Scions of the Third Age

Humming blithely to herself, Elanor Gamgee delved her trowel into the rich, loamy soil. Her father, Mayor Samwise Gamgee, was a noted gardener in the Shire and the hobbit lass had eagerly learned about gardening at his knee.

Today she was planting athelas as a border in front of Bag End where she lived with her family, a legacy from the much-beloved Frodo Baggins. Most folk considered the plant a weed. Kingsfoil it was called in the Shire. But her father insisted that it had its uses, and it was pretty enough with its small white blossoms, so Elanor was happy to do as Samwise asked.

Her sunny blonde hair was tied back under a calico kerchief, but a springy tendril escaped to torment her while she worked. When she could stand it dangling before her eyes no longer, she sat back and tore off the kerchief after wiping grimy hands on her pinafore.

The cascade of curls that fell around her shoulders was like molten gold and was fair to behold. Indeed, even at such a tender age as fifteen her beauty was renowned in the Shire and some even called her Elanor the Fair.

Fair or no, she still had a great smudge of dirt along her forehead where she tried to push back her hair out of her face.

“Elli! Elli!” shouted a hobbit lad running up the hill to Bag End. “You’ll never guess who’s coming up the path!”

Elanor stood and shaded her pretty blue eyes to look out over the glen below and saw two riders on ponies. Her breath caught excitedly for she knew it could only be Meriadoc Brandybuck, the Master of Buckland and his friend Peregrine Took, the Thain.

“Frodo!” she called back to her brother and started running to meet him. “Is it really Merry and Pippin?”

“It is!” he confirmed as he stopped to catch his breath. “They sent me on ahead to tell Papa. They have news from the King!”

“Go then!” she urged him. “He’s in Master Frodo’s study writing, I think. I’ll go meet them at the gate.”

Playfully, he poked her then shouted over his shoulder as he continued up the hill, “Better wipe off that dirty great smudge first or they’ll mistake you for the scullery maid at the Green Dragon!”

“Ha, ha,” Elanor mouthed silently and made a face at his retreating back. Once she turned from him, the hobbit lass quickly rubbed her forehead and ran to the well to dampen her handkerchief in the water pail and do a better job of it.

That done, Elanor removed her dirty pinafore too and smoothing down her dress went to meet her father’s friends at the gate.

“Well, well…” hailed Merry as the pair reined in their horses. “Who is this tiny elf-witch sent to beguile us, I wonder?”

Elanor gave them a graceful curtsey with a serene, “Mae govannen,” but then spoiled the Elven effect by flashing a dimpled smile at them.

Pippin laughed heartily as he dismounted, “Elf-witch or no, our little Elanor’s got a smile bright enough to rival Eärendil, methinks.”

He stooped to give her an affectionate kiss on the cheek and she gave him a warm hug, “Oh, Uncle Pip, you say the prettiest things! I’m so glad to see you…” She then hugged his companion and added, “And you too, Uncle Merry! Did you have a nice ride? Frodo said you have news from the King? Can I ask what it’s about?”

“You’re full to bursting with questions, aren’t you, lass?” Merry kissed her other cheek. “As well you might be!” he winked at Pippin.

“What?” she asked looking first at Pippin then back to Merry. “What do you mean?”

The Master of Buckland feigned disdain as he started up the hill on foot, “Never you mind, little one. We have important business to discuss with the Mayor. I don’t suppose you know where he is to be found?”

“Oh, please, Uncle Merry? Please tell me…” she begged prettily. “I know where Papa hides the Longbottom leaf…”

“Oh! Now I know you are a little temptress!” he laughed. “Not another word, my dear. You’ll just have to wait until after we’ve spoken to your father.”

She teased them both all the way up the hill, but neither one would budge though they enjoyed her eager questions and outrageous attempts at bribery immensely.

At the door stood her father waiting to greet their guests and Elanor breathlessly announced everything young Frodo had already told him.

“Yes, yes, Elli,” he patted her shoulder in a fatherly way. “I heard. Now go help your mum in the kitchen. Your brothers and little Rosie are underfoot, Goldie’s putting up a fuss and there’s tea to be laid out for our guests…”

“Yes, Papa,” she tried not to sound glum.

Feeling a bit sorry to spoil her fun, Pippin tugged on one of her golden curls and winked frivolously, which made her giggle. She gave him a silly wink back and resigned herself to the kitchen.

In the meantime, her brother Frodo stood to one side looking a bit smug until his father added, “Off you go, Frodo. The gentlemen’s ponies need seein’ to and I think you’re just the lad to do it.”

“Yes, Papa,” he echoed his sister and meandered back down the hill to the gate once more.

Finally Samwise could greet his friends properly and with outstretched arms he drew them into Bag End. “Well, ain’t you two a sight for sore eyes?” Samwise grinned genially. “Come on in and rest a spell. The lad said somethin’ about word from His Majesty?”


Elanor strained to hear what her elders were speaking of in the next room. Tea was long over and she and all her younger siblings were sent off while the adults discussed important business. Yet, she could not help but think that their conversation was about her in some measure.

“Elli, what are you doing?” whispered Frodo in a voice loud enough to be heard in the next farthing.

“Hush, Frodo! I can’t hear…” she whispered back.

“Hey! You’re not s’posed to be eavesdroppin’.”

“Hush, I said!”

The hobbit lad gave her a disgusted look then leaned his head forward to listen too. “What have you heard?” he finally asked.

“Nothing, thanks to you,” she turned to him. “Now will you be qui… et…”

“Uh oh.”

The look on her brother’s face told Elanor they were caught and she slowly turned back to find her mother staring down at the pair of them severely.

“What are you two up to?” asked Rosie. “I thought you were given chores to do.”

“All done, Mummy. I promise!”

Her mother gave her a skeptical look, but as Elanor was not given to lying she let it pass. “What about you, little master?” she raised a slim eyebrow at Frodo.

“Um… well…” he stammered.

Rosie put a hand on her hip and lightly shoved her son towards the door, “Yes, that’s what I thought. Out you go. That firewood won’t stack itself.” Reluctantly Frodo headed for the door as she fixed Elanor with her even gaze. “And you, Mistress Nosy… You may as well come with me.”

Not sure whether she was more pleased or nervous to join her elders in the parlor, the hobbit lass trailed her mother into the room somewhat tentatively. Everyone all looked rather grim as she first entered.

“Come ‘ere, Elli,” said Samwise kindly as his expression softened towards her. “I’ve got somethin’ you should read for yourself.”

Her father extended his hand in which he held a beautiful vellum packet. Reaching for it, Elanor discovered the black wax that sealed the pages together was more than just decoration. Stamped in the middle of the inky seal was a white tree with seven stars – the Seal of Gondor. The handwriting on the packet was elegant, though manly, and clearly spelled her name across the front.

“This is for me?” she asked breathlessly. She had never gotten such a lovely thing in all her young life. “From the King?”

“From Elessar himself,” replied Pippin who was strangely solemn.

Holding her breath, Elanor carefully broke the seal and found two delicate sheets of vellum. On the first page was written:

“Dearest Elanor,
I hope I may call you so since your esteemed father has been my good and loyal friend for many a year now…”

“He calls me ‘dearest,’” she sighed dreamily.

Indulgently, the adults remained silent as she continued reading:

“I find that my court is in need of representation from the Shire and it is my fervent hope that your father will join me at Lake Evendim for as long as your mother can spare him.
When discussing this subject with the Queen, she brought to my attention that she is in need of a young maid to wait upon her and do her light errands. Would you be willing to take up this small burden, my dear? We would both be more than grateful.
I look forward to the time when I meet this little flower of the Shire in person…
With great affection and respect,
Elessar Telcontar, King of Gondor
(Uncle Strider)”

If that letter was not astonishing enough, Elanor looked to the next page to find another note with even more graceful penmanship, this time of a feminine nature. It was from the Queen:

“I greet thee, vanisiler , with joy and great anticipation of our meeting! Do not fear the strangeness or grandness of the Court of Gondor. Within the House of Telcontar you shall be as one of us and you shall never want for anything that is within our power to give. I live in hope that you will do me the honor of serving Gondor and the King in this small way.
Tenna san , Elanor…
Arwen Undómiel”

Elanor read both notes over a second time in wonder then looked to her father and then her mother. “They want me to serve the Queen,” she announced softly. “Why would they want me?”

“It is a very great honor, Elli,” said Pippin, trying to reassure her.

“Are we going then, Papa?” she asked.

Samwise cocked his head at her, “It is a summons from the King, my dear. There is no question that we are going. However, if you do not feel up to this challenge…”

“Oh, I do! I want to go, Papa!” Elanor thought it was odd that her parents smiled a little sadly. “What’s wrong?”

Briefly Samwise shook his head and Rosie answered softly, “Nothing’s wrong, sweeting. Why don’t you go check on Goldie and then help your brother finish his chores.” Her mother tried then to smile brightly and added, “We have much to do tomorrow to get you ready, Elli, so off you go!”

She gave Elanor a gentle push towards the door, but squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. The hobbit lass looked back at her mother with questions in her eyes and murmured, “Mummy?”

“It’s all right, love. Go on now…”

Slowly Elanor walked back towards the nursery to check on her little sister, but wondered why the grown-ups seemed so solemn. How was she supposed to be excited about meeting the King and Queen when everyone looked so gloomy?

Still, little butterflies seemed to be fluttering inside her and she could not help but smile and press her precious letter close to her heart. She was going on a real adventure!


-end of Chapter One-

Mae govannen - Welcome
Vanisiler - Fair sister
Tenna san -- Until then