Chapter Three, Flight
Part One: Rider in the night
The sun rose, and me with it. Rather against my will, mind. Its not like I make it a habit to get up at ungodly hours. You can't really stay asleep (even if you haven't slept much) when an old man is shaking your shoulder and demanding you get up because he just won't harbor you anymore with freaky people running around his property after you.
We set off down the road in the cart, the horse plodding along at what passed for a decent pace. We were bounced around more than was just, and surprisingly Patrick slept through it all. On my lap.
Looking at the innocence in his young face, I really regret that he would be involved in all this. I wished he weren't my little imp like cousin so that my own blasted fate would never have touched him as deeply.
Hey, at least if things went right... he'd be getting some height to his name.
All through the day we went along, stopping once to let the old horse catch its breath and eat. It was amusing to see the ways that people were getting around without their cars. There were walkers every now and then, a bicycle shooting past. It seemed we were the only ones who'd gone to horse and cart as of yet.
When we were again traveling (the horse wheezing but indeed tugging on), Pat shook himself from his sleep. Sam had nodded off, his head leaning on my shoulder, and I was following after him.
"Hey... do you hear that? Hooves..." Patrick whispered, and I cracked an eye open to peer at him.
"Yeah, and its that sad beast pulling us," I whispered back, then my ears caught the sharp 'clip, clip, clip, clip, clip' of a horse on pavement going at a faster rate than our cart.
"You boys best hide yerselves," Magpie peered over his shoulder, "Someuns comin' up fast on a horse."
"Sam, hide," I shook Sam lightly, before flattening myself on the bottom of the cart. Patrick pressed up against my side, so I put my arm around his shoulders he was trembling so bad in fear. Sam flopped down, mostly on me, followed by a tarp and a sharp 'umph!' on my part.
The hooves came closer, and Magpie coughed, "Hey! Hey there! Who's that, then?"
"Mr. Magpie! I'm happy to see you! Have you seen my cousins Pat and James?" I recognized Mike's voice immediately, and smiled. I did have the memory of a goldfish after all. I should have remembered...
Sam sat up, ripping the tarp away from us, so I sat up as well. Patrick was up like a bolt, jumping out of the cart, "Mike! Mike!"
"That answers my question," Mike laughed, swinging out of the saddle. He'd been riding a proud looking mare, who now regarded us with flared nostrils.
He bent slightly to grab up his cousin, and give him a squeeze before looking up at me as I climbed out of the cart, "Hey Frodo! So I see you are alive."
"Oh, luckily," I made something that was almost of a laugh but more of a grunt. Sam climbed out of the cart.
"Luckily indeed. I noticed nothing much was working as it should, and I thought about you being stranded on the road and all. I decided I'd use one of the only forms of transportation around my place that's not guaranteed to break down and come look for you. I should have brought two mules with me, at least," Mike patted the mare's side, "Pity buses and such aren't working."
"Or there's not a ferry anywhere near," I grumbled, trying to think how we would make it to Mike's from here. There wasn't a ferry, and that did present a problem. There was nothing for us to make the long trip on save our feet and the hooves of one horse.
"Well, you know, I could lend you the cart," Magpie piped up, "and you could hitch that mare to it, I could ride this old beast back up to my place then. Be no problem a'tall, and I know you'd return it right quick."
I smiled as the solution presented itself, "Oh, yes, please? Could we borrow it?"
Mike frowned at me, "Well..."
"You wouldn't make us walk, would you, Mike?" Good old Patrick, whip out the puppy eyes. He looked up at Mike, tugging at his shirt ever so lightly. Mike's glower broke.
"Well, I wasn't going to make you walk, but I suppose I could spare the others. Thank you, Mr. Magpie."
I watched Mr. Magpie disappear down the road as Mike struggled with his mare. It didn't want to pull the cart anymore than we wanted to be in it.
"Frodo, maybe you should sit down," Sam murmured to me, as I was standing and everyone else was sitting. The cart would lurch every now and then, but it wasn't anything I couldn't keep my balance with.
"I'm ok, re-" the horse squealed and lurched forward suddenly, the cart jerking forward and thus, I fell face down. I felt the wood shaking under me as the cart was surely pulled faster than it had ever been in its existence. I also felt Sam's hands on my shoulders, pulling me up into a sitting position.
"Wish you would listen to me sometimes," he mumbled, looking at my face quickly to, I assume, see if I'd hurt myself.
Patrick was giggling at me off to the side.
Part Two: Departure
It's kinda funny what you think about as the wind lashes at your face drying your eyes out. As the horse pulled the cart as fast as its hooves could possibly take it, I had a sudden revelation. What the hell was I going to say to Mike and Patrick? 'Oh, hey, by the way... I'm kinda having to live LoTR more than I usually do, and me and Sam are heading to...'
Where were we going? Gary had said I would know, and it suddenly struck me that I didn't know. I guess I would have to look in the phone book for a 'Prancing Pony', or something along those lines. Great. And how was I getting there for that matter? Horse back?
I looked over at Patrick, who instantly reminded me of a puppy how he had his face turned to the wind, a silly little grin on his face. Then I looked to Mike, hunched in a determined sort of fashion on his seat, reins clutched in his hands. I was leaning against Sam's legs, so I couldn't really look at him to say what he was doing at that moment. Probably staring at the back of my head, or simply sitting with his eyes closed.
I felt the cart shift, and slow down, then Mike looked over his shoulder at me, "We need to slow down, the sun's going down and I don't like the thought of crashing."
"Alright... there's no electricity, right?" I was checking with him, because I wasn't even sure Magpie had electricity in the first place.
"Everything electric or otherwise powered is dead, my friend. Only things working are all natural, simple, hydraulics I think..."
"Guns. Magpie shot at the Black Rider..."
Mike gave me a funny expression, "Come again?"
"The Black Rider that chased me..."
"Frodo, pull your head out of your ass, what the hell are you talking about?" Mike had almost turned completely around to look at me.
"Let me tell! Let me tell!" Patrick suddenly piped up, which made me and Mike jump.
"Ok, cos. Hit me," Mike turned his head to look at the boy.
"After all the cars and stuff broke down, we were all walking and then Sam heard hooves, and there was this guy on a black horse that came riding up, and Frodo told us to hide so we, me and Sam, hid behind a bench and he got in a phone booth... and the rider all stopped and got off the horse and was on the ground sniffing like a dog, and Frodo was looking all weird in the booth, shaking and all and-"
"I wasn't!" Ok, I had to protest that. I wasn't shaking. Nope, not me.
"Yes, you were, Frodo," Sam said softly, and I shot him an embittered glance.
"OK. Well, anyway, I jumped up on the bench and waved my arms and yelled at it and it got on its horse and it charged and and... and me and Sam were running around the bench because the horse couldn't get around it all easy like... and Frodo went and stole a bike and rode past once and like nothing happened and then he came back and threw a rock at the horse's eye-" Patrick went on, eyes wide as he related the tale to Mike.
"I didn't throw it at the horse's eye!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Stop it!" Mike laughed at us, "Go on Pip-squeak."
"Yeah. And then the thing all chased after Frodo, like far away and me and Sam gathered all our stuff and started walking again where they'd gone. It was like forever and ever and ever before Frodo and Mr. Magpie rode up. Then we went to Mr. Magpie's and he said he'd seen the black riders too... and we had turkey and apple pie. It was really good. I got to play with his dogs!" Patrick smiled at Mike, and Mike scruffed his hair.
"I really hope you guys aren't lying to me, ok? Cause if you are, its not funny and you're really going out of your way to pull my leg. Come on, that's just... creepy. We'll go a bit faster," Mike turned around and snapped the reins, the horse picking up pace a little more.
"Well, here it is," I woke to Mike's voice as we stopped in front of a condo. It was dark, and well... rather dreary looking.
"I did my best to re-create what you used to have but... you know, with such a size difference it was pretty hard," Mike turned to look at me, then Pat and Sam, "What do you say we wake them up?"
"Thanks dude," I smiled to Mike, then tugged on Sam's pant leg, "Sam... Sam! Wake up!"
"I'm... I'm awake," Sam grumbled, yawning.
Mike picked Patrick out of the cart as he would rather not disturb him and carried him up the walk to the front door. I watched him juggle Patrick and the keys until he'd managed to open the door.
"Now, how are we going to arrange this? Oldest first, and youngest last... or shabbiest looking first and best last? Either way, I'm first," I laughed as there came to be a dispute over who would wash themselves first, of the grime of actual... get ready for this... non-mechanical travel, "Don't forget this is my house now."
Mike smirked at me, and Sam looked puzzled. Patrick, who'd gained a healthy amount of dirt, didn't seem to care.
Yes, so I got to take a shower first. I started toward the bathroom, and couldn't help but hear Mike snickering.
"What is it?" I finally had to ask. I couldn't stand it.
"You're forgetting something. The water heater wouldn't be working, so you're about to take a cold shower," Mike grinned at me. Damn. That'd be true. Nothing was working. Already, we'd littered the place with candles. It gave it a kinda... eerie look.
"Well, what are we going to do then?" Sam sat up, "Frodo looks in sore need of a wash... and I know my muscles are. I'm not about to get in ice water. What should we do? Start a fire of newspapers, and heat water over it?"
"Oh dear," you should have seen the glint in Mike's eyes.
About an hour, an hour and a half later, there was a shallow pit dug in what served as a back yard of the condo, with its own little blaze. Sam crouched beside it, feeding the fire newspaper, and holding the water laden pot over the flames (with aid of oven mitt).
I shook my head, watching from a distance.
"Bucket!" Sam called as bubbles formed in the water pot, as a hint that it was beginning to boil.
Mike set a bucket beside him, which the water was poured into, then hefted and handed off to me before it was dumped into our makeshift bathtub... a kiddy pool.
Patrick eyed us suspiciously from across the pool, holding a few towels in his arms and a bar of soap.
"You'll boil us like lobsters," he murmured as I poured the steaming water into the pool. I had to laugh at him, I mean... I saw his reasoning and frankly agreed with him. I didn't want to be a lobster.
"Nonsense, Patrick, it won't be that hot when you get in," Mike said over his shoulder, which was soon followed by a, "Bucket!" from Sam.
Soon the kiddy pool was brimming with steamy water, which I thought looked suspiciously too hot. Mike leant down and put his hand in it, "Ah, there you go... a good hot bath."
"Your ideas of temperature are probably different than mine," I grumbled, reaching my own fingers to the water's surface. I was expecting to jerk back with an "ow!" but I guess it wasn't that hot. I just don't want to admit it.
Like I had originally wanted, but was now reluctant, I got to go first. There was just something... undignified... about bathing in your backyard in a kiddy pool with your friends standing around.
I undressed anyway (grumbling, mind. I won't go without protest!) and hopped in. Ok, even for a guy of my height, a kiddy pool is cramped. The only time it isn't is if you're two foot something.
Patrick handed me the soap, and I set to washing.
The bath ended when Patrick capsized the kiddy pool after majestically slipping on the soap. He suffered a bruised chin, and ego, but nothing major.
We ended up cooking about the same way we'd arranged the bath. We made top ramen in the back yard, and ate around the fire, seated on towels. I knew that now was the time to tell Mike and Patrick, because me and Sam would be leaving in the morning.
I opened my mouth to say something, but I was cut off ever so nicely by Mike, "Let's see what Frodo has to conjure now! Lo! He gapes like a grouper!"
I frowned at him, "Will you let me speak? Or would you rather we put you on a spit and have some turkey for dinner?"
Mike chuckled back at me, "Go on."
"I've got something to tell you... but I don't know how to start it..." I looked up, thinking my eyes were crossing as I tried to see a curled lock of black hair that rested on my forehead. Why I thought that would help me think, I've not the faintest idea.
"O, so I see. Well, let me help you out," I could see the smirk on Mike's face in my mind's eye, though my actual eyes were occupied with that blasted hair, "You're leaving, but you can't think of how to tell us, how to say goodbye."
"Well, yes.... is it that," I gave up on the hair, scraping it away and actually looking at my companions, "obvious?"
"Mhmm. You think you're hiding something great, but you're not too good with secrets, Frodo," it was Patrick speaking! He should be one to talk!
"Huh? How-"
"Oh, we know what's going on. We're in on it, less you nail mine and Pat's feet to the ground. As to your 'how', you should be able to guess well enough. Your Sam knows when those of higher intelligence than yours need be pulled in on something," Mike grinned across the fire at me, looking maniacal.
I huffed, but really couldn't think of anything to say.
The very next morning, I woke to a sort of wheezing noise from outside, along with a shake from Sam.
"Uggggh-"
"Come on, up with you... Mike's waiting with mules."
"Mules?"
"Yes, mules."
"What's wrong with the car?"
Sam just shook his head at me, and left the room. Hey! I was tired, leave me alone. You wake up at like three am and expect to know what's going on.
Wandering outside feeling as half baked as I must have looked I blinked at the three mules who stared and blinked back at me. They were already packed to go, and one was already seating Patrick. Sam was negotiating getting on one, and the last... a sour looking beast, was waiting for me. Mike and the mare stood by, both wearing smirks (if indeed a horse can smirk anymore than it can look sour).
"Why do you get the horse?" I grumbled to Mike as I examined what was to be my most unable steed.
"She'd kill you," he answered simply.
"Fair enough."
The mule looked at me dully before its face took on a surprising transformation. Its lip peeled back to bare massive teeth at me before it attempted to bite me!I told you it was a bitter animal. It took me twenty minutes or more to get that animal to let me board its back, and still as we attempted to leave... it insisted on a sideways sort of gate. Blasted animal.
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A moment of stupidity: 2935 words in this chapter... 10665 in all... I HAVE NO LIFE!!!! -does the no life dance- ---(")
Muahaha... and this is just the first three chapters }=)
Part One: Rider in the night
The sun rose, and me with it. Rather against my will, mind. Its not like I make it a habit to get up at ungodly hours. You can't really stay asleep (even if you haven't slept much) when an old man is shaking your shoulder and demanding you get up because he just won't harbor you anymore with freaky people running around his property after you.
We set off down the road in the cart, the horse plodding along at what passed for a decent pace. We were bounced around more than was just, and surprisingly Patrick slept through it all. On my lap.
Looking at the innocence in his young face, I really regret that he would be involved in all this. I wished he weren't my little imp like cousin so that my own blasted fate would never have touched him as deeply.
Hey, at least if things went right... he'd be getting some height to his name.
All through the day we went along, stopping once to let the old horse catch its breath and eat. It was amusing to see the ways that people were getting around without their cars. There were walkers every now and then, a bicycle shooting past. It seemed we were the only ones who'd gone to horse and cart as of yet.
When we were again traveling (the horse wheezing but indeed tugging on), Pat shook himself from his sleep. Sam had nodded off, his head leaning on my shoulder, and I was following after him.
"Hey... do you hear that? Hooves..." Patrick whispered, and I cracked an eye open to peer at him.
"Yeah, and its that sad beast pulling us," I whispered back, then my ears caught the sharp 'clip, clip, clip, clip, clip' of a horse on pavement going at a faster rate than our cart.
"You boys best hide yerselves," Magpie peered over his shoulder, "Someuns comin' up fast on a horse."
"Sam, hide," I shook Sam lightly, before flattening myself on the bottom of the cart. Patrick pressed up against my side, so I put my arm around his shoulders he was trembling so bad in fear. Sam flopped down, mostly on me, followed by a tarp and a sharp 'umph!' on my part.
The hooves came closer, and Magpie coughed, "Hey! Hey there! Who's that, then?"
"Mr. Magpie! I'm happy to see you! Have you seen my cousins Pat and James?" I recognized Mike's voice immediately, and smiled. I did have the memory of a goldfish after all. I should have remembered...
Sam sat up, ripping the tarp away from us, so I sat up as well. Patrick was up like a bolt, jumping out of the cart, "Mike! Mike!"
"That answers my question," Mike laughed, swinging out of the saddle. He'd been riding a proud looking mare, who now regarded us with flared nostrils.
He bent slightly to grab up his cousin, and give him a squeeze before looking up at me as I climbed out of the cart, "Hey Frodo! So I see you are alive."
"Oh, luckily," I made something that was almost of a laugh but more of a grunt. Sam climbed out of the cart.
"Luckily indeed. I noticed nothing much was working as it should, and I thought about you being stranded on the road and all. I decided I'd use one of the only forms of transportation around my place that's not guaranteed to break down and come look for you. I should have brought two mules with me, at least," Mike patted the mare's side, "Pity buses and such aren't working."
"Or there's not a ferry anywhere near," I grumbled, trying to think how we would make it to Mike's from here. There wasn't a ferry, and that did present a problem. There was nothing for us to make the long trip on save our feet and the hooves of one horse.
"Well, you know, I could lend you the cart," Magpie piped up, "and you could hitch that mare to it, I could ride this old beast back up to my place then. Be no problem a'tall, and I know you'd return it right quick."
I smiled as the solution presented itself, "Oh, yes, please? Could we borrow it?"
Mike frowned at me, "Well..."
"You wouldn't make us walk, would you, Mike?" Good old Patrick, whip out the puppy eyes. He looked up at Mike, tugging at his shirt ever so lightly. Mike's glower broke.
"Well, I wasn't going to make you walk, but I suppose I could spare the others. Thank you, Mr. Magpie."
I watched Mr. Magpie disappear down the road as Mike struggled with his mare. It didn't want to pull the cart anymore than we wanted to be in it.
"Frodo, maybe you should sit down," Sam murmured to me, as I was standing and everyone else was sitting. The cart would lurch every now and then, but it wasn't anything I couldn't keep my balance with.
"I'm ok, re-" the horse squealed and lurched forward suddenly, the cart jerking forward and thus, I fell face down. I felt the wood shaking under me as the cart was surely pulled faster than it had ever been in its existence. I also felt Sam's hands on my shoulders, pulling me up into a sitting position.
"Wish you would listen to me sometimes," he mumbled, looking at my face quickly to, I assume, see if I'd hurt myself.
Patrick was giggling at me off to the side.
Part Two: Departure
It's kinda funny what you think about as the wind lashes at your face drying your eyes out. As the horse pulled the cart as fast as its hooves could possibly take it, I had a sudden revelation. What the hell was I going to say to Mike and Patrick? 'Oh, hey, by the way... I'm kinda having to live LoTR more than I usually do, and me and Sam are heading to...'
Where were we going? Gary had said I would know, and it suddenly struck me that I didn't know. I guess I would have to look in the phone book for a 'Prancing Pony', or something along those lines. Great. And how was I getting there for that matter? Horse back?
I looked over at Patrick, who instantly reminded me of a puppy how he had his face turned to the wind, a silly little grin on his face. Then I looked to Mike, hunched in a determined sort of fashion on his seat, reins clutched in his hands. I was leaning against Sam's legs, so I couldn't really look at him to say what he was doing at that moment. Probably staring at the back of my head, or simply sitting with his eyes closed.
I felt the cart shift, and slow down, then Mike looked over his shoulder at me, "We need to slow down, the sun's going down and I don't like the thought of crashing."
"Alright... there's no electricity, right?" I was checking with him, because I wasn't even sure Magpie had electricity in the first place.
"Everything electric or otherwise powered is dead, my friend. Only things working are all natural, simple, hydraulics I think..."
"Guns. Magpie shot at the Black Rider..."
Mike gave me a funny expression, "Come again?"
"The Black Rider that chased me..."
"Frodo, pull your head out of your ass, what the hell are you talking about?" Mike had almost turned completely around to look at me.
"Let me tell! Let me tell!" Patrick suddenly piped up, which made me and Mike jump.
"Ok, cos. Hit me," Mike turned his head to look at the boy.
"After all the cars and stuff broke down, we were all walking and then Sam heard hooves, and there was this guy on a black horse that came riding up, and Frodo told us to hide so we, me and Sam, hid behind a bench and he got in a phone booth... and the rider all stopped and got off the horse and was on the ground sniffing like a dog, and Frodo was looking all weird in the booth, shaking and all and-"
"I wasn't!" Ok, I had to protest that. I wasn't shaking. Nope, not me.
"Yes, you were, Frodo," Sam said softly, and I shot him an embittered glance.
"OK. Well, anyway, I jumped up on the bench and waved my arms and yelled at it and it got on its horse and it charged and and... and me and Sam were running around the bench because the horse couldn't get around it all easy like... and Frodo went and stole a bike and rode past once and like nothing happened and then he came back and threw a rock at the horse's eye-" Patrick went on, eyes wide as he related the tale to Mike.
"I didn't throw it at the horse's eye!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Stop it!" Mike laughed at us, "Go on Pip-squeak."
"Yeah. And then the thing all chased after Frodo, like far away and me and Sam gathered all our stuff and started walking again where they'd gone. It was like forever and ever and ever before Frodo and Mr. Magpie rode up. Then we went to Mr. Magpie's and he said he'd seen the black riders too... and we had turkey and apple pie. It was really good. I got to play with his dogs!" Patrick smiled at Mike, and Mike scruffed his hair.
"I really hope you guys aren't lying to me, ok? Cause if you are, its not funny and you're really going out of your way to pull my leg. Come on, that's just... creepy. We'll go a bit faster," Mike turned around and snapped the reins, the horse picking up pace a little more.
"Well, here it is," I woke to Mike's voice as we stopped in front of a condo. It was dark, and well... rather dreary looking.
"I did my best to re-create what you used to have but... you know, with such a size difference it was pretty hard," Mike turned to look at me, then Pat and Sam, "What do you say we wake them up?"
"Thanks dude," I smiled to Mike, then tugged on Sam's pant leg, "Sam... Sam! Wake up!"
"I'm... I'm awake," Sam grumbled, yawning.
Mike picked Patrick out of the cart as he would rather not disturb him and carried him up the walk to the front door. I watched him juggle Patrick and the keys until he'd managed to open the door.
"Now, how are we going to arrange this? Oldest first, and youngest last... or shabbiest looking first and best last? Either way, I'm first," I laughed as there came to be a dispute over who would wash themselves first, of the grime of actual... get ready for this... non-mechanical travel, "Don't forget this is my house now."
Mike smirked at me, and Sam looked puzzled. Patrick, who'd gained a healthy amount of dirt, didn't seem to care.
Yes, so I got to take a shower first. I started toward the bathroom, and couldn't help but hear Mike snickering.
"What is it?" I finally had to ask. I couldn't stand it.
"You're forgetting something. The water heater wouldn't be working, so you're about to take a cold shower," Mike grinned at me. Damn. That'd be true. Nothing was working. Already, we'd littered the place with candles. It gave it a kinda... eerie look.
"Well, what are we going to do then?" Sam sat up, "Frodo looks in sore need of a wash... and I know my muscles are. I'm not about to get in ice water. What should we do? Start a fire of newspapers, and heat water over it?"
"Oh dear," you should have seen the glint in Mike's eyes.
About an hour, an hour and a half later, there was a shallow pit dug in what served as a back yard of the condo, with its own little blaze. Sam crouched beside it, feeding the fire newspaper, and holding the water laden pot over the flames (with aid of oven mitt).
I shook my head, watching from a distance.
"Bucket!" Sam called as bubbles formed in the water pot, as a hint that it was beginning to boil.
Mike set a bucket beside him, which the water was poured into, then hefted and handed off to me before it was dumped into our makeshift bathtub... a kiddy pool.
Patrick eyed us suspiciously from across the pool, holding a few towels in his arms and a bar of soap.
"You'll boil us like lobsters," he murmured as I poured the steaming water into the pool. I had to laugh at him, I mean... I saw his reasoning and frankly agreed with him. I didn't want to be a lobster.
"Nonsense, Patrick, it won't be that hot when you get in," Mike said over his shoulder, which was soon followed by a, "Bucket!" from Sam.
Soon the kiddy pool was brimming with steamy water, which I thought looked suspiciously too hot. Mike leant down and put his hand in it, "Ah, there you go... a good hot bath."
"Your ideas of temperature are probably different than mine," I grumbled, reaching my own fingers to the water's surface. I was expecting to jerk back with an "ow!" but I guess it wasn't that hot. I just don't want to admit it.
Like I had originally wanted, but was now reluctant, I got to go first. There was just something... undignified... about bathing in your backyard in a kiddy pool with your friends standing around.
I undressed anyway (grumbling, mind. I won't go without protest!) and hopped in. Ok, even for a guy of my height, a kiddy pool is cramped. The only time it isn't is if you're two foot something.
Patrick handed me the soap, and I set to washing.
The bath ended when Patrick capsized the kiddy pool after majestically slipping on the soap. He suffered a bruised chin, and ego, but nothing major.
We ended up cooking about the same way we'd arranged the bath. We made top ramen in the back yard, and ate around the fire, seated on towels. I knew that now was the time to tell Mike and Patrick, because me and Sam would be leaving in the morning.
I opened my mouth to say something, but I was cut off ever so nicely by Mike, "Let's see what Frodo has to conjure now! Lo! He gapes like a grouper!"
I frowned at him, "Will you let me speak? Or would you rather we put you on a spit and have some turkey for dinner?"
Mike chuckled back at me, "Go on."
"I've got something to tell you... but I don't know how to start it..." I looked up, thinking my eyes were crossing as I tried to see a curled lock of black hair that rested on my forehead. Why I thought that would help me think, I've not the faintest idea.
"O, so I see. Well, let me help you out," I could see the smirk on Mike's face in my mind's eye, though my actual eyes were occupied with that blasted hair, "You're leaving, but you can't think of how to tell us, how to say goodbye."
"Well, yes.... is it that," I gave up on the hair, scraping it away and actually looking at my companions, "obvious?"
"Mhmm. You think you're hiding something great, but you're not too good with secrets, Frodo," it was Patrick speaking! He should be one to talk!
"Huh? How-"
"Oh, we know what's going on. We're in on it, less you nail mine and Pat's feet to the ground. As to your 'how', you should be able to guess well enough. Your Sam knows when those of higher intelligence than yours need be pulled in on something," Mike grinned across the fire at me, looking maniacal.
I huffed, but really couldn't think of anything to say.
The very next morning, I woke to a sort of wheezing noise from outside, along with a shake from Sam.
"Uggggh-"
"Come on, up with you... Mike's waiting with mules."
"Mules?"
"Yes, mules."
"What's wrong with the car?"
Sam just shook his head at me, and left the room. Hey! I was tired, leave me alone. You wake up at like three am and expect to know what's going on.
Wandering outside feeling as half baked as I must have looked I blinked at the three mules who stared and blinked back at me. They were already packed to go, and one was already seating Patrick. Sam was negotiating getting on one, and the last... a sour looking beast, was waiting for me. Mike and the mare stood by, both wearing smirks (if indeed a horse can smirk anymore than it can look sour).
"Why do you get the horse?" I grumbled to Mike as I examined what was to be my most unable steed.
"She'd kill you," he answered simply.
"Fair enough."
The mule looked at me dully before its face took on a surprising transformation. Its lip peeled back to bare massive teeth at me before it attempted to bite me!I told you it was a bitter animal. It took me twenty minutes or more to get that animal to let me board its back, and still as we attempted to leave... it insisted on a sideways sort of gate. Blasted animal.
--------
A moment of stupidity: 2935 words in this chapter... 10665 in all... I HAVE NO LIFE!!!! -does the no life dance- ---(")
Muahaha... and this is just the first three chapters }=)