Chapter 3
Broken
"Master Baggins! Master Baggins!" Bilbo Baggins stood outside on his doorstep smoking his old wooden pipe. The weather that day could not have been more pleasant...the sky was a deep sapphire blue with hardly any clouds. The old hobbit saw his gardener, Hamfast Gamgee, rushing towards him through the cloud of pipeweed smoke. "What in the name of the Shire is the matter?" Bilbo asked, taking the pipe out of his mouth. Once the gardener could catch his breath long enough to speak, he placed a firm hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "I think you had better have a seat, Mr. Bilbo sir." A bit stunned, Bilbo led Hamfast inside his comfortable hobbit hole, Bag-End, and into the parlor. Both of them took a seat and Hamfast began. "Bilbo--a messenger came from Buckland last night. Your cousin Drogo and his wife Primula both drowned in a boating accident on the Brandywine." That was the bluntest way Hamfast could put it. Bilbo's face turned white as a sheet and he felt suddenly very ill. "What?!" he cried finally, once he could stand the silence no longer. "W--when?"
"Two nights ago. The bodies were brought to the surface without a scar on either..."
Bilbo grabbed Hamfast Gamgee's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "And what of my dear Frodo?" He asked, thinking immediately of his favorite nephew.
"An orphan, I'm afraid. The lad is heart broken--won't see anyone-- won't eat or drink--"
Bilbo covered his mouth with his hand. "I am very sorry, Bilbo--they wish for you to attend the funeral next Wednesday."
The old hobbit closed his brown eyes, a single tear rollin down his weathered cheek. "The dear boy--" he said in a whisper. "I MUST ride to Brandy Hall immediately. Go and ask Farmor Maggot kindly if he would be willing to lend me a pony."
The gardener nodded. "I am on my way, Master Baggins."
Once Hamfast had left, Bilbo began his preparations for departure. He was so distraught by the dreadful news that he felt as though he had lost his memory, as it took him longer than usual to find what he needed. He packed a large suitcase with clothes and other nick nacks he often brought with him on his travels.
Hamfast returned a few hours later with a dapple gray pony. "It took quite a scuffle to get it," he told Biilbo who was stroking the pony's nose. "Farmor Maggot wants it back as soon as possible."
Bilbo nodded. "All right. Thank you, Hamfast. I will leave first thing in the morning."
"Have a good journey," Hamfast called before heading back to his own home-#3 Bagshot Row. Bilbo tied up the pony before turning in for the night.
The next morning he started out at the crack of dawn, making sure to lock up Bag-End and left a note on the door explaining his lengthy absence to any visitors that happened to drop by. The ride itself to Brandy Hall was grueling...the pony didn't seem to go fast enough and Bilbo was almost blindedby tears. 'Why, Drogo?' he asked himself. 'Frodo is so young to have lost you both--'
He arrived at the hall late at night and went to knock on the main doors. Saradoc opened them and smiled at the guest. "Ah--welcome, Mr. Baggins. We have been expecting you!"
Bilbo nodded. "Yes. I am here. Frodo...how is he? I realize it is late, but..."
Saradoc chuckled kindly. "You wish to see him? Of course...he is asleep but I am sure he would not mind waking a bit to see you."
Bilbo smiled as he followed Saradoc inside. The other adult hobbits who were not asleep (including Esmerelda) greeted him warmly. "We are so grateful you could come, Bilbo. I am sure it will cheer Frodo up a great deal to see you." said Esmerelda, her brown eyes tear-filled.
Bilbo followed Saradoc to the young hobbit's room. "I'll be all right from here, Saradoc. Thank you." Saradoc went away and Bilbo opened the door to Frodo's room and quietly shut it behind him. His eyes swayed to a little figure under the covers and felt a lump form in his throat. He went over to Frodo's bedside and stroked the head of dark curls. "Frodo...your Uncle Bilbo is here." he whispered, causing the lad to open his eyes.
"Bilbo?" Frodo whispered hoarsely, sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Bilbo sat down beside him on the bed and drew the hobbitlad into a heartfelt hug. "Oh my dear dear boy...I am so sorry." he whispered back, kissing Frodo on the forehead. "I had to come right away when I heard the news."
Frodo bit his lower lip, knowing his Uncle Bilbo had come a long way to Brandy Hall from Bag-End. "I love you, Uncle Bilbo." he whispered. Bilbo choked on a sob.
"I love you as well, my dear boy...more than anything or anyone else in the whole world. I will always be here for you, no matter what..."
The two hobbits sat together on the bed crying long into the early morning. Eventually, Bilbo persuaded Frodo back into bed and promised that he would be there first thing in the morning. "You need to rest, Frodo." he pointed out. "And I will make sure you eat something for breakfast. I did not come to see my favorite nephew starving to death." Frodo smiled weakly as he accepted a final kiss from Bilbo before the elder hobbit left the room.
Broken
"Master Baggins! Master Baggins!" Bilbo Baggins stood outside on his doorstep smoking his old wooden pipe. The weather that day could not have been more pleasant...the sky was a deep sapphire blue with hardly any clouds. The old hobbit saw his gardener, Hamfast Gamgee, rushing towards him through the cloud of pipeweed smoke. "What in the name of the Shire is the matter?" Bilbo asked, taking the pipe out of his mouth. Once the gardener could catch his breath long enough to speak, he placed a firm hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "I think you had better have a seat, Mr. Bilbo sir." A bit stunned, Bilbo led Hamfast inside his comfortable hobbit hole, Bag-End, and into the parlor. Both of them took a seat and Hamfast began. "Bilbo--a messenger came from Buckland last night. Your cousin Drogo and his wife Primula both drowned in a boating accident on the Brandywine." That was the bluntest way Hamfast could put it. Bilbo's face turned white as a sheet and he felt suddenly very ill. "What?!" he cried finally, once he could stand the silence no longer. "W--when?"
"Two nights ago. The bodies were brought to the surface without a scar on either..."
Bilbo grabbed Hamfast Gamgee's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "And what of my dear Frodo?" He asked, thinking immediately of his favorite nephew.
"An orphan, I'm afraid. The lad is heart broken--won't see anyone-- won't eat or drink--"
Bilbo covered his mouth with his hand. "I am very sorry, Bilbo--they wish for you to attend the funeral next Wednesday."
The old hobbit closed his brown eyes, a single tear rollin down his weathered cheek. "The dear boy--" he said in a whisper. "I MUST ride to Brandy Hall immediately. Go and ask Farmor Maggot kindly if he would be willing to lend me a pony."
The gardener nodded. "I am on my way, Master Baggins."
Once Hamfast had left, Bilbo began his preparations for departure. He was so distraught by the dreadful news that he felt as though he had lost his memory, as it took him longer than usual to find what he needed. He packed a large suitcase with clothes and other nick nacks he often brought with him on his travels.
Hamfast returned a few hours later with a dapple gray pony. "It took quite a scuffle to get it," he told Biilbo who was stroking the pony's nose. "Farmor Maggot wants it back as soon as possible."
Bilbo nodded. "All right. Thank you, Hamfast. I will leave first thing in the morning."
"Have a good journey," Hamfast called before heading back to his own home-#3 Bagshot Row. Bilbo tied up the pony before turning in for the night.
The next morning he started out at the crack of dawn, making sure to lock up Bag-End and left a note on the door explaining his lengthy absence to any visitors that happened to drop by. The ride itself to Brandy Hall was grueling...the pony didn't seem to go fast enough and Bilbo was almost blindedby tears. 'Why, Drogo?' he asked himself. 'Frodo is so young to have lost you both--'
He arrived at the hall late at night and went to knock on the main doors. Saradoc opened them and smiled at the guest. "Ah--welcome, Mr. Baggins. We have been expecting you!"
Bilbo nodded. "Yes. I am here. Frodo...how is he? I realize it is late, but..."
Saradoc chuckled kindly. "You wish to see him? Of course...he is asleep but I am sure he would not mind waking a bit to see you."
Bilbo smiled as he followed Saradoc inside. The other adult hobbits who were not asleep (including Esmerelda) greeted him warmly. "We are so grateful you could come, Bilbo. I am sure it will cheer Frodo up a great deal to see you." said Esmerelda, her brown eyes tear-filled.
Bilbo followed Saradoc to the young hobbit's room. "I'll be all right from here, Saradoc. Thank you." Saradoc went away and Bilbo opened the door to Frodo's room and quietly shut it behind him. His eyes swayed to a little figure under the covers and felt a lump form in his throat. He went over to Frodo's bedside and stroked the head of dark curls. "Frodo...your Uncle Bilbo is here." he whispered, causing the lad to open his eyes.
"Bilbo?" Frodo whispered hoarsely, sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Bilbo sat down beside him on the bed and drew the hobbitlad into a heartfelt hug. "Oh my dear dear boy...I am so sorry." he whispered back, kissing Frodo on the forehead. "I had to come right away when I heard the news."
Frodo bit his lower lip, knowing his Uncle Bilbo had come a long way to Brandy Hall from Bag-End. "I love you, Uncle Bilbo." he whispered. Bilbo choked on a sob.
"I love you as well, my dear boy...more than anything or anyone else in the whole world. I will always be here for you, no matter what..."
The two hobbits sat together on the bed crying long into the early morning. Eventually, Bilbo persuaded Frodo back into bed and promised that he would be there first thing in the morning. "You need to rest, Frodo." he pointed out. "And I will make sure you eat something for breakfast. I did not come to see my favorite nephew starving to death." Frodo smiled weakly as he accepted a final kiss from Bilbo before the elder hobbit left the room.