Hours passed and with them came more snow. Sam yelled out into the night calling Lily’s name hoping she would hear his voice. No answer ever came. Merry and Pippin kept close to Sam’s side looking out into the distance. Sam’s voice soon grew weak and they all longed for a bit of sleep. With a heavy heart they stopped along the path under the cover of a large tree and made a fire. Sam stood near the path pacing back and forth stopping once in awhile to listen to the faintest noise. Merry poked at the fire with a stick looking at Sam as he stood silent.
"Come Sam and sit by the fire!" Merry said. "Warm yourself and rest."
"I can’t rest knowing Lily is out there all alone." Sam replied with a sigh.
"There is not much we can do right now." Merry said pulling his blanket around his shoulders. "If you think she is heading back to Bag End more than likely she will get there by tomorrow. We should just rest here tonight and ride non stop when the morning comes."
"You’re right." Sam replied as he sat down near the fire. "I just hope she remembers the way."
"She will." Merry replied handing Sam his blanket. Sam wrapped the blanket tightly around his shoulders and then laid down on the ground. Shortly thereafter he fell into a dreamless sleep.
In the morning Sam awoke shivering. The snow had stopped falling but a strong western wind followed behind it. The chill in the air bit at his skin. He reached to Merry and Pippin shaking them.
"Come now and wake up!" Sam replied. "We should be on our way before more snow starts to fall covering any tracks Lily may have left!"
Sam pulled his cloak tight around him and lifted himself upon Bill. Merry and Pippin rolled up their blankets and mounted their ponies. Soon they were off again calling out for Lily and looking for her along the path.
It was early in the afternoon when the threesome came up on the Brandywine Bridge. The wind continued to whip around them pulling at their cloaks and biting at their skin. Sam peered out from under the hood of his cloak and looked to the path ahead. The sky was growing dim and a soft veil of snow began to fall. Sam then noticed was seemed to be horse tracks in the path, but they seemed long covered with snow.
"Look there!" Sam replied stopping pointing down to the ground. "Tracks!"
Merry jumped off his pony and walked over to Sam.
"Right you are Samwise!" Merry replied bending down to look over their find. "It seems like there was a lot of movement in this spot. Almost as if the animal was scared." Merry said as he stood back up. He then noticed a rather large area where the snow had been disturbed. "See there." Merry replied pointing ahead of them. "It looks as if someone fell in the snow."
Sam nudged Bill forward and he went to look at the spot Merry was pointing at. When he came to it he saw something familiar lying on the ground.
"Oh no." Sam replied jumping off Bill. There in the snow lay the shawl that Rose had knitted for Lily before she left for home. Sam reached down and picked it up and held it close to his chest.
"What have you there?" Merry asked coming up to Sam.
"It’s Lily’s." Sam replied with a tear in his eye. "Rose knitted it for her."
"Now don’t go crying Sam." Pippin replied riding up beside Sam. "Your tears will just freeze to your face. There is no sign that she was hurt but look!" Pippin said pointing to the snow. "It seems she has taken off on foot!" In the snow were faint footprints. "Come now, back on your ponies! Let’s follow them!" With that they left the path and followed the faint footprints while they still had the light of day.
Two hours passed as they followed the footprints along the western edge of the Brandywine. Sam and Pippin called out Lily’s name but their own voices only answered in return. The snow was now coming down in thick white sheets making it almost impossible to see where they were going.
"This is no use!" Merry yelled up to Sam and Pippin who had ridden far ahead of him. "She’s not even heading towards Hobbiton!"
Sam looked back to Merry but he could barely see him through all the snow. He then looked down to the ground to the tracks they had been following. They had disappeared.
"What now?" Pippin replied looking over to Sam who was covered in snow. "We can’t go on like this much longer."
"You’re right." Sam replied shivering with cold. "We should turn back to the path and make it back to Hobbiton before nightfall." Just then Merry yelled out.
"Quick!" Merry shouted. "I think I see something!"
Sam and Pippin quickly turned around and made their way back to Merry who was pointing off to the west.
"There is something out there." Merry replied. "Something lying in the snow."
Sam looked to where Merry was pointing and indeed something was out there. It looked as if it was partially hidden beneath the snow. Sam quickly rode out into the field to see what it was. When Sam rode up beside it he saw that it was a knapsack. He jumped down from Bill and knelt down to the ground. He brushed the snow off the sack and opened it. His heart sank when he saw what was inside. Inside were the very things he and Rose had given to Lily as keepsakes when she left for home. Sam tied the knapsack shut and held it tightly in his hands.
"What is it Sam?" Pippin asked riding up to him. Sam looked to Pippin his face wet with tears.
"It’s Lily’s bag." Sam replied quietly. "The very things I gave her when she left for home are still inside."
Pippin looked back to Merry as he rode up beside him.
"It was Lily’s bag." Pippin replied to Merry. "It looks as if she turned back west. Come. Let’s get to the path and ride on to Hobbiton. If she has made it this far already she may be there by now if that is where she is heading."
"Right." Merry replied turning his pony back towards the path.
Sam got back onto Bill and followed Merry and Pippin back towards the road. Sam held Lily’s bag close and sighed. Soon they found the path and they pressed onward riding off as fast as their ponies could carry them.
Many hours later the dark of night fell. Merry, Pippin and Sam rode on all through the night and into the early hours of the evening. Soon they saw lights shining in the distance. It was Hobbiton. They rode on faster and soon came to Bag End. Before he even came to a halt, Sam jumped off Bill and fell down on the ground near the front gate. He quickly stood up and ran up the path bursting through the front door. When he came inside there Rose stood in the hall in her nightgown with a broken mug near her feet.
"What kind of thing is that to do!" Rose yelled. "Running in the door scaring me like that and all."
"Sorry, sorry!" Sam replied trying to catch his breath. "Is she here?"
"She who?" Rose said bending down and picking up the pieces of the mug. "No one has been by since the day you left."
Merry and Pippin soon came running in behind Sam. They came in just in time to catch Sam as he fell back exhausted.
"She here?" Merry replied looking to Rose. Rose looked at Merry rather cross.
"No and no again!" Rose replied. "Who is supposed to be here?"
"We hoped Lily was." Pippin replied helping Sam back up to his feet.
"Lily?!" Rose said rather surprised. "But why would she be here?"
"Her Uncle Barliman passed away a few days back and she took off that night on horseback." Merry replied. "Two men at the Prancing Pony said she was headed this way."
"We found her shawl and her bag along the way but we never managed to find her." Sam replied going over to his chair and sitting down.
"It looked as if she had fallen from her horse and taken off on foot near the Brandywine Bridge." Pippin replied. "We followed her tracks for some time and then they disappeared. It was then when Merry seen her bag."
"Everything we sent home with her was still inside." Sam replied quietly. Merry then went back out to their ponies and brought in their bags and Lily’s things they had found. Merry placed Lily’s bag and shawl on Frodo’s chair next to the fire so they could dry.
"Why would she come all the way here?" Rose asked. "Frodo isn’t here any more."
"That I don’t know." Sam replied. "Frodo cared for her so much he truly must have told her he was leaving. It just worries me that she has been in this cold for so many days!"
"Don’t worry Sam." Rose said as she came to his side. "She will turn up."
"She should have already turned up." Merry replied sitting down on the floor in front of the fire. "She had a whole days start ahead of us."
"Oh dear." Rose replied. "What should we do?"
"Sit and wait." Pippin said as he sat down before the fire to warm his feet. "We’ve done all we can do. Only an elf could find her tracks now if any are still left."
For hours they all sat within the den before the fire listening for any sign of a knock at the door. Sam began pacing about walking back and forth to the window looking out into the night. The snow still fell and the wind still blew with a fury. Sam was growing weary. His eyes began to close as he stood looking out the window. Sam quickly opened his eyes again and turned around looking to Merry and Pippin. They had fallen asleep on the floor. Rose sat in her chair looking quite worried.
"Come." Rose replied softly. "You need some rest. It does no good having you pacing about the floor. All we can do is be patient and wait." Rose said as she began heading back to the bedroom. Sam followed behind but stopped to listen for a sign of Lily outside. He heard nothing but silence. A deep sigh passed Sam’s lips and he went off to bed with hopes that Lily would show up in the morning.
*******
In the morning the sunlight filled Sam’s room as he awoke. He sat up in bed stretching and looked out the window. The fierce wind had died and the snow had ceased falling. Sam got out of bed and walked out to the den. There he found Merry and Pippin still sound asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace. Sam quietly walked by them and went to the front door. He opened the door and peered outside. All was silent. Sam closed the door and Merry quickly sat up being roused from his sleep.
"She here?" Merry replied as Sam walked by.
"I’m afraid not." Sam said as he came and sat in his chair. "I was only hoping."
"Is someone here?" Pippin mumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "I thought I heard the door close."
"It was only Sam." Merry replied standing up and stretching. Merry then sat down in a chair and took his pipe from his coat pocket. He lit it and took a few puffs blowing smoke rings into the air.
"Where do you think she is Sam?" Merry replied quietly.
"I only wish I knew." Sam replied. He then stood up and went to the study. He soon returned holding a book bound with large red leather covers.
"That is Bilbo’s book is it not?" Merry replied as Sam sat down.
"That it is!" Sam said opening the cover. "I’m adding to it just as Mr. Frodo had about our adventures and such. I thought reading a bit would take my mind off things."
"May I?" Pippin replied looking up at Sam. "I would love to read some of it."
Sam smiled.
"You may." Sam replied handing the book to Pippin. Pippin took the book and sat it in his lap. He opened the cover and began reading. Merry came to his side and sat down reading along with him.
That evening Merry and Pippin still sat before the fire reading through Bilbo’s book. It had begun to snow once again and the air outside held a bitter chill. Sam paced back and forth around the halls of Bag End with thoughts of Lily filling his mind. He wondered how she could possibly survive having been out in the cold so long. She had neither her shawl nor the food within her knapsack. Sam then made his way back into the den where he found Merry sitting, still reading from Bilbo’s book. Hearing Sam walk in he looked up setting the book in his lap.
"Where is Pippin and Rose?" Sam replied as he sat in his chair.
"They left hours ago. They couldn’t hold their eyes open any longer so they went to sleep."
"I did not realize I’ve been walking about so long." Sam replied. He sat quiet for a moment and then looked to Merry who had stuck his nose back in the book.
"Is it enjoyable?" Sam asked.
"It is!" Merry replied looking away from his reading once again. "There are many parts I myself would care to forget but you and Frodo have written it so well it is almost like living the adventure once again."
"It’s still not finished though Merry." Sam replied quietly. "It will be some time before that story ever comes to an end."
"That it will." Merry said closing the book. He then noticed tears falling down Sam’s face. He stood up and came to Sam putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Do not lose hope." Merry replied. "She will show up."
"That’s about all I’ve been running on these past few months." Sam replied softly.
Merry patted Sam’s shoulder and then turned to Lily’s old room.
"Well I am off to bed." Merry replied. "You should head there too Sam. You look as if you need the rest." Merry said going into the room and closing the door behind him.
Sam looked at the closed door and sighed. He then stood up and made his way towards the study. He went inside and sat down on the bed. Sam then reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out Frodo’s necklace. He then placed it around his neck and laid down on the bed. His mind was full of thoughts of Lily and of his master Frodo. Sam soon nodded off and found himself lost in a dream. He dreamed of sailing on a ship, far across the waters shrouded in a veil of grey mist. The mist parted like a sheer curtain and there before him stood a vast green land full of hills and flowering trees. The ship came to rest near the shore and there waiting for him was Frodo. Sam smiled in his sleep and reached his hand up to his chest. He took Frodo’s white gem in his hand and he felt a new peace come over his body. Seeing Frodo’s face once again had lightened his heart but his pleasant dream would soon come to an abrupt end.
At that hour, under the midnight sky, a shadow slipped into the outskirts of Hobbiton from the east. The figure traveled through the fields wading through the thick snow, falling many times, hesitant to get back up. At last the shadow stood to its feet and began to travel once more. The wind whipped around the shadow tugging at its cloak as it flowed about in the wind. The shadow grabbed at the cloak and drew it close to keep out the chilling air. For a moment the shadow stopped and looked to a light shining just over the hill. It was Bag End. The figure continued on, falling in the snow once again. With one last effort the shadow stood to its feet and made its way through the snow. Soon the figure came to the field behind Bag End. One light shone through the window and the figure moved on until at last coming to the back door. The shadow stood there for a moment and then lifted up a hand to knock on the door only the knock never came. Overtaken by the cold the figure fell to the ground, coming to rest up against the door.
"What was that!" Sam shouted, quickly opening his eyes. Sam sat up and looked around the room listening. The only sound was that of the wind. Sam then heard a door open. Sam listened and heard whispering. Soon Merry and Pippin’s face appeared his doorway.
"What was that noise?" Merry said with a yawn. "It sounded like someone knocking on the door."
"So it wasn’t hearing things." Sam replied getting out of bed. He walked out into the hall and looked at the front door and then the back. "Which one?" Sam said looking at Merry.
"The back door." Merry said quietly trying not to wake Rose. "It sounded like it came from back there."
"Lets go have a look then." Sam replied making his way down the hall. He came up to the back door and lifted his hand to the knob. He turned it slowly and opened the door just a crack but it flew open all the way. In tumbled a large figure wrapped tightly in a grey cloak. Sam jumped back and let out a yell. With that Rose came rushing out of her room. She came to a sudden stop near Sam seeing the cloaked figured lying at his feet. Sam knelt down to the floor and touched a hand that was sticking out from under the cloak. It was pale in color and cold. Sam then reached over and pulled on the cloak rolling the figure over. A pale frost covered face then came into view from under the snow covered hood. Sam gasped.
"Lily!" He shouted kneeling back down to the floor. "Quickly Rose, go and fetch me some warm water!" Sam said picking up Lily’s head into his lap. Her eyes were closed and her hair was frozen to her face. Her lips were blue and no breath seemed to pass her lips. Sam rubbed her cheeks trying to rouse her but her eyes did not open. Rose came with a basin of warm water and Sam took some of the water in his cupped hands splashing it on her face. Lily drew in a deep breath. Merry and Pippin knelt down to Lily’s side and began rubbing her hands and arms. Still she did not wake. Sam lifted Lily’s arms and pulled her wet cloak off. Rose removed her shoes and placed them and Lily’s cloak before the fire in the den to dry.
"Come now!" Sam replied. "Let’s get her into the study in front of the fire!"
Pippin came to Sam’s side and grasped Lily under her arms helping Sam drag her down the hall. They pulled her into the study and laid her down on the rug in front of the fire. Merry took a blanket from the bed and covered Lily with it. Pippin then took another blanket and folded it up placing it under Lily’s head. Sam added a few more logs to the fire and knelt down at Lily’s side.
"Well she made it." Pippin replied scratching his head. "But now she’s the same as when we brought her here last year."
"That may be." Sam said looking at Pippin. "But she is safe and we can make her well once again."
For some time they all stood within the room hoping Lily would soon wake. Hours passed and soon Merry and Pippin grew tired. They both went to bed and Rose came to Sam’s side.
"You should rest." Rose replied. "She will wake once she is warmed. She has been outside for quite some time."
Sam sat quite for a moment and then looked at Rose
"She has been through so much." Sam said softly. "I just don’t want her to be alone when she wakes."
"Very well." Rose replied leaning down and giving Sam a kiss on his brow. "I’ll come for you in the morning." Rose then left the room leaving Sam at Lily’s side. The night had grown long and indeed sleep was coming to Sam’s mind. He patted Lily’s hand and gently laid it down at her side. Sam then stood up and went to the bed covering himself with a blanket. He looked at Lily and sighed. Sam then closed his eyes and pulled his blanket tight around him. Within minutes he had fallen fast asleep.
A few hours had passed after Sam drifted to sleep when he heard someone whispering. Sam opened his eyes and turned over to look at Lily. Her eyes were still closed but she was talking quietly in her sleep. Sam sat up in the bed. Lily then began to toss her head from side to side yelling out ‘Frodo! Frodo!’ Sam jumped off the bed and came to Lily’s side taking her hand in his. He whispered her name hoping she would hear his voice but his words went unheard. The turn then seemed to pass and Sam crawled back into bed. Sleep soon fell upon him once again and he sank into a dreamless sleep.
In the morning Rose came into the study and found Sam and Lily both fast asleep. Rose went to Sam and gently kissed him. Sam opened his eyes and smiled.
"Hullo Sam." Rose replied. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did." Sam said sitting up. "Lily began calling out for Frodo in her sleep. I came to her side hoping she would open her eyes, but the turn seemed to pass and she fell quiet again." Sam then looked down to Lily lying on the floor. The warm glow from the fire shined upon her face. Just then Lily began struggling about on the floor. Sam came off the bed and sat down beside Lily and placed his hand upon her brow. She yelled out for her uncle and then her eyes opened. She was breathing heavy. Lily looked up at Sam and her eyes seemed to see right through him. She turned and looked to the fire and then back at Sam. She reached up to touch his face but her arm fell limply down to her side as her eyes closed once more. Sam looked at Rose with worry upon his face.
"She is ill." Rose whispered. "We should leave her to rest. It seems there are many thoughts clouding her mind."
Sam sighed and stood to his feet. He just wished she would wake. He then walked out of the study and Rose followed. Sam went into the den and sat before the fire smoking his pipe. Rose left for the pantry and began making breakfast. Merry and Pippin soon came out of their room and sat with Sam.
"I thought I heard Lily." Merry replied. "Is she awake."
"She was." Sam said with a deep sigh. "Then she closed her eyes again and she hasn’t opened them since. Rose said to leave her rest so I came out here to take my mind off things."
"She will open her eyes again." Pippin replied. "Just give her some time."
"So much has happened to her within these last few months." Sam replied. "I just don’t know what will become of her when she does finally wake up for good."
"She will be fine Sam." Merry replied. "A little worse for wear but she will pull through just as we all have this past year."
"Nicely put." Pippin replied.
"That is was." Sam said softly. "That it was."
