Chapter 9
A close call
Frodo was woken up late in the night by the sound of harsh coughing from Sam and another sound.hoofbeats and shrill cries of horses. He looked over at Aragorn who had Sam in a sitting position, rubbing the hobbit's back until the fit passed. "Go back to sleep, Frodo." Aragorn encouraged.
"What was that noise?"
"Sam was coughing, Frodo." Aragorn whispered back.
"Not that.I heard.horses I think."
Aragorn eased Sam back under the covers before hurrying to the window. Peering out he saw something that caused his heart to sink.nine black horses with riders covered from head to toe in black robes were riding away from the Inn. "Yes. The Ringwraiths found your old room."
Frodo's blue eyes widened with shock. "You saved our lives!"
"Of course. What did you think I brought you up here for?" the ranger blotted Sam's cheeks and forehead with a wet rag, causing the hobbit to groan.
"How is he?" Frodo wanted to know, slowly standing and carefully stepping over the still sleeping forms of Merry and Pippin to walk over to his friend's bedside.
"The fever is getting high. Whether he is ill or not we will have to leave at first light. We'll wrap him up in blankets to keep him warm.it is not safe to stay here."
Frodo took Sam's sweaty hand and squeezed it gently. "Please get well." He whispered.
"Your friend just has a cold, Frodo. He should feel better in the morning. Go back to sleep now.we have a long day ahead of us."
Frodo nodded.
The next morning Mr. Butterbur burst through the door to the room, a look of pure panic on his face. "Thank goodness you're all safe! The hobbit room I rented out for you.ransacked.the pillows and mattresses torn to pieces."
Merry and Pippin looked at each other in surprise.
"Oh dear." Mr. Butterbur looked at Sam who lay in bed his face flushed with fever.
"I was so certain the fever would turn by now," said the ranger after feeling Sam's forehead. Frodo felt Merry put a hand on his shoulder.
"Dear Sam," said Pippin. "It is more serious than we thought."
"Mr. Butterbur.do you have any ponies you could spare?"
"I'm afraid not," the owner told him. "Must you leave today with the lad so sick?"
Aragorn nodded. "We must.it is not safe for us here."
"I will go and try to rent a pony for you in town." Mr. Butterbur left the room.
Sam let out a few soft moans as he turned this way and that as though in a fit.
"Shhhh." Aragorn comforted, holding the hobbit steady.
"Can't you do anything to help him, Strider?" asked Pippin, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks.
"See my bag over there.I may have some herbs that I can make into a medicine that should help his pain for a few hours at a time."
Merry grabbed the gray sack and handed it to Aragorn who opened it and took out a small oak box. He combined several of the plants and received a mug of hot water from Knob, Mr. Butterbur's assistant. When the mixture was finished, Aragorn woke Sam and coaxed him to take a little bit of the liquid down. "Taste's awful," Sam grumbled once he had finished it.
"Not all medicines taste good." The ranger laughed.
Nearly an hour later Mr. Butterbur returned smiling. "I've managed to scrounge up a pony for you, Strider. Its name is Bill.rather old but it'll run all right."
"Thank you. Here is the money for the room and the food from yesterda.we must be off."
"We're leaving?" asked Frodo. "Sam won't make it to Rivendell like this!"
Aragorn wrapped Sam up in quilts and carried him a few feet to the door. "We must go immediately, Frodo. Grab what you need and we're off."
The other hobbits picked up their sacks, slung them over their shoulders and followed Aragorn outside. It was very windy that morning and Sam shivered as the ranger sat him on the pony-a chesnut with a white mane and tail. "Are you warm enough?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes, Mr. Aragorn." Sam replied and they began their long walk away from Bree. Once they were in the wild walking over hill and dale, the hobbits slowed down and began searching their packs for food.
"Gentleman," Aragorn started as he began to walk up a stone path. "We do not stop until nightfall."
"What about breakfast?" asked Pippin.
Frodo handed Sam a fresh handkerchief as Aragorn replied "You've already had it!"
"We've had ONE yes. But what about second breakfast?"
Merry frowned as Aragorn turned and continued walking with a shake of his head. "I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip."
"What about elevensies? Tea.dinner.supper? He knows about them.doesn't he?"
Merry sighed. "I wouldn't count on it."
Suddenly: "Whoa!" Merry caught an apple Aragorn threw to him. Unfortunately Pippin didn't look up in time and was bopped right on the head with his before picking it up.
"Pippin!" Merry called and the hobbits started walking once more.
Frodo was woken up late in the night by the sound of harsh coughing from Sam and another sound.hoofbeats and shrill cries of horses. He looked over at Aragorn who had Sam in a sitting position, rubbing the hobbit's back until the fit passed. "Go back to sleep, Frodo." Aragorn encouraged.
"What was that noise?"
"Sam was coughing, Frodo." Aragorn whispered back.
"Not that.I heard.horses I think."
Aragorn eased Sam back under the covers before hurrying to the window. Peering out he saw something that caused his heart to sink.nine black horses with riders covered from head to toe in black robes were riding away from the Inn. "Yes. The Ringwraiths found your old room."
Frodo's blue eyes widened with shock. "You saved our lives!"
"Of course. What did you think I brought you up here for?" the ranger blotted Sam's cheeks and forehead with a wet rag, causing the hobbit to groan.
"How is he?" Frodo wanted to know, slowly standing and carefully stepping over the still sleeping forms of Merry and Pippin to walk over to his friend's bedside.
"The fever is getting high. Whether he is ill or not we will have to leave at first light. We'll wrap him up in blankets to keep him warm.it is not safe to stay here."
Frodo took Sam's sweaty hand and squeezed it gently. "Please get well." He whispered.
"Your friend just has a cold, Frodo. He should feel better in the morning. Go back to sleep now.we have a long day ahead of us."
Frodo nodded.
The next morning Mr. Butterbur burst through the door to the room, a look of pure panic on his face. "Thank goodness you're all safe! The hobbit room I rented out for you.ransacked.the pillows and mattresses torn to pieces."
Merry and Pippin looked at each other in surprise.
"Oh dear." Mr. Butterbur looked at Sam who lay in bed his face flushed with fever.
"I was so certain the fever would turn by now," said the ranger after feeling Sam's forehead. Frodo felt Merry put a hand on his shoulder.
"Dear Sam," said Pippin. "It is more serious than we thought."
"Mr. Butterbur.do you have any ponies you could spare?"
"I'm afraid not," the owner told him. "Must you leave today with the lad so sick?"
Aragorn nodded. "We must.it is not safe for us here."
"I will go and try to rent a pony for you in town." Mr. Butterbur left the room.
Sam let out a few soft moans as he turned this way and that as though in a fit.
"Shhhh." Aragorn comforted, holding the hobbit steady.
"Can't you do anything to help him, Strider?" asked Pippin, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks.
"See my bag over there.I may have some herbs that I can make into a medicine that should help his pain for a few hours at a time."
Merry grabbed the gray sack and handed it to Aragorn who opened it and took out a small oak box. He combined several of the plants and received a mug of hot water from Knob, Mr. Butterbur's assistant. When the mixture was finished, Aragorn woke Sam and coaxed him to take a little bit of the liquid down. "Taste's awful," Sam grumbled once he had finished it.
"Not all medicines taste good." The ranger laughed.
Nearly an hour later Mr. Butterbur returned smiling. "I've managed to scrounge up a pony for you, Strider. Its name is Bill.rather old but it'll run all right."
"Thank you. Here is the money for the room and the food from yesterda.we must be off."
"We're leaving?" asked Frodo. "Sam won't make it to Rivendell like this!"
Aragorn wrapped Sam up in quilts and carried him a few feet to the door. "We must go immediately, Frodo. Grab what you need and we're off."
The other hobbits picked up their sacks, slung them over their shoulders and followed Aragorn outside. It was very windy that morning and Sam shivered as the ranger sat him on the pony-a chesnut with a white mane and tail. "Are you warm enough?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes, Mr. Aragorn." Sam replied and they began their long walk away from Bree. Once they were in the wild walking over hill and dale, the hobbits slowed down and began searching their packs for food.
"Gentleman," Aragorn started as he began to walk up a stone path. "We do not stop until nightfall."
"What about breakfast?" asked Pippin.
Frodo handed Sam a fresh handkerchief as Aragorn replied "You've already had it!"
"We've had ONE yes. But what about second breakfast?"
Merry frowned as Aragorn turned and continued walking with a shake of his head. "I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip."
"What about elevensies? Tea.dinner.supper? He knows about them.doesn't he?"
Merry sighed. "I wouldn't count on it."
Suddenly: "Whoa!" Merry caught an apple Aragorn threw to him. Unfortunately Pippin didn't look up in time and was bopped right on the head with his before picking it up.
"Pippin!" Merry called and the hobbits started walking once more.
