Jun 24
In his extreme old age in Rivendell, as the power of the One Ring fades and his mind begins to slip, Bilbo's memories become chaotic. He often forgets the names of his cousins or what he had for breakfast, but he never forgets the oak leaf pattern. He sits on the balcony for hours, holding the old, dried-up acorn from Beorn’s garden, which never grew because he couldn't bear to plant it without Thorin. When Frodo gently asks him who he is waiting for, Bilbo looks out at the trees with cloudy, tired eyes and whispers, "I am waiting for the King under the Mountain. He promised we would plant it together, and he is very late"
