TTTurtle - There are a lot of things that could happen when Frodo reaches
Bree - both good and bad.
Aelfgifu - Glad you liked Saradoc and Merry's little talk. Merry is a bit peevish about the fact that nobody but he and Bilbo think Frodo's absence is a problem.
Krista - Thank you for your kind words yet again! I'm glad you like the new characters. They'll be around in the next few chapters and in a few more, we'll introduce another new one.
Trust No One - Agonizing indeed! The main reason Bargo and Reginard haven't fallen under any serious suspicion is that everyone thinks they've stopped tormenting Frodo. In fact, they never stopped, but instead just intimidated Frodo into keeping it to himself. Poor lad!
FantasyFan - Don't worry on Merry's account! Giving up is the farthest thing from his mind. And Bilbo - he's peeved. Read on!
Aratlithiel - I did add more to chapter 7 since you saw it, especially the part with Saradoc and Merry's discussion. More suspense ahead!
Endymion - We'll just have to see how long it will be before Bargo and Reginard start bragging! Right now, nobody has any idea where Frodo is, though.
Lotrseer3350 - Good comments and concerns in your review. To answer your question, there are some things I just won't let happen to Frodo, and you can read on with the assurance that our dear lad will not have to deal abuse of a sexual nature in this fic.
Merryfrodolover - Thanks for joining us! To tell the truth, I don't have the final chapters completed yet. I'm working my way into the move to Hobbiton right now, and I do hope to have Frodo and Merry maintain what closeness they can despite the distance. If there isn't much in this story with an older Merry and Frodo, that might give rise to a sequel. You never know about those plotbunnies!
Ilmare - Welcome! Thanks for your review. Those bullies do need a smack and a little decency wouldn't hurt the Big Folk either!
Daisy Brambleburr - Your story will gain more reviews, I'm sure! I feel very fortunate that everyone has been so generous here so far. Do you hear that, everyone? Daisy has a new fic! I just read the summary and it looks good! As to some of your speculations, you're on the right track, but no rangers. There are good folk in Bree as well as bad, though!
Camellia Gamgee - Took - I'm glad you liked the description of Merry looking in the library. I worked in libraries all through my college years, and I was just remembering what they were like early in the morning before the students crowded in. Let's see if we can't talk Saradoc into doing something, shall we?
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Chapter 8 - The Search Begins
~*~Brandy Hall, Buckland, evening~*~
Afternoon tea had passed and supper had ended without any sign of Frodo. Bilbo strode purposefully down the hall, headed for Saradoc's study. He fully intended to demand that a thorough search be undertaken, and the sooner the better.
The Master of Buckland was seated behind his writing desk scratching away with a quill pen at a ledger as a thin wisp of smoke curled upward from his pipe. He looked up and smiled as Bilbo rapped on the doorframe with one knuckle to get his attention.
"Bilbo, come in! Please, make yourself comfortable." Saradoc rose from behind the desk, and took a chair next to the one Bilbo had chosen. "You look like you've something on your mind."
"Indeed I do, Sara." Bilbo's voice lacked its usual humor and crispness. "Rather, I have someone on my mind."
"Hmmm, yes. Frodo." Saradoc tapped his pipe against his knee and regarded Bilbo levelly. "Merry has already voiced his concern with his absence." He stopped tapping the pipe and laid it down on the desktop instead. "Do you mean to tell me he hasn't made an appearance yet?" Saradoc had been working in his study for most of the day and had taken his supper there as well. "Frodo must indeed be troubled by something to stay away by himself for this long," he said, considering.
"He does this kind of thing often then?" Bilbo was not surprised that Frodo would like to have some time alone every now and then, but the idea of him disappearing for hours on end without leaving word seemed unlike the boy. Merry thought so too, and who at Brandy Hall knew Frodo's habits better?
"No, not often, but there have been other incidents," Saradoc informed him. "He once fell asleep while reading in the shade and he didn't come in until well after dark. He was hungry for having missed his supper and a bit embarrassed, but none the worse for wear." Saradoc shook his head. "He's such a quiet one, it's a battle trying to get him to open up about anything that might be weighing on him," he explained, gesturing impatiently.
"And what would be weighing on the lad, Sara?" Bilbo said, his gaze steadily holding that of the Master of the Hall. "The fact that the other lads, particularly the older ones, seem to be targeting him for all manner of abuse, or perhaps the fact that the adults fail to notice?" He continued briskly before Saradoc could get a word in. "Indeed, it seems he escapes the notice of most of you rather easily, unless he's in trouble of one kind or another."
"Now, Bilbo, I think that's a little dramatic, don't you?" Saradoc's voice was even and measured. "Frodo hasn't spoken of any more trouble with those boys since that incident a few years ago. They were dealt with, and the matter is closed." He spread his hands out before him in a gesture of finality. "Frodo keeps to himself by and large, and speaks very little of what he thinks or feels. Our Merry is one of the very few who can get him to talk about things."
"Yes, Merry is Frodo's closest companion, it's true," Bilbo conceded. "And Merry should know when something about Frodo's behavior is out of the ordinary, such as his absence today." He rose and began to pace to and fro. "He has been gone far too long without word, and I want a search to be commenced."
"A search, mobilizing the entire Hall? Surely that would be overreacting at this point, Bilbo." Saradoc spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "A lad his age will follow his impulses to the exclusion of logic, and if he feels the impulse to disappear for the better part of the day, nothing I can do will keep him from it."
"So you think he's just out there enjoying himself and he'll be turning up abashed and hungry at midnight?" Bilbo said, his voice filled with disbelief.
"That may very well be the case, Bilbo." Saradoc resumed his chair behind the writing desk. "I don't think it's necessary to commence a search just yet. Besides, it's getting dark out. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll turn up."
Bilbo favored him with a sour look. "If it were Merry, would you wait then?" His voice was perhaps a little sharper than he had intended, but the thought would not be left unspoken.
"That is an unfair question, Bilbo, and you know it!" Saradoc pointed the quill pen at Bilbo and continued, "You know that Merry is a sensible lad and not given to dashing off on his own in such a manner. If he were to do so, it would certainly be cause for concern."
"To each his own concern, Sara," Bilbo said bitterly. "My concern is Frodo." He placed his palms upon the desktop and leaned closer to Saradoc, choosing his words with care. "And my concern is growing daily. I'm beginning to think Brandy Hall is a less than suitable environment for him."
"And you suggest something else? Bag End, perhaps?" Saradoc's eyes narrowed as they met Bilbo's. "You are suggesting that you would be a more fit guardian for Frodo than Esmie and I?" He shook his head. "Bilbo, you have no experience in raising children. Esmie and I look after any number of young lads and lasses who are fostered here in pursuit of a trade. They can be quite a handful at times, especially the tweens."
"That is my point exactly, Sara. There are so many of them here, and there isn't any possibility that you and Esmie can run the Hall and spend time with all of them." Bilbo's tone had begun to soften somewhat. "Frodo needs someone who will be able to spend time with him, and who will listen when he needs to talk. He needs space of his own, a place where he feels safe and loved. I can give him those things, Sara."
"There's no use deciding his fate in his absence, Bilbo," Saradoc responded tiredly. "Let us wait to discuss such matters until he has returned from his wanderings. This is not something to be rushed into, I'm sure you agree."
"Oh, yes. I do agree," Bilbo said. "If I were at all inclined to rush this particular matter, Frodo would have been at Bag End years ago, not wandering about Eru knows where!" Frustrated and angry, Bilbo was ready to end the conversation for the present. Even so, Frodo had better show up soon, or Bilbo would organize the search himself.
"Peace, Bilbo! I assure you, I share your concern for Frodo. If he doesn't wander in soon, we shall go and find him. He has always returned in his own good time, and I believe he will do so again," Saradoc stated matter - of - factly.
"Let us hope, for his sake, that you are correct," Bilbo said, and showed himself to the door. The meeting had gone less productively than he had hoped, and he felt at a loss for the moment. He was growing more and more certain that he must act, and soon, if he wanted to prevent Frodo from suffering serious consequences for the lack of attention he received at the Hall.
~*~The Bree Road, evening~*~
"We'll stop here for the night," Dolan said as they rode into a clearing a short distance off the main road. They had ridden all through the day, and Frodo was tired and dusty. He had nearly nodded off several times during the journey, but every time he was on the verge of sleep, he would be jostled back to awareness by a sudden change in the gait of the horse, or by Fergus' arm tightening around his midsection. He was almost certain Fergus had squeezed him on purpose, just to see him jump.
Fergus lifted him up and passed him down to Dolan. His legs felt weak from disuse and his arms ached from being held behind him for hours on end. Dolan guided him as he stumbled away from the horses to where the packs and bedrolls had been piled. He was deposited on the ground next to the packs, as if he himself were no more than mere baggage.
Dolan removed Frodo's gag and began digging in one of the packs. He pulled out a water flask and held it to the hobbit's lips, tilting it back so he could drink. "Not much farther now," he commented idly. "Another day and a half or so, if we make good time, two days if we don't." Frodo didn't respond. "Ever been to Bree, halfling?" Dolan asked him.
"No. I've never been anywhere," Frodo said wearily. He noted that the men had yet to use his name, although he had given it to them. It was unlikely that he would hear it uttered by either of them, since saying it would make him someone. Eru forbid they should suddenly discover that their captive had a soul and sensibilities.
"We'll, that's no surprise," Dolan said with a chuckle. "You Shire Folk aren't much for traveling, are you?"
For some reason Frodo found the question rather irritating. "My uncle has traveled quite far," he replied. "He's been all the way to Mirkwood and back, and other places besides." He was willing to bet that Bilbo had traveled farther abroad than either of the men.
"That so? Your uncle too busy traveling to look after you?" Dolan said, his voice betraying no emotion. Frodo couldn't tell if the man was genuinely curious or merely baiting him for the sake of amusement.
"My uncle is not my guardian," Frodo said blandly. He volunteered nothing further, not wishing to discuss the people he loved and missed with one who kept him from them. He was almost relieved when the conversation was interrupted by Fergus, returning from settling the horses for the night.
His relief was short - lived however, as the man grabbed his arms and hauled him over to a nearby tree. He settled Frodo against it and began to bind him securely against the trunk. "That oughtta hold ye," he commented as he gave the knots a final tug. "Can't 'ave ye wanderin' off, now can we?"
The man's lilting accent lent an air of mirth to his voice, making him sound as if he found Frodo's situation somehow amusing. Frodo was increasingly unimpressed by what passed for Fergus' sense of humor and he looked away angrily.
"That's an awful big frown fer such a little face," the man quipped, chucking Frodo under the chin. "I'm beginnin' to think ye don't like us or somethin'."
"I don't," Frodo said simply.
The comment brought a loud burst of laughter from the man. When he had recovered sufficiently, he prodded Frodo sharply with a forefinger. "Oh, but I could get to like ye, and I have some friends who'd like ye too." Fergus stood up and walked back over to unload more items from the packs.
"D'ye hear that, Dolan? 'E don't like us, 'e says." Fergus gestured toward Frodo. "I say we keep 'im fer ourselves. We could make a tidy sum off 'im, an' 'e can keep us company as well," the man said, quirking his eyebrows suggestively.
"Aww, piss off, Fergus," Dolan groused. "I'm not about to take on another mouth to feed, whether he's earning his keep or not." He punctuated the statement by tossing an apple at Fergus, who caught in neatly. "Besides, I know you're just saying those things to rile him up."
"Maybe I am an' maybe I ain't," Fergus replied, crunching on the apple. "It's a spot o' fun makin' 'im wonder innit?"
"We didn't take him on for fun," Dolan reminded him rather sternly. "If we want to get our money's worth for him, it would be to our best advantage to leave off," he warned, looking sternly at his cohort.
Frodo had heard enough of the conversation to know he didn't want to hear any more. Eru, but these two were almost enough to make him miss Bargo and Reginard! At least their behavior was predictable. Well, mostly predictable. Frodo had never dreamed they'd go so far as to do this to him.
Despite his discomfort, Frodo began to give in to his weariness, and he closed his eyes. Dolan walked away from the clearing to heed the call of nature, and Frodo was startled back to alertness by Fergus' voice almost at his ear.
"Y'know what I said 'bout thinkin' we oughtta keep ye?" He paused, twirling one of Frodo's curls between his fingers. "I meant it."
Frodo's eyes popped open wide at that statement, and remained that way well into the night.
~*~Morning, Brandy Hall, Buckland~*~
Bilbo had barged into Saradoc's study before breakfast and demanded that the search begin in earnest. When Frodo had not appeared at supper the previous evening, it had been too dark to begin looking again. In a way, Bilbo had enjoyed the look on Saradoc's face when the news reached him. Upon hearing that Frodo had still not returned during the night, he had actually paled somewhat and managed to appear rather concerned.
Most of the adults and tweens had spread out across the area, and were searching the nearby woods and fields, shouting Frodo's name. Merry's expression was one of thinly veiled anger and sorrow, and Bilbo placed a comforting hand on the lad's shoulder.
"Merry, you're a good lad. Frodo couldn't ask for a better friend at the Hall," he praised the youngster next to him. "I must ask you something, and I need you to answer truthfully." Seeing that he had Merry's attention, Bilbo continued. "Has Frodo ever run away? Has he ever been gone this long without leaving word?"
"No, Uncle Bilbo, he hasn't," Merry said gravely. "I can't lie and tell you that Frodo is always happy here," Merry said with a sad look at Bilbo. "What I can tell you is that Frodo isn't the kind to run away."
Bilbo nodded. "I agree. I've never known Frodo to take flight. I've seen him bear far more than he should without giving back, but I've never seen him cut and run."
"You really love Frodo a lot, don't you Uncle Bilbo?" Merry asked quietly.
"I do indeed, Meriadoc," he replied rather wistfully. "When Frodo was born, it was quite an event," Bilbo said, smiling at the memory. "Drogo and Prim wanted a child so badly, and it was years before Frodo arrived. They were beginning to think it wasn't to be."
Bilbo remembered the exciting news of Frodo's birth and how the proud father had been awed by his first glimpse of the tiny babe that looked up at him with enormous blue eyes. Frodo had been very small when he was born, but very strong and healthy.
"They were good parents, Merry. They loved Frodo with all their hearts and their every thought was for him." Bilbo's voice betrayed his sadness as he spoke. "Their passing was so unexpected, and nothing had been planned for Frodo in the case of something happening."
"So he came to Brandy Hall," Merry finished. "Frodo doesn't talk about it very much, and I don't ask him," he said quietly. "I know he feels somehow different from the rest of us and he's lonely sometimes."
Merry sighed, feeling rather stung as he thought of Frodo running away from the Hall. Didn't Frodo have any idea how much it would hurt Merry if he did? Merry pushed the thought away, feeling selfish for ever entertaining it. It didn't matter what he felt right now. It only mattered that they find Frodo and find him safe.
They searched long into the day and by evening, everyone was tired, hungry and thirsty. Supper was served amid the clatter of utensils and murmur of bits of speculative conversation. Merry tried to close himself off from it so he wouldn't have to hear the same statements again and again.
"I knew it would happen sooner or later," someone was saying. "He's bolted, if you ask me," another voice declaimed.
"Wastin' their time out lookin' for the stupid little rat. It's almost funny." Reginard's voice reached Merry's ears and he clenched his fists so tight it hurt. He rose from his chair and walked to the table where Reginard and Bargo were lounging with some other boys.
"Why, Reginard?" Merry said, his voice hard.
"Why what, Brandybrat?" The older lad shot back, eyeing Merry as if he were some kind of insect. "Don't you have something important to do like hunting for that runaway cousin of yours?"
"Why have you been so hateful to Frodo? If Frodo ran away, it was your doing!" Merry accused. "Why did you have to make him suffer like that? What did he ever do to you, anyway?"
Bargo jumped in. "Your precious cousin was a burden to everyone around him, Brandybuck. You know he was a worthless twit and nobody wanted him around anyway. They're all out looking for him because they just don't want your pa to know they don't care."
Merry was furious. "If anyone should know about being worthless, Bargo, it's you! Did you really come to the Hall to learn a trade, or did your parents just send you here to be rid of you?"
Reginard stood and began to reach across the table to grab Merry's weskit. Merry was faster, though. He wrapped his hand around a mug on the table and threw its contents directly into the older lad's sneering face.
"You're pond scum, Brandybuck," Reginard snarled. "You'd best be watching your back, 'cause you're mine now."
Merry ignored the threat and turned on his heel, leaving Reginard sputtering in rage. He would be sure to catch it for that stunt he'd just pulled, but he couldn't help himself. He wasn't a half - pint lad anymore, and he wasn't afraid to stand up to Reginard and Bargo. He wished he'd decked them both on the spot for the things they'd said about Frodo.
Across the room, Bilbo looked on in silence. He hadn't been able to hear any of the conversation, but he knew there were only a few things that could make Merry so angry. One of them was someone insulting or trying to harm Frodo. He locked gazes with the tweens and gave them a look that said, 'I'm watching you, and don't you forget it.'
The boys looked back at him haughtily, as if daring him to do something about them and their behavior. What ever happened to respecting your elders? They'd learn some respect if Bilbo had anything to do with it.
~*~ To be continued~*~
Aelfgifu - Glad you liked Saradoc and Merry's little talk. Merry is a bit peevish about the fact that nobody but he and Bilbo think Frodo's absence is a problem.
Krista - Thank you for your kind words yet again! I'm glad you like the new characters. They'll be around in the next few chapters and in a few more, we'll introduce another new one.
Trust No One - Agonizing indeed! The main reason Bargo and Reginard haven't fallen under any serious suspicion is that everyone thinks they've stopped tormenting Frodo. In fact, they never stopped, but instead just intimidated Frodo into keeping it to himself. Poor lad!
FantasyFan - Don't worry on Merry's account! Giving up is the farthest thing from his mind. And Bilbo - he's peeved. Read on!
Aratlithiel - I did add more to chapter 7 since you saw it, especially the part with Saradoc and Merry's discussion. More suspense ahead!
Endymion - We'll just have to see how long it will be before Bargo and Reginard start bragging! Right now, nobody has any idea where Frodo is, though.
Lotrseer3350 - Good comments and concerns in your review. To answer your question, there are some things I just won't let happen to Frodo, and you can read on with the assurance that our dear lad will not have to deal abuse of a sexual nature in this fic.
Merryfrodolover - Thanks for joining us! To tell the truth, I don't have the final chapters completed yet. I'm working my way into the move to Hobbiton right now, and I do hope to have Frodo and Merry maintain what closeness they can despite the distance. If there isn't much in this story with an older Merry and Frodo, that might give rise to a sequel. You never know about those plotbunnies!
Ilmare - Welcome! Thanks for your review. Those bullies do need a smack and a little decency wouldn't hurt the Big Folk either!
Daisy Brambleburr - Your story will gain more reviews, I'm sure! I feel very fortunate that everyone has been so generous here so far. Do you hear that, everyone? Daisy has a new fic! I just read the summary and it looks good! As to some of your speculations, you're on the right track, but no rangers. There are good folk in Bree as well as bad, though!
Camellia Gamgee - Took - I'm glad you liked the description of Merry looking in the library. I worked in libraries all through my college years, and I was just remembering what they were like early in the morning before the students crowded in. Let's see if we can't talk Saradoc into doing something, shall we?
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Chapter 8 - The Search Begins
~*~Brandy Hall, Buckland, evening~*~
Afternoon tea had passed and supper had ended without any sign of Frodo. Bilbo strode purposefully down the hall, headed for Saradoc's study. He fully intended to demand that a thorough search be undertaken, and the sooner the better.
The Master of Buckland was seated behind his writing desk scratching away with a quill pen at a ledger as a thin wisp of smoke curled upward from his pipe. He looked up and smiled as Bilbo rapped on the doorframe with one knuckle to get his attention.
"Bilbo, come in! Please, make yourself comfortable." Saradoc rose from behind the desk, and took a chair next to the one Bilbo had chosen. "You look like you've something on your mind."
"Indeed I do, Sara." Bilbo's voice lacked its usual humor and crispness. "Rather, I have someone on my mind."
"Hmmm, yes. Frodo." Saradoc tapped his pipe against his knee and regarded Bilbo levelly. "Merry has already voiced his concern with his absence." He stopped tapping the pipe and laid it down on the desktop instead. "Do you mean to tell me he hasn't made an appearance yet?" Saradoc had been working in his study for most of the day and had taken his supper there as well. "Frodo must indeed be troubled by something to stay away by himself for this long," he said, considering.
"He does this kind of thing often then?" Bilbo was not surprised that Frodo would like to have some time alone every now and then, but the idea of him disappearing for hours on end without leaving word seemed unlike the boy. Merry thought so too, and who at Brandy Hall knew Frodo's habits better?
"No, not often, but there have been other incidents," Saradoc informed him. "He once fell asleep while reading in the shade and he didn't come in until well after dark. He was hungry for having missed his supper and a bit embarrassed, but none the worse for wear." Saradoc shook his head. "He's such a quiet one, it's a battle trying to get him to open up about anything that might be weighing on him," he explained, gesturing impatiently.
"And what would be weighing on the lad, Sara?" Bilbo said, his gaze steadily holding that of the Master of the Hall. "The fact that the other lads, particularly the older ones, seem to be targeting him for all manner of abuse, or perhaps the fact that the adults fail to notice?" He continued briskly before Saradoc could get a word in. "Indeed, it seems he escapes the notice of most of you rather easily, unless he's in trouble of one kind or another."
"Now, Bilbo, I think that's a little dramatic, don't you?" Saradoc's voice was even and measured. "Frodo hasn't spoken of any more trouble with those boys since that incident a few years ago. They were dealt with, and the matter is closed." He spread his hands out before him in a gesture of finality. "Frodo keeps to himself by and large, and speaks very little of what he thinks or feels. Our Merry is one of the very few who can get him to talk about things."
"Yes, Merry is Frodo's closest companion, it's true," Bilbo conceded. "And Merry should know when something about Frodo's behavior is out of the ordinary, such as his absence today." He rose and began to pace to and fro. "He has been gone far too long without word, and I want a search to be commenced."
"A search, mobilizing the entire Hall? Surely that would be overreacting at this point, Bilbo." Saradoc spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "A lad his age will follow his impulses to the exclusion of logic, and if he feels the impulse to disappear for the better part of the day, nothing I can do will keep him from it."
"So you think he's just out there enjoying himself and he'll be turning up abashed and hungry at midnight?" Bilbo said, his voice filled with disbelief.
"That may very well be the case, Bilbo." Saradoc resumed his chair behind the writing desk. "I don't think it's necessary to commence a search just yet. Besides, it's getting dark out. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll turn up."
Bilbo favored him with a sour look. "If it were Merry, would you wait then?" His voice was perhaps a little sharper than he had intended, but the thought would not be left unspoken.
"That is an unfair question, Bilbo, and you know it!" Saradoc pointed the quill pen at Bilbo and continued, "You know that Merry is a sensible lad and not given to dashing off on his own in such a manner. If he were to do so, it would certainly be cause for concern."
"To each his own concern, Sara," Bilbo said bitterly. "My concern is Frodo." He placed his palms upon the desktop and leaned closer to Saradoc, choosing his words with care. "And my concern is growing daily. I'm beginning to think Brandy Hall is a less than suitable environment for him."
"And you suggest something else? Bag End, perhaps?" Saradoc's eyes narrowed as they met Bilbo's. "You are suggesting that you would be a more fit guardian for Frodo than Esmie and I?" He shook his head. "Bilbo, you have no experience in raising children. Esmie and I look after any number of young lads and lasses who are fostered here in pursuit of a trade. They can be quite a handful at times, especially the tweens."
"That is my point exactly, Sara. There are so many of them here, and there isn't any possibility that you and Esmie can run the Hall and spend time with all of them." Bilbo's tone had begun to soften somewhat. "Frodo needs someone who will be able to spend time with him, and who will listen when he needs to talk. He needs space of his own, a place where he feels safe and loved. I can give him those things, Sara."
"There's no use deciding his fate in his absence, Bilbo," Saradoc responded tiredly. "Let us wait to discuss such matters until he has returned from his wanderings. This is not something to be rushed into, I'm sure you agree."
"Oh, yes. I do agree," Bilbo said. "If I were at all inclined to rush this particular matter, Frodo would have been at Bag End years ago, not wandering about Eru knows where!" Frustrated and angry, Bilbo was ready to end the conversation for the present. Even so, Frodo had better show up soon, or Bilbo would organize the search himself.
"Peace, Bilbo! I assure you, I share your concern for Frodo. If he doesn't wander in soon, we shall go and find him. He has always returned in his own good time, and I believe he will do so again," Saradoc stated matter - of - factly.
"Let us hope, for his sake, that you are correct," Bilbo said, and showed himself to the door. The meeting had gone less productively than he had hoped, and he felt at a loss for the moment. He was growing more and more certain that he must act, and soon, if he wanted to prevent Frodo from suffering serious consequences for the lack of attention he received at the Hall.
~*~The Bree Road, evening~*~
"We'll stop here for the night," Dolan said as they rode into a clearing a short distance off the main road. They had ridden all through the day, and Frodo was tired and dusty. He had nearly nodded off several times during the journey, but every time he was on the verge of sleep, he would be jostled back to awareness by a sudden change in the gait of the horse, or by Fergus' arm tightening around his midsection. He was almost certain Fergus had squeezed him on purpose, just to see him jump.
Fergus lifted him up and passed him down to Dolan. His legs felt weak from disuse and his arms ached from being held behind him for hours on end. Dolan guided him as he stumbled away from the horses to where the packs and bedrolls had been piled. He was deposited on the ground next to the packs, as if he himself were no more than mere baggage.
Dolan removed Frodo's gag and began digging in one of the packs. He pulled out a water flask and held it to the hobbit's lips, tilting it back so he could drink. "Not much farther now," he commented idly. "Another day and a half or so, if we make good time, two days if we don't." Frodo didn't respond. "Ever been to Bree, halfling?" Dolan asked him.
"No. I've never been anywhere," Frodo said wearily. He noted that the men had yet to use his name, although he had given it to them. It was unlikely that he would hear it uttered by either of them, since saying it would make him someone. Eru forbid they should suddenly discover that their captive had a soul and sensibilities.
"We'll, that's no surprise," Dolan said with a chuckle. "You Shire Folk aren't much for traveling, are you?"
For some reason Frodo found the question rather irritating. "My uncle has traveled quite far," he replied. "He's been all the way to Mirkwood and back, and other places besides." He was willing to bet that Bilbo had traveled farther abroad than either of the men.
"That so? Your uncle too busy traveling to look after you?" Dolan said, his voice betraying no emotion. Frodo couldn't tell if the man was genuinely curious or merely baiting him for the sake of amusement.
"My uncle is not my guardian," Frodo said blandly. He volunteered nothing further, not wishing to discuss the people he loved and missed with one who kept him from them. He was almost relieved when the conversation was interrupted by Fergus, returning from settling the horses for the night.
His relief was short - lived however, as the man grabbed his arms and hauled him over to a nearby tree. He settled Frodo against it and began to bind him securely against the trunk. "That oughtta hold ye," he commented as he gave the knots a final tug. "Can't 'ave ye wanderin' off, now can we?"
The man's lilting accent lent an air of mirth to his voice, making him sound as if he found Frodo's situation somehow amusing. Frodo was increasingly unimpressed by what passed for Fergus' sense of humor and he looked away angrily.
"That's an awful big frown fer such a little face," the man quipped, chucking Frodo under the chin. "I'm beginnin' to think ye don't like us or somethin'."
"I don't," Frodo said simply.
The comment brought a loud burst of laughter from the man. When he had recovered sufficiently, he prodded Frodo sharply with a forefinger. "Oh, but I could get to like ye, and I have some friends who'd like ye too." Fergus stood up and walked back over to unload more items from the packs.
"D'ye hear that, Dolan? 'E don't like us, 'e says." Fergus gestured toward Frodo. "I say we keep 'im fer ourselves. We could make a tidy sum off 'im, an' 'e can keep us company as well," the man said, quirking his eyebrows suggestively.
"Aww, piss off, Fergus," Dolan groused. "I'm not about to take on another mouth to feed, whether he's earning his keep or not." He punctuated the statement by tossing an apple at Fergus, who caught in neatly. "Besides, I know you're just saying those things to rile him up."
"Maybe I am an' maybe I ain't," Fergus replied, crunching on the apple. "It's a spot o' fun makin' 'im wonder innit?"
"We didn't take him on for fun," Dolan reminded him rather sternly. "If we want to get our money's worth for him, it would be to our best advantage to leave off," he warned, looking sternly at his cohort.
Frodo had heard enough of the conversation to know he didn't want to hear any more. Eru, but these two were almost enough to make him miss Bargo and Reginard! At least their behavior was predictable. Well, mostly predictable. Frodo had never dreamed they'd go so far as to do this to him.
Despite his discomfort, Frodo began to give in to his weariness, and he closed his eyes. Dolan walked away from the clearing to heed the call of nature, and Frodo was startled back to alertness by Fergus' voice almost at his ear.
"Y'know what I said 'bout thinkin' we oughtta keep ye?" He paused, twirling one of Frodo's curls between his fingers. "I meant it."
Frodo's eyes popped open wide at that statement, and remained that way well into the night.
~*~Morning, Brandy Hall, Buckland~*~
Bilbo had barged into Saradoc's study before breakfast and demanded that the search begin in earnest. When Frodo had not appeared at supper the previous evening, it had been too dark to begin looking again. In a way, Bilbo had enjoyed the look on Saradoc's face when the news reached him. Upon hearing that Frodo had still not returned during the night, he had actually paled somewhat and managed to appear rather concerned.
Most of the adults and tweens had spread out across the area, and were searching the nearby woods and fields, shouting Frodo's name. Merry's expression was one of thinly veiled anger and sorrow, and Bilbo placed a comforting hand on the lad's shoulder.
"Merry, you're a good lad. Frodo couldn't ask for a better friend at the Hall," he praised the youngster next to him. "I must ask you something, and I need you to answer truthfully." Seeing that he had Merry's attention, Bilbo continued. "Has Frodo ever run away? Has he ever been gone this long without leaving word?"
"No, Uncle Bilbo, he hasn't," Merry said gravely. "I can't lie and tell you that Frodo is always happy here," Merry said with a sad look at Bilbo. "What I can tell you is that Frodo isn't the kind to run away."
Bilbo nodded. "I agree. I've never known Frodo to take flight. I've seen him bear far more than he should without giving back, but I've never seen him cut and run."
"You really love Frodo a lot, don't you Uncle Bilbo?" Merry asked quietly.
"I do indeed, Meriadoc," he replied rather wistfully. "When Frodo was born, it was quite an event," Bilbo said, smiling at the memory. "Drogo and Prim wanted a child so badly, and it was years before Frodo arrived. They were beginning to think it wasn't to be."
Bilbo remembered the exciting news of Frodo's birth and how the proud father had been awed by his first glimpse of the tiny babe that looked up at him with enormous blue eyes. Frodo had been very small when he was born, but very strong and healthy.
"They were good parents, Merry. They loved Frodo with all their hearts and their every thought was for him." Bilbo's voice betrayed his sadness as he spoke. "Their passing was so unexpected, and nothing had been planned for Frodo in the case of something happening."
"So he came to Brandy Hall," Merry finished. "Frodo doesn't talk about it very much, and I don't ask him," he said quietly. "I know he feels somehow different from the rest of us and he's lonely sometimes."
Merry sighed, feeling rather stung as he thought of Frodo running away from the Hall. Didn't Frodo have any idea how much it would hurt Merry if he did? Merry pushed the thought away, feeling selfish for ever entertaining it. It didn't matter what he felt right now. It only mattered that they find Frodo and find him safe.
They searched long into the day and by evening, everyone was tired, hungry and thirsty. Supper was served amid the clatter of utensils and murmur of bits of speculative conversation. Merry tried to close himself off from it so he wouldn't have to hear the same statements again and again.
"I knew it would happen sooner or later," someone was saying. "He's bolted, if you ask me," another voice declaimed.
"Wastin' their time out lookin' for the stupid little rat. It's almost funny." Reginard's voice reached Merry's ears and he clenched his fists so tight it hurt. He rose from his chair and walked to the table where Reginard and Bargo were lounging with some other boys.
"Why, Reginard?" Merry said, his voice hard.
"Why what, Brandybrat?" The older lad shot back, eyeing Merry as if he were some kind of insect. "Don't you have something important to do like hunting for that runaway cousin of yours?"
"Why have you been so hateful to Frodo? If Frodo ran away, it was your doing!" Merry accused. "Why did you have to make him suffer like that? What did he ever do to you, anyway?"
Bargo jumped in. "Your precious cousin was a burden to everyone around him, Brandybuck. You know he was a worthless twit and nobody wanted him around anyway. They're all out looking for him because they just don't want your pa to know they don't care."
Merry was furious. "If anyone should know about being worthless, Bargo, it's you! Did you really come to the Hall to learn a trade, or did your parents just send you here to be rid of you?"
Reginard stood and began to reach across the table to grab Merry's weskit. Merry was faster, though. He wrapped his hand around a mug on the table and threw its contents directly into the older lad's sneering face.
"You're pond scum, Brandybuck," Reginard snarled. "You'd best be watching your back, 'cause you're mine now."
Merry ignored the threat and turned on his heel, leaving Reginard sputtering in rage. He would be sure to catch it for that stunt he'd just pulled, but he couldn't help himself. He wasn't a half - pint lad anymore, and he wasn't afraid to stand up to Reginard and Bargo. He wished he'd decked them both on the spot for the things they'd said about Frodo.
Across the room, Bilbo looked on in silence. He hadn't been able to hear any of the conversation, but he knew there were only a few things that could make Merry so angry. One of them was someone insulting or trying to harm Frodo. He locked gazes with the tweens and gave them a look that said, 'I'm watching you, and don't you forget it.'
The boys looked back at him haughtily, as if daring him to do something about them and their behavior. What ever happened to respecting your elders? They'd learn some respect if Bilbo had anything to do with it.
~*~ To be continued~*~