One Day You'll Know

Chapter 4- The Approaching Darkness

By the time the party was mostly cleaned up, it was about one in the morning. Noelle was headed back to Bag-end, lost in thought. All she knew was that she had to get out of this party dress sooner than later. She was too used to pants. It was going to take some time to get back into wearing a dress.

Looking down at the ground, she opened the outside gate to the hobbit-hole.

"Whoa!" someone cried. Gandalf had crashed into Noelle, and was looking like he was in a hurry.

"Gandalf! Where are you going!" Noelle was surprised to see him out at this hour.

"I must learn more about Bilbo's ring, Noelle-"

"I thought you said it was the One Ring," Noelle interrupted, lowering her voice.

"I don't know. I was only suspecting. I must learn the truth."

Noelle opened her mouth, but no words came out. She wasn't sure what to say.

Gandalf put his hand on her shoulder. "Stay here with Frodo. He is going to need you. Keep him safe." He placed his pointy hat on his head, and gripped his staff. "Farewell."

"Good luck," Noelle said with a smile, remembering Ahsoka and Anakin.

"I will need it," Gandalf replied, to which Noelle was surprised. Gandalf was always the one who believed in fate- not luck.

She watched Gandalf trudge down Bag-shot Row and untie his brown horse. Then he galloped away in full speed under the moonlight.

Noelle sighed to herself looking up at the moon. The air was clear and cool tonight, but she was tired. She couldn't remember the last time she had had a good night's sleep.

Ducking to fit through the green door, Noelle entered the hobbit-hole to find Frodo fast asleep in the rocking chair beside the fireplace.

Noelle sat down on the miniature couch, which was more like a chair. She wasn't exactly sure how to describe how she felt right now. Alone was the word she would use, because it was true. She had no one. Her own family was far, far away from her. If she ever saw them again, she doubted they would forgive her for leaving them.

And the Jedi? Well they were a mess to say the least. Noelle didn't know what had become of them, but she had a pretty good idea. What she really wanted to know was: what had become of her friends?

She rested her head against the back of the couch. What she needed to do was have a nice long talk with Gandalf when he got back. He would be able to offer her some advice.

Noelle yawned. With all these thoughts spinning in her mind, she fell fast asleep.

She slept in till about ten o'clock the next morning. When she opened her eyes, she nearly forgot everything that had happened. She jumped out of her chair with a start.

"I have to get up for studying! Wait. Where am I?" Noelle looked around to see Frodo glancing worriedly at her.

"Would you like some tea, Noelle?" he asked cautiously.

"Oh, yes please," Noelle breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't on Coruscant anymore. She was at Bag-end in Middle-earth. "Tea would be nice, thank you."

Frodo nodded and headed over to the kitchen near the front door. Noelle followed him, and sat down in the same spot in which she had been eating with Bilbo and Gandalf a few days earlier. Frodo pulled a kettle off the stove and poured tea in two china cups. Then he sat down across from her. The two of them sat in silence, and Noelle stared at her tea.