Sitting side saddle was always a bother. How Mother ever managed it on her excursions to Dale or Mirkwood was beyond my understanding. I could sit sideways and ride, but only if the pony I sat on was going slowly, and never dared to increase it's pace. Usually this would require me to ride on an aged pony, who leisurely walked along the path, didn't startle, and was too lazy to do much of anything. Old ponies were sweet things, but I loved the young, energy filled ones better.
We passed an outlying farm then, the aged man living there looking up to nod politely at Mother and Father, then gazing over me astride my pony, riding like a man would. The hobbit's frown was brief, but noticeable. Gideon rode up beside me. "You should have shifted to side saddle." He mentioned quietly. "Mother does."
"It's uncomfortable." I replied.
"Your skirt lifts up too much."
"Oh dear, the hobbits will faint at the sight of my bare knees."
"You know what I mean Fali."
"How dare they know I have kneecaps, Gideon." I continued my teasing reply. "I'm fine. The heart of the Shire is a carefree place. Besides if I were riding side saddle, I wouldn't be able to do this." I stared at the winding path among the hills ahead of me.
"Mother! Father!" I shouted, giving them enough warning to move to the sides of the road before giving my pony's sides a swift kick. The pony sprung forward, hooves spraying up dirt. I soared past Mother and Father, who were smiling. Soon the pony and I were racing with the wind, soaring along the road, positively flying. My skirt lifted in the force of the wind, billowing around my knees, and trailing behind me in the breeze.
The path curled in and out of the hills that were springing up, and I leaned heavily to the left and right, urging the pony to turn with the path, and not have to slow down.
"Fali!" The voice of Gideon called out from behind me. I turned around to see him racing on the grass, hurrying down the hillside to reach me.
"Are you trying to race me, Gideon?" I called back.
"Fali, slow down. Look out!" Gideon shouted at me.
I turned my head sharply forward again. The path I was on was quickly curving around a hill and merging with a second path on the other side.
And there was someone coming around from the other side of the hill.
I pulled sharply on the reins, the pony backpedaling almost as it stamped into the dirt and gritted to a stop.
The person in question also pulled sharply on the reins of his own steed, our collision nearly avoided. "I'm so sorry." I said. "I was just…well, I was just-"
"Racing to Master Baggin's?" A familiar, older voice asked, with a hint of a smile in the tone.
I looked up, past the floating dust in the air, and saw the pointed grey hat, and the robes. I grinned. "Master Gandalf." I beamed. I recognized the old wizard from tales as a child, and previous visits to the Shire. When I had not been minding young hobbits the wizard had been kind enough to tell me of his travels long ago, and show off some of his noteworthy fireworks.
"Fali." He nodded, respectfully. Gideon rode up to the two of us. "And Gideon." He addressed my brother.
"Master Gandalf." He nodded. "It's good to see you again."
"Gandalf." Mother appeared, and smiled affectionately.
"Rue." He nodded at her and Father.
"I had no idea you would be coming as well to Bilbo's party." Mother grinned.
"Of course I was coming."
"No doubt one of the honored guests." Father greeted.
I peered behind the grey wizard and realised that in the cart behind him was a pile of fireworks. I smirked. The wizard always came to the Shire prepared.
"I was hoping to meet with young master Frodo up the road, but this is a delightful surprise." Gandalf said.
"Frodo?" I replied. "He's waiting for you?"
"He was the last time, somewhere along the last mile." Gandalf replied. "Why?"
"May I come with you then?" I asked. The cart and pony would be faster than my slower-paced family, and their destination was Bag End, which Frodo would not be at, if he was out in the groves awaiting Gandalf's arrival. I wanted to see my hobbit friend.
"To have a princess as my company would be a privilege." Gandalf kindly said.
"Thank you." I nodded, already dismounting the pony and climbing into the cart beside the wizard. "Oh…would it be better if I hid in the back of the cart among the fireworks? It would be a great surprise."
"Fali, we've made the wizard late enough as it is." Mother said. "You don't have the time to bury yourself in the fireworks."
"Please Master Gandalf?" I asked politely, already seeing the surprise on Frodo's face if I was to pop out of the back of the cart, much like a firework myself.
"If you manage to do so while the cart is moving." The wizard had a pipe between his teeth and was likely in a good, relaxed mood.
"I will." I promised, clambering over the bench at the front of the wagon and settling myself between the brightly colored plaster of the firecrackers.
"Until we meet each other later on." The wizard said, giving a nod of farewell, a smile, and then shaking the reins and starting the pony on its course again.
I began the rather bumpy task of settling myself underneath the fireworks then, trying to cover myself with an array of them that appeared natural. Not very easy when the cart was bouncing up and down with the trots of the pony.
"So you have come to see Master Baggin's birthday festivities?"
"I wouldn't miss a chance to come back to the Shire." I replied, moving a large green firecracker out of the way, and trying to lie back in the cart. "And by the looks of everything you have back here, neither would you."
"A hundred and eleven is a most impressive age." Was the wizard's mirthful reply. "Your elder brothers are not attending?" He continued.
"Frerin is running the kingdom in the place of father, so he could come. Jael is running about in the place of mother, seeing as she and Frerin were married a few months ago. Fien is helping them, and he doesn't want to leave Eredah with the baby. Uncle Kili and Aunt Tauriel left after we did and will arrive just in time for the ceremonies."
"And what do you think of your little nephew?"
"Flynn?" I asked, thinking of the little boy with his blond, fluffy hair. "As adorable as a baby can be, but as much of an imp as my brother was…on the whole, I quite like him, seeing as he can't pester me as Fien did when we were small." I grinned. "And Mother and Father are as doting as ever on him." I placed Gandalf's fair above me. "Can you see me, Master Gandalf?"
There was no reply. "Master Gandalf?" I asked again. "You've not forgot me back here, have you?" The wizard extinguished his pipe and began to hum and softly sing. For a moment I thought he truly had forgotten me among his cargo. "Honestly Master Gandalf…" I began.
There was the sound of someone running over grassy banks, followed by a chastising remark. "You're late." I recognized it immediately as Frodo.
The cart was stopped and I lay completely still under the bright plaster and copper fuses, hoping I was hid well enough and that Frodo wold not look too carefully at Gandalf's wares. Oh dear, it sounded like I had stalled the wizard after all. "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means too." A rather clever reply, I thought with a smirk, biting on my lip to contain a small bout of laughter. Gandalf and Frodo, being not the ones who were hiding under fireworks in the back of a cart, could laugh openly about the joke.
"It's wonderful to see you Gandalf!" Frodo exclaimed merrily, and then the cart jolted as he leapt on. He embraced the wizard fondly, and I peered through the spaces between the firecrackers and saw his smiling face and his mop of black curls. Luckily, he seemed too happy and occupied to see my blue eyes among the cargo.
Before long, Frodo was seated beside Gandalf and the pony was walking once more. "So how is the old rascal?" Gandalf asked conversationally, as I waited for the opportune moment to spring forth and reveal myself. "I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence."
"You know Bilbo, he's got the whole place in an uproar." The two laughed and spoke more of Bilbo. Apparently he was locking himself in his study as of late, and looking at some of his old documents mysteriously. "He's up to something." Frodo muttered. Gandalf said nothing and Frodo replied amusedly "Alright then, keep your secrets."
"Hmm?" Gandalf hummed, feigning ignorance.
"But I know you have something to do with it." Gandalf muttered to himself as Frodo continued about how the wizard had ended the Baggins family reputation by involving Bilbo in adventures. To me it sounded more like he had added more excitement to their lives, but then again hobbits were homey people.
"If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door." Gandalf excused.
"Whatever you did, you've been labeled a disturber of the peace."
Gandalf mused over this, and Frodo asked "You're not hiding anything else from me, are you?"
"Well, there may be a certain surprise in the back of the cart…" Gandalf replied, and my body tensed, readying itself. Frodo looked behind him and at the fireworks.
"Is there one that's supposed to spec-?" He started before I shot straight up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling over the wagon seat and into the mess of firecrackers with me. He let out a yell of surprise. Once I had tackled him down I was laughing.
"Hello Hobbit." I smirked.
"Fali!" He grinned back.
"Frodo." I nodded, as he threw back his head and laughed too.
"You came." He embraced me.
"I wouldn't leave you to eat, drink and be merry on your own." I said, returning the embrace. Gandalf was laughing at our reunion after a year with only letters to keep us close. I had known Frodo since he was a baby. He aged more quickly than I had, and now it appeared he had finally caught up with me.
Frodo climbed back over the seat and took up his place beside the wizard again, as I sat on a box of smaller fireworks and laughed with him more. "I missed you, and this place so much." I sighed. "It's lovely to be back, to see a sky instead of a stone ceiling every once in a while." I grinned. "Thank you for keeping me hidden Master Gandalf."
There was the yells of children behind us and as we passed the home of a rather grumpy looking hobbit. "Other admirers of yours." I pointed them out. The children called out to him and asked excitedly for fireworks. Gandalf rode on past the stiff and proper folk of Hobbiton. "Will you not indulge them?" I asked. "Master Gandalf, they are so sweet, surely there is one firework in here to spare?" The children looked rather disappointed. "Oh, please, Master- Gandalf!" I yelped out the last word as a brilliant firecracker went whizzing off. The hobbit children cheered in the middle of the road, and I fell off my box, hopping about the cart as sparks erupted from beneath me.
The wizard and Frodo were laughing, both at the amusement of the children and my reaction. "You could have at least waited for me to get out of the back of the cart." I huffed. I glared at Frodo. "Stop snickering."
He did, swallowing down the laughter with some struggle, but having more trouble wiping the smile off his face. We were passing one of the orchards of the Shire right then, and he peered to the side (probably to hide his smirk from me), then spoke up. "Look, it's Sam." He motioned to the red haired hobbit I had also known since his childhood.
"Let's go off and see him." I said. It had been too long since I had seen any of the loveable little folk that I had come to know so well here.
As Gandalf neared the turn in the road, he slowed down enough for Frodo and I to jump down from the cart. "It's great to have you back Gandalf." Frodo said in parting as we jumped over the side and went into the orchard, me pulling him along by the elbow trying to make him walk faster.
"Sam!" I called out, waving my hand that wasn't grasping Frodo's elbow. "Sam!"
The hobbit looked about him and then spotted me running over at full speed. He smiled but eyed my rush nervously, as I stopped awfully close to him, nearly knocking him over. I released Frodo in order to give the second hobbit a strong hug.
"Welcome back to the Shire again, Miss Fali." He greeted, breathing a small sigh of relief that I had not caused him to topple over, and smiling to see me again.
I shook my head with a tiny groan. "You don't have to call me 'Miss Fali'." I reminded him. "It sounds too much like a title. Fali will suffice."
"Of course Miss Fali."
"Sam." I rolled my eyes.
"You just said it again, Sam." Frodo gently informed him.
"Oh, right. Thank you Mister Frodo." He turned back to me. "Sorry Miss…" He paused as I raised an eyebrow at him. "…Fali." He finished.
"Not quite, but better." I shrugged it off. Sam was simply too polite of a hobbit to leave out the proper 'Mister' and 'Miss' when he talked to anyone.
The polite and happy nature of hobbits was one of their most admirable qualities. They were a simple people, who cared for little else above the peaceful, quaint life they had in the Shire. Those few things they did care about were good food, well brewed ale, and good pipeweed. One could easily become fast friends with them by bringing an excellent sample of one of those three things. In the case of my family, we had not left empty handed, Uncle Kili and Aunt Tauriel bringing with them another pony which would be laden with fine ale from Erebor for their companion's festivities. The thought of ale brought up another idea…
"Suppose we go down to the Green Dragon?" I asked. "That is where much of the Shire will be, and it'll be good to see their faces again."
"The Green Dragon?" Sam asked.
"Why not? I don't mind your ale very much, the company will be good…and speaking of company Sam, won't Rosie be there?" I smirked, teasing him of his fondness for the pretty hobbit lass. Though I had not been to the Shire for a year, I had seen Sam admiring her before, and Frodo joked of it as well in letters.
"Well…maybe." Sam replied, trying to act as though he was indifferent.
I snickered under my breath, leading both of them toward the cozy little pub in the middle of Hobbiton. By now, many more of the Shire folk had noticed my arrival, and the men dipped their heads, lifting their hats a degree, and the women smiled and waved. The children who were old enough to remember me beamed, and flung their entire arms to catch my attention. The children too young to recall my last visit hid behind their mother's skirts. I noticed quite a few of them were in a rush, which was a bit uncommon in their relaxed lives. Most of them were running about with food or plates and pints. No doubt for Bilbo's birthday celebration. Only things like parties were the cause of any rush here. I swung open the door of the Green Dragon and peered within. The hobbits seated at the various tables looked up, and I received yet more polite nods, smiles, and waves.
I scanned the room, returning smiles, and rushed over to the back where the barrels were all neatly stacked and girls in pretty dresses stood around a tall bench, chatting among themselves as they served the ale and cleaned the empty pints. I spotted Rosie right away, noticing the ribbon in her hair. "Hello again." I greeted them and they recognized me then, looking up from their work.
"Princess." The politer ones nodded respectfully.
"Fali!" The more laid back ones exclaimed.
"Miss Fali." Rosie smiled at me. Many of the girls reached out to give my hand a friendly squeeze or hug my side. "You're back."
"I was invited with my family to come for the birthday party." They all nodded, knowing my parents and Uncle were very good friends of Bilbo's. "I cannot believe Bilbo is a hundred and eleven…he certainly doesn't look it!" Indeed he had lived long for a hobbit, and looked as though he would continue to do so for some time.
"Who is all coming?" Rosie continued conversationally.
"Mother, Father, Uncle Kili…" I announced them all off.
One of the more shy girls, a sweet thing with coppery curls, muttered something which I did not quite hear. "Hmm?" I hummed at her. "What were you saying?"
She blushed, lowering her gaze to the pint she was polishing up in her hands. "It is nothing." She replied, quietly. A few others girls laughed at her reply.
One of the bolder girls stopped her laughter to say "She was asking if your brother would happen to be here as well?" The copper headed maid blushed even deeper, and Rosie gave her shoulder a reassuring shake.
"Gideon? Yes, he's come here as well." I replied. I sighed. "Honestly, he probably has more admirers here than he does in Erebor." Most of the dwarf lasses didn't pay him much attention, seeing as he spent so little time on the training grounds or in the forge.
Rosie smiled as the other girls giggled over my brother, and filled a mug of sweet ale. I liked the drink here, where dwarf ale was apt to be a heavy sort, this particular hobbit brew was far lighter and sweeter. It was perhaps one of my more nymphian qualities. She passed it to me and I began to search through the lone pocket of my dress for some of the silver coins. "No, no." She stopped me. "This one is on the house."
"Thank you." I grinned. By now other men were among us, trying to get drinks refilled. Frodo and Sam finally appeared, having caught up. "There you two are." I said. I dismissed myself once my two friends had their beverages and sat with them at an empty table. Frodo spoke jovially with me, and we both tried to cheer Sam up as he watched the other men speaking with Rosie from the corner of his eye. As we were all laughing over some joke or other, Gideon entered the tavern. I spotted him and raised my hand so he may notice us. He did and sat at our table.
"So this is where you have been hiding." He said. "Frodo, Sam." He nodded at the hobbits. "It's good to see the two of you again, and in such good spirits." Frodo and Sam said likewise and my brother also received a warm reception from the customers of the tavern.
"Are we required anywhere?" I asked.
"Not yet. Mother, Father, and Mister Gandalf are providing Bilbo with good company. We only need to appear in time for the party." He glanced me over. "And hopefully out of traveling clothes."
"We've plenty of time." I waved him off. "Stay with us. Grab yourself a drink as well."
"Alright." Gideon agreed.
"Try getting it from the lass with the copper colored hair." I mentioned. "She's quite nice." I watched as he did so, and the girl looked happy as ever.
I smirked to myself, sipping ale, and becoming more and more excited for the fun that was to take place tonight.
It was wonderful to be back in the Shire, where nothing could ruin my spirits.