CHAPTER 2
Upon reaching the outskirts, Merry and Pippin ran over to a tree and hurriedly began tying ropes around the barrels. They immediately began to pull the ropes so that the barrels rose into the air. After the barrels reached so high, they tied the ropes around the tree to secure the precious ale stores. They wiped their hands.
"Alright, no comes the test," Pippin reached into his pocket and pulled out some more rope pieces and a piece of cloth.
Frodo started to slide away. "This better not involve me."
Merry laid a hand on Frodo's shoulder. "Frodo, you're helping us by doing this."
"How so?"
"Well," Pippin sighed. "Whenever ale ends up missing, they blame us."
"But you guys always do it," Frodo pointed out.
"That's beside the point," Merry gave a wave of his hand.
"The point is to see if we 'capture' someone else we saw stealing it, will we still get blamed?" Pippin glanced at Merry.
"If we still do, then we have the satisfaction of knowing how flawed their judgment is and we can point that out to them," Merry nodded.
"You mean, point out their flawed judgment?" Frodo asked.
"More like the fact that they're bias," Pippin scratched the back of his neck.
"Oh," Frodo raised his eyebrows. "That go over real well. 'Hey, Hobbiton leaders, we just want to let you know how bias you are because every time ale is missing you blame us, even though it usually is us. Except for that one time when it was us but we made you think it was Frodo and you still blamed us while we flat out lied to you in saying that it was Frodo.' Yeah, they'll love that!" Frodo clapped Merry on the back. "I'm betting they'll feel positively awful."
Pippin made a face. "When you say it like that!"
"Say it like what?" Frodo asked innocently.
"You had a tone," Merry pointed out.
"Sorry," Frodo apologized. "So what are you going to make me do now?"
"Simple," Pippin held up the rope and cloth. "We bind you and then gag you, drag you into the Green Dragon and announce our capture of the Ale Thief."
"Ale Thief?" Frodo laughed. "Then I'll get in trouble for something I didn't do!"
"No you won't," Merry shook his head. "You never do anything. They'll let you off with a warning at most."
"At most," Pippin repeated. "Now come on, let us tie you up."
"I can't believe I'm letting you guys do this," Frodo rolled his eyes as Pippin proceeded to tie Frodo's hands behind his back.
"Even if you didn't," Merry cocked his head and made a face. "We've got you outnumbered." He took the gag and slid it into Frodo's mouth.
*********************
Merry and Pippin tried to carefully navigate down the slippery hill. The pelting rain wasn't helping at all and because they had tied their captive's hands, they had to help him keep his balance.
"I think we're a little off coarse," Pippin tried to squint through the rain. "Merry, are you sure we came the right way?"
"Positive," Merry nodded. He began to look around as well.
"Mmmm, mmm, hmmmhmmm," Frodo tried to speak through the gag.
"Quiet, Frodo," Merry waved. He and Pippin each held one of Frodo's elbows. Suddenly, there was a sudden thwack sound as Frodo was lurched from their grasp.
"What was that?" Pippin asked. He reached out and felt around, the rain being so thick that he could barely see anything.
"Uh, Pippin," Merry spoke up.
"What?"
"That sound we heard,"
"Yeah?"
"I think it was a tree."
"A tree?" Pippin asked.
"Yeah, I feel a tree," Merry said. "I think we walked Frodo into a tree."
"How did we do that?" Pippin sputtered out water that had collected in his mouth.
"Well, we were each on either side of him so we passed on either side of the tree but Frodo ran into it."
"That must have been what he was trying to say," Pippin wiped his wet hair back. "Where is he?" He took a step backwards and fell over something. "Nevermind, I found him."
" I can see you guys now," Merry shouted. "The rain must be letting up."
"Merry," Pippin leaned over Frodo. "I think Frodo is unconscious."
"What?" Merry knelt down on the other side of Frodo. "This isn't good. If he's unconscious, our plan won't work. Let's get him back to the town and then decide what to do."
"What are we going to do?" Pippin looked up at Merry as his friend stood up. "Carry him?"
"I guess so, Pip," Merry sighed and cocked his head. "Come on."
TBC... There's more "FUN" to come!
Upon reaching the outskirts, Merry and Pippin ran over to a tree and hurriedly began tying ropes around the barrels. They immediately began to pull the ropes so that the barrels rose into the air. After the barrels reached so high, they tied the ropes around the tree to secure the precious ale stores. They wiped their hands.
"Alright, no comes the test," Pippin reached into his pocket and pulled out some more rope pieces and a piece of cloth.
Frodo started to slide away. "This better not involve me."
Merry laid a hand on Frodo's shoulder. "Frodo, you're helping us by doing this."
"How so?"
"Well," Pippin sighed. "Whenever ale ends up missing, they blame us."
"But you guys always do it," Frodo pointed out.
"That's beside the point," Merry gave a wave of his hand.
"The point is to see if we 'capture' someone else we saw stealing it, will we still get blamed?" Pippin glanced at Merry.
"If we still do, then we have the satisfaction of knowing how flawed their judgment is and we can point that out to them," Merry nodded.
"You mean, point out their flawed judgment?" Frodo asked.
"More like the fact that they're bias," Pippin scratched the back of his neck.
"Oh," Frodo raised his eyebrows. "That go over real well. 'Hey, Hobbiton leaders, we just want to let you know how bias you are because every time ale is missing you blame us, even though it usually is us. Except for that one time when it was us but we made you think it was Frodo and you still blamed us while we flat out lied to you in saying that it was Frodo.' Yeah, they'll love that!" Frodo clapped Merry on the back. "I'm betting they'll feel positively awful."
Pippin made a face. "When you say it like that!"
"Say it like what?" Frodo asked innocently.
"You had a tone," Merry pointed out.
"Sorry," Frodo apologized. "So what are you going to make me do now?"
"Simple," Pippin held up the rope and cloth. "We bind you and then gag you, drag you into the Green Dragon and announce our capture of the Ale Thief."
"Ale Thief?" Frodo laughed. "Then I'll get in trouble for something I didn't do!"
"No you won't," Merry shook his head. "You never do anything. They'll let you off with a warning at most."
"At most," Pippin repeated. "Now come on, let us tie you up."
"I can't believe I'm letting you guys do this," Frodo rolled his eyes as Pippin proceeded to tie Frodo's hands behind his back.
"Even if you didn't," Merry cocked his head and made a face. "We've got you outnumbered." He took the gag and slid it into Frodo's mouth.
*********************
Merry and Pippin tried to carefully navigate down the slippery hill. The pelting rain wasn't helping at all and because they had tied their captive's hands, they had to help him keep his balance.
"I think we're a little off coarse," Pippin tried to squint through the rain. "Merry, are you sure we came the right way?"
"Positive," Merry nodded. He began to look around as well.
"Mmmm, mmm, hmmmhmmm," Frodo tried to speak through the gag.
"Quiet, Frodo," Merry waved. He and Pippin each held one of Frodo's elbows. Suddenly, there was a sudden thwack sound as Frodo was lurched from their grasp.
"What was that?" Pippin asked. He reached out and felt around, the rain being so thick that he could barely see anything.
"Uh, Pippin," Merry spoke up.
"What?"
"That sound we heard,"
"Yeah?"
"I think it was a tree."
"A tree?" Pippin asked.
"Yeah, I feel a tree," Merry said. "I think we walked Frodo into a tree."
"How did we do that?" Pippin sputtered out water that had collected in his mouth.
"Well, we were each on either side of him so we passed on either side of the tree but Frodo ran into it."
"That must have been what he was trying to say," Pippin wiped his wet hair back. "Where is he?" He took a step backwards and fell over something. "Nevermind, I found him."
" I can see you guys now," Merry shouted. "The rain must be letting up."
"Merry," Pippin leaned over Frodo. "I think Frodo is unconscious."
"What?" Merry knelt down on the other side of Frodo. "This isn't good. If he's unconscious, our plan won't work. Let's get him back to the town and then decide what to do."
"What are we going to do?" Pippin looked up at Merry as his friend stood up. "Carry him?"
"I guess so, Pip," Merry sighed and cocked his head. "Come on."
TBC... There's more "FUN" to come!