Chapter 1 - Sun Star

Sam looked up from the rose bush he had been tending, a child's delighted laugh caught his ear and a few well-chosen words soon followed. He smiled and returned to the much-needed pruning. March, it was actually a little late in the year to be pruning but what with his traversing the Shire checking upon his re-sown trees and the new responsibilities as a husband and father he barely had time for his beloved gardening. But, the garden seemed to give Mr. Frodo such joy and if only for that reason Sam had made the time to tend it. Thoughts of Frodo turned to worry as they so often did these days. Sam shivered as an unbidden memory passed through him. An unwelcome anniversary had just been marked and Frodo hadn't weathered it particularly well.

Another peal of childish laughter shook Sam from his uneasy ponderings. He threw a glance behind him and was rewarded with the sight of his baby daughter nimbly clambering through the tall grass, half a jam tart secured in her tiny hand and the other half properly stored on her pinafore and mouth. Chasing her was a rather harried-looking hobbit nurse, "You'd best get back here, little miss before you make a mess of your lovely new pinafore brought over by Gammer Cotton." Sam thought amusedly well if that's not a case of "Katie, bar the door, the horses have gotten loose!" I don't know what is! His little daughter, uniquely stored jam tart not withstanding, with her curls and fair face was the picture of the golden flowers that grew in Lothlorien for which she was named. Elanor, tiny, golden and beautiful. Sam stopped what he was doing and in three long strides had scooped up his little girl saying "I'm going to get you!" and promptly blew a raspberry on the toddler's stomach eliciting a squeal of joy from the child. He turned to the rather harried-looking nurse, and said "It's OK, Poppy, I'll take the little rascal in and make sure she's presentable for company." The nurse turned to leave saying that she could use the time to straighten out the touchdown point of a small tornado that vaguely resembled Elanor's room.

"Well now, My little flower!" Sam said to the small squirming bundle of child in his arms "Let's see what we can do to get you all prettied up!" For company was indeed coming. They were coming to celebrate Elanor's second birthday, always reckoned to be an important one in the Hobbit way of thinking and therefore merited an extra special celebration. "Uncle Merry and Uncle Pippin will be by and Legolas should be here soon with Gimli, won't that be lovely" Elanor gurgled her assent. The whole Fellowship had agreed to come as had the Steward of Gondor and Lord and the Lady of the Golden Wood. Never had a two-year celebration commanded such an august guest list, but then again never had there been such a special two-year old, Sam thought, in a completely unbiased way. Pondering the guest list, he let forth a small sigh, for that meant that Gandalf would be arriving soon and he had a few things he wished to ask the Maia when he arrived. His thoughts bent again upon Frodo Perhaps, it is lucky that Elanor's birthday falls in the month of March! Seeing old friends again will surely gladden his heart.

***
Frodo watched Sam and little Elanor from the window of his study, a small smile playing across his face as he absently fingered the white jewel that now hung around his neck. Bag End was a noisier but happier place these days with "his little flower bud" as he liked to call Elanor rampaging around. She distracted him from other thoughts and that was always welcome, especially at this time of year. Frodo returned to his desk in an effort to continue writing, but it was no use. His temples throbbed and he was feeling an overall weariness. His recent bout with "Remembrance" as he euphemistically called it had been draining and he was having an unusually hard time recovering his customary equanimity. Perhaps the celebrations surrounding little Elanor's second birthday would help to dispel the shadows that too stubbornly refused to leave. He sighed and quit the study all together deciding that perhaps some fresh air might do him good.
Just as he closed the door to his study a bright whirl of stickiness and golden hair bundled into him begging to be picked up. He obliged with an indulgent laugh, as the jam on Elanor's hands found its way onto Frodo's face and shirt, "Well what have we here, a flower bud all ready for the honey bees! You sweet little thing! Bzzzzz!! Bzzzzz!" Delighted laughter was his reward as Frodo felt his weariness slipping away.
"I'm sorry Mr. Frodo, I was just taking little Miss Sticky here to get cleaned up." came the automatic apology from Sam, following two steps behind his little daughter.

That's quite all right, Sam" Frodo said still gazing at the child in his arms. Elanor was now looking up at her uncle with big blue eyes imitating the "Bzzzz! Bzzzz!" sounds and laughing. "That's right, my little honey bee!" Frodo laughed warmly, "let's see what we can do about this little mess you've managed to share with me!" And with that Frodo took little Elanor outside towards the little stream near the house extracting his ever-present handkerchief as he walked. Sam was about to protest, he didn't like to burden Frodo with the little jobs of child rearing, but then thought better of it. He hadn't seen Frodo this happy in weeks and decided to let the two have their little adventure.

***
The bit of woods through which the stream ran was shaking off the last of its winter coat and although there was a bit of a nip in the air on this late March day, the gentle breeze hinted at the Spring warmth yet to come instead of the cold bite of Winter. The trees were a hazy green with the first tiny leaves appearing on branches and the tall grass whispered as the breeze flowed through it. The undergrowth was soft under tiny hobbit feet as Elanor made her way through to the stream, her favoured Uncle Frodo in tow. Arriving at the babbling stream Frodo knelt and did his best to restore both of them to a state of presentableness, but that was easier said than done as Elanor, seeing the water, had other ideas about what to do with it, splashing Frodo rather efficiently for a two-year old. This continued for a bit, the two of them ending up more wet and unkempt than when they had started. Laughing, Frodo grabbed the little mischief maker and spun her around "I swear I see a little more of your Uncle Pippin in you with every passing day! You little minx!"

"And that can only be a good thing, don't you think?" said a chirpy voice from behind him.
Frodo turned around and there stood the afore-accused hobbit along with Merry, as ever together. Frodo put little Elanor down and closed the short distance between the three to hug each hobbit in his turn. "When did you get in from Crickhollow?"

"Just now" replied Merry, looking as hale and hearty as ever, "Sam said you and little Elanor were by the stream, so we thought to meet you up."

"Only to hear you slander me to my favourite niece!," Pippin chimed in good-naturedly. At this he knelt to Elanor, "Hello, my little love, do you have a kiss for your dear Uncle Pippin?" At this Elanor flung her chubby little arms around Pippin's neck and kissed him on the cheek. Picking her up Pippin said "Shall we return and perhaps sample a little of that fine 1420 that I know is in your storeroom, dear Frodo!"
"Let's!" Merry exclaimed, "For I'm parched from the trip. Traveling is one sure way to make one thirsty!"
Frodo laughed, "Let's return, Sam's bound to be worried about where we four have gotten ourselves off to!"

***
Looking up from the rosebushes that he again had started to trim, Sam caught sight of an image that warmed his heart. Elanor, a bright smile on her face, was on Frodo's shoulders and the three older Hobbits were laughing and talking as if they hadn't a care in the world. "If only they could stay like that, if only Frodo could always be that happy." Sam turned around and caught the wistful look on Rosie's face as she stood close to the back gate

that lead to the vegetable garden, her basket laden with parsnips and a few herbs, her voice trailing off with words left unspoken.

She had echoed his thoughts both spoken and not, but Sam wasn't ready to admit that to anyone not even his sweet Rosie, so he answered a little too brusquely, "Mr. Frodo will be all right. He's just a little tired is all."

Rosie looked at him in that knowing, slightly pained way for a few seconds but then her eyes grew kind as she looked at Sam and deftly changed the subject. "I thought that I would make Roasted Parsnip Pie for supper tonight." she announced brightly, "Pippin asked for it specially."

"Well, my love, you make the best Parsnip pie from here to Buckland, so it is no wonder that Pippin has asked for it." Sam said recovering his cheerfulness as he stepped towards Rosie to give her a quick peck on the cheek, "My mouth is watering all ready."

***
The four hobbits sat peaceably in the front porch of Bag End with their feet up against the sod wall of the house, smoking their pipes and sipping the fine ale from the year of plenty. From behind them was heard a jovial, "Drinking ale and smoking pipes, I don't know, Gimli, what you all see in it! Never have I acquired the taste for it myself."

"That is because, Master Elf, despite all the best influences you still hold to your Elven ways!" came the gruff reply.

The four hobbits turned around and sure enough, there was Legolas, smiling serenely, leaning against the top railing clad in the greens and browns of Mirkwood that he still favoured though he had now removed to Ithilien with many of his people and the blessings of his father, Thranduil. He still carried his Galadrim bow and white knives though now blissfully the need to press them into service was lessening all the time.
Next to him stood Gimli, stout and stalwart as ever, but with a gleam of fierce enjoyment lighting up his strong features. "Well, are you just going to gawk or are you going to let us in and allow at least me to sample some of that fine ale!"

The four hobbits sprang to action at once hugging the new arrivals and rapidly firing many questions. "How was your journey?" "Are you settling in Ithilien well?" "Will Faramir be making the journey?" "Where's Arod?"

Legolas laughed merrily and said "Peace! friends. Not even my elven senses can keep up with such an onslaught. The journey was quite pleasant I am settling in Ithilien quite well. As for Faramir, he is traveling with Aragorn and should be here in a day or two. And Arod has been stabled on the other side of Hobbiton, as we wanted to catch you unawares."

"And how are my favourite halflings," Gimli looked at each of the hobbits in turn, dwelling on Frodo only slightly longer than the other three. This however did not go unnoticed by Frodo and once again he felt singled out, isolated, and absent-mindedly started fingering the white jewel at his throat. The others noted this with varying amounts of pain and understanding and a brief shadow fell over the group of reunited friends.

Rosie had been watchful of this pleasant scene unfolding. Tensions had been high at Bag End lately what with Frodo falling ill for an extended period of time and Sam doing his best to ignore any of what this might all mean. Rosie had been trying to get Sam to face a few home truths but this was proving more difficult than getting little Elanor to eat her greens. Only the little one seemed unaffected by the strains in the house and remained as sunny as ever. Rosie thanked the Valar every day for the bright gift of her daughter as she was sometimes the only one who could shake Frodo from his melancholy. Given the fact that Frodo had been caught within the grasp of his "Remembrance" for a longer period this year Sam and she had given brief thought calling off Elanor's special day, but that idea was quickly discarded, if for no other reason that it would have depressed Frodo further. It was also gently hoped that Elanor's birthday celebrations could lift the clouds that hung overlong upon him. Hoped, but not truly expected, at least not by Rosie. Still her aim was to make this time as pleasant and carefree as she could possibly make it. So this is why she listened in on the scene unfolding on the front porch and sprang into purposeful cheery action when she noted the discernable decrease in gladness within the little group. She waltzed out with little Elanor trailing behind ostensibly to collect mugs but really to shift the mood that had started to list appreciably.

Legolas was the first to shift mood with that elven mercurialness that ever amazed Rosie. He saw little Elanor and went down on one knee gazing at the beautiful, yet suddenly shy child. Gil-dithen nín, do you not remember me?" he said in his softest and most melodic voice for he had been present at her birth. Elanor's eyes were wide with wonder looking upon the bright elf, but showed no real signs of recognition. "No?" Legolas continued softly, "Well, then allow me to introduce myself, Princess, Legolas Greenleaf, who will forever be at your service." his eyes aglow flashing love and laughter. With this Legolas took Elanor's tiny hand and kissed it in a most courtly fashion. Elanor seemed to ponder this turn of events for a second or two, eyes wide yet, pensive, lower lip caught between her teeth. Decision made, she kissed Legolas on the cheek and threw her arms around his neck in obvious approval of what she had just heard. Legolas laughed joyously and swung her up into his arms, proclaiming "Oh my little sun star, you have captured my heart! I fear I shall never be the same." Elanor giggled.

Gimli gruffly announced, "There he goes again, charming the women right, left and centre. I can't take him anywhere!" The others laughed, the tension lifted and Rosie breathed a sigh of relief, a small disaster averted for now.

***********
*Gil-dithen nín= My shaky Sindarin for " my little star "