Since you've been so kind and patient waiting for me to get my act together
and write some more, I've got a couple of chapters to get out!!!
I can just hear you shout with glee!
Enjoy!!!
Chapter 9:
Pippin was outside getting a breath of fresh air, whilst Merry and Frodo readied themselves for the evening.
"Here, this is your birthday present from me and Estella."
Merry handed Frodo a carved wooden box, long and thin, inlaid with exquisite wooden flowers.
"We were going to give it to you at your party, but when this came up Estella and I discussed it, and decided you might need it early. I guess we were right. Go on open it!"
Frodo lifted the metal catch and gasped. Inside was lined with black velvet, and nestled in two spaces were the most beautiful sword and dagger Frodo had ever seen. The hilts were gold, with flowers etched delicatly onto them. Twining round the hilt and down towards the handle. At the centre of each flower was a different gem, rubies, diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. Each so delicatly placed on, that when holding the blade you were unaware of the gems studding the hilt. The blades were polished steel, beautiful and light, with elvish script running along the centre. The edge was keen, and Frodo could only gasp in wonder. His gaze lifted to Merry's tired face.
"Just in case."
"Thank you. I don't know what to say."
"Well, I've also got you a matching belt, with sheathes for both the sword and the dagger. Also I'll teach you some sword play when we get some spare time."
Saying this, Merry pulled out the belt, and helped Frodo to secure it round his waist before placing the weapons in it. Frodo hugged Merry for long moments, only drawing away when Pippin came in to check they were ready.
"Come on, no time for shows of affection!"
He interrupted cheerfully.
"We've got a kidnapper to catch!" . His eyes lit up with excitement, and he grinned wickedly at them.
Together they left the room, and set off on the short walk to the common room, walking in silence, each involved in their own thoughts, preparing themselves for the ordeal of the night to come. The room was half full when they arrived, and a steady stream of people arrived throughout the evening. Merry and Pippin were greeted with cheery waves from the hobbits, and a few from the men, though most people ignored them prefering to continue with their nights drinking and gossip. They found a small table in the corner by the fire, this was Merry and Pippins usual table having sentimental value for the fact that this was the table that Strider had sat at on the night of their first visit to Bree many years ago. Their drinks came, and they sipped on them in silence, each scrutinizing the room, searching for Ferney and his friend. An hour passed, and still no sign of them and sleep was beginning to catch up with Frodo. Pippin, who normally would have consumed several pints by this time, was sat in silence, his first pint only half drunk. Merry was tense, staring vacantly round the room, the kidnapp of Eowyn had hit him hard. Suddenly he sat up straight and alert, Ferny and just entered, and headed to the bar. He consumed two pints in a few minutes, and only then turned to survey the room. He looked disdainfully down his nose at most of the occupants before his eyes alighted on a cloaked and hooded figure sat in one of the darker corners of the room that the three hobbits hadn't noticed. He got up off his barstool, and swaggered over to the figure, taking his tankard with him. They greeted each other like old friends and Ferny sat down and they were soon engrosed in discussion, ignoring the rest of the bar.
Pippin and Merry exchanged looks, they had disscussed this plan earlier, and now it was time to put it into action. They both sat watching, waiting, eager for the two to stop talking and decide to leave. They waited for an hour, and yet they still sat their talking, and drinking ale by the tankard. Frodo was having more and more trouble hiding his yawns, and Merry and Pippin sat still as stone waiting, like cats ready to pounce. The rest of the occupants of the common room avoided them as if they were poison, and still Ferny and his friend talked and drank. The common room slowly emptied, until the only people left were the three hobbits and the two men. And still they waited.
Another half an hour passed, and finally the two men rose, and leaning on each other for support they staggered out of the inn. Silently agreeing, Pippin and Merry downed the remains of their ale, and nodding at Butterbur the three rose and slipped silently from the inn.
The two men were easy to find, the singing carried easily on the still night air, and only the heaviest of sleepers could have slept through the racket that they made. The hobbits moved quickly and silently, keeping to the shadows cloaks wrapped round them to hide them from prying eyes. Although Frodo hadn't been given one of the Lady Galadriel's elvin cloaks he was still able to hide himself effectively in his darkest cloak. The two men crossed Bree slowly, staggering drunkenly acroos the streets, shadowed by three hobbits moving soundlessly from shadow to shadow. At the edge of the village the men opened a battered gate, and weaved down a path choked with overgrown weeds, leading to a tumbledown cottage not much changed since the last time Merry and Pippin had seen it on the way back from their great adventure many years ago.
They followed like shadows, pausing at the door, listening for any sound that might help them. All they heard was the swearing and groans from the two men as they attempted to get down the passage and down some stairs to the cellar. Listening with bated breath Frodo heard the sound that he'd been dreading. It took all of his will power to stay put and not dash straight in there and kill them.
"Look at this! Why the hell did we bother going all that way for this?!" The sound of something being kicked floated up to the horrified hobbits.
"I told you! This is revenge! Ain't you ever wanted to get back at someone? Wanted to hurt them so bad that they would never be the same again? My uncle was snubbed real bad by some scrawny little Shire folk and a ranger. He was real angry that they got the upper hand over him, that's why we did this. This is to spite those little brats! You got a problem with that?!"
Ferny was enraged by this point, and his voice had risen during his anger, but now it lowered again to a hissing whisper.
"If you have a problem with this, you won't get your share of the ransom, and I'll despatch you just like i'm going to dispatch this little wretch! She's going to wish she'd never been born!"
He cackled heartlessly, before joining the other man beating the prisoner they held in the cellar.
Signalling to the others, Pippin started to move soundlessly back down the path, and together they set off back to the inn. All of them too shocked to speak, and to upset to do anything other than to get back to the inn and climb into bed, waiting for the dawn to resolve their problems.
Sorry, I know that was really awful writing! Please send me your comments to help improve it. I'll make the next capter better. Sorry.
Chapter 9:
Pippin was outside getting a breath of fresh air, whilst Merry and Frodo readied themselves for the evening.
"Here, this is your birthday present from me and Estella."
Merry handed Frodo a carved wooden box, long and thin, inlaid with exquisite wooden flowers.
"We were going to give it to you at your party, but when this came up Estella and I discussed it, and decided you might need it early. I guess we were right. Go on open it!"
Frodo lifted the metal catch and gasped. Inside was lined with black velvet, and nestled in two spaces were the most beautiful sword and dagger Frodo had ever seen. The hilts were gold, with flowers etched delicatly onto them. Twining round the hilt and down towards the handle. At the centre of each flower was a different gem, rubies, diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. Each so delicatly placed on, that when holding the blade you were unaware of the gems studding the hilt. The blades were polished steel, beautiful and light, with elvish script running along the centre. The edge was keen, and Frodo could only gasp in wonder. His gaze lifted to Merry's tired face.
"Just in case."
"Thank you. I don't know what to say."
"Well, I've also got you a matching belt, with sheathes for both the sword and the dagger. Also I'll teach you some sword play when we get some spare time."
Saying this, Merry pulled out the belt, and helped Frodo to secure it round his waist before placing the weapons in it. Frodo hugged Merry for long moments, only drawing away when Pippin came in to check they were ready.
"Come on, no time for shows of affection!"
He interrupted cheerfully.
"We've got a kidnapper to catch!" . His eyes lit up with excitement, and he grinned wickedly at them.
Together they left the room, and set off on the short walk to the common room, walking in silence, each involved in their own thoughts, preparing themselves for the ordeal of the night to come. The room was half full when they arrived, and a steady stream of people arrived throughout the evening. Merry and Pippin were greeted with cheery waves from the hobbits, and a few from the men, though most people ignored them prefering to continue with their nights drinking and gossip. They found a small table in the corner by the fire, this was Merry and Pippins usual table having sentimental value for the fact that this was the table that Strider had sat at on the night of their first visit to Bree many years ago. Their drinks came, and they sipped on them in silence, each scrutinizing the room, searching for Ferney and his friend. An hour passed, and still no sign of them and sleep was beginning to catch up with Frodo. Pippin, who normally would have consumed several pints by this time, was sat in silence, his first pint only half drunk. Merry was tense, staring vacantly round the room, the kidnapp of Eowyn had hit him hard. Suddenly he sat up straight and alert, Ferny and just entered, and headed to the bar. He consumed two pints in a few minutes, and only then turned to survey the room. He looked disdainfully down his nose at most of the occupants before his eyes alighted on a cloaked and hooded figure sat in one of the darker corners of the room that the three hobbits hadn't noticed. He got up off his barstool, and swaggered over to the figure, taking his tankard with him. They greeted each other like old friends and Ferny sat down and they were soon engrosed in discussion, ignoring the rest of the bar.
Pippin and Merry exchanged looks, they had disscussed this plan earlier, and now it was time to put it into action. They both sat watching, waiting, eager for the two to stop talking and decide to leave. They waited for an hour, and yet they still sat their talking, and drinking ale by the tankard. Frodo was having more and more trouble hiding his yawns, and Merry and Pippin sat still as stone waiting, like cats ready to pounce. The rest of the occupants of the common room avoided them as if they were poison, and still Ferny and his friend talked and drank. The common room slowly emptied, until the only people left were the three hobbits and the two men. And still they waited.
Another half an hour passed, and finally the two men rose, and leaning on each other for support they staggered out of the inn. Silently agreeing, Pippin and Merry downed the remains of their ale, and nodding at Butterbur the three rose and slipped silently from the inn.
The two men were easy to find, the singing carried easily on the still night air, and only the heaviest of sleepers could have slept through the racket that they made. The hobbits moved quickly and silently, keeping to the shadows cloaks wrapped round them to hide them from prying eyes. Although Frodo hadn't been given one of the Lady Galadriel's elvin cloaks he was still able to hide himself effectively in his darkest cloak. The two men crossed Bree slowly, staggering drunkenly acroos the streets, shadowed by three hobbits moving soundlessly from shadow to shadow. At the edge of the village the men opened a battered gate, and weaved down a path choked with overgrown weeds, leading to a tumbledown cottage not much changed since the last time Merry and Pippin had seen it on the way back from their great adventure many years ago.
They followed like shadows, pausing at the door, listening for any sound that might help them. All they heard was the swearing and groans from the two men as they attempted to get down the passage and down some stairs to the cellar. Listening with bated breath Frodo heard the sound that he'd been dreading. It took all of his will power to stay put and not dash straight in there and kill them.
"Look at this! Why the hell did we bother going all that way for this?!" The sound of something being kicked floated up to the horrified hobbits.
"I told you! This is revenge! Ain't you ever wanted to get back at someone? Wanted to hurt them so bad that they would never be the same again? My uncle was snubbed real bad by some scrawny little Shire folk and a ranger. He was real angry that they got the upper hand over him, that's why we did this. This is to spite those little brats! You got a problem with that?!"
Ferny was enraged by this point, and his voice had risen during his anger, but now it lowered again to a hissing whisper.
"If you have a problem with this, you won't get your share of the ransom, and I'll despatch you just like i'm going to dispatch this little wretch! She's going to wish she'd never been born!"
He cackled heartlessly, before joining the other man beating the prisoner they held in the cellar.
Signalling to the others, Pippin started to move soundlessly back down the path, and together they set off back to the inn. All of them too shocked to speak, and to upset to do anything other than to get back to the inn and climb into bed, waiting for the dawn to resolve their problems.
Sorry, I know that was really awful writing! Please send me your comments to help improve it. I'll make the next capter better. Sorry.
