Bilbo was not found by any of us, but he had been thoughtful enough to leave behind a letter, explaining himself. Evidently, his old age had made him rather restless, and he had decided to leave the Shire, with no mention of when, or if, he would return. Perhaps he had grown bored of the Shire, and there was some calling in his blood to go out into the world again.

Thankfully, he had not gone out into the world again, alone. Thorin had gone with him, determined to not leave his friend beside himself. It was very kind of him to do, though Mother and Father were both voicing concerns, given the age of the two men. Father and Uncle Kili would have saddled up two ponies and been off after them like bolts of lightning, had Thorin firmly instructed them not to in a letter of his own. He insisted he did not feel as old as he was, and been through trials much more straining than that of a small quest back to the lonely mountain with an old companion.

Mother had paced a long trench into the hall of Bag End, reading and rereading the letters. "Gone!" She muttered to herself, frustrated. "Both of them, without a care in the world! No so much as a word…just leaving letters for us to find when it's too late to stop them. If I didn't love them as much as I do I'd go straight out and drag them back by their ears like children. Serves them right, thinking their so young and up to things like this." She sighed. "Honestly, it's like they've completely forgotten about the Thunder Giants and Goblintown."

"They can seek safer passage now, through the valleys of Rivendell." Gideon tried to ease her a little. "Seeing as you were only taking the mountain paths to make it to Erebor before Durin's Day."

"And then Gandalf leaves without a goodbye to us." She huffed. "Hopefully he has the mind to go and fetch them."

"If anything Rue, I think he may be joining them." Father said.

"Frodo says Master Gandalf left on a matter of great importance." I said, everyone gathered in Bilbo's sitting room.

"Has he said anything else?" Mother asked.

I shook my head. "Not very much." I replied. "He's upset over Bilbo leaving, and being alone in Bag End."

"Perhaps we should extend our stay…" Mother muttered.

"We have already done everything we can for the hobbit." Father said. "It's not as if Bilbo has left him empty handed. Bag End is a perfect household, and the chest of gold we gave Bilbo years back was inherited by him. He has plenty to live on until he gets himself back on his feet."

"It's the getting himself back on his feet part that I worry about." Mother went on. "Bilbo never said anything, but I know he trusted us to help Frodo settle after he left."

"Did he ever tell anyone how he managed to disappear so suddenly?" I asked, curious. "Perhaps he had magic from Master Gandalf?"

"I doubt Master Gandalf would use magic that recklessly." Gideon replied to me.

"He uses some for his fireworks." I shrugged. "Surely disappearing is easily managed by a wizard."

"He wouldn't do it, Fali."

"Speaking of Frodo, where is the lad?" Father asked.

"The garden." Mother replied.

"I'll go and see him." I said. "He needs someone at a time like this."

I stood and walked out the back of Bag End, treading lightly over the flat stones that formed a small path to the heart of the garden. Frodo sat against the trunk of the oak tree, quietly. His gaze was fixed upward, past the leaves and at the sky. He did not heed my approach, too distracted with his thoughts. I came up to the tree and sat beside him.

"Everyone's inside." I said, though he knew it already. "Mother's scolding Thorin and Bilbo as though they were young dwarrows." I continued. "They won't come back anytime soon at this rate, not with her so angry at them."

"He made no mention of returning at all." Frodo said, his voice one of melancholy.

"He must come back at some time." I was cheerful.

"He left me Bag End and his fortune." Frodo said.

I frowned. The signs of Bilbo returning soon, or to the Shire at all, were slim. I shook Frodo's shoulder kindly. "He cares about you very much." I said. "There were many distant relatives that wanted to have part of his fortune, and he left it all to you. You were the only family he really cared for." I tried to get him to smile. "Really Frodo did you see your-what is she, your second cousin once removed?-Lobelia Baggins? She was right furious with you for being his favorite. I've never seen such a scowl, or laughed so hard over it."

Frodo's eyes lit up. "She did look rather funny."

"Cheer up, friend." I coaxed him. "Bilbo wouldn't just vanish from your life entirely. You can surely expect to see him again."

Frodo smiled the smallest bit. "I'm sure that you're right."

"Of course I am, you were like his own child." I smirked, standing up and pulling him with me. "Come. Let's go to the Green Dragon again. You need to get away from Bag End, just for a little while. It doesn't have to be the tavern if you don't want it to be. We could run out into the middle of the forest or the fields. Somewhere far away, where you can just clear your head of this."

"Perhaps a quick ale would be nice." Frodo admitted.

"There we go." I punched him lightly in the arm. "That's the spirit now. We'll sample the ale, we'll see how Rosie and the rest of the chaps are doing…maybe you'll finally let me try the pipe weed you boast of so much?"

"Not a chance." Frodo said quickly.

I was too happy to see him in better spirits that I did not protest a bit.

Soon I had him back in the friendly tavern, with a drink and good company. "I think you're actually quite lucky." I said. "You have such a dear house, and the fortune, and the garden…and no one even died. Bilbo just decided to go on another great adventure, and left everything in your care."

"I hope I can take good care of it."

"You will." I assured him. "You're a Baggins, and Bag End has been in your family so long, it's like second nature." I took a sip. "Did he really leave you everything?" I asked. "I haven't seen the letter myself. He didn't tell you to hold onto anything for him?"

"No." Frodo shook his head, his gaze a bit empty.

"What is it?" I asked. "Frodo? Is something bothering you?"

"He left me something…important." Frodo said.

"Important? Like what? I thought the most important thing to him was Bag End."

"It is, but…there was something else…" Frodo shook his head. "I can't tell you."

"Can't tell me?" I frowned. "We've been friends since Bilbo took you in. You've known me your whole life."

"I was told to keep it secret."

"By Bilbo?"

"By Gandalf?"

"Gandalf? How does it concern Master Gandalf?"

"Fali, please don't ask."

"But you've already brought the conversation up." I pressed.

"And now I'm ending it." Frodo shrugged.

"Fine." I tried to wipe my frown from my face. "Keep it all a secret."

We did not speak much more after that, but Frodo was at least eased of mind. I did not like that he was keeping things from me, and followed my family back to the inn where we had taken up rooms, hating to impose on Frodo who was not used to being host.

"He's hiding something." I told Gideon, staring out the window of his room, as this faced out over the village.

"He's not hiding anything." Gideon replied, skimming through a book he had borrowed from Bilbo…or rather Frodo at this point.

"He has a secret, and he won't tell me anything. How do I know if he's alright? He's obviously concerned."

"From what you told me, it sounded as though he was not able to tell you of it." Gideon went on, turning the page as though the conversation was far away. "Let him be. If he needs your help he will ask for it."

"I'm worried about him." I slumped in the window seat, my forehead resting against the glass of the window. Just then, I spotted Frodo about in the square, walking home in the twilight. "Gideon." I said, in a hushed tone, though Frodo was not able to hear me anyway. "It's Frodo. He's going home to Bag End."

"How surprising." Gideon said with sarcasm in his tone.

I stood and made for the door, snatching my cloak and wrapping it around me. "Fali, where are you going?"

"I'm going to run over to Bag End and speak with Frodo. He may have not been able to tell me something of secret importance in a public surrounding, but in the privacy of his home, he may be able to."

Gideon stood now, pointing a me a little accusingly. "You're meddling." He chided me. "Just like Mother used to."

"Mother meddled out of love, and so am I." I responded, striding out the door and making for the outdoor world.

Fali…Fali, wait a moment!" Gideon chased after me, grabbing his own cloak and forgetting to drop his book.

I was beginning to follow the hobbit at a safe enough distance, ducking behind a house to hide. I was close enough to hear him, and Sam, who was with him. Gideon followed at my heels, ducking as well behind the house. "We should go back." He said.

"Nonsense. Frodo has been off ever since Bilbo left, and now he has this secret on his mind. It isn't right for him to keep everything so bottled up."

"Forcing that bottle open won't be much help either."

"I'll not force anything from my friend." I gave him a glare. I may have seemed nosy, but I was only being so to help my friend. I wanted to free him of any ill feelings.

"Don't worry Sam, Rosie knows an idiot when she sees one." Frodo said to Sam.

"Does she?" Sam sounded hopeful.

They parted ways quite close to Bag End. Frodo went into his home, and Gideon and I were close behind. The door closed softly on it's own accord, Frodo having forgotten to close it himself. I walked up to green door, then paused, hearing voices on the other side. "Fali-" Gideon started again.

"Shh." I hushed him quickly. "I can hear voices."

"Voices? Who's?"

"Frodo of course and then…I don't know." I turned the door handle just a degree and pushed open the door, not enough to look within the house, but enough to hear more clearly if I pressed my ear to the crack.

"Fali, don't pry."

"It could be anyone in there, what if he's in trouble?" I defended. "Wait, I think…yes, it's Mister Gandalf, it has to be."

"Hello, Miss Fali, Mister Gideon." Sam said, from the other side of the hill Bag End rested in.

"Hello Sam." I smiled, trying to act as I normally did, though it certainly did not look like I was behaving so, crouching before the door with my ear pressed closely.

"Calling on Mister Frodo?" Sam had an eyebrow raised at me. Beside me, Gideon was beginning to squirm uncomfortably, feeling caught-out though he was not doing anything but standing on a door step.

"Yes…" I said, slow in my reply. We stared at one another for another minute. "Well, good night Sam." I added, hoping the polite hobbit might take the will to leave.

"Good night Mister Gamgee." Gideon supplied his bit.

Sam stood still. "You're going to knock, aren't you?"

"Why, yes…of course." I mumbled. "Good night Sam." I repeated, praying that he would feel as though he was intruding and leave. The same had worked many a time on Gideon. Sam however, was not the sort to leave when he had but an inkling of suspicion that something was wrong.

"What's going on?" He asked, and his tone deepened a little to that of parent catching his children at something.

"Nothing." Gideon shook his head. "Just wondering if we should visit this late." An uninspired answer really, but Gideon never fared well under pressure. It was a miracle he was playing along with the circumstances to begin with.

I choose now to be honest, seeing as it was Sam and not someone else. "There is someone in Frodo's house…it's Gandalf."

"Master Gandalf has returned?" Sam asked.

"Fali…" Gideon replied, looking more and more uncomfortable standing at the door.

"Aren't you the one who always prompts for honesty?" I glanced back at him. "Yes." I turned back to Sam. "Frodo been secretive today, and off-put since Bilbo left. And now the Grey wizard has mysteriously vanished and returned to hide in his house, awaiting him. I fear something may be wrong."

Sam's face faded into worry. "Goodness…" He breathed. He looked around, and seeing that no one was nearby, said "Seeing as you two can't see through the door, I best take the window."

"Samwise." I smirked at him.

Sam held out his hand and hushed us, kneeling under the open window and peeking quickly inside. "It is Master Gandalf." He confirmed.

"We really are invading on a private matter. It's best we things to work themselves out." Gideon tried to persuade us to leave, but was unsuccessful, as I opened the door a sliver more, now able to see a crack of the household. There was a small gold flash, within Frodo's hands.

"Sam? Can you see what is that Frodo is holding?"

"It's a ring, Miss Fali. Just a plain gold ring."

"Can you see anything?" I heard Gandalf say inside, with no small amount of apprehension in his voice.

"Nothing." Frodo answered. "There's nothing." Then, after a pause, "Wait…there are markings. It's some form of elvish, I can't read it."

"Markings?" I whispered to myself. The only markings I knew of were the old inscriptions of runes and the nymphian symbols I had grown up with.

"There are few who can." Gandalf replied, serious. "The language is that of Mordor."

"Mordor?" Gideon said in hushed tones beside me. "Fali, we should leave."

"We can't, this is becoming quite serious."

"Mordor is place of evil, from ancient times." Gideon said. "I have read of the villainy there."

"Bilbo left him whatever ring he has, and Bilbo is no villain." I answered logically. "Now be quiet so I can hear."

"In the common tongue, it says one Ring to rule them all, one Ring to find them, one Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them." Gandalf spoke, darkly.

"It is magic?" I asked the air. "Dark magic?" Perhaps Bilbo had stumbled upon villainy… Beside me Gideon's face showed some comprehension, and a distinct fear. "What is it?" I asked. "Gideon, why do look so worried?"

He turned to me. "Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, nine for mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, in the land of Mordor where the shadows lie." He quoted a piece of lore he had once read. He looked up at me with concern on his face. "Fali, we must leave. That ring is not meant to seen."

"So it is dark magic." I whispered back. "It's the Dark Lord's?" I had heard very little of him growing up, believing that he was long dead, but even with the little I knew, I understood cruelty and malice beyond thought which he had conducted. Sam was silent and pale under the windowsill. "Frodo…what's going to happen to him if he has something like that?" I worried. I pressed myself even closer to the opening of the door and strained to listen. My friend was in trouble now, and I was beginning to understand why he had not told me. Poor Frodo, I wanted nothing more than to burst through the door, grab the ring from his hands, and throw it in the river to be carried far away.

"This is the One Ring." Gandalf confirmed. "Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron, in the fires of Mount Doom." Now Gideon looked pale as well, and I was starting to feel an odd chill building in my chest as Gandalf explained how the Ring made it's journey from hand to devious hand, into the unsuspecting palm of Bilbo. It was what had made him age so slowly, had made him vanish at the party…the very air around the dark item seemed to teem with power untold.

"Evil is stirring in Mordor…" Gandalf said. "The ring has awoken." I swallowed a breath I had been holding. "It's heard it's master's call."

"But he was destroyed." Frodo interrupted, his tone hopeful and almost pleading to be right. "Sauron was destroyed."

Just then we all heard something, part wind, and part the whisper of a man. The words were faint, and foreign. I felt as though ice was shooting up my spine, and for a second as though some unnamed person was watching me there at the door, listening in. "No Frodo." Gandalf replied sadly. "The spirit of Sauron endured, his life force is bound to the Ring and the Ring survived." There was a heavy pause. "Sauron has returned."

My heart beat quickly in my chest, as Gandalf continued and I heard of coming darkness and evil consuming the land. I heard of orcs and fortresses…and the Ring, this one piece of the Dark Lord that sat looking so commonplace on Frodo's table, being the one thing missing from the awaiting doom.

"Alright." Frodo said, nervous but with courage. "We put it away. We keep it hidden, we never speak of it again." I admired my brave little hobbit friend. "No one knows it's here, do they?...do they Gandalf?" At this moment I felt very ashamed to be listening indeed, and Gideon was giving me a well-deserved glare for it. What added to my growing dread was that Gandalf was not answering him quickly.

"There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring." He admitted. My stomach dropped as he tried to gently inform Frodo of a creature that had owned the Ring prior. My mind thankfully ignored the images of torture, but I was fixated on the two words of knowledge the dark forces now had: Shire, Baggins.

"Oh Frodo." I worried. I made to open the door right then and Gideon had to restrain me.

"Take it Gandalf!" Frodo insisted, suddenly desperate to rid himself of the Ring. "You must take it!" He continued when the wizard refused. "I'm giving it to you."

"Don't tempt me Frodo." Gandalf snapped back. The reason why he could not handle such a Ring became clear…he had too much power, but not enough to withstand the manipulation of the Ring. It became clear then what was to happen as Frodo began to collect provisions.

"You must leave." Gandalf said, helping him gather supplies. "And leave quickly."

"Where do I go?"

"Make for the village of Bree."

"He's leaving? Now?" I asked.

"We better make ourselves scarce then." Gideon said. "He will be using the front door after all."

"We can't…we can't just abandon him like this!" I snapped back. "He is my friend, and I can't let him wonder off into the wild, no sense of direction, or someone to aid him. He's a hobbit, and he's never been outside the Shire. It would be like giving a lamb to the wolves."

"Fali, we are not supposed to even know about this Ring." Gideon said. "And from the sound of it all, the less people know, the better off Frodo is. You'll be helping him by not becoming involved." He grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me away.

I pulled my wrist back out of his hold. "You may be frightened Gideon." I whispered. "But I'll not leave him alone."

"I think he's leaving now." Sam spoke up, maybe to break up the brief spat between us. The hapless hobbit them broke some of the daisies under the window and the sturdy stems made a distinct snap.

There was deadly silence as all of us crouched lower. "Do you think someone heard that?" Sam asked. The second the words left his mouth a great stick shot out the window and the blow was taken by Sam's head. He yelped in pain, and then a hand pulled the entire hobbit through the window.

"Samwise Gamgee!" Gandalf bellowed.

"I think we should leave now." Gideon said.

"But poor Sam…" I said as the unfortunate hobbit tried to pass his activities off as gardening.

"Gandalf doesn't sound as though he liked someone spying on the ordeal."

"Now they're both in trouble." I said. "Maybe we should go in?"

"No!"

"Gideon!"

"Fali!" He tried to pull me away and I fought back. The two of us collided against the door in our struggle to enter or leave, and seeing as it was already open a degree, it swung on it's hinges and the two of us fell inside, much like a company of dwarves had years ago. Our faces flattened against the floor, in an undignified display worthy of our crime.

"Fali! Gideon!" The three inside said. Frodo and Sam had spoken in a bit of surprise, but Gandalf sounded very unpleased with us.

"And what are you two doing here at this hour?!" Gandalf sounded quite intimidating.

I lifted myself from the floor, as Gideon lay still, seeming to prostrate himself in shame before the wizard. "Ummm…" I fumbled for an answer. "Gideon had a book he wished to return?"

/

Eowilmathiel- Gideon's lack of luck continues, the poor boy

REDRydingHood- Such a great description. Gideon is the embodiment of awkward, cute, perfection

It'sareview- He'll get there…eventually.

TheEarthSong- So glad you like it thus far. I like to think that Fali, her mother Rue, and Eowyn would all get along well. Great minds think alike.