Ruby's Adventure
Chapter 7
Several hours later, five young hobbits stood assembled in a straight line, with heavy packages on each of their backs. Two older hobbits - a male and a female - stood before them, lovingly inspecting every last detail.
The older male began to pace in front of the five, who were anxiously awaiting his words. If you haven't guessed, the two older hobbits were Estella and Merry, and the five were our very own Faramir, Daisy, Primrose, Ruby, and Theoden.
"Now," Merry began, "let's go over our plan." A well-rehearsed speech began to tumble from the mouths of the younger hobbits, who were eager to begin with their own part of the plan.
"First, you'll send news to our Dads - er, I mean, the Thain and the Mayor - that there are Orcs abroad in the Shire." Faramir stated.
"Then, you'll mobilize the Shire and set up watchers and get rid of the Orcs." Daisy told him.
"And all the while we'll be gone, and you'll say that we went to Bree to get some maps for Theo." Primrose followed.
"But, we'll be heading for Moria like Gandalf said, to find out what the cause of all this trouble is." Ruby blurted, a bit quickly.
"And when we've found out, we'll come straight back and tell you what it's all about, and you and the Thain and the Mayor will figure out what to do." Theoden finished. Merry smiled.
"Well, it seems we all know what we're doing." He turned to his wife. "Dear," he asked her, "what did you put in their packs?"
"Well, I gave them each quite a bit o' bread," Estella began, "and some bacon to cook, some fruit - mostly last autumn's apples - three water-skins each, a little box of salt, and I do believe Primrose has the pans and utensils. They've each got a blanket, and a little money to spend in Bree - if they ever need it, of course - and they've got a change of clothes, as well as a cloak. Theo's got his mapmaking things, and Ruby has a spare bow and a quiver of arrows - not her own, but she couldn't go back home and get them - and Faramir's got some patching material in case anything ever hits "Undomiel"." Estella took a deep breath, for she had been talking very fast. "And that's about it, Merry. Unless you count their wits, which they've no doubt got about them."
Primrose frowned.
"I just know we're forgetting something!" she exclaimed, turning to her friends and relations, "I can't explain it, but I know we've left something out!" The rest began to think.
"Well, what did our fathers bring when they went on their journey?" Faramir offered. The rest pondered his suggestion.
"Dad always said that they forgot lots," Daisy began, "but they got great gifts from Galadriel." Daisy fell silent, as her knowledge failed there. The name of Galadriel filled her with awe, also contributing to her silence.
"Rope!" Ruby cried, "That's what Dad said he forgot! Rope!" Merry laughed.
"Right you are, Miss Ruby." He said. "I know I have some somewhere." Merry retreated into his warren-like home, mumbling to himself, "Now where did I put it?"
Estella chuckled.
"He's forgotten," she whispered to the youngsters in a sideways manner, "but he always keeps it in the closet at the front, for the very reason that he won't forget it." After sharing a giggle with them, Estella reached into the front hall closet and withdrew some strong brown rope, just as Merry re-entered the hall.
"I couldn't find it- " he began to his wife. Then- "Well, well, what's this?"
"You left the rope in the front hall closet, dear." Estella reminded him. Merry smiled.
"What would I do without you, m'dear?"
"Shrivel up and die, I expect." His son muttered, to the glee of his young friends. Merry ignored the laughter, but turned to face them, blushing a bit.
"Now, my friends," he began, "I must send you off, to seek the unknown, whatever danger might befall." He dropped his formal manner as Master of the Hall for a moment, "So try not to get hurt, all right?"
"Yessir!" the young hobbits chorused. Merry kissed their foreheads and sent them off. When all the young ones were outside, Estella turned to her husband.
"Merry," she began, somewhat distressed, "do you think they'll make it? Is it safe to send them out there all alone?"
"Of course they'll make it. I'm just as worried as you are, m'dear, but I wouldn't send them out there if I didn't think they could do it. And no, it's not safe. But they aren't alone." Merry put a reassuring arm around Estella. "They have each other."
Outside, the young hobbits started off over the fields, heading towards the rising sun. For now, they were happy. All trouble was now only a rumour and a whisper in their minds, and they were free. They strode over fields, turned golden with the first fire of day, and talked among themselves.
"So here we are," Faramir exclaimed, "here we are on our journey, at last."
"Ready to go wherever duty and need calls us." Daisy chimed in, her quarrel with Faramir resolved for the moment.
"To boldly venture forth into the great unknown - to us, that is." Ruby put in.
"And to save our Shire, or die trying." Theoden finished. Although death was very much a threat, none of the young ones could seriously believe that such would happen to them. Lively was their step, and light their hearts as they crossed their homeland.
Behind them followed a shape and a shadow; winds whispered behind them and brought a multitude of sounds with it: the tlot-tlot of a pony's hooves clattering as a messenger rode toward Hobbiton and Tookborough; the beginnings of morning bustle in the Shire behind them; and the heavy footsteps of creatures unbeknownst to the hobbits. It was not long before the five young hobbits noticed that they were being followed.
"What was that?" Theoden, the youngest, asked.
"I don't know" and "Hush!" resounded from his companions. All five whirled around, and Daisy notched an arrow to her bow.
"Who are you?" she cried, scanning the road and hilltops behind them, "where are you?"
"I am here." A voice came from behind a corner in the road, and the speaker stepped out onto it, extracting gasps from five wide-eyed hobbits.
Chapter 7
Several hours later, five young hobbits stood assembled in a straight line, with heavy packages on each of their backs. Two older hobbits - a male and a female - stood before them, lovingly inspecting every last detail.
The older male began to pace in front of the five, who were anxiously awaiting his words. If you haven't guessed, the two older hobbits were Estella and Merry, and the five were our very own Faramir, Daisy, Primrose, Ruby, and Theoden.
"Now," Merry began, "let's go over our plan." A well-rehearsed speech began to tumble from the mouths of the younger hobbits, who were eager to begin with their own part of the plan.
"First, you'll send news to our Dads - er, I mean, the Thain and the Mayor - that there are Orcs abroad in the Shire." Faramir stated.
"Then, you'll mobilize the Shire and set up watchers and get rid of the Orcs." Daisy told him.
"And all the while we'll be gone, and you'll say that we went to Bree to get some maps for Theo." Primrose followed.
"But, we'll be heading for Moria like Gandalf said, to find out what the cause of all this trouble is." Ruby blurted, a bit quickly.
"And when we've found out, we'll come straight back and tell you what it's all about, and you and the Thain and the Mayor will figure out what to do." Theoden finished. Merry smiled.
"Well, it seems we all know what we're doing." He turned to his wife. "Dear," he asked her, "what did you put in their packs?"
"Well, I gave them each quite a bit o' bread," Estella began, "and some bacon to cook, some fruit - mostly last autumn's apples - three water-skins each, a little box of salt, and I do believe Primrose has the pans and utensils. They've each got a blanket, and a little money to spend in Bree - if they ever need it, of course - and they've got a change of clothes, as well as a cloak. Theo's got his mapmaking things, and Ruby has a spare bow and a quiver of arrows - not her own, but she couldn't go back home and get them - and Faramir's got some patching material in case anything ever hits "Undomiel"." Estella took a deep breath, for she had been talking very fast. "And that's about it, Merry. Unless you count their wits, which they've no doubt got about them."
Primrose frowned.
"I just know we're forgetting something!" she exclaimed, turning to her friends and relations, "I can't explain it, but I know we've left something out!" The rest began to think.
"Well, what did our fathers bring when they went on their journey?" Faramir offered. The rest pondered his suggestion.
"Dad always said that they forgot lots," Daisy began, "but they got great gifts from Galadriel." Daisy fell silent, as her knowledge failed there. The name of Galadriel filled her with awe, also contributing to her silence.
"Rope!" Ruby cried, "That's what Dad said he forgot! Rope!" Merry laughed.
"Right you are, Miss Ruby." He said. "I know I have some somewhere." Merry retreated into his warren-like home, mumbling to himself, "Now where did I put it?"
Estella chuckled.
"He's forgotten," she whispered to the youngsters in a sideways manner, "but he always keeps it in the closet at the front, for the very reason that he won't forget it." After sharing a giggle with them, Estella reached into the front hall closet and withdrew some strong brown rope, just as Merry re-entered the hall.
"I couldn't find it- " he began to his wife. Then- "Well, well, what's this?"
"You left the rope in the front hall closet, dear." Estella reminded him. Merry smiled.
"What would I do without you, m'dear?"
"Shrivel up and die, I expect." His son muttered, to the glee of his young friends. Merry ignored the laughter, but turned to face them, blushing a bit.
"Now, my friends," he began, "I must send you off, to seek the unknown, whatever danger might befall." He dropped his formal manner as Master of the Hall for a moment, "So try not to get hurt, all right?"
"Yessir!" the young hobbits chorused. Merry kissed their foreheads and sent them off. When all the young ones were outside, Estella turned to her husband.
"Merry," she began, somewhat distressed, "do you think they'll make it? Is it safe to send them out there all alone?"
"Of course they'll make it. I'm just as worried as you are, m'dear, but I wouldn't send them out there if I didn't think they could do it. And no, it's not safe. But they aren't alone." Merry put a reassuring arm around Estella. "They have each other."
Outside, the young hobbits started off over the fields, heading towards the rising sun. For now, they were happy. All trouble was now only a rumour and a whisper in their minds, and they were free. They strode over fields, turned golden with the first fire of day, and talked among themselves.
"So here we are," Faramir exclaimed, "here we are on our journey, at last."
"Ready to go wherever duty and need calls us." Daisy chimed in, her quarrel with Faramir resolved for the moment.
"To boldly venture forth into the great unknown - to us, that is." Ruby put in.
"And to save our Shire, or die trying." Theoden finished. Although death was very much a threat, none of the young ones could seriously believe that such would happen to them. Lively was their step, and light their hearts as they crossed their homeland.
Behind them followed a shape and a shadow; winds whispered behind them and brought a multitude of sounds with it: the tlot-tlot of a pony's hooves clattering as a messenger rode toward Hobbiton and Tookborough; the beginnings of morning bustle in the Shire behind them; and the heavy footsteps of creatures unbeknownst to the hobbits. It was not long before the five young hobbits noticed that they were being followed.
"What was that?" Theoden, the youngest, asked.
"I don't know" and "Hush!" resounded from his companions. All five whirled around, and Daisy notched an arrow to her bow.
"Who are you?" she cried, scanning the road and hilltops behind them, "where are you?"
"I am here." A voice came from behind a corner in the road, and the speaker stepped out onto it, extracting gasps from five wide-eyed hobbits.