~*~*~*~
Marroc's Tale
Chapter 16: This Cold
By Hippy Hobbit
Dedicated to Niph
~*~*~*~
Storm trotted determinedly through the piling snow as Maggie snuggled closer to her husband. It felt good. Just being them, and being alone. Tarroc draped an arm around his wife and kissed her cheek.
'Its getting better already, isn't it, m'love?' he asked her in a soft whisper.
Maggie's beautiful Brandybuck smile naturally agreed with him. She laid her head on his shoulder.
'Maggs?'
'Hmm?'
'Do...do yew ever think back to the old times?'
'Old times?'
'Before...Marroc was born?'
Maggie gave her husband a hard look.
'You regret having him.'
Tarroc looked abashed.
'N-no! Not a'tall!'
But Maggies eye bore into him.
'I...I wish it was just us again...' he stammered, '...Marroc...he's...stressful...'
~*~*~*~
Merry plunked his little cousin down on the armchair, not bothering to take the blankets off him, even though a hearty fire burned bright in the grate. He then sat down on a sofa directly across from Marroc and withdrew a blue-covered book from under the pillows and began to read.
Marroc stared at his cousin, suddenly becoming aware that he couldn't move at all, and it was getting rather hot...
'Merry?'
'Hm?'
"I...blankets?' he asked, starting to sweat.
'No.'
'Please?' he squeaked. It was starting to get hard for him to breathe.
'No, Marroc. I know what you'll do if you're able to move!'
Marroc looked inquisitively at his cousin, forcing him to continue, 'You'll cause mischief! I know you too well, Marroc. And tonight...I am in NO mood AT ALL to put up with it!'
There was a short silence, before-
'Pretty please?'
'NO!'
~*~*~*~
'A lot like you then, hm?' Maggie said, rather then asked in a rather chagrined tone, drawing away from her husband and crossing her arms over her chest, 'like father, like son? Do you ever realize the stress YOU cause HIM? Do you even know how frightened he is of you? You scare him bloody witless, Tarroc!'
Tarroc was taken aback by this outburst, and also by his wife's language. He had never heard her swear before...and they had known each other for about 25 years!
'Maggie...Oi...' the clear fact that he did not understand shone in his eyes.
'He thinks you'll him 'im again, if he ever does anything out of line! What you did that night was terribly wrong, Tarroc!' she stopped for a moment, noticing that tears had formed in her eyes.
'I'll be surprised if he is ever right in the head again, after what you did.'
Tarroc visibly shrank back at Maggies tone. His eyes stared up at her, innocent and frightened, so reminiscent of her son's.
'Maggie...Oi...' the sleigh gave a sharp jerk. Tarroc pulled quickly on the reigns, 'Whoa-a Stormy! Whoa there!' he called, slowing the over-sized pony down and nearly coming to a halt. Storms fiery eyes lit up and she bucked, angry with this. The whole sleigh flew up and then came back down. Maggie shrieked, grabbing one side of the sleigh and her husbands arm as the sleigh went into the air for a second time.
Tarroc stood.
'Hey, now, Stormy!' he yelled, trying to calm her to the best of his ability. Nothing worked, however as she bucked again, this time much harder.
'TARROC!' Maggie screamed, tears starting in her eyes. She was a brave lass, but horses were among the things she feared most.
'TARROC, DAMMIT!'
'MAGGIE! I'M TRYING!' Tarroc yelled back as Storm started to jump and thrash some more. Tarroc near lost his balance, and he pulled ####### the reigns, hurting the horse. She broke into a run and Maggie fell, sprawling from the sleigh.
'MAGGIE!' Tarroc screamed out his wife's name. He wrenched the reigns, forcing Storm to turn about. This flung Tarroc from the sleigh, as it its self flipped over entirely. The hobbit was tossed like a rag doll. The reigns tightened themselves fast around Tarrocs hands.
He screamed in pain as he was dragged, only a few hundred yards, but it could've been a few hundred miles. His left arm was wrenched from its socket, causing him immense pain.
Storm turned again, in absolutely fury at dragging this heavy sleigh AND the hobbit with her. She bucked and bayed, thrashing and running and writhing.
Dimly, through his almost unconscious state, Tarroc could hear Maggie yelling and screaming from somewhere farther off. But he was still being dragged, and he could do nothing.
Suddenly, as if by magic, his eyes opened and a sharp rock, half buried in the snow seemed to come out of nowhere. With a loud *THUD*, it collided with his head.
And he knew no more. His hands fell loose from the ropes and Storm ran off, into the night.
Maggie, who had actually not been as far away as Tarroc had originally thought, crawled over to him, sobbing.
'Tarroc...oh my love...' she lay her head on his chest. She knew she could do nothing... both her legs were snapped. And it was...so...cold...
'It IS just us now, m'love...'
THE END
~*~*~*~
(A/N: AHHH! Don't get mad! There'll be more Marroc! This is just the ending of Part 1... the end of his short childhood, as the new title is.
Marrocs Tale: Part 2 will be out shortly!
~Hippy Hobbit
Marroc's Tale
Chapter 16: This Cold
By Hippy Hobbit
Dedicated to Niph
~*~*~*~
Storm trotted determinedly through the piling snow as Maggie snuggled closer to her husband. It felt good. Just being them, and being alone. Tarroc draped an arm around his wife and kissed her cheek.
'Its getting better already, isn't it, m'love?' he asked her in a soft whisper.
Maggie's beautiful Brandybuck smile naturally agreed with him. She laid her head on his shoulder.
'Maggs?'
'Hmm?'
'Do...do yew ever think back to the old times?'
'Old times?'
'Before...Marroc was born?'
Maggie gave her husband a hard look.
'You regret having him.'
Tarroc looked abashed.
'N-no! Not a'tall!'
But Maggies eye bore into him.
'I...I wish it was just us again...' he stammered, '...Marroc...he's...stressful...'
~*~*~*~
Merry plunked his little cousin down on the armchair, not bothering to take the blankets off him, even though a hearty fire burned bright in the grate. He then sat down on a sofa directly across from Marroc and withdrew a blue-covered book from under the pillows and began to read.
Marroc stared at his cousin, suddenly becoming aware that he couldn't move at all, and it was getting rather hot...
'Merry?'
'Hm?'
"I...blankets?' he asked, starting to sweat.
'No.'
'Please?' he squeaked. It was starting to get hard for him to breathe.
'No, Marroc. I know what you'll do if you're able to move!'
Marroc looked inquisitively at his cousin, forcing him to continue, 'You'll cause mischief! I know you too well, Marroc. And tonight...I am in NO mood AT ALL to put up with it!'
There was a short silence, before-
'Pretty please?'
'NO!'
~*~*~*~
'A lot like you then, hm?' Maggie said, rather then asked in a rather chagrined tone, drawing away from her husband and crossing her arms over her chest, 'like father, like son? Do you ever realize the stress YOU cause HIM? Do you even know how frightened he is of you? You scare him bloody witless, Tarroc!'
Tarroc was taken aback by this outburst, and also by his wife's language. He had never heard her swear before...and they had known each other for about 25 years!
'Maggie...Oi...' the clear fact that he did not understand shone in his eyes.
'He thinks you'll him 'im again, if he ever does anything out of line! What you did that night was terribly wrong, Tarroc!' she stopped for a moment, noticing that tears had formed in her eyes.
'I'll be surprised if he is ever right in the head again, after what you did.'
Tarroc visibly shrank back at Maggies tone. His eyes stared up at her, innocent and frightened, so reminiscent of her son's.
'Maggie...Oi...' the sleigh gave a sharp jerk. Tarroc pulled quickly on the reigns, 'Whoa-a Stormy! Whoa there!' he called, slowing the over-sized pony down and nearly coming to a halt. Storms fiery eyes lit up and she bucked, angry with this. The whole sleigh flew up and then came back down. Maggie shrieked, grabbing one side of the sleigh and her husbands arm as the sleigh went into the air for a second time.
Tarroc stood.
'Hey, now, Stormy!' he yelled, trying to calm her to the best of his ability. Nothing worked, however as she bucked again, this time much harder.
'TARROC!' Maggie screamed, tears starting in her eyes. She was a brave lass, but horses were among the things she feared most.
'TARROC, DAMMIT!'
'MAGGIE! I'M TRYING!' Tarroc yelled back as Storm started to jump and thrash some more. Tarroc near lost his balance, and he pulled ####### the reigns, hurting the horse. She broke into a run and Maggie fell, sprawling from the sleigh.
'MAGGIE!' Tarroc screamed out his wife's name. He wrenched the reigns, forcing Storm to turn about. This flung Tarroc from the sleigh, as it its self flipped over entirely. The hobbit was tossed like a rag doll. The reigns tightened themselves fast around Tarrocs hands.
He screamed in pain as he was dragged, only a few hundred yards, but it could've been a few hundred miles. His left arm was wrenched from its socket, causing him immense pain.
Storm turned again, in absolutely fury at dragging this heavy sleigh AND the hobbit with her. She bucked and bayed, thrashing and running and writhing.
Dimly, through his almost unconscious state, Tarroc could hear Maggie yelling and screaming from somewhere farther off. But he was still being dragged, and he could do nothing.
Suddenly, as if by magic, his eyes opened and a sharp rock, half buried in the snow seemed to come out of nowhere. With a loud *THUD*, it collided with his head.
And he knew no more. His hands fell loose from the ropes and Storm ran off, into the night.
Maggie, who had actually not been as far away as Tarroc had originally thought, crawled over to him, sobbing.
'Tarroc...oh my love...' she lay her head on his chest. She knew she could do nothing... both her legs were snapped. And it was...so...cold...
'It IS just us now, m'love...'
THE END
~*~*~*~
(A/N: AHHH! Don't get mad! There'll be more Marroc! This is just the ending of Part 1... the end of his short childhood, as the new title is.
Marrocs Tale: Part 2 will be out shortly!
~Hippy Hobbit