Chapter 11

As the hem of Gandalf's robe swished out of the kitchen, Pippin tugged on Frodo's waistcoat.

"Yes, Pippin?"

"I need to talk to you about something, Frodo. Can we go to your room?"

"Of course." Frodo turned to Pippin's mother. "Cousin Eglantine, Pippin and I will be in my room if you need us."

"Alright. Pippin?"

"Yes ma'am."

"You behave yourself in there. I know your cousin has some things that aren't for little lads to be playing with."

"I'll be good, Ma." Pippin smiled his winning smile and dashed off down the corridor with Frodo close behind him.

After shutting the door, Frodo turned to Pippin. The lad stood in the center of the room twisting his hands together.

"Whatever has you so anxious, Pip?"

"I know you didn't mean anything by it, Frodo, I really do. Neither you nor Cousin Bilbo. I mean, after all, you didn't even know about Yew until just a couple of days ago. How could you have as Dad didn't send his letter till then. But it really is an awful mess and you need to make amends. I think it is part of why Yew spouted fire at Cousin Bilbo."

As usual, Pippin had started somewhere in the middle of his tale. Frodo took a deep breath to slow himself down. It usually helped to calm the child if those around him stayed settled. He thought through what he'd said.

"Make amends for what, Pip?"

"Why, not inviting Yew to the Birthday Party!"

"We should have invited your dragon to the party?"

"Well, yes. Although, like I said, it would have been difficult to seeing as you didn't know he was with us when you sent the invitation for my family. But you really should have sent one with Gandalf's reply to Da. Poor Yew. He rode the whole way here with all of us going on about how much fun it's going to be and all and he knows he's not invited. I would hate that, Frodo. Hearing all about the fun everyone's going to have and not even being invited. Wouldn't you?"

"Well, yes. Of course that wouldn't be ple . . ." Frodo stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened as a thought came into his head, then they narrowed. "Pippin, you aren't thinking of taking Yew to the party today, are you?"

"Oh no, Frodo! No. Of course not." Pippin responded - yet, now that his older cousin mentioned it, it could be fun to do just that. He'd have to work on that later, first things first. "But he really shouldn't be left out like this. I mean, it's bad enough to not be able to go to a party you have been invited to, but how much worse to not be invited at all?"

"So, you are wanting me to make an invitation for Yew."

"Yes! You write ever so well and I think it would make him feel so much better."

Frodo sighed. He saw in the lad's eyes that there would be no talking him out of it.

"Does it matter what it looks like?"

"Of course it does!" Pippin huffed. "He saw the one the family got, all with lovely gold writing. Dragons like gold, you know. I'm sure he noticed."

"Alright, you stay here, Pip, and I'll get the gold ink from Bilbo's study." He rolled his eyes as he went to fetch the ink. The things he did for that child. But then he laughed. Doing things for his cousins was always fun.

He eased open the study door. Gandalf was bent over the desk. Yew sat upon it amongst several of Bilbo's maps.

"There is nothing there," the dragon said, tapping at the map with his foreleg, "and you say we shall go even further to the east. You would send me where there is nothing at all?"

"No, no, Yew. It is the way of things that certain peoples live in certain areas and, most of them at least, have little desire to go too far a-wandering. Even the Elves have not gone to those regions, so their maps show nothing there. But I and others of my kind know what is there."

"And that is where you will take me?"

"Yes, I think it will be best. There are several ranges of mountains with many caves there as well as forests, lakes, and rivers. You shall have no lack of food."

"But if there are no people, how will I obtain a proper hoard."

Frodo wasn't sure he wished to hear Gandalf's answer to that question.

"Excuse me," he said, pushing the door open the rest of the way as he walked into the room. "I need something off of Bilbo's desk." Glancing at the desk as he reached for the gold ink, he saw Yew's foot resting on the empty parchment east and to the north of the Sea of Rûne.

As he got to the door he heard Gandalf say, "There are people there, Yew, but they know nothing of dragons."

Thinking that rather dangerous, sending Yew to a place where the people would not even know how horrible dragons could be, Frodo closed the door and went back to his room where he would be writing a party invitation to a dragon.

Life certainly could be interesting.