Short and sweet Lord of the Rings fanfic
Slightly retarded little Lord of the Rings fic I did one day. Not slash (blaspheme, I know!) but I rather like it anyway. Remember in Hobbiton, when Frodo makes Sam dance? Who says girls can'r do that too. ^^
Peregrin Took wandered along a sun-drenched lane unaware that he was being watched. He meandered aimlessly, picking the occasional berry from a bush and popping it in him mouth. Then, he heard a loud crack from behind the hedge which lined the slope above his head. No wood-land creature made that noise. By nature he was not a paranoid Hobbit, but he wondered why someone would be standing directly behind a hedge. What was in his nature was easy distraction and he was soon trying out his cartwheeling abilities. Without warning a great something crashed down on him, making him thud to the ground and tumble in the dust.
“Fight you scurge! I spit on your skill!” He looked up into the round, laughing face of his elder sister Phentalon.
“Ow! Phen, that hurt!” Concern creased her brow.
“Oh, sorry Pip.” She hauled him to his feet. “No bleeding or bumping.” She looked him over. “You are alright.” She was three feet four, tall for a Hobbit girl of twenty seven. (Though this was not unheard of in a Took, considering their legendary ancestor Bandobras, who reached four foot five). Another unusual trait of hers was she was dressed very much the same as Pippin, or any Hobbit boy you may come across. Brown trousers and grubby shirt, lacking the braces that all self-respecting males wore. Her mother detested them, at every visit reminding her that someone had just been married, someone who always wore a pretty dress and ribbons. Phen simply sighed.
“So where are you going?” She asked, back-flipping in a fashion Pippin found most annoying; She had had good reason to jest his poor gymnastics.
“To see Merry.”
Her face lit up. “Can I come? I’m bored.” Pippin feigned offence,
“Oh I see, you only come to see me when you have nothing better to do!” He grinned widely. His smile always reminded her of how he looked when he was but a foot high.
“Natuarally, Pip-Weed.” This affectionate nick-name was one she had used ever since she could remember. It was first made to poke gentle fun at his once-small stature, though now at the copious amounts of Leaf he smoked.
This conversation had led them all the way down to Merry’s house. Pip raced up the stone steps shouting, “Merry, Merry! Come on, you’re slower then me sometimes!”
“And that reaaly is saying something!” Chuckled an invisible voice. Merry came bounding over the grassy crest of his roof. “How goes it mortals?” Phen Hoisted herself onto his window sill and tried to scramble up. Merry grabbed her upper arms to help. She found it strange how lately she had begun to notice little guestures like that from him.
They spent the remainder of the day hunting creatures. Merry found a field mouse and two exceptionally large cockroaches, Pippin a hedgehog but Phen won hands down with a leaf green grass snake at least a foot long and a baby fox which had lost its mother. They carried them into the village to show the children, making the bugs and mouse scuttling all about Merrys sleeves, Phen’s snake coiling aroung her neck and going down her collar. They would squeal with delight as one was placed carefully in their tiny palm. Though none but Merry would go near the cockroaches. He had a fearlessness with insects that Phen greatly admired. There was a practicle use for their foolhardy exercise. The young ones were kept out of their parents way. Preparation for the biggest party the Shire had ever seen was in final preparation. Bilbo Baggin’s one hundredth and eleventh birthday was an event indeed. No-one remembered a Hobbit living this long for hundreds of years.
They were fetching pieces of bread they could feed to the hedgehog when there was fresh shouts from the group. They lept up and ran down the hill. “Gandalf! Gandalf, its Gandalf!” Pip’s face lit up and him Merry and Phen looked at each other in unison. Without a word they put their wild pets into the undergrowth and pelted after. They stopped on the road, lifting clamouring children onto their shoulders. They could see a cart and the back of Gandalf’s head, topped with grey hat. “Fireworks Gandalf, make fireworks!” They cried. But as the cart drew to the corner, there were disappointed noises. The three adults knew better. At the last moment brightly coloured sparks exploded from him and spiralled into the air. Through the cheers, the jumping and the lights, Phen saw a small brown curly head bobbing beside Gandalf. When he turned to Gandalf she saw his face.
“Pip, its Frodo! In Gandalf’s cart! Let’s go!” They plonked their squealing charges on the fence and ran afte rthe cart.
“Frodo! Frodo!” He turned in his seat. Hello Merry, Pippin.” Gandalf stopped and looked around.
“Hello Peregrin, Meriadoc. And you are Peregrin’s sister are you not?” She grinned.
“Yes Sir. Phentalon.” He eyed her with interest.
“I have heard a rumor involving you and your brother. That you have the ability to connect minds.” She looked at her feet, going pink.
“Yes Sir.” Usually this news was met with suspiscious looks, muttering behind hands, words like ‘unnatural’ and ‘dark magic’ were heard often. But Gandalf raised his eyebrows in an appraising way.
“That is most rare in Hobbits. Would you mind telling me how you do it?” This was a surprise. Wrong-footed, she mumbled,
“umm, alright. Ready Pip?”
“Ready Phen.” They both closed their eyes. She concentrated on his face and relaxed her mind as much as she could. Then a voice echoed quietly.
‘No-one’s ever thought it was interesting before.’
‘Well, he is a wizard after all. More open minded than Hobbits.’
‘Give me something to say to him, Phen.’
‘Alright, tell him, “Pip’s an Ork dropping.”’ He sniggered in and outside his head.
‘No.’ And he cut her off and said out loud, “She says she loves Gandalf’s hat!” There was great laughter amongst the Hobbits and Gandalf chuckled dryly. They rode in the back for a while, Gandalf even put his hat on Phen’s head. He question them about their 'gift' a little more.
“Do you use it often?”
“Not when we’re together.” Said Pippin cheerfully, munching on an apple. “It takes a lot of concentration. Otherwise we would be able to hear each other all the time, and we would go mad.”
“Is this difference to other mind-reading, Gandalf?” Phen had been surprised that Gandalf was asking questions. She assumed wizards knew everything. He pondered her question for a few moments.
“Well, I have only ever heard of wizards having this talent, so I was wondering that myself.” This was not a satifying answer but she was not going to get another so she let it be. When the sky began to redden on the horizon, Merry said, “aren’t we supposed to be helping set up the food?” The resulting guilty scramble to get to the party field as quickly as possible left all of half a second for ‘goobye’s and ‘see you at the party’s.
It looked spectacular. An enormous yellow marquee had been erected over several long tables, which were being layden with food as they arrived. Walking under the giant banner reading ‘Happy Birthday Bilbo Baggins’, they say more tables layed out around an area they assumed was for dancing. After a little scolding that Phen’s mother did not really mean, they were put to work. It took all three of them and a Boffin who’s name they did not know to take a huge tureen of stew to the central table. Arms already sore, they joined a chain to pass dish after dish along. As each aroma came by, their mouths watered. By the time the sky had totally darkened they were finished. They wandered to their holes to get ready.
Even Phen had to conceed that certain times called for a dress. This was, unfortunately, one of them. She stood in front of her mirror, picking at the puffed sleeves. Her mother had made it for her. Phen recognised a pretty dress when she saw one. Red skirt with white trim, white top, embroidered with red flowers and short sleeves trimmed red. Being nice did not stop it feeling thoroughly uncomfortable. She brushed her long ginger hair and tied back the two pieces over her ears with a ribbon. Red, of course.
Then came a knock at the door. She had expected Pip or another friend, Rosie perhaps. But not Merry. She had not seen him lookig smart before and was pleasently surprised. Not much had changed, combed hair and a yellow waist-coat with a little rose pinned on. Proof that it still made a difference was the tight feeling in Phen’s chest. She did not like it, it made her shy and awkward. He coughed.
“I was, er, wondering if you were ready.” She tried to tell herself to act how she would any day. But that involved rather a lot of running and jumping. Definitely not suitable in a dress. Oh goodness, she thought, what if Pip hears? If there were ever private thoughts, it was these. Be rational, she told herself sternly as they walked down the path together. If you do not specifically think that you want him to he will not. After that brief panic she relaxed a little and they talked more easily. When they reached Pippin’s hole she watched him for a sign that her thoughts had slipped through. He had never been a good bluffer so she was confident her secret remained so.
Many had already arrived, she guessed at least thirty. Merry was hailed by a few friends clutching flagons. As he was about to leave she saw his rose had fallen on the ground. She picked it up and tried to hand it to him. He did not take it. “I’ll only lose it again. Besides, it matches your dress.” Though the colour his face was turning went rather well. “Which is nice, by the way.” He then ran to join the group as fast as he possibly could. She stood staring at the flower for a long time, feeling very light headed.
The food was very enjoyable and she chattered happily enough, but was rather annoyed that Merry happened to be seated next to a particulary pretty blonde hobbit. The dancing began and she joined in for a while, in one that involved couples changing often. She was disappointed when Merry sat it out. After a time even the shyest were dancing. She was about to, when she saw Merry with the same pretty one from dinner. She sat back down hard and noticed a very glum Sam a few seats away.
“Not having fun either?” She asked flatly. He sighed.
“I don’t get on well at parties. Especially when there are people I don’t know.”
“Me too.” She lied, glaring at the girl. Frodo flung himself down beside Sam, out of breath.
“Hello again Phen.” He looked back to his friend. “Go on Sam, ask Rosie for a dance.” Sam turned to watch her, blue skirt whirling. For a moment he looked vaguley tempted. Then sighed again and said,
“I think I’ll just have another ale.” But as he got up Frodo shouted, “Oh no you don’t!” and pushed Sam into the dance at Rosie. It was very fast, so he had no choice but to join. Frodo laughed hard. Usually Phen would have joined him but as Merry spun past she fell into an even blacker temperment. Frodo looked from her to him and back again.
“What?”
“Oh nothing.” He said in a falsley nonchalant tone. Several songs later she noticed Merry was gone. Pip too. She went for a walk amongst the tents to find them. It did not take long as the moment she left her seat he entered her head.
‘Phen, come to Gandalf’s firework tent!’ This sounded good.
‘Why?’
‘Just come, now!’ She ran without another word and found Merry hoisting Pip into the cart they had ridden earlier, which was inside the tent to stop others getting to them. Needless to say that had failed. She watched her brother pick up a thick green one and wave it at Merry.
“No, no the big one!”
‘The dragon shaped one!’ She laughed because she saw him jump.
“What’s wrong? Come on Pip, the big one!” She crept up behind Merry and hissed,
"The dragon one!" into his ear.
“Gah!” He shouted and lept around. “Oh, hello Phen. A dragon one you say?” He climbed the wheel spokes and looked in. “Yes!” They pulled it out. Pip took flint and a stick from his poket and lit it. In his excitement he had clean forgotten they were in a tent. “You’re supposed to stick it in the ground!”
“It is in the ground!”
“Outside!”
“This was your idea!” That was when it went off. The tent rose with it and as the huge rocket burned through, it fell onto Phen. She freed herself in time to see a great golden dragon spread its wings and swoop upwards and explode into thousands of spectacular stars. It seemed the crowd had had to dive for cover because the excited noises came from the ground. When she tried to get up, her foot caught under the material. She struggled and the boys, faces blackened, came to help.
“That was good!” Grinned Merry. Then Gandalf came around the corner. Phen slid back under but Pippin was too busy telling Merry that they should get another one to notice. She peeked out and saw Gandalf take them by the ears.
“Ow ah ow!”
“Meriadock Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. I might’ve known. I take it your sister has more sense than to get up to things like this.” Pippin squirmed.
“No she’s- Ow!” Merry trod hard on his foot. “No, she’s…dancing.” Gandalf led them away and after waiting just long enough Phen followed. She stopped behind a post and watched them take dirty pots to tubs of water.
‘You were going to tell him!’ She thought angrily.
‘No I was not!’
‘If Merry hadn’t trod on your foot…’ She let it hang and could not help but grin that he had rescued her from her little brother’s stupidity.
‘Which really hurt if anyone cares!’
‘Good. She immediatly felt bad. ‘How do I distract Gandalf?’
‘You don’t.’ Despite everything he did not want her to get into a lot of trouble. She ignored him.
‘I’ll tell him something. Someone else is getting in the firework tent? Maybe not.’ She plotted.
‘I could say that Bilbo wants to see him. When Gandalf tells goes, Bilbo’ll think he just forgot waht it was. He’s quite drunk already.’
‘Phen, you’re a genius.’ He said in awe.
‘Of course I am.’ She laughed. ‘I’m a Took. Be right there.’ She checked her reflection in a puddle to make sure there were no blast marks, tidied herself and ran to the washing-up tent.
“Gandalf Gandalf! Bilbo said he wants you to come and enjoy the party and not sit around watching over two idiot Hobbits.” She glared at them convincingly, looking very much as if she was of this opinion as well. Gandalf chuckled.
“I admire your loyalty Phentalon.” He surveyed her and she blushed and stared at the ground. “Though I hardly flatter myself to say that I have such ability as to not be hood-winked by a Hobbit.” He smiled kindly. “Even a particularly quick-witted Hobbit who can read minds. Alright, get along with you.” He waved his hand. She looked at Merry and Pippin as if to say ‘I tried’ and walked off. “All of you.” They looked as though they thought this a cruel joke. “But next time you feel the need to play with my fireworks, you will find yourself weeding gardens for the rest of your days.”
“Thank you Gandalf!” They put down the pots.
“Thank you Sir!” and hurried away.
“Nice try Phen.”
“What do you mean? You’re out. How do you know that wasn’t the way I intended my plan to go?” They laughed. They reached the tables and Pippin made to sit. Phen tugged his arm. “Come on Pip!”
“I don’t like dancing. I’m no good at it.”
“Neither’s Merry and he has!”
“Oi!” Merry glowered.
“I’m only joking. Oh please Pip.”
“Fine.” He grumped. A new one had just begun. She loved dancing because you did not have to think about anythig. Just where to go next, where to put your feet. She whirled from Pippin to Sam, several Hobbits she did not know, to Frodo then Merry. Not only does dance involve not having to think about anything, you cannot and she came very close to falling as the uncomfortable tight feeling came back. It ended and a slower one which involved just one partner started. She sat down and could feel eyes on the back of her head. Turning casually she could see Frodo muttering to Rosie. About Sam no doubt. One cast a glance in her direction. Then another one. She faced forward and resolutely ignored them. She drank deeply from her cup and suddenly Rosie was by her side.
“Everyone’s having fun but you.”
“I know.” She cast a glance around for Merry. When she could not find him immediately she stopped, not wantong Rosie to notice.
“Come on.” Her blue eyes were twinkling. She took Phen’s hand and pulled her up. It seems she had learnt a trick from Frodo. She was given a prod and bumped into Merry, who was in turn being pushed rather harder by Frodo. Suddenly all she could hear was Pippin laughing in the backround somewhere, and could see nothing else.
Peregrin Took wandered along a sun-drenched lane unaware that he was being watched. He meandered aimlessly, picking the occasional berry from a bush and popping it in him mouth. Then, he heard a loud crack from behind the hedge which lined the slope above his head. No wood-land creature made that noise. By nature he was not a paranoid Hobbit, but he wondered why someone would be standing directly behind a hedge. What was in his nature was easy distraction and he was soon trying out his cartwheeling abilities. Without warning a great something crashed down on him, making him thud to the ground and tumble in the dust.
“Fight you scurge! I spit on your skill!” He looked up into the round, laughing face of his elder sister Phentalon.
“Ow! Phen, that hurt!” Concern creased her brow.
“Oh, sorry Pip.” She hauled him to his feet. “No bleeding or bumping.” She looked him over. “You are alright.” She was three feet four, tall for a Hobbit girl of twenty seven. (Though this was not unheard of in a Took, considering their legendary ancestor Bandobras, who reached four foot five). Another unusual trait of hers was she was dressed very much the same as Pippin, or any Hobbit boy you may come across. Brown trousers and grubby shirt, lacking the braces that all self-respecting males wore. Her mother detested them, at every visit reminding her that someone had just been married, someone who always wore a pretty dress and ribbons. Phen simply sighed.
“So where are you going?” She asked, back-flipping in a fashion Pippin found most annoying; She had had good reason to jest his poor gymnastics.
“To see Merry.”
Her face lit up. “Can I come? I’m bored.” Pippin feigned offence,
“Oh I see, you only come to see me when you have nothing better to do!” He grinned widely. His smile always reminded her of how he looked when he was but a foot high.
“Natuarally, Pip-Weed.” This affectionate nick-name was one she had used ever since she could remember. It was first made to poke gentle fun at his once-small stature, though now at the copious amounts of Leaf he smoked.
This conversation had led them all the way down to Merry’s house. Pip raced up the stone steps shouting, “Merry, Merry! Come on, you’re slower then me sometimes!”
“And that reaaly is saying something!” Chuckled an invisible voice. Merry came bounding over the grassy crest of his roof. “How goes it mortals?” Phen Hoisted herself onto his window sill and tried to scramble up. Merry grabbed her upper arms to help. She found it strange how lately she had begun to notice little guestures like that from him.
They spent the remainder of the day hunting creatures. Merry found a field mouse and two exceptionally large cockroaches, Pippin a hedgehog but Phen won hands down with a leaf green grass snake at least a foot long and a baby fox which had lost its mother. They carried them into the village to show the children, making the bugs and mouse scuttling all about Merrys sleeves, Phen’s snake coiling aroung her neck and going down her collar. They would squeal with delight as one was placed carefully in their tiny palm. Though none but Merry would go near the cockroaches. He had a fearlessness with insects that Phen greatly admired. There was a practicle use for their foolhardy exercise. The young ones were kept out of their parents way. Preparation for the biggest party the Shire had ever seen was in final preparation. Bilbo Baggin’s one hundredth and eleventh birthday was an event indeed. No-one remembered a Hobbit living this long for hundreds of years.
They were fetching pieces of bread they could feed to the hedgehog when there was fresh shouts from the group. They lept up and ran down the hill. “Gandalf! Gandalf, its Gandalf!” Pip’s face lit up and him Merry and Phen looked at each other in unison. Without a word they put their wild pets into the undergrowth and pelted after. They stopped on the road, lifting clamouring children onto their shoulders. They could see a cart and the back of Gandalf’s head, topped with grey hat. “Fireworks Gandalf, make fireworks!” They cried. But as the cart drew to the corner, there were disappointed noises. The three adults knew better. At the last moment brightly coloured sparks exploded from him and spiralled into the air. Through the cheers, the jumping and the lights, Phen saw a small brown curly head bobbing beside Gandalf. When he turned to Gandalf she saw his face.
“Pip, its Frodo! In Gandalf’s cart! Let’s go!” They plonked their squealing charges on the fence and ran afte rthe cart.
“Frodo! Frodo!” He turned in his seat. Hello Merry, Pippin.” Gandalf stopped and looked around.
“Hello Peregrin, Meriadoc. And you are Peregrin’s sister are you not?” She grinned.
“Yes Sir. Phentalon.” He eyed her with interest.
“I have heard a rumor involving you and your brother. That you have the ability to connect minds.” She looked at her feet, going pink.
“Yes Sir.” Usually this news was met with suspiscious looks, muttering behind hands, words like ‘unnatural’ and ‘dark magic’ were heard often. But Gandalf raised his eyebrows in an appraising way.
“That is most rare in Hobbits. Would you mind telling me how you do it?” This was a surprise. Wrong-footed, she mumbled,
“umm, alright. Ready Pip?”
“Ready Phen.” They both closed their eyes. She concentrated on his face and relaxed her mind as much as she could. Then a voice echoed quietly.
‘No-one’s ever thought it was interesting before.’
‘Well, he is a wizard after all. More open minded than Hobbits.’
‘Give me something to say to him, Phen.’
‘Alright, tell him, “Pip’s an Ork dropping.”’ He sniggered in and outside his head.
‘No.’ And he cut her off and said out loud, “She says she loves Gandalf’s hat!” There was great laughter amongst the Hobbits and Gandalf chuckled dryly. They rode in the back for a while, Gandalf even put his hat on Phen’s head. He question them about their 'gift' a little more.
“Do you use it often?”
“Not when we’re together.” Said Pippin cheerfully, munching on an apple. “It takes a lot of concentration. Otherwise we would be able to hear each other all the time, and we would go mad.”
“Is this difference to other mind-reading, Gandalf?” Phen had been surprised that Gandalf was asking questions. She assumed wizards knew everything. He pondered her question for a few moments.
“Well, I have only ever heard of wizards having this talent, so I was wondering that myself.” This was not a satifying answer but she was not going to get another so she let it be. When the sky began to redden on the horizon, Merry said, “aren’t we supposed to be helping set up the food?” The resulting guilty scramble to get to the party field as quickly as possible left all of half a second for ‘goobye’s and ‘see you at the party’s.
It looked spectacular. An enormous yellow marquee had been erected over several long tables, which were being layden with food as they arrived. Walking under the giant banner reading ‘Happy Birthday Bilbo Baggins’, they say more tables layed out around an area they assumed was for dancing. After a little scolding that Phen’s mother did not really mean, they were put to work. It took all three of them and a Boffin who’s name they did not know to take a huge tureen of stew to the central table. Arms already sore, they joined a chain to pass dish after dish along. As each aroma came by, their mouths watered. By the time the sky had totally darkened they were finished. They wandered to their holes to get ready.
Even Phen had to conceed that certain times called for a dress. This was, unfortunately, one of them. She stood in front of her mirror, picking at the puffed sleeves. Her mother had made it for her. Phen recognised a pretty dress when she saw one. Red skirt with white trim, white top, embroidered with red flowers and short sleeves trimmed red. Being nice did not stop it feeling thoroughly uncomfortable. She brushed her long ginger hair and tied back the two pieces over her ears with a ribbon. Red, of course.
Then came a knock at the door. She had expected Pip or another friend, Rosie perhaps. But not Merry. She had not seen him lookig smart before and was pleasently surprised. Not much had changed, combed hair and a yellow waist-coat with a little rose pinned on. Proof that it still made a difference was the tight feeling in Phen’s chest. She did not like it, it made her shy and awkward. He coughed.
“I was, er, wondering if you were ready.” She tried to tell herself to act how she would any day. But that involved rather a lot of running and jumping. Definitely not suitable in a dress. Oh goodness, she thought, what if Pip hears? If there were ever private thoughts, it was these. Be rational, she told herself sternly as they walked down the path together. If you do not specifically think that you want him to he will not. After that brief panic she relaxed a little and they talked more easily. When they reached Pippin’s hole she watched him for a sign that her thoughts had slipped through. He had never been a good bluffer so she was confident her secret remained so.
Many had already arrived, she guessed at least thirty. Merry was hailed by a few friends clutching flagons. As he was about to leave she saw his rose had fallen on the ground. She picked it up and tried to hand it to him. He did not take it. “I’ll only lose it again. Besides, it matches your dress.” Though the colour his face was turning went rather well. “Which is nice, by the way.” He then ran to join the group as fast as he possibly could. She stood staring at the flower for a long time, feeling very light headed.
The food was very enjoyable and she chattered happily enough, but was rather annoyed that Merry happened to be seated next to a particulary pretty blonde hobbit. The dancing began and she joined in for a while, in one that involved couples changing often. She was disappointed when Merry sat it out. After a time even the shyest were dancing. She was about to, when she saw Merry with the same pretty one from dinner. She sat back down hard and noticed a very glum Sam a few seats away.
“Not having fun either?” She asked flatly. He sighed.
“I don’t get on well at parties. Especially when there are people I don’t know.”
“Me too.” She lied, glaring at the girl. Frodo flung himself down beside Sam, out of breath.
“Hello again Phen.” He looked back to his friend. “Go on Sam, ask Rosie for a dance.” Sam turned to watch her, blue skirt whirling. For a moment he looked vaguley tempted. Then sighed again and said,
“I think I’ll just have another ale.” But as he got up Frodo shouted, “Oh no you don’t!” and pushed Sam into the dance at Rosie. It was very fast, so he had no choice but to join. Frodo laughed hard. Usually Phen would have joined him but as Merry spun past she fell into an even blacker temperment. Frodo looked from her to him and back again.
“What?”
“Oh nothing.” He said in a falsley nonchalant tone. Several songs later she noticed Merry was gone. Pip too. She went for a walk amongst the tents to find them. It did not take long as the moment she left her seat he entered her head.
‘Phen, come to Gandalf’s firework tent!’ This sounded good.
‘Why?’
‘Just come, now!’ She ran without another word and found Merry hoisting Pip into the cart they had ridden earlier, which was inside the tent to stop others getting to them. Needless to say that had failed. She watched her brother pick up a thick green one and wave it at Merry.
“No, no the big one!”
‘The dragon shaped one!’ She laughed because she saw him jump.
“What’s wrong? Come on Pip, the big one!” She crept up behind Merry and hissed,
"The dragon one!" into his ear.
“Gah!” He shouted and lept around. “Oh, hello Phen. A dragon one you say?” He climbed the wheel spokes and looked in. “Yes!” They pulled it out. Pip took flint and a stick from his poket and lit it. In his excitement he had clean forgotten they were in a tent. “You’re supposed to stick it in the ground!”
“It is in the ground!”
“Outside!”
“This was your idea!” That was when it went off. The tent rose with it and as the huge rocket burned through, it fell onto Phen. She freed herself in time to see a great golden dragon spread its wings and swoop upwards and explode into thousands of spectacular stars. It seemed the crowd had had to dive for cover because the excited noises came from the ground. When she tried to get up, her foot caught under the material. She struggled and the boys, faces blackened, came to help.
“That was good!” Grinned Merry. Then Gandalf came around the corner. Phen slid back under but Pippin was too busy telling Merry that they should get another one to notice. She peeked out and saw Gandalf take them by the ears.
“Ow ah ow!”
“Meriadock Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. I might’ve known. I take it your sister has more sense than to get up to things like this.” Pippin squirmed.
“No she’s- Ow!” Merry trod hard on his foot. “No, she’s…dancing.” Gandalf led them away and after waiting just long enough Phen followed. She stopped behind a post and watched them take dirty pots to tubs of water.
‘You were going to tell him!’ She thought angrily.
‘No I was not!’
‘If Merry hadn’t trod on your foot…’ She let it hang and could not help but grin that he had rescued her from her little brother’s stupidity.
‘Which really hurt if anyone cares!’
‘Good. She immediatly felt bad. ‘How do I distract Gandalf?’
‘You don’t.’ Despite everything he did not want her to get into a lot of trouble. She ignored him.
‘I’ll tell him something. Someone else is getting in the firework tent? Maybe not.’ She plotted.
‘I could say that Bilbo wants to see him. When Gandalf tells goes, Bilbo’ll think he just forgot waht it was. He’s quite drunk already.’
‘Phen, you’re a genius.’ He said in awe.
‘Of course I am.’ She laughed. ‘I’m a Took. Be right there.’ She checked her reflection in a puddle to make sure there were no blast marks, tidied herself and ran to the washing-up tent.
“Gandalf Gandalf! Bilbo said he wants you to come and enjoy the party and not sit around watching over two idiot Hobbits.” She glared at them convincingly, looking very much as if she was of this opinion as well. Gandalf chuckled.
“I admire your loyalty Phentalon.” He surveyed her and she blushed and stared at the ground. “Though I hardly flatter myself to say that I have such ability as to not be hood-winked by a Hobbit.” He smiled kindly. “Even a particularly quick-witted Hobbit who can read minds. Alright, get along with you.” He waved his hand. She looked at Merry and Pippin as if to say ‘I tried’ and walked off. “All of you.” They looked as though they thought this a cruel joke. “But next time you feel the need to play with my fireworks, you will find yourself weeding gardens for the rest of your days.”
“Thank you Gandalf!” They put down the pots.
“Thank you Sir!” and hurried away.
“Nice try Phen.”
“What do you mean? You’re out. How do you know that wasn’t the way I intended my plan to go?” They laughed. They reached the tables and Pippin made to sit. Phen tugged his arm. “Come on Pip!”
“I don’t like dancing. I’m no good at it.”
“Neither’s Merry and he has!”
“Oi!” Merry glowered.
“I’m only joking. Oh please Pip.”
“Fine.” He grumped. A new one had just begun. She loved dancing because you did not have to think about anythig. Just where to go next, where to put your feet. She whirled from Pippin to Sam, several Hobbits she did not know, to Frodo then Merry. Not only does dance involve not having to think about anything, you cannot and she came very close to falling as the uncomfortable tight feeling came back. It ended and a slower one which involved just one partner started. She sat down and could feel eyes on the back of her head. Turning casually she could see Frodo muttering to Rosie. About Sam no doubt. One cast a glance in her direction. Then another one. She faced forward and resolutely ignored them. She drank deeply from her cup and suddenly Rosie was by her side.
“Everyone’s having fun but you.”
“I know.” She cast a glance around for Merry. When she could not find him immediately she stopped, not wantong Rosie to notice.
“Come on.” Her blue eyes were twinkling. She took Phen’s hand and pulled her up. It seems she had learnt a trick from Frodo. She was given a prod and bumped into Merry, who was in turn being pushed rather harder by Frodo. Suddenly all she could hear was Pippin laughing in the backround somewhere, and could see nothing else.