Ruby's Adventure
Chapter 5
Something sleek and dark and small had wormed its way across the bank, its presence unbeknown to the young, merry hobbits. It creeped like a slimy insect through the mud at the bank, and its eyes glittered coldly, like a fish. Its scaly brown skin might have betrayed it for what it truly was, if it were not for the darkness of the night - although morning drew ever nearer - and the mud. Yes, it was an Orc. It was the very creature that Ruby, Primrose, Daisy and now Faramir were looking for. But they had not found this detestable Orc. It had found them.
It heard the small, silken, silver-sounding waves resonating against the shore, brought on by the wild splashing motions of "Undomiel". It sniffed the air, seeming to smell the four young hobbits. The Orc clenched its fists; its much-too-long fingers ending in chewed-down dirty fingernails. It dived into the river and swam silently towards the boat. Faramir and Ruby were still enjoying their fun.
"Stoppit! Stoppit!" Primrose screamed, now hysterical. She looked down into the dark, cold water and whimpered. Daisy looked thoughtful.
"You really oughtn't, you two," she whispered. "You'll wake the Bucklanders, not to mention tip the boat over. All our plans would we ruined, and you all know that's how Mister Frodo's folks died. They were drownded."
Primrose looked grateful, but Faramir wasn't buying it.
"Why are you so interested in this little adventure?" he asked, looking at her intently. He abandoned his rocking of "Undomiel". Ruby grew serious, and her expression was quizzical.
"What do you mean?" Daisy asked, surprised, "I'm in it for - well, for the Shire, of course, what else? And it isn't little at all!" She corrected him, her face flushing.
"I do mean," Faramir continued tentatively, "what's in it for you?"
Daisy's outrage at the questioning of her motives, even more so that she wasn't exactly sure of them herself was so great that she just sat there and stared for quite a while. She might truly have tackled Faramir right then and there, on water or not, if it weren't for what happened next.
A tiny sound registered in Ruby's mind. She pricked up her big ears, and stared out over the water, hoping for the smallest gleam that would betray the cause and source of whatever made that strange sound.
"Quiet!" She hissed, in a tone more of authority mingled with a tinge of fear than curiosity. Primrose gave her an odd look. Usually it was she doing the bossing, not Ruby. Again Ruby whispered, "Quiet!"
For the slightest moment, Daisy forgot her rage in wonder at the change come over Ruby. Ruby sat, clutching her paddle, not moving at all, except for her twitching ears. She leaned forward, hoping yet dreading to see whatever it was that she believed had come to rest, lurking just by "Undomiel". Unfortunately, so did Faramir, Primrose, and Daisy.
Suddenly, to Ruby's utmost shock, the boat tipped forward, hung in that precarious position for the slightest fraction of a second, then "Undomiel" was relieved of her passengers, who were flung into the frigid waters of the Brandywine River, where an Orc awaited them.
For a few terrifying moments, Ruby sank ever deeper into the waters, waiting to reach the brown riverbed which would never come. Opening her eyes, she beheld a creature that she had heard of only in legends and faery tales, and never before seen in her life. It was, as you no doubt have guessed, the hideous Orc. Seeing the beast, she did exactly what you would have done, were you a twenty-four-year-old hobbit on an adventure against your father's will, and had just been flung from a boat into freezing water, then been confronted with a horrible creature. She screamed and swam for her very life, of course.
Ruby re-surfaced with a gasp, drawing air deep into her lungs, and choking up water as she released the air. She shook the water from her eyes and glanced around, waiting, waiting, waiting for her sisters and Faramir. She kept swimming, almost automatically, until she reached the shore. Clambering up the bank, she took a deep breath.
"Daisy! Primrose! Faramir! Where are y- Aah!"
"Keep quiet, you ninnyhammer!" Faramir whispered into her ears, having snuck up behind Ruby and clapped both hands over her mouth. Ruby wheeled around to see that Daisy and Primrose looked wet, cold, miserable, but otherwise had escaped from the Brandywine's icy grasp unscathed.
"Did you- did you see the- the."
"Orc? Yes, we saw it." Daisy said, shivering. Faramir said nothing, but blanched, and Primrose wailed outright.
"Oh, me! Oh, why, why? Why me? Why did I ever agree to come on this ridiculous chase?" Primrose wailed, wringing her hands.
"Shush!" Daisy cried, shaking her younger sister, "Keep quiet! This chase is anything but ridiculous! It's even more serious now, now that Orcs are in the Shire itself!"
"Daisy's right," Faramir nodded, his quarrel with Daisy - for now - forgotten. "Its one thing to hear about Orcs being in some town called Bree, while you're safe and dry, quite another to see them, at night when you're alone." He swallowed. "Now, its most important that we go back."
"Back?" Ruby gasped, "But why, Faramir?"
"Because, if they're here than someone has to know. We can't just leave them here, not knowing."
"That's what Dad and Mister Frodo did." Daisy reminded him.
".And look how that turned out!" he snapped. "The thing to do is go right to your Father, or mine."
"What we're all forgetting is." Ruby said quietly. Daisy and Faramir ignored her. Primrose started to cry again.
"What's the matter now, Primrose?" Faramir asked exasperatedly.
"What we're all forgetting is." Ruby tried again, a little louder this time. Primrose sniffed.
"I t-t-t-told you!" She gasped between fat, hot, salty tears, "I told you this would be no good! It's all your fault!" She cried, pointing at Ruby, "Don't blame me! It's her what got us into this mess!"
Ruby, finally found the attentions of her companions directed at her, took full opportunity of it, yelling, "Listen to me!"
Surprised by this surely unprovoked outburst, Faramir, Primrose, and Daisy fell silent. Ruby sighed.
"There's something you've all forgotten." She began, "And it's none other than Mister Merry." She turned to Daisy. "We wouldn't have to go back, and he wouldn't make us go home, and," she pointed out to Faramir, "we'd be warning somebody important, right?"
Partly out of guilt at ignoring the youngest of their company, but I believe mostly out of realization of the common sense of the idea, the others all agreed, with a rising of the hand or a muttered Aye. The elders hemmed and hawed, and stared at their toes, but Ruby knew they were sorry. Or at least, she hoped they were.
Walking down to the bank to see what they could salvage, Daisy spotted not only "Undomiel's" bobbing hull, and their packs, which had somehow escaped, but also the shape of the Orc swimming like a frog to the other side of the river.
"Let's not wait." She whispered, pointing out the Orc, "Let's go to Mister Merry now."
On seeing the Orc and hastily beaching "Undomiel" and grabbing the packs, the idea was met with much agreement, and soon four frightened, wet hobbits could be seen striding down the road, with Brandy Hall dead ahead. The Orc could also be seen, running across the fields of the Marish, headed for Hobbiton, as the golden sun began to rise over all, ending a rather eventful night, and bringing the promise of a day just as eventful
Chapter 5
Something sleek and dark and small had wormed its way across the bank, its presence unbeknown to the young, merry hobbits. It creeped like a slimy insect through the mud at the bank, and its eyes glittered coldly, like a fish. Its scaly brown skin might have betrayed it for what it truly was, if it were not for the darkness of the night - although morning drew ever nearer - and the mud. Yes, it was an Orc. It was the very creature that Ruby, Primrose, Daisy and now Faramir were looking for. But they had not found this detestable Orc. It had found them.
It heard the small, silken, silver-sounding waves resonating against the shore, brought on by the wild splashing motions of "Undomiel". It sniffed the air, seeming to smell the four young hobbits. The Orc clenched its fists; its much-too-long fingers ending in chewed-down dirty fingernails. It dived into the river and swam silently towards the boat. Faramir and Ruby were still enjoying their fun.
"Stoppit! Stoppit!" Primrose screamed, now hysterical. She looked down into the dark, cold water and whimpered. Daisy looked thoughtful.
"You really oughtn't, you two," she whispered. "You'll wake the Bucklanders, not to mention tip the boat over. All our plans would we ruined, and you all know that's how Mister Frodo's folks died. They were drownded."
Primrose looked grateful, but Faramir wasn't buying it.
"Why are you so interested in this little adventure?" he asked, looking at her intently. He abandoned his rocking of "Undomiel". Ruby grew serious, and her expression was quizzical.
"What do you mean?" Daisy asked, surprised, "I'm in it for - well, for the Shire, of course, what else? And it isn't little at all!" She corrected him, her face flushing.
"I do mean," Faramir continued tentatively, "what's in it for you?"
Daisy's outrage at the questioning of her motives, even more so that she wasn't exactly sure of them herself was so great that she just sat there and stared for quite a while. She might truly have tackled Faramir right then and there, on water or not, if it weren't for what happened next.
A tiny sound registered in Ruby's mind. She pricked up her big ears, and stared out over the water, hoping for the smallest gleam that would betray the cause and source of whatever made that strange sound.
"Quiet!" She hissed, in a tone more of authority mingled with a tinge of fear than curiosity. Primrose gave her an odd look. Usually it was she doing the bossing, not Ruby. Again Ruby whispered, "Quiet!"
For the slightest moment, Daisy forgot her rage in wonder at the change come over Ruby. Ruby sat, clutching her paddle, not moving at all, except for her twitching ears. She leaned forward, hoping yet dreading to see whatever it was that she believed had come to rest, lurking just by "Undomiel". Unfortunately, so did Faramir, Primrose, and Daisy.
Suddenly, to Ruby's utmost shock, the boat tipped forward, hung in that precarious position for the slightest fraction of a second, then "Undomiel" was relieved of her passengers, who were flung into the frigid waters of the Brandywine River, where an Orc awaited them.
For a few terrifying moments, Ruby sank ever deeper into the waters, waiting to reach the brown riverbed which would never come. Opening her eyes, she beheld a creature that she had heard of only in legends and faery tales, and never before seen in her life. It was, as you no doubt have guessed, the hideous Orc. Seeing the beast, she did exactly what you would have done, were you a twenty-four-year-old hobbit on an adventure against your father's will, and had just been flung from a boat into freezing water, then been confronted with a horrible creature. She screamed and swam for her very life, of course.
Ruby re-surfaced with a gasp, drawing air deep into her lungs, and choking up water as she released the air. She shook the water from her eyes and glanced around, waiting, waiting, waiting for her sisters and Faramir. She kept swimming, almost automatically, until she reached the shore. Clambering up the bank, she took a deep breath.
"Daisy! Primrose! Faramir! Where are y- Aah!"
"Keep quiet, you ninnyhammer!" Faramir whispered into her ears, having snuck up behind Ruby and clapped both hands over her mouth. Ruby wheeled around to see that Daisy and Primrose looked wet, cold, miserable, but otherwise had escaped from the Brandywine's icy grasp unscathed.
"Did you- did you see the- the."
"Orc? Yes, we saw it." Daisy said, shivering. Faramir said nothing, but blanched, and Primrose wailed outright.
"Oh, me! Oh, why, why? Why me? Why did I ever agree to come on this ridiculous chase?" Primrose wailed, wringing her hands.
"Shush!" Daisy cried, shaking her younger sister, "Keep quiet! This chase is anything but ridiculous! It's even more serious now, now that Orcs are in the Shire itself!"
"Daisy's right," Faramir nodded, his quarrel with Daisy - for now - forgotten. "Its one thing to hear about Orcs being in some town called Bree, while you're safe and dry, quite another to see them, at night when you're alone." He swallowed. "Now, its most important that we go back."
"Back?" Ruby gasped, "But why, Faramir?"
"Because, if they're here than someone has to know. We can't just leave them here, not knowing."
"That's what Dad and Mister Frodo did." Daisy reminded him.
".And look how that turned out!" he snapped. "The thing to do is go right to your Father, or mine."
"What we're all forgetting is." Ruby said quietly. Daisy and Faramir ignored her. Primrose started to cry again.
"What's the matter now, Primrose?" Faramir asked exasperatedly.
"What we're all forgetting is." Ruby tried again, a little louder this time. Primrose sniffed.
"I t-t-t-told you!" She gasped between fat, hot, salty tears, "I told you this would be no good! It's all your fault!" She cried, pointing at Ruby, "Don't blame me! It's her what got us into this mess!"
Ruby, finally found the attentions of her companions directed at her, took full opportunity of it, yelling, "Listen to me!"
Surprised by this surely unprovoked outburst, Faramir, Primrose, and Daisy fell silent. Ruby sighed.
"There's something you've all forgotten." She began, "And it's none other than Mister Merry." She turned to Daisy. "We wouldn't have to go back, and he wouldn't make us go home, and," she pointed out to Faramir, "we'd be warning somebody important, right?"
Partly out of guilt at ignoring the youngest of their company, but I believe mostly out of realization of the common sense of the idea, the others all agreed, with a rising of the hand or a muttered Aye. The elders hemmed and hawed, and stared at their toes, but Ruby knew they were sorry. Or at least, she hoped they were.
Walking down to the bank to see what they could salvage, Daisy spotted not only "Undomiel's" bobbing hull, and their packs, which had somehow escaped, but also the shape of the Orc swimming like a frog to the other side of the river.
"Let's not wait." She whispered, pointing out the Orc, "Let's go to Mister Merry now."
On seeing the Orc and hastily beaching "Undomiel" and grabbing the packs, the idea was met with much agreement, and soon four frightened, wet hobbits could be seen striding down the road, with Brandy Hall dead ahead. The Orc could also be seen, running across the fields of the Marish, headed for Hobbiton, as the golden sun began to rise over all, ending a rather eventful night, and bringing the promise of a day just as eventful