Sourdough and Flowers

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When three months passed and the 'Year to Change Sauron's Mind' began, Bilbo was a wee bit overwhelmed.

So, in proper Baggins fashion, he began stress baking in the days leading up to the trip.

The famous Baggins Sourdough, the Took blackberry lavender scones -that Lobelia kept trying to steal the recipe of, mind you, but he would never hand it over until he got her potato salad one- (a rogue part of his mind wondered if she had stolen his good spoons in Frodo's absence), lemon loaf cake with a cream cheese frosting, and mincemeat mini-tarts with a buttery crust. 

He packed all the baked goods up in some cheesecloth and put them in a wicker basket he found in a closet and left a note for the servants he never saw to bring slivered slices of ham and cheese the night before.

Mairon had watched the tail-end of the baking spree, leaning on the counter after dinner, saying nothing at all.

Bilbo had asked why he was just staring, to which Sauron had said, "There is no experience like watching a master at their craft."

"I'm no master baker." The hobbit had blushed

"Yes, you are a master burglar and  -if the scent of the room is to be believed- most definitely a master baker." The maia replied

The writer shrugged, "You'll just have to wait and see tomorrow."

"I shall hold you to your word, precious." Sauron said, kissing the hobbit's shoulder before retreating for the night

Now, Bilbo was a mess of nerves as he sat by the door of his quarters.

The door eventually opened to reveal the Dark Lord, who presented Bilbo with a silver bracelet that was seemingly made of woven metal flowers and thorns.

"This one is enchanted." Mairon warned, placing it on Bilbo's hand, "A very simple enchantment though, you'll just get an ache in your feet if you wander too far from me that gets worse the farther you go, but it will disappear when you get back in range. It also will not let you take it off once you put it on, I will do that when we return here."

Bilbo put it on his left wrist, knowing the matter was nonnegotiable, "What is the range?"

"I was feeling generous when I made it, fifteen meters." Sauron replied, "Are you ready to go?"

The hobbit nodded and hooked the picnic basket on his arm, following him out of the copy of Bag End.

***

Riding on a Fellbeast was strange now that he was lucid enough to actually pay attention to what was going on, especially when he was being held against the Dark Lord's chest plate.

The hobbit looked around the lands of Mordor below, having been told to choose a place to land for their excursion today, but everything, looking at the Nine following from a respectful distance, wondering what they thought of the situation.

But, it was impossible to tell from expression alone seeing that eight of the Nine wore spiked faceplates while the ninth -the leader- had an empty void where his face should be.

Eventually, they passed above the Black Gate, above the burnt piles of bodies of Men and Orc, and towards the claimed territories.

Once the bodies were far enough away, were less than a speck in the distance, Bilbo chose a field for them to land.

Sauron immediately began to land the beast, the Nine following and landing some distance away in a circle around them -ready to get him in case he tried to run despite the pain it would put him in.

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