Snowy Morning
Part II: Early to Rise
by North-took

Fredregar Bolger groggily felt his mattress dip and shift as someone crawled onto the bed and over him. A small hand placed itself on his shoulder and shook.

His little sister's voice broke through the quiet. "Freddy wake up..."

"Go 'way Estella," he grumbled into his pillow. It was far too early for a sensible hobbit to be up and out of bed on a chill winter morning.

"But it snowed during the night!" Estella crowed. Freddy cracked one eye open; by the dim light provided by the fire still smoldering in the fireplace, he could see that she was already dressed for the out-of-doors. She even had her new yellow scarf looped around her neck. The pieces fell together in his mind with a loud 'snick'.

He raised his head up from the pillow. "Mum and Dad said you couldn't go outside alone, didn't they."

Estella nodded. She tilted her head to stare at him imploringly.

"Can't you wait until later?"

She shook her head 'no' and when that had no effect, Estella allowed her lower lip to fall into a pout and she gave him her saddest look. Freddy sighed and stared upwards at the curved slope of the ceiling; it wasn't fair! Estella knew he couldn't resist one of her pouts. "You'll have to leave while I dress," he said defeated.

Estella hugged him around the shoulders before she jumped up from the bed. Her bright smile lit the room and Freddy wondered if rising so early was not worth it simply to see his sister so happy.