One Geek to Rule Them All

The Hall of Fire

At length the feast came to an end. Elrond and Arwen rose and went down the hall, and the company followed them in due order. The doors were thrown open, and they went across a wide passage through other doors, and came into a further hall. In it were no tables, but a bright fire was burning in a great hearth between the carven pillars on either side.

Frodo found himself walking with Gandalf.

"This is the Hall of Fire," said the wizard. "Here you will hear many songs and tales—if you can keep awake. But except on high days it usually stands empty and quiet, and people come here who wish for peace, and thought. There is always a fire here, all the year round, but there is little other light."

As Elrond entered and went towards the seat prepared for him, Elvish minstrels began to make sweet music. Slowly the hall filled, and Frodo looked with delight upon the many faces that were gathered together; the golden firelight played upon them and shimmered in their hair. Suddenly he noticed, not far from the further end of the fire, a small dark figure seated on a stool with his back propped against a pillar. Beside him on the ground was a drinking-cup and some bread. Frodo wondered whether he was ill (if people were ever ill in Rivendell), and had been unable to come to the feast. His head seemed sunk in sleep on his breast, and a fold of his dark cloak was drawn over his face. Frodo noticed that Devin was watching the mysterious figure with a kind and knowing smile. She whispered something to Kitty, and the other girl's eyes lit up as she also looked over at the seated figure.

Elrond went forward and stood beside the silent figure. "Awake, little master!" he said, with a smile. Then, turning to Frodo, he beckoned to him. "Now at last the hour has come that you have wished for Frodo," he said. "Here is a friend that you have long missed."

The dark figure raised its head and uncovered its face.

"Bilbo!" cried Frodo with sudden recognition, and he sprang forward. Devin and Kitty smiled while they watched the happy reunion.

"Hullo, Frodo my lad!" Bilbo greeted him. "So you have got here at last. I hoped you would manage it. Well, well! So all this feasting is in your honor, I hear. I hope you enjoyed yourself?"

"Why weren't you there?" cried Frodo. "And why haven't I been allowed to see you before?"

"Because you were asleep," said Bilbo. "I have seen a good deal of you.  I have sat by your side with Sam each day. But as for the feast, I don't go in for such things much now. And I had something else to do."

"What were you doing?" asked Kitty curiously as she and Devin approached the two hobbits.

"Why sitting and thinking, my young lady. I do a lot of that nowadays, and this is the best place to do it in, as a rule. Wake up, indeed!" Bilbo said, cocking an eye at Elrond. There was a bright twinkle in it and no sign of sleepiness that they could see. "Wake up! I was not asleep, Master Elrond. If you want to know, you have all come out from your feast too soon, and you have disturbed me—in the middle of making up a song. I was stuck over a line or two, and was thinking about them; but now I don't suppose I shall ever get them right. There will be such a deal of singing that the ideas will be driven clean out of my head. I shall have to get my friend the Dúnadan to help me. Where is he?"

Kitty  smirked. She liked old Bilbo. She thought he was great, telling off an elf-lord like it was nothing.

Apparently Elrond thought so, too, because he laughed. "He shall be found," he said. "Then you two shall go into a corner and  finish your task, and we will hear it and judge it before we end our merrymaking." Messengers were sent to find Bilbo's friend, though none knew where he was or why he had not been present at the feast.