Thus did their adventure end. It had not been the excellent adventure of which they had dreamed; quite the opposite, almost everything that could have gone wrong did. They were not returning on fine ponies, praised by all the hobbits of the Shire, but on their own tired feet, noted only by the birds. The journey had been rough for all of them, but through their own resourcefulness, determination, and courage the lads had made it back. The final and most grievous stage of their journey had been passed, and there were only a few short miles left. Finally and already, they had reached the Shire. Unreal as it seemed that their adventure should be over, it was. This was Buckland.
They were home.
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