A/N: Starberries were inspired by my own typo (I meant to write "strawberries") and as far as I know, they have no real-life counterpart - although I would be interested if anyone knew of something similar :)

***

Legolas slipped along a winding path between the trees, enjoying the small patches of bright sunlight filtering through the densely packed leaves as he made his way through the woods toward the raised voices.

He discovered the four hobbits huddled together in a small clearing. They appeared to be having some sort of disagreement; Sam had planted himself before a shrub with his hands upon his hips and was earnestly making some sort of argument. Frodo stood nearby, uncertainty written across his face, while Merry and Pippin wore matching frowns as they listened.

“No, sir, Mr. Merry,” Sam said firmly. “I’ve not seen the likes of it before.”

“I’m sure there is nothing wrong with it, Sam,” Pippin insisted. “Besides, we’ve eaten worse-looking things on this journey.”

“You can never be too careful, Mr. Pippin. What if it makes you sick?” Sam countered. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Legolas making his way to them, and he smiled gratefully.

“There now, Master Legolas will settle this,” he said.

“What am I settling?” Legolas asked. He looked past Sam to the leafy vines growing out of the shrub and regarded them with a grin.

“Ah, I see that you have found the starberries,” he said. “They remind me of home.” He snapped a sprig from the vine and ate handful of the small, golden berries.

“Oi!” Pippin cried gleefully. “Legolas just ate some!” He lunged at the plant, but Frodo held him back.

“Wait a moment, Pippin. We don’t even know yet what these starberries are.” Frodo turned to Legolas with an amused smile upon his face. “What are they exactly?”

Legolas sat beside the shrub, motioning for the hobbits to join him. He held up one of the long vines, and pointed to the tiny star-shaped berries growing on it.

“Starberries are a favorite of the Elves,” he explained. “They grow best in little light, and so they are found only in the deepest recesses of the woods. The berries are sweet, but not overly so, and remain cold inside even if you place them in the sun.” Legolas smiled. “They are quite safe to eat, although Sam was right to caution you. Many things that grow in the forest should not be tampered with.”

“Of course,” Pippin agreed, nodding sagely. “Now can we try some?”

The hobbits smiled at each other, their temporary disagreement forgotten in favor of trying this new, strange fruit.

“Certainly,” Legolas replied with a laugh, and watched as Frodo, Merry, and Pippin sampled the starberries. Sam held back, hesitating.

“What is wrong, Sam? I assure you that the starberries are not harmful,” Legolas said, concerned.

“It’s not that, sir,” Sam replied, looking very uncomfortable. “But don’t the starberries belong to the Lady? I wouldn’t want to upset her.”

Legolas smiled. “The Lady is a generous host, Sam. I am certain that she would want her guests to enjoy the starberries.”

“Come on, Sam,” Frodo said, holding out a bunch to him. “Try one.”

Still hesitant, Sam selected the smallest berry on the vine. The other hobbits stopped in mid-chew awaiting his response.

Sam chewed thoughtfully, considering it, before his face broke out in a smile.

“These starberries are wonderful!” he exclaimed. “Do you think there’s any way to grow them back home?

Frodo and Legolas glanced at each other and laughed, and Merry and Pippin gently teased Sam for his earlier reluctance as they pressed more starberries into his hands.

No one noticed Galadriel standing half-hidden behind a nearby tree, watching her small guests with a thoughtful smile.

“Though you should find all barren and laid waste, there will be few gardens in Middle-earth that will bloom like your garden, if you sprinkle this earth there. Then you may remember Galadriel, and catch a glimpse far off of Lorien, that you have seen only in our winter.”

- The Fellowship of the Ring, “Farewell to Lorien”

Sam sat quietly in the garden of Bag End, running his fingers through the patchy grass. He hardly noticed when Frodo sat beside him, followed by his cousins. Merry passed around a bag of pipeweed, and they prepared and lit their pipes in silence.

Sighing loudly, Sam watched as the smoke curled and disappeared into the darkening sky.

“It’s the trees that worry me most,” he announced after a time, and not really knowing why he brought it up. His friends were watching him, however, waiting for him to go on, and so he did. “All chopped up as they are, and cut down to the roots.”

Frodo rested his hand on Sam’s arm and squeezed gently. “More will grow in time.”

“It’ll take years and years to have the Shire the way it was,” Sam said gloomily as his eyes welled up with tears. He patted his pockets, looking for a handkerchief when his hand brushed against something small and square. A look of confusion passed across his face, followed by a wide smile that dashed away his unshed tears.

Bringing out the small grey box that he always carried in his pocket, Sam showed it to his friends, and asked them what he should do with Galadriel’s gift. Their advice conflicted: Pippin wanted Sam to let the wind scatter the soil, while Merry suggested using it all in a small garden. They all soon agreed, however, that Frodo’s advice was the most sound, and that Sam should use it sparingly, and over a large area so that as many hobbits as possible might benefit from all that grew.

“I don’t suppose there are any starberry seeds in there,” Merry said after a time, looking closely at the grey dust.

“Starberries,” Pippin sighed loudly, a warm smile upon his face. “What I would give for some more of those.”  

Frodo smiled in memory. “You and Merry ate so many, I don’t believe that you left any starberries in Lorien.”

“Frodo!” Pippin cried, insulted. “Don’t tell me you have forgotten just how many you and Sam ate.”

Sam frowned. “I hope the Lady wasn’t angry with us,” he said guiltily

“Oh, Sam.” Frodo shook his head a little, smiling. “I’m sure she was not. Why else would she give you such a wonderful gift?”

*

Once spring arrived and the Shire began to turn green once more, the Travellers gathered once more to look at all that had grown from the gift of Galadriel. They visited the Party Field and gazed in awe upon the mallorn, but after some time they moved on, anxious to see what else had grown.

They came eventually to a small wooded area just east of Hobbiton, which they were eager to explore. Pippin scampered ahead of them into the woods, hoping to be the first to discover something new.

Frodo and Merry followed behind at a slower pace, and Sam came last of all, for he busied himself in admiring each new flower and blade of grass that he passed along the way.

There was a loud shout, followed by another; it was Pippin’s voice, and it came from deep in the woods. Merry broke into a run, followed closely by Frodo and Sam, and all three raced into the woods, following the sound of Pippin’s voice to a tiny clearing made dark by the dense leaves of the trees overhead.

“Look what I found!” Pippin cried, his eyes shining brightly as he grinned. Still out of breath from running, the three hobbits looked past him, their eyes widening as they saw a leafy shrub covered with familiar golden berries.

The hobbits smiled at each other and began to laugh as they crowded around the plant and picked some starberries.

Frodo sidled over to Sam “Do you still think the Lady was angry?” he asked with a grin.

“I suppose not,” Sam declared, and smiled brightly as he gazed at the star-shaped berries in his hand.

The four friends lingered there for awhile, swapping memories and tales as they enjoyed the new life growing green around them.

Before they left, Merry and Pippin each tied several of the berries in their handkerchiefs, planning to plant the seedlings inside when they returned home. They had not needed to trouble themselves, however, for the gift of Galadriel was enjoyed in all four farthings of the Shire, and starberries were soon discovered to be growing in all the deepest areas of the woods.