy" Ivy said, taking off.
She had not flown for a few days and it was good to be back in the air again. The road was now a few hundred meters away from where they were.
Origo was slowly walking through the cart of melted snow. His little ears flopped as a sneeze came from him.
"Oh, bless you, puppy" Ivy said, zooming overhead.
Origo looked up. The fairy was now fluttering around, getting used to flying in the wind again. But this had to be cut short as a large paw came and battered her out of the air.
Her reactions were quicker then normal as she saved herself from hitting the group.
"Origo!" she shouted, looking back.
The puppy instantly stopped. His eyes fixed on the fluttering fairy. Ivy took a deep breath. Her heart rate had risen. But, upon seeing Origo's little face, she could not stay mad at him forever. Instead, she had an idea. A playful smile came over the her.
"I bet you cant catch me" she said.
Origo did not have to be told twice to do this. The fairy knew that Origo would chase her as long as she kept on flying. But she did not fly far enough for Origo not to catch her.
Instead, she zoomed around inches from Origo's large paws. A few times, Origo nearly got what he wanted. But Ivy was too quick. She giggled as she fluttered away.
"Nearly!" she said, shouting trough the wind.
Hobbiton was now deserted. Only birds were left to fight the coldness on their own. Elanor Gamgee smiled as she knocked on a large, round door.
She and her friends had been playing since the morning. But now it was time for a well needed lunch.
"I'll see you after" said Gloria.
Her hands and feet were freezing. But the fact that she was outside made it bearable. But hunger was getting to all of the little children that had been standing in the coldness.
A good meal was needed to replenish their energy. For imagination in these conditions seemed to sap energy faster then usual. Only Summer matched its ability to take their energy away from them.
It seemed that Spring and Autumn were the only times where they could stay out late and not feel tired until it was time for bed.
Frodo Gamgee took a deep breath as he sat on his bed. For some reason, he felt more tired then he did when he woke up. His eyes were heavy, but sleep would not catch him yet.
Echoes came down from the hall way as Elanor, his older sister, came back home. An unmistakable smell met Elanor as she unbuttoned her coat.
Lunch.
A smell of cooking chicken was warming her very soul. Elanor had a large smile that nothing could wash away. The young girl made her way to the kitchen. There, her mother was standing over a freshly cooked chicken.
The only sign that the chicken had just come out of the oven were silver strings floating upwards, away from the surface.
This was steam.
Bowls were lining the polished work top. Each waiting to be filled to the brim with hot vegetables. Rosie turned around and smiled.
"Did you have fun?" she asked.
Elanor smiled, her fingers and toes still bore a hint of pink.
"Yes, mummy" she said.
Rosie was quick to pick up a small unease in her daughter. This could mean only one thing. Elanor wanted to help again.
"Do you help me set the table?" Rosie asked.
Elanor gave a smile. She knew that setting the table was the only thing she could help with. Rosie had explained to her that the food was very hot and could injure her.
So, Elanor was entrusted with setting the table. But even this was hard work. The table mats were quite heavy for her. But she did not have to carry them for long, as the table was a few meters from where she was.
After a minute or two, all of the mats were placed before all of the chairs around the table. Knives and forks were the next thing to be set out.
Elanor placed the forks on the right hand side and the knives on the left. The young girl smiled as she looked around.
"Finished" she said.
Rosie turned around again. In one hand was a large trey, full of crispy potatoes. Rosie's smile was very similar to her daughter's smile.
"Thank you" Rosie said, placing the last of the potatoes in the bowl.
Parsnips were next to be cooked to perfection. Instead of being placed in a large bowl, they were placed on a porcelain dish.
But there was still lots of preparing to do. The chicken was yet to be cut, more potatoes were crisping in a bath of hot oil. Shire sprouts, mountains of mushrooms, stuffing and gravy were still to be made.
The chicken was left to cool down for a couple of minutes as the other food was prepared. Elanor was now standing around, having finished setting the table.
Her mind was now back on an adventure she had been having that morning. A smile came over her. She just wanted to get back to playing.
So, Elanor slipped out of the kitchen and back to her room. Elanor closed the door and walked to her bed. The toy horse was laying on one side, coloured beads hanging around its neck.
"Right" Elanor said, thinking back to where their adventure stopped.
It took only a few seconds to get back into the exact place she had left. Coldness surrounded her and the wooden horse. Darkness was deep, the light of the sun had sunk more when she had been away.
Mountains were peaking all around Elanor. But she was not alone in her quest. Another young girl was also with them.
Gloria.
The two girls were battling against a harsh wind as they climbed through the snow. A path had been cut out from the hard rock many years before. But this did not make it any easier to get through.
"We have to get out of this coldness!" Gloria shouted above the wind.
The two girls had equal size back packs on. Both full with food and water that they needed on their quest. But there was a twist to their journey.
A creature had been following them for a few days now. An evil looking wolf, as big as the two of them put together. It was hunting them down quicker then they could walk.
Its eyes were glowing in the darkness. Bird song had now ceased. Only wind could be heard, whistling through the trees around the wolf.
Small creatures fled in its wake. Owls that were perched on the tall trees eyed the wolf. Something in the air made the creatures feel uneasy.
They knew that the wolf was hunting the girls. It was obvious by his actions that he had picked up Elanor's and Gloria's scent.
In the mountains, the two girls had found a cosy cave for a rest. Elanor smiled as she took off her pack. She smiled as she opened it. Inside, she drew out a large loaf of bread, wrapped in a white cloth.
Elanor smiled as she looked over at her friend sitting just a few meters away. Gloria was also unwrapping a loaf of golden bread.
Two horses were looking around as well. Elanor's small wooden horse still had the beads around its long neck. It was much smaller then the girl, just the right size for holding and playing with.
It was then Elanor's adventure stopped again. For the door to her room opened. Her imagination quickly vanished.
"Elanor, lunch is ready now" Sam said.
Elanor was sitting with her back against the headboard. In her small hands was her horse. Without a word, Elanor slid off of the bed and walked out of the room.
Everyone was now sitting around the table in the kitchen. Bowls of delicious food were being placed on the table. Samwise could not be seen. He was in the cellar getting ale for Rosie and himself, then water for the children. After a minute or two, the hobbit came back into the kitchen. He was carrying two cups in each hand.
Two were full of ale, the other two were full of cool water. Sam placed them down and put them before each place.
One more mug of water was placed out as well. This was for Merry Gamgee.
Lunch was now in full swing. Plates were quickly piling up with different foods. Elanor smiled as she poured hot, brown gravy all over her lunch.
Gloria was having her lunch as well. All hobbits had exactly the same meals nearly every day. Be it hot weather or cold.
The young girl had also been playing. But, her adventures were much different. Unlike Elanor, Gloria knew little of the Red Book. So, she had made up an entirely new world of her own. One that she was apart of and that she loved.
Her room started to widen. Mountains, valleys, towns and rivers all erupted into life. This was Gloria's favourite place to get away. She loved to visit it when she was tired. Her imagination seemed to be strongest when she was calm and full of glorious food.
But her imagination had ceased. Her attention was now on finishing her lunch. And that is exactly what she did. The chicken was left for last. She poked the fork into the soft meat and started to eat. The gravy was clinging to the surface as Gloria started to chew.
She loved the hint of honey seeping through out the whole chunk of tender chicken. A few minutes past. The chicken was now gone. And so was most of the gravy.
Gloria smiled, waiting patiently for her parents to finish.
After what seemed like hours, her mother and father finally finished. But her eating session was not over yet. The smell of chocolate cake was now making young
Gloria hungry again.
But the same could not be said for Elanor. She had not had the luxury of having a chocolate cake. For Rosie was very busy now days.
And she was about to get a lot busier. For she was expecting another child. And she was about to break the news to her children.
"Elanor, Frodo, Merry, Rose" Rosie said, getting her children's attention.
Elanor looked around, like the rest of her siblings. She could see her mother smiling. It was then that she had a large bout of déjà vu.
"I have wonderful news" she said, looking at each of them.
Rosie gave a big smile.
"You are going to have a new baby brother or sister" she said.
Elanor's heart sank. This was what she did not want to hear. There was a stunned silence. After a few moments, Frodo was the first to speak.
"So, I could have a little brother?" he asked.
Rosie nodded.
"Or a little sister" she added.
Frodo did not like the sound of that. Having two sisters was enough for him.
"I don't want a sister, girls are icky!" he said.
Elanor did not look over at him. She was too deep in thought to notice Frodo's comment. Sam noticed that Elanor was not looking at all happy. He wondered what was wrong with the young girl.
Elanor ate the rest of her lunch in deeper silence. She was also the first to finish. Rosie noticed that Elanor had changed her posture. Something was very different about her daughter.
Rosie's eyes slid over to her husband. Sam looked right back. It was then he gave a small nod towards his daughter. Being of same mind, Rosie knew what this meant.
"Could I leave the table please?" Elanor asked.
Her voice was different. It did not see to have the passion that she usually had in it. Rosie picked up on this right away.
"Of course, darling" she said.
Elanor finished up her water, took a deep breath and stood up. Without another word or look back at her parents, Elanor walked out.
The young girl made a bee-line straight for her room. There, she would mull things over. The door opened and closed as she got to her room. Elanor walked to her bed. The adventure she had been having was now waiting for her to come back. But it would have to wait for now. Elanor did not want to play anymore.
The girl took a deep breath as she lay on her bed. It was then a noise came from her door. The young girl took a deep breath and looked over at the door.
It slowly opened. Behind it was Rosie, her mother.
"Elanor, are you alright?" she asked, closing the door behind her.
Elanor took a deep breath and nodded. But her mother could see right through her nod.
"Elanor, you have to understand" Rosie started, sitting on the bed.
"Me and your father still love you as much as the day you we're born" Rosie told her.
Elanor knew that her mother knew what she was talking about.
"But, why can't just be me, you and dad?" she asked.
Rosie knew that the pressure of having so many brothers and sisters was getting to her daughter. There was a constant fight for attention, made even worse by her younger siblings.
"I wish it could, but wouldn't you like more brothers and sisters to play with and look after?" she asked.
Elanor took a deep breath and looked away. Yes, she would like more brothers and sisters to play with. But then, she was worried about being forgotten.
"Will you still love me?" Elanor asked, looking back at her mother.
Rosie's heart melted.
"Elanor, I've never stopped loving you!" Rosie said.
A few seconds later, the two of them embraced in a large hug. Elanor took a deep breath, feeling comforted by her mother.
In the kitchen, everyone had now finished lunch. Frodo yawned as he sat there. His eyes were still heavy. The fact that he was now full to the brim with delicious food.
"Could I leave the table please?" he asked, looking very tired.
Samwise smiled, taking a swig of his ale.
"Go on, lad" he said.
Frodo smiled and slid off of his chair. Samwise watched his son walk out of the room. Only Merry and Rose were left sitting at the table. They were still eating their breakfast.
Sam saw a few pieces of toast still standing in the rack. He smiled as he reached over and took the last three large slices.
The heat that had once been coming off from the surface had now stopped. Sam did not mind as he picked up the butter knife. The sound of brittle toast crunching under the pressure of the knife was the loudest sound in the room. Butter clung onto the very surface of the bread.
After another minute, all of the slices were buttered. Samwise smiled as he took a bite. He smiled as he chewed. Sam watched as Merry and Rose laughed at each other. It was clear to Sam that they had finished their meals.
"Alright, you two" he said, catching their attention.
"You can go and play now" he told them.
Merry smiled and hopped off of his seat. Rose did the same a few seconds later. Sam took a deep breath and finished off his toast.
Plates and bowls were sitting on their table mats. Hardly any food was left. It was like a plague of vicious locusts had visited the Gamgee household.
But this was the norm for most Hobbit households. Cleaning up was another fun job mothers had to endure. But for some, cleaning was an art form. Especially for Diamond.
Diamond had not had a good, proper clean in a few days. Faramir had been put to bed. This meant a few hours of peace and quiet.
A bucket and mop had been taken out from the small cupboard near the front door. Diamond had filled a bucket of warm water and started mopping the floor.
As time ticked by, the bucket of water slowly drained as the floor continued to be soaked in soapy water. Diamond smiled as she finished the first room.
The kitchen was now done, it was just a matter of cleaning the rest of the house. But mopping was not the only thing that needed to be done. Dusting was just as important as eating for Diamond. But she had to wait.
The bucket was now lighter then it had been a when she had filled it up.
The tiles that made up the kitchen floor had turned a deeper, richer red. The water made the light coming off of the candles reflect in the thin layer of water.
It acted like a large mirror. The fire in the heath flickered as Diamond walked out of the room. She smiled as she walked further into the hill, walking past many, many rooms.
But Diamond had a lot of time on her hands to do it. For Pippin, her husband, was busy. Not with anything important, but with drinking and smoking.
Eglantine took a deep breath as she opened the door to his room. She was meet by a thin fog and a strong smell of tobacco smoke.
"Pippin, what have I told you about smoking inside?" she asked.
Even with the small window open, the smoke continued to congregate. Pippin had drunk many a pint of ale since lunch. And it was now taking its toll on him.
His mood was not a good one. Pippin took a deep breath and carried on smoking. Eglantine took a deep breath and shook her head.
"Pippin?" she said with a sharper tone.
Pippin looked over at his mother. His look gave her a strange feeling. Pippin's attitude had changed since lunch.
His feelings had plummeted into depression. All he wanted to do was be on his own. But the fact that his mother was now standing over him did not help matters.
"Leave me alone" he said.
It was a tone his mother had never heard from him. And one that she did not like.
"Pippin, what is the matter with you?" she asked.
This seemed to push Pippin to a tipping point. Without a word, Pippin took a deep breath and stood up. For a moment, Eglantine thought that she was going to shouted at.
But it never came.
Pippin's pipe had one out, waiting to be topped up by fresh tobacco. He left his mug on the bed side table and walked out of the room.
Many things were on Pippin's mind at the moment. All he wanted to do was to sort some thing out. So, he walked towards the front door.
His pipe was held between his teeth as he took his coat off of the hook and put it on. Eglantine took a deep breath as she heard the front door close.
A few seconds later, the tell tale sign that it was still cold outside met her. Eglantine walked back to the kitchen. Pippin's mood had now effected hers. She knew that Pippin was struggling with something.
"But what?" she asked herself.
Pippin was now trundling through the snow. Footprints could be seen coming and going from all directions. His very own footprints were lost in the sea of others. But this did not matter to Pippin, for he did not want anyone to follow him anyway.
So, Pippin continued to walk. His feet carried him down the shallow hill that led down towards a large building. This building, unlike the others in Hobbiton, was not connected to a hill of any kind.
Instead, it stood alone. But this did not mean hobbits did not use it. In fact, it was very well known in all parts of the Shire.
Hobbits came from miles around just to drink its golden ale. It was also reported to have the best food anywhere in the Four Farthings. This helped its reputation as a pub.
But this time, Pippin was not going there. Instead, he headed towards a stone bridge that lead over a small stream. Pippin could hear the trickling water over the crunching of the snow and blowing of the wind in his ears.
Pip stopped for a moment. He could feel the coldness tickling his exposed cheeks. They had taken on a pinkish colour. His hair, as curly as it was, still blew in the wind.
A lot of things were travailing through Pippin's mind. Things had happened that Pippin could not have foreseen. Yet, now that it had happened, he knew that it was inevitable.
Pippin took a deep breath, he looked around, seeing the whiteness of the snow. Pippin was now walking further and further away from Hobbiton.
The village of Hobbiton seemed not to spill out past the first large hill. This was perfect for most of the residence in Hobbiton.
"We don't want no folks lurking around our town. There are some strange people about now days, wondering the wilds!" they said.
The land around Hobbiton looked as beautiful as it did in summer. Snow seemed to be untouched in nearly ever direction that Pippin could see. Trees stood tall and proud. The wind seemed to die down as he made his way down a shallow hill.
Pippin knew these lands better then anyone else in Hobbiton apart from Merry Brandybuck of course. Pip could remember where he was going even if he had his eyes closed in the dead of night.
The echoes of times past ran through his head. He could hear the laughs and adventures that a younger Pippin had had. The crunching sound that ceased as Pip stopped. Now was the time to think.
His mind seemed to be at ease around here. A strange clearness came to him. One that allowed him to think deeper then he had even been.
Yet, all he could think about what Diamond. Pippin slowly sat down on a slimy rock, jutting out of the frozen ground. A million mile gaze over took the hobbit as he sat there.
Sounds and movements seemed to cease as Pippin slipped into a world past. Echoes of his adventures in these woods came back to him.
"Hurry up!" Merry said, running away from an unknown predator.
Pippin was right behind Merry. The two of them dodged trees and skipped over rotting logs. Frodo and Sam were not to be seen. In fact, Frodo was the reason why they were running in the first place.
"Quick, over here!" Merry said, spotting a good hiding place.
This was Merry's favourite place to hide. He had found it a few years before. It was a large tree, taller then any of the others that stood around it.
Merry smiled as he looked up. Unlike the snow that Pippin was in at this moment, the ground was carpeted by green grass. But grass was not the only thing growing out of the soil. Pretty flowers of every colour stood over the green blades.
Dots of yellow and white were visible in the sea of green. Leaves with a yellowish tinge to them rested on the richly coloured grass.
The trees were wearing that annual green coats. The leaves rustled in a stead, cool wind.
"Pippin, come on!" Merry said.
The two of them were much shorter and less well travelled then their older selves. Pippin waited a few seconds before he started to climb. Merry was looking around.
It was then that he saw a sight that he did not want to see. Frodo was heading straight to them. Pippin was now high enough for Merry to start climbing as well.
"Hurry!" Merry said.
Pippin was now out of breath. The heat of the sun dug into his forehead, creating beads of sweat that ran down his face. But he couldn't give up now. He was stuck up a tree with no escape.
Frodo smiled.
"You'll never get away now!" he shouted.
Pippin looked down. He was much higher then Merry was. It was then that Pippin felt a bit scared.
"Pippin, climb higher" Merry ordered.
But Pippin could not go any higher. Merry was now within reaching distance of becoming tagged. But Frodo did not move yet. Instead, he waited for Samwise to catch up.
In reality, Pippin was smiling. He could clearly see the difference between Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. Frodo had dark hair that covered his pointy ears. Frodo had extraordinary eyes. They were a blue as the sky above them.
"You might as well give up!" Frodo shouted.
But Merry and Pippin were now high enough up the tree to be out of reach.
"You'll never get us!" Pippin shouted down.
But he had not though of his words carefully enough. For Frodo gave a small, evil looking smile.
"Yes I will!" he told them.
He raised his hand and gripped onto a large branch. It was then that Merry and Pippin knew what he was doing.
"Pippin" Merry said, looking scared.
"Pippin, climb, quickly!" he pleaded.
Pip did not take long to get moving again. Higher and higher they went. The tree, after a couple more seconds climbing, became thinner and thinner.
Pippin was now having a hard time of climbing any higher. But Pippin was not the only one who had stopped climbing. Below him, Merry had stopped as well.
"I cant get any higher!" Pippin said.
Frodo was now getting within touching distance from Merry. Merry knew this. Every inch that he climbed was a bonus.
The branches that Pippin was standing on were more like twigs. And they were not strong. Pip looked down, he could feel the thin branch giving way.
"Merry, climb down!" he said.
The wind rustled through the trees, confusing Pippin for a second. And, in that second, his feet seemed to slip off of the thin branch.
"Whoa!" he said, catching himself.
Merry looked up to see Pippin's foot just inches from his head.
"Pippin, climb higher!" he said, seeing Frodo climbing ever higher.
But Pippin had nowhere to go.
"Got you!" Frodo shouted, touching Merry's foot.
This did not go down well with Merry at all. After a few seconds, his intentions were now changed. Instead of running away from Frodo, he was now on his side.
Pippin was still above Merry. And in reach.
"Got you too!" Merry said.
Pippin was not up to playing anymore. So, he gave in. But at least he was not the next one to find people. Merry smiled as he looked up.
"Alright, lets go and find Sam" Pippin said.
So, the two of them slowly got down from the tree. Pippin was glad when his feet touched the soft grass. But he could not catch his breath for long.
Frodo was now looking around again. His eyes were sharp and ears seemed to pick up nearly every sound. It was then something caught his eye.
There was movement in the forest, a few hundred meters away. Frodo knew of only one creature that could move that fast.
Samwise Gamgee.
Pippin had spotted it too. Frodo looked around. He knew that he did not have much time before Sam would disappear again.
"Hurry!" he said, running off.
Pippin and Merry smiled as they ran trough the forest. Pippin's heart beat was rising as he followed his friend. A small pillar of rock could be seen jolting up from the forest floor.
Pippin was getting hotter and hotter as the sun travelled trough the sky. Water was needed as Pippin sat down on it. The little boy had no idea that, many years from now, he would be sitting in exactly the same place.
So much had changed in that time. Friends had come and gone. He was considerably taller and wiser then he had been back then.
But then again, nothing had really changed. Pippin still did the same things he had always done when he was younger. The rate of eating had neither increased or deceased. The same was said to drinking and smoking.
Pippin could still remember the first time he had ever smoked a pipe. Like nearly all of his first experiences with his friends, it took place in woods he was still in.
Merry, Pippin, Sam and Frodo were all sitting in a circle. Each one of them had a pipe. Silver strings were coming out of the small bowls at the end of each pipe.
Pippin smiled as he took in a large amount of tobacco smoke. He smiled, seeing his friends the same thing. A strange sensation came over him. It seemed that his head started to empty.
A few seconds later, Pippin let out a silver cloud that rose up into the air. The day, like the only before it, had started off cool. But, as the sun rose, the temperature did as well.
Frodo smiled as he took another puff of his pipe.
"We might get into a lot of trouble, doing this" said Sam.
But he could not help liking this new experience. Frodo smiled. Hunger was now growing in him. For Breakfast was quick and filling.
Pippin then snapped out of his day dream. The coldness seemed to have not been felt for a few minutes. But now it was felt. His mind was now made up.
Pip had wasted too much time without even trying to make Diamond see that he still loved her. But this was about to change. For Pippin stood up.
"I've waited too long" he told himself.
A second later, he started to walk away, back towards Hobbiton.