What Happened Thereafter {A LotR Fanfiction}

Daffodil

[I dedicate this chapter to my father, the one who introduced The Lord of the Rings to me in the first place. I will be forever grateful to you, Daddy. I love you!]

Daffodil strapped the dagger to her thigh and covered it with her skirts. She smoothed down her dress anxiously and waited for the others. Ever since agreeing to fight the orcs for her home, Daffodil had been preoccupied and distant from her friends. Recently, Frodo had reunited his friendship with Sam, and for a few days, he had no time for her because he had promised Sam they would spend time together. Daffodil was pleased with herself when Frodo told her that she was the one who got him to talk to his friends again.

In the house, her father From was staring at his daughter from the circled window. He had scoffed when she had told him about the war with the orcs, and thought that it was all a silly misunderstanding. But now as he watched her stare off in the direction of the forest, he wondered if it really was a joke. His precious daughter would never know how much she meant to him if she went off to be killed in a battle. Perhaps he should try to reason with her again.

"Daffodil?" he called, stepping out of the house. Daffodil turned and smiled at her father. From grumbled and hobbled over to her, ignoring the pains of his old, aching back.

"Daffodil, come into the house now, it's getting late."

"I already told you father, I can't. I'm going to battle." Daffodil said. She frowned when her father did, and tried her very best to sound braver than she felt.

"If what you say is true, then let the men deal with it. They will handle the issue as they see fit. Come inside, now." From repeated himself. He could not believe that his daughter wasn't going to listen to him. She had always been an obedient child. Worry made its way into his heart and he grabbed Daffodil by the hand.

"Do not do this." he told her. "It is too dangerous."

Daffodil smiled at her father, the man she loved most in her world, and patted his hand.

"I will return, father," she told him patiently. From grumbled some more and Daffodil's heart warmed. He was such a funny old hobbit, her father was.

From, on the other hand, was torn. He could not, would not stand by and watch as his only daughter marched into the woods and got herself killed. And if she would not listen, then he would have to accompany her.

"I'm going with you," he said, and without another word, he rushed into the house and came back out a moment later holding the largest cooking knife in his kitchen. Daffodil would have laughed if he had not been serious, but he was, so she didn't.

"Father--" she began. From cut her off.

"Well let's be off and find all the others who are getting into this nonsense!" He said, waving the knife around. "There are still decent weapons in the Shire someplace, I'd imagine, but I'm taking this trusted friend as back-up. He's the best carrot dicer I've ever had."

Daffodil began to protest, but then thought against it. She couldn't exactly stop him from coming with her, just like he couldn't stop her from going. So, with a heavy heart, she explained to From that she was waiting for Nettle to show up. The hobbits had planned to surprise attack the orcs, and had agreed to pick partners to stick with as they fought. That way they wouldn't get separated alone, and they would always have backup protection.

It sounded like a good plan to From, and as he looked about he realized that he was excited for this. He hadn't ever done anything like this before, and though he wouldn't quite go as far as to call this an "adventure", he was looking forward to the thrill of the fight. He thought it could be quite fun to knock out a few foul creatures in defense of the Shire. He didn't realize that killing was necessary in battles such as these. Daffodil, however, was preparing herself for that part of it. She had never killed anything in her life, except for maybe a few spiders and some ants. She didn't know what it felt like to kill something that, like her, had life.