A/N: I do not know if there are pianos in Middle Earth. I am speculating, since there are other musical instruments, and it IS possible someone would have invented a piano, or something like it. This story came about since I have been practicing hours and hours for a recital I have this weekend, and piano was on my brain. I hope you enjoy!

~Music~

Aragorn watched the hobbit carefully from the doorway for a moment before entering the room. Frodo was sitting in a window seat in the library absentmindedly looking at a book of music notes.

Pippin had explained to Aragorn the day before that Frodo was the one who had encouraged him to begin singing. Frodo had always loved music, and as soon as he asked Bilbo had walked down to the store to purchase a small recorder for him.

Pippin said that Frodo was probably sad that he wouldn’t be able to play said recorder because of his finger.

Aragorn stood a moment longer, then called, “Frodo, come here a moment.”

The hobbit looked up, startled out of his thoughts, then rose to follow the King out of the library into a smaller antechamber.

“Is something amiss?” he asked, looking up at the Man.

“No, I wanted to show you something, Frodo.” Aragorn led him to a large black object in the middle of the room.

Frodo looked questioningly at the giant box shaped object before him. It would have looked much like a small, elongated writing desk, but for the rectangle pieces of wood attached to it in white and black.

“What did you say it was?” he asked hesitantly.

“It’s called a piano-forte. It’s a new instrument. I’m told you should be able to learn it quite easily,” Aragorn replied, pulling out the small bench for the hobbit to sit down.

“Well, I suppose it’s worth a try, since I can’t play anything else anymore.” He looked down at his maimed hand, knowing it would be useless to try to play his recorder, and that to play a fiddle would have his cousins laughing at him for the rest of eternity. “How does it work?”

“You push these,” Aragorn demonstrated, pushing down one of the white pieces of wood. A rich note filled the hall, echoing off the stone walls. “They’re called ‘keys’.”

Frodo knew by the tone that it was a C note. He thought for a moment, then placed his fingers on the keys and pushed them in order. “C scale,” he said. “Bilbo used to make me practice my scales on my recorder every morning when I was learning.”

He pushed one of the smaller black keys with a white one and cringed at the dissonant sound it made. “That must be for sharps and flats,” he explains.

“The lady who sold me the piano said her daughter would teach you if you’d like,” Aragorn said.

Frodo smiled. “I think I’d like that,” he said.

“I’ll send for her at once, then!” Aragorn said, turning on his heel.

As he headed out of the room, he heard the sound of a simple song coming from the piano, and smiled, glad he had been able to cheer his friend up a little.

~Finis~