Chapter 3
//Frodo was six again and felt very warm. He felt being rocking back
and forth. Oh, he was in his mummy's arms. He closed his eyes
peacefully. But suddenly he felt a chilly breeze blowing against
his face. Why?? Why?! He protested silently and glanced up at his
mother - // But she was not his mother! In fact, it was not a she at all! From
their faces Frodo recognized Merry and Pippin. He hadn't been fully
aware of what was happening and he was even more confused to see the
dark sky above and the sound of water splashes every now and then.
In the midst of his confusion, he tried to sit down from his lying-
on-his- side position, but he found it impossible. It was then Frodo
remembered that his hands were tied behind his back. Memories came rushing back to his brain. He remembered how Pippin
had hit Sam so hard that he had instantly killed Frodo's loyal
gardener. Frodo cringed as he recalled Merry's mindless cruelty
towards him). The ring, yes. It had to be because of that. Oh, how Frodo wished he could go back to his unconscious state where
there was his mother's warm embrace and love. He shut his eyes
tightly, trying to restrain the tears that threatened to spill.
Frodo drew his breath as silently as possible so Merry wouldn't be
aware that he had woken. The ferry floated along the Brandywine River for a couple more
minutes before it finally drew to a stop. Frodo still didn't move.
Pippin roughly grabbed Frodo's cloak to force the groggy hobbit to
his feet. Frodo raised with great difficulty and finally succeeded
after Merry, growing impatient, tugged him up too. "We are going to get into Bree," said Merry. "But you are not
supposed to say anything. I will. If you still try to speak," he
threatened, "remember that Pippin's dagger is at your back." Pippin emphasized this last threat with a short, sharp "warning"
poke of the dagger into the small of Frodo's back. Frodo gasped in
shock, then fell silent. It was too much for Frodo. Frodo could not believe any of this was
happening. Not in his wildest dreams could he believe that he could
come to such misery by his own cousins' hands! He stared at Merry,
hard and stubbornly. Still, Frodo was a pitiful sight. His pallid
face darkened with black and blue bruises did not make for an
intimidating impression. "Come on!" Merry ordered as he took Frodo's arm roughly and Pippin
nudged him from the back. Frodo stumbled forward. In front of the gate, Merry talked to the guard through a small
square hole. Frodo couldn't do anything to attract the guard's
attention with the tip of Pippin's dagger at his back. Besides, he
realized that his cousins had hidden Frodo's bound hands behind his
cloak so he just appeared to be clasping his hands behind his back. When the guard finally opened the gate, Frodo was again pushed and
pulled by his two cousins. He tried in vain to attract the door
warden's attention by blinking his eyes. But the guard didn't seem
to notice, much to Frodo's dismay. Merry, however, did notice. He
tugged at Frodo almost violently. "Don't try to do something you will regret, cousin," he hissed. "I won't - " But finally Frodo gave up. After a couple of minutes stumbling along the muddy road, Frodo saw
the sign of Prancing Pony Inn, where he was supposed to meet
Gandalf. He was torn between two options, telling Merry about the
inn, or not telling him. If he told Merry, there was a possibility
that he would meet Gandalf and be rescued. But it was still an
unpredictable situation fraught with risk. What if Merry found out
about the ring and ran away with it? This was definitely something
that Frodo didn't want to happen. Frodo decided to try his luck. He called Merry softly.
"Uh...Merry-?" "What?!" "I'm supposed to meet Gandalf there, in the Prancing Pony," Frodo
pronounced, haltingly. Merry stopped walking and seemed to muse for
a while. "Gandalf, eh?" he said a moment later. "Do you think I'm that stupid
to follow you inside to 'meet' Gandalf?!" he punctuated the word
meet as if he were mocking Frodo. Gandalf-- whom you can ask for
help!" Frodo panicked. He shook his head. "No! I didn't mean that. It was
just the agreement. I am to meet him there. Otherwise, he might
think that I'm in trouble." Which he really was. Pippin, who in the meantime was alert, tugged Merry's sleeve. "We'd
better not get in. All those big people, and we are alone. It's
too risky." That was exactly Merry's fear. But he finally made a decision. "We go in, but just briefly. We will ask for Gandalf but when the
wizard shows up, you, Pippin, quickly bring Frodo out of there. All
right?" instructed Merry. Pippin nodded. Frodo sighed. Merry looked
at Frodo suspiciously but didn't say anything. Merry pushed the big door open and stepped in with Frodo still in
his clutch. Pippin followed. They approached the man behind the
counter, Butterbur. The counter was taller than they were so Merry
had to hold his head high enough to be able to see Butterbur. He
inquired about Gandalf. But after recollecting for a moment,
Butterbur answered that he hadn't seen the wizard for quite a long
time. Frodo seemed to be taken aback. All his hopes vanished. What could
he do now? But what Frodo and his cousins did not observe were the pair of eyes
taking in all of their behavior. Sitting in a dark corner with his
pipe, Strider, a ranger requested by Gandalf to meet a particular
hobbit, looked at them with great interest. "He has dark curly hair and much fairer than most." That was what
Gandalf told him. He also noticed now the elvish air in him. But
when Strider looked more closely, he gasped. What was that on the
face? Bruises? How on earth could he get bruises? Had he fallen
down? "or what? is modern Strider stood up to approach the little
ones. He barely caught the argument among them. "We can't stay here!" insisted Merry. "Let's go out and find another
inn. I'm sure there are some out there built especially for hobbits." Frodo refused to move. He didn't know why but his gut told him to
stay. He wrenched himself free from Merry's grip and dashed across
the floor. Strider stood in amazement. He was becoming more
suspicious with every passing moment. Meanwhile, Pippin didn't just stand still. He leaped after Frodo and
seized the back of his cloak. Frodo jerked and toppled back. The
direction was unfortunate, as he fell with full force on his own
bound hands. Frodo felt like all the bones of his wrists and hands
were cracked. He shrieked hopelessly. His breaths were ragged. The
pain was so searing that it made Frodo want to vomit. Strider moved quickly. Something was very wrong here. The little
hobbit was definitely in distress. But he was not quick enough. The two other hobbits quickly picked
him up - and none too gently. Seeming to disregard the fallen
Hobbit's obvious pain, the two grabbed him and dragged him to the
door. "Don't say anything, dear cousin," whispered Merry into Frodo's
ear. "Or you will be in deadly peril." TBC
//Frodo was six again and felt very warm. He felt being rocking back
and forth. Oh, he was in his mummy's arms. He closed his eyes
peacefully. But suddenly he felt a chilly breeze blowing against
his face. Why?? Why?! He protested silently and glanced up at his
mother - // But she was not his mother! In fact, it was not a she at all! From
their faces Frodo recognized Merry and Pippin. He hadn't been fully
aware of what was happening and he was even more confused to see the
dark sky above and the sound of water splashes every now and then.
In the midst of his confusion, he tried to sit down from his lying-
on-his- side position, but he found it impossible. It was then Frodo
remembered that his hands were tied behind his back. Memories came rushing back to his brain. He remembered how Pippin
had hit Sam so hard that he had instantly killed Frodo's loyal
gardener. Frodo cringed as he recalled Merry's mindless cruelty
towards him). The ring, yes. It had to be because of that. Oh, how Frodo wished he could go back to his unconscious state where
there was his mother's warm embrace and love. He shut his eyes
tightly, trying to restrain the tears that threatened to spill.
Frodo drew his breath as silently as possible so Merry wouldn't be
aware that he had woken. The ferry floated along the Brandywine River for a couple more
minutes before it finally drew to a stop. Frodo still didn't move.
Pippin roughly grabbed Frodo's cloak to force the groggy hobbit to
his feet. Frodo raised with great difficulty and finally succeeded
after Merry, growing impatient, tugged him up too. "We are going to get into Bree," said Merry. "But you are not
supposed to say anything. I will. If you still try to speak," he
threatened, "remember that Pippin's dagger is at your back." Pippin emphasized this last threat with a short, sharp "warning"
poke of the dagger into the small of Frodo's back. Frodo gasped in
shock, then fell silent. It was too much for Frodo. Frodo could not believe any of this was
happening. Not in his wildest dreams could he believe that he could
come to such misery by his own cousins' hands! He stared at Merry,
hard and stubbornly. Still, Frodo was a pitiful sight. His pallid
face darkened with black and blue bruises did not make for an
intimidating impression. "Come on!" Merry ordered as he took Frodo's arm roughly and Pippin
nudged him from the back. Frodo stumbled forward. In front of the gate, Merry talked to the guard through a small
square hole. Frodo couldn't do anything to attract the guard's
attention with the tip of Pippin's dagger at his back. Besides, he
realized that his cousins had hidden Frodo's bound hands behind his
cloak so he just appeared to be clasping his hands behind his back. When the guard finally opened the gate, Frodo was again pushed and
pulled by his two cousins. He tried in vain to attract the door
warden's attention by blinking his eyes. But the guard didn't seem
to notice, much to Frodo's dismay. Merry, however, did notice. He
tugged at Frodo almost violently. "Don't try to do something you will regret, cousin," he hissed. "I won't - " But finally Frodo gave up. After a couple of minutes stumbling along the muddy road, Frodo saw
the sign of Prancing Pony Inn, where he was supposed to meet
Gandalf. He was torn between two options, telling Merry about the
inn, or not telling him. If he told Merry, there was a possibility
that he would meet Gandalf and be rescued. But it was still an
unpredictable situation fraught with risk. What if Merry found out
about the ring and ran away with it? This was definitely something
that Frodo didn't want to happen. Frodo decided to try his luck. He called Merry softly.
"Uh...Merry-?" "What?!" "I'm supposed to meet Gandalf there, in the Prancing Pony," Frodo
pronounced, haltingly. Merry stopped walking and seemed to muse for
a while. "Gandalf, eh?" he said a moment later. "Do you think I'm that stupid
to follow you inside to 'meet' Gandalf?!" he punctuated the word
meet as if he were mocking Frodo. Gandalf-- whom you can ask for
help!" Frodo panicked. He shook his head. "No! I didn't mean that. It was
just the agreement. I am to meet him there. Otherwise, he might
think that I'm in trouble." Which he really was. Pippin, who in the meantime was alert, tugged Merry's sleeve. "We'd
better not get in. All those big people, and we are alone. It's
too risky." That was exactly Merry's fear. But he finally made a decision. "We go in, but just briefly. We will ask for Gandalf but when the
wizard shows up, you, Pippin, quickly bring Frodo out of there. All
right?" instructed Merry. Pippin nodded. Frodo sighed. Merry looked
at Frodo suspiciously but didn't say anything. Merry pushed the big door open and stepped in with Frodo still in
his clutch. Pippin followed. They approached the man behind the
counter, Butterbur. The counter was taller than they were so Merry
had to hold his head high enough to be able to see Butterbur. He
inquired about Gandalf. But after recollecting for a moment,
Butterbur answered that he hadn't seen the wizard for quite a long
time. Frodo seemed to be taken aback. All his hopes vanished. What could
he do now? But what Frodo and his cousins did not observe were the pair of eyes
taking in all of their behavior. Sitting in a dark corner with his
pipe, Strider, a ranger requested by Gandalf to meet a particular
hobbit, looked at them with great interest. "He has dark curly hair and much fairer than most." That was what
Gandalf told him. He also noticed now the elvish air in him. But
when Strider looked more closely, he gasped. What was that on the
face? Bruises? How on earth could he get bruises? Had he fallen
down? "or what? is modern Strider stood up to approach the little
ones. He barely caught the argument among them. "We can't stay here!" insisted Merry. "Let's go out and find another
inn. I'm sure there are some out there built especially for hobbits." Frodo refused to move. He didn't know why but his gut told him to
stay. He wrenched himself free from Merry's grip and dashed across
the floor. Strider stood in amazement. He was becoming more
suspicious with every passing moment. Meanwhile, Pippin didn't just stand still. He leaped after Frodo and
seized the back of his cloak. Frodo jerked and toppled back. The
direction was unfortunate, as he fell with full force on his own
bound hands. Frodo felt like all the bones of his wrists and hands
were cracked. He shrieked hopelessly. His breaths were ragged. The
pain was so searing that it made Frodo want to vomit. Strider moved quickly. Something was very wrong here. The little
hobbit was definitely in distress. But he was not quick enough. The two other hobbits quickly picked
him up - and none too gently. Seeming to disregard the fallen
Hobbit's obvious pain, the two grabbed him and dragged him to the
door. "Don't say anything, dear cousin," whispered Merry into Frodo's
ear. "Or you will be in deadly peril." TBC
