By: Dana
Summary: Another turn of years.
Characters: Olivine Hornblower, Peridot Bolger, and Isengrand North-took
Pairings: Peridot/Olivine, Isengrand/Olivine
Rating: PG
Warnings: Some femslash, some het, some gen
Author's Notes: A small ficlet set, featuring characters first featured in 'A Turn of Years' and 'Choices'.
Series Index: Roads Go On and Years Go By.
Disclaimer: The author makes no claim to owning the rights of anything to do with J.R.R. Tolkien or New Line Cinema. Any and all characters and situations that have been borrowed are for the author's personal use only, and for the entertainment of others.

SR 1414

It was a birthday, and that was reason enough for kissing games, as Olivine knew quite well. Being that is was young cousin Diamond's birthday, it went to her for the rules – and Diamond said, 'Just us lasses, if you please!', and seven disappointed hobbit-lads went off, left six hobbit-lasses on their own.

Olivine then learned that kissing lasses could be just as nice as kissing lads – not that she'd made habit of kissing each lad that came along.

As well she learned that – opinionated cousin Peridot, so found of using overly large words – was a far more pleasing a companion when she put that mouth of hers to other use.

SR 1416

Olivine and Peridot were on good terms still, kissing friends each with their own special lad. They planned on an eventual double wedding, or, if that somehow turned impossible, that Peridot would stand Witness at Olivine's wedding, and Olivine at hers.

'We needn't be in any great hurry, of course – my Issy won't be going anywhere, and I dare say your Talen could search the Shire inside and out, and he'd not ever find another lass so fine as you!'

'It's set then?' said Peridot.

'Oh,' said Olivine, 'it surely is.'

So they kissed, and called it a deal – and planned on telling their lads, though at some other later time.

SR 1419

When Livvie didn't come back, Isengrand cursed himself for not having gone after her, for not having realised she'd go looking for his brother. He'd never been so good at reading her as he should ought to have been, no matter how close they were (on saying such a thing, Livvie would always laugh, and tease, and say that there was no real reason for him to bother, and she could find him any number of far more interesting books to read).

But news of his Livvie's death had left Isengrand's heart broken, a small aching part of him that might as well been dead, too.

There'd be no turning back.

SR 1425

Not wanting to see Issy die of a broken heart, Peridot was quite happy with him leaving Long Cleeve (even if that meant he might leave the Shire): travel, she thought, would no doubt do dear cousin Issy a needed amount of good.

He only made it so far south as Tookbank, his eventual letter said: the reason was one Meralda Underhill, a hobbit out of Bree, who'd been visiting her cousins, Tunnellys near Whitwell, quite by chance. Peridot, of course, quite understood Issy's sudden interest in seeing Bree.

Given the years of Issy's heartache, with him moving so boldly onwards, that was more than enough reason for Peridot to smile.