*I come back into the study..*

[mayorsamgamgee]

*... to gather up the mathoms I wish to dispense, and see celebrimborx still sitting patiently*

Oh, sir Elf! My daughter has returned home after an absence of many years. What a joyous day for me!

Oh! This is for you, sir!

*I hand the elf his mathom* This is for you... and for that ring of yours too.I hope you both enjoy it

Comments

[celebrimborx]

*nods* I will be patient, of course. My needs are nothing compared to the return of one's daughter.

*looks at the mathom; smiles gratefully*

A personal spa bath for Narya! She will be very pleased. Thank you, Sam!

[mayorsamgamgee]

I hope she he it they whateverthehell will enjoy it, sir.

And I hope you will get to meet my daughter. She's so very lovely.. as pretty as the flower my Frodo named her for. She may be in shortly.. I don't know. She was talking with her friends.

*I smile happily, thinking of my pretty Elly, then see frodo_gardener wander in and take his arm.*

A word please, son.

*He turns to me, and I lead him into the dining room for a private moment. I hand him his keys.*

Here, son.

[frodo_gardener]

*I hug my Poppa tight*

Thank you, Poppa. I may ask Elly if she'd like to stay there too.

*thinks*

Though she may have other plans. We'll see. I'm going up on the hill to check the seedlings. I'll be back in a few moments.

[mayorsamgamgee]

*I watch him go, smiling.. then turn back to the Elf*

More tea?

[elanorgamgee]

*follows the sound of voices until she reaches the study*

*lingers in the doorway for a moment before entering, glancing at her father and Mr. Frodo before speaking to their guests*

Please forgive me. I did not know my father already had visitors. *addressing the elf cordially* I'm Elanor, Sam's daughter. *turns and smiles at the man sitting next to him* Tobey, I believe we met once before.

[mayorsamgamgee]

*I see Elly enter and smile brightly*

Yes, yes, sir, Elf.. please allow me to present Elanor Gamgee, my eldest child, and the most beautiful flower in all of the Shire.

*I turn to Elly.. so proud of her!*

Child, this is celebrimborx. A friend of Mr. Tobey's here, and a fine elven lad when he's not wearing that grouchy gewgaw of his.

*It strikes me that I have no mathom for Elly and I slap my head in distress.*

Oh dear! Your Da has no mathom for you, dear heart.

*I look up and brighten..* Maybe this will do!

*I raise the top of a jewelry case and lift something out. I carry it to my Elly and offer it to her with a shy smile.*

Perhaps you'd take this, my girl. 'Tis old.. but still a fine piece. I had it done when we were all in Gondor visiting our friend, the King. Tis a cameo of your dear mother, Eru bless her.

[elanorgamgee]

*smiles graciously as her father steps in to introduce her more formally, a flicker of recognition in her eyes as she learns the elf's name*

*surprised by her father's self-reproach over having no mathom for her, she starts to reassure him* No, Dad, that's quite all ri-

*She accepts the lovingly proffered gift and gazes for a few moments at her mother’s profile, deep in thought. Their earlier exchange still weighed heavily on her mind, but with guests present it was not the time or place to address them. Turning to embrace her father, she says softly* It’s absolutely beautiful, Dad, thank you.

*seats herself and fixes her smile on their visitors* What brings you to the Shire, Celebrimbor? It is not often that these lands are graced by the presence of the Eldar.

[celebrimborx]

Dear lady, I am here on a personal quest: To learn the whereabouts of three Rings which have become lost over the years. One, I have found. The other two have not yet revealed themselves to me. Forgive me if my need sounds petty or unworthy of such attention. I assure you, their safety is of utmost importance to me.

*smiles again* And may I ask you a similar question? Why have you returned to the Shire, when it is among the Elves that you evidently reside?

[tobeyman]

Hi, Elanor. Yes, I think we DID meet once. A while back. Was it at a party? If drinking was involved, I might have forgotten the exact time and place. *laughs*

Frodo, is there another cup for tea? I forget which one's mine.

[_misterfrodo]

Why, yes! *procures a clean tea cup from a tray; hands it to Tobey*

You shouldn't have trouble remembering which cup is yours since we are not serving alchohol at the moment. *winks*

More tea for anyone?

[mayorsamgamgee]

*I smile at both elanorgamgee and celebrimborx and take a seat next to my daughter*

Now, now. Sam Gamgee's isn't so old that he's lost his hearin' quite yet.

*I pat Elly's hand, but turn to the Elf.*

'Tis not talk of the ring that upsets me, sir Elf. 'Tis what it does to Mr. Frodo. Rings of power... they're like... I'm not sure I'm sayin' this proper, but they seem to make a need in a person that never goes away. Gollum had it. You seem to have a touch of it, sir Elf. And my Frodo has it. It's like it takes a part of their soul.. and never gives it back. And all rings of power seem to do this, sir. Not just the One.

*I glance at my daughter.. then back to Celebrimborx.* Please speak, sir Elf. 'Tis too protective I am at times. This is a grown woman sitting here. And a wise one. You may speak in front of her if you wish.

[celebrimborx]

*raises eyebrows* A need in a person? Do you really think so, Sam? *considers for a while; sighs*

You may have a point. I thought I merely wanted to learn the whereabouts of my creations, not possess them. But I admit to you, the majority of my thoughts in the past hour or so have been with Narya, who I trust reposes comfortably outside the door. I care deeply for her.

[mayorsamgamgee]

*I take Frodo's hand in mine.*

Mr. Frodo, maybe we should stop and have a bit of dinner before we begin talking of such things.

*I sigh*

Might be hard to eat *after* we've talked of them.

*I turn to Elly*

Child, will you eat with us? I'll be fixin' something for all of us. Or do you need to prepare for your trip to Bree.

*I try to smile bravely when I speak of her upcoming trip.. tho my heart still fears it.*

[elanorgamgee]

*smiles gratefully at her father, knowing that it can not be easy for him to watch her set out on her trip*

All my things are still packed, so there is little I need to do to prepare. *leans over and takes his other hand* Why don't I help you make supper and then after we eat I can return to Back End?

[mayorsamgamgee]

*I squeeze my child's hands and smile*

Help me with supper, just as you did when you were a wee Hobbit-lass?

*I turn and smile at Frodo*

Remember, my Frodo, how she'd fix us biscuits and we'd choke down the raw dough rather than hurt her wee feelings?

*I start toward the kitchen, hand in hand with my daughter.*

*thinks.... I'll be chokin' the food down along with my fear. But she's grown now and not mine to boss.

*mutters.. * Now where could your brother have gotten to! That boy's as hard to catch as he was when you were all wee ones here in this smial. Ah well, if the smell of food don't bring him runnin'.. I suspect he can eat later.

[elanorgamgee]

*feels the heat rise in her face as her father unwittingly embarrasses her in front of present company*

*wryly* Well I haven't tried murdering anyone with my cooking recently, so I think we should all make it through the evening relatively unscathed.

*suddenly realizing that her father's unconscious attempt to infantilize her is likely indicative of his struggle to let go of who he still views as his little girl, she pauses mid-step and turns to face him*

*gently but firmly* It will be all right, Dad. We're all experienced travelers, and would not do anything so foolish as to put ourselves in harm's way. A warg is not going to attack a cart with four people in it in broad daylight along a busy road; that would be a senseless risk on its part. And Eru forbid this is a particularly dense warg, we will be ready for it.

Will it help if I send word as soon as we arrive in Bree, and then again at South Linch?