Chapter 8
The Tunnel Gate of Buckleberry
Scurrying feet and swift flowing robes flapped and fluttered behind the group of hobbits that dashed down the length of the corridor heading towards the kitchen. Their hearts and spirits full of anticipation at the first real clue of who was behind this madness that had seized Brandy Hall and brought such chaos to its rafters.
He pushed at the kitchen door that yielded to his impatience and his group of armed servants. It seemed to Saradoc, in all of his eagerness to find the answers to his perplexing questions, it would be he who would interrogate the lad. But for the gentle scene that was before him, touched his heart and eased his eagerness.
There sat nestled upon his mother's protective lap was the small child slurping down strawberries and cream. His chipmunk cheeks were full of the delicious sweet berries and the white cream dripping from his tender lips.
The lightheartedness that enveloped these gentle hobbits as grandmother and mother shared their joy and laughter that stemmed from this one small lad.
Saradoc, realizing it would take a gentle voice, calm spirit and all of his patience to find the answers to his immediate questions that strangled the very beat of his own heart. If he was to know what had befallen his beloved wife and daughter-in-law, it was going to take all of this. Turning to his armed servants, he ordered them out of the kitchen.
Faramir's eyes widen at the confusion all around him and the excitement in everyone's demeanor. Looking at his mother anxiously he asked her, "Am I in trouble?"
Diamond stroked her son's soft curls and gently hugged him closer to her. "No my dearest, everyone is just so happy to see you!"
Paladin loosened the straps about his quiver and placed his bow upon the countertop. Pulling the quiver and arrows from his shoulder, he added that to the pile that he created. A genuine smile crossed his lips as he slowly approached the table and sat down next to his daughter-in-law and grandson, while Saradoc joined them sitting across the table. He too pasted a smile upon his lips and observed the small child in his mother's lap slurping down the remaining portion of cream in his bowl.
"Hatty bring everyone a bowl of strawberries and cream and another large helping for our dear Faramir!" ordered Paladin calmly.
Raising his hands above his head and standing upon his mother's lap, little Faramir jumped and clapped them. "It's a party, were having a party! Yippy!"
"Manners, young Faramir!" commented his grandfather firmly, but gently just as he has always done whenever they sat at the family table.
Hatty looked at her basket of strawberries that had many of them missing from the last time she had filled a special bowl for the young, little master. She noticed two small feet sticking out from under her cupboard curtain. With a giggle, Hatty knew who these mischievous small feet belonged to. "Lowri Brandybuck, whatever are you doing?"
The lass's eyes bolted up to Hatty's firm glare and shoved the handful of strawberry into her cheek while the red juices dripped from her lips. Mumbling and pointing the lass tried to explain.
"Never mind now, Lass!" said Hatty and helped her to stand. "I need fer ya to go to the garden and fill this basket full. You do this quickly fer old Hatty and I'll make ya a strawberry tart just fer yourself!"
Lowri Brandybuck grabbed the basket and races out of the kitchen to do old Hatty's bidding.
Hatty washed and picked the stems from the strawberries and stirred the thick cool cream. Pouring a generous helping into each bowl, Lowri and Hatty served their Master and the Tooks.
Paladin slurped his cream from his bowl and bit into a ripe strawberry, just like little Faramir had done. Calmly he began to speak of Merry's wedding and how lovely Estella looked to his daughter-in-law, Daimond. "There was not a dry eye in the Grand Hall once they kissed as husband and wife. The only thing I regret is that I did not get to kiss the bride. I wish I knew where she was so I could give her my best wishes," said Paladin and looked at his grandson suspiciously.
"I know, I know where Auntie Estella is! I can tell you, really I can!" said Faramir. "She's playing a game in the stables with that mean, ugly hobbit! But I won the game and helped Estella to win also!"
Saradoc studied little Faramir's face and it took his restraint not to ask him any questions and allow his grandfather to continue.
"A mean and ugly hobbit, you say!" commented Paladin. "Who ever could this possibly be?"
"I don't know, but he is very scary and he yells at everyone. He has a yellow patch of hair that hangs over his eyes, like this!" said Faramir with excitement and pointed to the spot of hair on his own head that he was describing to them. Dunking his strawberry into the cream a few more times, he continued. "He plays mean games and tied auntie Estella's hands and a scarf around her mouth. She looked like this when we first saw her." Faramir stood and showed them how Estella looked when Esmeralda brought him into her room. "But auntie Esmeralda made them take it off!"
"Were there just those two playing or were there others play this game also?" he asked.
Thinking really hard, Faramir added. "Auntie Esmeralda was with me and Estella. There were two other lasses that put me into a rabbit hole and I followed their lantern until I climbed out on the other side. But there were not any rabbits in the tunnels, it was dark and scary!" Faramir shook to show them how scared he was.
Saradoc pushed his bowl of strawberries and cream to the side and stood up, "They have taken the hidden tunnels to the stables!"
Turning, he had heard enough and he dashed out to the stables to find them.
Diamond settled her son back into her lap and hugged him. "Did I help, Mama, did I help Estella to win?"
Hugging him tightly and kissing the top of his head, she said, "Yes, Faramir, you helped your Auntie Estella and helped her to win!"
XXX
Old distant memories floated in his mind while he sat upon his pony and stared at the old abandon cottage in front of him that slow decay had consumed it. So much of his life was remembered in those old walls, some so very pleasing and pleasant, while others were extraordinary events. He remembered the days that five conspirators planned a great escape through the High Hay gates and into the old forest. A journey that would take a year of his life to complete before he would return back to the land that he loved.
Sherimac's ears perked straight up and her attention focused in the distant old stable in the back of the cottage. She opened her nostrils to take in a deep breath and Merry could feel her lungs expanding from it. He looked in the direction in which his pony so focused upon and then back down upon him. "Come Sherimac, what could possibly interest you in those old broke down stables," he commented and pulled the reins to turn him.
Sherimac raised his head higher and began to prance upon the ground fighting the reins that would lead him. The unpredictable pony was yet so headstrong and at times hard for Merry to train him. He missed Snowclad and the ease in which they traveled with each other, it was as if they knew each other's heart and mind. He trusted Snowclad and her alert senses that had warned him of impending danger. Her well manners and tricks that he had taught her had only endeared him more to her. Cursing the thought of anyone taken her away from him angered him beyond all measure and his thought of finding her propelled him onward.
Shortening the reins to regain control of Sherimac, he tried again to turn him. But Still Sherimac fought the reins and bit and tried to run towards the old stables. Merry pulled back on the reins to stop him and gentled him with his kind words and soft strokes to his long mane. Again he looked at the stable and remembered Snowclad and her stubbornness when she was trying to warn him. "Okay, Sherimac, I trust you, I'll go check out the stable just for you. Will that make you happy?"
Merry was about to climb down from his pony, when he heard fast approaching drumming of hooves behind him heading his way. Sitting himself upon his pony again he turned and waited for them to approach.
"Master Merry! Master Merry!" shouted the two riders together as they pulled the reins upon their ponies to stop them. "Ya must come back to Brandy Hall. Yer father has sent us looking fer ya. Someone has taken yer mother, yer wife and little Faramir. Master Saradoc and Master Paladin are searchin' every corner o' Brandy Hall. Ya must come quickly!"
Merry's eyes widened in shock and confusion as he heart almost stopped beating. First it was Snowclad and now those that he loved the most in his life. Anger and urgency surged through him as he grasped the reins and turned the hesitate pony around. Sensing this urgency in his master, Sherimac obediently complied with his Master's wishes. Letting out a loud neighing sound, Sherimac looked back while Merry led him away from the old stable. The sound of the thudding hooves hitting the ground drowned out the weak neighing reply that came from that stable.
Turning to the messengers, Merry asked them. "Pippin has his group searching close by the Brandywine River, go to him and tell him what has happened. Then you can find Berilac on the old South Road. Tell him to continue his search in finding Snowclad."
Kicking Sherimac soundly he leaped into a full run while the Bucklanders riding with Merry did the same.
XXX
Holding the lantern high above his head and with a quickening pace of his feet, he led the group down the blackened tunnels. It seemed to them that they were maze-like with the many twists and turns that lead them to towards Buckleberry. Fearful of taking the wrong turn, Fardom consulted his map whenever there were adjoining tunnels.
Not caring if the others had kept up with him or not, he continued his fast pace. The hobbits behind him struggled and pleaded for him to slow his steps while the only light from his lantern gave them a faded view upon the ground that they tread upon. Myrtle pushed the captors from behind and had the last lantern. With fear and urgency that over took her from the thought of being left behind into this darkened underground world, she kept to the swift pace. Tom held on to Esmeralda who was weakened and breathless with almost running the entire time. Estella made sure to keep behind them incase the elderly hobbit could not go on any further. Tulsi was just ahead of them and helped guide them through the maze of tunnels. Whenever Fardom would turn a corner taking the light away from them for a moment, she would shout out to them and help them find the right tunnel.
Almost running, Fardom quickly dashed around another corner and not even Tulsi could tell which path the hobbit took. Frantically she froze in her tracks to wait for her mistress with the last lantern to lead them to find Fardom.
"That snake, leaving us behind in these horrible old tunnels. He'll pay for this and I will remember this when he comes to me for his treasure that I've promised him!" said Myrtle.
She held her lantern up higher and walked a few paces ahead trying to find his path that he took. Seeing the corner in which Fardom had turned, Myrtle took over the lead in following him.
A loud rattle of iron bars broke the silence into the blackness of those tunnels, followed by a continuous slur of curse words. Hearing this, Myrtle now knew where her henchman was located. Turning the farthest corner of the tunnel, she followed the sound of his angry voice and another bout of rattling metal.
He held his lantern high when he heard the small group that had finally caught up to him. With a few great strides of his feet, he stood in front of Tulsi and grabbed her shoulders shaking her. "Ya stupid good fer nothing, Lass!" he shouted. "Ya should've grabbed all da keys in 'at ole' desk like I told ya! That key ya gave me won't fit into 'is gate! We're now trapped as spiders in a web!" Slapping her across the face, Tulsi cried out in pain. Her sobbing echoed into the old dark tunnel.
Turning and pacing before the iron bars, Fardom tried his best to think of another plan of escape. Looking at the captive and sizing up his situation, he realized these high folks were not worth being arrested and taken off to the lock-holds to live out the rest of his miserable life.
During his riffling of the Master of Buckland's quarters in finding the map and key of these tunnels, Fardom also kept for himself a collection of treasured items that he could live out his life free of worry. Coming up with a new plan, he approached his employer.
"Give me yer lantern, Miss. I'm a going back ta see if'n they've broken into the tunnels an' perhaps they've all gone by now and a searchin' new parts above ground fer us. I'll need two lanterns ta see me way clear on da path, I'll travel faster because of it. You'll slow me down if'n ya follow me, see. I'll be back a'fore ya miss me!"
Myrtle handed her lantern to her henchman and watched as he took off running down the tunnel while the complete blackness over took them.
A/N: Thank you again for your reviews, I enjoyed reading them and letting me know you like this story. . . . . I have more coming up about Fardom's plan of escaping Brandy Hall and meeting up with his family who is waiting for him. With Merry on his way home, his escape might not be as easy has he had figured upon. Lots of twist and turns in the coming chapters, so I hope you come back to read again.
BedTimeMonster: Just as you asked for, another chapter, just for you!
Lowri Brandybuck: I hope you liked the little mention of character in my story! Everyone once in awhile I like to do this when I find an interesting name of a reviewer that could possibly fit somewhere in a chapter. Hopefully I keep these chapters interesting while I am coming up with ideas for each chapter. I never really plan a story when I am writing but constantly thinking of how this should unfold. Anyway thanks for your review!
ShireElf: You're awesome and I have told you that many times. Loveofthering gives you a hug back! From all the other stories I've written, you know how much I love to write about Merry and Estella. Can you tell they are my favorite! Hehehehe...
The Tunnel Gate of Buckleberry
Scurrying feet and swift flowing robes flapped and fluttered behind the group of hobbits that dashed down the length of the corridor heading towards the kitchen. Their hearts and spirits full of anticipation at the first real clue of who was behind this madness that had seized Brandy Hall and brought such chaos to its rafters.
He pushed at the kitchen door that yielded to his impatience and his group of armed servants. It seemed to Saradoc, in all of his eagerness to find the answers to his perplexing questions, it would be he who would interrogate the lad. But for the gentle scene that was before him, touched his heart and eased his eagerness.
There sat nestled upon his mother's protective lap was the small child slurping down strawberries and cream. His chipmunk cheeks were full of the delicious sweet berries and the white cream dripping from his tender lips.
The lightheartedness that enveloped these gentle hobbits as grandmother and mother shared their joy and laughter that stemmed from this one small lad.
Saradoc, realizing it would take a gentle voice, calm spirit and all of his patience to find the answers to his immediate questions that strangled the very beat of his own heart. If he was to know what had befallen his beloved wife and daughter-in-law, it was going to take all of this. Turning to his armed servants, he ordered them out of the kitchen.
Faramir's eyes widen at the confusion all around him and the excitement in everyone's demeanor. Looking at his mother anxiously he asked her, "Am I in trouble?"
Diamond stroked her son's soft curls and gently hugged him closer to her. "No my dearest, everyone is just so happy to see you!"
Paladin loosened the straps about his quiver and placed his bow upon the countertop. Pulling the quiver and arrows from his shoulder, he added that to the pile that he created. A genuine smile crossed his lips as he slowly approached the table and sat down next to his daughter-in-law and grandson, while Saradoc joined them sitting across the table. He too pasted a smile upon his lips and observed the small child in his mother's lap slurping down the remaining portion of cream in his bowl.
"Hatty bring everyone a bowl of strawberries and cream and another large helping for our dear Faramir!" ordered Paladin calmly.
Raising his hands above his head and standing upon his mother's lap, little Faramir jumped and clapped them. "It's a party, were having a party! Yippy!"
"Manners, young Faramir!" commented his grandfather firmly, but gently just as he has always done whenever they sat at the family table.
Hatty looked at her basket of strawberries that had many of them missing from the last time she had filled a special bowl for the young, little master. She noticed two small feet sticking out from under her cupboard curtain. With a giggle, Hatty knew who these mischievous small feet belonged to. "Lowri Brandybuck, whatever are you doing?"
The lass's eyes bolted up to Hatty's firm glare and shoved the handful of strawberry into her cheek while the red juices dripped from her lips. Mumbling and pointing the lass tried to explain.
"Never mind now, Lass!" said Hatty and helped her to stand. "I need fer ya to go to the garden and fill this basket full. You do this quickly fer old Hatty and I'll make ya a strawberry tart just fer yourself!"
Lowri Brandybuck grabbed the basket and races out of the kitchen to do old Hatty's bidding.
Hatty washed and picked the stems from the strawberries and stirred the thick cool cream. Pouring a generous helping into each bowl, Lowri and Hatty served their Master and the Tooks.
Paladin slurped his cream from his bowl and bit into a ripe strawberry, just like little Faramir had done. Calmly he began to speak of Merry's wedding and how lovely Estella looked to his daughter-in-law, Daimond. "There was not a dry eye in the Grand Hall once they kissed as husband and wife. The only thing I regret is that I did not get to kiss the bride. I wish I knew where she was so I could give her my best wishes," said Paladin and looked at his grandson suspiciously.
"I know, I know where Auntie Estella is! I can tell you, really I can!" said Faramir. "She's playing a game in the stables with that mean, ugly hobbit! But I won the game and helped Estella to win also!"
Saradoc studied little Faramir's face and it took his restraint not to ask him any questions and allow his grandfather to continue.
"A mean and ugly hobbit, you say!" commented Paladin. "Who ever could this possibly be?"
"I don't know, but he is very scary and he yells at everyone. He has a yellow patch of hair that hangs over his eyes, like this!" said Faramir with excitement and pointed to the spot of hair on his own head that he was describing to them. Dunking his strawberry into the cream a few more times, he continued. "He plays mean games and tied auntie Estella's hands and a scarf around her mouth. She looked like this when we first saw her." Faramir stood and showed them how Estella looked when Esmeralda brought him into her room. "But auntie Esmeralda made them take it off!"
"Were there just those two playing or were there others play this game also?" he asked.
Thinking really hard, Faramir added. "Auntie Esmeralda was with me and Estella. There were two other lasses that put me into a rabbit hole and I followed their lantern until I climbed out on the other side. But there were not any rabbits in the tunnels, it was dark and scary!" Faramir shook to show them how scared he was.
Saradoc pushed his bowl of strawberries and cream to the side and stood up, "They have taken the hidden tunnels to the stables!"
Turning, he had heard enough and he dashed out to the stables to find them.
Diamond settled her son back into her lap and hugged him. "Did I help, Mama, did I help Estella to win?"
Hugging him tightly and kissing the top of his head, she said, "Yes, Faramir, you helped your Auntie Estella and helped her to win!"
XXX
Old distant memories floated in his mind while he sat upon his pony and stared at the old abandon cottage in front of him that slow decay had consumed it. So much of his life was remembered in those old walls, some so very pleasing and pleasant, while others were extraordinary events. He remembered the days that five conspirators planned a great escape through the High Hay gates and into the old forest. A journey that would take a year of his life to complete before he would return back to the land that he loved.
Sherimac's ears perked straight up and her attention focused in the distant old stable in the back of the cottage. She opened her nostrils to take in a deep breath and Merry could feel her lungs expanding from it. He looked in the direction in which his pony so focused upon and then back down upon him. "Come Sherimac, what could possibly interest you in those old broke down stables," he commented and pulled the reins to turn him.
Sherimac raised his head higher and began to prance upon the ground fighting the reins that would lead him. The unpredictable pony was yet so headstrong and at times hard for Merry to train him. He missed Snowclad and the ease in which they traveled with each other, it was as if they knew each other's heart and mind. He trusted Snowclad and her alert senses that had warned him of impending danger. Her well manners and tricks that he had taught her had only endeared him more to her. Cursing the thought of anyone taken her away from him angered him beyond all measure and his thought of finding her propelled him onward.
Shortening the reins to regain control of Sherimac, he tried again to turn him. But Still Sherimac fought the reins and bit and tried to run towards the old stables. Merry pulled back on the reins to stop him and gentled him with his kind words and soft strokes to his long mane. Again he looked at the stable and remembered Snowclad and her stubbornness when she was trying to warn him. "Okay, Sherimac, I trust you, I'll go check out the stable just for you. Will that make you happy?"
Merry was about to climb down from his pony, when he heard fast approaching drumming of hooves behind him heading his way. Sitting himself upon his pony again he turned and waited for them to approach.
"Master Merry! Master Merry!" shouted the two riders together as they pulled the reins upon their ponies to stop them. "Ya must come back to Brandy Hall. Yer father has sent us looking fer ya. Someone has taken yer mother, yer wife and little Faramir. Master Saradoc and Master Paladin are searchin' every corner o' Brandy Hall. Ya must come quickly!"
Merry's eyes widened in shock and confusion as he heart almost stopped beating. First it was Snowclad and now those that he loved the most in his life. Anger and urgency surged through him as he grasped the reins and turned the hesitate pony around. Sensing this urgency in his master, Sherimac obediently complied with his Master's wishes. Letting out a loud neighing sound, Sherimac looked back while Merry led him away from the old stable. The sound of the thudding hooves hitting the ground drowned out the weak neighing reply that came from that stable.
Turning to the messengers, Merry asked them. "Pippin has his group searching close by the Brandywine River, go to him and tell him what has happened. Then you can find Berilac on the old South Road. Tell him to continue his search in finding Snowclad."
Kicking Sherimac soundly he leaped into a full run while the Bucklanders riding with Merry did the same.
XXX
Holding the lantern high above his head and with a quickening pace of his feet, he led the group down the blackened tunnels. It seemed to them that they were maze-like with the many twists and turns that lead them to towards Buckleberry. Fearful of taking the wrong turn, Fardom consulted his map whenever there were adjoining tunnels.
Not caring if the others had kept up with him or not, he continued his fast pace. The hobbits behind him struggled and pleaded for him to slow his steps while the only light from his lantern gave them a faded view upon the ground that they tread upon. Myrtle pushed the captors from behind and had the last lantern. With fear and urgency that over took her from the thought of being left behind into this darkened underground world, she kept to the swift pace. Tom held on to Esmeralda who was weakened and breathless with almost running the entire time. Estella made sure to keep behind them incase the elderly hobbit could not go on any further. Tulsi was just ahead of them and helped guide them through the maze of tunnels. Whenever Fardom would turn a corner taking the light away from them for a moment, she would shout out to them and help them find the right tunnel.
Almost running, Fardom quickly dashed around another corner and not even Tulsi could tell which path the hobbit took. Frantically she froze in her tracks to wait for her mistress with the last lantern to lead them to find Fardom.
"That snake, leaving us behind in these horrible old tunnels. He'll pay for this and I will remember this when he comes to me for his treasure that I've promised him!" said Myrtle.
She held her lantern up higher and walked a few paces ahead trying to find his path that he took. Seeing the corner in which Fardom had turned, Myrtle took over the lead in following him.
A loud rattle of iron bars broke the silence into the blackness of those tunnels, followed by a continuous slur of curse words. Hearing this, Myrtle now knew where her henchman was located. Turning the farthest corner of the tunnel, she followed the sound of his angry voice and another bout of rattling metal.
He held his lantern high when he heard the small group that had finally caught up to him. With a few great strides of his feet, he stood in front of Tulsi and grabbed her shoulders shaking her. "Ya stupid good fer nothing, Lass!" he shouted. "Ya should've grabbed all da keys in 'at ole' desk like I told ya! That key ya gave me won't fit into 'is gate! We're now trapped as spiders in a web!" Slapping her across the face, Tulsi cried out in pain. Her sobbing echoed into the old dark tunnel.
Turning and pacing before the iron bars, Fardom tried his best to think of another plan of escape. Looking at the captive and sizing up his situation, he realized these high folks were not worth being arrested and taken off to the lock-holds to live out the rest of his miserable life.
During his riffling of the Master of Buckland's quarters in finding the map and key of these tunnels, Fardom also kept for himself a collection of treasured items that he could live out his life free of worry. Coming up with a new plan, he approached his employer.
"Give me yer lantern, Miss. I'm a going back ta see if'n they've broken into the tunnels an' perhaps they've all gone by now and a searchin' new parts above ground fer us. I'll need two lanterns ta see me way clear on da path, I'll travel faster because of it. You'll slow me down if'n ya follow me, see. I'll be back a'fore ya miss me!"
Myrtle handed her lantern to her henchman and watched as he took off running down the tunnel while the complete blackness over took them.
A/N: Thank you again for your reviews, I enjoyed reading them and letting me know you like this story. . . . . I have more coming up about Fardom's plan of escaping Brandy Hall and meeting up with his family who is waiting for him. With Merry on his way home, his escape might not be as easy has he had figured upon. Lots of twist and turns in the coming chapters, so I hope you come back to read again.
BedTimeMonster: Just as you asked for, another chapter, just for you!
Lowri Brandybuck: I hope you liked the little mention of character in my story! Everyone once in awhile I like to do this when I find an interesting name of a reviewer that could possibly fit somewhere in a chapter. Hopefully I keep these chapters interesting while I am coming up with ideas for each chapter. I never really plan a story when I am writing but constantly thinking of how this should unfold. Anyway thanks for your review!
ShireElf: You're awesome and I have told you that many times. Loveofthering gives you a hug back! From all the other stories I've written, you know how much I love to write about Merry and Estella. Can you tell they are my favorite! Hehehehe...