Chapter 15: Field Trip

The next day Frodo rested until the evening, then insisted on walking unassisted. Sam hovered as close as his shadow, but even then couldn’t stop Frodo from falling. Sparks momentarily shone before the injured hobbit’s eyes as pain shot through his damaged leg and he could not restrain himself from gasping and blinking away tears from the agony. He accepted Sam’s help in standing.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t catch you, my dear,” Sam said sorrowfully.

“It’s all right, Sam,” Frodo said and inwardly cringed as how his voice shook, knowing how Sam would pick up on it. He leaned heavily on his friend’s arm until the pain subsided to something more tolerable and he tentatively took a step to test his leg.

“Why don’t you rest now?” Sam pleaded, helping his master take a couple more steps.

Frodo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was amazed how calm his voice was when he spoke next. “No, Sam, I’ve got to get my strength back and that’s not going to happen if I keep staying in bed.”

He withdrew his grip from Sam’s arm and took a couple more steps slowly. He looked longingly at the walls, wanting to lean on them. Sam did not miss that.

“Why don’t you at least let the walls hold you up?”

Frodo winced at the ache in his friend’s voice. “I’m sorry, Sam. But there will be no walls to lean on where we are going.” He looked up at his friend’s pained face, silently pleading for understanding. “I have to be able to do this on my own.”

Sam held his breath as his master took another couple faltering steps. He hovered even closer than before. “Then why don’t you at least lean on me, dear. You will always have me.”

Frodo smiled through his pain and fatigue. “Thank you, Sam. But I just need to see if I can do it myself. I am so anxious just to get this all over with.”

Sam held back a sigh and watched as Frodo continued his agonizingly slow circuit around the walls of the large room. The gardener thought he was more relieved than Frodo was when the elder hobbit completed it without further mishap. When Frodo gave him a tired but triumphant smile, Sam returned it, then helped his master back into bed and wiped at the tears of pain and exhaustion that streaked down Frodo’s cheeks.

“I did it,” Frodo sighed.

“Yes, me dear, you did,” Sam agreed with a brush at sweaty curls. “Now you’d best be doing nothing but sleeping.”

Frodo smiled wearily. “Yes, my Sam.”

Sam kissed his brow quickly, sat down by his beside and took his hand. “I’ll be right here if you need me. Sleep now.”

Frodo closed his eyes willingly. Sam watched as his breathing evened out and he knew his master was truly, deeply asleep. He sighed in relief.

The next afternoon, Frodo tried making another circuit and fell again. This time, Sam picked him up and carried him to his bed.

“Sam! Put me down!” Frodo squirmed in Sam’s tight grip. “I have to...”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t.”

Sam put his master in bed, tucked him in tightly, then crossed his arms and gave Frodo a fierce glare. “Now don’t move!”

Frodo groaned. He knew better than to fight against his Sam when his guardian was this stubborn, but Frodo felt he wasn’t a Baggins for nothing and that he could easily outstubborn anyone not born one. He tried to get up, but Sam planted a hand firmly against his chest, effectively pinning him. “I will sit on you, dear, if I need to.”

Frodo lay back with a smile, more amused than annoyed. Merry and Pippin came in just then.

“Do you need any help sitting on him, Sam?” the tween asked in his most innocent tone. “We could sit on either of his legs, if you’d like.”

Frodo groaned and sent a half-hearted glare at his cousin and Sam. Pippin gave him his most charming smile, Merry grinned.

“Yes, I could use some help, Mr. Pippin,” Sam said. “Thank you.”

“Anything to help our dear cousin,” the tween beamed and Frodo groaned again.

Merry and Pippin planted themselves on either of Frodo’s legs, immobilizing him without getting near his injury.

“I’m not going to forget this,” Frodo said in a mock-threatening tone.

“I hope you don’t,” Sam returned. He looked directly into his beloved master’s eyes. “I hope you remember every good thing this time.”

Frodo realized then how worried his friend really was. He reached out and squeezed his hand. Sam returned the grip tightly, glancing at his master, then quickly away, but not fast enough that Frodo didn’t notice the tears that shone brightly in his eyes. “I’m sorry, my Sam. I shouldn’t tease you. It’ll be all right.”

Sam looked back at his beloved friend. “Of course it will. I’m going to make sure of it. You just take a little nap right now and it will be even better.”

“I suppose I don’t have much of a choice,” Frodo said, looking at the backs of his two cousins who sat on his legs.

“None,” Pippin said, twisting his head around to grin.

“But we’ll make sure we wake you for tea,” Merry said with a smile of his own.

“If we think of it and if there’s anything left after we’re done,” Pippin clarified.

Frodo threw a pillow at him. “There better be, you greedy Took. Didn’t anyone ever teach you to mind your elders, especially your sick elders?”

Pippin’s eyes had lit up when Frodo had thrown the pillow and he would have thrown it back, but Sam’s fierce gaze quelled that desire down to a grin.

“Comfortable, cousin dear?” Merry asked.

“Humph. I would be more so if I didn’t have two hobbits sitting on me.”

“So you aren’t uncomfortable?” Pippin pressed.

Frodo sighed. “I’m fine, Pip dear. I’m going to sleep now.” He closed his eyes and muttered something about being a victim of another conspiracy.

“What was that, cousin?” the tween asked sweetly.

“Nothing.”

The three ‘conspirators’ shared a triumphant smile with each other. Sam waited until he was sure his master was asleep then he left the room briefly.

* * *

Elrond looked down at the small figure standing before him. “Master Samwise, how may I help you? Is Frodo...”

Sam licked dry lips. He wasn’t quite over his awe of the Elf lord, but concern for his master moved him on. “He’s walking around, Mr. Elrond, sir, trying to get his strength back, but I’m afraid it’s too much for him just now. He’s in such a hurry to get better, but all he’s really doing is wearing himself out. I’m afraid he may get worse and that will only make him push himself harder.” He gathered all his courage and looked into the Elf’s eyes. “Could you talk to him? Please, sir?”

Elrond allowed a soft smile to grace his lips for a moment as he looked into those brown eyes so full of concern and fear and love. “I will speak to him.”

Sam’s face brightened as he beamed up at the Elf. “Oh, thank you, sir! But could you wait until after tea? I just got him down for a nap and it was that hard to do.”

Amusement danced deep in Elrond’s eyes. He had never seen someone so fiercely protective as this little gardener who was as much a nurturer of Frodo as he was of any flower. “I will wait until then, Master Samwise. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Frodo is a very stubborn and determined hobbit, I know, but I think you are even more so.”

Sam blushed. “I just couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him,” he said.

“I would hope nothing would when he has such fierce guardians as you and his kin.”

“I would hope not either.” Sam bowed deeply. “Thank you again, sir.”

The hobbit returned to his master’s side, pleased to see that Frodo was still sleeping. Merry and Pippin smiled at him as they kept up their guard.

Two hours later, tea passed congenially with Bilbo joining them. Merry and Pippin got permission from Sam to move from their posts, but Frodo knew better than to try to move. When he did, Sam was there to hold down his arm.

“I have to use the privy, Sam,” Frodo said.

Sam looked at his master as though he didn’t quite trust him, then released his grip and helped him out of bed. He watched him every moment until Frodo closed the door behind him, then he stared fiercely at the door.

When Frodo exited, he looked tempted to take another circuit around the room, but one look at Sam quelled that desire for the moment, though he was rebellious enough not to take the most direct route back to his bed. Sam gave a martyred sigh and Frodo grinned. He gave his friend’s cheek a quick kiss in apology, but remained quite pleased with himself that he had not stumbled or fallen. And though he would never admit it to his master for fear of encouraging him, so was Sam. Bilbo smiled.

Elrond came shortly after and approached Frodo’s bedside when the three younger hobbits sat gathered around on the bed and Bilbo sat in his chair.

“Lord Elrond,” Frodo acknowledged with a slight bow. Merry, Pippin and Sam bobbed their heads. Bilbo merely smiled.

“Master Frodo,” Elrond intoned gravely and Frodo’s smile froze. “It has come to my attention that perhaps you are pushing yourself too hard in your quest to recover, thus endangering the possibility of recovering at all anytime soon.”

Frodo shot a look at Sam who returned the gaze with calm directness. It was Frodo who looked away first, he hoped before his beloved friend could see the smile that tugged on the edges of his mouth.

“Yes, my lord,” Frodo acknowledged smoothly, returning his gaze to Elrond, all traces of a smile carefully schooled away.

“I admire your resolution to complete your Quest, but you have to regain your strength slowly, not at the cost of all else. You need to rest more.”

“But, my lord, that’s practically all I’ve doing for days!”

“And that’s all you will do the rest of today and tomorrow.”

“Perhaps I have been a little anxious to get going. But you know, of course, of the urgency of my Quest.”

“Indeed and all the more do I know that its success hangs on the health of the Ring-bearer. If you collapse, the Ring will then fall to one of the others in the Fellowship. Would you care to choose which one?”

Frodo deflated, his eyes flashing with horror. “I will rest more, my lord,” he whispered.

“I’m glad to hear that. Perhaps the day after, you can visit the library.”

Frodo’s face lit up. “I would love that, my lord.”

“I will arrange it then if you keep your end of the bargin.”

“I will, my lord.”

Sam smiled and Elrond’s features relaxed.

“I don’t know if that would be such a good idea, my lord,” Pippin suddenly interjected and a flash of fear and betrayal crossed Frodo’s features.

“And why would that be, Master Peregrin?” Elrond asked gravely.

“Well, Frodo never met a book he didn’t like. And your library is so huge that I’m very much afraid that surrounded by so many glorious volumes, my cousin may swoon or perhaps get lost in such a big place and we’d never find him again until it was too late.”

The other hobbits began to smile. Pippin knew when he had an appreciative audience so he continued. “I know he’d have a big smile on his face when we’d finally find his body, all starved to death, but it would be still so tragic because he had forgot all about eating and the whole Quest and the Ring would still have to be destroyed.”

Pippin let out a heavy sigh. Frodo laughed out loud while Merry, Sam and Bilbo smiled wider and even Elrond had to fight to maintain his composure.

“I am willing to take that risk, Master Peregrin,” he said gravely, then turned to the recovering hobbit. “Are you, Frodo?”

Frodo grinned. “Yes, I am.” He looked at his cousin. “You should be glad if I get lost, dearest Pipsqueak,” he teased, “because then you could eat my portions!”

Pippin brightened at that, but then Frodo continued. “But then, I don’t think I would ever get so lost, that I couldn’t follow my stomach to the kitchens.”

The tween’s face fell and the others laughed, Frodo the most of all. He leaned over to kiss his cousin’s head and hug him. He looked up at Elrond, his arms firmly around Pippin. “You have my word, my lord, that I will not move from my bed tonight or tomorrow and think only of my reward for such an onerous task.”

The Elf lord bowed, hiding the smile that tugged at the edges of his mouth. Frodo returned it, the bow and the smile. The other hobbits returned the bow, Bilbo grinning widely at Elrond.

* * *

Frodo had no time to despair about whether the day would ever pass and the morning come that would herald his visit to the library. Sam kept him well entertained with Merry and Pippin’s help as well as and well fed and rested. He woke early in the morning before any of his bedmates. He carefully pushed up Pippin’s head which had been resting on his stomach and got out of bed. Pippin switched his head to Merry’s stomach without even waking. Frodo made it to the dressing cabinet without difficulty and put on the best clothes he could find. Sam had padded noiselessly over and helped him on with his vest. “Thank you, Sam,” Frodo said. “I knew I couldn’t get up without you waking also. Did you see me walk all the way over without falling?”

Sam returned his master’s proud smile. “Yes, I did. Now don’t ruin everything by overdoing again, my dear. You still need to take it easy.”

Frodo squeezed his friend’s hand. “Yes, Sam.”

There was a soft knock at the door and Sam opened it to find a beaming Bilbo standing with a large, steaming breakfast tray. The young hobbit took it from his first master and laid it on the table next to the bed.

“I see you’re all ready for your big day, my boy,” Bilbo observed.

Frodo grinned. “I suppose I could delay it for a few more minutes. Those mushrooms smell delicious. Are you going to come with me?”

“Wouldn’t miss it, lad. I’ll show you all the best places. Or at least all I’ve discovered so far. They are still some nooks and crannies that even I haven’t searched out. But there’ll be plenty of time when you come back and we can go exploring together. Won’t that be fun?”

Frodo looked at his uncle for a long moment with a fond smile. They both realized that Frodo’s return was not guaranteed, merely fervently hoped for. Frodo squeezed his uncle’s hand and was glad at how firmly it was returned. “I look forward to that, Uncle.”

The elderly hobbit raised a finger to his adopted heir. “And mind you, no dawdling on the way or I may just go off on my own and you’ll miss all the fun.”

Frodo’s loving smile widened. “No dawdling. I promise.”

“Good. Then it’s settled.” Bilbo rubbed his hands together, trying to hide his nervousness at the parting to come.

Frodo squeezed his uncle around the shoulders and brushed a kiss against Bilbo’s white hair, then moved away to poke at one of Pippin’s feet, the only part of his body not nestled under the covers.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” the elder hobbit called. “Don’t you smell that delicious breakfast? If you don’t get up now, I’m not going to save you anything. I have a lot of exploring to do today and you’d wouldn’t want me to starve. I may just have to eat your portion.”

Pippin poked his head from under the blankets. “That wouldn’t be very nice of you, Cousin,” he said a bit petulantly. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Frodo laughed and Sam grinned. “But how many times have you tried to, dearest? Now up with you.” He pulled the covers off and uncovered Merry as well.

“Hurry up, Merry,” Pippin said. “Our cousin has already said he’s not going to save us anything.”

“He said he may not save you anything,” Merry corrected. “He didn’t say anything about me.”

Frodo laughed again and they all sat down at the table. After they were properly fortified for at least an hour or two by the huge breakfast, Sam got up to answer another knock at the door, but Frodo stopped him.

“I’ll get it, Sam. I really am feeling much better today.”

And indeed, Sam had to agree. In the cream-colored clothing Frodo had chosen, his light shone even brighter until he was nearly glowing with the excitement of the upcoming trip. The younger hobbit thrilled to see it, but he still didn’t want to let his master overexert himself. Frodo smiled reassuringly and Sam sank slowly back into his chair. His happiness faded a little when saw Frodo’s posture slump a little after he opened the door. Ever sensitive to his master’s moods, Sam approached the door and peered over his friend’s shoulder.

“What’s this?” Frodo asked, looking at the strange contraption that an Elf had brought along. He had seen it only very rarely in the Shire. It was usually used by the very oldest who could not move on their own, but still needed to be mobile. Frodo didn’t feel anywhere that old or that incapacitated.

“It’s a long way to the library, Master Baggins,” the Elf answered. “My lord Elrond does not you to exhaust yourself getting there.”

Sam looked down at the wooden chair that had large wheels on either side of it and handles for pushing it, then up at this troubled master. Merry and Pippin peered over his shoulder. “It looks big enough for two,” the gardener said. “Would you feel more comfortable if I sat in it with you?”

Frodo didn’t take his eyes off the chair. “No, Sam, thank you.” He looked up at the Elf. “I would like to try to make it on my own if my lord....”

“My lord insists upon it.” A small smile danced on the edges of the Elf’s lips. “He’s already told me how stubborn you could be.”

“Well, Frodo,” Merry said, “that’s it then. Must as well give up.”

“Yes, cousin, do,” Pippin said. “You don’t want to be so tired when you get there, that you fall asleep after reading the first sentence or something. If you don’t want Sam with you, I’ll join you.”

Without waiting for his cousin to respond, the tween hopped onto the chair and grinned. Frodo returned the smile fondly, but still looked up at the Elf, hoping for a last minute reprieve, but when that tall immortal remained implacable, the little hobbit sighed. “Well, if this is the only way I can get to the library...” He looked to Pippin. “Move over, ’squeak dear and make room for your invalid cousin.”

The tween scooted over and off they went. The younger hobbit enjoyed the ride immensely, delighted in the contraption, while the elder sat in it embarrassed and annoyed and got off it the moment he could.

“I think I can make it through the doors on my own,” he said when they arrived.

Bilbo took his nephew’s arm, ostensibly to guide him down favorite aisles, but a smile at Sam over Frodo’s head made it clear, it was also to be sure the latter didn’t stumble or fall. Sam smiled his gratitude and wheeled the chair behind the two, Pippin still gleefully abroad.

The two oldest hobbits were soon lost in a world of their own, their heads pressed together as they spoke quietly. Bilbo stopped often to pull out various volumes and ask his nephew to read a verse or two. Frodo’s already beautiful voice gained a new level as the Sindarin flowed from him, even if a bit haltingly at times.

“Very good, my boy,” Bilbo praised. “You’ll be mastering it all in no time.”

Frodo beamed and they continued on. Sam smiled as he slowly followed, watching and listening to the two scholarly hobbits, glad to see both his masters so happy together. Various Elves looked up from their own studies and smiled at the awe in Frodo’s face as he reverently touched one volume or another along the rows and rows of books, most of which were far over his head. He craned his head up longingly, in wonder at the immense collection.

“It’s all so wonderful,” he murmured. “I could spend my whole life here.”

“When you get back, you could do that, my lad,” Bilbo said. “I would love that.”

“So would I.”

The Elves smiled also as they listened to Frodo’s recitations in their own language spoken with a Shire lilt and also at Bilbo’s awe which, even though many of the volumes were old friends, was only a little less than Frodo’s. The younger hobbit appeared completely unaware of his appreciative audience. The time for second breakfast came and went unnoticed by him as did the growls in Pippin’s stomach and even his own.

“Let’s get you something to eat before you starve to death,” Merry said when Pippin’s stomach growled again.

“You could push the chair, Merry,” Pippin said.

“No, Mr. Pippin, it’s staying right here in case Mr. Frodo needs it,” Sam said firmly.

Pippin gave the gardener his best pout which always melted his cousins’ hearts and wills, but it had no effect on Sam, which the tween hadn’t really expected it would, but he had to try anyway. He shrugged then and got off the chair. With a choice between food and being wheeled, it was no surprise the lad choose food. Sam’s own stomach growled and he looked longingly after the two, but he knew where he belonged and he did not want to part from his master, even if Frodo was only barely aware he was still there.

When Sam’s stomach growled again louder, Frodo’s head snapped up as he suddenly remembered his faithful companion. “My dear Sam, I am so sorry! I’m afraid I’ve lost all track of time and you must be starving. Why don’t you leave the chair here and get yourself something to eat.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Frodo looked up at the shelves towering over him. “Yes,” he said with a smile.

“Don’t worry about your master, Sam-lad,” Bilbo said as the young hobbit continued to hesitate. “I’ll make sure he’s all right.”

“I’ll bring you both back something,” Sam said.

“Thank you, Sam,” Frodo said. “I think I’ll just find a place to sit down and read.”

Sam nodded and left. When he returned an hour later, he found Frodo asleep in a corner, Bilbo watching him fondly. Sunshine from a window far above pooled around him, almost making him glow in the soft cream-colored clothes he wore. He had a soft smile on his face. A heavy volume remained open on his chest. Sam just stood there, staring transfixed for a long while at his peaceful, beautiful master until the moment froze in his memory and he knew Bilbo was looking at Frodo for the same reason. Then Bilbo looked up at him and smiled and Sam picked his master up, book and all, and carried him back to bed and laid him down with a soft kiss to his brow.