Fan Fiction ❯ Loss ❯ Tom Bombadil and the Hobbits ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: Tom Bombadil and the Hobbits

Disclaimer: I *do not* own The Lord of the Rings. it belongs to the Tolkien Estate etc. Happy?

When Karin awoke, it seemed to be late afternoon already. Trees and shrubs surrounded her. She blinked and tried to speak, but no sound came from her lips.

"You're finally awake," said a dry voice. Karin jumped at the sound of it.

"Van?" she cried. Vanessa was sitting cross-legged on the grass, arms folded and her raven hair disheveled. She didn't look happy at all.

"Yeah, me," she said. "Where are we now? D'you suppose we're already dead?"

"Touchwood!" Karin said promptly. "But…"

"We fell off a cliff, Karin," Vanessa said slowly, as if talking to a very small child. "There's no way we could have survived. Though I'm kinda wondering how come your cello and those decorations for Kate's party are here." She pointed a thumb to her left, where Karin's cello laid against a stack of boxes.

Karin went over to check the strings on her cello. Vanessa snorted.

"Figures," she said. Karin's expression was an innocent one.

"What?" she asked, taking the chromatic tuner from the pocket of the cello's carrying case and checking the cello for any loosened strings.

"Figures that you would check the cello first before asking your best friend about her injuries," Vanessa said in an injured tone. Karin shrugged and went back to her cello. Vanessa groaned in frustration. Then she started, looking around in amazement. She glanced around, turning her head this way and that.

"What? Why're you looking around like that?" Karin said, still examining the cello. Vanessa's brow was wrinkled.

"Can't you hear that?" she asked.

Karin's eyebrows shot up. "Hear what?" she asked suspiciously.

"That singing. It's soft, but you can hear it if only you weren't paying so much attention to your cello!" Vanessa said. She pointed to their right. "Somewhere over there…" Karin closed her eyes. She frowned as she strained to hear the singing… Yes! There was someone singing. How odd.

"Who do you suppose will sing in the middle of a forest?" she asked Vanessa.

"Why ask me?" Vanessa shot back. "As if I would know."

"Come on, let's go investigate," Karin said as she put the cello back into the case. "Maybe we can find out where we are."

"Yeah," said Vanessa as she got to her feet. "What about the decorations, though?"

Karin threw the boxes a nasty glance. "Leave them. They're really heavy."

"What about your cello, then?"

"I'm taking it along, of course! It goes without saying!" Karin said, shocked that anyone would suggest leaving her cello behind for any creature of the forest to stomp upon. Vanessa rolled her eyes when Karin wasn't looking.

As they got nearer to the source of the singing, Karin could make out some of the words. Something about 'merry dol', 'yellow boots' and a character named 'Tom'. She put a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

"Huh? What?" Vanessa said, looking curiously at her friend. Karin was in a transport of delight.

"It's Tom Bombadil! Van! We're not in Earth anymore!" she squealed happily. "We're in Tolkien's books!"

Vanessa blinked. "Wha-?" She put a hand to Karin's forehead. "Are you having a fever?" she asked worriedly. Karin swatted her hand away impatiently.

"No, I'm not," she said. "We're really in Middle Earth, Van. Tom Bombadil is one of the characters, don't you remember?"

"Really? I thought he belonged in Narnia." Vanessa dodged as Karin tried to prod her in the side with the cello-bow. "So what now? D'you know what we're supposed to do now?"

Karin said nothing, but started running with the cello on her back. Vanessa stood there for a moment, startled, before she began running to catch up with Karin. Soon, a blue feather appeared, bobbing merrily along.

"Tom Bombadil!" Karin yelled. "Tom Bombadil!" The blue feather stopped moving, and Karin nearly ran smack into the man. Four others were there, slightly shorter than him.

"Tom Bombadil!" Karin said, breathing heavily. "Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin!"

Sam started. "Come now, missy," he said sharply. "How did you come to know our names?" Karin bit her lip. Uh-oh… Karin, you're such an idiot…

"Home is near now, and she'd better tell you her story in the house!" Tom said suddenly. "My lilies will wilt soon enough if we do not hurry!"

"You're just going to invite someone you don't know into your house?" Merry asked incredulously. Pippin nodded his agreement.

"I don't know you, but you're going to my house, aren't you?" Tom said, as he looked at Merry, who fell silent. Tom Bombadil turned away and started walking at a fast pace towards his house, picking up his song where he left off.

"Merry dol, fa lal willow…"

Karin could almost hear the questions she would be asked once she reached Tom Bombadil's house. Still, there was always the hope that Goldberry would stall them for a bit while she racked her brains for an excuse. Vanessa was behind the group, quite bewildered, but taking it in her stride. No doubt that Karin would tell her soon exactly what was happening. She hoped.

It wasn't long before the little group reached Tom Bombadil's house. A beautiful voice came from inside the doors. It was like… water. Water leaping from fountains, then falling down again, the rush of water as it charged across streams and rivers… Karin shook herself.

"Wow, she'd be so welcome at the school choir…" Vanessa said, obviously awed. Karin nodded wondering if the Goldberry of this world was alike the Goldberry of her imagination. She stepped forward, over the threshold, together with the hobbits.

It was as the books had described; a golden light surrounded them and Karin found herself in a room with a low ceiling, with many lamps hanging from the beams of the roof. Candles were arranged in a peculiar manner on a polished wooden table. Her gaze traveled to the far end of the room, where a woman sat.

"Enter, good guests!" she said, and Karin realized that she was Goldberry. Goldberry turned her head to face them with a smile on her lovely face. Karin walked forward timidly, after the hobbits, as if she was an uninvited guest who had crashed a party, though she wasn't.

Goldberry rose from her seat among the earthenware pots of water and lilies and leapt over them gracefully. She ran lightly to the group and laughing, took Frodo's hand. Her dress barely rustled as she moved with an elegance not many people possessed.

"Come, dear folk! Laugh and be merry!" she said. Karin was almost spooked at the accuracy of the words. "I am Goldberry, daughter of the River." Shutting the door behind them, she spread her arms out as if to obstruct their way to the door. "Let us shut out the night. For you are, perhaps, still afraid of mist, tree-shadows, deep water and untame things. But fear nothing! For tonight, you are under the roof of Tom Bombadil!"

Vanessa siddled up to a spot beside Karin, a bit frightened still, and very bewildered, but amazed at the mere presence of Goldberry, so unearthly she seemed. Goldberry looked at each of them and they looked back.

Suddenly, Frodo spoke. "Fair lady Goldberry!" he said. "Fair lady Goldberry!" Karin tried to hide a smile as he sang a song that was quite familiar to Karin.

Then he stopped and his cheeks went bright red as he stammered and hesitated. Goldberry only laughed, and said, "I did not know that the Shire-folk were so sweet-tongued." She looked at him more closely. "But it is clear you are an Elf-friend. The light in your eyes and the ring in your voice reveal it. This is a merry meeting! Rest now, while Tom Bombadil tends to your tired beasts."

They sat in low chairs, and watched Goldberry busy herself with the table, for they felt a sort of contentment just by watching the slender grace of her movements. Before Goldberry had quite finished with the table arrangements however, Vanessa spoke.

"If you don't mind me asking, who is Tom Bombadil?" she asked. Goldberry stopped her setting of the table.

"He is," she said, smiling. Vanessa raised her brows so high that they were nearly covered by the curtain of hair that covered her forehead.

"He is?" she repeated, confused.

"He is, as you have seen him. He is the Master of wood, water and hill," Goldberry said simply in reply to Vanessa's question.

"Then all this strange land belongs to him?" Frodo said.

"No indeed!" Goldberry said. Her smile vanished. "No, that would indeed be a burden," she added softly, as if to herself. "The trees, and everything growing and living in the forest belongs to itself. Tom Bombadil is Master. No one has ever caught him walking in the forest, wading in the water, leaping on the hill-tops under shadow and light. Tom Bombadil is Master. He has no fear."

Tom Bombadil came in just then. His hat had disappeared and was replaced by a crown of brown autumn leaves. He took Goldberry's hand, and bowed to the hobbits and girls.

"Here's my pretty lady!' he said. "Here she is, clothed in silver and green with flowers in her girdle! The table is laden, I see, with yellow cream and honeycomb and white bread and butter; milk cheese and green herbs and ripe berries gathered. Is that enough? Is the supper ready?"

"It is," Goldberry said, "but perhaps your guests are not."

"Tom, Tom!" Tom Bombadil cried, clapping a hand to his forehead. "You've neglected your guests! Come along now. You shall clean grimy hands, wash dirty faces and cast off your muddy cloaks." Karin and Vanessa exchanged skeptical looks, and turned to follow Tom Bombadil when Goldberry pulled them back gently.

"No, you do not follow them. Tom Bombadil has prepared another room for you," she said. "Come with me." Both girls followed her obediently, going down a passage lit with lamps and turning a sharp corner to another room. The room was made of grey stone, with green curtains hanging on the walls. Two mattresses lay on the floor, each piled with blankets and a pillow. Beside each mattress was placed a pair of green slippers.

Lined against the opposite wall was a long bench, set with earthen basins, filled with hot and cold water. Two towels were arranged, neatly folded, beside the basins. Goldberry excused herself out of the room with a smile.

"Put down your cello," Vanessa said. "Aren't you tired of carrying that thing around?" Karin nodded, placing her precious instrument carefully on the floor beside the mattresses. They splashed their faces with the cold water and washed their arms.

"I hope Sam will forget why I know his name," Karin muttered as she dried her face.

"I wonder why we're here though," Vanessa said. "It feels enough like reality, but it isn't. Wonder if we're dreaming?" At which, Karin promptly brought an elbow down on Vanessa's head.

"OW! What was that for?!"

"You were wondering if you were dreaming," Karin said calmly. "You can't feel pain when you're dreaming." Vanessa revenged herself by prodding Karin hard in the side, which ensured a purplish mark on the auburn-haired girl's side for a week or so.

"Come on, let's go," Vanessa said.

They proceeded to the room where their dinner was. The hobbits were not yet there, so they took a seat shyly, on one side of the long table. Not long after, Frodo came in, followed by Sam, Pippin, then Merry. Sam threw them a suspicious glance before sitting down beside Frodo. Frodo smiled at them, as did Pippin. Merry shared the sentiments with Sam and merely nodded at them. Pippin took the vacant seat beside Vanessa while Frodo sat opposite Karin, Sam opposite Vanessa and Merry across Pippin.

Karin and Vanessa were uncomfortable at first, but the warm manner of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry soon set their hearts at ease. The clear cold water in the bowls had a funny taste, and before they knew it, even Karin and Vanessa were singing along with the hobbits like residents of Middle Earth.

After the meal, their heavy eyelids drooped and they fell asleep at the table before the table was cleared, each head resting on their arms, leaving Tom Bombadil to clear the table, Goldberry to carry them to their room and the hobbits to look at them in astonishment.

Sorry! Lots of Tom Bombadil OOCness wherever I didn't fil- 'borrow' his words from the books. >< I tried, at least. Please R/R! Flames welcome, but constructive critism preferred. ^-^ Oh, and sorry for the lack of updates, but I'm working on another fic, and plus, I normally update very slowly. Though with this new SARS scare in Singapore, I might churn out another chapter by Sunday. I hope. And a reminder- R-E-V-I-E-W! Heheh. ^^UUU