Birth of the Blade

3

"You want some ale?" I turned and looked down to see a curly-haired hobbit holding up a drink to me. "I got it for myself only I saw you from over there, and I thought she needs a drink in her hands!"  

I frowned at him and then gestured to the drink in my hand. "I have a drink in my hand."

"Oh well you could always do with another one!" He said, grinning.

"Don't mind Pippin," Said Frodo coming over, "he's just being friendly."

"Friendly?" I frowned.

"Ah, yes. Friendly." Said Pipping nodding animatedly. 

"Who... are you?" I asked him.

"Peregrin Took, at your service." He gave an overly exaggerated bow. I glanced to Frodo for confirmation.

"My second cousin." Frodo explained.

"Once removed!" Pippin chimed in.

"Oh, well, thank you for the offer, but I have my own drink here thanks."

Pippin sighed and walked away, sipping the ale. Another Hobbit rushed up to him as he went. I wasn't an elf but I still had pretty good hearing and could just about catch onto what they were saying above the din of the party.

"So? What did she say?" The new hobbit asked.

"She didn't take it."

"... Did she say anything else?"

"She politely declined Merry, that's what she said."

"Well don't worry about it there are plenty of girls here."

"But they're not elf girls." Pippin complained sadly.

"She's not an elf Pippin... Elves don't have those," he gestured towards the top of his head, "horn thingies. You don't want a horn thingy."

"She's not an elf?!"

"I mean, I don't think so. She's too short to be an elf." The hobbit I'd realised was named Merry gave a shrug. "Anyway she's too tall for you. She's what, five foot something? Maybe six?"

I was not six foot by anyone standard.

"I bet she doesn't even dance." Merry put his arm around his friend, "Come on, let's see what fireworks Gandalf brought,"

"I wouldn't even mind the horns you know, I think they look quite nice on her, and she's tall but she's not that tall..." and with that their voices faded away into the crowd.

I paused, mid-sip of my drink. That was the first time anyone had ever complimented my horns. And for some reason it felt as though it meant twice as much because he didn't know I'd been listening. I'd tried to cover the horns up as best I could by plaiting my hair in two rows down the back of my head to try and hide them in the weaving, but it had been no use. I'd even tried pulling my cloak up over my head but Gandalf told me I looked as though I was about to set a curse on the whole village so I took it off. I had been getting funny looks all evening. But hearing what that hobbit said had made it all a little bit better. 

"I hope Pippin didn't annoy you too much," Frodo said, coming back with a new glass of ale. I hadn't even realised he'd left.

"Oh, no, not at all. He was being sweet." 

"You call it sweet; I call it unnecessary," Frodo muttered, which made me chuckle. "Are you going to dance?" He nodded towards the area where people were doing a folk dance in pairs.

"Oh no, I'm a terrible dancer; I can't dance. Besides, I don't have a partner."

"I could be your partner." He stood up and offered me his hand for the second time that day.