Amelia Rose - Sorry to trot off on vacation with that nasty cliffhanger! I didn't really plan for that chapter to be up when I left. What's happened to poor Frodo? Let's find out!
Pebbles - Eeek, I hope you guys can forgive me for the gnarly cliffhangers. There were many margaritas, by the way. One for each of you!
Bookworm2000 - Lotho is beginning to get a little of his Karma coming up against him. Too bad Frodo's caught up in it too.
Endymion2 - "Don't talk to Lotho" would be really good advice for Frodo! How little Lotho knows of his cousin if he thinks he can intimidate Frodo into leaving! He's got his delusions, hasn't he?
Iorhael - It was hard for me to leave the story there for such a long stretch too. Maybe Lotho is part orc!
Shirebound - Only Ted knows where they are, and he doesn't know anything has happened yet!
FrodoBaggins87 - Made it back, and I'm ready to get back to my story. Hope you guys will be too!
Aratlithiel - Lotho could have chosen the kinder, gentler path. What happened? Bilbo knows what he's talking about when he tells Frodo not to listen to those narrow - minded people. You're absolutely right that Frodo has been through too much to let the likes of Lotho push him around. He's not gonna take it!
LotRseer3350 - Here's that update I promised! What's gonna happen? You'll see!
FrodoBaggins1982 - Dreadful of me to jump on a jet while those boys are trapped in that cave - in! Frodo is now fully aware of his cousin's nasty nature. There's no suspecting anymore. Yeah, that was a kind of short chapter. If I get the urge, I might try to lengthen it, but we'll see what falls out of my jet - lagged brain!
Midgette - I left you guys hangin' didn't I? I'm back and I'll be doing my usual frequent updates again.
QTPie2488 - I've been rushing you, haven't I? There will be a lot of discussion between Frodo and Lotho coming up, and I hope I have made it interesting.
Aelfgifu - Thanks for your comments on chapter 12. I just have such a wonderful time working with Bilbo. He's got such a spark to him! Tossing Lotho's butt into the pond sounds just fine with me. I think Evil Merry did find me on my vacation. He pushed me off a rain - slicked curb last night and caused me to break my toe! Or was that Lotho?
Camellia Gamgee - Took - As to Ted's importance, he is currently the only one who knows where those two boys are. Here's that long - awaited update!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Chapter 16 - Trapped
When the dirt and rocks finally stopped raining down upon the two young hobbits, all was dark and silent for a few moments. Then, something moved, only a little at first, but with growing strength. Frodo struggled out from under the fallen chunks, moving them aside as well as he could with one hand. The other hand he kept close to his side in an attempt to keep the shoulder immobile. He was aware that he was injured, and his voice was tight with pain as he spoke.
"Lotho? Lotho, can you hear me?" Frodo dragged himself forward, groping in the darkness until his hand touched fabric. He located Lotho's hand and pulled, but the tween was too heavy for him to move in such manner. The pulling and tugging brought Lotho back to consciousness and there was more scraping and rattling of small stones as he shifted.
"What happened?" Lotho groaned hoarsely, pausing to cough as the dust continued to settle around him.
"The roof caved in on us," Frodo said. "I think my shoulder is dislocated. Are you hurt?"
As if that Bucklander cares, Lotho thought. He tried to move his legs and instantly wished he hadn't as pain ripped through him. "I think one of my legs is broken," he gasped.
"It's too dark in here for me to tell how bad the cave - in was," Frodo said as he tried to see in the inky blackness that surrounded him. "I'm going to try to find my candle and tinderbox."
"You'll never find them in here, it's too dark," Lotho said pessimistically. "Besides, they're probably under a pile of rocks."
"They may be, but I'm going to try just the same," Frodo answered obstinately. He crawled slowly, supporting himself on his good arm, until he reached out and touched the wall of the small cavern. He worked his way along the wall, remembering that he had been in the corner of the room when he had dropped the candle.
Moments passed tensely, with no sound but that of Frodo sweeping away at the dirt and stones with his fingers. "I've got it!" he said excitedly as he grasped the candle. His tinderbox would be in the pocket of his pack where he had stowed it after lighting the candle on his way in. "My pack should be around here somewhere," he said, drawing in a harsh breath and cursing as he accidentally moved his injured arm.
"I didn't know you knew words like that, Cousin," Lotho's voice rose from across the room.
"You'd be surprised at what I know," Frodo shot back, reaching forward in the blackness. His fingers brushed and then closed around the strap of his pack and he fumbled inside for the tinderbox. Seconds later, light flared in the confined space, and Frodo could see for the first time the extent of the damage.
"This isn't good," he remarked as he gazed around. The entrance to the chamber was completely blocked with dirt and stone, and there was no other egress from the room. No holes had opened in the roof to allow light or air to enter. Frodo drew what encouragement he could from the fact that the worst of the rock fall had occurred a short distance from where they had been standing, rather than directly above them. If they had been fully in the path of the falling material, far worse injuries could have easily been the result.
Frodo realized the candle was consuming precious oxygen, and he knew he would have to put it out. He would do so, but not until he had seen to his and his cousin's injuries. He moved carefully back to where Lotho lay, still partially buried under chunks of the ceiling.
"I'm going to try to move some of this off you," Frodo said quietly as he set the candle down. It was slow going with his shoulder, but Frodo managed to shove some of the larger chunks aside. He went about the task slowly and carefully, trying not to jostle his cousin's injured leg.
A few minutes later, he sat back against the wall, breathing hard from exertion and pain. "There. Can you sit up at all?"
"Why would I want to?" Lotho groaned, but he made an effort to drag himself upward. "This is a fine mess we're in," he grumbled as he brushed some of the dust from his clothing.
"It is indeed," Frodo agreed. "And we're going to have to lay aside our differences for the time being and work together if we want to get out of it."
Lotho gave his cousin a rather dirty look. The last thing he wanted was to have to team up with the little Bucklander. "And I suppose you have just the perfect solution to our current difficulties?" Sarcasm dripped from Lotho's voice.
"I don't know that I do, but I know one thing. We have to try to dig out in hopes that we can at least make a hole that air can get through." Frodo gestured to the candle. "We can't keep this burning for very long. We need air more than we need light."
Lotho had to admit that Frodo was right. The candle would have to go. "Very well, so we dig. How am I supposed to do that with a broken leg, and you with a dislocated shoulder?"
"I can't do much with your leg, without anything to use for a splint," Frodo admitted. "As for my shoulder, it will be very unpleasant, but I want you to try to put it back in place."
Frodo moved into a position where Lotho could grip his arm and pull. He took a deep breath and said grimly, "If you've ever wanted to hurt me cousin, here is your chance."
Lotho wondered how hard a knock on the head he had taken earlier as he found himself laughing at the statement. "Hold still," he said, and counted to three. On the last count, he pulled sharply on Frodo's arm, and his action was answered by a loud cry and a sickening pop.
Frodo doubled over, gasping, with tears running down his face. Eru, that had been painful! The arm would be very sore, but he found that he could move it now. "Thank you," he managed, trying to regain his composure. He knew he mustn't panic, no matter how dire the circumstances.
"My pleasure," Lotho said snidely, unable to pass up the opportunity.
Frodo frowned as he looked at his cousin. "You just can't let things be, can you? Not even now, when we're both in trouble." He shook his head.
"We wouldn't be here at all if you had just stayed in Buckland where you belong," Lotho shot back.
Pain and frustration made Frodo's voice tighten as he spoke. "How would you know where I belong?" A host of other possible comments rose in him, but Frodo held them back. He wasn't about to tell Lotho anything about his life at Brandy Hall or the reasons Bilbo had asked him to come to Hobbiton.
Lotho noted the edge in Frodo's tone. "So you didn't belong in Buckland either? What a shame." He had caused Frodo pain when he pulled his arm back into its socket, and he wasn't through yet.
"Just stop it!" Frodo shouted at Lotho, all attempts at pleasantries abandoned for the moment. "And to think I believed you were starting to accept the idea of me living at Bag End! You don't care about Bilbo at all, do you?" Frodo's tone softened to a sadder one. "All you care about is getting your hands on his home and his fortune."
"My family and I are his closest relations. Why shouldn't we inherit his fortune when he's gone? I think you came to Hobbiton to get your hands on it yourself. And why not? You're an orphan with nothing to his name, after all!" Lotho knew the mention of Frodo's loss of his parents was a low blow, but that didn't stop him.
Frodo was glad for the darkness around him at that moment. He turned away from the meager candlelight so Lotho couldn't see the shadow of pain that swept across his features at the mention of his parents. "I wouldn't care if Bilbo were the poorest hobbit in the Shire. He's the only person I have who loves me as my parents did. I pity you, Cousin, for your inability to understand such a simple thing as love."
"I don't need your pity, rat!" Lotho spat angrily. How dare Frodo say that to him! "Don't presume to tell me what I understand and what I don't." He glared at Frodo, his eyes gleaming with venomous ire. In that moment he hated Frodo. He needed to hate him, somehow. He needed to know that there was still something he could take from Frodo as Frodo had taken all from him by his very presence.
"Then I hope you understand this," Frodo said, hiding his pain and anger as best he could. "We're trapped here, together. We will either live or die by the decisions we make now, and the actions we take."
Lotho tried to force himself to focus on the moment. Revenge could wait, provided they both got out of their predicament in one piece. "All right then, if you're so smart, what next?" he asked, trying to ignore the pain in his leg.
"Survival is our goal now," Frodo said as he reached for his pack. "It's a good thing I was out for a day's exploring," Frodo sighed as he assessed the contents. "I have water, but not much." There were also a couple of apples and a partial loaf of bread wrapped in a cloth. "We'll have to use all of this sparingly."
Lotho couldn't believe his ears. Frodo seemed to be acting as if their argument had never happened. "You're going to share your food and water with me after everything I've said and done?" Lotho was surprised by Frodo's generosity toward him. Would he have been so willing if their positions were reversed?
"Lotho, what you said and did was wrong, but I cannot in good conscience add more wrong to it," Frodo said patiently. "We're in this together and we're going to get out of here together," Frodo remarked by way of declaring an end to the argument.
Lotho experimentally dug his fingers into the edge of the pile of dirt and rocks that blocked the exit. He swept aside a double handful of the material, and more trickled down from the top of the pile. "I'm not going to be much good trying to dig out from the bottom," he remarked, looking upward. "Every time I move some away, more falls in its place."
"Whatever you can do will help," Frodo told him. "I can stand, so I can dig from higher up. We'll have to take turns, I think." If he were to dig from above at the same time as Lotho was digging below, more of the mass could fall on Lotho and injure him further. As angry as Frodo was with his cousin for his obtuse and malicious attitude, he couldn't bring himself to purposely cause him pain.
"We've got to get you moved back away from all of this for the time being," Frodo said, pointing to a clear space not far away. "When I start digging, I want to make sure you're where I won't cause any more of this to fall on you."
It was Lotho's turn to cry out in pain, as Frodo dragged him backward, inch by inch, away from the wall of fallen stone and earth. Lotho tried to help as much as he could. He knew he was a bit heavy for Frodo even without an injured shoulder to deal with, and he wanted to get any movement over with. Lotho lay back against the floor of the chamber, panting, and closed his eyes. "I guess we'll have to put the light out now," he said glumly. Being trapped was disheartening in and of itself, but being trapped in the dark would be even worse.
"I imagine it will be a challenge, digging with my hands in the darkness," Frodo sighed. "But there's nothing more that can be done. We've got to at least get some ventilation in here." He blew out the candle and began the task of shifting rock and earth from as high as he could reach. His shoulder ached terribly, but he ignored it as stoically as he could.
"Someone will come looking for us. They have to," Frodo said, thinking aloud. "I must admit, I didn't tell Uncle Bilbo exactly where I was going," Frodo explained. "I was hoping to surprise him with some mushrooms." He couldn't keep a slightly bitter tone from his speech as he made the comment.
Lotho grunted at the barb, but answered back. "The only person who knew where I was going was that witless Ted Sandyman," he recalled ruefully. "If there's enough of a fuss when neither of us shows up for supper tonight, maybe he'll hear about it and say something."
"Let us hope he does," Frodo said with a calm he didn't really feel. A pang of guilt shot through him as he thought of how worried Bilbo would be at his absence. Frodo wondered if he would ever be able to stop causing Bilbo trouble. The old hobbit hadn't a great deal of gray hair, but Frodo thought that was soon to change if this sort of thing kept happening.
Frodo continued to pull away rocks and handfuls of dirt, his thoughts drifting as he worked. Lotho had seen an entry in Bilbo's journal stating that Frodo was to become his heir. Frodo tried to imagine Bag End and all its wonders as his own, and failed. It was just too much to grasp at the moment.
But it hadn't been for Lotho. He had been able to imagine it all too well, it seemed. Lotho had tried to make Bilbo look like a poor excuse for a guardian by causing harm to come to Frodo, which Bilbo could not prevent. But the Master of Buckland had not come blustering in to demand that Frodo return to Brandy Hall. Instead, he had come with quiet assurances and good advice.
Frodo cringed at the thought that he had almost fallen for Lotho's suggestion that people thought his presence at Bag End improper. Instead of all of Hobbiton making assumptions, it had turned out to be just a few tweens making crude remarks. No, he had no reason to go dashing back to Buckland any time soon.
Lotho's threats came back to Frodo as he tore at the rocks. His cousin had said that he would take Frodo back to Buckland himself if necessary. Was that Lotho's intention in luring him here? He bit back a bitter laugh. It would have been foolish for Lotho to try such a thing, as no one at Brandy Hall would have made Frodo stay there if he returned under duress.
How sad it was that greed should cause such trouble! Besides, if it were true that Frodo would one day inherit his relative's wealth, he could not imagine leaving any of his family in a state of need. He himself had done well enough with what little he had of his own in Buckland, he reasoned. He need not sit upon some golden hoard like the dragon in Bilbo's tales, but would gladly share his good fortune with family, should they have need of it.
Frodo wondered if Bilbo's reported wealth had been inflated in the imaginations of others. He had been given the run of Bag End over the last few months, and he had yet to stumble over any cache of treasure. Still, whenever anything was needed at Bag End, there was always enough to pay the cost. Frodo shook his head slightly at the thought. Let Bilbo keep his secrets if he chose. Frodo would certainly not be uncouth enough to ask!
Several hours had passed as Frodo did his best to clear away some of the fall and discover how deeply he and Lotho were buried in the hill. He had yet to reach a hand through into the open space he hoped lay beyond the pile in the doorway. His shoulder was hurting and he needed to rest.
Frodo moved slowly toward the wall where he had left the candle and his other supplies, taking care not to step on Lotho. Frodo had never broken a bone, and he could only imagine how much pain his cousin must be in. He sighed as he let himself sink down to lean against the wall.
"Good news?" Lotho's voice came from beside Frodo.
"Not yet, I'm afraid," Frodo answered wearily. "I can't tell how bad the cave - in was beyond this room, but I haven't reached the other side of the debris yet."
Lotho dragged himself in the direction of the pile and began digging away at the edges. He found that if he approached it from one side, much of the material that trickled down from the top missed him by a few inches. He wished they could use the candle, but he knew it was wiser not to. There was no telling how long it would be before someone figured out what had happened.
He found himself wishing that he had taken up with smarter folk than Ted. The miller's son would eventually work out the puzzle, but who knew how long word of two missing tweens would take to reach him. The thought of having to wait for Ted Sandyman to lead a search party to him made Lotho dig with more energy.
Lotho felt frustration, anger, and perhaps even some regret when he thought of the past few months and his efforts to get Frodo to remove himself to Buckland. It had all come to naught, as it was. Assuming he and Frodo were able to escape their current predicament, Lotho knew he and his family would surely be written out of Bilbo's will. Surely it would come to light that he had been to blame for Frodo's misfortunes. After all, why would Frodo keep that information to himself, now that he knew the truth?
No, it would be his little cousin from Buckland who would be the next Master of Bag End, not Lotho. Frodo Baggins, who didn't even seem a proper hobbit at all. He was too thin, too pale, almost fragile - looking in some ways, Lotho mused. But Frodo was not fragile at all. That had been a brutal fall into the icy cold pond water, followed by an illness that was quite serious, if rumor could be believed. Frodo had survived both, and now was fighting to escape being buried alive, putting aside his pain and fear and bending to the task at hand.
The subject of Lotho's musings now lay curled up on the floor of the chamber, drifting in and out of sleep as he rested and conserved his strength. Frodo could feel his shoulder beginning to stiffen and he moved it every so often to prevent it from seizing up. In another hour or so, he would go back to digging and it would be Lotho's turn to rest.
~*~To be continued~*~
Pebbles - Eeek, I hope you guys can forgive me for the gnarly cliffhangers. There were many margaritas, by the way. One for each of you!
Bookworm2000 - Lotho is beginning to get a little of his Karma coming up against him. Too bad Frodo's caught up in it too.
Endymion2 - "Don't talk to Lotho" would be really good advice for Frodo! How little Lotho knows of his cousin if he thinks he can intimidate Frodo into leaving! He's got his delusions, hasn't he?
Iorhael - It was hard for me to leave the story there for such a long stretch too. Maybe Lotho is part orc!
Shirebound - Only Ted knows where they are, and he doesn't know anything has happened yet!
FrodoBaggins87 - Made it back, and I'm ready to get back to my story. Hope you guys will be too!
Aratlithiel - Lotho could have chosen the kinder, gentler path. What happened? Bilbo knows what he's talking about when he tells Frodo not to listen to those narrow - minded people. You're absolutely right that Frodo has been through too much to let the likes of Lotho push him around. He's not gonna take it!
LotRseer3350 - Here's that update I promised! What's gonna happen? You'll see!
FrodoBaggins1982 - Dreadful of me to jump on a jet while those boys are trapped in that cave - in! Frodo is now fully aware of his cousin's nasty nature. There's no suspecting anymore. Yeah, that was a kind of short chapter. If I get the urge, I might try to lengthen it, but we'll see what falls out of my jet - lagged brain!
Midgette - I left you guys hangin' didn't I? I'm back and I'll be doing my usual frequent updates again.
QTPie2488 - I've been rushing you, haven't I? There will be a lot of discussion between Frodo and Lotho coming up, and I hope I have made it interesting.
Aelfgifu - Thanks for your comments on chapter 12. I just have such a wonderful time working with Bilbo. He's got such a spark to him! Tossing Lotho's butt into the pond sounds just fine with me. I think Evil Merry did find me on my vacation. He pushed me off a rain - slicked curb last night and caused me to break my toe! Or was that Lotho?
Camellia Gamgee - Took - As to Ted's importance, he is currently the only one who knows where those two boys are. Here's that long - awaited update!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Chapter 16 - Trapped
When the dirt and rocks finally stopped raining down upon the two young hobbits, all was dark and silent for a few moments. Then, something moved, only a little at first, but with growing strength. Frodo struggled out from under the fallen chunks, moving them aside as well as he could with one hand. The other hand he kept close to his side in an attempt to keep the shoulder immobile. He was aware that he was injured, and his voice was tight with pain as he spoke.
"Lotho? Lotho, can you hear me?" Frodo dragged himself forward, groping in the darkness until his hand touched fabric. He located Lotho's hand and pulled, but the tween was too heavy for him to move in such manner. The pulling and tugging brought Lotho back to consciousness and there was more scraping and rattling of small stones as he shifted.
"What happened?" Lotho groaned hoarsely, pausing to cough as the dust continued to settle around him.
"The roof caved in on us," Frodo said. "I think my shoulder is dislocated. Are you hurt?"
As if that Bucklander cares, Lotho thought. He tried to move his legs and instantly wished he hadn't as pain ripped through him. "I think one of my legs is broken," he gasped.
"It's too dark in here for me to tell how bad the cave - in was," Frodo said as he tried to see in the inky blackness that surrounded him. "I'm going to try to find my candle and tinderbox."
"You'll never find them in here, it's too dark," Lotho said pessimistically. "Besides, they're probably under a pile of rocks."
"They may be, but I'm going to try just the same," Frodo answered obstinately. He crawled slowly, supporting himself on his good arm, until he reached out and touched the wall of the small cavern. He worked his way along the wall, remembering that he had been in the corner of the room when he had dropped the candle.
Moments passed tensely, with no sound but that of Frodo sweeping away at the dirt and stones with his fingers. "I've got it!" he said excitedly as he grasped the candle. His tinderbox would be in the pocket of his pack where he had stowed it after lighting the candle on his way in. "My pack should be around here somewhere," he said, drawing in a harsh breath and cursing as he accidentally moved his injured arm.
"I didn't know you knew words like that, Cousin," Lotho's voice rose from across the room.
"You'd be surprised at what I know," Frodo shot back, reaching forward in the blackness. His fingers brushed and then closed around the strap of his pack and he fumbled inside for the tinderbox. Seconds later, light flared in the confined space, and Frodo could see for the first time the extent of the damage.
"This isn't good," he remarked as he gazed around. The entrance to the chamber was completely blocked with dirt and stone, and there was no other egress from the room. No holes had opened in the roof to allow light or air to enter. Frodo drew what encouragement he could from the fact that the worst of the rock fall had occurred a short distance from where they had been standing, rather than directly above them. If they had been fully in the path of the falling material, far worse injuries could have easily been the result.
Frodo realized the candle was consuming precious oxygen, and he knew he would have to put it out. He would do so, but not until he had seen to his and his cousin's injuries. He moved carefully back to where Lotho lay, still partially buried under chunks of the ceiling.
"I'm going to try to move some of this off you," Frodo said quietly as he set the candle down. It was slow going with his shoulder, but Frodo managed to shove some of the larger chunks aside. He went about the task slowly and carefully, trying not to jostle his cousin's injured leg.
A few minutes later, he sat back against the wall, breathing hard from exertion and pain. "There. Can you sit up at all?"
"Why would I want to?" Lotho groaned, but he made an effort to drag himself upward. "This is a fine mess we're in," he grumbled as he brushed some of the dust from his clothing.
"It is indeed," Frodo agreed. "And we're going to have to lay aside our differences for the time being and work together if we want to get out of it."
Lotho gave his cousin a rather dirty look. The last thing he wanted was to have to team up with the little Bucklander. "And I suppose you have just the perfect solution to our current difficulties?" Sarcasm dripped from Lotho's voice.
"I don't know that I do, but I know one thing. We have to try to dig out in hopes that we can at least make a hole that air can get through." Frodo gestured to the candle. "We can't keep this burning for very long. We need air more than we need light."
Lotho had to admit that Frodo was right. The candle would have to go. "Very well, so we dig. How am I supposed to do that with a broken leg, and you with a dislocated shoulder?"
"I can't do much with your leg, without anything to use for a splint," Frodo admitted. "As for my shoulder, it will be very unpleasant, but I want you to try to put it back in place."
Frodo moved into a position where Lotho could grip his arm and pull. He took a deep breath and said grimly, "If you've ever wanted to hurt me cousin, here is your chance."
Lotho wondered how hard a knock on the head he had taken earlier as he found himself laughing at the statement. "Hold still," he said, and counted to three. On the last count, he pulled sharply on Frodo's arm, and his action was answered by a loud cry and a sickening pop.
Frodo doubled over, gasping, with tears running down his face. Eru, that had been painful! The arm would be very sore, but he found that he could move it now. "Thank you," he managed, trying to regain his composure. He knew he mustn't panic, no matter how dire the circumstances.
"My pleasure," Lotho said snidely, unable to pass up the opportunity.
Frodo frowned as he looked at his cousin. "You just can't let things be, can you? Not even now, when we're both in trouble." He shook his head.
"We wouldn't be here at all if you had just stayed in Buckland where you belong," Lotho shot back.
Pain and frustration made Frodo's voice tighten as he spoke. "How would you know where I belong?" A host of other possible comments rose in him, but Frodo held them back. He wasn't about to tell Lotho anything about his life at Brandy Hall or the reasons Bilbo had asked him to come to Hobbiton.
Lotho noted the edge in Frodo's tone. "So you didn't belong in Buckland either? What a shame." He had caused Frodo pain when he pulled his arm back into its socket, and he wasn't through yet.
"Just stop it!" Frodo shouted at Lotho, all attempts at pleasantries abandoned for the moment. "And to think I believed you were starting to accept the idea of me living at Bag End! You don't care about Bilbo at all, do you?" Frodo's tone softened to a sadder one. "All you care about is getting your hands on his home and his fortune."
"My family and I are his closest relations. Why shouldn't we inherit his fortune when he's gone? I think you came to Hobbiton to get your hands on it yourself. And why not? You're an orphan with nothing to his name, after all!" Lotho knew the mention of Frodo's loss of his parents was a low blow, but that didn't stop him.
Frodo was glad for the darkness around him at that moment. He turned away from the meager candlelight so Lotho couldn't see the shadow of pain that swept across his features at the mention of his parents. "I wouldn't care if Bilbo were the poorest hobbit in the Shire. He's the only person I have who loves me as my parents did. I pity you, Cousin, for your inability to understand such a simple thing as love."
"I don't need your pity, rat!" Lotho spat angrily. How dare Frodo say that to him! "Don't presume to tell me what I understand and what I don't." He glared at Frodo, his eyes gleaming with venomous ire. In that moment he hated Frodo. He needed to hate him, somehow. He needed to know that there was still something he could take from Frodo as Frodo had taken all from him by his very presence.
"Then I hope you understand this," Frodo said, hiding his pain and anger as best he could. "We're trapped here, together. We will either live or die by the decisions we make now, and the actions we take."
Lotho tried to force himself to focus on the moment. Revenge could wait, provided they both got out of their predicament in one piece. "All right then, if you're so smart, what next?" he asked, trying to ignore the pain in his leg.
"Survival is our goal now," Frodo said as he reached for his pack. "It's a good thing I was out for a day's exploring," Frodo sighed as he assessed the contents. "I have water, but not much." There were also a couple of apples and a partial loaf of bread wrapped in a cloth. "We'll have to use all of this sparingly."
Lotho couldn't believe his ears. Frodo seemed to be acting as if their argument had never happened. "You're going to share your food and water with me after everything I've said and done?" Lotho was surprised by Frodo's generosity toward him. Would he have been so willing if their positions were reversed?
"Lotho, what you said and did was wrong, but I cannot in good conscience add more wrong to it," Frodo said patiently. "We're in this together and we're going to get out of here together," Frodo remarked by way of declaring an end to the argument.
Lotho experimentally dug his fingers into the edge of the pile of dirt and rocks that blocked the exit. He swept aside a double handful of the material, and more trickled down from the top of the pile. "I'm not going to be much good trying to dig out from the bottom," he remarked, looking upward. "Every time I move some away, more falls in its place."
"Whatever you can do will help," Frodo told him. "I can stand, so I can dig from higher up. We'll have to take turns, I think." If he were to dig from above at the same time as Lotho was digging below, more of the mass could fall on Lotho and injure him further. As angry as Frodo was with his cousin for his obtuse and malicious attitude, he couldn't bring himself to purposely cause him pain.
"We've got to get you moved back away from all of this for the time being," Frodo said, pointing to a clear space not far away. "When I start digging, I want to make sure you're where I won't cause any more of this to fall on you."
It was Lotho's turn to cry out in pain, as Frodo dragged him backward, inch by inch, away from the wall of fallen stone and earth. Lotho tried to help as much as he could. He knew he was a bit heavy for Frodo even without an injured shoulder to deal with, and he wanted to get any movement over with. Lotho lay back against the floor of the chamber, panting, and closed his eyes. "I guess we'll have to put the light out now," he said glumly. Being trapped was disheartening in and of itself, but being trapped in the dark would be even worse.
"I imagine it will be a challenge, digging with my hands in the darkness," Frodo sighed. "But there's nothing more that can be done. We've got to at least get some ventilation in here." He blew out the candle and began the task of shifting rock and earth from as high as he could reach. His shoulder ached terribly, but he ignored it as stoically as he could.
"Someone will come looking for us. They have to," Frodo said, thinking aloud. "I must admit, I didn't tell Uncle Bilbo exactly where I was going," Frodo explained. "I was hoping to surprise him with some mushrooms." He couldn't keep a slightly bitter tone from his speech as he made the comment.
Lotho grunted at the barb, but answered back. "The only person who knew where I was going was that witless Ted Sandyman," he recalled ruefully. "If there's enough of a fuss when neither of us shows up for supper tonight, maybe he'll hear about it and say something."
"Let us hope he does," Frodo said with a calm he didn't really feel. A pang of guilt shot through him as he thought of how worried Bilbo would be at his absence. Frodo wondered if he would ever be able to stop causing Bilbo trouble. The old hobbit hadn't a great deal of gray hair, but Frodo thought that was soon to change if this sort of thing kept happening.
Frodo continued to pull away rocks and handfuls of dirt, his thoughts drifting as he worked. Lotho had seen an entry in Bilbo's journal stating that Frodo was to become his heir. Frodo tried to imagine Bag End and all its wonders as his own, and failed. It was just too much to grasp at the moment.
But it hadn't been for Lotho. He had been able to imagine it all too well, it seemed. Lotho had tried to make Bilbo look like a poor excuse for a guardian by causing harm to come to Frodo, which Bilbo could not prevent. But the Master of Buckland had not come blustering in to demand that Frodo return to Brandy Hall. Instead, he had come with quiet assurances and good advice.
Frodo cringed at the thought that he had almost fallen for Lotho's suggestion that people thought his presence at Bag End improper. Instead of all of Hobbiton making assumptions, it had turned out to be just a few tweens making crude remarks. No, he had no reason to go dashing back to Buckland any time soon.
Lotho's threats came back to Frodo as he tore at the rocks. His cousin had said that he would take Frodo back to Buckland himself if necessary. Was that Lotho's intention in luring him here? He bit back a bitter laugh. It would have been foolish for Lotho to try such a thing, as no one at Brandy Hall would have made Frodo stay there if he returned under duress.
How sad it was that greed should cause such trouble! Besides, if it were true that Frodo would one day inherit his relative's wealth, he could not imagine leaving any of his family in a state of need. He himself had done well enough with what little he had of his own in Buckland, he reasoned. He need not sit upon some golden hoard like the dragon in Bilbo's tales, but would gladly share his good fortune with family, should they have need of it.
Frodo wondered if Bilbo's reported wealth had been inflated in the imaginations of others. He had been given the run of Bag End over the last few months, and he had yet to stumble over any cache of treasure. Still, whenever anything was needed at Bag End, there was always enough to pay the cost. Frodo shook his head slightly at the thought. Let Bilbo keep his secrets if he chose. Frodo would certainly not be uncouth enough to ask!
Several hours had passed as Frodo did his best to clear away some of the fall and discover how deeply he and Lotho were buried in the hill. He had yet to reach a hand through into the open space he hoped lay beyond the pile in the doorway. His shoulder was hurting and he needed to rest.
Frodo moved slowly toward the wall where he had left the candle and his other supplies, taking care not to step on Lotho. Frodo had never broken a bone, and he could only imagine how much pain his cousin must be in. He sighed as he let himself sink down to lean against the wall.
"Good news?" Lotho's voice came from beside Frodo.
"Not yet, I'm afraid," Frodo answered wearily. "I can't tell how bad the cave - in was beyond this room, but I haven't reached the other side of the debris yet."
Lotho dragged himself in the direction of the pile and began digging away at the edges. He found that if he approached it from one side, much of the material that trickled down from the top missed him by a few inches. He wished they could use the candle, but he knew it was wiser not to. There was no telling how long it would be before someone figured out what had happened.
He found himself wishing that he had taken up with smarter folk than Ted. The miller's son would eventually work out the puzzle, but who knew how long word of two missing tweens would take to reach him. The thought of having to wait for Ted Sandyman to lead a search party to him made Lotho dig with more energy.
Lotho felt frustration, anger, and perhaps even some regret when he thought of the past few months and his efforts to get Frodo to remove himself to Buckland. It had all come to naught, as it was. Assuming he and Frodo were able to escape their current predicament, Lotho knew he and his family would surely be written out of Bilbo's will. Surely it would come to light that he had been to blame for Frodo's misfortunes. After all, why would Frodo keep that information to himself, now that he knew the truth?
No, it would be his little cousin from Buckland who would be the next Master of Bag End, not Lotho. Frodo Baggins, who didn't even seem a proper hobbit at all. He was too thin, too pale, almost fragile - looking in some ways, Lotho mused. But Frodo was not fragile at all. That had been a brutal fall into the icy cold pond water, followed by an illness that was quite serious, if rumor could be believed. Frodo had survived both, and now was fighting to escape being buried alive, putting aside his pain and fear and bending to the task at hand.
The subject of Lotho's musings now lay curled up on the floor of the chamber, drifting in and out of sleep as he rested and conserved his strength. Frodo could feel his shoulder beginning to stiffen and he moved it every so often to prevent it from seizing up. In another hour or so, he would go back to digging and it would be Lotho's turn to rest.
~*~To be continued~*~