The three friends stood silent for a long time after the boat had been lost from sight at the mouth of the harbor, each of them lost in their thoughts trying to make sense of what had just happened. Finally, Pippin clapped his hands, and said "Well, now, how about a bit of lunch?" Merry turned to his good friend and reared back like he was going to slap him, but Sam reached out his hand and grabbed Merry, saying "I think Mr. Frodo and Gandalf would not like for us to be striking one another this soon after they've gone. Pippin has a point, it has been a couple of hours since we last ate, and we've had a terrible heart tug in the meantime . . ."

Pippin smiled at Sam, and said "Thanks, Sam! Let's move over here to this open area and have us a little picnic!" Merry shot a dark glance at his friend, as Pippin wisely moved around the other side of Sam towards the intended picnic area. The three friends walked across the ancient stones of the harbor paving, their rather large feet landing softly on the pavers and the clipped grass. Pippin took off his elven cloak, and spread it down on the grass. As Pippin removed his pack and started to spread out some fruit and bread, Sam once again marvelled at the way the cloak took on the appearance of the ground features around it, almost disappearing on the grass. Memories of the arduous journey with Frodo flooded his thoughts, and the tears started to flow once again for his departed friend.

"Aw, now, Sam, don't start that again," Merry said, as he slid down on the cloak and reached his hand up to his friend to make him sit with them. Sam took Merry's hand, and allowed himself to be dragged down to a seat on the cloak. Pippin passed him a big, juicy apple and Sam, sniffing back the tears, took a big bite. The friends sat for a while, with the only sounds being that of a good picnic lunch being consumed, which is a bit more boisterous when the fellows consuming it are hobbits.

Finally, at a lull in the repast, Merry said "So why do you think Frodo went with Gandalf?" to no one in particular. Pippin stopped munching on a crust of bread long enough to opine "I think he might have been unwilling to face losing Gandalf, and just decided to join him and Bilbo at the last minute."

"No, that was definitely not a last minute decision, Mr. Frodo has been thinking about this for some time." Sam said. "I should have guessed it, with the way he had been settling his affairs." "Yeah, that's right" said Merry. "He sold Bag End, cleared all the debts that he and Bilbo had ever owed, and I believe he spoke with everyone in the Shire in the last six months. And I thought it was just a phase he was going through, wanting to have his legacy clear to all of us."

"No," said Sam, "he definitely was clearing his affairs. It seems so obvious now that I look back on it, like I see it crystal clear now . . ." his voice trailing off, as he lost himself in his thoughts again.

Pippin replied, talking around a big bite of apple, "Well, if you ask me, I think it was all that elvish medicine and doctoring that he got when he got stabbed by that Morgul blade on Weathertop. I told you before that Bilbo had lived to be very old, with hardly a trace of age on him. That's what being around elves will do for you. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if we all lived . . ."

"Will you please stop, Pip?" said Merry in an exasperated tone. "You are just wrong on that. Gandalf told me that it was the ring that gave unnaturally long life to Bilbo, and that Frodo had been affected by it as well. If you ask me, I say that Frodo just didn't want to hang around here and watch us all grow old and die, with him just staying young like he ever was."

"Well now, that is just about the most logical explanation I've heard yet." said Sam. "I think you've hit on something there, and it makes sense that if that's the situation, Mr. Frodo would want to go on with Gandalf and Bilbo to live in the Undying Lands. I'll have to think about it some more, but that makes sense to me."

With that, the three friends started to clear the remains of their picnic, and when they were finished Pippin picked up his elven cloak, putting it around his shoulders and fastening it at his collar. They turned to begin the journey back to the Shire.

As they were walking, Sam began to sing in a low voice "The road goes ever on and on . . ."

The End.