4Written for the Silmladylove tumblr's Femslash February drabbletag challenge, for the prompt: Pearl Took/Marigold Gamgee, in which Pearl is the Ringbearer and Marigold is part of the Fellowship
The silence in the courtyard was stifling. Marigold resisted the urge to fidget, and looked up at Miss Pearl, who sat looking around with a frown on her face. They'd come such a long and frightful way—all the way to Rivendell! Marigold wondered what Sam would say if he knew how many Elves she'd met—and, well, for what? It seemed clear enough to Marigold: someone had to take the Ring to that fire mountain off in Wilderland somewhere. And it seemed clear enough to her who would do it—only what was Pearl waiting for?
"Well," Pearl said finally, chin jutting out in that particularly Tookish way, and startling everyone, all those great lords and wise men, into looking at her, "well, I don't know the way. But I'll do it. I'll take the Ring."
Elrond spoke, then, saying something about the Hour of the Shire-folk, whatever that meant, and other things Marigold didn't quite rightly understand. But that wasn't what she was concerned with, anyway.
"And I'm going too!" Marigold burst out finally, unable to keep quiet any longer. All eyes turned to her, then, and she felt her face grow hot, but the look on Pearl's face of combined relief and delight gave her the courage to add, "You can't very well expect to go haring off into the Wild without me, Miss Pearl!" Someone snorted—it might have been Gandalf. "You need someone with good plain hobbit sense!"
"Indeed," Elrond said, smiling down at her. "Especially since it appears impossible to separate the two of you, even when she is summoned to a secret council and you are not."
Marigold planted her hands on her hips, ignoring Master Bilbo's laughing and refusing to be embarrassed about it. After all, no one had asked her to leave. "What a mess you've gotten us into this time, Miss Pearl!" she said instead.
Pearl laughed and kissed her cheek. "A right mess," she agreed, "but I am glad you'll be with me, Marigold!"
