Chapter3
Ira's POV
Ira stormed home from her job at the Green Dragon. She was furious. She was also fired. Too many complaints to the bar tender. The NEW hobbits were not wanted around. No one wanted to associate with them. No one.
Her long skirts billowed out behind her. Her market basket swinging dangerously, she turned the corner...and ran into a couple of male hobbits in their older tweens. She fell and her basket rolled out of her arms, vegetables flying out around her.
She was stunned for a second. Then she got up and proceeded to gather up her belongings. She heard the scornful laughter of the tweens, and turned a bright scarlet.
When they saw who she was; their' laughter increased. She stood up uncertainly, and raised her arms to keep from falling backward. Someone grabbed her wrist. His grip wasn't friendly. It was the wrist with 'Samwise Gamgee' written on it.
The fellow closest to her saw it. He reeked of alcohol. She turned and looked him in the eye. On his mouth was a sneer. "So, you're sweet on Sam Gamgee are you? He's married you know. I think we ought to teach you not to mess with married hobbits; Newcomer!" he snarled. The others laughed.
Ira tried to pull her wrist away, to no avail. They laughed harder when they saw her struggle. She opened her mouth to scream . . . and one of them slapped her across the face, HARD.
The one who held her wrist slammed her into a wall. Her shoulder popped. She felt faint. He reached for her shirt, grabbed fist-full in each hand...she shoved her knee into his groin. With a yell he backed away. She turned frantically, and looked for a way out. When she saw it, she ran.
One of the tweens tried to grab her by the hair as she passed, but luckily hers was so short, there was not enough to keep a hold on.
She sprinted down a lane faster than they thought a hobbit could manage. The tweens were stunned. They had done the unthinkable. They'd be in a lot of trouble if that stupid female hobbit told. Looking around themselves, they saw the over turned basket, the squashed vegetables. And prayed for their' own sakes that she wouldn't say anything...
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Ira reached her home, and went around the back, not wanting to face her family with this intense shame all over her face. She pried open the window to her room, and dropped in, wincing from the pain in her shoulder.
When she was inside she sat on her bed. And stared around her mostly bare room. She wished reverently that she were back in Mirkwood. And she missed Legolas bitterly.
What had he been thinking to send her here? The local hobbits all hated her. Not her family, just her. Jenni was a cute little hobbit lass by all standards. Lila and Silas, the perfect couple. But she, she was the MISFIT. She didn't belong, and never would.
She pulled her skirt up and looked with disgust upon her feet. They were large, yes. But hobbit size? NO. Too small and dainty, for a hobbit, with not a curl to show.
She moved and looked at her shoulder, sliding her blouse down until the flesh was exposed. It was purple, with a greenish tinge. Bruised, but not broken. She gently arranged it back into place. Her stomach lurched when she heard the small sound of it reentering the socket.
Her face stung where she had been struck, she picked up her small mirror from the bedside table and looked at herself. Her eyes were shining with pain-tears, her bottom lip trembled. She turned her head, the left side of her face was turning a dark pink, and soon it would bruise. She could feel it. Oh, this was too much...one tear squeezed out of her eye, and rolled down her cheek.
She heard a knock at the door... "Yes?" she said as she wiped the tear away, and fixed her blouse. Her mother entered.
Lila was a middle-aged hobbit with smoky brown eyes, and graying muddy blonde hair. She was average hobbit size, or maybe just under. Over all, she was the perfect example of a female hobbit.
Ira smiled. And tried to look natural. "You won't believe what happened, Mum." She said shakily. "I wasn't watching where I was going, and I tripped right over some stupid cat. Ran right out in front of me." She finished lamely. She hoped her mother wouldn't see through the lie...
Lila did. "Irene, you are a lousy liar." She said simply. "Tell me what happened. There's no way you can bruise just ONE half of your face with a fall, and not the other. And I could have sworn I just heard the sounds of a shoulder being set. So, spill it Miss." She finished, as she crossed the small room and sat on the edge of Ira's bed.
"Mum, I want to go home! They hate me here. And these stupid little 'accidents' that I call injuries were inflicted by some of the locals who've decided, trying to poison me with words wasn't enough! I just want to go HOME! Send me back PLEASE!"
"Love, I can't. We're stuck I'm afraid. Do you not remember what the Prince said? And you'll just have to make the best of it. I'll go get something for that face of yours. You don't want to go to your job looking like that." Said Lila comfortingly.
"NO!" Ira screamed. "Let it show! I want them all to see what they've done! And it doesn't matter anyway! They fired me okay!" she threw the mirror she was holding, and it shattered on the wall in a shower of glass.
"Oh." Said Lila. "Well, I'll send Jenni up with a roll or two later. Check if you still have some Lembas your pack. I love you sweet, remember that." She said as she left Ira alone, and walked out.
"Legolas, come back for me. I need to go home." Ira whispered. She lay her head down on the pillow, and was promptly asleep.
#$%&()!#$%&()!#$%&()!#$%&()!#$%&()
THE NEXT DAY AT HOBBITON MARKET
Pippin's POV
Pippin strolled through the market place; he was on the lookout for Merry or Estella. Both of them had not been very nice to him lately. He thought with a grin. Last night, they had strengthened his drink, and when he passed out, had propped him outside the pub with a 'spare change' sign stuck to his chest. Pippin was now brewing up an evil plot to get them back.
But first he needed supplies. Just then though, someone came around the corner with a rather too large straw hat on, and knocked him right over. The other hobbit fell as well. Hat billowing down gracefully after them.
Pippin sat there, in the dirt; looking straight across into the dark green eyes of Ira. He could feel the eyes of all the other hobbits around, resting on him. They were all waiting for what he would do now. He remembered with a jolt that almost all of Hobbiton disproved of the Blumoss's.
He stood up and dusted off his breeches. Ira stayed where she was, looking down at the ground. Pippin looked around him, and noticed the hostile glances thrown her way.
He gritted his teeth and thought to himself 'well, I've been one that looks for the favor of the masses.' He then leaned down and offered a hand to Ira. She flinched at his sudden movement.
Then she reached up and took his hand. She left her hat where it was, because as a disguise, it was now useless. She kicked it out of her path and she and Pippin walked away, hand in hand.
He looked at her questionably, and saw with horror that the entire left side of her face was bruised purple and dull green. "Did I do that?" he said, as he reached out and touched her face. He didn't realize that from afar, it looked like a lover's touch. But other market goers did.
She laughed softly and said, "No Mr. Took. You didn't. Thank you for back there, by the way."
"Oh... you're welcome. And call me Pippin, Mr. Took is my father." He made a face.
"Okay Pippin." She said. She noticed that she was still holding his hand, but he made no move to pull away, so neither did she. They walked back to her house, hand and hand.
?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?
Ira's POV
Ira stormed home from her job at the Green Dragon. She was furious. She was also fired. Too many complaints to the bar tender. The NEW hobbits were not wanted around. No one wanted to associate with them. No one.
Her long skirts billowed out behind her. Her market basket swinging dangerously, she turned the corner...and ran into a couple of male hobbits in their older tweens. She fell and her basket rolled out of her arms, vegetables flying out around her.
She was stunned for a second. Then she got up and proceeded to gather up her belongings. She heard the scornful laughter of the tweens, and turned a bright scarlet.
When they saw who she was; their' laughter increased. She stood up uncertainly, and raised her arms to keep from falling backward. Someone grabbed her wrist. His grip wasn't friendly. It was the wrist with 'Samwise Gamgee' written on it.
The fellow closest to her saw it. He reeked of alcohol. She turned and looked him in the eye. On his mouth was a sneer. "So, you're sweet on Sam Gamgee are you? He's married you know. I think we ought to teach you not to mess with married hobbits; Newcomer!" he snarled. The others laughed.
Ira tried to pull her wrist away, to no avail. They laughed harder when they saw her struggle. She opened her mouth to scream . . . and one of them slapped her across the face, HARD.
The one who held her wrist slammed her into a wall. Her shoulder popped. She felt faint. He reached for her shirt, grabbed fist-full in each hand...she shoved her knee into his groin. With a yell he backed away. She turned frantically, and looked for a way out. When she saw it, she ran.
One of the tweens tried to grab her by the hair as she passed, but luckily hers was so short, there was not enough to keep a hold on.
She sprinted down a lane faster than they thought a hobbit could manage. The tweens were stunned. They had done the unthinkable. They'd be in a lot of trouble if that stupid female hobbit told. Looking around themselves, they saw the over turned basket, the squashed vegetables. And prayed for their' own sakes that she wouldn't say anything...
............................................................................ ....................................................................
Ira reached her home, and went around the back, not wanting to face her family with this intense shame all over her face. She pried open the window to her room, and dropped in, wincing from the pain in her shoulder.
When she was inside she sat on her bed. And stared around her mostly bare room. She wished reverently that she were back in Mirkwood. And she missed Legolas bitterly.
What had he been thinking to send her here? The local hobbits all hated her. Not her family, just her. Jenni was a cute little hobbit lass by all standards. Lila and Silas, the perfect couple. But she, she was the MISFIT. She didn't belong, and never would.
She pulled her skirt up and looked with disgust upon her feet. They were large, yes. But hobbit size? NO. Too small and dainty, for a hobbit, with not a curl to show.
She moved and looked at her shoulder, sliding her blouse down until the flesh was exposed. It was purple, with a greenish tinge. Bruised, but not broken. She gently arranged it back into place. Her stomach lurched when she heard the small sound of it reentering the socket.
Her face stung where she had been struck, she picked up her small mirror from the bedside table and looked at herself. Her eyes were shining with pain-tears, her bottom lip trembled. She turned her head, the left side of her face was turning a dark pink, and soon it would bruise. She could feel it. Oh, this was too much...one tear squeezed out of her eye, and rolled down her cheek.
She heard a knock at the door... "Yes?" she said as she wiped the tear away, and fixed her blouse. Her mother entered.
Lila was a middle-aged hobbit with smoky brown eyes, and graying muddy blonde hair. She was average hobbit size, or maybe just under. Over all, she was the perfect example of a female hobbit.
Ira smiled. And tried to look natural. "You won't believe what happened, Mum." She said shakily. "I wasn't watching where I was going, and I tripped right over some stupid cat. Ran right out in front of me." She finished lamely. She hoped her mother wouldn't see through the lie...
Lila did. "Irene, you are a lousy liar." She said simply. "Tell me what happened. There's no way you can bruise just ONE half of your face with a fall, and not the other. And I could have sworn I just heard the sounds of a shoulder being set. So, spill it Miss." She finished, as she crossed the small room and sat on the edge of Ira's bed.
"Mum, I want to go home! They hate me here. And these stupid little 'accidents' that I call injuries were inflicted by some of the locals who've decided, trying to poison me with words wasn't enough! I just want to go HOME! Send me back PLEASE!"
"Love, I can't. We're stuck I'm afraid. Do you not remember what the Prince said? And you'll just have to make the best of it. I'll go get something for that face of yours. You don't want to go to your job looking like that." Said Lila comfortingly.
"NO!" Ira screamed. "Let it show! I want them all to see what they've done! And it doesn't matter anyway! They fired me okay!" she threw the mirror she was holding, and it shattered on the wall in a shower of glass.
"Oh." Said Lila. "Well, I'll send Jenni up with a roll or two later. Check if you still have some Lembas your pack. I love you sweet, remember that." She said as she left Ira alone, and walked out.
"Legolas, come back for me. I need to go home." Ira whispered. She lay her head down on the pillow, and was promptly asleep.
#$%&()!#$%&()!#$%&()!#$%&()!#$%&()
THE NEXT DAY AT HOBBITON MARKET
Pippin's POV
Pippin strolled through the market place; he was on the lookout for Merry or Estella. Both of them had not been very nice to him lately. He thought with a grin. Last night, they had strengthened his drink, and when he passed out, had propped him outside the pub with a 'spare change' sign stuck to his chest. Pippin was now brewing up an evil plot to get them back.
But first he needed supplies. Just then though, someone came around the corner with a rather too large straw hat on, and knocked him right over. The other hobbit fell as well. Hat billowing down gracefully after them.
Pippin sat there, in the dirt; looking straight across into the dark green eyes of Ira. He could feel the eyes of all the other hobbits around, resting on him. They were all waiting for what he would do now. He remembered with a jolt that almost all of Hobbiton disproved of the Blumoss's.
He stood up and dusted off his breeches. Ira stayed where she was, looking down at the ground. Pippin looked around him, and noticed the hostile glances thrown her way.
He gritted his teeth and thought to himself 'well, I've been one that looks for the favor of the masses.' He then leaned down and offered a hand to Ira. She flinched at his sudden movement.
Then she reached up and took his hand. She left her hat where it was, because as a disguise, it was now useless. She kicked it out of her path and she and Pippin walked away, hand in hand.
He looked at her questionably, and saw with horror that the entire left side of her face was bruised purple and dull green. "Did I do that?" he said, as he reached out and touched her face. He didn't realize that from afar, it looked like a lover's touch. But other market goers did.
She laughed softly and said, "No Mr. Took. You didn't. Thank you for back there, by the way."
"Oh... you're welcome. And call me Pippin, Mr. Took is my father." He made a face.
"Okay Pippin." She said. She noticed that she was still holding his hand, but he made no move to pull away, so neither did she. They walked back to her house, hand and hand.
?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?&?