Capítulo 22: Tom Fucking Bombadil
The Old Forest lay in a deep twilight, rarely penetrated by sunlight through the dense canopy of leaves. It was a place full of mysteries, and those who dared to enter its depths did so with caution. But for Tom Bombadil, the merry wanderer, this was his home. He moved light-footed through the forest, singing and laughing, as if he were part of the ancient trees themselves.
On this particular day, however, Tom was to encounter something unusual. He was on his way to the Old Willow Man when he saw a figure, as foreign to this part of the forest as a desert plant in the rainforest, trapped in its roots. Stranger still, it seemed to be about to fight, the creature raising a wicked axe, ready to inflict pain on the Old Willow Man. It was an Orc, yet not like the usual wild creatures of Mordor. This Orc seemed different, and his face showed more than the usual malice. Tom could hear an exceedingly strange song from the Orc, unlike anything he had heard before under the sun.
"Stop!" Tom couldn't help but intervene. The day was far too beautiful for pain and suffering.
Tom Bombadil, curious and fearless, stepped closer. "Hey dol! Merry dol! Who are you, strange Orc, who is here with greed in his heart?" he called out in his cheerful voice.
The Orc looked up, his red eyes meeting Tom's bright blue ones. "My name is Narzug," he answered in a deep, rough voice. "But I am no ordinary Orc..."
"Hey dol! Merry dol! ring a dong dillo!
Ring a dong! hop along! fal lal the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!" sang Tom, asking the Old Willow Man to let the Orc go. He was far too curious and wanted to hear the Orc's story and secrets.
Narzug was released and moved a bit away from the old willow, sitting down. He began to tell Tom his story, knowing well who stood before him and realizing that only the truth would get him anywhere here.
"I am one of the nameless creatures of the depths who has taken the form of an Orc," Narzug finally summarized his story.
Tom sat down carelessly in front of Narzug, his eyes sparkling with interest. "Ah, Narzug, what an exceedingly interesting story you have to tell! And what brings you here to the Old Forest? What does an Orc, no matter what he truly is, seek here, where the flowers and trees speak and sing?"
Narzug hesitated, as if searching for the right words. "I have lost my way," he began slowly. "Not the physical path through this world, but my inner way. I have spent many years in darkness and hate, but now I seek something else, something I cannot name."
Tom nodded understandingly. "The paths of the heart are often tangled. But this forest can help you find what you seek. It has many secrets, and perhaps among them is what your heart truly desires."
Narzug looked at the trees around him, their leaves whispering in the gentle wind. "I was once a part of nothing, a nobody in the darkness. But something in me has changed. I felt an emptiness, a meaninglessness in my existence. But then I became more, whether I am Jacob or a creature of the depths."
Tom Bombadil smiled wisely. "Change is the essence of life, even for a being like you, Narzug. This forest can help you understand yourself. Let's take a walk, and maybe we can find out together what you really seek."
The two unlikely companions rose and began to wander through the forest. Tom told Narzug of the wonders of the Old Forest, of the ancient trees whispering stories of long-forgotten times, and of the hidden beings living here in harmony and balance.
During their walk, Narzug felt a strange calm come over him. The beauty of the forest and Tom's cheerful company began to dispel the shadows in his heart. He spoke to Tom about his doubts and fears, and Tom listened patiently, without judgment.
"You say you are searching for a new purpose," Tom finally said. "Perhaps it is not the goal, but the journey itself that is important. The choices we make shape us and our future."
Narzug thought about these words. "Maybe you are right. I had existed unimaginably long in nothingness, never knowing there were other ways. But now I am Narzug, and through Jacob, new paths have opened up for me..."
"There are always other paths," Tom replied. "Each day offers the chance to start anew. The forest and the world are full of possibilities. You just have to have the courage to seize them."
The sun began to set, and the light in the forest turned golden. Narzug felt a new hope blossom within him. He still had many questions and uncertainties, but he also felt a newfound determination.
"Tom, what should I do?" he finally asked. "How do I find my way in this world?"
Tom Bombadil paused and looked at Narzug seriously. "You must follow your heart, Narzug. Listen to the songs of the world and also to your own inner voice, your own song. Do not let your past define you, but what you want to become."
Narzug nodded. "I will try. Thank you, Tom Bombadil. You have helped me more than I ever thought possible. It's unimaginable that I wanted to avoid you at first."
Tom smiled broadly. "That's the spirit! Now, go out and rediscover the world. And don't forget to always have a song on your lips and joy in your heart. Life is too short to spend it in darkness and sorrow."
With these words, Narzug left the clearing, determined to find his own path. The Old Forest closed behind him, but Tom Bombadil's words and wisdom remained in his heart.
Tom watched him go, his smile never fading. "Hey dol! Merry dol! Who would have thought that the next one of us to be awaken would be Greed..." he hummed quietly before continuing on his way, the song of the forest on his lips and the sun in his heart.
Narzug continued his journey towards the Shire, specifically towards Bag End. In his thoughts, he kept replaying the conversation with Tom Bombadil.
"What do I want to be? I listen to my heart, to my song, and it sings of greed. I want to live by my greed... but most will see me as evil... does that bother me? No, not really, but I also don't want to live in a world of terror and slavery under Sauron... I guess I have to carve my own path, apart from the free peoples and also apart from Sauron!"
And then Narzug stood at the edge of the Old Forest. Before him stretched the gentle hills and green meadows of the Shire. He could see a few Hobbits working in small fields, going about their lives as simple folk. The landscape practically screamed peace and security, and Narzug could feel an all-encompassing peace in the air.
"Even though I like the peace here, this is definitely not a path for me."
He wove a new illusion around himself and soon one could see a small Hobbit emerging from the Old Forest, roughly resembling Jacob.
Narzug walked through the regions of Buckland and Crickhollow, with the Shire music playing on a loop in his head. He couldn't help but whistle along, and Hobbits kept turning to him, as the whistling spoke to something in their hearts.
Next, he passed through the very agricultural Southfarthing of the Shire. The landscape of the Southfarthing was diverse. Narzug's steps wandered over gentle hills and through green valleys. He could see the vines bending under the weight of ripe grapes and the fruit trees swaying in the sun. The beauty of this region filled him with a deep reverence for nature and the work of the Hobbits. Yet, he also felt a certain aversion and even disgust for the overly quiet lifestyle of the Hobbits.
"That's not me..."
From the fertile fields of the Southfarthing, Narzug's journey took him further to Hobbiton, one of the most well-known and beloved settlements in the Shire. Hobbiton was the heart of the Shire, known for its idyllic landscapes, cozy Hobbit-holes, and the famous mill. Narzug was now almost at the end of his journey. The last stretch led him to Bag End, the home of the famous Bilbo Baggins and later also Frodo Baggins, though the latter would not be born for a few years.
Bag End lay on a gentle hill surrounded by large oaks and green meadows. When Narzug reached Bag End, he was equally overwhelmed and repulsed by the beauty and tranquility of the place.
Narzug spent a few days listening to the stories of the older Hobbits and exploring the area.
One day, Narzug naturally also stood in front of the most famous hobbit hole of two worlds. The hobbit hole of Bilbo Baggins.
"The movies really got the cave well... a bit more rustic than in the movies, but really not bad."
At that moment, Bilbo came out of the door and sat down on a bench in the front yard and began to stuff a pipe.
He noticed the hobbit who was examining his cave with wide eyes.
"Good morning!" said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the thrush was singing. Narzug looked at him blankly and could not resist the temptation.
"What do you mean by that?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"
"Ga.. Gan... Gandalf... No! Eh probably all of this at once," Bilbo stammered, who briefly had serious PTSD. However, in his mind, Bilbo said, "That must have been a coincidence. Gandalf wasn't supposed to visit me until tomorrow...".
"Ah, then probably all at once," Narzug said, nodding at Bilbo.
"Good morning." With these words, Narzug turned away and went to the edge of Bag End and sat down on a small park bench and looked into the distance.
The view from Bag End, the green hills stretching into the distance, and the peaceful atmosphere filled him, and Narzug came to a decision.
"No matter where my journey will take me, it certainly won't be the Shire."
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