Aurumlupi: Thanks for your very constructive reviews!
aelfgifu: Good name! Just tell me, does he get teased for it?
MiCKiS: Oh yea, I'm doing it now!
'You've got to eat some more, you're thin as a rail. Come on and take some mushrooms, there isn't a hobbit in the Shire who could say no to that!' Merry looked up. It felt strange when someone actually told him to eat more. Still he shook his head, he was actually full. Bilbo smiled.
'I suppose you have to get used to it before you can eat like you should. Frodo, Merry, the Bolgers are coming over later for tea, so why don't you go and wash yourselves up. Sam can be here too if he'd like to.' The hobbit's nodded and left the room.
****
'Aren't they coming soon, tea's almost ready!'
'Take it easy Frodo, they'll be here. Ah, there they are!' The Bolgers, being Rosamunda and Odovacar Bolger, with their two children, Fredegar "Fatty" and Estella. Frodo knew them very little, he had met them before but they were not exactly his friends. Besides, they were younger than him too, Fatty was 20 and Estella 15. They were Merry's and Sam's age, but Frodo just felt different about them.
'Hello Frodo. And who are you?' asked Estella while her parents went in to say hello to Bilbo.
'I'm Meriadoc, but you can call me Merry. You must be Estella?' Frodo couldn't help noticing Merry didn't use his surname. Not strange really, he thought, he would want to disown his family, well at least his father. Bilbo called them in, and during tea the parents/Bilbo spoke so much, the absence of the younger hobbits's talking weren't much noticed. Frodo noticed Estella was looking with much curiosity on Merry. Fredegar, who had also seen Estella's interest looked a little disturbed, but since he had not yet come of age, that was his parent's job. Besides, since it wasn't the opposite, that Merry looked at her, it wasn't such a big deal anyway. After tea, he started talking to Merry and Estella was left with Frodo.
'Who is he? He seems very shy, and so thin!' Frodo looked at her.
'Come on!' He took her to a small group of trees where he used to go sometimes when he wanted to be alone. It took only a few minutes to go there. When they arrived he looked down straight in her blue eyes.
'Estella, you must promise not to tell anyone.' When she nodded, he continued. 'Merry comes from Brandy Hall, his father is the master of Buckland, but he has been very badly treated. We actually kidnapped him a month ago, when he was in a hospital.' Estella's eyes were wide.
'Why was he in a hospital,' she breathed though she already knew the answer.
'His father had been beating him. He had a broken bone, it's almost fine now, but he still needs to take it a little easy.' He gripped her shoulders. 'Do you understand now why you can't tell anyone that he is here? The doctor told Merry's father that he had died, though it was quite unlikely, maybe he'll believe in it. Merry doesn't think so, but there is always hope. If people starts talking, he'll get to know Merry's here and then he'll have to go back.'
'My father slaps me or Fatty sometimes when we do something wrong, but he's never...abusive. Tell me, what had Merry done to be treated so badly he had to go to a hospital?' Frodo shook his head.
'Nothing. He is far too afraid of his father to do anything bad. He gets beaten anyway. Please don't go around feeling sorry for him, at least not so he notices. He's had enough of that, what he needs is a friend besides me and Sam. I think you'd be a great friend.' Estella's face lit up, the pity and sorrow was gone.
'Yes, I'd like to get to know him better, and I bet Fatty would like that too, seeing how he started to talk to him directly, not giving anyone else a chance. That would be good since Fredegar have a hard time getting friend's, they both kind of need each other. What do you say we'll go back. Frodo, do you think I should hide the fact that you told me about...all this?' The elder hobbit shook his head.
'No, I think it'll make it easier for him if you already knew. Just...don't try to talk to him about it, maybe later, but right now it's the "forgetting stadium".' Estella laughed.
'I bet you're making that up. "Forgetting stadium", eh? Get ready for a career as psychologist Frodo Baggins!
****
Merry was happy that Fatty seemed to want to make friends with him. He was nice and jolly, exactly what Merry needed. He just wondered where Frodo and Estella took off. Then he saw them coming. Estella turned to her brother.
'You've been talking to Merry the whole time now! Give someone else a chance.' Frodo took Fatty with him inside for a while, letting Estella be on her own with her new-found friend.
'Since you're new here, would you like me to show you around a little?' When he nodded, she immediately sat off. Merry followed her. After a while, when she had shown him the market-place, they came to a small grove. She turned to him, for the first time looking serious.
'Look, I don't know how to say this, but well...I know about your father.' He flinched, but stayed. 'I wont like, talk to you about it and stuff, unless you want to but I just wanted you to know I know.' Then her face looked happy again.
'I've heard Brandybucks often can swim, can you?' Merry nodded.
'Oh, couldn't you teach me, I've always wanted to learn, but I haven't ever known anyone who could. There's a small lake nearby.' Merry looked hesitant.
'I don't know if I can without the permission of your parents.' Estella just snorted.
'I'm old enough to make that decision on my own. Besides, they told me that if I could find anyone who could swim, I was allowed to be taught. Come on now!' She dragged Merry along until they arrived at the small lake. Merry looked hesitant at the water until he started to laugh a little.
'What?'
'I just realised we don't have any clothes to swim in, we'll have to do this another day.' Estella shrugged her shoulders.
'We can swim in our underwear, no one comes here anyway.' Then she realised.
'Oh, look, I already know so I know what I'll see underneath your clothes, I know your father hurt you.' Merry looked at her first, then sighed and removed his shirt. Even though she knew what to expect, she had to take a step back when she saw the cuts and bruises on his chest. She shook it off and thought he wouldn't have anymore of those here. After a minute, they were both in the water, they were both laughing hysterically, Merry tried to hold her up while she did the swimming strokes.
'I can't remember having these kinds of problems when I learned this!'
'Your father's a Brandybuck, you have it in your blood,' she panted. He stopped laughing and looked away.
'Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't think, I just...I didn't mean to...'
'No, it's okay. I have to get used to it, after all, he's not here anymore, or rather I'm not there right? Come on, try again now!'
****
'Why are you so wet, it isn't raining,' asked Rosamunda and frowned when Merry and Estella entered.
'Merry taught me to swim! Isn't it great?' Her parents nodded, happy that she had finally learned so she wouldn't nag about it anymore.'
'Come on, let's go and change!'
A/N I made a longer chapter this time, to compensate for the rather short one before. Please review!
aelfgifu: Good name! Just tell me, does he get teased for it?
MiCKiS: Oh yea, I'm doing it now!
'You've got to eat some more, you're thin as a rail. Come on and take some mushrooms, there isn't a hobbit in the Shire who could say no to that!' Merry looked up. It felt strange when someone actually told him to eat more. Still he shook his head, he was actually full. Bilbo smiled.
'I suppose you have to get used to it before you can eat like you should. Frodo, Merry, the Bolgers are coming over later for tea, so why don't you go and wash yourselves up. Sam can be here too if he'd like to.' The hobbit's nodded and left the room.
****
'Aren't they coming soon, tea's almost ready!'
'Take it easy Frodo, they'll be here. Ah, there they are!' The Bolgers, being Rosamunda and Odovacar Bolger, with their two children, Fredegar "Fatty" and Estella. Frodo knew them very little, he had met them before but they were not exactly his friends. Besides, they were younger than him too, Fatty was 20 and Estella 15. They were Merry's and Sam's age, but Frodo just felt different about them.
'Hello Frodo. And who are you?' asked Estella while her parents went in to say hello to Bilbo.
'I'm Meriadoc, but you can call me Merry. You must be Estella?' Frodo couldn't help noticing Merry didn't use his surname. Not strange really, he thought, he would want to disown his family, well at least his father. Bilbo called them in, and during tea the parents/Bilbo spoke so much, the absence of the younger hobbits's talking weren't much noticed. Frodo noticed Estella was looking with much curiosity on Merry. Fredegar, who had also seen Estella's interest looked a little disturbed, but since he had not yet come of age, that was his parent's job. Besides, since it wasn't the opposite, that Merry looked at her, it wasn't such a big deal anyway. After tea, he started talking to Merry and Estella was left with Frodo.
'Who is he? He seems very shy, and so thin!' Frodo looked at her.
'Come on!' He took her to a small group of trees where he used to go sometimes when he wanted to be alone. It took only a few minutes to go there. When they arrived he looked down straight in her blue eyes.
'Estella, you must promise not to tell anyone.' When she nodded, he continued. 'Merry comes from Brandy Hall, his father is the master of Buckland, but he has been very badly treated. We actually kidnapped him a month ago, when he was in a hospital.' Estella's eyes were wide.
'Why was he in a hospital,' she breathed though she already knew the answer.
'His father had been beating him. He had a broken bone, it's almost fine now, but he still needs to take it a little easy.' He gripped her shoulders. 'Do you understand now why you can't tell anyone that he is here? The doctor told Merry's father that he had died, though it was quite unlikely, maybe he'll believe in it. Merry doesn't think so, but there is always hope. If people starts talking, he'll get to know Merry's here and then he'll have to go back.'
'My father slaps me or Fatty sometimes when we do something wrong, but he's never...abusive. Tell me, what had Merry done to be treated so badly he had to go to a hospital?' Frodo shook his head.
'Nothing. He is far too afraid of his father to do anything bad. He gets beaten anyway. Please don't go around feeling sorry for him, at least not so he notices. He's had enough of that, what he needs is a friend besides me and Sam. I think you'd be a great friend.' Estella's face lit up, the pity and sorrow was gone.
'Yes, I'd like to get to know him better, and I bet Fatty would like that too, seeing how he started to talk to him directly, not giving anyone else a chance. That would be good since Fredegar have a hard time getting friend's, they both kind of need each other. What do you say we'll go back. Frodo, do you think I should hide the fact that you told me about...all this?' The elder hobbit shook his head.
'No, I think it'll make it easier for him if you already knew. Just...don't try to talk to him about it, maybe later, but right now it's the "forgetting stadium".' Estella laughed.
'I bet you're making that up. "Forgetting stadium", eh? Get ready for a career as psychologist Frodo Baggins!
****
Merry was happy that Fatty seemed to want to make friends with him. He was nice and jolly, exactly what Merry needed. He just wondered where Frodo and Estella took off. Then he saw them coming. Estella turned to her brother.
'You've been talking to Merry the whole time now! Give someone else a chance.' Frodo took Fatty with him inside for a while, letting Estella be on her own with her new-found friend.
'Since you're new here, would you like me to show you around a little?' When he nodded, she immediately sat off. Merry followed her. After a while, when she had shown him the market-place, they came to a small grove. She turned to him, for the first time looking serious.
'Look, I don't know how to say this, but well...I know about your father.' He flinched, but stayed. 'I wont like, talk to you about it and stuff, unless you want to but I just wanted you to know I know.' Then her face looked happy again.
'I've heard Brandybucks often can swim, can you?' Merry nodded.
'Oh, couldn't you teach me, I've always wanted to learn, but I haven't ever known anyone who could. There's a small lake nearby.' Merry looked hesitant.
'I don't know if I can without the permission of your parents.' Estella just snorted.
'I'm old enough to make that decision on my own. Besides, they told me that if I could find anyone who could swim, I was allowed to be taught. Come on now!' She dragged Merry along until they arrived at the small lake. Merry looked hesitant at the water until he started to laugh a little.
'What?'
'I just realised we don't have any clothes to swim in, we'll have to do this another day.' Estella shrugged her shoulders.
'We can swim in our underwear, no one comes here anyway.' Then she realised.
'Oh, look, I already know so I know what I'll see underneath your clothes, I know your father hurt you.' Merry looked at her first, then sighed and removed his shirt. Even though she knew what to expect, she had to take a step back when she saw the cuts and bruises on his chest. She shook it off and thought he wouldn't have anymore of those here. After a minute, they were both in the water, they were both laughing hysterically, Merry tried to hold her up while she did the swimming strokes.
'I can't remember having these kinds of problems when I learned this!'
'Your father's a Brandybuck, you have it in your blood,' she panted. He stopped laughing and looked away.
'Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't think, I just...I didn't mean to...'
'No, it's okay. I have to get used to it, after all, he's not here anymore, or rather I'm not there right? Come on, try again now!'
****
'Why are you so wet, it isn't raining,' asked Rosamunda and frowned when Merry and Estella entered.
'Merry taught me to swim! Isn't it great?' Her parents nodded, happy that she had finally learned so she wouldn't nag about it anymore.'
'Come on, let's go and change!'
A/N I made a longer chapter this time, to compensate for the rather short one before. Please review!