Rowan woke up to see the hobbits making breakfast. Almost everyone was up. Kyra
had not gotten up yet because of the infection the poison was giving her. As he
ate his breakfast, he started humming a song quietly.

Gandalf however, heard him humming and chuckled as he headed towards Rowan.
“Gandalf, what’s so funny?” “Not much. Only that you were humming the song of
Beren and Tinuviel. In the right beat and rhythm, too.”

“But how? I mean I read it, but I didn’t know to sing it.” “Possibly because
your thoughts were on your love, Rowan.”

Within a few minutes, they were all ready to go. They ventured towards
BrandyBuck territory, where they stayed for the night. In the morning they went
to the Old Forest, and found themselves to be lost.

Of course when they reached an area where a willow stood next to the water, the
hobbits paled. At meeting several raised eyebrows, they quickly explained about
their ‘incident’ with the tree. Then Rowan heard a faint singing voice loom out
from the distance:

Hey dol! Merry dol! Ring a dong a dillo!
Ring a dong! Hop along! Fa lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!

It was singing nonsense, but at least it was something. Rowan signaled for the
others to be ready.

Only the hobbits didn’t stand ready. He vaguely wondered why. He looked the
direction where the voice came from. It was getting clearer.

Hey! Come merry dol! Derry dol! My darling!
Light goes the weather-wind and the feathered starling.
Down along under Hill, shining in the sunlight,
Waiting on the doorstep for the cold starlight,

There my pretty lady is, River-woman’s daughter,
Slender as the willow-wand, clearer than the water.
Old Tom Bombadil water-lilies bringing
Comes hopping home again. Can you hear him singing?
Hey! Come merry dol! Derry dol! And merry-o,
Goldberry, Goldberry, merry yellow berry-o!
Poor old Willow- man, you tuck your roots away!
Tom’s in a hurry now. Evening will follow day.
Tom’s going home again water-lilies bringing.
Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?

Sage blinked at hearing this. This was the weirdest song he had ever heard. But
the hobbits knew it was an old friend of theirs. “Tom Bombadil! We’ve missed you
terribly!” They exclaimed.

After making introductions, Tom led them into his home, where they met the Fair
Lady Goldberry. They ate and slept there, for in the morning they would leave.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Meeting Strider and Legolas

After parting with Gandalf (he said he would see them at Rivendell, because he
needed to take care of a few affairs), the group headed towards Bree, a town
close to both Hobbiton and the Shire.

Frodo told them that they would be staying at The Prancing Pony, the town’s
local inn, where many travelers of all races stayed for the night.

When they entered, the innkeeper, Barliman Butterbur, greeted them. Frodo made
reservations at the desk, and all headed to their rooms. Strider watched the
group. He recognized the hobbits as Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.

He didn’t know the others, though. But he would get to that later. He turned to
his tall hooded companion and asked; “Well what do you make of it?”

“Nothing. Although I swear I sensed a familiar prescence. Then again, my mind is
playing tricks on me.” He replied.

Strider stood up and nodded. The tall, hodded stranger followed him upstairs. In
the girl’s room, Kyra swayed a little as she regained feeling of her muscles.

Andrea and Mia helped her walk. When she could finally move her legs, she was
going into the hobbit’s room when she heard voices. “So what brings you here to
Bree?” said the first voice.

At that moment, Strider had come to see the hobbits, and it just so happened
that Legolas was with him. As they talked, Legolas thought he heard a scurrying
noise coming from outside.

Before he even stepped outside the room, the others bumped into him. After
introducing themselves, Rowan noticed Kyra wasn’t there. Legolas decided to help
him find her. He knew he had heard that name somewhere…

Kyra was downstairs drinking when he found her. She was not exactly hard to
miss, given the dark cloak she wore. She felt Rowan touch her shoulder. Eyes
looking up, she saw the elf from underneath the hood and spluttered the drink in
his face.

Legolas was wet. Wet with beer, that is. Obviously, somehow she recognized him
and spluttered in his face because of shock.

It wasn’t until Rowan pulled her hood down (with much difficulty, as she had a
strong grip) that his jaw dropped.

It was Kyra. The 10th member of the Fellowship and ex-girlfriend. A long silence
followed.

Rowan looked at Legolas, then at Kyra, then at Legolas again. “Err…were you guys
by any chance, an item?” “Of course we were. I met her long before The One Ring
was found. We met again in Imlandris* and developed feelings for each other
during the journey to Mordor.” Legolas replied.

“Oh. No wonder you were shocked.” He replied. Kyra took one more gulp before
turning to Legolas. “So where you headed, mellon*?” “Rivendell. You?”

“We just happen to be going in that direction ourselves. I daresay you and
Aragorn will come with us?” “Probably. Might as well travel together.”

Kyra laughed, and the others followed suit. They talked, laughed, sang, ate, and
drank the night away.