'God it was cold!' I'd heard the winter was going to be cold this year, but I'd never dreamed it would be this cold! Involentary, I shivered again and thought about using the Force to keep myself warm as I made my way down the small and winding paths, which lead through the sprawling hills of the Shire. The only problem with that was that Farmer Maggot had seen me 'force jump fifty metres' over the lilly pond once after borrowing some of his mushrooms, and that well, that had taken a lot of explaining! In the end I'd sorta didnt say no when he and the other Hobbits that he'd told about the incident, agreed that I must be an Istari, one of the 'fabled blue wizards' that had faded from memory in Middle Earth years before. To them it made the most sense, why I could do the things i cound and would suddenly appear in the Shire and disapear; often just as quick. And any mischief I got up to after that....well, they've always just blamed it on my being a Wizard, which suited me just fine!
Thinking about it, it somehow took away some of the cold and made me smile. I rembered holding my breath, so I wouldn't have to say no- or worse lie- about it; but I couldn't help myself, I had to come clean to the friends I'd made about the whole ordeal! It was a nice feeling - just being able to smile- laugh over something so simple and have people laugh alongside you. It felt good real good to be back, and for the second time since I'd landed I was glad i'd come!
The first had been remembering the first time I'd ever come to the Shire; and how Diamond had let me stay with her. This strange guy who struggled to trust anyone, or to let anyone get close. I'd thought at the time she was crazy for trusting me, but she'd insisted that she could tell i was a good guy. I hadnt felt like i was a good guy at the time... I hadn't felt much of anything! It was after I had left Chicago to travel behind the wall and I'd stumbled upon the portal here by accident, as i'd sat in the wastelands watching the sun set over a strange towering rock.
I didnt know what was at work that day, why id been so lucky to discover it, i didnt even know -well - understand about the Force back then, but now, it all kinda made sense to me. If not a Jedi then who else would have been able to open the portal to this place and time?
Eagerly I opened the front gate and cringed as it squeaked upon its hinges before making my way up to the window.
The Shire was always so quiet at night unless of course there was a party- or worse my friends and I had conviced ourself some poor Hobbit or another was in need of a good prank- or miscevious deed!
I wanted to check, to make sure I wasnt going to be interupting anything important before I knocked on the door. Hobbits, I'd come to find out were very friendly, almost all of the time. And the one percent they were not so friendly was if you barged in unannounced or uninvited on 'something of great Shire importance' that they already had in motion but even then they wern't unfriendly.... they were just reserved!
Nervously I peered in through the window of the Smial, and saw Diamond sitting quietly in her faverote armchair. It made me frown. The smial looked just the same as it had the last time I was here, homely and welcoming, But she looked like she was deep in thought or possibly asleep. Gently I tapped on the window, I didnt wanna scare her, but it was bloody cold! She stired long enough to reach for the blanket by her side, pulling it up over her shoulders, before falling back asleep. It made me smile. and I turned figuring i'd try the front door just in case she'd forgotton to lock it.
Like a knife through butter it slid silently open and I shook my head, glad that I had thought to check. It wasn't that the Shire was a dangerous place, well not so far as dangerous places went, like Mustafar for instance...But it did get the occasional bandit or unsavory lurking around, to see what they could steal. And if Diamond was home alone, it was better to be safe then sorry!
Closing the door behind me I quietly stepped into the living room of the smial. The fire in the heath was all but ashes, and soon the cold would start to creep into the small house. As quietly as I could I made my way across tot the firepace and carefully lifted a coupple of the logs from the wood bin to place upon the smouldering embers before turning to look at Diamond. She hadn't stired, not once since I'd walked in. It made me wonder just how tired she must have been and what had happened to make her so..... Silently I made my way over to her and gently wrapped my left arm around her shoulders, before bending down to carefully cup her legs behind the knees with my right arm and lift her gently from the chair. It was true, Hobbits had some of the most comfortable chairs you could wish to sit on.... but they were still not as comfortable as being able to stretch out in your bed! So slowly I edged my way out of the living room and down the hallway to her bedroom. I didnt want to wake her now it would of scared the living daylight out of her! - Waking up to find out you're being carried down your own hallway! Especially if when you'd fallen asleep, you'd been home alone!
Backing into her bedroom I slowly turned and gently laid her down upon her bed before quietly backing back out. Morning would be coming around soon enough... And if she was already so tired, then she really didnt need me waking her. But as I glanced back at her lying so peacefully asleep, once again I was glad I had come... The Force it guides us, each and every day. It is within the choices we are presented with.... It is the decisions we make, and it is along the paths that we find ourselves taking. It is in the big things and the small we do to, and for others!... and for now, I was meant to be in the Shire!
Quietly I made my way back into the living room and picked up her cup and saucer. Tonight I would do her dishes and stoke her fire while she slept.....and tomorrow, well... that was an entirely new day!
