Chapter 11
On The Way
Rosamunda held her kitchen cap in her hands as memories of her dear daughter echoed through her mind. It has been so many years since her death, but still her heart would never mend from a heart so broken. The kitchen cap was a favorite memory of Rosamunda that she had shared with her daughter. When she was feeling very sad, she liked to remember the small child wanting to be so grown up to wear one of her caps that was much too big for her. She had not put on her cap in months. There was no need too. Since the ruffians and all the troubles in the shire, there was not enough food to do any real cooking. She remembered her heart ache the day she got the news almost a year ago when Lotho told her that her son had disappeared with the other four hobbits into the Old Forest and was never seen or heard of again. Not until Master Merry and his friends came back to the Shire. She heart soared thinking that her son was with them, but fell to utter despair when they did not know what had happened to him. Merry had promised that he would find Fredegar no matter how long it took and he did!
Her days were filled with cooking and caring for her son. It lifted her spirits mothering her son back to health again.
"No, Mama! I can't eat another bite!" said Fredegar while he held his hand up to stop another plate stacked high with pancakes and hot maple syrup with creamy butter melting on the top. "I've already had five of the best pancakes that I have ever tasted! My stomach can not hold another five of those wonderful cakes!"
Rosamunda pouted slightly pulling back the plate of pancakes, "Well, if you're sure?" Setting the plate of pancakes on the table she went over to his bed and began to fluff up his pillows and straightened the blankets that covered him. "Are you warm enough?"
Fredegar smiled at his mother as she fused over him. "Yes, Mama!"
"I could get you a bed shawl for your shoulders if you would like!" said Rosamunda.
"Really, Mama! I am quite warm and comfortable!"
She pulled the hot water bottle from behind his back and noticed it was not as warm as it should be. "I'll get this heated for you, properly and come back to rub your poor aching back!" said Rosamunda with a big grin on her face. She loved taking care of Fredegar again and doting over him.
"Really, Mama! My back is so much better and I would not want you over doing yourself!"
"Nonsense, my son!" said Rosamunda. "It is what a mother does best, caring for her children even when they're grown! A mother knows no difference!"
She placed the hot water bottle under her arm and looked around the room to make sure everything was tidy and neat. Being satisfied that everything was in place, she shrugged her shoulder not able to think of anything else to see to his comfort, she disappointedly grabbed the empty plate and tucked it under the full plate of pancake and headed for the door.
She stopped and turned around to take one more look at her son with a bright grin on her face. Her eyes danced and sparkled taking in the healthy glow of his handsome face. Only after a week of being home and under the constant care of his mother, Fredegar made a full recovery.
His mother had washed, cut and brushed his hair until every curl gleamed. Gone was the pale, white-pasty skin color of the year he was in the lock hole. His skin now had a pink healthy glow and his eyes had their same sparkle that his mother had always known. However, Rosamunda also noticed that there was still a sense of sadness or loneliness about him that she did not understand.
"By the time I come back, Freddy! I want to see that glass of goat's milk gone! Every single drop of it! Promise your mother now!" said Rosamunda while she waited by the door for his nod of agreement.
Fredegar raised both of his eyebrows in bewilderment of how he was ever going to get the goat's milk down with his stomach so full and not disappoint his mother. "Yes, Mama! I'll will try my best!"
Rosamunda smiled sweetly at her son, "That's a good boy!" She opened the bedroom door and closed it quietly when she turned to walk down the hallway to her kitchen.
Odovacar heard a knock upon his door and he got up to answer it. Seeing Merry Brandybuck standing there, he greeted him with a warm smile and invited him in.
Rosamunda came around the corner with her hands full and puffing like she was exhausted. "Good day to you, Master Merry!" said Rosamunda. "Have you had your morning breakfast, yet? I have the finest stack of pancakes that you ever sunk your teeth into. Light a feather they are. I had Odovacar tap a fresh tree this morning for the best syrup you've tasted in a long while, I'm betting!"
Odovacar pulled a chair from the table to have Merry sit beside him.
Merry knew not to disappoint the Bolger's especially Rosamunda as she was the finest cook in Hobbiton and loved it when someone lavished compliments of her meals. Merry nodded and licked his lips upon seeing the warm stack of pancakes with the butter melting and dripping down its sides. The warm maple syrup was thickly coated just the way he liked it.
Rosamunda's face lit up as she place the stack of cakes for him to eat. "I'll fetch you a set of silverware and pour you a tasty glass of goats milks!"
She raced around the kitchen to make sure Merry had everything he needed and enjoyed watching him take huge bites from his cakes. She smiled with each lick of his lips and roll of enjoyment that came for his eyes.
Filling the tub of water to wash the morning breakfast plates, she hummed out a song of joy that came from her heart being so happy again, after an entire year of sadness and worry. With all the shortages on food that the ruffians had taken away from the hobbits, Rosamunda was overjoyed restocking her cupboards and cooking to her hearts content.
Merry wiped his mouth on a napkin and lavished compliments after compliments of the finest pancakes that he had ever eaten.
Rosamunda blushed and giggled being so admired, especially by the Shire's new found hero. "Freddy is awake in his bedroom if you care to have a word with him, I know it will lift his spirits seeing you, Master Merry!"
"Has he been sad somewhat?" asked Merry.
"He's quiet, more so than I've ever seen of him before. It's worrisome for me!" stated Rosamunda.
Merry had an idea of where the point of his sadness was coming from.
Merry knocked upon Fredegar's bedroom door and heard him bid him in.
Greeting Fredegar, Merry could see how happy he was to see him.
"Well your looking a might better, than the last time I saw you!" said Merry
Fredegar patted his still thin stomach with his hand that now had begun to bulge from being so full with his mother's cooking. "If I don't watch myself, I'll be supporting a stomach bigger than what it was before all this has happened!"
Merry laughed at his gesture of being so full his stomach ached and he could easily understand as his own stomach was as full as could be after eating a huge plateful of cakes.
The two friends laughed and talked with each other until Merry was sure that everything was all right with his friend. In between a laugh or a good conversation, Merry noticed the slight sadness that would suddenly come upon him.
Merry looked at Fredegar as he sat in his bed and thought how he was going to approach his topic in which he came to visit Fredegar. He thought being blunt would be the answer. "Tell me Fredegar, did you ever make it to the North Farthing to met that lass you told us about from the last time we saw you?"
Fredegar looked up at Merry in surprise and somewhat shocked. He lowered his eyes as if he was suddenly going to cry as this tore at his heart the most. He shook his head in despair. "I never made it. Lotho caught me just a few hours after you all left through the Old Forest! I lost her Merry! She's more than likely married off by now!"
Merry saw the despair in his friend's face and he tried to encourage him. "You don't know that, Fredegar! She could still be waiting. Very few lasses would toss off a lad she has an eye for, as she would have a change of outfit or hair style. I'm betting she is still waiting for you!"
Fredegar's eye bolted up towards Merry in the slightest hope that he could be right. "Do you really think so?"
Merry smiled at him. "Yes, Fredegar! I do believe that! I'm betting so much on that, I'm willing to go the North Farthing to find her for you and bring her here!"
Fredegar's eyes widen and almost jumped from his bed in excitement and joy. "You'd do that for me, Merry?"
Merry stood in front of Fredegar. "It's done! I've got my ponies ready and I'm leaving today to the North Farthing to find her. Now tell me about her so my finding of her will be with ease!"
Fredegar pulled his worn letters from his bedside table and gave them to Merry, all but one, the most faded letter of the group. The letter that he read over and over again in his cell. He could not part himself from it.
Merry read the letters from her father and from Poppy. He knew that Pippin could help him find that house in Long Cleeve since they were distant relatives of the Shire Tooks.
Merry folded the letters and put them in his pocket. "I'll be back with Poppy by the end of the month!"
Fredegar hugged Merry tightly. "How can I ever thank you, Merry? You've been such a good friend."
"Because Fredegar, you are my friend and always will be!"
Merry turned and left Fredegar with a huge smile upon his lips. He could hear Fredegar beginning to sing about a day filled with sunshine, dreams and hopes.
Merry said his farewells to the Bolgers and closed the front door on his way out. Climbing upon his pony he headed over to Tuckborough to see his cousin Pippin.
~*~
Pippin's face fell when Merry told him that he needed his help in going to the North Farthing to find Poppy for Fredegar.
"We just got back from traveling all over middle earth! We seen more than what is natural of any hobbit in their enter life! I'm tired, Merry!" said Pippin.
"If it was just for me, I'd think better of it, but this is for Fredegar!" said Merry. "He suffered because of us and lost the girl he would have married. He needs this, Pip! If we're any kind of friend to him we must do this for him."
Pippin rolled his eyes, but he too knew that Merry was right. He walked over to get his traveling bag that he was going to throw out and never look at again. It was so worn and damaged, but Pippin began to fold his clothing and stuff his bag.
Merry laughed at the weathered worn bag and helped his cousin pack it.
Paladin scowled at his son when announced that he was going on a trip to the North Farthing. Even though Paladin did his best to talk Pippin out of going, he knew his son would not hear of it.
Paladin took out his quill and parchment. He began to write a letter to Euphemia Took of Long Cleeve. Even though he had never met her yet, he knew of her and that she headed the clan of Tooks in Long Cleeve. Using his tittle of the Thain, he wrote an introduction of Peregrin his son and asked to assist him in any way that they could.
Handing this parchment to his son, he told him to seek her out for her support and give her this letter.
Pippin thanked his father and said his farewells.
Merry had Pippin's pony ready and two other pack ponies loaded with the things that they would need. Pippin climbed upon his pony reluctantly and followed Merry out of Tuckborough.
~*~
Night was falling when Merry and Pippin stopped their ponies in front of the Chasing Cats Inn in Long Cleeve. Pippin looked around the town with awe because this was his first trip to the North Farthing. The town was bigger than Tuckborough and Hobbiton. It amazed him in seeing so many hobbit holes and more than four taverns scattered on each end of the town. There were three Inns for visitors and many hobbits walked the dirt streets going about their business.
The market owners were packing up their wares and loading their wagons for the night. Only a few hobbits took notice that there were strangers coming to the Inn and waved in a friendly manner at them.
"Well, at least wise, they're a friendly group of hobbits!" said Pippin when he climbed down from his pony.
Merry took a moment and looked around and nodded towards Pippin. "Why don't you go get us a room and I'll take the ponies to the stables."
Pippin gave Merry a smirk, "I don't mind any, Mer! But you'll be paying for the rooms seeing this is your idea!"
Merry pulled his bag down from his pony and turned back to Pippin. "If we find this girl, I'll be more than happy to foot the bill!" Pippin waited in the common room for Merry after he gotten the key to their room. He was sitting by himself enjoying a mug of ale and just listening to the talk of other hobbits.
Merry approached Pippin and sat down next to him, "You could have bought me an ale!" Merry raised his hand to get the attention of the barmaid, who came over immediately.
"Get me what my friend is having, and another besides. Seeing now that I have to get caught up with him?" ordered Merry.
"Should I put that on your tab?" asked the barmaid.
"What tab? I've never started no tap here?" stated Merry.
"Your friend here, made one for you?" said the barmaid.
Merry glared at Pippin for a moment and then nodded to the barmaid. "That is fine, just bring us our drinks!"
Merry pulled his pouch from his pocket and looked through his coins. "I should have brought another pouch the same size as this one!"
Pippin nodded at Merry and raised his brow. "I agree, traveling can be very expensive in deed! Maybe a third pouch seeing that these prices are much higher here in the North than back home!"
Merry pulled a few coins from his pouch and laid them on the table for their ales. "We should get an early start in the morning and find the girl's home. It shouldn't be too far out of town, by the looks of her father's letter."
~*~
The next morning Pippin stood by Merry with the Innkeeper and watched while Merry counted out his coins to pay for the room.
The Innkeeper looked at the coins and scowled at Merry. "It's a bit short of coins by my figuring! They're other charges other than just the room. There is also a dinner tab for a plate of mushrooms!" Merry counted out another stack of coins and gave that to the manager and glared at Pippin.
"What? I was hungry and seeing that the dinning room was still open long after you fell asleep, I thought, why not!" said Pippin.
Merry turned to leave, but the manager grabbed his arm and turned him back around. "There's also an additional bar tab! I'll need another two pence!"
"Two pence!" stated Merry and he looked at Pippin with another glare.
"Well, after eating all those mushrooms, I was a bit thristy!" said Pippin.
Merry again glared at his cousin, "A bit thristy! How many ales did you drink!"
"Oh, I stopped counting after four!" said Pippin. He let out a bit of burp and smiled mischievously at his cousin.
Merry continued to glare at Pippin and counted out two-pence to the manager of the Inn. "Come, Pip! Let's get you out of here, before I lose the rest of my coins!"
The stable boy had their ponies standing outside on the streets by the time Merry and Pippin paid for the stay at the Chasing Cats Inn.
Merry took the reins of his ponies and was about to turn them around when the stable boy tapped him on his shoulder. "I'll need three pence for stabling your ponies and for the feed!"
Merry closed his eyes and pressed his lips together tightly to keep control of his growing temper. He turned around slowly and not wanting to let Pippin see that it was bothering in the least bit, smiled at the stable boy. "Three pence! For stabling and feeding these here ponies!..... Is that all?"
The stable boy held out his hand and nodded.
Merry reaching into his pocket and smiled up at Pippin. "Three pence!" He chuckled slightly. Pulling out his pouch he counted out the coins and handed them to the stable boy.
Merry climbed upon his pony and pulled the rope for his pack ponies to follow him.
Within an hour, Merry found the house of Ellderbra's Took and pulled his ponies to a halt. "Stay here, Pippin. I'll go see if we have the right place!"
Pippin watched Merry knock on the front door and saw a very elderly hobbit speak to Merry. Within moments the old hobbit was pointing and giving Merry directions. Pippin knew better to get down from his pony, as it seems their journey was not quite over with yet.
Merry climbed upon his pony and turned it around while telling Pippin which direction they needed to go. "That was Poppy's father. It seems she has gone to work for the Took of the Grand Hall in Long Cleeve. It's about where we have come from!"
Pippin rolled his eyes, "I was hoping to avoid the Grand Hall and using my father's letter!"
Merry stated over his shoulder, "We at least by having you here, you'll be earning the coins that I've spent!"
After traveling all the way back to Long Cleeve, Merry found the Grand Hall with ease at it was the size of Brandyhall.
Merry dismounted and walked to the front door with Pippin. Knocking on the door, a servant answered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
This is such a bad place to stop, but this chapter got a bit long!
Thank you so much for your reviews! It means a lot to know that everyone is enjoying this story! More reviews would sure make me smile! MlynnBloom: Merry is almost there to meet Poppy.. ahum....I mean Estella! I hope she's home? It's a pity he's come so far.....
On The Way
Rosamunda held her kitchen cap in her hands as memories of her dear daughter echoed through her mind. It has been so many years since her death, but still her heart would never mend from a heart so broken. The kitchen cap was a favorite memory of Rosamunda that she had shared with her daughter. When she was feeling very sad, she liked to remember the small child wanting to be so grown up to wear one of her caps that was much too big for her. She had not put on her cap in months. There was no need too. Since the ruffians and all the troubles in the shire, there was not enough food to do any real cooking. She remembered her heart ache the day she got the news almost a year ago when Lotho told her that her son had disappeared with the other four hobbits into the Old Forest and was never seen or heard of again. Not until Master Merry and his friends came back to the Shire. She heart soared thinking that her son was with them, but fell to utter despair when they did not know what had happened to him. Merry had promised that he would find Fredegar no matter how long it took and he did!
Her days were filled with cooking and caring for her son. It lifted her spirits mothering her son back to health again.
"No, Mama! I can't eat another bite!" said Fredegar while he held his hand up to stop another plate stacked high with pancakes and hot maple syrup with creamy butter melting on the top. "I've already had five of the best pancakes that I have ever tasted! My stomach can not hold another five of those wonderful cakes!"
Rosamunda pouted slightly pulling back the plate of pancakes, "Well, if you're sure?" Setting the plate of pancakes on the table she went over to his bed and began to fluff up his pillows and straightened the blankets that covered him. "Are you warm enough?"
Fredegar smiled at his mother as she fused over him. "Yes, Mama!"
"I could get you a bed shawl for your shoulders if you would like!" said Rosamunda.
"Really, Mama! I am quite warm and comfortable!"
She pulled the hot water bottle from behind his back and noticed it was not as warm as it should be. "I'll get this heated for you, properly and come back to rub your poor aching back!" said Rosamunda with a big grin on her face. She loved taking care of Fredegar again and doting over him.
"Really, Mama! My back is so much better and I would not want you over doing yourself!"
"Nonsense, my son!" said Rosamunda. "It is what a mother does best, caring for her children even when they're grown! A mother knows no difference!"
She placed the hot water bottle under her arm and looked around the room to make sure everything was tidy and neat. Being satisfied that everything was in place, she shrugged her shoulder not able to think of anything else to see to his comfort, she disappointedly grabbed the empty plate and tucked it under the full plate of pancake and headed for the door.
She stopped and turned around to take one more look at her son with a bright grin on her face. Her eyes danced and sparkled taking in the healthy glow of his handsome face. Only after a week of being home and under the constant care of his mother, Fredegar made a full recovery.
His mother had washed, cut and brushed his hair until every curl gleamed. Gone was the pale, white-pasty skin color of the year he was in the lock hole. His skin now had a pink healthy glow and his eyes had their same sparkle that his mother had always known. However, Rosamunda also noticed that there was still a sense of sadness or loneliness about him that she did not understand.
"By the time I come back, Freddy! I want to see that glass of goat's milk gone! Every single drop of it! Promise your mother now!" said Rosamunda while she waited by the door for his nod of agreement.
Fredegar raised both of his eyebrows in bewilderment of how he was ever going to get the goat's milk down with his stomach so full and not disappoint his mother. "Yes, Mama! I'll will try my best!"
Rosamunda smiled sweetly at her son, "That's a good boy!" She opened the bedroom door and closed it quietly when she turned to walk down the hallway to her kitchen.
Odovacar heard a knock upon his door and he got up to answer it. Seeing Merry Brandybuck standing there, he greeted him with a warm smile and invited him in.
Rosamunda came around the corner with her hands full and puffing like she was exhausted. "Good day to you, Master Merry!" said Rosamunda. "Have you had your morning breakfast, yet? I have the finest stack of pancakes that you ever sunk your teeth into. Light a feather they are. I had Odovacar tap a fresh tree this morning for the best syrup you've tasted in a long while, I'm betting!"
Odovacar pulled a chair from the table to have Merry sit beside him.
Merry knew not to disappoint the Bolger's especially Rosamunda as she was the finest cook in Hobbiton and loved it when someone lavished compliments of her meals. Merry nodded and licked his lips upon seeing the warm stack of pancakes with the butter melting and dripping down its sides. The warm maple syrup was thickly coated just the way he liked it.
Rosamunda's face lit up as she place the stack of cakes for him to eat. "I'll fetch you a set of silverware and pour you a tasty glass of goats milks!"
She raced around the kitchen to make sure Merry had everything he needed and enjoyed watching him take huge bites from his cakes. She smiled with each lick of his lips and roll of enjoyment that came for his eyes.
Filling the tub of water to wash the morning breakfast plates, she hummed out a song of joy that came from her heart being so happy again, after an entire year of sadness and worry. With all the shortages on food that the ruffians had taken away from the hobbits, Rosamunda was overjoyed restocking her cupboards and cooking to her hearts content.
Merry wiped his mouth on a napkin and lavished compliments after compliments of the finest pancakes that he had ever eaten.
Rosamunda blushed and giggled being so admired, especially by the Shire's new found hero. "Freddy is awake in his bedroom if you care to have a word with him, I know it will lift his spirits seeing you, Master Merry!"
"Has he been sad somewhat?" asked Merry.
"He's quiet, more so than I've ever seen of him before. It's worrisome for me!" stated Rosamunda.
Merry had an idea of where the point of his sadness was coming from.
Merry knocked upon Fredegar's bedroom door and heard him bid him in.
Greeting Fredegar, Merry could see how happy he was to see him.
"Well your looking a might better, than the last time I saw you!" said Merry
Fredegar patted his still thin stomach with his hand that now had begun to bulge from being so full with his mother's cooking. "If I don't watch myself, I'll be supporting a stomach bigger than what it was before all this has happened!"
Merry laughed at his gesture of being so full his stomach ached and he could easily understand as his own stomach was as full as could be after eating a huge plateful of cakes.
The two friends laughed and talked with each other until Merry was sure that everything was all right with his friend. In between a laugh or a good conversation, Merry noticed the slight sadness that would suddenly come upon him.
Merry looked at Fredegar as he sat in his bed and thought how he was going to approach his topic in which he came to visit Fredegar. He thought being blunt would be the answer. "Tell me Fredegar, did you ever make it to the North Farthing to met that lass you told us about from the last time we saw you?"
Fredegar looked up at Merry in surprise and somewhat shocked. He lowered his eyes as if he was suddenly going to cry as this tore at his heart the most. He shook his head in despair. "I never made it. Lotho caught me just a few hours after you all left through the Old Forest! I lost her Merry! She's more than likely married off by now!"
Merry saw the despair in his friend's face and he tried to encourage him. "You don't know that, Fredegar! She could still be waiting. Very few lasses would toss off a lad she has an eye for, as she would have a change of outfit or hair style. I'm betting she is still waiting for you!"
Fredegar's eye bolted up towards Merry in the slightest hope that he could be right. "Do you really think so?"
Merry smiled at him. "Yes, Fredegar! I do believe that! I'm betting so much on that, I'm willing to go the North Farthing to find her for you and bring her here!"
Fredegar's eyes widen and almost jumped from his bed in excitement and joy. "You'd do that for me, Merry?"
Merry stood in front of Fredegar. "It's done! I've got my ponies ready and I'm leaving today to the North Farthing to find her. Now tell me about her so my finding of her will be with ease!"
Fredegar pulled his worn letters from his bedside table and gave them to Merry, all but one, the most faded letter of the group. The letter that he read over and over again in his cell. He could not part himself from it.
Merry read the letters from her father and from Poppy. He knew that Pippin could help him find that house in Long Cleeve since they were distant relatives of the Shire Tooks.
Merry folded the letters and put them in his pocket. "I'll be back with Poppy by the end of the month!"
Fredegar hugged Merry tightly. "How can I ever thank you, Merry? You've been such a good friend."
"Because Fredegar, you are my friend and always will be!"
Merry turned and left Fredegar with a huge smile upon his lips. He could hear Fredegar beginning to sing about a day filled with sunshine, dreams and hopes.
Merry said his farewells to the Bolgers and closed the front door on his way out. Climbing upon his pony he headed over to Tuckborough to see his cousin Pippin.
~*~
Pippin's face fell when Merry told him that he needed his help in going to the North Farthing to find Poppy for Fredegar.
"We just got back from traveling all over middle earth! We seen more than what is natural of any hobbit in their enter life! I'm tired, Merry!" said Pippin.
"If it was just for me, I'd think better of it, but this is for Fredegar!" said Merry. "He suffered because of us and lost the girl he would have married. He needs this, Pip! If we're any kind of friend to him we must do this for him."
Pippin rolled his eyes, but he too knew that Merry was right. He walked over to get his traveling bag that he was going to throw out and never look at again. It was so worn and damaged, but Pippin began to fold his clothing and stuff his bag.
Merry laughed at the weathered worn bag and helped his cousin pack it.
Paladin scowled at his son when announced that he was going on a trip to the North Farthing. Even though Paladin did his best to talk Pippin out of going, he knew his son would not hear of it.
Paladin took out his quill and parchment. He began to write a letter to Euphemia Took of Long Cleeve. Even though he had never met her yet, he knew of her and that she headed the clan of Tooks in Long Cleeve. Using his tittle of the Thain, he wrote an introduction of Peregrin his son and asked to assist him in any way that they could.
Handing this parchment to his son, he told him to seek her out for her support and give her this letter.
Pippin thanked his father and said his farewells.
Merry had Pippin's pony ready and two other pack ponies loaded with the things that they would need. Pippin climbed upon his pony reluctantly and followed Merry out of Tuckborough.
~*~
Night was falling when Merry and Pippin stopped their ponies in front of the Chasing Cats Inn in Long Cleeve. Pippin looked around the town with awe because this was his first trip to the North Farthing. The town was bigger than Tuckborough and Hobbiton. It amazed him in seeing so many hobbit holes and more than four taverns scattered on each end of the town. There were three Inns for visitors and many hobbits walked the dirt streets going about their business.
The market owners were packing up their wares and loading their wagons for the night. Only a few hobbits took notice that there were strangers coming to the Inn and waved in a friendly manner at them.
"Well, at least wise, they're a friendly group of hobbits!" said Pippin when he climbed down from his pony.
Merry took a moment and looked around and nodded towards Pippin. "Why don't you go get us a room and I'll take the ponies to the stables."
Pippin gave Merry a smirk, "I don't mind any, Mer! But you'll be paying for the rooms seeing this is your idea!"
Merry pulled his bag down from his pony and turned back to Pippin. "If we find this girl, I'll be more than happy to foot the bill!" Pippin waited in the common room for Merry after he gotten the key to their room. He was sitting by himself enjoying a mug of ale and just listening to the talk of other hobbits.
Merry approached Pippin and sat down next to him, "You could have bought me an ale!" Merry raised his hand to get the attention of the barmaid, who came over immediately.
"Get me what my friend is having, and another besides. Seeing now that I have to get caught up with him?" ordered Merry.
"Should I put that on your tab?" asked the barmaid.
"What tab? I've never started no tap here?" stated Merry.
"Your friend here, made one for you?" said the barmaid.
Merry glared at Pippin for a moment and then nodded to the barmaid. "That is fine, just bring us our drinks!"
Merry pulled his pouch from his pocket and looked through his coins. "I should have brought another pouch the same size as this one!"
Pippin nodded at Merry and raised his brow. "I agree, traveling can be very expensive in deed! Maybe a third pouch seeing that these prices are much higher here in the North than back home!"
Merry pulled a few coins from his pouch and laid them on the table for their ales. "We should get an early start in the morning and find the girl's home. It shouldn't be too far out of town, by the looks of her father's letter."
~*~
The next morning Pippin stood by Merry with the Innkeeper and watched while Merry counted out his coins to pay for the room.
The Innkeeper looked at the coins and scowled at Merry. "It's a bit short of coins by my figuring! They're other charges other than just the room. There is also a dinner tab for a plate of mushrooms!" Merry counted out another stack of coins and gave that to the manager and glared at Pippin.
"What? I was hungry and seeing that the dinning room was still open long after you fell asleep, I thought, why not!" said Pippin.
Merry turned to leave, but the manager grabbed his arm and turned him back around. "There's also an additional bar tab! I'll need another two pence!"
"Two pence!" stated Merry and he looked at Pippin with another glare.
"Well, after eating all those mushrooms, I was a bit thristy!" said Pippin.
Merry again glared at his cousin, "A bit thristy! How many ales did you drink!"
"Oh, I stopped counting after four!" said Pippin. He let out a bit of burp and smiled mischievously at his cousin.
Merry continued to glare at Pippin and counted out two-pence to the manager of the Inn. "Come, Pip! Let's get you out of here, before I lose the rest of my coins!"
The stable boy had their ponies standing outside on the streets by the time Merry and Pippin paid for the stay at the Chasing Cats Inn.
Merry took the reins of his ponies and was about to turn them around when the stable boy tapped him on his shoulder. "I'll need three pence for stabling your ponies and for the feed!"
Merry closed his eyes and pressed his lips together tightly to keep control of his growing temper. He turned around slowly and not wanting to let Pippin see that it was bothering in the least bit, smiled at the stable boy. "Three pence! For stabling and feeding these here ponies!..... Is that all?"
The stable boy held out his hand and nodded.
Merry reaching into his pocket and smiled up at Pippin. "Three pence!" He chuckled slightly. Pulling out his pouch he counted out the coins and handed them to the stable boy.
Merry climbed upon his pony and pulled the rope for his pack ponies to follow him.
Within an hour, Merry found the house of Ellderbra's Took and pulled his ponies to a halt. "Stay here, Pippin. I'll go see if we have the right place!"
Pippin watched Merry knock on the front door and saw a very elderly hobbit speak to Merry. Within moments the old hobbit was pointing and giving Merry directions. Pippin knew better to get down from his pony, as it seems their journey was not quite over with yet.
Merry climbed upon his pony and turned it around while telling Pippin which direction they needed to go. "That was Poppy's father. It seems she has gone to work for the Took of the Grand Hall in Long Cleeve. It's about where we have come from!"
Pippin rolled his eyes, "I was hoping to avoid the Grand Hall and using my father's letter!"
Merry stated over his shoulder, "We at least by having you here, you'll be earning the coins that I've spent!"
After traveling all the way back to Long Cleeve, Merry found the Grand Hall with ease at it was the size of Brandyhall.
Merry dismounted and walked to the front door with Pippin. Knocking on the door, a servant answered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
This is such a bad place to stop, but this chapter got a bit long!
Thank you so much for your reviews! It means a lot to know that everyone is enjoying this story! More reviews would sure make me smile! MlynnBloom: Merry is almost there to meet Poppy.. ahum....I mean Estella! I hope she's home? It's a pity he's come so far.....