Pippin watched as Mallyra’s silhouette began to disappear. He was so desperate to call her back, but he words just wouldn’t come out. His stomach knotted when he realised she wasn’t going to turn around, and stood up to call after her, but he just carried on standing there.
"Go after her you fool!" he shouted at himself. He looked up to see that she had completely gone, faded into the night like a ghost in the past.
"I guess I really am a fool of a Took now," he sighed, feeling a slight pain in his chest, as he began to walk home.
**************
Mallyra didn’t want to look behind her, because she knew she’d die of embarrassment. She kept on walking, determined not to turn around. Thoughts about how stupid she was, why she shouldn’t have done that and awkwardness floated through her mind. Yet, she began to recall how she had felt when he touched her hand. Memories of his soft, green eyes, and made her smile to herself. However, the fact he didn’t even try to stop her from walking away, made her feel worse. He didn’t like her, and she knew it.
The moon was beginning to fade, and the breezy wind was now bitter cold, when Mallyra eventually got home. Seeing her mother’s relieved face in the window, made her dread what she was going to get when she stepped through her front door.
"MALLYRA FLINTWATER! Where on middle earth have you been?!" A voice shouted as the front door swung open. Mallyra looked at her mother,and hugged her.
"I was at a friend’s house mum." She lied, glancing down at the floor, and rubbing her arm. Mallyra’s mum put her hands on her hips and sighed. She was a stocky hobbit woman, who wore her short, dark brown hair wrapped up in a head scarf, and a tartan shirt with a deep brown skirt. She also had an old apron slung round her waist, and as usual, had bits of clay on her face and hands.
"look, Ra, I’m all up for you making new friends. But disappearing for two days, without telling me where you are, is probably border line of what I’d expect from you" she scolded, frowning at her daughter. Mallyra looked at her blankly, and nodded, not saying a word. She then chucked a small package onto the kitchen table, and walked into her room, running her fingers through her wavy hair.
Her mum watched her carefully, and then walked over to the package and picked it up. It was a small brown parcel, tied up with a piece of string Her mother let it roll around in her fingers, until it rested in the palm of her hand. She opened it slowly, and nearly fell over. In her hands, lay a small diamond teardrop hung on a thin steel chain, that shone in the lamplight.
Mallyra walked up to her new bed, and stared at the covers. It didn’t seem too inviting. Quickly, she changed into her night garments, and then crawled under the duvet. It was cold to begin with, and sent shudders down her spine, but eventually, it warmed with the heat from her body. A few moments later, her mother walked in, clutching the necklace in her hand.
"Ra... where did you find this? It’s beautiful," she whispered, as she walked over to her daughters bedside. Mallyra pulled the covers up a little further, and shrugged.
"Mum, I wanted to give it to you as a present. Does it really matter?" She sighed as she looked into her mums deep brown eyes. Her mother shook her head a little,
"no... I guess it doesn’t." She said, frowning down at the necklace, "Anyway, goodnight!" she continued, kissing Mallyra on the head, and then walking out the room. Mallyra rolled her eyes, and then stared up at her plain, white ceiling. It was the only thing that seemed to interest her, and the flame light from the burning candle on her dresser, made silhouettes dance around. After a few minutes, Mallyra felt her eye lids grow heavy, as thoughts of what happened earlier that day, raced through her mind.
**
The next morning, Mallyra was woken by the sunlight streaming through her windows, and the birdsong that floated through the window that was slightly ajar. She sat up and stretched, letting out a huge sigh, before she ruffled her hair. Mallyra yawned again, walked through to her bathroom and made herself presentable, before padding into her dining room. Her mother was in the kitchen, and had made her a breakfast of eggs and bacon, probably as a thank you for the necklace. Mallyra smiled up at her mum, before pulling up a chair and tucking into her breakfast. Her mother returned the smile, sat down beside her, and passed her a freshly brewed cup of tea. Mallyra accepted it warmly, and took a sip.
"Did you have fun on your adventure?" Mallyra's mother asked, smiling widely at her. Mallyra’s face dropped, as she suddenly remembered everything from the day before.
"yeah, I guess I did," she admitted, smiling at the memory of Pippin falling back into the river, and his face when he had fallen out of the tree.
"Pippin’s a funny guy.." she sighed to herself. Her mum looked back at her in shock, and Mallyra’s eye’s dropped to the floor when she realised what she’d just said.
‘So... who’s this pippin?’ her mum winked at her. Mallyra stared blankly back at her, showing she clearly wasn’t finding this as funny as her mum was.
"he’s a friend. That is all." She protested as she shovelled a forkful of bacon into her mouth. "and that's all he'll ever be.." she thought to herself. Her mum looked back at her in disbelief,
"yeah, of course he is. Would I know him?" her mum said, with a raised eyebrow. Mallyra thought for a minute, looking down at her mug of tea,
"I don’t know, but you’ve probably heard of him. He is a Took after all." She looked up at her mum, who was hard in thought. Then it hit her,
"A TOOK?! Some of the most well respected hobbits in the shire?!" Her mother exclaimed, sitting back in her chair, jaw open. Mallyra blinked, and looked out the window thinking... she didn’t realise his family was famous in the shire. Why didn’t he say? She wouldn’t have wasted his time if she had known. She then turned her attention back to her mum,
"hang on.. why am I telling you stuff like this?" she asked, embarrassed and blushing lightly. Her mum frowned at her, and then chuckled.
"I’m your mum, I have a right to know what boys you like!" she grinned, patting her on the shoulder.
"I DON’T LIKE HIM!" Mallyra argued, as she got up from the table, and walked back to her room. Her mum folded her arms across her chest.
"yes you do." She sighed, nodding to herself, as she watched her daughter disappear down the hallway.
Mallyra quickly got dressed, shoving on light blue shirt and some trousers. She combed her hair again, and then ran to her front door, where she grabbed her satchel off coat peg. Opening the door, she took a deep breath. The air was fresh that morning, and a clean breeze rustled through the long grass, as Mallyra hopped down the stairs outside her house. The sun was just coming up above the valley hills, and the tree’s swayed gently.
Mallyra decided to take the quicker route into Hobbiton, as today she planned to avoid Pippin at all costs. She was off to find her dad, for today, he was starting his new job in the Hobbiton library. It didn’t seem to be a very exciting job, but Mallyra did enjoy reading in her spare time, as well as drawing. It was reasonably quiet in Hobbiton, and Mallyra had no idea why. The sound of children’s laughter filled the streets, and she felt heat as she made her way past the black smiths. The piercing sound of clanking metal, ringing in her pointed ears. Mallyra stopped, when she realised she had no idea where the library actually was, making her regret not asking her mother before she left.
After a few minutes she decided to ask for directions. Feeling slightly stupid, Mallyra walked up to a well dressed hobbit man, who was smoking pipe weed and chuckling amongst his friends.
"excuse me sir... could you tell me where the library is?" she asked politely. He turned round to her, his rosy cheeks glowing, and his deep green eyes swam with cheer.
"why yes I could lass, it’s just round the corner there. Big oak door to your left if I recall correctly?" he asked his friends, who all nodded in agreement.
"oh ok!" she smiled, looking around. Thinking he would know, she then asked, "do you know why it’s so quiet today?" She smiled up at him again. The man nodded, grinning to himself.
"why yes! I do believe everyone’s in preparation for tonight’s celebration!’ Mallyra looked back at him, confusion filling her mind.
"celebration? Of what?" he asked, tilting her head. The man looked at her in disbelief.
"It’s Mr Frodo Baggins’s birthday today!" he exclaimed, "How did you not know? Mallyra started to go red,
"I’m not really into parties," she said rubbing her arm awkwardly. The man ruffled his curly black hair before saying proudly,
"well, we Took’s can’t afford to miss such a party." Mallyra felt her heart beat grow faster. It was a few moments before she realised that she'd begun to day dream, and she felt herself blushing a little, as the gentlemen all looked at her.
"o-oh... Anyway I-I really must be going... Thank you!’ she sputtered as she began to walk round the corner. "he’s a Took?!" she thought to herself, "why do I keep running into them lately?"
Sure enough, She saw the distinct outline of a book carved into a door and, using her common sense, immediately thought it might be the library. Mallyra opened the large door cautiously, and peered inside. The smell of musty old books wafted out the door, as she stepped further in. There was bookshelf upon bookshelf filled with books. Big books, small books, fat books and thin books. Each one had its specific place on every shelf, allowing the range of colours to merge and spring to life. A roaring fire place burned in the back of the library, its flames giving everything in the room an orange tint. Mallyra looked across the room, to see spiral stairs that disappeared into the ceiling.
"Dad? Are you up there?" she called, walking over and peering around the banister. She heard a stumbling noise, and the stairs began to creek as her father’s face appeared through the banister.
"Ra my dear! How do you fare on such a beautiful day?" he said as he strolled down the stairs, piles of books in his hands. Mallyra’s father was a well built hobbit, with longish ginger hair and welcoming smile. His piercing blue eyes were always full of wisdom, and magic. Mallyra put this down to the amount of books he’d read, or the fact he used to be the mayor of Michel-Delving. He plonked the books down on a small table, that stood solitary in the corner of the room.
"I’m good thanks Dad!" she smiled, and then began to frown as she read his name tag,"Have they spelt your name wrong?" she asked pointing to the pin on his shirt which read ‘Reagan’. Her farther sighed, and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"so they have. HAHA! I will have to get a new one," he said cheerily as he walked over to the counter. Mallyra laughed quietly, and followed him.
"I was gonna say, I thought your name was spelt, R.I.A.G.A.N" She added, as she watched her farther sort out a few maps that lay around the room. He stopped abruptly, and looked down at a book with a red covering. He walked back over to where Mallyra as lent over the counter, and placed it in her hand. Mallyra looked down at it, and read it’s title aloud.
"Jewels of Middle earth."
Her dad looked across at her, "and it is yours to keep!" he smiled, Mallyra’s mouth open fell, her lips slightly curved.
"awww thanks dad!... but why?" she said ,confused at her father’s gesture. He laughed lightly, and patted his daughter on the shoulder.
"try and find that one you gave your mother in there!" he said, "because I sure couldn’t this morning." Mallyra looked even more confused.
"you mean, it isn’t in here?" she asked, "It’s gotta be!" she pulled up a chair and quickly flicked through the pages, each one revealing a beautiful diamond, ruby, emerald or gem. Mallyra ran her fingers through her thick hair and sighed.
"Nope, I can’t see it in there" she threw the book down on the table, making her dad jump. He walked over, smiling a little, and picked up the book,
"looks like you found one of a kind! Your mum will sure feel lucky when she finds out" he patted her on the shoulder again, and walked back up the stairs. Mallyra decided to look around, at the possibility of finding more books that would interest her. She walked through endless rows of shelves, peering curiously at each one. Some shelves were overflowing with books, that looked like they had been written in the Stone Age. One especially caught her eye. It was an old brown book, with paper sticking out of the top, and the writing on its spine was barely eligible. She flicked open the pages, but the words were not right. The book was written in ancient dwarfish, each marking representing an unknown letter.
Mallyra sighed hard, closed it again, and looked out the window. She rested her head on her hand as she stared into the street. Mallyra could just make out the figures of people, laughing, drinking, and all together having fun. Girls in long, flowing dresses. Young gentlemen, wearing smart jackets. Lads, trying their best to impress to fairest girls in Hobbiton. She sighed again, and began to daydream, of one person in particular. Pippin. She couldn't quite help but think of him, there was just something about him. After a moment, Mallyra began to drift back into reality. She blinked once, and then her heart leaped into her mouth. She didn't realise that, while she'd been daydreaming, she'd been staring directly and a lad. A lad dressed in a long, blue jacket, and a green scarf with curly brown hair.