Virtual Crack Rock
12th February 2003, 09:56 PM
Chapter One
As the rooster crowed its morning call and the sun crested the horizon, little Toby Proudfoot swung his small, but very dignified, hobbit feet out of bed.
"Today is the day," he said with a grin.
This was no ordinary day, no, not at all. Today was the day for young Toby’s first adventure. This would be the day the name "Proudfoot" was recorded in the history books next to such names as Baggins, Gamgee, Took, and Brandybuck. What exactly young Toby planned to do to get into the history books, he had no idea.
He quickly got dressed and grabbed his small wooden sword, Sting, which he had named after the great blade of Bilbo Baggins. After he belted on his sword he headed for the kitchen to say good-bye to his mother. Two years ago his father had given him Sting, which he had carved himself. Two months later his father had left on a trip to Bree for some outside news. He never returned.
His mother had grieved for months, and sometimes he still thought he heard her crying after she thought he was asleep. As he rounded the corner and entered the kitchen, he saw his mom sitting at the table. She was staring into a cup of tea and he noticed her eyes were wet with tears. Some hobbits would have turned tail and waited for the grief to subside. But not Toby; he was a real gentle-hobbit, just like his dad. He ran to his mom and clutched her in his small arms.
"Oh, Mom, it will be all right," he whispered.
She looked up at him and smiled. "Toby-lad, what would I do without you?" she asked, as she playfully tousled his hair. He smiled and took the seat next to her.
"Well, Mom, it’s finally the day I go on my Big Adventure," he said, with a very stoic face. She only smiled and patted him gently on the shoulder.
"Well, Son, I have something for you. It is for your Big Adventure. I would only use it when you are in great need, though." She got up and went to the counter. She had her back turned to him so that he couldn’t see what she was getting. Finally she came back and laid a large leather pack before him.
"Look inside, Toby," she said with a smile. His eyebrows narrowed and his tongue poked out of his mouth as he fumbled with the small leather strap, trying to relieve the pouch of its contents. Finally, after an awkward bout with the small silver buckle, he hit paydirt. As he folded back the leather flap he saw what was inside. Toby gasped in disbelief.
"Mom, is this what I think it is?"
"Yes, my dearest, that is the Phial that Galadriel gave to Frodo."
He couldn’t believe it! This had to be the greatest gift he had ever received! Well, besides Sting, he thought, as he patted the hilt of his blade without thinking about it.
"But, Mom, I don’t understand. Where did you get this?" If for a moment his mom looked flustered and confused, he didn’t notice.
"I . . . uh . . . well, Toby, I have sworn by the Elven Code not to reveal that," she said finally. He looked at her suspiciously.
"Mom? What Elven Code?"
"Why, the Elven Code of Finrod, of course." His face brightened visibly at this.
"Oh, of course, I should have known," he said, with an air of false authority. "Everyone knows that code. Yes, I wouldn’t tell me either, if I were in your place."
At this his mother had to suppress a giggle with her hand. She was still worried about his Big Adventure. This was the day she had finally agreed he could go and play in the nearby woods. She had been over-protective of the lad, this was known by all of Hobbiton. She was viewed by many as an eccentric, but she didn’t care. She only needed Toby to be happy. The loss of her husband still weighed heavily on her heart. But as long as she had her little Toby, and he was happy, well, then she was content.
She watched her son lovingly as he held the small Phial and looked at it with wonder. Of course she had purchased the bottle last week and had kept it as a surprise. As Toby held the bottle and stared deeply into what was none other than ordinary well-water, he truly believed he could see Earendil’s Star. He leapt to his feet and hugged his mom again.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, Son. Now go out and have a good time, and beware! to all dragons who go out in search of young maidens today! Captain Toby Proudfoot will be your doom!"
He puffed out his chest visibly at this and clutched the hilt of Sting. "Mother, evil will not prevail this day, not while I go forth to meet it." She smiled and shooed the young hero out the door so that she could tidy up the Hobbit-hole.
As the rooster crowed its morning call and the sun crested the horizon, little Toby Proudfoot swung his small, but very dignified, hobbit feet out of bed.
"Today is the day," he said with a grin.
This was no ordinary day, no, not at all. Today was the day for young Toby’s first adventure. This would be the day the name "Proudfoot" was recorded in the history books next to such names as Baggins, Gamgee, Took, and Brandybuck. What exactly young Toby planned to do to get into the history books, he had no idea.
He quickly got dressed and grabbed his small wooden sword, Sting, which he had named after the great blade of Bilbo Baggins. After he belted on his sword he headed for the kitchen to say good-bye to his mother. Two years ago his father had given him Sting, which he had carved himself. Two months later his father had left on a trip to Bree for some outside news. He never returned.
His mother had grieved for months, and sometimes he still thought he heard her crying after she thought he was asleep. As he rounded the corner and entered the kitchen, he saw his mom sitting at the table. She was staring into a cup of tea and he noticed her eyes were wet with tears. Some hobbits would have turned tail and waited for the grief to subside. But not Toby; he was a real gentle-hobbit, just like his dad. He ran to his mom and clutched her in his small arms.
"Oh, Mom, it will be all right," he whispered.
She looked up at him and smiled. "Toby-lad, what would I do without you?" she asked, as she playfully tousled his hair. He smiled and took the seat next to her.
"Well, Mom, it’s finally the day I go on my Big Adventure," he said, with a very stoic face. She only smiled and patted him gently on the shoulder.
"Well, Son, I have something for you. It is for your Big Adventure. I would only use it when you are in great need, though." She got up and went to the counter. She had her back turned to him so that he couldn’t see what she was getting. Finally she came back and laid a large leather pack before him.
"Look inside, Toby," she said with a smile. His eyebrows narrowed and his tongue poked out of his mouth as he fumbled with the small leather strap, trying to relieve the pouch of its contents. Finally, after an awkward bout with the small silver buckle, he hit paydirt. As he folded back the leather flap he saw what was inside. Toby gasped in disbelief.
"Mom, is this what I think it is?"
"Yes, my dearest, that is the Phial that Galadriel gave to Frodo."
He couldn’t believe it! This had to be the greatest gift he had ever received! Well, besides Sting, he thought, as he patted the hilt of his blade without thinking about it.
"But, Mom, I don’t understand. Where did you get this?" If for a moment his mom looked flustered and confused, he didn’t notice.
"I . . . uh . . . well, Toby, I have sworn by the Elven Code not to reveal that," she said finally. He looked at her suspiciously.
"Mom? What Elven Code?"
"Why, the Elven Code of Finrod, of course." His face brightened visibly at this.
"Oh, of course, I should have known," he said, with an air of false authority. "Everyone knows that code. Yes, I wouldn’t tell me either, if I were in your place."
At this his mother had to suppress a giggle with her hand. She was still worried about his Big Adventure. This was the day she had finally agreed he could go and play in the nearby woods. She had been over-protective of the lad, this was known by all of Hobbiton. She was viewed by many as an eccentric, but she didn’t care. She only needed Toby to be happy. The loss of her husband still weighed heavily on her heart. But as long as she had her little Toby, and he was happy, well, then she was content.
She watched her son lovingly as he held the small Phial and looked at it with wonder. Of course she had purchased the bottle last week and had kept it as a surprise. As Toby held the bottle and stared deeply into what was none other than ordinary well-water, he truly believed he could see Earendil’s Star. He leapt to his feet and hugged his mom again.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, Son. Now go out and have a good time, and beware! to all dragons who go out in search of young maidens today! Captain Toby Proudfoot will be your doom!"
He puffed out his chest visibly at this and clutched the hilt of Sting. "Mother, evil will not prevail this day, not while I go forth to meet it." She smiled and shooed the young hero out the door so that she could tidy up the Hobbit-hole.