Giving Chase {Lord of the Rings Crossover: Book One}

Chapter Fourteen

A bright light tore Frodo away from his deep slumber. Gasping the hobbit squeezed his eyes shut frightened by his sudden rush of senses, "where am I?" he questioned aloud not truly expecting a reply but much to his relief a familiar voice cut through the swirl of white noise around him. "You are in the house of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning on October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know."

Frodo's eyes began to flicker open, blinking away his sleep taking in the room around him. He lay in a man sized bed next to an open window, dappled sunlight played across the richly carved timbers. The sound of rustling trees and a nearby waterfall drifted through the open window carried by the gentle summer air. Amidst the angelic scene a soft purring could be heard deep within the tangled nest of blankets. Peering under a small smile tugged on his lips, when he last saw the cheetah her fur was greasy and thick with mud and ink like blood, the complete opposite of the feline curled up around his form. Her golden coat gleamed in the daylight, her dark spots standing out proud against it, lightly Frodo rubbed his fingertips in Calypso's fur, coursing the sleeping cat to sigh contently regardless of her slumbered state. "She's been worried about you, she's barely left your side since she arrived."

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried in relief looking up at the wizard. Gandalf sat silently next to Frodo's bed happily puffing on his pipe. "Yes, I'm here and you're lucky to be here too." The wizard states smiling at Frodo, "A few more hours and you would have been beyond all aid. You have some strength in you, my dear Hobbit." Frodo sits up, looking at Gandalf questioningly, "what happened, Gandalf? Why didn't you meet us?" "I'm sorry Frodo," Gandalf says with a troubled gaze, his eyes slowly drifting away in dark thought-filled memory. "I was delayed," he murmured.

Frodo raises himself up and looks at Gandalf. "Gandalf! What is it?" With a start Gandalf returns his attention to Frodo. "Nothing, Frodo..." he spoke with another small smile letting his words trail off. The conversation is quickly forgotten as Sam enters the room running to Frodo's bedside clearly overjoyed to find Frodo awake.

"Frodo!   Frodo!   Bless you, you're awake!!" He cheered, "Sam has hardly left your side." Gandalf informed the Hobbit. "We were worried about you, weren't we Mr. Gandalf" the Wizard gave a nod in answer before continuing "by the skills of Lord Elrond, you're beginning to mend." "We had little choice..." A rich voice jested, from the doorway.

Elrond, Lord of the high elves steps up to Frodo's bedside with an ora of power and grace around him. His face is neither old nor young much as any elf, yet upon it is written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful in memory. "Miss Calypso made it very clear what would happen to my kin and I should you have fallen into shadow. Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins."

Rivendell was a grand but small city, a small cluster of elegant elven buildings nestled within a valley below towering cliffs and snow capped mountains. Waterfalls could be seen and heard clashing onto the rocks covering the valley floor in a glistening mist.

"You have found your way to the last homely house east of the sea. The elves of Imladris have dwelt within this valley for three thousand years though few of my kin now remain." Elrond explained as Frodo looked out from the balcony. "You are most welcome here, may you rest and regain your strength."

-

Sometime later Frodo and Sam found themselves looking out over the breathtaking gardens of Rivendell from a balcony. As they continue on walking together side by side taking in the wonder of the Elvin city they come across Merry and Pippin, the pair bound up to Frodo and throw their arms around him, "Frodo! Frodo!" they exclaimed, laughing happily to see their friend well once again. Sam watches the exchange of the three hobbits before looking past Frodo smiling. In the distance a bent figure sits on a bench in the heat of the sun chatting away happily to Calypso who, although sitting on the floor, was talking back to the figure face to face.

Frodo turned following Sam's Gaze to the terrace above, it was Bilbo. The younger hobbits watched as the two old friends threw their heads back in laughter, Bilbo only stopping to quickly write something down into the book propped open on his lap, the conversation having sparked a memory to life.

-

"Bilbo!" Frodo cries breaking into a broad grin as he rushes out onto the terrace to embrace him, "Hello Frodo my lad!" Bilbo says as Frodo sits down beside the hobbit taking in his 'Uncles' appearance, the older Baggins had aged significantly since their last meeting. In Calypso's opinion Bilbo was simply beginning to show his true age now the magic of the ring was leaving him, nevertheless it saddened her greatly to see one of her dearest friends beginning to fade away.

"I've been helping Bilbo finish his book," the feline informed the hobbit sometime later. Frodo looked to her from the leather bound journal which was now resting on his lap before gently turning the neatly inscribed title page. "There and back again: A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins," He read aloud as Bilbo smiled proudly, Frodo kept looking at page after page of Bilbo's beautiful handwriting, somewhere decorated with intricate maps and drawings.  "This is wonderful." Frodo marvelled continuing his page turning,

"I meant to go back-" Bilbo began, "wander the paths of Mirkwood, visit Laketown. Calypso has offered to come with me to visit Thorin and Fili and to see the Lonely Mountain again-" "after we have both rested, that is" Calypso quickly added, casting the elder Baggins a look. "Yes age, it seems, has finally caught up with me. We're not as young as we once were. Aye old girl?!"  Bilbo said solemnly, giving the large cheetah a hard pat on the back yet the feline sat unmoving. "Old!" She cried "Old! Your no spring chicken yourself."

Maybe it was merely a trick of the light or a play of shadows on her face but in that moment Frodo could almost see short silver hairs sprinkled under the felines eyes standing out against the black teardrop marking of her golden fur, nonetheless Frodo let out a short chuckle at the scene before turning the books pages once more.

There before him was a map of the shire in all its glory with each small detail in perfect place. "I miss the Shire," he admitted quietly, "I spent all my childhood pretending I was off somewhere else...off with you, on one of your adventures." He looks at the pair, "But my own adventure turned out to be quite different..." "I'm not like you, Bilbo."

-
Later that evening Frodo and Calypso returned to the terrace stomachs full, elves normally refrain from serving meat however for the carnivores sake Lord Elrond had made an exception towards the feline, something she was most grateful for. As the pair ventured out onto the terrace they found Sam busily trying to stuff more and more things into his already full pack. Pots and pans, blankets, (the scratchy kind she found much to her amusement.) Cooking utensils, provisions , clothes, all things needed for an adventure.

"No, what have I forgotten?" He questioned out loud scratching his head in thought. "Packed already?" Frodo asked, watching his friend casually with his hands in his pockets, "one would think you were anxious to leave" Calypso added.

Sam looks up, startled, "No harm in being prepared." He says slightly embarrassed as Frodo strolls to the edge of the Balcony.  "I thought you wanted to see the Elves, Sam?" He questioned. "I do..." he answered lowly, "more than anything" Calypso continued for the young Baggins, "I did It's just...we did what Gandalf wanted, didn't we? We got the Ring this far, to Rivendell...and I thought... seeing as how you're on the mend, we'd be off soon. Off home." Sam admitted shyly.

"You're right, Sam." Frodo said softly looking at his friend," we did what we set out to do." He continued reaching into his pocket before opening his hand, the ring sitting in his palm glistening in the evening light. Beside him Calypso made an uneasy retreat away from the ring bearer, disliking the dark animal like feelings of dread she felt in its presence. 'How easy it would be to take the ring' she thought darkly, 'to remove their beating hearts and take the power for myself.'

'I am not a beast' she reassured herself, shaking away the dark thoughts. 'I am not a beast.'

"The ring will be safe in Rivendell." Frodo continued unaware of his previous brush with death, "I am ready to go home." He admitted.  'Home' Calypso thought sadly 'I am ready for home' she looks up at the sky above, a different sky to which she grew up under, 'yet it's so far away.'

(Edited: 22/09/2022