Chapter Two - A Long Holiday

Merry walked down the road that led to the Bucklebury Ferry. He lagged a few paces behind his mother and a male servant who was carrying his one piece of luggage. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he kicked a small pebble along the road. He stopped only when his mother gave him a stern look after it flew up and hit Mr. Andy's leg. He pulled his cloak about him close after a cool April breeze blew past him. Merry was angry--again, but he kept it to himself. Why were they sending him on holiday? Why wasn't Berilac being sent away, too? Though not with him, of course. Although Merry did enjoy visiting his uncle far away in the Tookland, but it seemed to him that he was the one being punished--even though the punishment was...fun.

"Merry!"

Merry stopped to wait for the familiar voice to catch up. "Hullo, Merimas. Are you coming to Tuckborough, too?"

"You wouldn't catch me in the West Farthing, let alone Tuckborough!" Merimas ran up, winded.

"Why not?"

"Yes, why not, Merimas?" Esmeralda grinned.

"Begging your pardon, Mistress Essie, but I belong in Buckland."

"Have you come to say farewell to Merry?"

"Yes, Ma'am. If it's all right with you--and Merry."

"Well, Mr. Andy and I must go ahead for a bit and pay the Ferry Master. Don't dawdle, Merry. If you miss this ferry, then you'll miss the coach."

"Yes, Mum."

Merry walked slowly next to his cousin. "Well?" He gave Merimas a sidelong look. "What do you have to say? You didn't run all the way here only to say goodbye."

"No, I didn't." He glanced back at Merry. "I wanted to tell you...that..."

Merry stopped walking, "You wanted to tell me what?"

Merimas took in a deep breath, "That I don't think you're cracked," He kicked the dirt at his feet, "and...I did want to say goodbye, and that I hope you feel better when you come back." He looked at Merry, "I still need you as my teammate."

Merry smiled. "I'll be back in a few weeks." Out of all his cousins at Brandy Hall, Merimas was the only one his age who treated him nicely.

"Merry! The ferry is boarding!" Esmeralda called to her son.

Merry looked behind him at the ferry. "I have to go, Merimas. Goodbye." He turned and jogged towards the ferry landing.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Inside the Coach, Merry gazed outside the window at the countryside sweeping by. The trees were filled with green buds in the hills and dales that they passed ; Merry imagined himself battling enemies upon them. His eyes traveled to his bandaged hands sitting in his lap. He spied a fellow passenger staring at them; he quickly drew them inside his cloak to hide them from view.

"Tuckborough!!" Called the coachman. Merry awoke at the customary call. When the carriage rolled to a stop, he got out and surveyed the Market Square while waiting for his luggage. It was nearly an all day drive to Tookland, so it was now dark. He shivered in the chill night air while trying to look for his uncle.

"All aboard for Great Smials!!" Merry turned abruptly towards the shout of the final destination and picked up his bag. He looked around but it was still too dark to see anything.

"Hoy, there, laddie!"

Merry turned again, in the opposite direction. "Uncle Paladin!" His face bore a wide grin at the sound of the familiar voice of his most favorite uncle; he knew the stride of his uncle even as he walked beside the lamplight. Merry dropped his luggage where he stood and ran into Paladin's outstretched arms.

Paladin's face had a smile as big as his nephew's. "It's good to see you, lad!" He picked up Merry and hugged him tight. As he put Merry back down, he spied the bandaged hands. "Let me see your hands, son."

The use of the word "son" was just the use of a familiar term on Paladin's part. On the other hand, for Merry, that was the very word he'd always dreamed of hearing from his uncle. In his dreams, Merry often imagined Paladin being his father....and just as often....he wished it.

Merry dutifully held out his hands for his uncle to examine. Paladin put his lamp on the ground to better handle the bandages. He didn't remove any of the bandages, but he peeked underneath the edge of one and glimpsed in the dim light the deep purple bruises with fresh wounds on Merry's knuckles. "Ah, Merry," Paladin made a face, "how do you feel?" He lightly touched the dark and swollen circle under the boy's right eye.

Merry flinched at the touch. "I feel well, Uncle."

Paladin looked into the depths of his nephew's blue eyes and intuitively saw the hurt that Merry couldn't hide from those who truly loved him. He let out his breath; he had his work cut out for him on this trip. "Let's get you home."

Paladin lifted his nephew up into the wagon and then tossed the luggage into the back as he made his way round to the other side. He hoisted himself into the driver's seat, flicked the reins of the ponies and they were headed off to Whitwell.

Esmeralda had written her brother a couple days before and mentioned the troubles her young son was having at home in Brandy Hall, asking him if Merry could stay for a few weeks; just enough for a solid rest.

As they slowly rolled along the narrow lanes, Paladin decided to ask the boy a few questions of his own. "Your mother tells me you've been in a few brawls with Berilac this past week." Merry continued to look out into the dark void in between the trees. He shrugged.

Paladin pressed, "Have you, or have you not?"

"Have."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Merry still gazed into the night. "Because I'm mean, I suppose."

"Oh?" Said Paladin, not believing a word of it. "What sort of mean things do you do?" Paladin let his eyes drift momentarily over to his nephew's face. He could see that the lad was biting his lip, trying to holding back tears.

There was a bit of silence before Merry could reply. Swallowing hard, "Lots of things."

Paladin decided to let the matter rest for the time being. He lightly patted Merry's shoulder, "Welcome back to Whitwell, son."