Disclaimer: I own the recipe for Verlag Swishers! No takey! You're welcome to make 'em yourself, but don't give the idea for your own. Remember, I have the power to sue! Oh, and another ownership right for the Hallfaux clan. I own 'em!

A/N: In this chapter, you'll meet Laurel, Asphodel, and Oliden(Ah-luh-den) Hallfaux(Hall-fox). The Hallfauxes live on the western shore of the River Brandywine [Baranduin], by the Marish. This chapter contains lots of speaking parts, and not much action. Also, I do not know where Farmer Maggot's field is located, so I have done my best to guess. I'm following the map in my hardback version of the LOTR trilogy, and it makes no mention of the field. So I wouldn't know if it was the Green Hill Country or Woodend, which would be way too far, or if it was near the Old Forest. If anyone could tell me the location of Farmer Maggot's field, I'll give you credit in this chapter when I update it with that information.


"…And he's such a little pest! Can you believe it?"
"Well, Merry. Seems like you've been too hard on Pippin. He's only five, after all. And you're almost thirteen. Oh, I'd forgotten! What about that party?"
"No party. Mum says that with Pippin about, it's impossible. There would be too many tweenagers around, and Pippin might feel left out or something. A lot of posh if you ask me."
"Don't say posh, Merry, it's not proper. And besides, you're being unfair. You'd have to understand that--"
"SH! Did you hear that?"
"What?"
"Someone's following us. If that's Pippin, I'll--"
"Relax, Mer. Pip's at Brandy Hall, Bilbo's telling him a story, remember? Even he couldn't pass that chance up."
"Right. Look, Frodo! There's the field! Come on!" Merry shot off down the lane, with Frodo following close behind. The two of them entered the large farm field, their first stop, each of them with two sacks in tow. The field had been abandoned some time ago, but vegetables still grew there, as if some silent and invisible magic kept them alive. Quickly, the two hobbit lads collected carrots, lettuce and some mushrooms and filled the sacks up. When the sacks were filled, they hauled them over their shoulders and started down the large hill that overlooked the Baranduin River, otherwise known as the River Brandywine. One of the hobbits who lived along the shore had several dogs, not terribly vicious, for their barks were much worse than their bite. They were loud and bothersome, but practically harmless. They howled mercilessly as Frodo and Merry slid down the hill, so Merry threw a couple of carrots over the fence and the dogs paid no more attention to Merry or Frodo, but instead to the carrots, which they attacked. With a laugh, Merry led the way down the hill and spotted the ferry, bobbing over little waves in the water.
"Look! C'mon Frodo, let's load the vegetables on, and then we'll be off." Merry said. The two of them hauled the four sacks onto the ferry, and were just about to get the ropes, when a small figure burst into the clearing.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIT!!!" It was Pippin.
"GO HOME!" Merry exclaimed, angry that the smaller Hobbit had followed them. "You're supposed to be at home!"
"I wanted to see where you were going. And I was going to run back when I heard the dogs. They scared me. And then…then I fell down the hill and got lost. I followed you. Please, Merry!"
"No," Merry said roughly. "Go back to Brandy Hall. Now. Mum'll be really worried when she finds out you're gone."
"PLEEEEEEEEEASE?" Pippin said, putting on a puppy-dog look.
"Oh, be a good cousin, now, Mer." Frodo said. "Let Pippin come with us. Besides, I'd like to get to know him. Come along, Pippin, hop on." Frodo offered Pippin a smile, and to Merry, a shrug. Merry knew better than to go against Frodo, so he unanchored the ferry, grabbed the oar and began to paddle.
"You can come alone, but don't you dare touch our vegetables."
"Merry!" Frodo exclaimed, surprised at his cousin's rudeness.
"It's ok, I've got my own." Pippin said, bringing out several carrots and a whole head of lettuce that he'd hidden cleverly under his shirt and vest. Merry wanted to gape, but he shut his mouth, and started ahead angrily, mumbling to himself.

For the first half hour of their trip, all three young Hobbits were relatively silent. Frodo made several attempts at conversation, but the talk died almost instantly. Also, they had eaten all their food already, and Pippin started whining that he was still hungry. Merry snapped at him to be quiet, and told him that if he didn't, they were going to throw him overboard. Pippin was quiet for awhile, but he couldn't resist an urge to ask a question.
"Where are we going, Merry?" Pippin asked. Merry didn't respond. Frodo laughed at his stubborn young cousin, and patted Pippin on the shoulder.
"To the Overbourn Marshes. It's a fair long journey, but it's wonderful. We've been doing this almost three years, since Merry learned to operate the ferry when he was ten. Your uncle Saradoc told us about the great treasures left by travelers in the marshes, and we've been exploring it. So far, we've found--"
"Frodo! Don't go telling our secrets!" Merry cried out. "Especially not to a blabbermouth like Pippin!" That was not entirely fair, as Pippin had done nothing at all to Merry to warrant such a labeling. At least, not yet.
"I'd like to learn to "opiate" a ferry, too." Pippin said.
"Not this one!" Merry snapped. "This is the Brandybuck ferry. No Took has ever picked up an oar on this ferry. And it's "operate," not "opiate". You're even stupider than other hobbits!"
"Oh, come on Merry, let him alone. He's only five! Besides, remember, you're a Took. Your mother's a Took, remember?"
"Shut up, Frodo!" Merry exclaimed, hotly. "My dad's a Brandybuck, though and that's what counts. I'm a Brandybuck on the side that counts, that's what I meant. He," Merry said, jabbing a finger at Pippin, "is a Took on the side that counts for him, so there you are."
"Yes, Merry, but--" At that moment, Frodo stopped, and Merry stopped rowing the ferry. On the opposite shore, two small girl Hobbits with pigtails and pink flowery dresses were jumping up and down, yelling, and a third Hobbit, a boy, was flailing about in the water.
"HELP!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!! SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" The boy was screaming.
Thinking fast, Merry, displaying himself every inch a Brandybuck, dove into the water and swam over to the boy. He grabbed the boy's shirt and dragged him over to the ferry. Frodo hauled the boy onto the ferry, and then grabbed Merry's hand and pulled him up firmly. The boy sat and coughed up water. Merry took back his oar, and rowed over to where the two girls were. The boy scampered up on shore, gasping for breath. Frodo jumped from the ferry to make sure the boy was alright, and little Pippin, curious, followed. Merry rowed the ferry closer to the shore and anchored it. The two girls tackled the boy with a massive hug, and the boy nearly died of shock.
"Laur! Asphodel! That HURTS!" The boy squeaked. When they let him go, he rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at them. "Sisters," he groaned.
"Oh, thank you!" The taller of the two girls said, throwing her arms around Merry, who tried to back away--no avail. The girl squeezed him in a tight hug, and then let him go to check on the boy. Frodo edged closer to watch, and Pippin took* Frodo's hand and peered around his elder cousin's leg.
"Are you alright?" Frodo asked the boy, who was sitting with his legs straight out, leaning back on his hands, still sputtering a little.
"I'm fine. Thanks, though! I told you that we shouldn't have come here!" He said, directing his last comment to his sisters.
"Well you--"
"Laurel! Ollie! You ought to be ashamed. We haven't even found out who saved your life, Ollie, and you're being impolite and arguing! Do you know how ashamed Mum would be of us?" She turned to the three boys. "I'm Asphodel Hallfaux. This is my sister, Laurel, and my brother Oliden, though they go by Laur and Ollie. We're from Great Fox Hall, by the Marish. Who're you?"
"I'm Frodo Baggins, from Hobbiton. These are my cousins. This is Peregrin Took, from the Great Smials, and this is Meriadoc Brandybuck, from Brandy Hall--"
"It's Merry to most, though." Merry interrupted.
"I'm Pippin!" cried Pippin. Laurel squealed, and scooped Pippin up into her arms.
"Oh, you're so adorable!" She exclaimed. Pippin was shrieked and began giggling madly. Merry rolled his eyes in disgust, but Frodo kicked him and silenced him with a look.
"What are you doing up here? The Marish is a ways from here, isn't it? How'd you come to be up here?"
"It's a long story," Laurel said, putting Pippin back on his feet. "It's Ollie's fault."
"IT IS NOT! You're the ones who wanted to come down here! 'Let's go and see if we can see the Brandywine Bridge!' I said it wouldn't be good idea, but you didn't listen!"
"The Brandywine Bridge?" Merry said. He laughed. "Oh, that's near 30 miles from here. You'd have spent ages getting there." Merry laughed again, thinking himself wonderful with all his knowledge of the Ferry and its waters.
"I told them, though." Ollie said, sticking his tongue out at his sisters.
"Oliden Hallfaux!" gasped Asphodel. "You'd better stop that this instant! You'll give off a bad impression to our new friends!"
Laurel rolled her eyes at her sister, turned to Frodo and Merry. "Why are you out here?"
"We're going to the Overb--" Frodo started, but Merry jabbed him in the stomach.
"We were just going up the river, that's all."
"No, Merry, you said to the Overboure Marshes, to get some treasure!" Pippin said.
"Peregrin Took, you little--" Merry clenched his teeth and balled up his fists, but Frodo held him back. Pippin scampered behind Laurel's legs and whimpered. Asphodel found this extremely funny, and giggled.
"Are they jealous of one another?" she asked.
"Yes, very. Or rather Merry is of Pippin. Come here, now, Pip, to me. Merry won't bother you." Frodo said. Cautiously, Pippin hurried over Frodo, wrapping his arms around Frodo's legs. Ollie hopped up onto his feet.
"Treasure, though? Really?"
"No." Merry said, to the point. "That's the rumours, but there isn't any. I told him that to keep him quiet. He's a pest."
"I think he's cute!" Laurel said. She went over and bent down next to Pippin, but there was a horrid growling sound, and she jumped back and fell over. Pippin giggled, however.
"My tummy!" he said, laughing, but at once became serious. "I'm hungry!"
"You haven't any food, I see." Asphodel said, helping her sister to her feet. "Would you come with us to Great Fox Hall? Our mum's making us a fresh batch of Verlag Swishers!" She received blank looks from Merry, Frodo and even little Pippin, so laughed.
"It's our favourite dessert!" She said, as thought it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Mum puts in butter and brown sugar and caramel and heats it on a sauce pan and then pours it into a pan and lets it harden and cool off and then she cuts it, and we have it.** It's delicious! You'd love it!"
"Please, Frodo? Can we?" Pippin cried, hopping up and down from one foot to the other, giving the puppy-dog look.
"We have to get home, Frodo. We're going to--"
"We'd love to," Frodo said, kicking Merry, half in revenge for Merry elbowing him in the stomach earlier, half to get his cousin to show some manners.
"Jolly!" said Ollie. "Come on, then! I'll led the way!"

A/N: *(Uh, this happened by accident, but my friend, who was reading it while I wrote it, pointed out that the word "took" comes after Pippin's name. Pippin Took. Haha.)
** Part of the recipe for blondies, which are kinda like brownies. My cousin and I tasted the butter/brown sugar/caramel when my mom was making them, and they were yum. So we made our own, but just with those ingredients, and we let them harden. They're really rich and sugary, but it's yummers.