Well guys, here is the next chapter. Things are moving along! Thanks to all
of you for reading and reviewing and I hope you enjoy this installment!
Gamgeefest: We'll be seeing a bit more of Hertig now. Hate for him to have nothing to do but rot in the Lockholes!
Merimas gamgee: I haven't completely decided just how AU the scouring will be. Obviously, some things will be different. The story's not done yet, so only time will tell!
Laurajslr: That's what happens when you end up with a cast of thousands! I really hadn't planned on all these various characters when I started out. Just goes to show you never know where a story will lead you!
Sam: I'm glad you like the relationship between Hertig and the hobbits. He's a nice guy and has already some idea what hobbits can do after meeting Sam and the others. He has a lot of respect for them!
Aouramaiden: Thanks! I'm glad this is keeping you interested! I'm not sure what will happen to Sam in the end...
Bloodroses9: Hello and welcome! Thank you so much for all the reviews! Just to clarify a couple of things: When Sam falls off the cliff, he really does fall, but to Legolas who was quite some distance away (and it was dark and raining) it looked as if Sam purposefully fell off. That was why he was so concerned over Sam's mental condition. If they all thought he just slipped, it wouldn't have nearly so worrisome. In Ch. 3, Frodo was talking about Gollum (and if you recall, Gollum did pretend to care about Frodo and claimed he "just wanted to help", etc. all the kinds of things Sam truly wanted). But, it was meant to be confusing. Because all those things could have applied to Sam as well, Sam naturally assumed Frodo was talking about him. Anyway, I hope the rest of the story makes sense to you and I do appreciate any constructive criticism!
Althea: Well, here is the next chapter! Sam is going to need more help than ever!
Bronwyn: Hmm. I just realized the title of this chapter is straight from you post (which I guess is also from the movie!). Great minds must think alike! LOL!
Rabidsamfan: Yes, Hertig is back and we'll be seeing more of him! As for Rosie... well....
Baileymag: Thanks! Glad you're still enjoying this looong story! As for Frodo and Co.,, not yet! They'll be back soon, but not in this chapter. Sorry!
Chapter 25 The Pieces are Moving
They came for Hertig the next morning. "Where is that big feller?" demanded Bill Ferny as he looked into the depths of the Lockhole where Hertig and several others were kept. He had to bend over to move inside.
"He's right here," replied the Mayor indicating a body lying motionless on the ground.
Ferny peered suspiciously at the figure. "Is he dead?" he asked frowning. The Boss wouldn't be pleased if the Rider was already dead.
"No," sighed the Mayor weakly. "But nearly. You barely provide enough food to keep us hobbits alive. A big man like him hasn't a chance. He's barely moved in days. You'll have to carry him out."
Ferny had brought several other ruffians with him to subdue the Rider if need be and with a grunt, he sent them in to retrieve the inert form. "Move back you lot!" he snarled thrusting his torch towards the small figures hovering nearby. The hobbits in the Lockhole crowded towards the back wall watching the men's every move. The Mayor and Fredegar exchanged apprehensive glances as one of them men rolled Hertig over on his back.
"He does look pretty bad," he announced, looking up at Ferny.
"Well, as long as he's alive, bring 'im along and dump 'im in the wagon," replied Ferny moving back towards the entrance. One of the men grabbed Hertig's feet and dragged him towards the entrance. Once out of the Lockhole's confining space, they were able to lift him up and carry him away to the wagon. Hertig never moved.
Once the door had been bolted and the men gone, the Mayor and Fredegar breathed a nervous sigh of relief. "Do you think he'll be able to do it?" asked Fredegar quietly.
The Mayor continued to stare at the door thoughtfully. "Well, if he can't no one can."
Ferny watched as the two men tossed Hertig into the back of the wagon onto the pile of moldy straw. He did look bad, thought Ferny with satisfaction. The Rider appeared sickly and emaciated; his face pale and haggard and his breathing labored. "I don't think this feller's gonna give us any problems today!" he laughed shoving the Rider further into the wagon. "I'll be lucky if he's still alive by the time I get 'im back to the Boss!" The others joined in his laughter. Ferny then decided that he could manage this alone and told the others they could go. Most importantly, it would give him the opportunity to make a little stop at his secret cache of ale along the way!
He mounted the wagon box and took up the reins and in a few moments, he was on his way. The sky was dark and lowering on this raw autumn morning and Ferny was looking forward to a few drinks to warm himself up. Granted, he was able to get some ale while he was in Michel Delving, but he had the good stuff hidden away. He was just glad he didn't need to bring any of those others with him The trip would take all day and he didn't see why he didn't deserve a little reward. He glanced back at the unconscious man lying in the back. Ferny smirked. Some mighty soldier! It was obvious he wouldn't be any trouble. This day was looking better all the time.
They had been on the road for many hours and had passed the village of Waymeet when Hertig made his move. The Mayor had instructed him to wait until they were well out of Michel Delving and into the country. There wasn't a lot of traffic on the Great East Road these days, so his chances of being seen were slim. Ferny had stopped by his cache several hours ago and was already most of the way through his second bottle of ale. Plus, the rain that had threatened all day finally made its appearance. It was a cold, driving rain and Ferny sat heavily bundled in his cloak. Hertig cautiously opened his eyes and looked up to where the other man sat oblivious to all but his bottle and misery.
Hertig began to slowly edge his way towards the back of the wagon. The rain masked what little sound he made and when he reached the end, he carefully rose to his knees. He looked back one last time towards Ferny, then silently leapt over the back of the wagon and into the mud of the road. He crouched there for several moments watching the wagon, then rising up, sprinted awkwardly towards the trees. His long imprisonment had weakened him, but he was not about to allow that to stop him. The Mayor and Fredegar had advised him to go south and try to make it to Tuckburrow. The Tooks, though surrounded and contained in the Green Hill country, were not under the Chief's thumb. If anyone could somehow help Hertig escape from the Shire, it would be the Tooks.
Silently, he made his way through the forest. The rain, although still heavy, was somewhat lessened by the trees. He knew it would be best to keep moving as long as the rain continued. Any guards in the area would be less likely to be out and about. The light was quickly fading and soon it would be completely dark. Hertig had no idea how long he struggled through the dripping, tangled woods, but he was exhausted and chilled clear to the bone. However, he didn't dare stop. He was afraid if he did, he might not have the strength to get started again, so on he went.
Finally, when he felt he couldn't go another step, a voice called out to him from the darkness. "Halt, Man! Stay right where you are and don't move!" Breathing heavily, Hertig lurched to a halt and stood swaying in the rain. He watched apprehensively as several small figures armed with bows came cautiously out of the brush, their arrows aimed directly at his chest.
"Who are you?" demanded the leader, a stocky fellow with piercing eyes. He was eyeing Hertig suspiciously, but something about this man seemed different to him. Thus, he had not ordered his men to fire.
"My name is Hertig of Rohan," panted the exhausted Rider. "I came to the Shire in the spring with my friend, Samwise Gamgee, but we were captured and I was imprisoned. I was being taken to Hobbiton supposedly to be executed, but escaped. Mayor Whitfoot told me I need to get to Bree to warn Frodo Baggins and his companions about the state of the Shire." Hertig knew this didn't make sense, but his mind seemed to barely work now. All he wanted to do was collapse and sleep.
The hobbits looked at each other in confusion. "You say you know Frodo Baggins?" demanded the leader, "Do you know his companions as well?"
Hertig nodded. "Aye, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. They are well known throughout Gondor and Rohan. They are heroes."
This caused much excitement among the hobbits, but Hertig was too weary to listen to what they were saying. Finally, the leader turned back to Hertig. "I don't know anything about Gondor or Rohan," he said, "But, I think the Thain might be interested in what you have to say. You better come with us." Again, Hertig nodded and without another word, allowed himself to led away further into the forest. He had found the Tooks.
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Sam and his band of rebels had successfully destroyed three key bridges, disrupting the efficient flow of stolen goods out of the Shire. They had been ecstatic when Sam and Tamblin returned from that first mission with news of their success.
"Ha!" cried Rory Brockenboring defiantly, "Let this be a lesson to old Pimple and his new lackey, Sharkey! We'll show them that hobbits aren't to be trifled with!" The others agreed enthusiastically. Sam, although pleased with their success, felt oddly removed from the celebration. It hurt him to destroy anything within the Shire and the bridges had been there for many, many years. It was almost as painful as seeing the destruction wrought by Sharkey's men upon the trees and natural beauty of the Shire. Sadly, he wondered if anything would ever be normal again.
Over the next couple of weeks, they managed to destroy two more bridges and then Sam decided it was time to lay low for awhile. "But Sam!" cried Folco in frustration, "We're doin' so well! Pretty soon, we could burn down every bridge in the Shire!"
Sam just shook his head. "We've been lucky so far, lads," he cautioned. "Lotho and Sharkey will see the way of it now. The bridges will be more heavily guarded. We had the advantage of surprise before and now that's gone. If we wait a bit and do nothing, the men will get careless again. Then, it will be time to strike."
The other hobbits didn't completely agree with this, but were willing to defer to Sam. He hadn't led them astray thus far. So, the small group hid fairly comfortably in the cave. Rory occasionally made trips into the village of Dwaling
for supplies. He was known there and the village was remote enough that few men bothered it so Rory didn't worry much. It was on such a foray that he came across the most terrible news.
Sam had been dozing in the cave one bitter evening. Tamblin, Folco, and Tigo Hornblower were sitting around the fire discussing food. There wasn't nearly enough of it in these hills, and the hobbits frequently entertained themselves remembering some of their favorite meals. They had just finished comparing favorite desserts when Rory came in. The three looked up to call to him, but stopped at the anguished expression on his face. Rory glanced apprehensively at Sam who appeared to be fast asleep. Putting his finger to his lips to silence the others, he hurried over to them, pulling out a piece of parchment as he did.
"What's that you've got there, Rory?" whispered Folco trying to read the parchment.
"It's a flyer from Dwaling," replied Rory grimly. "They've got 'em up everywhere! And there's men making announcements in every village in the Shire. It's bad news, lads, very bad." He slowly unrolled the parchment so the others could see. "It says here that if Sam doesn't give 'imself up by October 29, the Chief decrees that the following people will be executed, one every other day!" Horrified, the hobbits stared at each other.
"Who's on the list?" asked Tamblin hoarsely. He couldn't imagine even Lotho being that evil.
Rory took a deep breath. "Says here, 'Rosie Cotton, Hertig of Rohan, Tom and Mrs. Cotton as well as Tom, Jr., Jolly, and Nibs Cotton.'" He continued to stare at it as if doing so might make the words disappear.
"Sam is mighty sweet on Rosie," said Folco worriedly. "And you know how close he is with th' rest o' the Cottons. I imagine his Gaffer'd be on that list if he hadn't gone into hidin' after Fig was killed."
"Aye," agreed Tigo, "And he's told us a lot about that Hertig fellow from Rohan. I know it'd be mighty painful to Sam if he was killed!"
"So, what do we do?" asked Tamblin in a trembling voice. "Do we give this to Sam?"
That was the question. They all knew that if Sam saw this, he would give himself up straight away and there was no question in any of their minds that that would spell certain death for their friend.
"I dunno," replied Rory miserably. "But, if we don't tell 'im and he finds out we knew, no tellin' what he might do."
"Tell me what?" asked a sleepy voice in the darkness. Startled, the hobbits jumped and glanced guiltily at one another. Sam strolled slowly over to the fire where the others sat watching him anxiously. Sam looked from one distraught face to the next and frowned. "What's wrong?" he demanded.
Rory glanced down at the parchment in his hands, then reluctantly handed it to Sam. He could barely bear to let it go. "This is hangin' in all the villages, Sam," he said unhappily.
Sam said nothing as he read the flyer but his face grew paler and paler. He slowly sat down as if in a trance. He couldn't seem to be able to tear his eyes from the chilling announcement. Then, with no warning, he cried, "Noooo!" with such anguish and horror the others leapt to their feet in alarm. "Nooo!" cried Sam again burying his face in the hands, "No! No! NO!!!"
"Sam!" began Rory tentatively, unsure of what to say. "it...it will be alright! We'll think of something!" The others nodded encouragingly.
Sam raised his tear-streaked face and stared at them with hopeless eyes. "Don't you understand?" he cried shaking the paper at them. "It's already too late! Didn't you see the date? Didn't you notice? The first execution was set for October 29! That was yesterday! It's already begun!" With a sob, he buried his face again, his entire body shaking with grief. Tamblin reached down and picked up the tear-stained parchment and looked at the list of hostages. He closed his eyes briefly as if unable to bear what he saw, then turned his gaze on Sam's distraught form. Rosie Cotton's name was first on the list.
Gamgeefest: We'll be seeing a bit more of Hertig now. Hate for him to have nothing to do but rot in the Lockholes!
Merimas gamgee: I haven't completely decided just how AU the scouring will be. Obviously, some things will be different. The story's not done yet, so only time will tell!
Laurajslr: That's what happens when you end up with a cast of thousands! I really hadn't planned on all these various characters when I started out. Just goes to show you never know where a story will lead you!
Sam: I'm glad you like the relationship between Hertig and the hobbits. He's a nice guy and has already some idea what hobbits can do after meeting Sam and the others. He has a lot of respect for them!
Aouramaiden: Thanks! I'm glad this is keeping you interested! I'm not sure what will happen to Sam in the end...
Bloodroses9: Hello and welcome! Thank you so much for all the reviews! Just to clarify a couple of things: When Sam falls off the cliff, he really does fall, but to Legolas who was quite some distance away (and it was dark and raining) it looked as if Sam purposefully fell off. That was why he was so concerned over Sam's mental condition. If they all thought he just slipped, it wouldn't have nearly so worrisome. In Ch. 3, Frodo was talking about Gollum (and if you recall, Gollum did pretend to care about Frodo and claimed he "just wanted to help", etc. all the kinds of things Sam truly wanted). But, it was meant to be confusing. Because all those things could have applied to Sam as well, Sam naturally assumed Frodo was talking about him. Anyway, I hope the rest of the story makes sense to you and I do appreciate any constructive criticism!
Althea: Well, here is the next chapter! Sam is going to need more help than ever!
Bronwyn: Hmm. I just realized the title of this chapter is straight from you post (which I guess is also from the movie!). Great minds must think alike! LOL!
Rabidsamfan: Yes, Hertig is back and we'll be seeing more of him! As for Rosie... well....
Baileymag: Thanks! Glad you're still enjoying this looong story! As for Frodo and Co.,, not yet! They'll be back soon, but not in this chapter. Sorry!
Chapter 25 The Pieces are Moving
They came for Hertig the next morning. "Where is that big feller?" demanded Bill Ferny as he looked into the depths of the Lockhole where Hertig and several others were kept. He had to bend over to move inside.
"He's right here," replied the Mayor indicating a body lying motionless on the ground.
Ferny peered suspiciously at the figure. "Is he dead?" he asked frowning. The Boss wouldn't be pleased if the Rider was already dead.
"No," sighed the Mayor weakly. "But nearly. You barely provide enough food to keep us hobbits alive. A big man like him hasn't a chance. He's barely moved in days. You'll have to carry him out."
Ferny had brought several other ruffians with him to subdue the Rider if need be and with a grunt, he sent them in to retrieve the inert form. "Move back you lot!" he snarled thrusting his torch towards the small figures hovering nearby. The hobbits in the Lockhole crowded towards the back wall watching the men's every move. The Mayor and Fredegar exchanged apprehensive glances as one of them men rolled Hertig over on his back.
"He does look pretty bad," he announced, looking up at Ferny.
"Well, as long as he's alive, bring 'im along and dump 'im in the wagon," replied Ferny moving back towards the entrance. One of the men grabbed Hertig's feet and dragged him towards the entrance. Once out of the Lockhole's confining space, they were able to lift him up and carry him away to the wagon. Hertig never moved.
Once the door had been bolted and the men gone, the Mayor and Fredegar breathed a nervous sigh of relief. "Do you think he'll be able to do it?" asked Fredegar quietly.
The Mayor continued to stare at the door thoughtfully. "Well, if he can't no one can."
Ferny watched as the two men tossed Hertig into the back of the wagon onto the pile of moldy straw. He did look bad, thought Ferny with satisfaction. The Rider appeared sickly and emaciated; his face pale and haggard and his breathing labored. "I don't think this feller's gonna give us any problems today!" he laughed shoving the Rider further into the wagon. "I'll be lucky if he's still alive by the time I get 'im back to the Boss!" The others joined in his laughter. Ferny then decided that he could manage this alone and told the others they could go. Most importantly, it would give him the opportunity to make a little stop at his secret cache of ale along the way!
He mounted the wagon box and took up the reins and in a few moments, he was on his way. The sky was dark and lowering on this raw autumn morning and Ferny was looking forward to a few drinks to warm himself up. Granted, he was able to get some ale while he was in Michel Delving, but he had the good stuff hidden away. He was just glad he didn't need to bring any of those others with him The trip would take all day and he didn't see why he didn't deserve a little reward. He glanced back at the unconscious man lying in the back. Ferny smirked. Some mighty soldier! It was obvious he wouldn't be any trouble. This day was looking better all the time.
They had been on the road for many hours and had passed the village of Waymeet when Hertig made his move. The Mayor had instructed him to wait until they were well out of Michel Delving and into the country. There wasn't a lot of traffic on the Great East Road these days, so his chances of being seen were slim. Ferny had stopped by his cache several hours ago and was already most of the way through his second bottle of ale. Plus, the rain that had threatened all day finally made its appearance. It was a cold, driving rain and Ferny sat heavily bundled in his cloak. Hertig cautiously opened his eyes and looked up to where the other man sat oblivious to all but his bottle and misery.
Hertig began to slowly edge his way towards the back of the wagon. The rain masked what little sound he made and when he reached the end, he carefully rose to his knees. He looked back one last time towards Ferny, then silently leapt over the back of the wagon and into the mud of the road. He crouched there for several moments watching the wagon, then rising up, sprinted awkwardly towards the trees. His long imprisonment had weakened him, but he was not about to allow that to stop him. The Mayor and Fredegar had advised him to go south and try to make it to Tuckburrow. The Tooks, though surrounded and contained in the Green Hill country, were not under the Chief's thumb. If anyone could somehow help Hertig escape from the Shire, it would be the Tooks.
Silently, he made his way through the forest. The rain, although still heavy, was somewhat lessened by the trees. He knew it would be best to keep moving as long as the rain continued. Any guards in the area would be less likely to be out and about. The light was quickly fading and soon it would be completely dark. Hertig had no idea how long he struggled through the dripping, tangled woods, but he was exhausted and chilled clear to the bone. However, he didn't dare stop. He was afraid if he did, he might not have the strength to get started again, so on he went.
Finally, when he felt he couldn't go another step, a voice called out to him from the darkness. "Halt, Man! Stay right where you are and don't move!" Breathing heavily, Hertig lurched to a halt and stood swaying in the rain. He watched apprehensively as several small figures armed with bows came cautiously out of the brush, their arrows aimed directly at his chest.
"Who are you?" demanded the leader, a stocky fellow with piercing eyes. He was eyeing Hertig suspiciously, but something about this man seemed different to him. Thus, he had not ordered his men to fire.
"My name is Hertig of Rohan," panted the exhausted Rider. "I came to the Shire in the spring with my friend, Samwise Gamgee, but we were captured and I was imprisoned. I was being taken to Hobbiton supposedly to be executed, but escaped. Mayor Whitfoot told me I need to get to Bree to warn Frodo Baggins and his companions about the state of the Shire." Hertig knew this didn't make sense, but his mind seemed to barely work now. All he wanted to do was collapse and sleep.
The hobbits looked at each other in confusion. "You say you know Frodo Baggins?" demanded the leader, "Do you know his companions as well?"
Hertig nodded. "Aye, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. They are well known throughout Gondor and Rohan. They are heroes."
This caused much excitement among the hobbits, but Hertig was too weary to listen to what they were saying. Finally, the leader turned back to Hertig. "I don't know anything about Gondor or Rohan," he said, "But, I think the Thain might be interested in what you have to say. You better come with us." Again, Hertig nodded and without another word, allowed himself to led away further into the forest. He had found the Tooks.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sam and his band of rebels had successfully destroyed three key bridges, disrupting the efficient flow of stolen goods out of the Shire. They had been ecstatic when Sam and Tamblin returned from that first mission with news of their success.
"Ha!" cried Rory Brockenboring defiantly, "Let this be a lesson to old Pimple and his new lackey, Sharkey! We'll show them that hobbits aren't to be trifled with!" The others agreed enthusiastically. Sam, although pleased with their success, felt oddly removed from the celebration. It hurt him to destroy anything within the Shire and the bridges had been there for many, many years. It was almost as painful as seeing the destruction wrought by Sharkey's men upon the trees and natural beauty of the Shire. Sadly, he wondered if anything would ever be normal again.
Over the next couple of weeks, they managed to destroy two more bridges and then Sam decided it was time to lay low for awhile. "But Sam!" cried Folco in frustration, "We're doin' so well! Pretty soon, we could burn down every bridge in the Shire!"
Sam just shook his head. "We've been lucky so far, lads," he cautioned. "Lotho and Sharkey will see the way of it now. The bridges will be more heavily guarded. We had the advantage of surprise before and now that's gone. If we wait a bit and do nothing, the men will get careless again. Then, it will be time to strike."
The other hobbits didn't completely agree with this, but were willing to defer to Sam. He hadn't led them astray thus far. So, the small group hid fairly comfortably in the cave. Rory occasionally made trips into the village of Dwaling
for supplies. He was known there and the village was remote enough that few men bothered it so Rory didn't worry much. It was on such a foray that he came across the most terrible news.
Sam had been dozing in the cave one bitter evening. Tamblin, Folco, and Tigo Hornblower were sitting around the fire discussing food. There wasn't nearly enough of it in these hills, and the hobbits frequently entertained themselves remembering some of their favorite meals. They had just finished comparing favorite desserts when Rory came in. The three looked up to call to him, but stopped at the anguished expression on his face. Rory glanced apprehensively at Sam who appeared to be fast asleep. Putting his finger to his lips to silence the others, he hurried over to them, pulling out a piece of parchment as he did.
"What's that you've got there, Rory?" whispered Folco trying to read the parchment.
"It's a flyer from Dwaling," replied Rory grimly. "They've got 'em up everywhere! And there's men making announcements in every village in the Shire. It's bad news, lads, very bad." He slowly unrolled the parchment so the others could see. "It says here that if Sam doesn't give 'imself up by October 29, the Chief decrees that the following people will be executed, one every other day!" Horrified, the hobbits stared at each other.
"Who's on the list?" asked Tamblin hoarsely. He couldn't imagine even Lotho being that evil.
Rory took a deep breath. "Says here, 'Rosie Cotton, Hertig of Rohan, Tom and Mrs. Cotton as well as Tom, Jr., Jolly, and Nibs Cotton.'" He continued to stare at it as if doing so might make the words disappear.
"Sam is mighty sweet on Rosie," said Folco worriedly. "And you know how close he is with th' rest o' the Cottons. I imagine his Gaffer'd be on that list if he hadn't gone into hidin' after Fig was killed."
"Aye," agreed Tigo, "And he's told us a lot about that Hertig fellow from Rohan. I know it'd be mighty painful to Sam if he was killed!"
"So, what do we do?" asked Tamblin in a trembling voice. "Do we give this to Sam?"
That was the question. They all knew that if Sam saw this, he would give himself up straight away and there was no question in any of their minds that that would spell certain death for their friend.
"I dunno," replied Rory miserably. "But, if we don't tell 'im and he finds out we knew, no tellin' what he might do."
"Tell me what?" asked a sleepy voice in the darkness. Startled, the hobbits jumped and glanced guiltily at one another. Sam strolled slowly over to the fire where the others sat watching him anxiously. Sam looked from one distraught face to the next and frowned. "What's wrong?" he demanded.
Rory glanced down at the parchment in his hands, then reluctantly handed it to Sam. He could barely bear to let it go. "This is hangin' in all the villages, Sam," he said unhappily.
Sam said nothing as he read the flyer but his face grew paler and paler. He slowly sat down as if in a trance. He couldn't seem to be able to tear his eyes from the chilling announcement. Then, with no warning, he cried, "Noooo!" with such anguish and horror the others leapt to their feet in alarm. "Nooo!" cried Sam again burying his face in the hands, "No! No! NO!!!"
"Sam!" began Rory tentatively, unsure of what to say. "it...it will be alright! We'll think of something!" The others nodded encouragingly.
Sam raised his tear-streaked face and stared at them with hopeless eyes. "Don't you understand?" he cried shaking the paper at them. "It's already too late! Didn't you see the date? Didn't you notice? The first execution was set for October 29! That was yesterday! It's already begun!" With a sob, he buried his face again, his entire body shaking with grief. Tamblin reached down and picked up the tear-stained parchment and looked at the list of hostages. He closed his eyes briefly as if unable to bear what he saw, then turned his gaze on Sam's distraught form. Rosie Cotton's name was first on the list.