Chapter 2
All of the sudden Frodo didn't seem to feel his fear and pain. All
he knew was rage and deep sorrow. He struggled against his
restraints violently. Frodo no longer cared about anything else,
especially the two devilish cousins in front of him. He didn't
care until a sudden agony in his stomach caught his breath. Merry
had delivered a harsh blow to it.
"Sam," he sobbed softly.
"Quiet, my dearest cousin," hissed Merry.
Frodo bowed his head and was trying to breathe normally when a hand
grabbed his curls and yanked his head backwards.
Frodo cried out in pain. He tried to avoid Merry's wicked eyes -
but couldn't. Finally just gazed fearfully.
"I saw you and Sam wandering out of the Shire, Merry barked. "Where
to, Cousin?" Abruptly Merry let go of Frodo's hair while tugging it
down. Frodo lifted his head slowly and stretched it a little. He
felt sore all over his neck. He willed himself not to say anything
to Merry and Pippin, convinced that the ring was behind his cousins'
ill manner.
His silence enraged Merry and he backhanded Frodo very hard, making
the tied form gasped. Merry continued to slap Frodo until blood
streamed from his nose and mouth. Frodo breathed heavily. He didn't
even have a chance to scream this time. Frodo flinched as Merry
walked to his side. He was barely aware of what was happening
around him. His head throbbed severely.
Merry whispered at his ear, "Or do you prefer for the black rider to
come and get you, Frodo?"
Frodo struggled weakly against his bonds.
"Please - " he said faintly. Then he noticed something flashing was
in Pip's hand. Was it a knife?
"Are you - are you going to kill me, too?"
Merry sneered. "Oh, not that easy, Beloved." He ran his fingers down
Frodo's bloodstained cheek. "You still owe me something."
Pippin disappeared to the back of the tree. If Frodo had wondered
what would happen next, he didn't have to wait long. The next thing
he felt was a sharp pain slicing along his right palm. Frodo let out
a shuddering cry that lasted for seconds. When he finally calmed
down, tears flowed freely down his cheek. He felt himself ready to
lose consciousness at any moment. Frodo was in deep, pure agony.
Unable to bear the pain it any longer, Frodo finally spoke.
"I --- Sam and I were going to Bree," muttered Frodo in a barely
audible voice. "But the business is our own."
Merry nodded. "That will be enough for now. We're going to Bree,
then. I'm sure we'll find out there about the business of
yours. "Pip!" He motioned his best pal to release Frodo.
Frodo tumbled to the ground the moment the rope that restrained him
went loose. He shut his eyes wearily. But even this "rest" was not
allowed. Frodo felt two pairs of hands grab his arms and drag him
away. He was shoved onto something soft. Frodo realized then that
it was Sam, or rather, Sam's body. He opened his eyes and snatched
his arms away from Merry and Pippin to hug Sam. He couldn't hold
back his tears. How could they be so heartless? Frodo felt the world
had turned upside-down. Frodo's arms were wrenched back again.
"No - let me go - "
"You don't suppose that we're going to leave you here, do you,
Frodo?" sneered Merry. "But Sam, well, probably, he has to wait
here." Merry aid nothing more as he fastened rope around Frodo's
wrists. "We're taking the Buckleberry ferry." Merry and Pippin
forced Frodo up. "But we don't want any trouble from you, so,
forgive us, cousin, we need to do this to you."
It sounded like a riddle to Frodo and he turned around to see what
his cousin really meant. But at that instant a damp cloth was
clamped over Frodo's mouth and nose. Besides the strong smell of
liquor Frodo knew was often consumed by his cousin, its contact with
his split corner of his lips made him gasp. Worse yet were the
overpowering fumes that made him feel light immediately. Frodo tried
to resist the liquor's effect upon his body but finally lost.
All of the sudden Frodo didn't seem to feel his fear and pain. All
he knew was rage and deep sorrow. He struggled against his
restraints violently. Frodo no longer cared about anything else,
especially the two devilish cousins in front of him. He didn't
care until a sudden agony in his stomach caught his breath. Merry
had delivered a harsh blow to it.
"Sam," he sobbed softly.
"Quiet, my dearest cousin," hissed Merry.
Frodo bowed his head and was trying to breathe normally when a hand
grabbed his curls and yanked his head backwards.
Frodo cried out in pain. He tried to avoid Merry's wicked eyes -
but couldn't. Finally just gazed fearfully.
"I saw you and Sam wandering out of the Shire, Merry barked. "Where
to, Cousin?" Abruptly Merry let go of Frodo's hair while tugging it
down. Frodo lifted his head slowly and stretched it a little. He
felt sore all over his neck. He willed himself not to say anything
to Merry and Pippin, convinced that the ring was behind his cousins'
ill manner.
His silence enraged Merry and he backhanded Frodo very hard, making
the tied form gasped. Merry continued to slap Frodo until blood
streamed from his nose and mouth. Frodo breathed heavily. He didn't
even have a chance to scream this time. Frodo flinched as Merry
walked to his side. He was barely aware of what was happening
around him. His head throbbed severely.
Merry whispered at his ear, "Or do you prefer for the black rider to
come and get you, Frodo?"
Frodo struggled weakly against his bonds.
"Please - " he said faintly. Then he noticed something flashing was
in Pip's hand. Was it a knife?
"Are you - are you going to kill me, too?"
Merry sneered. "Oh, not that easy, Beloved." He ran his fingers down
Frodo's bloodstained cheek. "You still owe me something."
Pippin disappeared to the back of the tree. If Frodo had wondered
what would happen next, he didn't have to wait long. The next thing
he felt was a sharp pain slicing along his right palm. Frodo let out
a shuddering cry that lasted for seconds. When he finally calmed
down, tears flowed freely down his cheek. He felt himself ready to
lose consciousness at any moment. Frodo was in deep, pure agony.
Unable to bear the pain it any longer, Frodo finally spoke.
"I --- Sam and I were going to Bree," muttered Frodo in a barely
audible voice. "But the business is our own."
Merry nodded. "That will be enough for now. We're going to Bree,
then. I'm sure we'll find out there about the business of
yours. "Pip!" He motioned his best pal to release Frodo.
Frodo tumbled to the ground the moment the rope that restrained him
went loose. He shut his eyes wearily. But even this "rest" was not
allowed. Frodo felt two pairs of hands grab his arms and drag him
away. He was shoved onto something soft. Frodo realized then that
it was Sam, or rather, Sam's body. He opened his eyes and snatched
his arms away from Merry and Pippin to hug Sam. He couldn't hold
back his tears. How could they be so heartless? Frodo felt the world
had turned upside-down. Frodo's arms were wrenched back again.
"No - let me go - "
"You don't suppose that we're going to leave you here, do you,
Frodo?" sneered Merry. "But Sam, well, probably, he has to wait
here." Merry aid nothing more as he fastened rope around Frodo's
wrists. "We're taking the Buckleberry ferry." Merry and Pippin
forced Frodo up. "But we don't want any trouble from you, so,
forgive us, cousin, we need to do this to you."
It sounded like a riddle to Frodo and he turned around to see what
his cousin really meant. But at that instant a damp cloth was
clamped over Frodo's mouth and nose. Besides the strong smell of
liquor Frodo knew was often consumed by his cousin, its contact with
his split corner of his lips made him gasp. Worse yet were the
overpowering fumes that made him feel light immediately. Frodo tried
to resist the liquor's effect upon his body but finally lost.
