Chapter 7
Small comforts
*ACHOO* Frodo sat up in bed, blowing his nose and feeling miserable. Gandalf, who had been dozing quietly in the chair beside the hobbit's bed, opened his eyes and turned.
"Would you like some more camomile tea, lad?" The wizard asked.
Frodo raised his head with a frown. "Yes, Gandalf. That would be fine." He set the soiled handkerchief back on his nightstand and lay back down on the pillow, wrapping his small, trembling body tightly with his blankets. He missed Bilbo so terribly, and even moreso now that he felt so ill. Gandalf brought some comfort but not enough to be satisfying.
Sam had forgiven Frodo for sneezing the water from the steambath all over his waistcoat of course, but Frodo was still a bit embarassed for doing so. He had been over again that night with a fresh packet of rosemary leaves and set it on the nightstand along with the other numerous medicines the healer had given the new Master of Bag-End. "I have to get back to me Gaffer," Sam had explained when Frodo asked if he could stay a bit longer. "He likes to have story time with us before bed."
Frodo sneezed once more as Gandalf entered the room with yet another mug of the strong-smelling tea. "Here you are, lad. Nice and hot." Frodo struggled to sit up so he could hold the saucer.
"Thank you, Gandalf. I'm sorry I'm being such a nuisance with this blasted cold." He took a small sip of the tea and closed his eyes as it smoothly went down his sore throat.
"Nonsense. I promised Bilbo I'd keep two eyes on you while he was gone. And if you'll forgive me, Frodo, you're still inexperienced with living alone."
Frodo smiled. "I suppose I am. But I do want to thank you for throwing that lawyer out the window-that made my night." He laughed.
"Yes, yes."
"So where did you go, Gandalf? You said you had some things to see to about my Uncle's Ring?"
Gandalf frowned. "I did find some things out but nothing pleasant, lad. That Ring is far more dangerous than I ever would have guessed. Not that Bilbo knew that when he picked it up."
Frodo's impossibly blue eyes widened with surprise. "Dangerous? What do you mean?" he asked anxiously. He ignored the symptoms of his present illness just so he could hear what Gandalf had to say.
"Before I begin, I must show you something. Where is the Ring?"
"It's-it's in that chest by the fireplace at the very bottom-under those old maps of Bilbo's," Frodo explained, taking another sip of tea. "Do you need help finding it?"
"No-stay in bed, Frodo. I'll be able to sense where it is. Oh heaven above, I didn't mean that." The wizard shook his head in disgust as he hurried into the parlor. Frodo blinked.
"Didn't mean what?" he asked, but the wizard couldn't hear him.
(This is an AU story because Frodo is with Gandalf when the writing on the band appears)
Gandalf opened the chest and pulled everything out of it until he spotted the old envelope and took that out. He opened it up and pulled out the shiny gold ring, bringing it over to the fire and tossing it in. He quickly picked up a pair of iron tongs and waited a moment or two before retrieving the band of metal and when he did, he rushed back into Frodo's room.
"Hold out your hand, Frodo. It's quite cool."
"What's all this about, Gandalf?" Frodo asked, setting his tea cup and saucer on the nightstand so he could have a free hand for the Ring. When the wizard dropped the ring onto his palm, silence filled the room.
"What do you see?" The wizard asked. "Can you see anything?"
Frodo, now more confused than ever, held the ring in front of his eyes and examined every square inch of it. "Nothing," he replied. "There's nothing."
That did not last long, for eventually firey-red letters began to appear around the outside of the Ring. Frodo gasped. "Wait...there are markings. It's some form of Elvish-I can't read it." Suddenly his nose crinkled and with his free hand, he tried to stall the sneeze but it was too late. CLANK! The ring flew right off of his hand and to the floor as a result of the blow and Gandalf immediately went to snatch it back up again.
"I'm sorry, Gandalf." Frodo apologized, reaching for his handkerchief once more.
"That's all right-no harm done. But you are right-there are few who are able to read those markings on that ring. The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here."
Stopping the process of blowing his nose, Frodo looked up. "Mordor!"
Gandalf nodded. "Yes, Frodo. In the common tongue it reads: One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness...bind them. This is the One Ring-forged by the dark Lord Sauron. He needs only this Ring, lad, to cover all the lands of Middle- Earth in a second darkness."
Frodo's mouth fell open. "Oh Gandalf-I don't think I wish to hear anymore at the moment. I'm terribly ill." He pulled the blankets over his head. The wizard smiled before pulling them back down again.
"Frodo, lad-you DID ask me if I'd found out more about the Ring."
Frodo slowly pulled the blankets away from his face, only his eyes peering at the wizard with uncertainty. "Can I not go back on my word tonight? Maybe I'll feel better in the morning and I'll be able to take it in."
"Tomorrow? But..."
"Please, Gandalf? I just want to sleep."
"You are a pip, Frodo. I don't know what to do with you." Gandalf placed the Ring on top of Frodo's desk. "I suppose I will let you slide just this once. But there is quite a bit of evil going on and I don't want it to pop up and surprise you."
Frodo's lower lip trembled. "I'm-Gandalf, could you stay with me again? I don't want to be alone-by myself. I don't want some demon to sneak into my bedroom and eat me."
The wizard chortled. "Of course, Frodo! Of course. I'll lock the doors and windows too, shall I? Just so you feel safe?"
Frodo gave the wizard a look. "You can keep the window in this room open. I don't like to sleep when it's so hot and stuffy, but yes-I would preferr it if you locked up the rest of the smial."
Gandalf patted the lad on the head before heading back into the parlor. Just as he left, Frodo quickly reached for his handkerchief and broke into another sneezing fit, interspersed with a few coughs. "Ugh." He mumbled. "G'night, pillow." He mumbled, before blowing out the candle and snuggling back into bed again.
*ACHOO* Frodo sat up in bed, blowing his nose and feeling miserable. Gandalf, who had been dozing quietly in the chair beside the hobbit's bed, opened his eyes and turned.
"Would you like some more camomile tea, lad?" The wizard asked.
Frodo raised his head with a frown. "Yes, Gandalf. That would be fine." He set the soiled handkerchief back on his nightstand and lay back down on the pillow, wrapping his small, trembling body tightly with his blankets. He missed Bilbo so terribly, and even moreso now that he felt so ill. Gandalf brought some comfort but not enough to be satisfying.
Sam had forgiven Frodo for sneezing the water from the steambath all over his waistcoat of course, but Frodo was still a bit embarassed for doing so. He had been over again that night with a fresh packet of rosemary leaves and set it on the nightstand along with the other numerous medicines the healer had given the new Master of Bag-End. "I have to get back to me Gaffer," Sam had explained when Frodo asked if he could stay a bit longer. "He likes to have story time with us before bed."
Frodo sneezed once more as Gandalf entered the room with yet another mug of the strong-smelling tea. "Here you are, lad. Nice and hot." Frodo struggled to sit up so he could hold the saucer.
"Thank you, Gandalf. I'm sorry I'm being such a nuisance with this blasted cold." He took a small sip of the tea and closed his eyes as it smoothly went down his sore throat.
"Nonsense. I promised Bilbo I'd keep two eyes on you while he was gone. And if you'll forgive me, Frodo, you're still inexperienced with living alone."
Frodo smiled. "I suppose I am. But I do want to thank you for throwing that lawyer out the window-that made my night." He laughed.
"Yes, yes."
"So where did you go, Gandalf? You said you had some things to see to about my Uncle's Ring?"
Gandalf frowned. "I did find some things out but nothing pleasant, lad. That Ring is far more dangerous than I ever would have guessed. Not that Bilbo knew that when he picked it up."
Frodo's impossibly blue eyes widened with surprise. "Dangerous? What do you mean?" he asked anxiously. He ignored the symptoms of his present illness just so he could hear what Gandalf had to say.
"Before I begin, I must show you something. Where is the Ring?"
"It's-it's in that chest by the fireplace at the very bottom-under those old maps of Bilbo's," Frodo explained, taking another sip of tea. "Do you need help finding it?"
"No-stay in bed, Frodo. I'll be able to sense where it is. Oh heaven above, I didn't mean that." The wizard shook his head in disgust as he hurried into the parlor. Frodo blinked.
"Didn't mean what?" he asked, but the wizard couldn't hear him.
(This is an AU story because Frodo is with Gandalf when the writing on the band appears)
Gandalf opened the chest and pulled everything out of it until he spotted the old envelope and took that out. He opened it up and pulled out the shiny gold ring, bringing it over to the fire and tossing it in. He quickly picked up a pair of iron tongs and waited a moment or two before retrieving the band of metal and when he did, he rushed back into Frodo's room.
"Hold out your hand, Frodo. It's quite cool."
"What's all this about, Gandalf?" Frodo asked, setting his tea cup and saucer on the nightstand so he could have a free hand for the Ring. When the wizard dropped the ring onto his palm, silence filled the room.
"What do you see?" The wizard asked. "Can you see anything?"
Frodo, now more confused than ever, held the ring in front of his eyes and examined every square inch of it. "Nothing," he replied. "There's nothing."
That did not last long, for eventually firey-red letters began to appear around the outside of the Ring. Frodo gasped. "Wait...there are markings. It's some form of Elvish-I can't read it." Suddenly his nose crinkled and with his free hand, he tried to stall the sneeze but it was too late. CLANK! The ring flew right off of his hand and to the floor as a result of the blow and Gandalf immediately went to snatch it back up again.
"I'm sorry, Gandalf." Frodo apologized, reaching for his handkerchief once more.
"That's all right-no harm done. But you are right-there are few who are able to read those markings on that ring. The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here."
Stopping the process of blowing his nose, Frodo looked up. "Mordor!"
Gandalf nodded. "Yes, Frodo. In the common tongue it reads: One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness...bind them. This is the One Ring-forged by the dark Lord Sauron. He needs only this Ring, lad, to cover all the lands of Middle- Earth in a second darkness."
Frodo's mouth fell open. "Oh Gandalf-I don't think I wish to hear anymore at the moment. I'm terribly ill." He pulled the blankets over his head. The wizard smiled before pulling them back down again.
"Frodo, lad-you DID ask me if I'd found out more about the Ring."
Frodo slowly pulled the blankets away from his face, only his eyes peering at the wizard with uncertainty. "Can I not go back on my word tonight? Maybe I'll feel better in the morning and I'll be able to take it in."
"Tomorrow? But..."
"Please, Gandalf? I just want to sleep."
"You are a pip, Frodo. I don't know what to do with you." Gandalf placed the Ring on top of Frodo's desk. "I suppose I will let you slide just this once. But there is quite a bit of evil going on and I don't want it to pop up and surprise you."
Frodo's lower lip trembled. "I'm-Gandalf, could you stay with me again? I don't want to be alone-by myself. I don't want some demon to sneak into my bedroom and eat me."
The wizard chortled. "Of course, Frodo! Of course. I'll lock the doors and windows too, shall I? Just so you feel safe?"
Frodo gave the wizard a look. "You can keep the window in this room open. I don't like to sleep when it's so hot and stuffy, but yes-I would preferr it if you locked up the rest of the smial."
Gandalf patted the lad on the head before heading back into the parlor. Just as he left, Frodo quickly reached for his handkerchief and broke into another sneezing fit, interspersed with a few coughs. "Ugh." He mumbled. "G'night, pillow." He mumbled, before blowing out the candle and snuggling back into bed again.