Ere the dawn of the Fourth Age of the World, Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, who is known by many other names, and a few others who had a part in the great and extensive History of the Ring, left the lands of Middle-earth towards the Blessed Realm. They departed in a ship that bore the wings and the figurehead of a swan from the harbors of the Grey Havens of Cirdan, the Shipwright. Their sailing was wonderful, even for the hobbits that were timorous of sailing and the matters that dealt with boats and riding upon water.

Gandalf sat near the bow with his head in his hands, seemingly deep in thought. He had a pipe in his mouth, and he was muttering soft, quiet words to himself. Upon his face, there was a broad smile and the lines of age that had once bejeweled his forehead and cheeks seemed to disappear. At first glance, he seemed much younger than he used to look, no longer weary and bent, but tall, straight, and proud. A second glance would let one see that he was still the same old Gandalf, hair as white as new-fallen snow, a long shaggy beard, and deep, dark, understanding eyes. All of the crew of Cirdan’s ship was alive and bustling with song and speech. Frodo and Bilbo marveled at how joyous these elves appeared, and both wondered why this was so.

Bilbo, then finding his thoughts too much to ponder, spoke aloud and asked why there was so much celebration, despite the fact that he knew that the Ring had been destroyed, and Sauron’s power had been vanquished at last. An elf stood tall and spoke with eloquent words, saying, "We are returning to Aman! The Blessed Realm! where the rest of our kindred dwells! Oh how wonderful it will be to see the splendor of Valinor, and the place where the Two Trees once stood! Oh how I have longed for this moment!" The elf then sat down and began to sing a song about the Elder Days, the days when Middle-earth was free from trouble.

Beside Gandalf sat Elrond Half-Elven, and Galadriel, the Lady of the Golden Wood. The three keepers of the three elf rings were departing for their home from which they were spawned. The three were speaking loudly, and clearly, so that Frodo and Bilbo could hear their conversation. While they listened, they were reminded once more that Gandalf was one of the Maiar, a people of the Valar. He had not always been known by as Gandalf. In his youth, he was Olorin, one of the mightiest, and perhaps the wisest of the Maiar. Amongst him was Sauruman, who was known as Curumo, Radagast, who was known as Aiwendil, and Alatar, and Pallando. These were the five wizards who were chosen by the Valar to go into Middle-earth. According to Gandalf, he alone was successful in his mission, and the others failed, for they were drawn to the lands of Middle-earth, and fell in love with its creatures, or had a lust for power.

Galadriel spoke of her people, the Galadrim, whom she loved dearly. She mentioned that Celeborn had chosen to stay in Lothlorien for a while yet to enjoy his last days upon those fair Golden Woods. Elrond spoke of his father, and his mother, and how he wished to see his mother, Elwing once more. The histories of these people had been great and extensive, and for that reason, they shall not be told here.

Now Bilbo and Frodo were filled with joy and gladness at hearing the happiness of all of these people. Before, Galadriel had seemed filled with a lot of grief, and sadness. But now, she seemed a young elf-maiden, filled with happiness and bereft of her woes. Both Bilbo and Frodo smiled and joined in a few of the songs that the elves sang, and forgot about their worries for a while.

After many days of sailing upon those tranquil, crystal clear waters, they began to see a massive pinnacle of stone rise up out of the horizon. All of the elves stood up and shouted for joy, causing their songs to rise up and laughter to fill the air. Some of them proclaimed, "Taniquetil! Home of Manwe Sulimo, King of Arda! There too dwells Varda Elentari, Queen of the Stars! A Elbereth! Gilthoniel! silivren penna miriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-diriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, si nef aearon!" This they sang, and the rest of the verses of the song, in reverence to their Queen that they would soon meet.

The hobbits were filled with a sudden joy, for they had never seen a pinnacle so high and mighty before in their lives. The ship seemed to be gaining speed, and the horizon began to be filled with glorious, lofty mountains. Taniquetil stood amidst those mountains, living up to its name as the highest mountain in all of Arda. Frodo was filled with a sudden short fear, for he had never before realized what majesty the realm of the Valar had actually held. He then realized that he was only viewing the outermost part of Valinor, the Pelori, those mountains that had been raised by the Valar as a defense against Melkor and the evils that he had wrought.

The ship landed upon the shore of Valinor, and many tall elves, with incredibly bright faces greeted the ship. They were filled with great mirth, for they were finally meeting the lost ones of their Kindred. These elves were known as the Sea-elves, a branch of the Teleri. These elves dwelt at Alqualonde, the haven of the Teleri. These elves were called Sea-elves, for their love of the sea, and of sailing. Of all of the elves in Middle-earth, these were the ones who were the most skilled at shipbuilding and sailing. There, the company was received with great joy and happiness, and were taken into the homes of the Teleri for several days and housed, fed, and told of the goings-on of the time.

A few days passed, and it came time to go before Manwe Sulimo, in order to receive their official welcome to Valinor. Thus the company did, and the whole way there, the hobbits were filled with a small fear, yet their hearts were filled with joy. They traveled up the slopes of Taniquetil, and found at the top a massive mansion, overlaid with the richest jewels and stones of the entire world. They entered, and many Maiar and other noble lords of the Valar stood. Eonwe, the Herald of Manwe was there, and he greeted them with a deep bow. He beckoned them to follow him down an incredibly, richly decorated hall.

The hall opened up into a massive chamber, which was adorned with many paintings and jewels, and the airs of the world could be seen as the ceiling. Thus Eonwe proclaimed, "Lord Manwe, King of Arda, here are the members of the alliance of the Ring!" He announced all of their names, and titles, and then bowed low to the ground, and stepped back. The members of the company bowed low in return, and fell to their knees before Manwe. Manwe smiled, and bade them to stand. He then stood long silent, staring and pondering at each individual. After a long silence, he finally spoke. His voice was soft, understanding, stern, compassionate, and powerful. "Your deeds have not gone unheard, friends. It is a wonderful thing that you now stand before me in my court. For your deeds and troubles in the lands, it is only appropriate that you dwell in Valinor, and remain here ere the end of the world. Olorin, it greatly saddens me to hear that Alatar and Pallando have not been heard of and supposedly still dwell in the lands of East Middle-earth. Sorrow filled my heart when I heard that Curumo had betrayed us, and had decided to join Sauron and his evil thoughts. Folly it was when Sauron joined Melkor and his foul plans during the Great Music. But alas! He is now vanquished, and his power is gone!" Each of the company stood silent in awe and amazement of the power of Manwe, and his splendor.

Manwe then addressed Frodo and Bilbo directly. "For your bravery in the face of utter danger, and the finding of the ring before Sauron did, you are held in positions of highest honor amongst all hobbits in the world. Here you will dwell, amongst the Vanyar, the Noldor, and the Teleri until the end of time. In order to do so, you must be given a gift. For all of those who dwell here posses this gift. If you will, please kneel. The hobbits did so, shaking slightly as they bent forward. Manwe then began chanting softly, then his voice rose into a beautiful song. The notes were fair, and caused shivers to run down the hobbits’ spines, and all of the others in that hall stood silent whilst Manwe sang. The words were undecipherable, but were strangely sweet. The tongue was that of Valinor, now long forgotten in Middle-earth, save by very few.

The hobbits then felt completely different, as if their hearts had been removed of all of their sorrows, and their weariness was swept away. They felt a feeling similar to that of an adrenaline rush, yet their bodies remained the same. All time seemed to have stopped before them, and they felt like they had just been born anew. The world seemed different to their eyes, yet it was the same. Manwe then stopped singing, and said, "I have given you the gift that only the Valar, the Maiar, and the Eldar posses. You are now immortal." The hobbits rose, feeling different, yet the same. They bowed low to the ground, and thanked him for their gift, and Manwe then said, "It is only fitting and proper to do such a thing to the bravest hobbits that Illuvatar, himself had ever thought of creating."

Thus it came to be that the members of the company dwelled in Valinor. They each had a house to themselves, where they were appointed a servant. The days passed by, but time seemed to not exist to the hobbits. Bilbo and Frodo both missed their old home of Bag End back in the Shire. So it was their wish to have built for them a home that was much like their old one. Thus their wish was granted, and a few of the Maiar gathered round a flat section of land nigh the center of Valmar. There, they chanted their sweet music and caused the ground to rise before the hobbits’ eyes. Then with a little bit of help from the hobbits, that tract of land began to take shape and form, and soon to their disbelief, it seemed as if Bag End was right before their eyes. The Maiar bowed low when their singing was finished and stated, "We have fulfilled your request, and from what we have learned, it would most please you to see your old home. Though this is not your old home. It is merely a version exactly as yours used to be. You will find that every hall and room and burrow and mark inside the hill will be exactly as you remember your old Bag End to be.

Bilbo and Frodo both stood speechless outside their home, and could not believe what happened before their eyes. Bag End was before them, exactly as it had been when they last saw it in the Shire before setting out upon the Great Eastern Road. Their garden outside was exactly the same, filled with flowers, and plants, and vegetables. Frodo then sighed to himself and thought about Sam. He would be all alone in the Shire, but hopefully he would find some way to make life enjoyable. Frodo and Bilbo entered the Hill, and found everything to be exactly the same, just as that Maiar had said it would be. All of Bilbo’s old possessions were there, along with Frodo’s. It was just as if they had never left home in the first place.

Almost immediately, Bilbo began to tidy things up, because the house was just how he left it: halfway in a mess. Frodo laughed at him and helped the old hobbit around with things. Suddenly, Frodo noticed something that he hadn’t before. Bilbo appeared to be quite young. A lot younger than he looked when Frodo and He were riding the ship to Aman. Bilbo looked as if he were back in his sixties! He seemed like a bustling young hobbit with the opportunity for adventure around every corner. Bilbo never seemed to notice his regained youth, and Frodo never mentioned it to him. He simply thought that this was another gift from the Valar. Perhaps because the Ring caused him to never change his appearance, and once he was without the ring, his appearance changed drastically, the Valar had mercy for him, and restored his old appearance.

For many years, Frodo and Bilbo had a wonderful time in Valinor, though the time didn’t seem to exist to them. They would often gather together every day with a host of elves and Maiar, and have a jolly good time, telling stories, singing songs, and enjoying the bliss and peacefulness of the hidden realm. Bilbo was a very fondly loved person, for the elves of that place would listen to his tales of his journeys for hours at a time without end. Frodo too had his great deal of attention; the elves would always ask questions about what the dark land was like, for most of them had never seen it before, first hand. They often wondered what the inside of Orodruin was like, and how Gollum was really misunderstood, but the Ring had corrupted his heart for too long.

Thus many more years passed by, and it seemed that time did not exist to Frodo. He would often go about walking through Valinor, exploring its many hidden dells and vales, and all of the joys of the gardens of Yavanna and speaking with the mightiest of the Valar, the Aratar, when he could. From them, he learned many things about the world, and many things that no mortal man dare had known. The Valar were still very powerful and mysterious to him, and he both feared and loved them.

During one of his explorations of the land, Frodo walked upon a fair garden, with pools of water that glittered like starlight. Next to the largest of these pools sat an elf-maiden. Her voice was like a thousand nightingales, or all of the choruses of the Maiar put together. Her hair was fair, and her eyes were dark blue. She was dressed in attire of light white, and she bore a smile upon her face. She was one of the Vanyar, the Highest of the Elves. Being one of the high elves, there was a strange oddity about her. She was rather short for an elf. She measured nearly four feet and eight inches tall.

Her height did not seem to bother her, and she sat beside the pool singing a song of strange sorrow. Her sad words were sweet to hear, but one could tell that they were full of lament. Frodo could not understand her words, for he was skilled only in the language of the Silvan Elves. She saw Frodo immediately, and stopped her singing. She smiled at him, and greeted him in her own, fair tongue. Frodo was speechless. His feet were rooted to the ground, and he could not find any words to comment on her. Her magnificence and beauty surpassed all of the Valar and Maiar, and every other elf that he had ever seen in his life before. She, he accounted as the fairest creature upon the Earth.

She smiled at him and stared at him for a long time, pondering what he might be thinking, and finally broke the silence. She spoke in his tongue. "Greetings, Frodo Baggins. I have long been sitting by this pool alone, mourning my loneliness. Great is it that you have come to see me. I have attended several of the telling of your stories, and have admired you for quite a long time." Frodo stood still rooted to the ground. He grasped deep down inside for something to reply with, and he thought for a long while in silence. Finally, he found a few words. "It is an honor to be admired by such a fair and lovely being as yourself. Surely, you should not be mourning by this pool in the fair gardens of Valinor? You should be off dancing and singing and laughing with the rest of your people!" She smiled at his words, and said, "I should be doing so. But alas, I am not comfortable being with my people. I love them all dearly, but they all make me feel so different. I feel small when I am with them, for I am small. All of the elves of Valinor are tall, and I am small. It is quite lonely indeed!"

With the words, Frodo smiled, and said, "But fair maiden, do not feel alone, for I myself am short, and I feel all alone, except for my dear old Bilbo. There are no other hobbits here besides him, and I indeed have longed for someone to be with." She smiled at him, keeping her eyes steadily upon him. Frodo felt very nervous, quite unlike he had ever felt in his life, except for a few times about a few of the female hobbits of the Shire and perhaps a few of the other elves he had seen. But he had never felt this way about an elf to this degree. She was the fairest upon the fairest of all of the Elves in his mind.

Frodo then said, "Maiden, may I ask your name of you?" and she replied, "My name is Niwiel. I am one of the Vanyar." From that moment onward in the twilit gardens of the star pools, Frodo and Niwiel spent much time together. They learned a great deal about each other, and soon found that they both had a lot in common. Soon, they fell deeply in love. So great was the love of Frodo and Niwiel that they saw past their differences, and saw only each others hearts and souls, and their love for each other and everything good that lived or dwelled on the Earth.

After many years of life together, Niwiel bound herself to Frodo, and in doing so, they were wed. Time passed and the happiness of Niwiel and Frodo grew incredibly. Never again would they feel alone, and Bilbo took her as an immediate part of the family. After quite some time, Frodo and Niwiel had several children. These children were very special, and they were quite marveled at. They were short in stature, and were very fair to behold, much like Niwiel was. Their ears were more sharply pointed than normal hobbits’ ears, and their vision was extraordinary. In their outer appearance, they looked exactly like hobbits, except for the overall fairness of their features.

Because Niwiel and Frodo were short, their offspring were short as well. The first of these were two girls, and two boys. They were very radiant to look upon. They all proved very nimble, and were swift in their movements while in the wild. The boys’ names were Feando and Daedro, and were like Frodo in appearance and mind. The girls’ names were Nimrodel and Nilwe. Niwiel named the two girls after names that she had conceived in her mind and had loved. These four were the first of the "high-hobbits", the offspring of a hobbit and a high-elf.

Thus, many years of the world went past, and the "hobbits" continued to prosper, and with the help of the Ainur, expanded their home into a massive part of Valinor, which was much like the Shire, with a mixture of the woods of Lothlorien in it. It was a wonderful part of the land, and belonged to the "hobbits". (Note that when I write "hobbits", I mean "high-hobbits".)

After quite some time, signs of trouble began to brew once more in the lands of Eastern Middle-earth. Rumor was spreading that a dreadful power was emerging once again, but who it was, was unknown. The shadow was spreading rapidly, and many forces of Uruk-Hai and Orcs who weren’t already influenced by it were falling under its sway. The warriors and peoples of Middle-earth were in need of help, and most of the more experienced fighters of the Third Age, who were mostly elves, had already passed away into the West. Middle-earth was in need of help.

Hearing this, Manwe Sulimo himself was shocked, and quite disturbed. He sent petitions around to the greatest of his maiar, asking if any of them would be willing to overthrow the decision to leave the peoples of Middle-earth alone, and aid them in their trouble. None of the maiar, however, would go, for they feared that if they went, they would fall sway beneath the lusts of the world. Then, Manwe asked the greatest of the high-elves if they would go, but none of them wished to leave their beloved peaceful lands, to go to a belligerent, hostile land, where they would be subject to death and misery.

His distress overcoming him, Manwe turned to the "hobbits". At first, none of them were willing to leave. However, hearing the distress of this fair Arata, a handful of them stepped forward, and accepted the task. Manwe explained that once they left Valinor, they would never be able to return. The newly formed company understood this, and a leader amongst them said "Fair Manwe, we understand that we shall more than likely never see our families again, but we desire greatly to see the lands that our elders came from, and we desire ever more to protect them from harm and the evils of the world." Manwe smiled and shed a tear at this brave "hobbit’s" bravery.

Manwe then gathered all of the peoples of Valinor together, all around the outside of Valmar. He then announced the departure of these twelve brave "hobbits", and bid them all farewell. The "hobbits" said good-bye to their families, friends, and other loved-ones, and set off for the haven of Alqualonde. There, they were given a ship of mighty strength, and were blessed by the Teleri with many farewell gifts. The ship was white, and it shone brightly in the light of the sun. The light that sparkled upon the waters of that fair bay was reflected upon the base of the ship. The figurehead was carved in the shape of a swan, and the chief mariner of Alqualonde told them that it was a very fast ship, and it would not make them stray from their course as long as it was set and kept straight and true.

Thus, the "hobbits" left Valinor, and turning around, saw the mighty peak of Taniquetil, shining brightly in the sunlight. They would never see Valinor again. Their sailing was quick, and after several days, they arrived at the Grey Havens of Cirdan. There, they left their ship, and took all that they could carry upon their backs. They were each given a pack-mule to carry their gear, but these "hobbits" loved their mules, and spared them as much weight as each could. They wandered over the land, and eventually ended up in the Shire.

The leader of this company was Grondo Baggins. His younger brothers, who were all fair-skinned, and beautiful to behold, accompanied him. They were all rather short and skinny, but not too chubby. They entered the Shire, and immediately fell in love with it. It was much like their home in Valinor, and the first thing that caught their sight was the Hill at Bag End. It was exactly like the Bag End in Valinor, and they greatly desired to keep it. So all of that company pooled together their money, and bought the residence from the Gamgees who lived there. They were descendents of Samwise Gamgee. Delighted to hear of their last name, they offered a fair price for the place, and moved to a neighboring hole.

Thus the Bagginses were again in middle-earth. The "hobbits" bound themselves to other mortal female hobbits, and in doing so, were forced to give up their immortality. Over ages, the blood of the high-hobbits dwindled, yet the generations of Bagginses remained very nimble and fair-skinned, and fair to behold. Over time, most of these later generations of Bagginses moved out of the Shire in search for adventure. They came upon Rhovanion, which some call Wilderland. And there now they dwell, and protect the woods from evil.

Thus ends the History of the Bagginses of Rhovanion. Rado Baggins, descendent of Frodo Baggins, of Bag End wrote this in Fourth Age, 2002. I gathered this information whilst on a journey westward to the Shire, and a few of my elders were there to tell me in full all that had been passed down to them, and all that had been written and stored away in the back rooms of Bag End. I am pleased to share this with you, and I wish that you will enjoy this knowledge and pass it along to your friends and family.