The Mothermaiden

[PhoenixReborn]

Thea helped her brother up and walked to where Sam was sitting with Merry, "Are you alright, Merry? What a strange thing for a tree to do!"
Merry blushed and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. How about you, Pip?"
His friend nodded, "Fine."
Thea left them together and went with Sam to where Frodo was talking with the odd man
"Sam, Thea. This is Mr. Bombadil." said Frodo.
Thea smiled, "I'm Thea." she said, dipping her head respectfully.
Sam shook hands with him, "Samwise Gamgee, pleasure meeting you."
Tom smiled, "Tom Bombadil. Nice to meet you, Sam and Thea." his smile was very jolly, and left his cheeks red.
"Tom has invited us to stay at his house with his wife, Goldberry." said Frodo. "I said that we would come."
"Good man, Frodo!" said Thea, patting him on the back, "Turning down such an offer would make you a fool!"
Frodo smiled. Thea was undoubtedly a child raised in the home of the Tooks.
Thea went to Pippin, "Well, Pip, "she said, pulling up her sleeves. "We have a roof under our heads tonight, and a solid roof, I would beleive, as well."
Pippin and Merry were in the habbit of suddenly going into quite happy moods, "Well, let's get on with it, shall we?" Pippin said, standing strait up.
"Yes, " said Merry, rising to his feet as well. "Let's."

[Alatar Maia]

yeah 'in the habit of suddenly being in a happy mood'...
that describes them alright

[Triptune]

This is, once again, very true to the characters. Well done!

[PhoenixReborn]

Chapter Seven
Houses are Houses, Homes are What you Need

As they walked with Tom, Pippin stayed close to Thea. He knew that he'd never speak of what had happened in the tree, but it was enough to scare him. Merry stayed close to the elf as well, though she avoided his gaze. Frodo walked in the back with Sam. Every so often, Thea would glance back at him, and every so often, he would grin back at her, realizing more and more what he would soon find that he'd known his whole life.
  But for Thea, she played in her mind a conversation that shed had with her best friend, Rosie Cotton, while they were working at The Green Dragon.

"So, Rosie," Thea had said, "Who do you fancy?" the smirk on her face showed she was looking for gossip.
"Oh no, Thea. I'm not telling." Rosie had said, and it appeared that she meant it.  But Thea knew her friend too well.
"Is it Pippin?" she asked, knowing the answer.
Rosie looked disgusted, "No no no, not Pippin, that bluffering fool is a as good as a pin in the..." she stopped when she remembered that Pippin was Thea's brother.
"What about Merry?" asked Thea. "You and him getting married would have him off my tail like that." she snapped her fingers.
Rosie laughed, "And we all know how long that would last." she said, her words dripping with sarcasm.
"Well, if it's not Frodo...." said Thea knowing the reaction would come.
"Well now, you never asked about that lad." said Rosie indignantly.
Thea finished her sentence with a knowing grin, "....then it must be Sam!"
"Fine!" shouted Rosie, "Fine! I fancy Sam, but you can't go telling folk about it or he'll know in half a moment."
Thea returned to drying the dishes Rosie washed, "Oh you don't have to worry about that." she said.
"Why? Thea...what did you do?" Rosie's face grew red.
"Oh, I didn't do anything. Frodo told me Sam fancies you too is all." she glanced at her friend.
"Well," said Rosie, there were suds in her hair, "Now you have to tell me who you fancy."
"What? Me tell you?" said Thea with ridiculous disbeleif.
"Thats the rules!"
"But I'm not allowed to tell you!"
"What, did your Mother tell you not to?"
"No!" Thea said, now growing embarassed. "Im not meant to fancy him is all."
"What do you mean by that?" said Rosie, confused. "Is he married?"
"No no, nothing like that. But can I tell you a secret?"
Rosie rolled her eyes and smiled, "Out with it!"
Thea took a deep breath, "If I could love anyone person in all of Middle Earth, if no one was a relative, I would...I would love Frodo."
Rosie's eyebrows rose, "I swear I'll never tell. Not a soul, but you must swear not to tell anyone about Sam."
"I swear." Thea had said. But she fealt bad, knowing that when a moment came, Sam would need cheering up, and she would tell him.
As she looked at him now, walking with Frodo, she smiled.
When they reached the house of Tom Bombadil, Nenethiel asked Frodo if they could speak outside.
"Frodo, is this Tom to be trusted?" she asked him, truly worried.
He smiled, "You see the future, tell me."
She closed her eyes, and in her heart Thea knew all was safe at this mans house.
  When they went inside Pippin and Merry were no where to be found, Sam stood waiting for his master, and when he saw him he gave him a hopeful look, to which Frodo shook his head. Though not meant for her, Thea saw this and was puzzled.
"Pippin and Merry have gone to bathe, for Thea I have set up a tub in a seperate room, with fresh clothes, though I see you dislike dresses. Goldberry will bring you something else." said Tom with a jolly grin.
Thea nodded her thanks, and walked with Goldberry to a room at the very end of the hall.
"Never before has this house been graced by royalty." said Goldberry.
"Please, I am barley three hundred and fifty. Not a fit age to be considered true royalty, and I am in most manners a man." said Nenethiel, unused to being respected as a princess.
"None the less, it is an honor." said the tall elf-like woman as she opened the door to a room with a steaming tub and soaps for her long golden hair, and for when she was finished there were many elven head pieces for the braid she so often wore.
  Soaking in the steaming tub, Thea had time to think. She remembered, again, her conversaition with Rosie, and what she had said. Now that she knew she was unrelated to Frodo, thoughts and questions poured into her mind. She allowed her head below the surface of the deep basin, and sat submerged as a new feeling stirred in her heart. She didn't know if it belonged, yet she did not push it away. When she was finished, she put on the nightdress that had been left out along with a change of clothes for morning. She dried her hair, then combed and braided it. For a headdress she chose a silver one that went like a cap on the back of her head with swirling leaves that spiraled down and entwined itself with the braid that hung to the side of Thea's head. The fine silver piece ended in a bow of leaves upon the end of her braid. She folded the towel she had used and placed it on top of the pile of clothes for tomorrow and carried them to the room she found with their things and five matresses. Her cloak, sword, quiver, bow, and pack had been layed down on the bed closest to the wall. As she looked about the room, she saw that her bed was next to Frodo's, and Sam was on the other side of him. She left the room and went into the large room where all four hobbits were quietly sitting my the fire. Tom and his wife had disapeared. As she stepped to the table laden with food a board beneath her feet creaked, and Frodo jumped.
"Frodo, calm down." she whispered, not knowing why. "Its only me. What's all this food for?"
Pippin grinned, "Its for us." he said, swallowing to keep his mouth from watering. "They said we can eat when we get hungry."
Thea smiled at her brother, "Well, being Took's, we were born hungry. So I'm not sure about you three, but I know Pip and I are eating now."
She sat down and Pippin placed himself next to her, Merry sat on his other side, and Sam and Frodo sat on the other side of the large table.
  There were chickens, mashed pototaoes, smoked mushrooms, gravy, a turkey, apples, oranges, pears, stews, cheeses, breads, broths, and beer. The hungry little people stuffed their faces, rather unlike hobbits and more like barbarians, and chewed loudly, not caring who heard them. Thea ate half of a chicken, a turkey leg, an orange, and two and a half bowls of stew. By the time they were finished there was no food left on the table, and they didn't mind for Tom and Goldberry had eaten already.
  When they felt they could manage it, they sat back by the fire.
"Now," said Thea. "What to do about the Ring."
Merry had brought a hardroll from the table, "Well," he said,  mouth full. "We could just drop it somewhere."
Sam slapped his head, "No, you ninnyhammer. Then anyone could find it."
Frodo nodded silently, "Sam's right." all eyes were on him, "We can't do that, Gandalf will tell us what is to be done when we reach Bree."
Thea spoke up, "I know what will happen then." she said. "We will reach Bree and be taken on to Rivendell. Then we will be told to destroy it."
Pippin looked confused, "Destroy what?"
Thea rolled her eyes, "The Ring, you fool." she looked at Frodo, who's hand was at his pocket where the Ring sat. He did not look to like the idea, but Thea flashed him a look that appeared to have given him hope.
"Perhaps." he said, laziliy, "Perhaps not."
"Frodo Baggins keep your hands off of that Ring." said the elf girl harshly. "I will not stand to see more lives claimed on it's behalf." she stood up and stormed off into the room with their beds and fell asleep.
  She dreamt of elves, elves in danger. They died in battle, a battle comanded by a rough looking man. He had long dark hair and the beginings of a beard. He held in his hands a sword with elvish on it's blade, but it could not be read. Then the long sword burst into pieces. She knew this man was going to help her, and that shed dream of him again.
  In the morning she was the first of the hobbits to wake. She dressed in the closet and braided her hair in a way she had never tried before. There were two small braids going around her ears and another large one in the back, but most of her hair was down. Thea walked out into the kitchen where she helped Goldberry make a small breakfast. There was porridge and oatmeal, toast, eggs, bacon, and mushrooms. Slowly each of the hobbits emerged like turtles from their shells, and sat down at the table, thanking the two women for the meal. Tom was awake, but had been outside chopping wood. He went about humming merrily, and sometimes a 'hey dol!' or 'derry dol!' would escape him. After breakfast Thea did the dishes and went to pack her things.
  Pippin, Sam, Merry, and Frodo were already gathering all they had brought when Thea entered the room. She sat on her bed, placing the rope into her quiver. She took her sword and sheathed it at her side, sensing that she would need it soon. Her pack was beside Frodo's in the gap between their beds, and they reached for them at the same time. Their hands touched, and Nenethiel's heart stopped beating for a moment. She didn't flinch and merely picked up her bag, putting the rest of her things inside.
  The said farewell to Tom and Goldberry, thanking them for the food and beds, and then they were off. They hadn't gone far when Tom came running up to them, offering them use of ponies. Frodo accepted, telling the others to stay where they were while he went and got the small steeds.
  Thea sat next to Sam, "Why do you not talk to me?" she asked him.
"Well, it's not that I hate you," he said, quite sheepish, "But since you told Mr. Frodo about you being an elf and all, he's always looking at you. Always watching and grinning like I've never seen him before. He's never smiled like that about anything, about anyone. It's just strange to me."
  Thea was quiet for a moment, "Well, Sam, I can't promise to avoid Frodo, but I can promise not to get between your friendship if it can be helped. I swear that I will always remember the bond between a gardener and his master, between two friends."
  Sam smiled a bit, "Thanks, miss, but you didn't have to say that, I trust you."
  "No Sam," said she, "Saying makes it mean more."
They both smiled and looked up, Frodo and Tom had ruturned with five ponies.
  They stood, thanked Tom again, mounted the ponies, and went on their way.

[PhoenixReborn]

Chapter Eight
To the Barrow Downs

They rode for hours, heading ever closer to the Downs. Merry found a small stream where they had stopped for a drink, and Pippin had found a bush with wild raspberries, which they devoured.
  Having the ponies made traveling much, much easier, and when they stopped after the moon had risen, the dear little creatures were perfectly silent. For supper, they ate berries and apples, as well as a bit of smoked ham and potatoes. They sat late into the night, Thea naming constelations and stars, remembering the Elvish names. The moon was brigh and full, and the air was soft and warm.
  Merry and Pippin went to bed at was they all guessed was eight o'clock, Sam followed at eight thirty. Thea fed the fire, and Frodo stared into it. When it was blazing, the young elf sat next to her friend.
"Frodo," she said, hesitantly. "This morning I made a...er...promise to Sam. I told him that I wouldn't get between the two of you, being so close and all. But, I'm not sure if I can keep that promise like I'd hoped to because...well, you see...I think...I think I'm in love with you." she avoided his blue eyed gaze, her face turned red with embarassment.
"Thea," he said quietly. "I love you, too." he grabbed Thea's shoulder, turning her around, pulled her close and kissed her. Thea had never kissed anyone, nor been kissed herself, and she had never wanted to, that is, until now.
  Elves mate for life. There are rare exceptions, but when a lifemate is found, the change is instantanious and permanent. In the moment of bonding, there is no going back. They cannot exist without their other half.
  Thea put her right arm around Frodo's neck, her left hand buried in his brown hair as the kiss deepened. She shot a glance behind him, and almost startled when she saw Sam's face, streaked with tears. She flashed him a sorry look, but didn't pull away from Frodo. Fireworks as grand as Gandalf's were going off between them, and she didn't want it to end. Ever. When he did pull away, Frodo smiled awkwardly, his next breaths were shaky and uncertain.
"Frodo?" she said, leaning her forhead into his.
"Yes?" he said, his arm around Thea.
"Did you know that all things that have become were once pondered, dreamt of, and hoped for in the past?"
Frodo smiled, "Well, then this has definately become."
They sat together the rest of the night, whispering to each other in Elvish. It was astounding, the change from friends to lifemates. One moment they were merely friends with thoughts, but now they were soul mates, inseperable for the rest of time. It was nearlly midnight when they went to bed, Thea went her way, he went his, but both knew that they wouldn't sleep, the pounding if their hearts and the excitement of first love was too great.
  Thea woke Sam, Merry, and Pippin in the morning, they ate a quick breakfast of bread and cheese, and started off again on the ponies. A small nervousness grew among them as the Barrow Downs came into sight. It was a grim looking place, shadowed and dark, tall mounument like-rocks. A chill seeped into her bones at every inch towards that place. She hated it, pulling her pony alongside Frodo's.
"Remember the words?" she asked him, whispering.
"What words?"
"The song, the song Tom told you." she rolled her eyes.
He nodded, "Of course I do." he said smiling at her like she was daft.
  Suddenly, the ponies started rearing, throwing their riders to the cold, hard ground.


WIP! hope you like it!

[Triptune]

I have said it once, I will say it again- YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT WRITER. TOP-GRADE. Your English teacher would be proud. Keep your gift sharp, keep writing!! (The other reason is that I can't wait to see what happens next.)

p.s. No veren, Noro go hûl, bado go Eru.
(Hope you understand that...)

CHAPTER EIGHT EDIT-
Ah, young love. Love it how the end of the chapter shatters the peace.

[PhoenixReborn]

Thanks!!! What do you guys think of the Nenethiel/Frodo scenario? I love it, but I wonder what other people think.

And gen hannon, melon nin.

[Meriadoc Brandybuck]

Thanks!!! What do you guys think of the Nenethiel/Frodo scenario? I love it, but I wonder what other people think.

And gen hannon, melon nin.

I like it, but it still seems very sudden to me, with her memory and her relationship with Frodo. Maybe admitting to liking each other but not love until the going gets tough and they show their true selves? Other than that, I am greatly enjoying this!

[PhoenixReborn]

All least your response is positive! Almost everybody hates it and thinks it cliche

[Alatar Maia]

this is a very interesting development... i like it