Marroc's Tale
By Hippy :) Hobbit
Chapter 6:
Dedicated to Niph
~*~*~*~
Maggie wasn't getting any better from the lack of food. And the lack of Marroc was making everything even worse. He'd been gone for a week, staying at Brandyhall. But like his mother, he wouldn't eat, and he wouldn't sleep.
Esmeralda tried everything, but his face was emotionless, the emerald eyes empty, though the dark ring around the left was beginning to lighten into a dull brown.
On the eighth day, just as everyone in Brandyhall was sitting down to second breakfast in the great hall, a knock was heard 'pon the front door. It was timid, though loud enough for the whole hall to hear, and quietly, with all eyes upon him, Saradoc arose and went to go answer it.
Maggie Took stood there, looking weary, but strong and determined. Her hair was in a messy bun, her face pale from the sickness, and dark circles under her eyes for being so tired, but she smiled, seeing the Master.
"You wouldn't happen to have an extra child there, would you, cousin? A Took, with big green eyes and messy brown hair and the darn-cutest little dirty face you ever did see?" she joked.
Saradoc gave a weak smile at the tease, "and would this cute little face be complete with a nice big shiner, Maggie dear? Upon the left eye?"
Maggie's slight grin dropped, "Please, just let me see him, Saradoc." She said in a saddened tone, stepping forward.
Saradoc bared the doorway, "tell me what happened, Maggie, please. Your son won't eat, nor sleep, nor talk to anyone. And he flinches whenever someone makes a sudden move...what happened the night before Esmeralda found him out in your barn? Please Maggie. I'm worried"
Maggie looked to him, tears shining in her eyes, "He...he got kicked. He got kicked by his goat."
Saradoc raised an eyebrow, "then why did it take you so long to come and collect him?"
"I...I...", she now began to sob, "OKAY, FINE! TARROC HIT HIM! HE STRUCK HIM ACROSS THE FACE AND GAVE HIM THE BLACK EYE!" She fell to her knees, a pitiful sight to behold, "Now may I please see my son?"
Saradoc bent down next to her, in shock, and helped the poor lass to her feet, "Of course..." he said, in a comforting tone, rubbing her back. He led her back inside.
~*~*~*~
"Please, Marroc. Just a few bites?" Esmeralda tried to coax her young nephew, who sustained eating the cheese sandwich that his aunt held out in front of him. His fingers kept fast with the knitting of the scarf- it was getting long, almost longer then he was tall now, and all the stitches were, surprisingly, as straight as someone's who was 50 years older them himself.
Merry's mother sighed. She had been doing a lot of sighing lately because of him. He hadn't eaten for three days and even then it had been but a few bites. They could hear his poor, neglected stomach growling, but he still refused to consume even the tiniest morsel.
Maggie could see the pain in her son's eyes as she entered the great hall with Saradoc and an intense feeling of guilt swept over her. Half of her wanted to go and hold him, the other half was afraid to. Afraid that he may be afraid. Because she had not protected him.
But as she neared, her eyes caught Esmeralda's, and Esmeralda stood, and excused herself (although she knew Marroc didn't really care) and walked away. Maggie came nearer to her son. Tears were in her eyes as she saw the bruise, and the blank look upon his young face... she reached out and touched his shoulder, expecting him to recoil.
But he didn't.
He knew the touch of his mother well, and his body relished in its warmth. The knitting stopped and he looked up to her, the glassy film over his eyes disappearing. She gave a weak smile and hugged him close, a hug that told him that she still loved him. And she always would.
By this time most of the great hall was quiet. All of the Brandybucks had heard of the coming of poor little Marroc and the big shiner he had gotten from an unknown cause, and to see his mother there made them glad inside (but slightly confused them).
Marroc buried his face in his mother's breast, and hugged her tightly back, feeling safe and warm once again. She smoothed his hair, before bringing her hand to her mouth and coughing.
Saradoc's doey brown eyes watched their embrace, sadly. He cleared his throat and everyone looked to him.
"I need five strong lads," he said, "And you two, Maggie and Marroc."
Five sturdy Brandybuck lads assembled themselves and followed Saradoc, Maggie and her son to the Master's study.
~*~*~*~
"Maggie, you can't go back to your land. You can't go back to Tarroc with your son. Tarroc... when he goes into a rage...there's no stopping him. He'll hurt you, he'll hurt Marroc again... he may even kill him."
Maggie's face went pale and she hugged her Marroc to herself," he doesn't know what he's doing, Saradoc!" she cried, "He...he's just over-protective!"
"That's what I mean, Maggie love! He's sick! Sick in the head, and he needs to be taken care of!"
"Taken care of...you're not gonna...?"
"NO! I am not going to kill him. He needs time away from you and Marroc. He needs to be sent off to Bree, or something. The Thain originally sent him from the Smials to cool off from his fights with Paladin. He needs to cool his anger, Maggie, or else... he may hurt someone again."
"He wouldn't-"
"YES HE WOULD, MAGGIE!" Saradoc yelled, "I was there when he almost killed Paladin! He lost his mind!" his eyes cast downwards, "He'd hurt Marroc, if he went crazy like he did on Paladin. They used to be best friends..." his eyes were sincere.
Maggie sniffled, sounding much like a little child, but she stroked her son's hair as she held him close to her chest, savoring the smell of his hair- the earth, and the forest. She gave a weak nod after watching his bright eyes close as he nodded off to sleep on her lap.
"Alright. I-I understand..." she stared up into her cousins brown eyes, a meaningful look in them. Saradoc caught it, and replied, "You can Marroc shall stay here. Your animals can stay in the stables- there's enough room I'm sure. Brawndy-" he turned to his servent, "Make up two rooms for them. But first notify the kitchens that we have some very hungry guests. Have them send a tray of food to Maggie's room, enough for her and her son." He turned back to Maggie, "I'm sure you'll be able to get him to eat better then we were." He ruffled his nephew's hair, before leaving the room, signaling for the lads he had chosen to come with him to apprehend Tarroc to follow.
~*~*~*~
A/N: that took a long time to get up for being so short, didn't it? Sorry... I have hardly had anytime for writing with all the stress I have been having lately. I shall do reviews for chapter 5 in the next chapter.
~Hippy
By Hippy :) Hobbit
Chapter 6:
Dedicated to Niph
~*~*~*~
Maggie wasn't getting any better from the lack of food. And the lack of Marroc was making everything even worse. He'd been gone for a week, staying at Brandyhall. But like his mother, he wouldn't eat, and he wouldn't sleep.
Esmeralda tried everything, but his face was emotionless, the emerald eyes empty, though the dark ring around the left was beginning to lighten into a dull brown.
On the eighth day, just as everyone in Brandyhall was sitting down to second breakfast in the great hall, a knock was heard 'pon the front door. It was timid, though loud enough for the whole hall to hear, and quietly, with all eyes upon him, Saradoc arose and went to go answer it.
Maggie Took stood there, looking weary, but strong and determined. Her hair was in a messy bun, her face pale from the sickness, and dark circles under her eyes for being so tired, but she smiled, seeing the Master.
"You wouldn't happen to have an extra child there, would you, cousin? A Took, with big green eyes and messy brown hair and the darn-cutest little dirty face you ever did see?" she joked.
Saradoc gave a weak smile at the tease, "and would this cute little face be complete with a nice big shiner, Maggie dear? Upon the left eye?"
Maggie's slight grin dropped, "Please, just let me see him, Saradoc." She said in a saddened tone, stepping forward.
Saradoc bared the doorway, "tell me what happened, Maggie, please. Your son won't eat, nor sleep, nor talk to anyone. And he flinches whenever someone makes a sudden move...what happened the night before Esmeralda found him out in your barn? Please Maggie. I'm worried"
Maggie looked to him, tears shining in her eyes, "He...he got kicked. He got kicked by his goat."
Saradoc raised an eyebrow, "then why did it take you so long to come and collect him?"
"I...I...", she now began to sob, "OKAY, FINE! TARROC HIT HIM! HE STRUCK HIM ACROSS THE FACE AND GAVE HIM THE BLACK EYE!" She fell to her knees, a pitiful sight to behold, "Now may I please see my son?"
Saradoc bent down next to her, in shock, and helped the poor lass to her feet, "Of course..." he said, in a comforting tone, rubbing her back. He led her back inside.
~*~*~*~
"Please, Marroc. Just a few bites?" Esmeralda tried to coax her young nephew, who sustained eating the cheese sandwich that his aunt held out in front of him. His fingers kept fast with the knitting of the scarf- it was getting long, almost longer then he was tall now, and all the stitches were, surprisingly, as straight as someone's who was 50 years older them himself.
Merry's mother sighed. She had been doing a lot of sighing lately because of him. He hadn't eaten for three days and even then it had been but a few bites. They could hear his poor, neglected stomach growling, but he still refused to consume even the tiniest morsel.
Maggie could see the pain in her son's eyes as she entered the great hall with Saradoc and an intense feeling of guilt swept over her. Half of her wanted to go and hold him, the other half was afraid to. Afraid that he may be afraid. Because she had not protected him.
But as she neared, her eyes caught Esmeralda's, and Esmeralda stood, and excused herself (although she knew Marroc didn't really care) and walked away. Maggie came nearer to her son. Tears were in her eyes as she saw the bruise, and the blank look upon his young face... she reached out and touched his shoulder, expecting him to recoil.
But he didn't.
He knew the touch of his mother well, and his body relished in its warmth. The knitting stopped and he looked up to her, the glassy film over his eyes disappearing. She gave a weak smile and hugged him close, a hug that told him that she still loved him. And she always would.
By this time most of the great hall was quiet. All of the Brandybucks had heard of the coming of poor little Marroc and the big shiner he had gotten from an unknown cause, and to see his mother there made them glad inside (but slightly confused them).
Marroc buried his face in his mother's breast, and hugged her tightly back, feeling safe and warm once again. She smoothed his hair, before bringing her hand to her mouth and coughing.
Saradoc's doey brown eyes watched their embrace, sadly. He cleared his throat and everyone looked to him.
"I need five strong lads," he said, "And you two, Maggie and Marroc."
Five sturdy Brandybuck lads assembled themselves and followed Saradoc, Maggie and her son to the Master's study.
~*~*~*~
"Maggie, you can't go back to your land. You can't go back to Tarroc with your son. Tarroc... when he goes into a rage...there's no stopping him. He'll hurt you, he'll hurt Marroc again... he may even kill him."
Maggie's face went pale and she hugged her Marroc to herself," he doesn't know what he's doing, Saradoc!" she cried, "He...he's just over-protective!"
"That's what I mean, Maggie love! He's sick! Sick in the head, and he needs to be taken care of!"
"Taken care of...you're not gonna...?"
"NO! I am not going to kill him. He needs time away from you and Marroc. He needs to be sent off to Bree, or something. The Thain originally sent him from the Smials to cool off from his fights with Paladin. He needs to cool his anger, Maggie, or else... he may hurt someone again."
"He wouldn't-"
"YES HE WOULD, MAGGIE!" Saradoc yelled, "I was there when he almost killed Paladin! He lost his mind!" his eyes cast downwards, "He'd hurt Marroc, if he went crazy like he did on Paladin. They used to be best friends..." his eyes were sincere.
Maggie sniffled, sounding much like a little child, but she stroked her son's hair as she held him close to her chest, savoring the smell of his hair- the earth, and the forest. She gave a weak nod after watching his bright eyes close as he nodded off to sleep on her lap.
"Alright. I-I understand..." she stared up into her cousins brown eyes, a meaningful look in them. Saradoc caught it, and replied, "You can Marroc shall stay here. Your animals can stay in the stables- there's enough room I'm sure. Brawndy-" he turned to his servent, "Make up two rooms for them. But first notify the kitchens that we have some very hungry guests. Have them send a tray of food to Maggie's room, enough for her and her son." He turned back to Maggie, "I'm sure you'll be able to get him to eat better then we were." He ruffled his nephew's hair, before leaving the room, signaling for the lads he had chosen to come with him to apprehend Tarroc to follow.
~*~*~*~
A/N: that took a long time to get up for being so short, didn't it? Sorry... I have hardly had anytime for writing with all the stress I have been having lately. I shall do reviews for chapter 5 in the next chapter.
~Hippy