~Prologue~

Afterlithe-1390

“Sam, you’ll never guess what I found in Bag End,” Frodo said excitedly as he followed his best friend down the road towards the Gamgee smial for elevenses. Bilbo was out of town and the Gamgees had agreed to watch the lad for the three days he would be gone. Bilbo would be back the next day.

“What?” Sam asked, not even attempting to guess. He wanted to know what Frodo had found.

Frodo grew quiet, then looked both ways, as if checking to see f the coast was clear. “I found a secret stairway.” He had gone back to Bag End for a while to finish up some house work Bilbo had left him with, and had ended up exploring afterwards.

Sam glanced up at Frodo as if he had lost his mind. “Hobbit holes don’t have stairs, and that’s a fact.”

Frodo smiled. “My hole does. Bilbo told me his Mum wanted a secret stairway built into the smial and her husband built it for her. Not even the workers who dug the hole knew it was there.”

“Really?” Sam looked enchanted by the idea.

“Bilbo said if I found it, you and I could go exploring and see what’s hidden up there,” Frodo replied excitedly.

Sam beamed. “You know I like exploring, Mr. Frodo,” he said. “S’long as it’s close to home of course.”

“Well, then,” Frodo grinned. “Why don’t we explore after elevenses? It is a Saturday and your Da doesn’t need to work.”

“You can ask my Mum,” Sam replied. “She probably won’t let us if I ask.”

“All right,” Frodo said. “I’ll race you!”