Chapter 10
Draw Them Out
Erling got off his horse and approached a hobbit's house on a lonely hillside covered in green grasses and a round green wooden door. A small porthole was all that the house had of a window, it's occupant preferring the darkness rather than light. The only way a passer by could determine it was a hobbit hole was the line of clothes that hung on top of the hill just below the door.
Erling knocked on the door and it was not a long wait until a voice echoed from within. "What ye be want'n?" a gruff voice bellowed.
"Tis me, Erling, let me in you fool." Erling hissed with impatience.
The knob in the center of the door slowly creaked open to reveal it's occupant. The hobbit covered his eyes from the brightness of the afternoon glare of the hot beating sun. The brown shaggy haired hobbit with a large nose and deep-set eyes moved slightly to allow his visitor in. The thick wiry hair that was meant to be his brows almost looked like one single line growing across his forehead.
"The horses have arrived and I'll be needing your keen night eyes to locate the hobbits in the darkness." Erling told him, "I am planning on surprising them when they least expect it. I have gathered all the ruffian hobbits together and we'll be meeting you this evening near our Bywater camp."
"I'll be there right after sundown. You can count on me Erling. My pockets are most empty." The shaggy hobbit snickered hearing his plan.
"I am sending out a couple of my scouts to find their location and keep close eyes upon them until they reach Bywater. If we get the horses and get rid of the hobbits, all of our pockets will be filled full." Erling laughed thinking how easy all of this will be.
~*~
Estella took off her dress that Diamond gave her and a single tear dropped fell from her eye as she laid this on her bed. The dress was totally ruined with a large white faded spot just below the bodice. She would never wear this beautiful dress again. She looked in her closet at her green plain colored skirts and matching green vest that she usually worn as was the custom of most all hobbit woman. She would once again turn back into the plain everyday Estella. She tied her scarf around her neck and she almost grabbed the pins to fix her hair, as she was so use to doing. Only to put them down as she remembered what Merry told her about how beautiful her hair was around her shoulders. She put the pins down upon hearing someone knocking at her door and ran to answer it. It was Ester standing at her doorway in tears.
"Ester are you all right?" Estella wrapped her arms around the hobbit as she saw the tears flowing from her face.
"I need to talk to Merry right away, I must warn him." She said in between her sobs.
"Merry is not here, he has already left to get the horses, but you must tell me what has happened." Estella lead her into her house and shut the door.
The two hobbits talked for a time as Ester told her everything that has happened, but the part about her oldest son, she would save that for Berilac. Estella gasped when she told her of her mother's death by the hand of Erling.
"We must find them and warn them, but two hobbit woman traveling on the roads alone in the Shire would bring everyone's attention. Here put these on. This is Fredegar's clothing. We must hurry and dress." Estella rushed and her fingers fumbled tried to adjust the pants to stay on her small waist and hips. She found some pins and tightened the waistband. She put on Fredegar's most bulky clothing to hide her feminine shape. She was thankful that he lost all the weight that he did or these clothing would have just fallen off of her. She handed Ester a hooded cloak and tied it tightly around her neck to hide her long hair. Estella did like wise.
Estella was taller than Ester, so she road Erling's horse as her horse was much smaller and easier for Ester to ride. They took off in search of Merry and Berilac.
~*~
Merry smiled as he rode into the camp of Rohan and anticipated seeing Éomer again. He had missed his friend and the few years from being separated from him. Éomer stood as he recognized Merry leading the other hobbits towards him. He walked over to greet him when Merry jumped from his horse.
Éomer bent to his knee and grasp his arm in the familiar style that was known of Rohan in greeting his friend.
"Merry is it good to see you, you look no worse from the last time we parted." Éomer smiled looking down at Merry.
Berilac was amazed at seeing so many tall folk standing in one place and the different way that he greeted Merry that was so unusual for a hobbit. It made Berilac uneasy being in the company of these huge creatures in his eyes. He felt dwarfed even when sitting on his horse when the men walked by him. Even the size of their horses gave him a start from their size. He even imagined how big a plate of food these men would eat at a meal, well maybe not that unusual, since hobbits did enjoy a hefty size plate as well, he thought to himself.
Éomer stood and gestured his men to bring the miniature Palomino to show Merry how special these horses were. "This horse is a gift especially for you Merry, given by me and my people in respect of all you had done for Rohan. The other horses are equal to this one, but this horse is a little more special as you will see."
A man approached with a rope in his hand that was tied to the neck of a miniature Palomino. From a distance it looked more like a man walking a large dog. When the man turned the Palomino so Merry could see this horse up close, Merry was amazed at the magnificence of this very special beast.
The Palomino was a dapple-gray, almost looking a blue hue. The stallion pawed the ground and lifted itself on two hind legs as the long gray tail draped onto the ground. The gray mane flew in the air and Merry could see the gleam in its eyes that stated this horse had spirit unlike any other. On his behind were spots of darker gray that looked more like shadows and half way up on all four legs, were the color of black.
Merry thought about Shadowfax, Gandalf's magnificent horse that was like no other in all of Rohan, but this horse was equal in splendor. So Merry named him, Shadowspirit because of the shadows that adorn him and the spirit that raged inside this horse.
This was more than what Merry had hoped for in these miniature horses. This bloodline would create new strength in the existing bred of miniature horses that they already had. This was a treasure that the hobbits would have for all time.
Merry told Éomer how pleased he was and gave him the money he had promised for these horses, but he knew that Éomer could of gotten more. Éomer was a true friend and Merry felt so honored to have known him.
Merry looked back at Berilac and almost laughed seeing how apprehensive he was in getting too close to the men of Rohan. Merry thought to himself that if Berilac had joined him on the mission to destroy the ring, he would have quaked from his head to his toes, more so than what Pippin did from what they had encountered in their journey. Merry chuckled to himself thinking about this.
Éomer took the hobbits to see the other horses and there were twenty five to thirty miniature Palomino horses in the group they would bring to Buckland.
That evening they sat around the campfire and ate a meal with Éomer. Merry was surprised that in no time, Nibs was joking and teasing with the men of Rohan, but Berilac still sat uneasy next to them. When the meal ended they all slept close to the campfire, Berilac slept closest to Merry, just incase one of the tall folk would accidentally step on him during the night.
When morning came, Merry said his good-byes to Éomer, but Éomer made Merry promise if he ever got married that he had a special gift to give him that would be handed down to each member of Merry's future generations.
"I can not promise you if I would ever marry, but if I do Éomer, I promise to return to Rohan for a long visit." Merry shook his hand as they parted onto their own way.
Merry chose a couple of hobbits to go ahead and scout the countryside for the easiest path to take the horses. The other hobbits gathered around the herd and began to slowly move them within the boarders of the Shire.
Midway through the afternoon, one of the Cotton boys raced his horse up to Merry and told him that he saw a couple of hobbits camped a few miles ahead. He did not approach the hobbits that he saw, but only reported to Merry of their wear about.
Merry whistled for Berilac and Fredegar to join him in seeing who these hobbits were in the case that one of them could be Erling. It was far better to draw them out on their own terms, than rather wait for them to suddenly surprise them in an attack.
It did not take them too long before they found the camp that Merry's scouts told him about. They got off their horses and tied them to a nearby tree. Merry, Fredegar and Berilac peered looking down from atop of the hill from under some thick brushes. Merry could see two hobbits beginning to saddle their horses, one of the hobbits kicked dirt on the campfire extinguishing it. The long black cloak kept Merry from seeing who it was. One of the hobbits pointed in the direction of were Merry kept the horses and this convinced Merry that they were being followed.
Merry and his friend made their way quietly down the slop of the hill, dodging in between the trees and thick bushes. When the riders began to climb on their horses, Merry, Fredegar and Berilac sprung on the unexpected spies, knocking them to the ground with ease. Their long cloaks tangled as Merry and Berilac sat upon their captive's chest holding them down. Fredegar stood with his sword drawn in case they tried to escape.
The two figures squirmed and wiggled trying to get their attackers off them. Merry reached down and pulled the hood off the hobbit he sat upon. The long light brown hair fell across her face as she turned her head from side to side to see who sat upon her.
"You dirty, flithy dog, how dare you!" Estella scream in her fury, fighting with everything she had in her. Merry laughed as he instantly recognized the beautiful woman he held down with all of his strength. When her hair moved from her eyes, she was shocked to see Merry sitting on her.
"Dirty, filthy dog is it? Why, my lady you wound me deeply. I am neither." He said all the while forcing himself not to laugh all the harder. He immediately let her up.
She got to her elbows not letting her eyes leave the hobbit she observed as his cocky answer made her smile.
Berilac froze in shock as his captive began crying and sobbing under her hood. He too pulled the hood from her face to see his wife an emotional wreck. He put his arms around her immediately.
Merry offered his hand to help Estella to stand. While Berilac helped his wife up who immediately began babbling telling him everything she knew as fast as she could all the while sobbing. Which made no sense to him at all.
"Please calm down, my dear. What has happened and why are you dressed in men's clothing?" Berilac stood not knowing what to think as he gasped at his wife in shock.
Estella thinking her companion lost all of her composure, tried to explain to Merry also, but the length of their story became confusing as Merry was so distracted seeing Estella dressed in men's clothing.
"If you would just listen to me, I am trying to tell you that Erling is planning on taking the horses for himself and plans to kill you when you reach Bywater." Estella screamed at him trying to get him to focus on her words rather than his eyes moving up and down her frame.
This caught Merry's attention so he asked, "How would you know about his plans?"
Ester finally calmed enough to begin explaining, "Erling was blackmailing me, and he told me to get my husband to take the horses through Bywater. I had to lie to you Berilac, I had no choice, please forgive me!"
"How was he blackmailing you, what hold did he have on you that would make you do such a thing?" Berilac voice began to get angry and confused.
"After he killed my mother, I knew I had to tell you, Berilac." She tried to explain, but the tears began to fall from her eyes as she knew the next thing she would tell would totally break his heart.
"Hatty is dead!" both Merry and Berilac said at once in total shock.
Draw Them Out
Erling got off his horse and approached a hobbit's house on a lonely hillside covered in green grasses and a round green wooden door. A small porthole was all that the house had of a window, it's occupant preferring the darkness rather than light. The only way a passer by could determine it was a hobbit hole was the line of clothes that hung on top of the hill just below the door.
Erling knocked on the door and it was not a long wait until a voice echoed from within. "What ye be want'n?" a gruff voice bellowed.
"Tis me, Erling, let me in you fool." Erling hissed with impatience.
The knob in the center of the door slowly creaked open to reveal it's occupant. The hobbit covered his eyes from the brightness of the afternoon glare of the hot beating sun. The brown shaggy haired hobbit with a large nose and deep-set eyes moved slightly to allow his visitor in. The thick wiry hair that was meant to be his brows almost looked like one single line growing across his forehead.
"The horses have arrived and I'll be needing your keen night eyes to locate the hobbits in the darkness." Erling told him, "I am planning on surprising them when they least expect it. I have gathered all the ruffian hobbits together and we'll be meeting you this evening near our Bywater camp."
"I'll be there right after sundown. You can count on me Erling. My pockets are most empty." The shaggy hobbit snickered hearing his plan.
"I am sending out a couple of my scouts to find their location and keep close eyes upon them until they reach Bywater. If we get the horses and get rid of the hobbits, all of our pockets will be filled full." Erling laughed thinking how easy all of this will be.
~*~
Estella took off her dress that Diamond gave her and a single tear dropped fell from her eye as she laid this on her bed. The dress was totally ruined with a large white faded spot just below the bodice. She would never wear this beautiful dress again. She looked in her closet at her green plain colored skirts and matching green vest that she usually worn as was the custom of most all hobbit woman. She would once again turn back into the plain everyday Estella. She tied her scarf around her neck and she almost grabbed the pins to fix her hair, as she was so use to doing. Only to put them down as she remembered what Merry told her about how beautiful her hair was around her shoulders. She put the pins down upon hearing someone knocking at her door and ran to answer it. It was Ester standing at her doorway in tears.
"Ester are you all right?" Estella wrapped her arms around the hobbit as she saw the tears flowing from her face.
"I need to talk to Merry right away, I must warn him." She said in between her sobs.
"Merry is not here, he has already left to get the horses, but you must tell me what has happened." Estella lead her into her house and shut the door.
The two hobbits talked for a time as Ester told her everything that has happened, but the part about her oldest son, she would save that for Berilac. Estella gasped when she told her of her mother's death by the hand of Erling.
"We must find them and warn them, but two hobbit woman traveling on the roads alone in the Shire would bring everyone's attention. Here put these on. This is Fredegar's clothing. We must hurry and dress." Estella rushed and her fingers fumbled tried to adjust the pants to stay on her small waist and hips. She found some pins and tightened the waistband. She put on Fredegar's most bulky clothing to hide her feminine shape. She was thankful that he lost all the weight that he did or these clothing would have just fallen off of her. She handed Ester a hooded cloak and tied it tightly around her neck to hide her long hair. Estella did like wise.
Estella was taller than Ester, so she road Erling's horse as her horse was much smaller and easier for Ester to ride. They took off in search of Merry and Berilac.
~*~
Merry smiled as he rode into the camp of Rohan and anticipated seeing Éomer again. He had missed his friend and the few years from being separated from him. Éomer stood as he recognized Merry leading the other hobbits towards him. He walked over to greet him when Merry jumped from his horse.
Éomer bent to his knee and grasp his arm in the familiar style that was known of Rohan in greeting his friend.
"Merry is it good to see you, you look no worse from the last time we parted." Éomer smiled looking down at Merry.
Berilac was amazed at seeing so many tall folk standing in one place and the different way that he greeted Merry that was so unusual for a hobbit. It made Berilac uneasy being in the company of these huge creatures in his eyes. He felt dwarfed even when sitting on his horse when the men walked by him. Even the size of their horses gave him a start from their size. He even imagined how big a plate of food these men would eat at a meal, well maybe not that unusual, since hobbits did enjoy a hefty size plate as well, he thought to himself.
Éomer stood and gestured his men to bring the miniature Palomino to show Merry how special these horses were. "This horse is a gift especially for you Merry, given by me and my people in respect of all you had done for Rohan. The other horses are equal to this one, but this horse is a little more special as you will see."
A man approached with a rope in his hand that was tied to the neck of a miniature Palomino. From a distance it looked more like a man walking a large dog. When the man turned the Palomino so Merry could see this horse up close, Merry was amazed at the magnificence of this very special beast.
The Palomino was a dapple-gray, almost looking a blue hue. The stallion pawed the ground and lifted itself on two hind legs as the long gray tail draped onto the ground. The gray mane flew in the air and Merry could see the gleam in its eyes that stated this horse had spirit unlike any other. On his behind were spots of darker gray that looked more like shadows and half way up on all four legs, were the color of black.
Merry thought about Shadowfax, Gandalf's magnificent horse that was like no other in all of Rohan, but this horse was equal in splendor. So Merry named him, Shadowspirit because of the shadows that adorn him and the spirit that raged inside this horse.
This was more than what Merry had hoped for in these miniature horses. This bloodline would create new strength in the existing bred of miniature horses that they already had. This was a treasure that the hobbits would have for all time.
Merry told Éomer how pleased he was and gave him the money he had promised for these horses, but he knew that Éomer could of gotten more. Éomer was a true friend and Merry felt so honored to have known him.
Merry looked back at Berilac and almost laughed seeing how apprehensive he was in getting too close to the men of Rohan. Merry thought to himself that if Berilac had joined him on the mission to destroy the ring, he would have quaked from his head to his toes, more so than what Pippin did from what they had encountered in their journey. Merry chuckled to himself thinking about this.
Éomer took the hobbits to see the other horses and there were twenty five to thirty miniature Palomino horses in the group they would bring to Buckland.
That evening they sat around the campfire and ate a meal with Éomer. Merry was surprised that in no time, Nibs was joking and teasing with the men of Rohan, but Berilac still sat uneasy next to them. When the meal ended they all slept close to the campfire, Berilac slept closest to Merry, just incase one of the tall folk would accidentally step on him during the night.
When morning came, Merry said his good-byes to Éomer, but Éomer made Merry promise if he ever got married that he had a special gift to give him that would be handed down to each member of Merry's future generations.
"I can not promise you if I would ever marry, but if I do Éomer, I promise to return to Rohan for a long visit." Merry shook his hand as they parted onto their own way.
Merry chose a couple of hobbits to go ahead and scout the countryside for the easiest path to take the horses. The other hobbits gathered around the herd and began to slowly move them within the boarders of the Shire.
Midway through the afternoon, one of the Cotton boys raced his horse up to Merry and told him that he saw a couple of hobbits camped a few miles ahead. He did not approach the hobbits that he saw, but only reported to Merry of their wear about.
Merry whistled for Berilac and Fredegar to join him in seeing who these hobbits were in the case that one of them could be Erling. It was far better to draw them out on their own terms, than rather wait for them to suddenly surprise them in an attack.
It did not take them too long before they found the camp that Merry's scouts told him about. They got off their horses and tied them to a nearby tree. Merry, Fredegar and Berilac peered looking down from atop of the hill from under some thick brushes. Merry could see two hobbits beginning to saddle their horses, one of the hobbits kicked dirt on the campfire extinguishing it. The long black cloak kept Merry from seeing who it was. One of the hobbits pointed in the direction of were Merry kept the horses and this convinced Merry that they were being followed.
Merry and his friend made their way quietly down the slop of the hill, dodging in between the trees and thick bushes. When the riders began to climb on their horses, Merry, Fredegar and Berilac sprung on the unexpected spies, knocking them to the ground with ease. Their long cloaks tangled as Merry and Berilac sat upon their captive's chest holding them down. Fredegar stood with his sword drawn in case they tried to escape.
The two figures squirmed and wiggled trying to get their attackers off them. Merry reached down and pulled the hood off the hobbit he sat upon. The long light brown hair fell across her face as she turned her head from side to side to see who sat upon her.
"You dirty, flithy dog, how dare you!" Estella scream in her fury, fighting with everything she had in her. Merry laughed as he instantly recognized the beautiful woman he held down with all of his strength. When her hair moved from her eyes, she was shocked to see Merry sitting on her.
"Dirty, filthy dog is it? Why, my lady you wound me deeply. I am neither." He said all the while forcing himself not to laugh all the harder. He immediately let her up.
She got to her elbows not letting her eyes leave the hobbit she observed as his cocky answer made her smile.
Berilac froze in shock as his captive began crying and sobbing under her hood. He too pulled the hood from her face to see his wife an emotional wreck. He put his arms around her immediately.
Merry offered his hand to help Estella to stand. While Berilac helped his wife up who immediately began babbling telling him everything she knew as fast as she could all the while sobbing. Which made no sense to him at all.
"Please calm down, my dear. What has happened and why are you dressed in men's clothing?" Berilac stood not knowing what to think as he gasped at his wife in shock.
Estella thinking her companion lost all of her composure, tried to explain to Merry also, but the length of their story became confusing as Merry was so distracted seeing Estella dressed in men's clothing.
"If you would just listen to me, I am trying to tell you that Erling is planning on taking the horses for himself and plans to kill you when you reach Bywater." Estella screamed at him trying to get him to focus on her words rather than his eyes moving up and down her frame.
This caught Merry's attention so he asked, "How would you know about his plans?"
Ester finally calmed enough to begin explaining, "Erling was blackmailing me, and he told me to get my husband to take the horses through Bywater. I had to lie to you Berilac, I had no choice, please forgive me!"
"How was he blackmailing you, what hold did he have on you that would make you do such a thing?" Berilac voice began to get angry and confused.
"After he killed my mother, I knew I had to tell you, Berilac." She tried to explain, but the tears began to fall from her eyes as she knew the next thing she would tell would totally break his heart.
"Hatty is dead!" both Merry and Berilac said at once in total shock.
