With a disapproving eye, Lalia watched the attention that Bilbo and young Frodo received as they moved through the dining hall. Foolish Hobbit had gone off on an adventure, and then acted as if it were something to be proud of! It wouldn’t surprise her in the least if his young cousin were to follow suit one day, in spite of his quieter, more thoughtful demeanor. She could see it in his eye—Frodo felt that the Hobbits of the Shire were far too set in their ways for his liking.
But to be free to wander freely again….