The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 3: Eyes as Blue as the Azure Sky

NO REVIEWS FOR LAST CHAPTER? :( THAT MAKES ME SO SAD. I'm not giving up. I hope this chapter will be different!

Disclaimer: I sadly do not own The Lord of the Rings franchise. I only own the story, Lin and Neera who tells the story.

Lin was completely against it, the King was against it at first and then accepted it, and Father was just shocked that this was happening. The reactions I expected to get from these people were what I received when I told them that I was traveling with Grandfather out of Mirkwood Forest for the very first time in my life. While the situation leading to my announcement was less than unpleasant, I was beyond ecstatic that I was finally going to see a small part of the world outside this gloomy and familiar forest. Don't be mistaken: I do love my home very much but I didn't want to be trapped here for the rest of my life either. I didn't care about Lin's protests or insistence that I not go; I was going to be free for just a few moments and even though it was only a few moments, it was better than not being free at all. Lin then demanded that she go on the trip as well to evidently "keep me out of trouble" when we all knew it was to prevent me from falling in love with anyone. I rolled my eyes when she announced that she was coming with us. Even in my freedom, I had limitations because my older sister was going to be hovering over me like I was a troublemaker child who couldn't be trusted to spend a minute on his own. I tried to push these thoughts out of my head because of what was really going on: even though Lin was going to be hovering over me nonstop, I was going to be leaving home for the very first time in my life.

Saying goodbye to Father though, was rather difficult for me. I had never been away from home before and I could always count on Father to be there for me if I was in trouble or troubled, and that he would always guide me through any difficulty that I had. I realized as I was saying goodbye to him that that would not be the case once the three of us had departed. I knew that this wasn't goodbye forever, but the knowledge that I was going to be away from him was difficult to accept. But nonetheless, we said goodbye and we were off on our adventure. I looked back at Mirkwood and waved goodbye again to Father until he and my home were completely out of sight.

The ride was long and difficult for me at least. I had never realized that traveling was such a hassle and I had no idea how Grandfather was so patient in where he went and that he never used magic to teleport anywhere. I suppose he doesn't get the name "Wandering wizard" for no reason. While most of the ride was very tedious, I didn't complain. It was wonderful being out of Mirkwood and seeing all the wonders of the world. It was Lin who did all the complaining; stating how we should have stayed at Mirkwood and how she didn't even begin to understand why I would want to see nothing but trees and open skies when I could very well do that back home. I wasn't going to indulge in my sister's complaining, so I didn't. I just ignored her and left her complaining to Grandfather, who knew better how to deal with Lin when she was upset. But as we grew closer and closer to our destination, I grew more and more impatient as traveling was very uncomfortable and I wanted to walk and stretch my legs. To which Grandfather said:

"Would you prefer to walk to the Shire, then?"

I sighed. "You know I would get lost."

"Well, then you must be patient then."

I sighed again. "Very well."

"You don't mind if I sing, do you?" Grandfather asked.

I laughed at this question, partly because how absurd it was, but also because of how random it was.

"Of course not," I said, resting on his shoulder and looking up at the clouds. I pulled my hood up over my eyes to avoid the bright sun.

I thought about trying to rest a little, but I knew it would be futile. Sleeping upright was absolutely impossible for me and I had no doubt that trying it was going to make any difference for me. I had no idea how my sister had managed to stay asleep like that in the back of the cart, even with all the rocks and bumps we went over on the way over here. Grandfather had told me that we were getting closer and closer to our destination and asked me to still remain patient. I tried with all my might to remain patient, despite how difficult it was for me. As we continued to pass through nothing but more land and trees and open sky, narrated by Grandfather's singing, there came another unusual sound. This time, it was another person's voice:

"You're late," the voice said, seeming to be annoyed.

Grandfather then stopped the cart abruptly to speak to whomever the voice belonged to.

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins," Grandfather said sternly. "Nor is he early! He arrives precisely when he means to."

I smiled. Grandfather would always say this to Lin and I when we were children. We would often complain about how long he took or how late he was coming to visit us, to which our complaints were always silenced by this expression of his. I then was confused when I heard no words between the two of them for a while, and then I heard Grandfather trying to contain himself and then smiled when he burst out into joyous laughter and the person he was speaking to did the same. The person's laughter was rich and full of life, making me smile even more.

"It's wonderful to see you, Gandalf!" the voice said, shimmering with happiness and joy.

Before I knew it, the person that the beautiful voice belonged to had somehow ended up on Grandfather's cart and into his arms in a friendly hug. Grandfather laughed heartily and hugged the figure back warmly. To my annoyance, the person didn't seem to notice that I was in the front seat next to Grandfather and ultimately fell on top of me, causing us both to fall onto the ground and out of the cart, causing us both to cry out. Thankfully, neither one of us was injured and even more thankfully, Lin was not awake to ridicule me for doing something as stupid as falling out of the cart. My hood was out and I felt the sun rays kiss my face as I tried to make sense of the situation, as well as see what was going on. The ground was dusty below me and I struggled to get the dirt and rocks out of my long hair.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss..." he stopped abruptly in his words as he and I made eye contact for the very first time.

His eyes were as blue as the azure sky above us and they brought me into a daydream and brought me into another world, one where it was just the two of us. They were full of life, warmth, peace and love and all the wonders of the world. They gazed at me in wonder and he smiled at me very brightly. This young man was to put it in simple terms, completely and unbelievably gorgeous. His eyes were just the tip of the iceberg. His hair was dark brown and curly and with the warm sun in the background, it looked as though it was a warm and golden brown. He wore a simple blue shirt and dark brown trousers. His skin was light and warm colored, with rosy cheeks that enhanced his simply wonderful smile, and while I knew that most likely he would short, I knew that he was beyond all the doubt, the most beautiful creature that I had ever seen in my whole life. In fact, I had the crazy notion in my head that there would never be such a beautiful creature such as this.

"My goodness, are you both alright?" Grandfather said in concern.

It was Grandfather's words that brought me out of my trance and back into reality. Apart from the fact that my cloak was a bit dirty from the fall, I was completely fine. The young man seemed to have gotten a hold of himself and helped me to my feet. I pushed my long yellow braid out of my way as I stood up. I then realized that this man was a good deal shorter than I was and that could only mean one thing: he was of the Shire, a hobbit. I had never seen one before and I was amazed at how beautiful he was.

"I apologize again, Miss." He turned back to Grandfather. "It's so good to see you, Gandalf and I apologize for pushing your guest."

"Oh, I'm sure she understands you didn't mean it. You didn't think I'd miss your uncle Bilbo's birthday?" he chuckled.

The young man laughed with him and then turned back to me and smiled.

"Gandalf, who is your charming companion?" the man said, looking back at me with a warm smile, causing me to smile back.

"That my dear boy, is my granddaughter," Grandfather said proudly.

The man looked at me shocked and then turned around at Grandfather with the exact same expression.

"Gandalf, I had no idea you had...well...family!" the man said, still surprised but now laughing.

Grandfather chuckled at this remark. Yes, we were not related by blood, but as far as Lin and I were concerned, he was our family.

"Well, yes I do, my boy. This my granddaughter, Lin..." he said, gesturing to the back of the cart to my still asleep twin sister. "And this, is my granddaughter Neera. Neera, allow me to introduce Frodo Baggins, the nephew to Bilbo Baggins of the Shire and whose birthday is being celebrated today."

"It's lovely to meet you, my lady," Frodo said, bowing.

I smiled. "Likewise, Mr. Baggins."

"Please call me Frodo," he said in his beautiful voice.

I laughed. "Well, in that case, call me Neera."

He laughed as well and took my hand in a handshake. "Neera then."

I just continued to get lost in those beautiful eyes of his and completely forgot about the entire world around us. It wasn't until Grandfather's purposefully coughed that I was brought back to reality. We both walked back to the cart together and I was smiling non stop at him and he was at me as well. I didn't understand my unusual happiness, but I wasn't complaining at all because it truly felt wonderful to feel like this.

Eventually, we all ended up back on the cart, with Frodo on Grandfather's right, and I on his left and we continued our journey to the entrance of the Shire. I would've taken more interest in the scenery and the beautiful greenery if Frodo hadn't kept distracting me. Lin had also waken up and had been introduced to Frodo and wasn't very kind about it, but to my surprise, wasn't as rude as she could've been. She kept to herself in the back of the cart and thankfully hadn't learned about the incident Frodo and I had upon our first meeting. We just continued to ride on and talk.

"So how is the old rascal?"

"Well, you know Bilbo," Frodo exclaimed. "He's got the whole place in an uproar."

Grandfather chuckled at this comment and I just smiled.

"Half the Shire's been invited and the rest are turning up anyway!"

This caused all three of us to laugh for quite a while. This hobbit had quite the sense of charm and humor and as we continued to ride through the place, I continued to laugh at a lot of the things that Frodo said, even if they weren't particularly that funny. I then was distracted from Frodo as Grandfather's cart rode over a large stone bridge and then I saw the Shire for the very first time, and saw how beautiful it actually was. It was nothing but green and open skies for miles on end. It was so much more open and free and happy than it was at home. The people seemed...interesting...but what really took me by surprise were the houses under land itself! It was exactly as Grandfather had described it to me as a little girl, but seeing in real life was far greater than any story he told me. We then reached a part of town where you could see a good several of them and the beautiful greenery that was included with them. It was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen and I don't care what my sister would've said about it: it was simply wonderful.

But then I heard Frodo's voice again and I was drawn into what he and Grandfather were talking about.

"To tell you the truth, Bilbo's been a bit odd lately."

This statement seemed to trouble Grandfather greatly, reminding me of how he was back home when he told us of why he going to the Shire in the first place. But he was good of hiding it from Frodo and continued to smoke his pipe and listen avidly to what he saying.

"I mean, more than usual. He's taken to locking himself in his study. He spends hours and hours pouring over maps when he thinks I'm not looking."

Frodo paused for a moment and I looked over at Grandfather and met his gaze. I asked him Is this what you were telling us about at home? To which he replied. I'm afraid so.

"He's up to something," Frodo finally said, clearly worried about his uncle.

Grandfather and I looked over at him in worry as well and then quickly looked back to the road to avoid suspicion once Frodo looked up at us.

"Alright then, keep your secrets!" he said jokingly.

We looked up at him abruptly at the same time.

"What?" Grandfather asked.

"But I know you have something to do with it!" he said.

"Good gracious me!" Grandfather huffed in a low tone of voice, which made me giggle in the background.

Frodo continued in his usual demeanor. "Before you came along, we Bagginses were VERY WELL thought of!"

I laughed because of what Grandfather had told me of the Baggins family growing up and also his response:

"Indeed?"

"NEVER had any adventures or did anything unexpected!"

To which I had to step in for Grandfather in his defense.

"If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, Grandfather was barely involved," I said, coming to Grandfather's defense. "Your uncle needed a kick out of the door and Grandfather did just that. The rest was all your uncle's doing. But quite frankly, had I been there, I would have jumped at the chance to leave. Honestly, I have no comprehension of anyone who doesn't want to see the world outside their home. Doesn't it get dull for you here, Frodo? Surely, you must have some sense of adventure."

"I'm afraid not, Neera. This is where I belong: the place I know like the back of my hand," he said, warmly. I smiled. I could tell how much in love he was with this beautiful place and I could see why as well." He then returned to Gandalf. "And whatever it is, you've officially been labeled a disturber of the peace!"

"Oh really?" Grandfather inquired to himself, making Frodo and I both laugh and I knew Lin was back then judging me severely, but I couldn't care less. I was having more fun with this person than I had had with someone for quite some time.

We then rode past this very old man with a dirty yellow shirt, sweeping the floor of his house and looking up at us with a scowl. I then heard young voices shouting Grandfather's name in the background and then getting closer and closer to the cart, asking for him to perform some of his fireworks. The voices belonged to the Hobbit children, which were some of the most adorable creatures! Oh! I wish I could've held each and every one of them. I then grew annoyed at Grandfather. He didn't seem as though he was going to perform any fireworks and that surprised me quite a bit.

"Gandalf! Fireworks Gandalf!" one of them said.

He then continued to drive off and I heard the disappointment in the children as we drove away from them. And then I turned around fast at the sound of one of them going off: it was clear and white and quite stunning. The children cheered and they were not disappointed, and neither was I. I suppose Grandfather was right: patience is very important regarding anything.

"Oh they seem so happy! Thank you Grandfather. I hope they'll be very happy tonight as well, seeing things they don't get to see everyday from the outside world," I said, smiling at their happiness and being reminded of myself when I was around their age when he brought his fireworks to Lin and I when we were children.

"Oh Frodo," Grandfather said, cheerfully. "That reminds me. My granddaughter has never seen any part of the world outside of her home. Would you be so kind as to give her a tour of the Shire? I'm sure she'd much appreciate it."

I smiled wildly again, not caring about how unnatural this was for me and the annoying fact that I couldn't look away from those hypnotizing blue eyes of his. He smiled back at me when Grandfather made the suggestion to him. He seemed almost as pleased as I did. Even though I was aware of Lin's and Grandfather's gazes, I simply didn't give a damn. My heart thumped wildly in my chest at his suggestion. I had never seen any part of the world before outside the one I grew up in, and above all else, to see it with him? I didn't know how lucky I could get. Of course, Lin being Lin, she jumped at the chance to ruin the moment.

"Grandfather, I don't think it best for Neera to wander off with this..." Lin stopped as she struggled to find the words. "Boy leading her around the town. They don't even know each other that well..."

But Grandfather knew Lin better than anyone, which is why he said next: "Nonsense. Frodo is a good lad, knows the town quite well and will be an excellent guide to your curious sister. It's not everyday that you get an arranged escort, especially one such as him. He doesn't look that dangerous to you, granddaughter, does he?"

Lin scowled at Grandfather and then ceased talking immediately. I beamed at Grandfather for getting Lin out of the way. He winked at me when Frodo wasn't looking and while I was confused as to why, I soon forgot that thought when Frodo stood up.

"I'd be delighted to," he stated proudly. "Well, shall we get started?" Frodo asked, looking at me.

I smiled and nodded to him. Frodo looked back at Gandalf.

"Gandalf," he said seriously. "I'm glad you're back."

"So am I, dear boy!" he said cheerfully.

Frodo then held out his hand and I gratefully took it. We both hopped off the cart, waved goodbye to Grandfather and set off to tour the town. I was amazed at how tall he was for a hobbit. From what I had read about them, they were supposed to the size of children. Don't misunderstand me: Frodo was still very much shorter than I was but for a hobbit, he was quite tall. On the way back to the town, we talked a great deal, of our lives, our homes, and of our favorite things to do, among many things. I asked him a good deal about his home as I was deeply invested in learning all I could about this place. I was just simply content as listening to his beautiful voice and I was distracted by him that I didn't notice how unlike myself I was or the fact that my heart was beating wildly in my chest with each word he spoke and every time our eyes made contact. It wasn't until later that I would begin questioning why I was like this around him, but for the time being, I was simply content at being by his side touring the town, uncaring and honestly, unaware of all the glares the young Hobbit women gave me. The town was unbelievably beautiful, it was exactly as Grandfather had described it to Lin and I growing up. It was one of the most beautiful and quaint little things that I have ever seen. It was such a peaceful, little place and it was a completely different culture than ours. The people knew that I was a stranger, but Frodo told me to pay them no mind. I honestly didn't pay attention to any of the looks that people were giving me. I was only focused on him and his azure blue eyes that were more beautiful than this whole town and all its inhabitants.

I didn't know it at the time and it would take me a very long time to realize it, but that was the moment that I had fallen madly in love with Frodo Baggins, and he with me.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and favorite! I love feedback and knowing that I have supporters, which in turn give me motivation to write more chapters!

Until next time!

Kagomehater4ever