[piosenniel]

'Of the ancient history of Hobbits I can tell you little. For even in my younger days that was clouded, as if hidden by some power greater than the memory of Elves or Men. I will tell you, in time, what was told to me.

But let me first speak of my family. My mother was said to have been a fair hobbit lass with a fiery spirit when first she met my father. Her name was Holly, of the Stoor clan. Her family was one of a small number of hobbit families who had settled near the River Esgalduin in the forest of Region, in Doriath. They were, by nature, an independent lot, and had not gone with the others when the Westward call had come to settle altogether in the Hidden City.'

'The Westward call? The Hidden City?', asked Child.

'This will come clear in time, Child.' assured Pio.

'But let me continue. The forest in which they dwelled was near the great Elven city of Menegroth, City of the Thousand Caves in Doriath, delved for Thingol and Melian by the dwarves of Belegost. My father was from that city. His name was Elurìn, one of the sons of Dior and Nimloth, and the elder brother to Elwing. Dior was, himself, the son of Beren - a Man, and fair Luthien, the daughter of Thingol and Melian. Thingol is said to be one of the originally awakened elves, and Melian is a Maiar.'

She paused for them to take this in, and then continued.

'Suffice it to say, my father met my mother on one of his many hunting trips to the forest there. Over time, they fell in love, and he thought to make her his wife. She was already carrying me, the fruit of their deep affection for one another, when my father, in 504 of the First Age, brought her to dwell in Menegroth, thinking it would be a safe place for his new family and that they would celebrate their wedding there. This was not to be.'

'In 505, shortly after I was born, my father was lost in a great war of elf against elf, the second Kinslaying. The sons of Feanor, determined to fulfill their oath to regain the Silmarils, sacked the city of Menegroth, destroying the fair realm of Doriath. Dior and his two sons were slain, while Elwing fled with the Silmaril recovered by Luthien and Beren.'

All was silent in the little room, as she paused to take a sip of water.

'I never knew my father, save what my mother told me of him when I grew older.' She shook her head sadly, and went on.

With Menegroth gone, and the land of Doriath in chaos, my mother made her way to the River Sirion with me and northward to the Hidden City - the city of Gondolin.'

She looked at Child. 'This is the place to which the hobbits were called and hidden soon after their Awakening.'

'Their Awakening?' asked Child.

'Yes, when Men awoke in Hildòrien, so did hobbits awaken in the the Vales of the Great River Anduin, the valley lying between the Misty Mountains and Eryn Lasgalen, Greenwood Forest. But hobbits, so it was told to me, were to serve a hidden and greater purpose than Man. And so, on their Awakening their memories were clouded and they were brought west to Gondolin to be hidden and safe from Shadow. From there they would be brought forth to serve Arda when need was greatest.'

'But what about you and your mother, ma'am?' blurted out Daisy. 'What happened next?' asked Rose.