The evening came that Thorin's Company would meet at Bilbo's hole. Bilbo was making dinner while I was sitting outside. I waited for Gandalf to come. All of the dwarves asked if this was the right house and my answer was always "yes". Gandalf finally came with four dwarves with him.
Before he went inside, he pulled me aside and told me,
"Good evening, Fawnabelle. Take this bow, these arrows, and this quiver. They might test you and if you prove worthy, they will most likely let you join. I figured you wouldn't have any weapons so I have enchanted this archery set so you will not have to go looking for arrows. Your arrow holder will fill itself without your consent."
"Thank you so much, Gandalf! I will treasure this set dearly. I appreciate you thinking of me," I replied happily. I tried my very hardest not to show my enthusiasm too much. I had to practice before I met the dwarves.
"Oh yes, don't forget to inform Bilbo that I invited you," he said as he winked at me. I winked back and we laughed quietly. Once we had gone inside, Gandalf went to greet the other dwarves. Meanwhile, I went to go offer my assistance to Bilbo. I found him holding a bunch of stuff belonging to the dwarves.
"Just when I thought I was going to have a nice dinner with you... and then all of these dwarves show up and now I have to feed all of them! Look at that one, I wonder if I will have enough food to feed him alone!" he muttered frustratingly.
"Come on, Bilbo. Cheer up! I know it seems bad now but you will be happier later when it's all over," I said positively. "Let me take those and you can go supervise them."
"Thank you. That should help with somewhat of the cleaning I shall have to do tonight," he sighed.
"Don't you fret, Bilbo. I promise I'll help you clean everything. Every single nook and cranny," I assured him. He smiled nervously then threw the dwarves' belongings on the floor and hurried to grab something from Bombur. Once I had put everyone's things neatly away, I joined Bilbo in his hallway. I had managed to sneak four biscuits for us to eat. He didn't eat much, I'm pretty sure the surprise of all the dwarves here had taken away his appetite. I had two biscuits to eat. Bilbo went to ask if they were staying for supper.
As soon as they gave their answer (which was "OF COURSE!"), all I heard was "Now to clear up!". I thought that meant Bilbo and I would do the clearing of the table, but I was mistaken. They started to pile things and take them away. Then they started to sing! (You may remember the song they sang whilst cleaning the table as "Blunt the Knives! Bend the Forks!" but I like to refer to it as "THAT'S WHAT BILBO BAGGINS HATES")
I turned to Gandalf and introduced myself.
"Hello there! My name is Fawnabelle Brandybuck but you can call me Fawn. You want someone to share an adventure with?" I asked.
"Yes, I do. Well, not me... but some friends of mine do. I'm looking for a burglar of some sort and I've found him. Bilbo is my burglar and he will go on this adventure," Gandalf explained.
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm glad you found what you were looking for," I said gloomily. I started to walk to Bilbo's front door.
"You would want to come with us?" he asked with a raised bushy eyebrow.
"Yes," I mumbled.
"Alright, I won't guarantee anything but if you come tomorrow at tea-time... hmm, we will see what will happen. Well, I've got to go! I have a lot of things to do. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow!" he said as he walked down the East road.
"Until tomorrow, Gandalf," I sighed. He waved his hand before he turned the corner and I raised mine in reply. I went inside but I couldn't find Bilbo anywhere.
"Bilbo? Where are you?" I echoed through the main hallway. I peeked through a couple of doors.
"I'm in here, Fawnabelle!" he shouted in a muffled voice. I went to the door of the next room and knocked.
"Are you in here, Bilbo?" I asked.
"Yes, come in! Wait! Close your eyes!" he answered. I covered my eyes and walked through the open door.
"Just a little farther... okay stop. Now open your eyes," he ordered joyfully. I opened my eyes and my jaw dropped to the floor! I closed it again and walked around the room speechless. He looked very happy and he laughed at my reaction.
"Bilbo! What is this?! Is this for me?!" I asked in surprise.
"Yes, Fawnabelle. I want you to come and live with me. You don't need to be a Brandybuck any longer. I've been feeling rather lonely these last couple of years and I've felt so happy when you've come to visit me. I know we'll get along just fine. So, I took the liberty of clearing out this room for you. As you know, this has been my house since I was a little hobbit. My two sisters stayed in this room, my parents stayed in that room across the hall from my room. The room was just keeping things that I didn't need. Gandalf gave me quite a scare and I needed something to take my mind off of it. I felt significantly better after I did this. Will you stay?" he asked.
"Of course, I will! Why, would I not stay with you? Oh, thank you, Bilbo! I'm going to go to Clanissa's house to get my things right away," I exclaimed.
"Yes, that's a good idea! I can bring a wagon meanwhile you start packing, if you like," he offered.
"Sure! I better get going then. The house is the one closest to the Old Forest, okay Bilbo?" I said as we walked down the hallway.
"Alright, Fawnabelle! It sounds like a plan," he affirmed. I waved my hand as I walked out the door. Clanissa was sad that I wouldn't be living with her anymore but I told her that I would come and visit her and she was welcome to come and visit me. We moved everything rather quickly and we had a celebration supper afterwards.
I was at Bilbo's house one day in the first month of spring. We were having second breakfast together. It was an ordinary and beautiful day. After our meal, we went outside on his front porch. Bilbo sat on his bench smoking his pipe while I walked out the gate to his flower bed, which was under his windowsill.
"Your flowers are blooming very well this year, Bilbo. What did you do differently than the last season?" I asked him.
"Why, thank you, Fawnabelle! I gave them more of everything. Plus, I did what you advised... I read to them," he grinned.
"What did you read to them?" I asked curiously.
"The Hobbiton Herald, of course," he said plainly.
"Of course," I giggled. He smiled and then I looked down the road. I saw a mysterious figure coming towards Bag End. I quickly looked away, went back inside the gate, and sat down next to Bilbo. The person kept walking in our direction then he appeared to be an elderly man. He was certainly not a hobbit; he had a long gray beard, wore big black boots, and a pointy blue hat. He stopped right in front of the mail post and that was when Bilbo noticed him. The man was holding a tall staff and he stayed at the gate for a little while before Bilbo broke the silence.
"Good morning," Bilbo said. The man stared at Bilbo from under his wide-brimmed blue hat.
"What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I like it or not? Or that you feel good on this morning, or that it is a morning to be good on?" the old man asked. I laughed under my breath and looked at Bilbo. He looked a little confused so I turned the other way.
"All of them at once, I suppose," Bilbo finally answered. "And a fine morning for a pipe of tobacco as well. If you have a pipe on you, take it out, and have a fill of mine! We have the whole day ahead of us." Bilbo blew out a gray smoke ring and it floated in the direction of The Water.
"Very pretty! But I have no time to blow smoke rings today," Gandalf said. They talked a good deal more about adventures and Bilbo's mother and things Gandalf had done in the past. I was rather interested in Gandalf from then on. I wished I could just spend a whole day with him and have him tell me all about what he had done in the past. After I was done daydreaming, Bilbo was going inside. I stood up but I didn't go inside.
"What's going on? Where's everyone going so dressed up?" I asked Clanissa, my cousin, who shared a room with me. It's a complicated story...
"It's Bilbo Baggins' 49th birthday party today. Don't tell me you forgot, Fawnabelle," she said.
"Of course! I didn't forget... I just forgot today was today. Will you wait for me to get ready, Nissa?" I asked.
"No way! That's what you get for getting home so late. I'll see you at the party, Fawn. Don't get there too tardy or someone will get your present," she yelled as she walked out the door. I ran to my room and got dressed very quickly. I had to look my best because I was going to meet Bilbo for the first time. Everyone knew who Bilbo Baggins was because he was a Baggins! And Bagginses are very respectable. If he sees me as respectable, I would have the opportunity to be respected by everyone. So I ran to Bag End and walked through the gate. I went to the back where everyone was and I asked my cousins where Bilbo was.
"He's probably hiding from Lobelia. I hear she gives him an awful fright," they laughed. I looked everywhere but couldn't find him. I went inside his house to get away from the noise. I heard footsteps coming towards the door. I spotted a closet and ran inside. I locked the door and sighed with relief. I heard another sigh and I gasped with fright. A hand was put on my mouth; I was about to scream until I heard Lobelia calling for Bilbo.
"Don't be scared. I'm trying to get away from her" the voice said. The hand was released from my mouth and a lamp was lit. I shaded my eyes from the brightness.
"Are you Bilbo Baggins?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm Bilbo. Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm Fawnabelle but everyone calls me Fawn. We've never met before," I explained.
"Oh, well it's very nice to meet you, Fawnabelle. I'm sorry we couldn't have a better meeting," he replied.
"That's okay. Um... oh yes, happy birthday!" I whispered. I handed him a little box.
"Thank you so much," he said joyfully.
"I know I don't know you very well but I've heard a lot about you. I heard that you like tea, who doesn't, so I made this for you," I said. He unwrapped a handmade white teacup. It had little yellow flowers painted on the front and it came with a matching plate.
"It's wonderful! You made this?" he asked.
"Yes," I said shyly.
"You have a true gift, Fawnabelle! Can you do anything else?" he asked curiously.
"Why do you ask?" I whispered.
"For curiosity's sake, please tell me!" he begged. The rest of the night we talked about lots of different respectable things and we got to know each other very well. He even asked me if I would like to stay the night with him. It's not unusual to spend the night with very close friends. I told him that I would see him very soon and spend the night then.
"If you're ever near Bag End, please come and visit me even if you don't spend the night!" he insisted.
"I will!" I shouted as I walked down the East road. I got home late that night and went in my bed as soon as I got there.
"So, how did you like Bilbo? Was he everything we've heard about?" Clanissa asked.
"He's so nice. I hope he found me respectable enough. I'm tired... I'll tell you all about it tomorrow," I yawned. She giggled and I fell fast asleep.
In the morning, I opened my window and got ready quickly. I gazed at the tree outside when I was finished. I took a deep breath and sighed; it was a very beautiful day. A robin landed on a branch near the window sill and sang a little song. He looked vaguely familiar.
"Good morning, Fawnabelle. I'm glad to see you up early today. Eat breakfast quickly; I'll be waiting for you outside the front door," he said.
"I will!" I shouted as I ran out of my bedroom door. I ran down the hall and ate breakfast. I rushed outside with a roll of parchment, ink bottle, and a quill. I took them just in case I wanted to take notes. The bird flew up to me and perched on my shoulder.
"Let's go! To the East Farthing Woods!" he exclaimed. I started to walk quickly but I was so anxious to start that I ran the rest of the way. Halfway there, the bird fell off my shoulder and flew the rest of the way. When we got to the woods, there was a little fawn there. A doe appeared next to it and they ate grass together.
"Call them over," the bird said. I sang the first verse of a lullaby. Then they came towards us and I got down to the ground very slowly.
"Interesting," he said.
"What's interesting?" I asked.
"You got down to the ground without me having to tell you so. You followed your instinct; that's very good. Always follow your instinct... that's going to be our first lesson. Nature always speaks to us through instinct of spirit. Just follow your instinct for today," he explained. I smiled and held out my hand to the fawn. The little one sniffed my hand softly. The mother gave the fawn a little nudge towards me.
"Hello, little one," I said softly. I looked at the doe and she went down to the floor right next to the fawn. The fawn copied his mother and he licked my hand.
"Thank you," I laughed. I sat down in front of the two and the fawn stood up and knelt down closer to me. He put his head forward and I pet his head very gently.
"Well done, Fawnabelle. You have gained the trust of the mother first and then the fawn. Now let's learn about medicinal weeds and herbs. Follow your instinct on how to leave without frightening them," he said. I thought about what I should do and how I would feel if I were them. I closed my eyes and tried to telepathically tell them I needed to move on. Then I opened my eyes and nodded to the doe. We stood up together; I curtsied to the mother and I pet the fawn's head. He snuggled against my leg and they went back to eating. He showed me many types of weeds and herbs that grow in almost very forest. This continued for another 89 days and I learned many other things. I learned how to tame unfamiliar animals, how to walk silently, how to walk past sleeping creatures without disturbing them, and many other useful things like that. After our last session, he presented me with a roll of parchment sent from Radagast the Brown.
"Congratulations, Fawnabelle! You are now an official Junior Protector of Nature. You will become a full protector of nature when you come of age," he declared happily.
"Thank you so much! I don't know what to say... I hope to see you again sometime," I replied.
"We will... I'm the messenger between protectors, remember? Until next time, Fawnabelle!" the bird said. He sang a sweet song while he flew deeper into the forest. I walked home very sadly and felt very gloomy the rest of the day. Everyone at home was getting ready to go somewhere.
In the summer at Brandy Hall, I made a wish on 15 candles. I wished to be united with who I truly was. The next day, I woke up a new 15 year old hobbit. I travelled to the East Farthing Woods to read a new book that Grandfather, the Master of Brandy Hall, had given me. When I arrived, there were many beautiful birds singing in the trees. I couldn't read at the time; I was too caught up with the nature around me. A little robin stood out to me the most. He was so tiny but his voice was so clear that I began to make out words from his song. He fluttered toward me and perched on my shoulder.
"Hello, Fawnabelle," he said. I was scared to death.
"You c-can talk?" I asked.
"No, but you can understand my songs," he answered sweetly.
"How do you know my name?" I asked.
"You are a protecter of nature; friend, advocate, and voice of all good creatures and plants. Everyone knows the protectors of nature," he explained.
"Oh... I am? Are you sure? I think you have got the wrong hobbit. I don't know what you are talking about," I stammered. Something incredibly amazing was about to take place and it would change my life completely.
"I can prove that I am right and you are not," he boasted.
"Oh, really? Well then, prove it and I'll believe you," I replied.
"Sing something," the bird commanded.
"I'm sorry?" I asked.
"You can hum if you like, it will do the same thing. Try it," he insisted. I started to sing something that I had made. But, it transformed into a hum because I forgot some of the words. I stared at the ground for the whole song. So, when I finished, I didn't know what happened around me. I looked up and saw lots of animals standing around me. Deer, rabbits, squirrels, and many others were all in a giant circle around me.
"Only a protector of nature can bring animals towards them when they do something special. Since you are a girl, I figured your "something special" would be singing and my guess was correct," he said proudly.
"Fine, I believe you now. This is amazing! What else can I do?" I asked.
"That is to be revealed in time. Radagast the Brown has sent me here to assist you in becoming a Junior Protector of Nature. Of course, protectors of nature are constantly learning new things. But, since you are beginning to see yourself as a protector, I can teach you the basics of the knowledge that all protectors should know," the robin explained.
"Radagast the Brown?! He sent you here? Isn't he a wizard or something like that? Are you his assistant or something?" I asked curiously.
"No, I'm not his assistant. I help all protectors of nature. I am a messenger between one protector to the next. I also help them with whatever their needs are like going to new protectors and training them or sending distress calls to other protectors. I am in debt to them; they saved my home and family so now I happily help them with whatever I can," he explained.
"Awww... that's so nice. Well, I will gladly take all the knowledge you will give me and put it to great use," I replied.
"Very good, we can start tomorrow. Your training will last for three consecutive months. After those three months, you will become an official Junior Protector of Nature. Then, you will be on your own to learn more things independently," the bird explained. I agreed and I went back to Brandy Hall. I didn't tell anyone about what happened; I went to sleep early so the next day would come.
