LOTR: Shire Dragons - Pippin Took FF

Chapter 1

It was as peaceful a day as any other in the Shire as Mallyra Flintwater of Michel-Delving wondered down to the Hobbiton market. The sky was a pale blue like that of a newborn baby’s eyes and the tree’s rustled gently in the winds which rolled through the hills of the shire. She wore a baggy white shirt with frilled sleeves and a laced up black waistcoat . Her shirt was tucked in long brown trousers, and her brown hair blew around freely in the breeze, sometimes blowing into her blue eyes. Mallyra breathed in the fresh air, and smiled to herself. 

She came to the gates of the market and looked up, the archway was made of sandstone and the wooden doors were pinned open with rope. On top of the Archway were two stone dragons that stood on separate pillars. As she entered the market she saw loads of unfamiliar faces all smiling back at her which warmed her heart slightly. Being new in Hobbiton, she knew it would be hard for her to make friends seen as she didn’t wear dresses like the other girls she saw. Some of them looked at her and laughed amongst their friends, others just smiled and carried on with their day.

The stalls were filled with fresh fruit and meat of every kind imaginable, people laughed and cheered with each other whilst they sat outside the nearby pub. Eventually she came to the bread stall which she had been searching for.

"Driam’s of Hobbiton" she sighed with relief. The selection of bread was unreal to her eyes!  Back in Michel-Delving there was only one mill which was run by the Bullroarers, they baked fresh loaves for Mallyra and her family everyday but they always made the same. Here there was: fresh, seeded, malted, cinnamon, hazelnut, Regit root and loads of other fruit breads which she had never heard of. Suddenly she heard shouting from around the corner which made her turn on the spot.

"WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU BOYS!" an old man groaned as he chased two hobbit boys, about her age, maybe older, out of his shed. One of them was holding a grey sack of potatoes and the other was just running for his life... Straight towards her! She didn’t have time to move, her only reaction was to flinch. He didn’t see her until they collided.

"Excuse us sir!" he stammered as he tried to get back to his feet, constantly looking over his shoulder in the direction he came. Mallyra blew her hair out of her face looking a little flustered. The stall owner helped her to her feet before cursing at the boys who were nearly out of sight,

"FOOL OF A TOOK! Are you alright lass? You took quite a fall there... you look like you look a little lost’" Mallyra looked up at the man,

"ah I’ll be fine and no I’m new around here, my family moved into a hobbit hole down the road. I’m from Michel-Delving." She sorted her hair out and brushed the dirt from her knee’s before looking back up at the stall owner.

"say... who were those boys?" she asked trying to remember their faces. The stall owner smirked at the thought.

"They lassie, were Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck. Pain in the rear ends the both of them, always nicking stuff from my stall." He said, as he placed some loaves back in the box that had fallen when Mallyra was knocked over. She picked up a loaf and paid the owner before beginning her walk home.

On the way, she stopped and pulled out her drawing pad from her satchel. She found her pencil and walked up a small hill where she had seen a nice spot under a tree to sketch what she saw. She remained in peace for at least half an hour before she gained more than birds for company.

"what you doing there?" she heard a voice from the tree above her. She looked up to see the same guy she had run into not less than half an hour ago.

"And why should I tell you good sir, after you ran into me earlier without saying sorry?" she smiled up at him. 

He looked at her, confused, "you? I thought you were a... I mean you dress? Ah I’m sorry. It was Merry's idea," He went to sit up but he lost his balance, leant sideways and fell straight off the branch he was perched on. With a thud he landed on an unexpected Mallyra. She quickly shoved him off her and shuffled sideways.

"we’ve got to stop meeting like this!" she laughed as he brushed his hair out of his face while he sat up in the grass. He had long brown wavy hair and dark blue eyes which swirled and twinkled with laughter and fun. He wore a long blue coat and a silver waistcoat; he also had a blue a white striped scarf wrapped round his neck. He looked across at her and stuck out his hand.

"now for a formal introduction" he joked "hello, I’m Peregrin Took but my friends call me pippin, haven’t seen you round here before" she accepted his hand shake and replied,

"I’m Mallyra Flintwater but my family call me Ra, and I don’t think you will have, seen as I just moved here" they shook hands warmly again before pippin began to question her.

"So where are you from? seen as you've just got here?," he asked inquizitively, Ra smirked at him

"I’m from Michel-delving Pippin, can I call you that?" she replied, fiddling with a piece of grass and smiling at him.

He returned the smile "yeah sure, that’s a long way to move. Do your family do anything?" he asked, but Ra looked at him shocked.

"excuse me?!" she said with alarm. Realising what it must have sounded like, Pippin quickly explained,

"Sorry! I meant are they bakers, farmers, that sort of thing you know?" he looked relieved as Ra relaxed.

"seen as we’ve just moved, they’re setting up I guess but back in Michel-Delving my mum was a potter so I think she’ll be doing that again, oh, and my dad's going to work in the library!" Ra grinned at Pippin,

"So that's who taking over! A good job too, the old guy is kinds creepy..." Pippin joked, causing Ra to laugh behind her hand. She looked around a little, and went to stand up. But as she did, so did Pippin. Both of them turned by accident, and bashed heads, causing them to fall to the floor again. 

"Ouch.." Ra laughed, rubbing her forehead and glancing across at Pippin. He was also covering his forehead and grinnng wildly.

"You like to bash into me don't you?" she added, resulting in a light chuckle from Pippin. 

"I think that's just you," he laughed, standing up again. Mallyra quickly did the same and  glared back at him.

"I'm not clumsy!" she protested, proding him in the arm. Pippin smiled back at her, and then turned to face her. But Mallyra was about to walk off in the other direction. In hast, Pippin reached out and took her hand.

"Wait, er, You know seen as you're new, and you haven't been round much?" he said quite bluntly. Mallyra raised an eyebrow at him, looking down at her hand, before nodding her head slightly.

"Do you fancy exploring?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. Mallyra considered it, looked at their hands again and raised her eyebrows. Pippin quickly realised what she was doing, blushed hard and let go.

"Where? Mallyra questioned, smiling back at the blushing Pippin. He looked down at the ground and shrugged a little.

"I don't know.." he admitted, feeling a little stupid. Mallyra looked around, thinking of places she'd heard of. The library? the bakers? the famous Bilbo baggins house? but nothing seemed to be appealing to her. Until she remembered of a place her father had told her of long ago.

"I know a place we could find’ she smirked, a devilish look in her eyes. Pippin looked worried at first because of the look on her face but decided he’d let it go.

"Where have you got in mind?" he finally asked, smiling down at her.