Disclaimer: I own none of the Lord of the Rings characters. Thanks
Frodo sat there, staring into the fire, in a daze. Suddenly, a sharp knock came at the door.
"Mr. Frodo? Are you in there?" Sam's voice called from outside.
Frodo jumped at the knock on the door and hurried to open it for Sam. "Hello, Sam," Frodo greeted his friend with a warm smile. "And what brings you here today?"
"Oh, just coming over for a visit. Someone has to check up on you, you know," Sam replied. "And perhaps to have some tea, if you don't mind, that is."
"Yes, of course, tea!" Frodo said, and hurried to the kitchen. He and Sam sat down at an old table, and Frodo poured a steaming hot cup of tea for both of them. "I have received a letter from Bilbo," Frodo told Sam as they sipped their warm drink. "And it seems to me that he wants me to go to Rivendell as soon as possible."
"Rivendell?" Sam asked. "What would make him want you there?"
"I don't know," Frodo admitted. "I have been pondering over it for the past two days, and I am planning on leaving tonight. I just wanted you to know, so you wouldn't worry if you found me gone."
"Then I'll go with you!" Sam suggested.
"No, you really don't have to. You should probably stay here with Rosie," Frodo began to argue.
"Frodo, I'm going with you because I want to," Sam insisted. "I'm coming along and that's that."
"Oh, Sam, you'd go anywhere with me, wouldn't you?" Frodo asked, admiring his loyal friend.
"Just about!" Sam replied with a grin. "Let's see we'll need a blanket or two and some…"
The next few hours were spent gathering their needed supplies, and before they knew it, they were ready for their week long journey to Rivendell. As the sun was just beginning to set that night, the two hobbits set out on the much-treaded path from Bag End.
"There's Merry and Pippin!" Sam pointed out as they approached them.
"Why, hello, Frodo and Sam!" Pippin greeted them. "Off on yet another adventure?"
"Not entirely," Frodo said. "We are making for Rivendell. Bilbo sent me a letter, asking that I go there at once."
"Well, do wait for us!" Merry exclaimed.
"Yes, we're coming, too!" Pippin shouted, already half way back to his hobbit-hole.
The two mischievous hobbits scurried back to their homes, and within minutes, Merry and Pippin could be seen hurrying to where Frodo and Sam stood waiting for them.
"And look, we've brought plenty of mushrooms!" Pippin announced happily; and lifted a large, brown sack for Frodo and Sam to see.
"Well, that is a good thing," Sam replied, laughing softly.
"We had best be on our way," Frodo said.
"You have Sting with you?" Merry asked, suddenly noticing the sword at Frodo's side. "Are you expecting danger?"
"One might never know what he may encounter during his travels," Frodo replied. "It's just a precaution. I have others that you may use if the need arises."
"Well, I hope it doesn't!" Pippin exclaimed.
"So do I," Frodo said. "So do I."
And without another word, the foursome began their long hike to Rivendell, and an adventure that they would never forget for the rest of their years.
"Can we rest here, please?" Pippin pleaded. "I think my legs might collapse if I take a single step more! I do not see the need to press on any further tonight."
"Yes!" Merry agreed heartily. "We have traveled far enough for the night."
"If we must," Frodo gave in, but he felt that they should keep going.
Merry and Pippin happily set up camp, and Sam pulled Frodo aside. "Why do you want to keep going? I can tell that you did not truly want to stop. What's going on?" Sam questioned him.
"I feel that I am urgently needed there. In Rivendell, I mean. I think that Bilbo may need our help," Frodo replied softly. "We will leave first thing in the morning. Now let's get some sleep."
"Yes, Mr. Frodo," Sam obeyed, and the four hobbits huddled by their small fire, all but Frodo quickly falling asleep.
Frodo tossed and turned for some time before he finally fell asleep and when he did, he had dreams of Bilbo in terrible danger. That Bilbo was looking for, even begging Frodo to help him, and finding that he wasn't there. He woke up, sweat trickling down his forehead, despite the cold crisp in the early morning air.
"Mr. Frodo, what's wrong?" asked Sam, who had been awake for about an hour, and hurried to his master's side.
"Nothing," Frodo answered, "Just a dream."
"Well, we should get going, don't you think?" Sam said.
"Yes, of course," Frodo replied. "Wake Merry and Pippin. We must be off soon."
Sam obediently woke the other two hobbits, who were not exactly thrilled at being awakened.
"But I was having such a wonderful dream!" Pippin complained. "We were sitting around a huge table, piled with food. A gigantic feast it was, and just about to begin eating mushrooms!"
Merry was no happier at being aroused. "Must we leave so early?" he asked with a yawn.
"Yes," Frodo replied. "We must."
"Come on now!" Sam said, "Don't question Frodo; he knows what he's doing. Get up and help us pack our things back together."
Merry and Pippin slowly rose to their feet and began to help the others in getting prepared to leave. About a half an hour later, the four hobbits were back on the road. A few more days they went on, Frodo hurrying them on so much that the trek that should have taken them a week or more, ended up taking them only five! When they arrived at Rivendell, they were in for a surprise…
They walked through the beautifully carved gates of Rivendell shortly before sunset, and there, Arwen greeted the group of hobbits. "Come," she said. "They are waiting for you."
'Who are they?' the four hobbits all wondered at once. 'We came here to meet only one, Bilbo.'
They followed Arwen through a long hall, which led to an elaborate room with a high ceiling. When they entered the room, they found that Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were the ones who had been waiting for them. Thrilled to see them, the hobbits cried out in glee and hurried to embrace their old friends.
"Where's Bilbo?" Frodo asked curiously after the excitement had worn off a little.
The trio simply looked at each other for a moment.
"That is why we are here," Aragorn finally replied. "Bilbo is gone. He's disappeared, along with Elrond."
"Gone!" Frodo cried. "What do you mean?"
"Just what he said," Legolas told them. "Three nights ago, an army of Orcs invaded Rivendell unexpectedly, some bearing the white hand of Saruman, and…"
"Saruman!" Merry interrupted. "Doesn't he ever quit? We have better things we could be doing besides running after him constantly!"
"Like eating mushrooms," Pippin said dreamily.
'Doesn't he ever think of anything but mushrooms?' Sam wondered with a sigh.
"As I was saying, some of the Orcs bore the white hand of Saruman, while others bore a black arrow. The owner of the black arrow mark is still unknown," Legolas continued.
"And you think that Bilbo and Elrond were taken captive by these Orcs?" Frodo asked, shivering at the mere thought of being with those creatures.
"Yes, of course," Gimli replied. "Why else would they suddenly disappear without letting anyone know where they were going?"
Frodo sighed. "I knew we should have gotten here quicker!" he exclaimed in exasperation. "We may have been able to help them!"
"Now Mr. Frodo, you can't blame yourself," Sam said. "We got here as quickly as we could. Even faster than we thought we could!"
"Sam's right, you know," Merry put in.
"I suppose you're right," Frodo admitted.
"Well, what do we do now?" Pippin asked.
"Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are going to Isengard to find Saruman and, hopefully, our friends," Arwen said, who had been quiet up until now. "They waited for you, knowing that you would not be pleased if you were left behind in the quest."
"You were right," Frodo said, glad that they had waited the day for them. "Thank you. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow at dawn," Aragorn replied. "Now get some rest."