Aelfgifu - Since your 'sneak peek' at the last chapter, I did revise and up
the angst level. As for Aiden, I don't think he'd have any trouble getting
a date around here. I think I see a line forming!
Pansy Chubb - Glad to have you aboard! Interesting that you should say I haven't been too heavy - handed yet in your review of chapter 16. I turned around and just blew that in chapter 17, didn't I? You're right when you say this story isn't fluffy in general, but there may be some nice comforting fluff to look forward to yet, even after all the angst.
Kay - Another newcomer! As you see, I update frequently to keep the flow of the story moving, so if you're eager for the next installment, you'll see it soon!
Girlofring - Another reader comes forth! I am glad you've been reading my stories, even if you haven't reviewed. I've got a couple of them posted on Library of Moria as well as on ff.net, and I hope they are being read there too. The last chapter was quite sad, but I promise brighter times ahead as we continue. Please stay with us.
Bookworm2000 - Frodo will survive, certainly, but he's a bit the worse for his experiences right now. We'd better get Bilbo over there in a hurry!
Heartofahobbit - Frodo made a good attempt to escape from those villains, but with no luck. You can bet Bilbo will be pretty mad when he finds out about Frodo's treatment. Will this cause him to mind more carefully how much storytelling he does and what he says? It just might! After all, he should mention that not every place in Middle Earth is Rivendell!
Camellia - Gamgee - Took - Yes, I'm bad. I let Frodo get all comfy and safe, and then I yanked him back and put him squarely in harm's way again. Poor lad!
Endymion - Fergus hasn't got the first clue about hobbits and how much they eat, if he thinks Frodo's appetite will match his size! I imagined that Bree, like many populated places, has good neighborhoods and bad ones. Where Frodo is now, even if anyone heard him scream, they probably wouldn't do anything about it. They'd be likely to think it was another street fight or domestic disturbance. Also, they're probably hiding from the authorities too, so they wouldn't call on them to investigate and bring attention to themselves in the process. Sadly, that same mindset persists among people today - "It's not my business and I'm not getting involved."
FrodoBaggins1982 - Yeah, these ruffians could go head to head with the orcs at Cirith Ungol when it comes to seeing who can be more cruel! I have a hunch Frodo would have had a worse time of it in the tower if they hadn't been ordered to just keep him there for the time being. I thought about going back to present time for Sam's reaction here, but I decided to wait. The format I've followed so far was to tell one mini - story all the way through, then go back to Merry, Sam and Frodo at Bag End. I've decided to keep going in that direction, but we will get to hear what Sam has to say about all this!
Aratlithiel - Thanks for your comments on the last chapter. I wanted Frodo's punishment to be suitably horrifying, but without gratuitous violence. Glad to know it worked! Poor feisty Frodo, he at least had to try, didn't he?
Pansy Chubb - Aiden is a little outnumbered here when it comes to the size of his help, certainly. One reason he hasn't recruited any friends to help is that he is painfully aware of the truth of Dolan's statement that he could be accused of illegal activity in purchasing Frodo, good intentions or no. He feels that this is something he has to take care of himself. Good point! I ought to have made that more clear in the story.
DiamondTook - Hello! I know I leave you hanging every time. So mean of me to do that! Thanks for your praise of my writing. I've always enjoyed it as a hobby, but this is the most I've done in a long while!
TTTurtle - I don't know whether you're going soft or I'm becoming a better angst writer. All I know is, Frodo needs a big hug and I'd like to give it to him as much as you would. The poor lad has never experienced anything so harsh as this, and you can bet he's in a state of both physical and mental shock over it.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Chapter 18 - Going Forth
~*~Bree, nighttime~*~
If anyone at the Prancing Pony thought it an odd thing to see a man with a grim expression walking in carrying several weapons in one hand and a child - sized forest green cloak in the other, they gave no sign. The folk in the common room laughed, drank, cursed and sang, oblivious to all else around them.
Aiden strode on through the common room and down the corridor that led to the ground - floor room the hobbits occupied. He knocked and Merry admitted him. Bilbo was waiting for him, pacing restlessly and smoking his pipe. "Well, did you see him?" Bilbo asked sharply.
"No, Master Baggins, I did not see Frodo," Aiden admitted. "I do know the location where they are holding him." Aiden laid the weapons down on the table as he continued. "There is a small house and a root cellar, where I believe we will find Frodo."
Bilbo looked at the cache of weapons on the table, then gazed back at Aiden. "If I am to wield one of those by your side, Aiden, you must dispense with formalities and call me Bilbo."
"Very well, Bilbo," Aiden answered quietly. He could tell by the aged hobbit's expression that Bilbo loved Frodo very much. The man's resolve was strengthened by that knowledge, and by the determination that Frodo must be returned to his family.
"I fear you will find I am not a renowned swordsman," Aiden remarked as he studied the weapons again. "If we are fortunate, we will catch them away or unawares."
"I don't care if we catch them doing unnatural things to each other, just so long as we catch them!" Bilbo's vehement words rang out stridently, and Aiden smiled in spite of himself.
"What have you got planned?" Saradoc stepped forward, mentally noting that there were three blades on the table, not four. It was needless to say that he approved. Merry was not going to be allowed to face those ruffians!
"I suggest we move as quickly as possible. My informant tells me that these men are not local residents, and they may be planning to take Frodo out of Bree very soon." He handed the daggers to Bilbo and Saradoc. "I failed to notice any weaponry here upon my last visit, and I fear it may be necessary."
The moment Saradoc had been fearing arrived suddenly, as Merry commented, "Where's mine?"
Saradoc closed his eyes and spoke as he placed the dagger back on the table. "I will not have you in harm's way, Meriadoc. Now please, do not argue."
He might as well have asked the sun not to rise. "But Father, you've allowed me to make this journey. I must help rescue Frodo!" The determined look on Merry's face belonged on older features.
"These men are very dangerous, young Merry," Aiden said patiently. "We know you wish to help your cousin, but it must be in another way."
"Another way?" Merry was obviously crestfallen. "But - "
"But nothing, lad," Saradoc said, his tone firm. "If this man says it will be too dangerous, I am inclined to believe him."
Bilbo spoke up. "Speaking of danger, Saradoc, I think it may not be the best of plans for the Master of Buckland to go marching into a confrontation either."
Saradoc raised one eyebrow. "Are you attempting to protect me also, Bilbo?" There was a touch of amusement in his voice, as well as something that suggested mild annoyance.
"What if I am?" Bilbo didn't flinch under Saradoc's scrutiny. "It makes perfect sense and you know it." He shook his head. "To think you call me stubborn!" Bilbo looked at Saradoc soberly as he continued. "It wouldn't do to have something untoward happen to the Master of Buckland at this time. Merry has not reached his majority yet, and the last thing the Shire needs is to have Brandy Hall in contention."
Merry looked a little pale and Saradoc frowned. Need Bilbo frighten the lad with such talk? However, the elderly hobbit had a point. Besides, if Merry were to remain behind at the inn, Saradoc would much rather that he not do so alone. "I see your logic, Bilbo," he said with a sigh. "But that leaves only you and Aiden to face them. Are you sure that would be wise?"
Bilbo considered this as he paced to and fro. "We would indeed be reduced in strength without you, but you must consider our personal circumstances." He frowned and continued pacing the floor. "I am an eccentric, elderly bachelor without children who depend on me, Sara. You, on the other hand, have a wife and child who love and need you. If something happens to me, it will hardly cause a stir." He held up a hand to forestall any arguments. "I have been blessed with more than my share of living, and if I am to find my time at an end now, I should like to know that no one else has followed me to my fate in an untimely fashion."
Bilbo changed the subject, going back to the task at hand. "That being said, I have some tricks up my sleeve. It will be quite late when we get there, and they may be asleep. If we are stealthy, we may even be able to accomplish our task without them taking notice."
Aiden nodded. Besides, what else could they do? He himself had kept his own counsel regarding how Frodo came into his keeping. He would have a lot of explaining to do if he were to attempt to recruit help outside this small circle. Sadly, Dolan was correct that there would likely be trouble over his purchase of Frodo. If he went to the authorities, he would have to explain himself, and there was the chance that they would detain him rather than allowing him to go to Frodo's aid. He felt responsible in part for the wretched turn of events, and it was his task to redeem himself for allowing Frodo to fall into the hands of such people.
Merry looked askance at his father, who gave him a warning look in return. The young hobbit seemed ready to speak, but thinking better of it, he looked at the floor instead. He'd come so far, only to be held back. He sighed, remembering Bilbo's lecture at the ferry. He had a feeling the elder hobbit was never intending to let him help with a rescue attempt because it would put him in harm's way.
"We will leave one of these weapons in your keeping, in case anything untoward should happen," Aiden said, fervently hoping the measure was unnecessary. "I also suggest you prepare some items for our return." He didn't wish to alarm them, but he had a feeling they would find that Frodo was in need of care. He listed a number of provisions including clean cloths and water, tea with medicinal herbs and basic food items.
"Let us be off," Bilbo said crisply. "We're wasting time!"
Aiden nodded as he strapped the sword to his belt and let his cloak fall over it, hiding it from view. Wordlessly, he and Bilbo walked out the door, leaving Merry and Saradoc to go about preparing for Frodo's arrival.
~*~
Dolan had just come downstairs and ordered an ale. He was sitting contentedly in the corner, enjoying the frothing beverage, when he caught sight of Aiden and the hobbit. Dolan shook his head incredulously. That foolish merchant had naught for assistance but an elderly halfling! He'd had a feeling something like this was going to happen.
Sighing and rising from his chair, he made his way out into the night to follow them. It was not that he cared one way or another, he told himself, except for receiving the final half of his payment. If that fool got himself killed, Dolan was out ten gold pieces, after all.
~*~The cellar~*~
Frodo was lying on his stomach, trying to keep from moving or letting anything harder than the fabric of his shirt touch his injured back. The bleeding had stopped for the most part, but the pain was still a sharp reminder of the abuse he had suffered earlier. Fortunately, all the damage seemed to be from the middle of his back to his shoulders. His bound hands rested against the small of his back, not touching any of the painful spots.
He didn't know what was worse, the pain of the lashing Gavin had given him, or the humiliation of the words that had been forced from him during the process. To have to speak with respect to such an individual galled him as surely as the belt had, and to have to admit to being the ruffian's property was harder still.
He was startled from his thoughts as the cellar doors opened again. He knew Gavin was there by the sound of the footsteps on the stairs. He kept his eyes closed and lay motionless, waiting for what was to come.
"You awake, boy?" Gavin said, prodding Frodo with a foot. Still gagged, Frodo could not respond verbally. He settled for opening his eyes, two slivers of blue showing from under the lids.
"Just makin' sure you learned your lesson earlier," Gavin said, ungagging the hobbit. "What did you learn, boy?"
Frodo struggled to speak, as pain and exhaustion assailed him. When he found his voice, he was inwardly dismayed by how weak it sounded. "I - I - "
"Come on and talk," Gavin ground out, placing his booted foot against Frodo's side and rolling him onto his wounded back.
"AAHHH!" Elbereth, that hurt! Frodo cringed and gritted his teeth as his back and hands made contact with the hard dirt floor of the cellar.
"So, you still got a voice after all," Gavin said, looking down at him. "Hurts, does it?" He grabbed Frodo's forearms and sat him up, glaring all the while. "Answer me!" He raised his hand.
"Yes, yes it hurts!" Frodo said through his clenched teeth.
Gavin shook him. "Yes, what, halfling?" Another shake, jarring his sore muscles.
"Y-yes Sir." Frodo's eyes were downcast as he spoke. He needed this to be a bad dream, and looking at the cruel man made him real.
"Look at me," Gavin commanded, as if reading the hobbits thoughts, and Frodo raised his head reluctantly. "That's better. You remember the rules, and you'll be all right. If you forget - " he didn't finish the sentence, but fingered the buckle of his belt, his eyes drilling into Frodo's.
Frodo decided to ask. The worst he could hear in response would be a refusal. "Would you please untie me?" Having his arms pulled behind him set his shoulders at an off angle and caused his back to hurt even more.
"And have you digging your way out?" Gavin's eyes narrowed. "Forget it, halfling."
Before he could stop himself, Frodo blurted, "My name is Frodo."
"You don't have a name anymore, halfling!" Gavin shouted at him harshly. "You are nothing and you have nothing!"
Salt poured upon the now reopened wounds on his back could not have been more painful to Frodo than those words. Could this man really do that to him? Take away who he was and reduce him to something so low? "No," Frodo whispered aloud.
"What did you say?" Gavin grabbed the front of Frodo's tattered shirt and leered into his face. "You said somethin', I heard you!" He tightened his grip, causing the shirt to rub against the welts on Frodo's back.
Pain and desperation caused Frodo's next words to come out in a rush, an outpouring of denial of his enemy, an affirmation of self and of being. "No! I said NO!" Tears stood in his eyes. "You cannot take that from me! You cannot buy it or sell it! You - "
A resounding slap stemmed the tide of Frodo's outcry, knocking him back against the cellar floor. His head struck the hard - packed dirt, and he lay stunned and silent. Gavin gagged him again, and kicked him once for good measure.
"Don't test me, you little rat," Gavin said angrily, pointing a forefinger into Frodo's face. "I'll take you out and whip you again, and you won't be talkin' when I'm done." He turned and left, slamming the doors shut with a resounding bang that sounded to Frodo like the final pronouncement of his sentence to misery.
How he longed for the Shire, and even for Brandy Hall! His first glimpse of the world beyond his home was not a pleasant one, overall. Still, there had been Aiden's bright, cheerful home, and the hobbits who kept the shops in town. They had all been quite pleasant. Was the world around him balanced equally between good and evil, or did the evil have the upper hand?
Alone in the cold cellar, Frodo gave in and allowed his tears to fall. He gave himself permission to free his fear, sorrow and anger, to unburden himself of them. As they were drained from him, Frodo could feel something else filling the emptiness they left in their wake.
It was something harder, like steel tempered in a white - hot furnace. There was something within him that none of this evil could touch, and he knew that now. He held onto it, curling himself around its comforting, unyielding presence.
~*~later~*~
"There it is," Aiden whispered, pointing at the dilapidated house from the cover of the trees across the way. "If you look carefully, you can see the root cellar off to the right," he instructed. The light of the moon illuminated the area, and they could just make out the raised entrance to the cellar, close to the ground and almost hidden by the tall grass.
Bilbo nodded and gripped the hilt of the dagger more firmly. The thought of Frodo alone in that dark cellar made him so angry, it took all his willpower not to dash across the road that very second.
Light still shone from a window in the shabby house. Someone was still awake, increasing the danger that they might be seen. "Do those ruffians ever sleep?" he grumbled as he glared at the house. "Dare we wait longer in hopes that they shall?"
"I fear that if we wait, our chance will be past," Aiden answered tightly. "Travel by night may well be their plan. If so, there is not a moment to be lost." They must be quick, he thought grimly. He closed his eyes briefly, imagining throwing open the doors of the cellar, plunging into the darkness and snatching Frodo from his grim prison.
Bilbo nodded. "A pity we could not have come earlier, but the risk was too great." Bilbo was thinking of Aiden as he spoke. Men were not as stealthy as hobbits in general, and Aiden did not have certain - advantages, for lack of a better term. Bilbo restrained himself with difficulty from reaching into the pocket of his weskit.
Daylight would have been a very dangerous time to attempt the rescue, with the greater likelihood of people being out and about to notice the proceedings. Might some of those people have assisted them, the hobbit wondered? Most likely not, since he doubted this decrepit neighborhood was filled with people of good character. "Let us make haste," Bilbo said in a determined tone.
Aiden gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword by his side. It was cold against his palm, unfamiliar to him. For Frodo's sake, he mustn't falter. He and Bilbo moved forward silently toward the cellar as the darkness closed in around them.
~*~To be continued~*~
Pansy Chubb - Glad to have you aboard! Interesting that you should say I haven't been too heavy - handed yet in your review of chapter 16. I turned around and just blew that in chapter 17, didn't I? You're right when you say this story isn't fluffy in general, but there may be some nice comforting fluff to look forward to yet, even after all the angst.
Kay - Another newcomer! As you see, I update frequently to keep the flow of the story moving, so if you're eager for the next installment, you'll see it soon!
Girlofring - Another reader comes forth! I am glad you've been reading my stories, even if you haven't reviewed. I've got a couple of them posted on Library of Moria as well as on ff.net, and I hope they are being read there too. The last chapter was quite sad, but I promise brighter times ahead as we continue. Please stay with us.
Bookworm2000 - Frodo will survive, certainly, but he's a bit the worse for his experiences right now. We'd better get Bilbo over there in a hurry!
Heartofahobbit - Frodo made a good attempt to escape from those villains, but with no luck. You can bet Bilbo will be pretty mad when he finds out about Frodo's treatment. Will this cause him to mind more carefully how much storytelling he does and what he says? It just might! After all, he should mention that not every place in Middle Earth is Rivendell!
Camellia - Gamgee - Took - Yes, I'm bad. I let Frodo get all comfy and safe, and then I yanked him back and put him squarely in harm's way again. Poor lad!
Endymion - Fergus hasn't got the first clue about hobbits and how much they eat, if he thinks Frodo's appetite will match his size! I imagined that Bree, like many populated places, has good neighborhoods and bad ones. Where Frodo is now, even if anyone heard him scream, they probably wouldn't do anything about it. They'd be likely to think it was another street fight or domestic disturbance. Also, they're probably hiding from the authorities too, so they wouldn't call on them to investigate and bring attention to themselves in the process. Sadly, that same mindset persists among people today - "It's not my business and I'm not getting involved."
FrodoBaggins1982 - Yeah, these ruffians could go head to head with the orcs at Cirith Ungol when it comes to seeing who can be more cruel! I have a hunch Frodo would have had a worse time of it in the tower if they hadn't been ordered to just keep him there for the time being. I thought about going back to present time for Sam's reaction here, but I decided to wait. The format I've followed so far was to tell one mini - story all the way through, then go back to Merry, Sam and Frodo at Bag End. I've decided to keep going in that direction, but we will get to hear what Sam has to say about all this!
Aratlithiel - Thanks for your comments on the last chapter. I wanted Frodo's punishment to be suitably horrifying, but without gratuitous violence. Glad to know it worked! Poor feisty Frodo, he at least had to try, didn't he?
Pansy Chubb - Aiden is a little outnumbered here when it comes to the size of his help, certainly. One reason he hasn't recruited any friends to help is that he is painfully aware of the truth of Dolan's statement that he could be accused of illegal activity in purchasing Frodo, good intentions or no. He feels that this is something he has to take care of himself. Good point! I ought to have made that more clear in the story.
DiamondTook - Hello! I know I leave you hanging every time. So mean of me to do that! Thanks for your praise of my writing. I've always enjoyed it as a hobby, but this is the most I've done in a long while!
TTTurtle - I don't know whether you're going soft or I'm becoming a better angst writer. All I know is, Frodo needs a big hug and I'd like to give it to him as much as you would. The poor lad has never experienced anything so harsh as this, and you can bet he's in a state of both physical and mental shock over it.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Chapter 18 - Going Forth
~*~Bree, nighttime~*~
If anyone at the Prancing Pony thought it an odd thing to see a man with a grim expression walking in carrying several weapons in one hand and a child - sized forest green cloak in the other, they gave no sign. The folk in the common room laughed, drank, cursed and sang, oblivious to all else around them.
Aiden strode on through the common room and down the corridor that led to the ground - floor room the hobbits occupied. He knocked and Merry admitted him. Bilbo was waiting for him, pacing restlessly and smoking his pipe. "Well, did you see him?" Bilbo asked sharply.
"No, Master Baggins, I did not see Frodo," Aiden admitted. "I do know the location where they are holding him." Aiden laid the weapons down on the table as he continued. "There is a small house and a root cellar, where I believe we will find Frodo."
Bilbo looked at the cache of weapons on the table, then gazed back at Aiden. "If I am to wield one of those by your side, Aiden, you must dispense with formalities and call me Bilbo."
"Very well, Bilbo," Aiden answered quietly. He could tell by the aged hobbit's expression that Bilbo loved Frodo very much. The man's resolve was strengthened by that knowledge, and by the determination that Frodo must be returned to his family.
"I fear you will find I am not a renowned swordsman," Aiden remarked as he studied the weapons again. "If we are fortunate, we will catch them away or unawares."
"I don't care if we catch them doing unnatural things to each other, just so long as we catch them!" Bilbo's vehement words rang out stridently, and Aiden smiled in spite of himself.
"What have you got planned?" Saradoc stepped forward, mentally noting that there were three blades on the table, not four. It was needless to say that he approved. Merry was not going to be allowed to face those ruffians!
"I suggest we move as quickly as possible. My informant tells me that these men are not local residents, and they may be planning to take Frodo out of Bree very soon." He handed the daggers to Bilbo and Saradoc. "I failed to notice any weaponry here upon my last visit, and I fear it may be necessary."
The moment Saradoc had been fearing arrived suddenly, as Merry commented, "Where's mine?"
Saradoc closed his eyes and spoke as he placed the dagger back on the table. "I will not have you in harm's way, Meriadoc. Now please, do not argue."
He might as well have asked the sun not to rise. "But Father, you've allowed me to make this journey. I must help rescue Frodo!" The determined look on Merry's face belonged on older features.
"These men are very dangerous, young Merry," Aiden said patiently. "We know you wish to help your cousin, but it must be in another way."
"Another way?" Merry was obviously crestfallen. "But - "
"But nothing, lad," Saradoc said, his tone firm. "If this man says it will be too dangerous, I am inclined to believe him."
Bilbo spoke up. "Speaking of danger, Saradoc, I think it may not be the best of plans for the Master of Buckland to go marching into a confrontation either."
Saradoc raised one eyebrow. "Are you attempting to protect me also, Bilbo?" There was a touch of amusement in his voice, as well as something that suggested mild annoyance.
"What if I am?" Bilbo didn't flinch under Saradoc's scrutiny. "It makes perfect sense and you know it." He shook his head. "To think you call me stubborn!" Bilbo looked at Saradoc soberly as he continued. "It wouldn't do to have something untoward happen to the Master of Buckland at this time. Merry has not reached his majority yet, and the last thing the Shire needs is to have Brandy Hall in contention."
Merry looked a little pale and Saradoc frowned. Need Bilbo frighten the lad with such talk? However, the elderly hobbit had a point. Besides, if Merry were to remain behind at the inn, Saradoc would much rather that he not do so alone. "I see your logic, Bilbo," he said with a sigh. "But that leaves only you and Aiden to face them. Are you sure that would be wise?"
Bilbo considered this as he paced to and fro. "We would indeed be reduced in strength without you, but you must consider our personal circumstances." He frowned and continued pacing the floor. "I am an eccentric, elderly bachelor without children who depend on me, Sara. You, on the other hand, have a wife and child who love and need you. If something happens to me, it will hardly cause a stir." He held up a hand to forestall any arguments. "I have been blessed with more than my share of living, and if I am to find my time at an end now, I should like to know that no one else has followed me to my fate in an untimely fashion."
Bilbo changed the subject, going back to the task at hand. "That being said, I have some tricks up my sleeve. It will be quite late when we get there, and they may be asleep. If we are stealthy, we may even be able to accomplish our task without them taking notice."
Aiden nodded. Besides, what else could they do? He himself had kept his own counsel regarding how Frodo came into his keeping. He would have a lot of explaining to do if he were to attempt to recruit help outside this small circle. Sadly, Dolan was correct that there would likely be trouble over his purchase of Frodo. If he went to the authorities, he would have to explain himself, and there was the chance that they would detain him rather than allowing him to go to Frodo's aid. He felt responsible in part for the wretched turn of events, and it was his task to redeem himself for allowing Frodo to fall into the hands of such people.
Merry looked askance at his father, who gave him a warning look in return. The young hobbit seemed ready to speak, but thinking better of it, he looked at the floor instead. He'd come so far, only to be held back. He sighed, remembering Bilbo's lecture at the ferry. He had a feeling the elder hobbit was never intending to let him help with a rescue attempt because it would put him in harm's way.
"We will leave one of these weapons in your keeping, in case anything untoward should happen," Aiden said, fervently hoping the measure was unnecessary. "I also suggest you prepare some items for our return." He didn't wish to alarm them, but he had a feeling they would find that Frodo was in need of care. He listed a number of provisions including clean cloths and water, tea with medicinal herbs and basic food items.
"Let us be off," Bilbo said crisply. "We're wasting time!"
Aiden nodded as he strapped the sword to his belt and let his cloak fall over it, hiding it from view. Wordlessly, he and Bilbo walked out the door, leaving Merry and Saradoc to go about preparing for Frodo's arrival.
~*~
Dolan had just come downstairs and ordered an ale. He was sitting contentedly in the corner, enjoying the frothing beverage, when he caught sight of Aiden and the hobbit. Dolan shook his head incredulously. That foolish merchant had naught for assistance but an elderly halfling! He'd had a feeling something like this was going to happen.
Sighing and rising from his chair, he made his way out into the night to follow them. It was not that he cared one way or another, he told himself, except for receiving the final half of his payment. If that fool got himself killed, Dolan was out ten gold pieces, after all.
~*~The cellar~*~
Frodo was lying on his stomach, trying to keep from moving or letting anything harder than the fabric of his shirt touch his injured back. The bleeding had stopped for the most part, but the pain was still a sharp reminder of the abuse he had suffered earlier. Fortunately, all the damage seemed to be from the middle of his back to his shoulders. His bound hands rested against the small of his back, not touching any of the painful spots.
He didn't know what was worse, the pain of the lashing Gavin had given him, or the humiliation of the words that had been forced from him during the process. To have to speak with respect to such an individual galled him as surely as the belt had, and to have to admit to being the ruffian's property was harder still.
He was startled from his thoughts as the cellar doors opened again. He knew Gavin was there by the sound of the footsteps on the stairs. He kept his eyes closed and lay motionless, waiting for what was to come.
"You awake, boy?" Gavin said, prodding Frodo with a foot. Still gagged, Frodo could not respond verbally. He settled for opening his eyes, two slivers of blue showing from under the lids.
"Just makin' sure you learned your lesson earlier," Gavin said, ungagging the hobbit. "What did you learn, boy?"
Frodo struggled to speak, as pain and exhaustion assailed him. When he found his voice, he was inwardly dismayed by how weak it sounded. "I - I - "
"Come on and talk," Gavin ground out, placing his booted foot against Frodo's side and rolling him onto his wounded back.
"AAHHH!" Elbereth, that hurt! Frodo cringed and gritted his teeth as his back and hands made contact with the hard dirt floor of the cellar.
"So, you still got a voice after all," Gavin said, looking down at him. "Hurts, does it?" He grabbed Frodo's forearms and sat him up, glaring all the while. "Answer me!" He raised his hand.
"Yes, yes it hurts!" Frodo said through his clenched teeth.
Gavin shook him. "Yes, what, halfling?" Another shake, jarring his sore muscles.
"Y-yes Sir." Frodo's eyes were downcast as he spoke. He needed this to be a bad dream, and looking at the cruel man made him real.
"Look at me," Gavin commanded, as if reading the hobbits thoughts, and Frodo raised his head reluctantly. "That's better. You remember the rules, and you'll be all right. If you forget - " he didn't finish the sentence, but fingered the buckle of his belt, his eyes drilling into Frodo's.
Frodo decided to ask. The worst he could hear in response would be a refusal. "Would you please untie me?" Having his arms pulled behind him set his shoulders at an off angle and caused his back to hurt even more.
"And have you digging your way out?" Gavin's eyes narrowed. "Forget it, halfling."
Before he could stop himself, Frodo blurted, "My name is Frodo."
"You don't have a name anymore, halfling!" Gavin shouted at him harshly. "You are nothing and you have nothing!"
Salt poured upon the now reopened wounds on his back could not have been more painful to Frodo than those words. Could this man really do that to him? Take away who he was and reduce him to something so low? "No," Frodo whispered aloud.
"What did you say?" Gavin grabbed the front of Frodo's tattered shirt and leered into his face. "You said somethin', I heard you!" He tightened his grip, causing the shirt to rub against the welts on Frodo's back.
Pain and desperation caused Frodo's next words to come out in a rush, an outpouring of denial of his enemy, an affirmation of self and of being. "No! I said NO!" Tears stood in his eyes. "You cannot take that from me! You cannot buy it or sell it! You - "
A resounding slap stemmed the tide of Frodo's outcry, knocking him back against the cellar floor. His head struck the hard - packed dirt, and he lay stunned and silent. Gavin gagged him again, and kicked him once for good measure.
"Don't test me, you little rat," Gavin said angrily, pointing a forefinger into Frodo's face. "I'll take you out and whip you again, and you won't be talkin' when I'm done." He turned and left, slamming the doors shut with a resounding bang that sounded to Frodo like the final pronouncement of his sentence to misery.
How he longed for the Shire, and even for Brandy Hall! His first glimpse of the world beyond his home was not a pleasant one, overall. Still, there had been Aiden's bright, cheerful home, and the hobbits who kept the shops in town. They had all been quite pleasant. Was the world around him balanced equally between good and evil, or did the evil have the upper hand?
Alone in the cold cellar, Frodo gave in and allowed his tears to fall. He gave himself permission to free his fear, sorrow and anger, to unburden himself of them. As they were drained from him, Frodo could feel something else filling the emptiness they left in their wake.
It was something harder, like steel tempered in a white - hot furnace. There was something within him that none of this evil could touch, and he knew that now. He held onto it, curling himself around its comforting, unyielding presence.
~*~later~*~
"There it is," Aiden whispered, pointing at the dilapidated house from the cover of the trees across the way. "If you look carefully, you can see the root cellar off to the right," he instructed. The light of the moon illuminated the area, and they could just make out the raised entrance to the cellar, close to the ground and almost hidden by the tall grass.
Bilbo nodded and gripped the hilt of the dagger more firmly. The thought of Frodo alone in that dark cellar made him so angry, it took all his willpower not to dash across the road that very second.
Light still shone from a window in the shabby house. Someone was still awake, increasing the danger that they might be seen. "Do those ruffians ever sleep?" he grumbled as he glared at the house. "Dare we wait longer in hopes that they shall?"
"I fear that if we wait, our chance will be past," Aiden answered tightly. "Travel by night may well be their plan. If so, there is not a moment to be lost." They must be quick, he thought grimly. He closed his eyes briefly, imagining throwing open the doors of the cellar, plunging into the darkness and snatching Frodo from his grim prison.
Bilbo nodded. "A pity we could not have come earlier, but the risk was too great." Bilbo was thinking of Aiden as he spoke. Men were not as stealthy as hobbits in general, and Aiden did not have certain - advantages, for lack of a better term. Bilbo restrained himself with difficulty from reaching into the pocket of his weskit.
Daylight would have been a very dangerous time to attempt the rescue, with the greater likelihood of people being out and about to notice the proceedings. Might some of those people have assisted them, the hobbit wondered? Most likely not, since he doubted this decrepit neighborhood was filled with people of good character. "Let us make haste," Bilbo said in a determined tone.
Aiden gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword by his side. It was cold against his palm, unfamiliar to him. For Frodo's sake, he mustn't falter. He and Bilbo moved forward silently toward the cellar as the darkness closed in around them.
~*~To be continued~*~