Stars were shining brightly high in the evening sky as the light of the moon shone down upon the gardens at the western edge of Bag End. All was silent for the night was still as all of Hobbiton lay fast asleep. Yet within the vast emptiness that seemed to fill the air a single voice was heard softly humming a song last sung while on the road to Bree. There sitting under the moonlight in the garden at Bag End was Frodo, Samwise Gamgee’s eldest son. The thoughts of his father had kept him from finding rest and he seemed to find peace sitting among the flowers and herbs that grew in his father’s soil. He sat looking far into the western sky in hopes to maybe see his father riding up the road having second thoughts about leaving the Shire and sailing over to the lands beyond. But he never came and deep inside Frodo knew he never would. He sighed deeply looking to the rose bushes that he had helped his father prune just the day before. His mother loved those flowers. So much that she would bring fresh cuts of them inside every morn. Yet for many months now their sweet fragrance had not filled the halls of Bag End. He missed his mother so and his father even more. Just that morning he had woke to bid him farewell before he journeyed to the Grey Havens but he only found a note lying on the desk in the study where the Red Book once sat.
I have never been fond of good-byes." The letter said. "But know that you will always be in my heart and in my thoughts each day.
Your father, Samwise.
Frodo wished so much to have seen his father off but he knew deep within that him leaving without saying goodbye was best. Like his father he was not well with saying goodbye and it would have tore at his father so to see him filled with such sadness when he left. Frodo closed his eyes taking in a deep breath of the cool evening air. He then heard soft footsteps falling on the grass. They stopped behind him and he opened his eyes turning around. It was his wife Hanna.
"I thought I would find you here." She replied softly sitting in the grass near Frodo’s side.
"My thoughts held me away from sleep." Frodo said looking back to the stars. "I miss him already Hanna. And he has not even been gone a day."
"We all miss him Frodo." Hanna whispered brushing away the curls that had fallen over his face. "It will take some time but once again we shall all be whole."
Frodo turned to Hanna and took her hand in his leaving a gentle kiss upon her skin. He smiled softly drying away the tears from her eyes.
"That we shall." Frodo replied. "We still have his memory here within our hearts and too his stories and songs." He said placing his hand on his chest.
"We do." Hanna said quietly. "And with them he shall always be here with us, as is the memory of your mother within the garden."
A tear fell from Frodo’s eye as he looked to Hanna with a smile upon his face. Her words had always touched his heart for she had a way of speaking them unlike any other and those words alone about his mother would stay with him forever. Frodo then stood to his feet and held his hands out to Hanna helping her up from the ground. He took her within his arms holding her tightly as they both looked into the starlit sky.
"May your stars shine brightly as they light your way home." Frodo whispered. "Fare the well father, until we meet again."
Frodo looked down to Hanna and she smiled through the tears in her eyes. Frodo drew her close and reached his hand to her cheek drying away her tears.
"Come now." He replied. "It is time I rest. Tomorrow will be the start of a new day."
*******
As the sun slowly rose over the horizon a soft voice was heard humming among the flowers in the garden at Bag End. Golden rays of sun shone upon the dew kissed blossoms as work worn hands gently patted down the soil around freshly planted lilies. Hearing the humming Frodo opened his eyes slowly, listening to the voice outside his window. Frodo looked to Hanna who still lay sleeping soundly at his side as he gently pushed aside the covers. Frodo quietly made his way out of the bed and went to the door. He turned the knob and pulled the door open trying not to make a sound. Frodo crept out of the room and down the hall into the den. There hanging on the hook near the door was a familiar blue cloak mended with many patches and faded with old age. Frodo made his way to the front door opening it slowly as he slipped though it and outside. He walked down the front path and around the western side of Bag End until he could just see the garden in his view. There sitting in the soil was his dear friend Samuel Boffin still humming softly to himself. Frodo quietly walked up the hill to the garden coming to rest near the study window. It was then that Samuel seen Frodo and smiled brightly.
"Hullo Frodo." Samuel said as he brushed dirt off his hands. "I hope I did not wake you coming in so early this morning."
"No Sam, you did not." Frodo replied. "Actually I never heard you come in, it was your singing that woke me from my sleep."
"I’m sorry sir." Samuel said standing up and brushing the soil from his trousers. "I just wanted to come by early and leave a little something in the garden to live among your mother’s roses. I thought they would be fitting seeing that they are your father’s favorite." Sam then stood aside and held his hand out to the flowers that he planted at the foot of the rose bushes Frodo’s mother so loved.
"Lilies." Frodo whispered as a tear came to his eye.
"That they are." Sam said through a smile. "The most lovely ones I found in the Shire. I thought they would remind you of his stories that he told to you and I about his friend from Bree. From what I remember of those tales she seemed fair and sweet such as these flowers are."
Frodo went to Samuel and placed his hand on his shoulder. He stood at his side looking down into the garden at the flowers as they wavered gently in the wind. He then looked to Sam and smiled.
"I could not ask for a better friend than you." Frodo replied. "What would I ever do without you?"
Sam passed a soft smile and shrugged his shoulders as he looked up at Frodo.
"I’m not really sure what you would do Frodo, but I know you did quite well by yourself long before I came along." Sam replied with a gentle laugh.
"That I did." Frodo said as he looked back to the garden. The sweet aroma of roses filled the air as the sunlight shone her golden rays upon them. The dew resting on their crimson petals caught the light of the sun casting shimmering reflections onto the lilies below. Frodo’s hand fell from Sam’s shoulder as a deep sigh passed his lips. He stood silently at the garden’s edge thinking of how his life seemed empty now that both his mother and father were gone but peace soon came to his heart as his dear friend spoke his name.
"Frodo?" Sam replied touching Frodo’s arm. "Is everything alright?"
Frodo looked over to Sam, placing his hand back on his shoulder as a smile came to his face.
"I’m so glad you are here with me Sam." Frodo replied. "Here when I could use a friend the most."
Sam reached up and patted Frodo’s hand.
"You’ve done so much for me throughout the years and it is only right that I return the favor."
"Thank you." Frodo replied smiling. "But come now let us go inside and enjoy ourselves a warm breakfast. We can talk more over a plate full of bacon and eggs."
The day passed quickly and soon the moon hung high in the evening sky. The next day came and gone and with it followed many more until three whole years almost came into passing. It was early in the spring of 1485 and Frodo was once again sitting out near the garden under the light of the moon. Samuel was at his side looking into the sky at the stars while he smoked his pipe blowing small smoke rings into the air. He glanced over at Frodo every now and then for he seemed quite unlike himself that day. He seemed to have many thoughts on his mind and he would often start humming the song that his father always sung when he traveled to Bree. Sam sighed deeply and took his pipe away from his lips as he looked to Frodo who was staring down at the ground pulling grass up from around his feet.
"What is troubling you Frodo?" Sam asked softly. "You have not seemed yourself today."
Frodo said nothing at first and then took in a deep breath as he tossed some grass off to his side.
"Just wishing." Frodo replied. "I was thinking of all the stories that my father had told me while I was a child about the fellowship and of the adventure he had with Mr. Baggins." Frodo looked up from the ground and then to Sam. Frodo sighed and then took his glance back down to the ground.
"A part of me seems to long for an adventure dear Sam." Frodo said quietly. "Something that I can tell my own story about. A story unlike any other."
"Perhaps someday." Sam replied. "But for now we are here in the Shire and there seems to be no better place to be at the moment. Besides, adventures are not my type of thing if you get my meaning. They always make one late for dinner." Sam said with a laugh.
Frodo laughed and looked up to Sam smiling.
"Just like you Samuel, always thinking with your stomach!" Frodo replied. "Yet one day we may go off on holiday together and it will turn out to be an adventure that we least expected."
Sam smiled to himself and looked back to the stars as he took another puff from his pipe letting more smoke rings into the air.
"That we may Mr. Frodo." Sam replied looking back to Frodo once more. "That we may."
*******
Two weeks later the rain began to fall and the wind howled into the night as Frodo sat in the den before the fire trying to find sleep. His mind had been full of many dreams that kept him awake hours after his dear Hanna had drifted away. Frodo sat staring at the fire as the soft glow of the flames shone upon his face. Outside the rain could be heard beating against the closed shutters as the wind blew open and closed the front gate. Frodo was lost in his thoughts when he suddenly heard the front door fly open. At first he thought it was the wind but when he turned around there stood Samuel with the hood of his cloak up over his head standing in the doorway soaking wet with rain. Samuel quickly closed the door and then bent over resting his hands upon his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"What has happened to bring you here at such an hour?" Frodo replied as he jumped to his feet running up to Samuel. He tried in vain to get the words he wanted to say past his lips and they finally came as he took in a deep breath.
"They called for your father." Sam gasped. "In Gondor, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. They sent a rider here to seek him." Sam said looking up at Frodo.
"My father?" Frodo replied with a look of confusion. "Did they not get word that he had left for the Havens?"
"I fear they did not." Sam said still trying to catch his breath. "The rider stopped at my place asking where he may find Mr. Gamgee and I told him that his son lives at Bag End and he said no, that he was looking for Samwise Gamgee. Then I said to him that he had gone away years ago and that he would never return. That is when he told me to pass the message on to you. He says that King Elessar bids your father to come to Gondor for Merry and Pippin are old in age and their time is nearing. They wished to see your father before they passed"
"Where is the rider now?" Frodo asked.
"Not quite sure." Sam replied. "When I went back inside to fetch my cloak he disappeared."
Just then Frodo heard a soft footsteps behind him. He turned around and seen Hanna standing in the den with a shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders.
"What has happened?" Hanna replied noticing Sam standing at Frodo’s side. "I heard voices and it woke me from my sleep. Is everything alright?"
"I’m afraid not." Frodo replied as Hanna came near. "Remember my father’s friends Merry and Pippin."
"I remember." Hanna said softly.
"Their time is nearing and they sent word that they wished to see my father. They never got my letter saying that he had gone away, never meaning to come back." Frodo replied.
"What now Frodo?" Sam replied taking down his hood. "How can we get word to them now that the rider has left?"
Frodo looked to Hanna whose eyes were filled with tears. Deep within she knew what Frodo was going to say and her heart wished that it wasn’t so.
"I will have to go there myself." Frodo replied. "Many years have gone by since I last traveled that road with my father yet I pray my memory will not fail me. The journey will be long, but there is no other way."
"Then I’m coming with you!" Sam yelled without a moment’s hesitation. "You should not have to go on this journey alone."
Frodo smiled and shook his head with a soft laugh.
"You do amaze me dear Sam." Frodo replied. "After all that talk of not wanting to leave the Shire and here you are more than willing to go off with me on a long journey to Gondor."
"Aye." Sam said with a laugh. "I do surprise myself now and then."
"Then it is settled." Frodo replied. "We shall leave with the coming morn."
