FantasyFan - I posted chapter 20 before I got your review for 19. When
Bilbo used the Ring there was a lot going on. Dolan was rather shocked, and
Aiden was pretty surprised as well. Frodo isn't ready to travel just yet,
so we're going to spend a little more time showing him some love.
Aelfgifu - Starting to feel a little kinder toward Dolan? There just might be a streak of something good in him somewhere! This story isn't quite over. Chapter 27 will be the last one.
Distortion - Here's another happy chapter for you! I don't know about the demise of Reginard and Bargo, but their downfall is guaranteed.
Shirebound - Dolan had to swagger a bit to save face, didn't he? Mr. Tough Ruffian does have a conscience after all. Bilbo sees in Frodo what others cannot, and he sees the truth about the Sackville - Bagginses. They are irritated by Bilbo's stubborn lingering among them!
Fool of a Took - Dolan is still a rogue as always, but he's taken a few steps in the right direction. I think we could all do with a few hobbits hanging around the house. A good dose of cute is what we need every day!
Heartofahobbit - Dolan has a few surprises in him, doesn't he? There's hope for him yet! Saradoc does indeed realize the impact of these events on Merry, and you've never seen a father who was more proud of his son. I'll keep writing, in fact I can't stop. A sequel is in the works!
Camellia - Gamgee - Took - Dolan is still a rascal, but he's taken some steps toward redemption here. Lots more comfort coming up, as the title of this chapter indicates.
FrodoBaggins1982 - You've drawn pics? Oh yes, I'd like to see them! We've got some warm, fluffy comfort for our little hobbit coming up. My next story will be a sequel to this one, featuring some nasty Sackville - Bagginses!
Gayalondiel - We're getting cute and fluffy here, for certain. I do have plans for Aiden, as this chapter will begin to reveal.
Bookworm2000 - Dolan has attempted to redeem himself, so I'll give him another chance. Mad Baggins humor was required in that last chapter, definitely. Saradoc will definitely have something to say to Bargo and Reginard when he gets back to Buckland.
Midgette - Frodo is going home just as soon as he feels up to traveling. We get to give him love and comfort until then.
Curious Cat - Saradoc is frustrating, isn't he? He had to see the physical evidence of Frodo's experience before it hit him that Reginard and Bargo really did pull such an awful stunt. Will he apologize to Frodo? Future chapters answer that one.
GamgeeFest - Dolan's conscience has finally caught up with him, and Bilbo has still got the moves! Frodo will need a few days before he's up to heading home. It will be hard to say goodbye to his new friend.
Aratlithiel - Chapter 20 was your favorite so far? It does seem that everyone either gets what they need or what they deserve.
And now, some story plugging! You'll like 'em if you read 'em!
"Treasures" by BellaMonte "Rites of Passage" by Willow - Wode "In Between" by Krista "Ring Around the Merry" by Aelfgifu "Some Nameless Place" by Budgielover "Serenade" by Kete
These are just a few of the ones I'm following now, and there are many more angst - laden gems out there begging us to read them!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Chapter 21 - Comfort
~*~The Prancing Pony, morning~*~
A knock on the door roused Bilbo from where he was snoozing in a chair before the fire. "Yes, yes, I'm coming," he groused, ambling to the door unsteadily as the increased blood flow to his feet caused a pins and needles sensation to prickle them.
He opened the door cautiously, peering out and up into the face of a young woman with a small, covered basket in her hands. "Master Baggins?" she said uncertainly.
"Yes, I am he," Bilbo replied, straightening his weskit and opening the door wider.
"How can I help you, miss?"
"My name is Mira," she answered. "I'm a healer. I was sent to you by a tall, dark - haired fellow who summoned me early this morning." She peered past Bilbo into the room. "I was told there are injured here, one of my race and one of yours?"
"Hmmm, yes. Word travels quickly in Bree," Bilbo said, as he waved her inside. She spied Frodo first, and walked briskly to the bedside, setting the basket on the floor and removing her cloak.
"Sleeping herbs?" She asked, noting Frodo's somnolent state. Bilbo nodded. "That's good. Rest is always one of the greatest needs of the injured or ill." Frodo began to stir at that point, mumbling and unconsciously rolling over. That was all it took to make his eyes open. He groaned at the sharp twinge of pain in his back, and rolled onto his stomach again.
"I am sorry to have awakened you, young one," Mira said gently, bending down to examine Frodo's back more closely. "Does it hurt badly?"
"It didn't until I rolled over," Frodo muttered. His mind was muzzy from the herbs that had been mixed into his tea.
"Just relax, and we'll have you back to sleep in a few moments," Mira instructed, taking his hand and unwrapping the bandage from his wrist. She removed a small jar of a fragrant salve from her basket and dabbed it gently on the chafed skin.
Bilbo couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Frodo a little. "One would think you'd be more alert, lad, what with a pretty girl holding your hand like that," he chuckled. Frodo mumbled something unintelligible in response, and Merry snickered from the hearth, where he was watching the proceedings with interest.
Mira raised an eyebrow at Bilbo's comment, and favored him with a tolerant smile. She handed him the little jar of salve. "Why don't you put a little of this on his back, Master Baggins? It will help those marks heal faster, and will reduce the possibility of scarring."
Bilbo did as he was asked, and within moments, Frodo's wrists were re - bandaged and his back was no longer burning and aching, but tingling rather pleasantly. He sighed and his eyes drooped shut again.
"Very well, where is my other patient?" Mira looked around the room and caught sight of Aiden, his long legs still hanging over the end of the bed. She approached quietly, and her brows knit with concern at the amount of blood that had seeped through the makeshift bandage on his shoulder.
"That looks bad," she said in a low voice, almost to herself. She began to pull the cloth bandage aside to get a better look at the wound beneath, and Aiden's hand batted hers away as he stirred from his herb - induced sleep.
"Now be still," she chided him, as she managed to unfasten one edge of the bandage. As she pulled it back it carefully, Bilbo leaned over and looked from the wound to her face to gauge her expression.
"What do you think?" Bilbo was addressing the healer, but in his medicated state, Aiden replied instead.
"Pretty eyes," he mumbled. "Lovely, really." His words slurred just a little and a rather strange half - smile crossed his face, making him look like one who had imbibed far too much ale in one sitting.
Bilbo was shaking with mirth, and more laughter came from the hearth where Merry and Saradoc were watching the scene with great amusement. Mira's face colored, but she continued to work on removing the rest of the bandage.
"As much as it troubles me to answer such kind words with actions that cause pain, I fear I must do so," she said, and began to clean the dried blood from the edges of the deep wound.
Aiden grimaced in response as the wound stung and throbbed. "Aaahh, my lady, you are ruthless!"
She glanced at Bilbo, and smiled. "The bigger they are, the louder they - " she broke off the comment as a hand closed over her own, stilling its motions.
Aiden willed his mind to clear of the cobwebs left by the sleeping herbs. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was behaving rather like a - what had Frodo called it? A tween. That was the word. He knew he was wearing a rather foolish expression, but somehow his facial muscles refused to be schooled to anything more dignified.
He was looking up at soft grey eyes in an angular face, framed by thick, dark hair that was slightly mussed from the hood of a cloak, drawn back loosely and fastened with a simple device made of a tooled leather wrap stabbed through with a carved wooden stylus.
The owner of those captivating eyes was looking down at him with a kind yet amused expression, and she moved his hand gently from her own in order to continue cleansing the wound. "Rest easy, good sir. I'll not torment you long," she answered, examining her handiwork.
"How much of that herb did you put in his tea last night, Merry?" Bilbo questioned.
"Twice as much as I gave Frodo," Merry answered, sounding uncertain. Bilbo gave him a sharp look and a raised eyebrow. "Well, he IS twice as big as Frodo," Merry stammered. What did they expect? He wasn't a healer!
"How am I faring?" Aiden asked, his voice beginning to sound a little more like his own.
"You will mend, I'll warrant," Mira replied. "But you mustn't let the muscles in your shoulder go without use. It will cause discomfort, but you must move it as it heals, or you will lose partial use of your arm," she cautioned in a serious tone.
"And how shall I go about it?" he questioned, waiting expectantly for the answer. He was pleasantly surprised when she took his hand and gently began to raise his arm upward, but only until she could see discomfort evident in his features and feel him squeezing her hand reflexively.
"Just a little, at first, but a bit more each day," she instructed, easing the arm back down again. She prepared a fresh bandage and began to apply it with deft, experienced motions. In a few moments, the stab wound was completely bandaged, and Aiden leaned back against the headboard wearily. The medicines may have been wearing off, but he was still recovering from the loss of blood, and he found sitting upright to be somewhat wearying.
"Rest now," the healer said, gently patting Aiden's hand. Unable to resist, he captured her hand in his own once again, and gallantly placed a kiss upon it.
"My gratitude goes with you, dear lady," he said, smiling warmly. She smiled and nodded, then retrieved her cloak and basket and made her way to the door with Bilbo close behind.
As she stepped into the hallway, Bilbo followed, closing the door softly behind him. "Before you go, I must pay you for your services," he said, drawing some coins from the pocket of his breeches.
"That will not be necessary, as I was paid in advance, Master Baggins," she said, declining the offer.
"Well, perhaps you would accept this as advance payment for your next visit?" The old hobbit said with a hopeful expression and a gesture back toward the door. "Surely they should both be seen to again, just to be sure they are healing properly?"
She laughed. These little folk were so charming, it was difficult to refuse them anything. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt, although you did very well on your own last night, it seems." She accepted the coins and smiled. "Very well, Master Baggins. I shall return to check on your invalids this evening. In the meantime, keep them warm and well rested."
"Your word is law, my dear," Bilbo said with a polite bow. Mira disappeared down the corridor, and Bilbo sighed and opened the door with a grin on his face. Dolan had done more good by them than he had probably intended, he thought merrily, especially where that young merchant was concerned. The look on his face had been simply priceless!
Bilbo re - entered the room, pausing to brush imaginary dust from the lapels of his weskit. "How kind of your informant to arrange the services of a healer for our little band of heroes," he quipped, looking pointedly at Aiden. "So, how DO you fare, eh?"
"My shoulder or my heart?" Aiden responded, with a wistful grin, his gaze drifting to the door. Perhaps the herbs in the tea had something to do with his reaction to the lovely vision he had awakened to, but they were certainly not entirely to blame. "I would be injured or ill more often, had I the promise of such fairness to gaze upon."
Merry made a face.
Bilbo looked across the room at Frodo, who had been watching the scene from where he lay. "Well, lad, it seems a heart has been stolen before our very eyes," the aged hobbit observed. "Lovely young lady, don't you think?"
Frodo's eyes were closed again, and he replied rather thickly, "Mmmmm. Too tall." The walls rang with peals of laughter, and for the first time in several days, the only tears that fell were tears of overwhelming mirth.
~*~To Be Continued~*~
Aelfgifu - Starting to feel a little kinder toward Dolan? There just might be a streak of something good in him somewhere! This story isn't quite over. Chapter 27 will be the last one.
Distortion - Here's another happy chapter for you! I don't know about the demise of Reginard and Bargo, but their downfall is guaranteed.
Shirebound - Dolan had to swagger a bit to save face, didn't he? Mr. Tough Ruffian does have a conscience after all. Bilbo sees in Frodo what others cannot, and he sees the truth about the Sackville - Bagginses. They are irritated by Bilbo's stubborn lingering among them!
Fool of a Took - Dolan is still a rogue as always, but he's taken a few steps in the right direction. I think we could all do with a few hobbits hanging around the house. A good dose of cute is what we need every day!
Heartofahobbit - Dolan has a few surprises in him, doesn't he? There's hope for him yet! Saradoc does indeed realize the impact of these events on Merry, and you've never seen a father who was more proud of his son. I'll keep writing, in fact I can't stop. A sequel is in the works!
Camellia - Gamgee - Took - Dolan is still a rascal, but he's taken some steps toward redemption here. Lots more comfort coming up, as the title of this chapter indicates.
FrodoBaggins1982 - You've drawn pics? Oh yes, I'd like to see them! We've got some warm, fluffy comfort for our little hobbit coming up. My next story will be a sequel to this one, featuring some nasty Sackville - Bagginses!
Gayalondiel - We're getting cute and fluffy here, for certain. I do have plans for Aiden, as this chapter will begin to reveal.
Bookworm2000 - Dolan has attempted to redeem himself, so I'll give him another chance. Mad Baggins humor was required in that last chapter, definitely. Saradoc will definitely have something to say to Bargo and Reginard when he gets back to Buckland.
Midgette - Frodo is going home just as soon as he feels up to traveling. We get to give him love and comfort until then.
Curious Cat - Saradoc is frustrating, isn't he? He had to see the physical evidence of Frodo's experience before it hit him that Reginard and Bargo really did pull such an awful stunt. Will he apologize to Frodo? Future chapters answer that one.
GamgeeFest - Dolan's conscience has finally caught up with him, and Bilbo has still got the moves! Frodo will need a few days before he's up to heading home. It will be hard to say goodbye to his new friend.
Aratlithiel - Chapter 20 was your favorite so far? It does seem that everyone either gets what they need or what they deserve.
And now, some story plugging! You'll like 'em if you read 'em!
"Treasures" by BellaMonte "Rites of Passage" by Willow - Wode "In Between" by Krista "Ring Around the Merry" by Aelfgifu "Some Nameless Place" by Budgielover "Serenade" by Kete
These are just a few of the ones I'm following now, and there are many more angst - laden gems out there begging us to read them!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Chapter 21 - Comfort
~*~The Prancing Pony, morning~*~
A knock on the door roused Bilbo from where he was snoozing in a chair before the fire. "Yes, yes, I'm coming," he groused, ambling to the door unsteadily as the increased blood flow to his feet caused a pins and needles sensation to prickle them.
He opened the door cautiously, peering out and up into the face of a young woman with a small, covered basket in her hands. "Master Baggins?" she said uncertainly.
"Yes, I am he," Bilbo replied, straightening his weskit and opening the door wider.
"How can I help you, miss?"
"My name is Mira," she answered. "I'm a healer. I was sent to you by a tall, dark - haired fellow who summoned me early this morning." She peered past Bilbo into the room. "I was told there are injured here, one of my race and one of yours?"
"Hmmm, yes. Word travels quickly in Bree," Bilbo said, as he waved her inside. She spied Frodo first, and walked briskly to the bedside, setting the basket on the floor and removing her cloak.
"Sleeping herbs?" She asked, noting Frodo's somnolent state. Bilbo nodded. "That's good. Rest is always one of the greatest needs of the injured or ill." Frodo began to stir at that point, mumbling and unconsciously rolling over. That was all it took to make his eyes open. He groaned at the sharp twinge of pain in his back, and rolled onto his stomach again.
"I am sorry to have awakened you, young one," Mira said gently, bending down to examine Frodo's back more closely. "Does it hurt badly?"
"It didn't until I rolled over," Frodo muttered. His mind was muzzy from the herbs that had been mixed into his tea.
"Just relax, and we'll have you back to sleep in a few moments," Mira instructed, taking his hand and unwrapping the bandage from his wrist. She removed a small jar of a fragrant salve from her basket and dabbed it gently on the chafed skin.
Bilbo couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Frodo a little. "One would think you'd be more alert, lad, what with a pretty girl holding your hand like that," he chuckled. Frodo mumbled something unintelligible in response, and Merry snickered from the hearth, where he was watching the proceedings with interest.
Mira raised an eyebrow at Bilbo's comment, and favored him with a tolerant smile. She handed him the little jar of salve. "Why don't you put a little of this on his back, Master Baggins? It will help those marks heal faster, and will reduce the possibility of scarring."
Bilbo did as he was asked, and within moments, Frodo's wrists were re - bandaged and his back was no longer burning and aching, but tingling rather pleasantly. He sighed and his eyes drooped shut again.
"Very well, where is my other patient?" Mira looked around the room and caught sight of Aiden, his long legs still hanging over the end of the bed. She approached quietly, and her brows knit with concern at the amount of blood that had seeped through the makeshift bandage on his shoulder.
"That looks bad," she said in a low voice, almost to herself. She began to pull the cloth bandage aside to get a better look at the wound beneath, and Aiden's hand batted hers away as he stirred from his herb - induced sleep.
"Now be still," she chided him, as she managed to unfasten one edge of the bandage. As she pulled it back it carefully, Bilbo leaned over and looked from the wound to her face to gauge her expression.
"What do you think?" Bilbo was addressing the healer, but in his medicated state, Aiden replied instead.
"Pretty eyes," he mumbled. "Lovely, really." His words slurred just a little and a rather strange half - smile crossed his face, making him look like one who had imbibed far too much ale in one sitting.
Bilbo was shaking with mirth, and more laughter came from the hearth where Merry and Saradoc were watching the scene with great amusement. Mira's face colored, but she continued to work on removing the rest of the bandage.
"As much as it troubles me to answer such kind words with actions that cause pain, I fear I must do so," she said, and began to clean the dried blood from the edges of the deep wound.
Aiden grimaced in response as the wound stung and throbbed. "Aaahh, my lady, you are ruthless!"
She glanced at Bilbo, and smiled. "The bigger they are, the louder they - " she broke off the comment as a hand closed over her own, stilling its motions.
Aiden willed his mind to clear of the cobwebs left by the sleeping herbs. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was behaving rather like a - what had Frodo called it? A tween. That was the word. He knew he was wearing a rather foolish expression, but somehow his facial muscles refused to be schooled to anything more dignified.
He was looking up at soft grey eyes in an angular face, framed by thick, dark hair that was slightly mussed from the hood of a cloak, drawn back loosely and fastened with a simple device made of a tooled leather wrap stabbed through with a carved wooden stylus.
The owner of those captivating eyes was looking down at him with a kind yet amused expression, and she moved his hand gently from her own in order to continue cleansing the wound. "Rest easy, good sir. I'll not torment you long," she answered, examining her handiwork.
"How much of that herb did you put in his tea last night, Merry?" Bilbo questioned.
"Twice as much as I gave Frodo," Merry answered, sounding uncertain. Bilbo gave him a sharp look and a raised eyebrow. "Well, he IS twice as big as Frodo," Merry stammered. What did they expect? He wasn't a healer!
"How am I faring?" Aiden asked, his voice beginning to sound a little more like his own.
"You will mend, I'll warrant," Mira replied. "But you mustn't let the muscles in your shoulder go without use. It will cause discomfort, but you must move it as it heals, or you will lose partial use of your arm," she cautioned in a serious tone.
"And how shall I go about it?" he questioned, waiting expectantly for the answer. He was pleasantly surprised when she took his hand and gently began to raise his arm upward, but only until she could see discomfort evident in his features and feel him squeezing her hand reflexively.
"Just a little, at first, but a bit more each day," she instructed, easing the arm back down again. She prepared a fresh bandage and began to apply it with deft, experienced motions. In a few moments, the stab wound was completely bandaged, and Aiden leaned back against the headboard wearily. The medicines may have been wearing off, but he was still recovering from the loss of blood, and he found sitting upright to be somewhat wearying.
"Rest now," the healer said, gently patting Aiden's hand. Unable to resist, he captured her hand in his own once again, and gallantly placed a kiss upon it.
"My gratitude goes with you, dear lady," he said, smiling warmly. She smiled and nodded, then retrieved her cloak and basket and made her way to the door with Bilbo close behind.
As she stepped into the hallway, Bilbo followed, closing the door softly behind him. "Before you go, I must pay you for your services," he said, drawing some coins from the pocket of his breeches.
"That will not be necessary, as I was paid in advance, Master Baggins," she said, declining the offer.
"Well, perhaps you would accept this as advance payment for your next visit?" The old hobbit said with a hopeful expression and a gesture back toward the door. "Surely they should both be seen to again, just to be sure they are healing properly?"
She laughed. These little folk were so charming, it was difficult to refuse them anything. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt, although you did very well on your own last night, it seems." She accepted the coins and smiled. "Very well, Master Baggins. I shall return to check on your invalids this evening. In the meantime, keep them warm and well rested."
"Your word is law, my dear," Bilbo said with a polite bow. Mira disappeared down the corridor, and Bilbo sighed and opened the door with a grin on his face. Dolan had done more good by them than he had probably intended, he thought merrily, especially where that young merchant was concerned. The look on his face had been simply priceless!
Bilbo re - entered the room, pausing to brush imaginary dust from the lapels of his weskit. "How kind of your informant to arrange the services of a healer for our little band of heroes," he quipped, looking pointedly at Aiden. "So, how DO you fare, eh?"
"My shoulder or my heart?" Aiden responded, with a wistful grin, his gaze drifting to the door. Perhaps the herbs in the tea had something to do with his reaction to the lovely vision he had awakened to, but they were certainly not entirely to blame. "I would be injured or ill more often, had I the promise of such fairness to gaze upon."
Merry made a face.
Bilbo looked across the room at Frodo, who had been watching the scene from where he lay. "Well, lad, it seems a heart has been stolen before our very eyes," the aged hobbit observed. "Lovely young lady, don't you think?"
Frodo's eyes were closed again, and he replied rather thickly, "Mmmmm. Too tall." The walls rang with peals of laughter, and for the first time in several days, the only tears that fell were tears of overwhelming mirth.
~*~To Be Continued~*~