Rating: G

Summary: Strider shares his knowledge of the stars with the hobbits. This was a prompt inspired short fic for the Middle-earth Express challenge prompt #32: Stars.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters or have any rights to any of them. I just like to borrow them from time to time.

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Pippin huddled next to Merry, misery etched on his features. They had just trekked through the marshes, and nearly been eaten alive by the bugs who lived there. He was starving, and cold, and the inscrutable Ranger who held their lives in his hands would not allow so much as a small fire to warm them or cook what little food they had. Though he would not have abandoned Frodo, he was beginning to regret coming along on this miserable journey.

Glancing over at said Ranger, he found the man staring into the sky, watching the stars as though he could glean some important message from them. His curiosity getting the better of him, Pippin could not help but ask. "What are you looking at?"

Strider glanced away from the view of the night sky to look at Pippin. It was a long moment before he spoke, and his voice was soft when he finally answered. "Old friends."

"Old friends?" Pippin asked in confusion. "There's nothing up there but points of light. They're pretty enough, I suppose, but how can they be friends?"

A ghost of a smile flitted across Strider's face as he turned his full attention to the young hobbit. "I learned the names and histories of many of those 'points of light' when I was very young. They have been my constant companions through all the years of my life. The stars have borne silent witness to all of my joys and my sorrows, to both the pain and the happiness that I have experienced. What else could you call them but friends?"

Pippin's eyes were wide. "You know all their names?" His eyes drifted to all the points of light in the sky above them. "That's an awful lot of names to learn."

Strider actually chuckled at that, and looking around, realized he had the attention of all four hobbits, not just Pippin. "No, not all of them. I learned their names from the elves, but I doubt even the elves have named them all."

"Can you tell me some of them?" Pippin asked curiously.

A quick nod was Strider's response, and he turned to look back into the sky. "There," he said, pointing. "Do you see that bright star, low on the horizon?" When the hobbits nodded, he continued. "That is Eärendil, father of Lord Elrond, half-elven. He sailed to Valinor to petition the Valar to intervene and help Men and Elven-kind to rid Middle-earth of Morgoth. Now he sails the skies in his mighty ship, Vingilot, with the light of a Silmaril shining as a beacon of hope in the darkness. Ever have I sought him when I gaze into the night sky. He has been a comfort to me when there was no other comfort to be had."

When Strider's soft voice faded away, the hobbits stared at him in amazement. "An elf sails the sky in a ship?" Pippin asked incredulously.

"Half-elf, but yes," the man answered, nodding.

"Do any more people or elves reside in the sky?" Merry asked. His curiosity was now as strong as Pippin's. The hobbits had their own stories of the stars, though few hobbits truly took an interest in the skies, their interests tending to be of the more earthly variety, tending their gardens and fields. But he had never heard of such a thing as an elf sailing the night sky.

"As far as I know, Eärendil is unique in that honor," Strider answered. "Though there are more stories of those who reside in the heavens. Would you like to hear them?"

"Yes, please," Merry said, and the other hobbits nodded eagerly.

"Very well," Strider answered. He proceeded to point out Menelvagor, the huntsman of the sky, and his faithful hunting companion Elenhu, and explained the age old hunt that was taking place as the two tracked Elnimaras, the white stag through the heavens. It was a story that had fascinated him since his childhood, and it succeeded at capturing the attention of all four hobbits as well. They spent much of the night with Strider pointing out one grouping of stars after another, naming them and telling the hobbits their stories. There was Valacirca, the Sickle of the Valar, Wilwarin, the butterfly and Soronúmë, the eagle. Pointing out the north star, Elenforod, he told them that they could always figure out which way they were heading if they knew that star. Deciding it would be a good idea, he also gave them a quick lesson in how to navigate their way by the stars. The future was uncertain, and they may one day need to know how to find their way by the stars.

Strider spoke long into the night, telling them all he could think of about the stars, and answering their many and varied questions. This night had drawn them all out of their shells, and the hobbits were inquisitive and enthusiastic students in this matter. Finally, Strider insisted that the hobbits get some rest, as tomorrow would be another long day of traveling.

Laying on his back, Pippin watched the stars for a long time before he drifted off to sleep. The sky seemed new to him, alive with people and history and stories in a way it never had before. "Thank you," he whispered before allowing sleep to claim him at last.

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Months later, after the breaking of the Fellowship and Boromir's death, Pippin was in misery as he was carried along on the back of an Uruk-hai, heading to who knew what doom. Merry was unconscious, and Pippin was utterly alone. Looking up toward the sky, Pippin saw a break in the clouds, and beyond it, the stars shining down upon him.

Catching sight of Eärendil, also known as Gil-Estel, the star of high hope, Pippin could not help but feel his hope rise out of the depths of despair. Though his situation had not changed, he felt better thinking that the half-elf was watching over him. After having met Elrond, he could not help but think that his father would have to be as kind and understanding as he was. Perhaps there was a chance that they would come out of this safely after all. He didn't have the faintest idea how that would happen, but he was able to take comfort in those pinpoints of light like he never had before. "Thank you, Strider," he whispered. In that one night of lessons, the man had given him hope and comfort. He had given Pippin the very stars in the sky.

The End

Author's Notes: OK, again, as the astronomy buff I am, I feel the need to re-iterate what constellation is what. I went into more depth in my story 'Shoot The Moon', but here are the constellations that Tolkien mentioned, and the ones I made up. I didn't actually use all of these in this particular story, but I thought I might as well include all of the notes I have.

Tolkien:
Menelvagor - The Swordsman of the Sky. He forbodes the Last Battle that shall be at the end of days.
This constellation is clearly Orion, and is specified as such in the index of the Silmarillion.

Valcirca - The Sickle of the Valar. This is a crown of seven mighty stars that are a sign of doom. This has been identified as The Great Bear, Ursa Major, also known as the Big Dipper.

Wilwarin – The butterfly, this was speculated to be Cassiopeia

Soronúmë – The eagle, was thought to possibly be Aquila.

The named stars that Tolkien mentioned were Carnil, Luinil, Nénar, Lumbar, Alcarinquë, Elemmírë and of course Eärendil, also known as Gil-Estel. I am sure that Eärendil is actually Venus. Since planets were first called ‘wandering stars’ I put that into the story.

Mine:

I needed to use the constellation Canis Major for the hunting story, so that constellation became Elenhu; Elen- star and Hu- dog. The star that marked his eye, Sirius in our sky, I named Alcarinquë, the ‘Glorious star’ from Tolkien, because it is the brightest actual star in the sky.

I also wanted a creature that would typically be hunted, and since Ursa Major had been identified as a sickle and not a bear, I had to come up with something else in the night sky. I looked at some star charts and decided that a little re-working of Pegasus would create a great stag in the sky. This constellation became Elnimaras, El – star, nim – white, and aras – deer.

I also had to point out the north star, Polaris, so that became Elenforod, Elen – star and Forod – north.