Legolas remained awake, like he had done for many thousands of years. His eyes darted around as objects flew nearby. Legolas' eyes were hundreds of times better then human eyes. Legolas had been brought up by elves. He had learnt many things over the many years that he had roamed these lands. The elf could feel the ground rumble. His eyes darted in front of him.
Gimli, the red haired dwarf, remained sleeping. Legolas silently rose to his feet. A figure, mounted on a horse. Legolas watched as horseman approached. The elf's hand wrapped around a small blade.
Even now, there was a sense of danger in the air. But Legolas knew that it was just an innocent passer by. The elf's ears were could pick out even the slightest of sound.
The sound of hooves impacting the hard ground echoed around him. The elf and dwarf were hidden away from the being on the horse.
Legolas, who was more knowledgeable then most, could not think of a reason why this man was travelling in such a hour of the night.
The answer lay in his bag. A small letter, addressed to a friend of the King of Gondor. The horse and the man on top had been travelling for many, many days.
In fact, the horse and rider were just about to stop for the night. The servant of the king had come all the way from Minas Tirith, some seven hundred miles behind.
Since the man left, sleep had not been his main priority. The King was waiting for an answer. And an answer was what he needed.
Sleep depravation started to act in strange ways. Voices started to surface in the depths of his mind.
"They hate you" it said.
Memories from his childhood started to flood back to him. The man had grown up in Minas Tirith. Its walls surrounded the citizens, keeping them somewhat safe.
Roars and anger then started to flood his mind. Ugly, blood thirsty orcs with rusted blades surrounded him. But, somehow, he survived.
"That's it!" a voice said again.
Plans started forming in his head. The man smiled as he decided to take a rest. So, the horse slowed down to a gentle gallop and, a few moments later, a stop.
The man took a deep, cold breath and jumped off of his stead. The ground was muddy and waterlogged. His feet sunk into the soft, liquid mud.
"I guess it'll have to do" he told himself.
The man smiled as he took off his pack. The small of his back seemed to be the patch where there was no mud. In his pack, only one loaf of bread was left.
"This isn't enough" he thought, looking up.
There was still a long way to Hobbiton.
"Maybe if I go to Bree" he thought.
This sounded like a good idea. There, he could rest for a few days to recover his strength. But it would take a while to get there.
The hours past as a little fairy slept. The stars sailed across the endless sky. There were clouds in the sky, but not enough to block out the thousands of distant stars.
The sun slowly rose over the eastern horizon. The dark ink that covered three hundred and sixty degrees was now slowly being pushed back. The first of the stars were hidden behind the blanket of light now sweeping over the land.
But still, Ivy did not wake. The light of the sun became more powerful. Songs started to fill the air as the sun peeked over the horizon.
Origo was the first of the wake. His hunger had driven sleep away. Origo's little eyes opened. For a few seconds, the pup did not know where he was. But, upon looking up, he knew that Mya must have stopped.
Mya's eyes were closed as she continued to sleep. But her sleep would soon be cut short. Mya had been dreaming of a warm room. A warm room many miles away.
Mya was not alone in this large room. instead, a girl was laying under a warm, soft duvet. Mya was not in her human form, but in her puppy form instead.
Her eyes were open as she lay there, surrounded by duvet. Mya, who had been named Abira, had awoken earlier then her owner. The puppy could make out the sun light seeping through the duvet.
Abira started to make her way up towards the top of the duvet. The duvet was very heavy as she popped her head popped out. Abira gave a small whimper as she saw Pimpernel sleeping peacefully.
"Pimpernel?" Abira whimpered, looking at the sleeping girl.
But she did not wake. Abira looked around. Pimpernel's large hand was laying on the pillow to her right.
"Maybe this will wake her up" Abira thought.
Sleep slowly slipped away from Pimpernel as she felt a strange feeling on her hand. It was cold, unusual for her warm room.
Upon opening her eyes, she discovered what was tickling her fingers. A large smile came over Pimpernel as the puppy looked over at her.
"Good morning" she said.
Two large hands scooped the puppy up. Pimpernel hugged her puppy.
"Did you have a good sleep?" Pimpernel asked.
Abira rested her fluffy head on her Pimpernel. Pimpernel smiled as she tickled her puppies ear. The gentleness of Pimpernel was replaced with a stinging sensation.
The picture slowly changed into a darter, more dangerous world. Mya was not under the safety of her Pimpernel, instead, she was hundreds of miles from the Shire.
But she was still not alone. Another little puppy was bounding after her. The sky was dark and a strange smell hung in the air. Every so often, a loud rumble would roll over them.
This was neither fireworks or thunder, but a volcano. Mount Doom stood like a cist on the black lands of Gorgoroth.
Pilith and Mya had just escaped from the very heart of Mordor. Pilith still did not believe that he had escaped from the most guarded cells in the dark lands.
The two of them now had to cross a unforgiving wasteland. In the distance, a black mountain range that stretched for hundreds of miles.
This was one of the reasons why Sauron had set up camp in Mordor. The mountains acted like an impassable barrier, slowing down or keeping out any attack that the men of middle-earth might have planned.
The only weak spot that could lead to an attack on Mordor was heavily guarded. There was a small opening between the two mountain ranges.
The Black Gates.
The gates were thick, heavy and impenetrable. Not even a thousand men could break through its think wall. the gate opened, not by the power of orcs, but by the strength of trolls. They had been captured and chained, forced to work.
Mya and Pilith looked over the vast wasteland that lay before them.
"We have to go for it" whimpered Mya.
Pilith was not so sure about what they had to do. But a roar behind them quickly erupted. Neither Mya nor Pilith had to ask what it was.
Without another second, the two puppies ran off. For a bloodthirsty gang of orcs was hot on their trail.
"There they are!" growled an orc.
His skin was dry and cracking. He had deep cuts all long the length of his arms, legs and face. His wrists, that were wrapped around a rusty sword, had metal sunk into his very body.
The posse that were with them were all trained fighters. Two had arrows with metal tips. They loaded the arrows up on their bows and waited for an order to fire.
Mya looked back just in time. For the arrows were now flying high in sky. It would only be a few seconds before it landed. Mya knew exactly where it was going to land.
Pilith, who had not been concentrating on looking back, was barged out of the way. The arrow was only a second away. Its target was getting bigger and bigger. But, it was also moving away.
Time seemed to slow down for Mya as she felt Pilith's paws leave the ground. The next second, Mya and Pilith tumbled down at small rocky cliff.
The arrow landed where Pilith could have been running. The other one landed far enough away that Mya did not worry about it.
Mya landed onto the bottom small cliff. Pilith gave a small whimper as he lay there. Mya was the first to rise to her feet.
"Oh no!" she whimpered.
Pilith tried to move, but his senses had been knocked.
"Pilith, are you alright?" Mya asked, nudging him worryingly.
Pilith gave a small whimper and stumbled again. Another roar from the group of orcs echoed around them. Mya had to think of a place that the two of them could hide.
The orcs started to make their way over the terrain. Mya's eyes darted around. It was then that she saw a small cave. She knew that they would be safe in there for the time being.
Just as Mya was about to help Pilith to his feet again, the picture melted away. A few seconds later, her eyes suddenly opened.
For a few moments, her eyes did not take in what she was seeing. Then, everything came back to her. The sound of wind, birds and of a little whimper puppy came to her.
Mya looked down. The little puppy she had been holding was looking right back up at her. Origo was shivering. Ivy's warmth had worn off and the blanket that Origo had been hiding under had now slipped off of him.
"Oh, sorry puppy" Mya sleepily said.
Only her hands had been keeping the puppy warm. But now, they were cold and numb. When Mya tried to place the blanket over him, she could not pick it up. The coldness felt like it had sunk into her very soul.
A dull pain rang through each of her fingers as she gripped the blanket. Origo continued to shiver as the soft light of the sun was once again blocked out.
Mya smiled and took a deep breath. The air was cold and sharp. Her breath could be seen sailing away in the slow breeze. A mist lay over the land, restricting the distance that Mya could see. The clouds above were gathering as Origo's hunger grew. Ivy was nowhere to be seen and she was needed. The fairy was still asleep in the little nest she had found.
But she would not be asleep for long as a small red-breasted robin landed on the branch just outside. His song echoed through the surrounding area.
Ivy did not take long to way up from his song. The fairy, who had curled up, now woke. Ivy could think of nothing better then to be woken up by this little bird.
The day, from what Ivy could see, was bright. It was a few seconds before Ivy realised that Origo and Mya were still in the coldness.
"I hope their alright" she said, getting up.
The fairy made sure her wings were in order before setting off. Ivy ducked as she entered the outside world. The robin could still be heard. He was perched on the branch just above where she was.
As she started to flutter her wings, the robin fluttered off to a different tree. Ivy took a deep breath as she looked around.
"No crows" she told herself.
It was safe to fly around for a little bit. And that's exactly what she did. High above the cold forest floor, zooming past branches by inches.
Mya, who was now awake, saw the green glow of Ivy zooming around. Mya gave a smile, knowing that the coldness that she was feeling would not last much longer.
Ivy fluttered down after nearly scaring herself as she fluttered. Her heart rate quickened as she landed just a few feet from Mya.
Origo gave a small whimper. Sleep had now ran away from the little pup. Hunger and coldness had quickly made themselves known. Mya felt the puppy wriggle.
"Calm down, pup" she said putting him on the cold floor.
Ivy smiled as the large pup came towards her. Mya watched as Origo and Ivy talked. The next second, Ivy fluttered up. Origo turned around on the spot and looked over at Mya.
"Hungry" he whimpered.
The coldness had now been taken away from him and replaced with warmth. Mya tilted her head.
"You hungry?" she asked, acting like she did not understand him.
Origo nodded his little head and gave another small whimper.
Meanwhile, in Hobbiton, Peregrin Took had risen early. Breakfast had already been eaten. Pippin had a plan on what he could do until lunch time.
He would go over the bridge and look for an old friend. Eglantine walked down the hall way and saw her son putting on his coat.
"Where are you off to now?" she asked.
Pippin looked up. He had a small pack with him as well. Inside, a pipe and a pouch of tobacco.
"Just to see an old friend" Pippin answered, not giving away his true reason for going out in the coldness.
Eglantine took a deep breath. She did not trust her son, but then she could not prove that her son was up to no good.
"Well, you just behave yourself"
Pippin gave a small smile as he did up the last button. Eglantine watched as her youngest and only son walk out of the house.
Pip felt the morning coldness hit his face. His cheeks tingled as he walked to the gate. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets as he put distance between him and the warm house.
Pippin took a deep breath as the path he was on wound down to the small stream. The snow that had settled on the floor was now very hard and very slippery.
It had been made that way by the many times it had been walked on. Pippin walked past the Green Dragon, resisting the urge to go and have a warming pint before setting off again.
But the urge was fought back as he walked past. Other hobbits were up equally as early. But none would venture far from warm like Pippin was doing.
Eglantine could see the small figure of her son walk over the bridge.
"He's up to something" Eglantine said.
Paladin was sitting at the table behind her. He had a pile of parchment before him. An ink pot and a quill lay near by.
"Like what, dear?" he asked.
Eglantine had no idea what, but she could tell that not many people knew of his business over the bridge.
"Maybe I should follow him" she told her husband.
Paladin did not like the sound of this.
"Ah, leave him be, Eglantine. He's probably having a morning stroll" he answered.
But Pippin was not on a morning stroll around the outskirts of Hobbiton. Pip was heading for a small patch of wood a few hills away. There, he would wait for Fimbrethil.
Back in Hobbiton, Diamond had woken up. The house was quiet, save for the whimpering of her baby. Faramir had grown a lot since his birth, forty days before.
Diamond took a deep breath as she walked into the warm kitchen. The heath was now on its last legs. Only a few embers were left to fuel the remaining bits of wood.
Diamond made sure that Faramir would not come to harm as she stocked the fire again. The fames that had once been restricted to the ashes now fought back. Diamond watched as the flames latched onto the wood.
After a few minutes, the small flames had grown. Diamond knew that the fire would burn for a few more hours. Diamond gave a small smile as she walked away from the heath.
As time past, more and more chimneys started to produce black smoke. The cold air brushed the smoke to the west. Bird song echoed around Hobbiton as the sun continued to shake off the night.
The trees that Pippin was now surrounded by had long, slinky shadows. Only the sound of wing, birdsong and the sound of snow crunching underfoot was all that could be heard.
Pippin liked being out in the countryside by himself. It gave him time to think. Pippin took a deep breath as he took out his pipe. A small bag of tobacco was opened. A pinch was taken out and stuffed into the bowl at the end of the long pipe.
Pippin brought out his trusted fire stones, for lighting the tobacco with. Pippin found it hard to create a spark. For the longer his hands were out of his pockets, the more the coldness burrowed into his skin.
A few clicks later and the tobacco was alight. Pippin took a large drag of his pipe and let the silver smoke enter his lungs.
A few seconds past as Pippin kept it in his lungs. A large exhale dispersed all of the smoke into the cold air. Pippin smiled as an idea came into his head.
Another, even large draw was taken. Pippin took the tip of the pipe out of his mouth. A few seconds later, large smoke rings were launched into the cold air.
It was as Pippin took a third draw, a low rumble echoed around him. Pippin stopped for a moment, listening in. Again, the loud rumble echoed.
Each time it came, it was getting louder and louder. Pippin watched as a large figure crashed through the forest. The hobbit smiled, this was exactly what he had been waiting for.
Fimbrethil took large strides. Pippin thought that he would get stamped on. But the tree saw him.
"Good day" the tree said.
Pippin's words escaped him as he looked up.
"And, who may you be?" the tree asked.
Its voice echoed around the forest. But no one else was there to listen in. Even the birds were not present at their meeting.
"P-P-Pippin" he answered.
Smoke was still rising from the bowl at the end of his pipe.
"Pippin, ah?" the old Ent asked.
Even though Pippin had been around Ents more then anyone else in Middle-earth. But this did not mean he was used to their size.
"We met, just a few days ago" Pippin told her.
The pipe was completely forgotten about. The hobbit could see the Ents brain working, trying to draw up her memory. Pippin continued looking up for what felt like ten minutes.
"Ah ha!" Fimbrethil said.
"Yes, I remember now"
Pippin smiled.
"And what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" she asked.
It took Fimbrethil a while to get this out.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing, maybe you wanted some of to talk to" Pippin answered.
A smile came over the Ent's face.
"I have not talked to anyone in a long while"
Pippin gave a small smile.
"It must be hard being the only one here" he pointed out.
But, to Pippin's surprise, Fimbrethil said something he did not expect.
"Oh, I'm not the only one here" she told him.
Pippin's eyebrows raised.
"There are more of you?" he asked.
"How many?"
This took Fimbrethil by surprise.
"So curious for such a small creature" she said.
Pippin gave a small smile.
"Well, let me see" Fimbrethil said, thinking once again.
Meanwhile, Diamond got her large breakfast ready. Faramir's cot had been moved to the kitchen so that he was not on his own. The little baby giggled and babbled as he lay there.
Diamond opened the cellar and walked inside. Breakfast would have to be simple today. For Pippin was not here to help.
"I wonder what he's doing" she thought.
A picture of Pippin, still sleeping, crossed her eyes. A small smile came over her as she found what she was looking for. A packet of bacon rashers.
This, to Diamond, would be the perfect start to the day, along with a big mug of tea. Diamond smiled as she checked on her son, reassuring him that she had not left him alone.
A pan was taken out. It looked old and fire beaten. But Diamond did not mind as she placed it on the hob. A sizable vase was then picked off of the floor. This contained golden cooking oil, used in most of her dishes.
The pan slowly heated up as the fire tickled it from underneath. Diamond ripped open the packet of raw bacon. A few seconds later, after pealing away the first rasher, the sound of sizzling erupted. The bacon sizzled as the redness of the meat slowly turned white. The rasher, as a whole, shrunk.
Diamond placed another two in along with the first. A spatula had been placed on the work top for when the rashers were ready.
Diamond now had a few minutes to prepare the slices of bread that the bacon would sit on. Diamond walked back into the cellar. She, like the time before, had picked up a flickering candle. It gave off just enough light so that she could see where she was going and see what she was picking up.
A few moments later, after locating the bread, she walked out. Little Faramir gave a whimper. He needed attention. Diamond's eyes glinted as the candle was placed back on its little mount.
"Mummy's here, darling" she said.
Like Pippin and the Tooks, Diamond had an accent as well. It was similar to Pippin's, but much softer. In fact, both Diamond and Pippin came from the same family line.
Diamond smile as she picked up her son.
"Your getting mighty big" she said, giving him a smile.
Faramir was turning out just like to be his father. His hair was exactly the same as Pippin's was. But Faramir's little eyes were the same as his mother's.
The bacon took a few minutes to brown and crisp. Diamond took the spatula in one hand. Faramir giggled as his mother's hair ticked his face.
The sound of sizzling grew as the rashers were flipped over. Diamond felt happy. Happier then she had been in a long time. Which was more then could be said for Diamond's sister-in-law, Pimpernel.
Pimpernel had been sitting in her room ever since she had returned home. There were a few rare occasions, Pimpernel would come out of her room.
Nelly would only come out when she was going to the bathroom or to going to the kitchen. Pearl took a deep breath as she sat in her lounge, all alone.
A click echoed down the corridor. Pearl looked up. She could hear the slapping on the cold tiled floors. Pearl took a deep breath. she had left some breakfast for her sister.
"I hope that was enough" Pearl said to herself.
Pimpernel saw the plate, full of food that Pearl had cooked, near the fiery heath. Pimpernel did not bother to heat it up. She knew what happened last time.
Nelly placed the plate on the table. A knife and fork had already been placed on either side of her table mat. Pimpernel drew her seat back and sat in it.
Her plate was ladened with lots of delicious food. Pimpernel picked up her knife in her right hand and the fork in the opposite.
The sausages, seven in all, were all eaten first. It was as Pimpernel finished her last sausage, she realized that she had not made herself a drink.
So, placing her knife and fork down, Pimpernel rose from her seat and walked over to the row of cupboards. Nelly took a deep breath as she took out a mug. A few seconds later, the cupboard door was closed. Pimpernel walked towards cellar.
She picked up a dying candle and walked in. The flame danced as Pimpernel made her way to the back of the cellar. There, Pimpernel placed the mug and the candle on the floor.
Pearl entered the kitchen. Pimpernel was now where to be seen as Pearl placed her empty mug near the sink. Pimpernel emerged from the cellar to see her sister standing there.
"Good morning" Pearl said.
Pimpernel gave a small, awkward smile, but did not return the greetings. Nelly placed her mug down and sat again. Pearl took a deep breath, thinking of nothing more to say. Pimpernel continued to eat.
At the same time, Origo and Mya were now on the road again. the little pup, now being carried again, rested his fluffy head on his brown fluffy paws.
Ivy was sitting just near by, holding onto a few strands of hair that lay on Mya's shoulders. Ivy smiled as she watched Origo's large brown puppy eyes dart around.
Trees slid past, getting bigger as they came closer, then getting smaller as they moved away. Mya tickled Origo's floppy ear as he cuddled up to her shoulder.
The first sign of the temperature getting colder was a small speck that flew by Mya's line of sight. At first, she did not register the flakes falling from the sky.
But, as Mya continued to walk, the flakes became more numerous. Snowflakes started to hit Mya's perfect skin. But they were not felt. Normally, the flakes would sting for a split second, then vanish.
Mya smiled as she saw little Origo give a big yawn. Ivy was watching Ori's eyes slowly close together. Origo never failed to melt the fairies little heart.
Ivy had known many gentle creatures in her life time. From rabbits, to deer and little robins. But she had never known anyone like Origo.
Ivy smiled as she took flight. Mya's eyes darted over to the sudden green object that fluttered before her.
"He's sleeping again" Ivy told her.
Mya wished that she could go back to sleep that easily. but they had to keep moving. By the end of the day, Mya, Origo and Ivy would get a pleasant surprise.
Rivendell was covered in ice and snow. Only two beings were left in this once great and important settlement. Elladan and Elrohir were having their own breakfast.
Like Origo and Mya, they could not feel the coldness. But they did not have a little fairy fluttering around them. Instead, they naturally did not feel coldness.
None of the many building that made up Rivendell needed any glass. This did not bother those of Elvish descent, but to any other being, the coldness would be too much at night.
Candles were not lit due to the strength of the wind. The spray from the many waterfalls covered the stoned pathways in a slippery dew.
The sun above created a mist that covered the valley. Skeletons of trees stood like echoes of the past. There were a few trees that grown on a very precarious part of the valley.
A few times, the trees would loosen the rocks. The rocks would give way, making both the rock and tree fall to the depths of the valley.
The brothers sat in the great hall. The seats they sat on had very tall backrests to them. In fact, they were taller then the elves when they stood. The wood had been carved so that it looked like two elves, standing proud.
They were, in fact, two of the most powerful beings that had walked Middle-earth. One was a male, he had a band around large forehead.
This was Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir's father.
It had a been a few years since they had seen him. For Elrond had left, along with Galadriel, Celeborn, Frodo and Bilbo.
The second elf was a woman. Her face was timeless and young. But, in her wooden eyes, there was a lot of history. History and pain that no one could understand or even imagine.
CelebrÃan was her name.
Her life had not been an easy one. As beautiful as she was, she had been tormented and tortured by orcs. Her sorrows drove her to leave the very lands and the ones she loved.
For many years, the two brothers had been disusing weather or not to leave Middle-earth.
"Yet" said Elrohir, sitting on the other side of the table.
"I believe that we have more work to do, our tasks are not over"
Elladan did not change his expression.
"I see no more work that we can do" Elladan pointed out.
"I think it best if we leave for the Undying Lands"
There was a strange silence between the brothers. They had never had a different opinion on a important matter before.
There were no words between the two elves. The wind continued to blow. The hair on both Elladan and Elrohir's head danced as the wind blew past it.
The flakes around Mya grew larger and more numerous as time wore on. The distance she could see was slowly shrank as she continued to walk.
Origo was getting hungry again. His dream had been a strange one, yet it was familiar. The winter time had changed into a cool summer's afternoon. Birds were singing their songs, bees and wasps buzzed around, gathering nectar from colourful plants. The snow had all gone, being replaced with the greenest, softest grass. Pilith's little brown eyes darted around.
"Where is she?" he whimpered.
Pilith's little brown eyes scanned the forest before him. Birds continued to sing. But, as he stood there, alarm calls from birds echoed around him. This made the little puppy very curious.
"Why did they do that?" he asked himself.
The little puppy then marched off towards the alarm calls. There, little Mya was hiding. She had found a tree with a hole in its trunk, just big enough for her to fit into.
Birds continued to fly around, calling and questioning her motives. Mya knew that Pilith would investigate why the birds were so aggravated.
Sure enough, the small figure of Pilith came into view. But he had not seen his little friend hiding in the tree. Mya's little black tail wagged, knowing that she was so close to being found.
Pilith whimpered. He wanted to play something different. In fact, he wanted to go back to sleep again. Mya watched as her friend hung his little head.
A bark then echoed around the forest. Another alarm call echoed around after his little bark. But his little puppy friend did not answer.
Pilith looked around once more, but still couldn't see anything. Mya watched as Origo turned around and walked away. Mya wondered if this was a trick, so she stayed where she was.
Pilith had made it all the way back to Tom Bombadil's home before Mya even thought of going after him.
"Ah, I see you have come back for some food" Tom said, smiling at the being standing there.
Pilith had changed from his adorable puppy form to his being form on the way back.
"And I might have a little nap as well" Pilith added.
Tom gave a warm smile as Goldberry walked through from the kitchen. Two large plates, full of food, were being carried. Goldberry placed them the table and turned again.
Mya, still in her puppy form, reached the threshold of the house. There, she saw Pilith sitting in one of the wooden seats.
"Why didn't you come and find me?" Mya asked, now in her human for and standing on two feet.
Pilith took a deep breath.
"I tried, I couldn't see you anywhere" he answered.
Mya was very disappointed and upset that Pilith was not bothered to play with her. but the sight of food quickly made her change her mind about playing as she too sat down.
It took a few more minutes of preparation before lunch was reach. Goldberry was the last to sit, having placed mugs full of cool, refreshing water in front of each place.
"Thank you" said Mya, smiling.
Goldberry glided away to her seat without a word. Birds continued to sing as they piled their plates with food. Rolls of the finest bread had been made. Mya used a sharp cutting knife to revile the white, fluffy heart of the bread roll.
A stick of soft, creamy butter sat at the other end of the table.
"Could you pass the butter down, please?" she asked, giving a small smile.
Pilith, who had already filled his plate, picked it up and handed it to Mya.
"Thank you" she said.
Tom's eyes darted around the table. Pilith seemed to have a full plate of glorious food. A fillet of fish had been placed on each plate. Goldberry had gone down to a nearby brook and caught them.