Mo Ghile Mear

Returning to the Shire

*Athena POV*

"Here we are," said Gandalf once we'd parked in front of a Hobbit hole. I suppose that Hobbits were very small in nature. They barely came up to my waist. "This is Mr. Bilbo Baggins' place. You might not remember him well, Athena, but he was with a party of dwarves fifty years ago."

"I remember, Gandalf," I answered calmly. "I was younger, then."

That was some fifty-odd years ago. I was surprised by how much time had flown by. The dwarves were on their way to the Misty Mountains to get back what was theirs and had stopped by for the night, convincing us to let them stay under their protection. Elrond was reluctantly willing to do so, but he was not pleased. Dwarves and Elves did not get along together.

"You should probably get into Evergreen Hall, Athena," said Gandalf with a small smile. "It's next door."

"Remind me, why am I here again?" I said, trying to get things straight. I'd almost laughed in Gandalf's face when he said that my father was the one who created the One Ring before my birth. I almost laughed, but I didn't, when I saw the serious look on his face. Gandalf would never lie to anyone.

"You're just going to keep an eye on Mr. Bilbo's son, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf replied, giving me a suspicious look. "Why are you asking me this so many times? You know why you're here with me, Athena."

"Just making sure," I muttered under my breath in return as I began to slide off the carriage before going to the trunk to get my large satchel.

"I'll be at Bag End if you need anything," Gandalf called after me as I began to make my way through the wooden gate. "And there's a party tonight, so be sure to wear the best thing you brought with you."

"Thanks for letting me know," I said, before knocking on the door cautiously with my knuckles. When the door opened, a small, stout woman appeared. Boy, she looked so tiny! She barely came up to my waist! But she beamed at me, however, whenever she saw me.

"Oh, good!" she whispered. "You're here! You're Athena, yes?"

"Yes, I'm Athena," I answered sincerely. "Gandalf asked me to stay with you guys for . . . special reasons."

The special reason was to be close to the Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, in case things started to get out of hand. Gandalf was going to leave tomorrow, and he needed me to keep an eye out on things for him. I had a sneaking feeling that something bad was about to happen, though I didn't say anything.

"Yes, my daughter did say something about that," chirped the woman. She grinned, showing white teeth. "My name is Ingrid Evergreen. My husband's name is Arrowhead Evergreen. We have two daughters -- Daisy and Seraphina "Sera" Evergreen. Heather is the eldest. She's quite shy and doesn't like to speak to others unless it's necessary. Daisy is the more outgoing one. She likes to hang out with her two prankster friends -- Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took." She shook her head at the last two Hobbit's names. "But they prefer to be called Merry and Pippin. You better watch out for those two. They like to cause trouble."

I gave an awkward laugh. Goodness, this woman was talkative! I suppose that most people in the Shire are.

"Mama, who are you talking to?" said a female voice. A young girl popped her head out from a doorway, her auburn ringlets heavy and wet, as though she'd just gotten out of the bath. She had dark brown eyes that were full of curiosity. "You're talking about a mile a minute, Mother. You need to breathe."

"Ah," said Ingrid as she strode forward towards her daughter. I stood there awkwardly, not sure of what to do. "Sera. There you are. Our new guest has arrived! She's staying here for a while."

"So I've heard," said Sera, who flashed me a friendly smile. I smiled slightly back in return. This girl, Sera, is twice as less talkative as her mother. "Nice to meet you, Athena."

"You already know my name?" I said, slightly surprised.

"Of course, I do," she answered, eyeing me up and down. "My. . . . next-door neighbor told me today. I'd almost forgotten you were coming until he said you were." The girl stepped out, dressed in a white dress, her hair lying in heavy curls down her face, damp with the bathwater.

"Mr. Bilbo told you we had a guest coming?" said Mrs. Evergreen, who eyed her daughter.

Sera blushed, looking down.

"No, not Mr. Bilbo, no," she muttered. "His nephew, Frodo." She stared pointedly at her mother, who looked surprised. "Please don't tell anyone this, mother. I know we've just spoken but he was teasing me about why I was all wet before I even went and took my shower. . . . and he reminded me."

She shook her head, her face turning slightly red.

"You like him, don't you?" her mother finally concluded.

"Mother!" Sera whined. Her face went even redder than before. "Don't say anything about that aloud, please! Especially not in front of Daisy -- you'll know she'll make fun of me!"

Mrs. Evergreen, however, had a kind smile gracing up her lips, instead of a teasing smile. Heather looked slightly relaxed, but she still looked a little embarrassed.

"Mr. Bilbo's nephew is such a kind lad, Sera," she reassured her. "Talk to him, if you want!"

Sera's smile deflated slightly. "Daisy is gonna make fun of me."

Mrs. Evergreen shook her head. "Don't let Daisy get into your mind, dear. Just go with it!"

Sera smiled sheepishly before going in another direction.

"That," said Mrs. Evergreen once Sera had left, "is Seraphina "Sera" Evergreen, the eldest child."

"The quiet one?" I asked.

Mrs. Evergreen nodded. "She's very shy. She's -- er -- had an eye on our next-door neighbor for a while. He's a very sweet young boy. Poor thing, though. . . . he lost his parents when he was five, so now he lives with his uncle. Mr. Bilbo is very fond of his nephew, and I wouldn't be surprised if he would be fond of Sera, either."

"What about Mr. Bilbo's nephew?" said a girl who had blonde curly hair. She raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"I'm just saying that Mr. Bilbo is very fond of his nephew, Frodo," Mrs. Evergreen simply answered.

"I'm still suspicious about why it took them so long to finally start talking," Daisy finally concluded. "I mean, I've kinda noticed that he's been watching her for a while now."

"Sometimes, it takes a while for someone to have the confidence to speak to someone," said Mrs. Evergreen. "It can take a long time, it can take a short amount of time. It just depends on the person."

"I've accused Sera of liking Frodo whenever she came in from hanging out with Merry and Pippin," said Daisy, who rolled her eyes. "Honestly, though! He likes her, and she likes him. Why not confess now, instead of later?"

"Get dressed," Mrs. Evergreen announced. "We've got a party to get to, soon."