Chapter 10
Finding the Tweskbury's
A single ray of sunlight beamed from the small rounded window down upon the floor on the opposite side of the aged old desk. In the center of the light was a small pile of red juicy strawberries that little Faramir used to bait a rabbit that he assumed lived within the tunnels underneath Brandy Hall. The hobbit size hole that was made at the base of the wall and hidden behind a large trunk would be a perfect spot for a rabbit to have made it. At least this is what he thought and what his auntie Estella had told him when the mean hobbit made them crawl into it. She loved telling him stories and setting his imagination soaring. It has always made him feel better when he was upset or frightened.
He rested his chin upon his small hands while lying on his stomach. With the minutes that ticked by he began to watch the thick dust particles floating in the sun's ray that shone from the window. After the floor had shaken, he noticed that the dust became thicker and seemed to becoming out from the hole in the wall.
A tickle in the small hobbit's nose threatened to make him sneeze. He wrinkled his nose and sniffed trying to keep the sneeze away, but it increased his sensations more. His eyes watered while his breath came in diminutive gasping of air and he knew if he allowed this sneeze to happen it would frighten off the rabbit. Little Farmer grabbed his nose in between his finger and thumb and closed off his nostril to trap the explosion of it. Holding his nose he could feel the sneeze dissipating. With a sigh of relief, his eyes darted back to the strawberries and then to the dark shadow that moved at the entrance of the hole.
When the sunlight hit the top of the shadowy figure's head, a familiar yellow streak of his bangs mixed with the brown curls of his hair. Faramir's eyes widened in fear and his heart raced rapidly in his chest. Seeing this fearful hobbit again, he recoiled farther back into the dark shadow from underneath the desk in which he hid.
Watching the intruder's feet from the safety of his hiding spot, he saw that the hobbit meandered over to the door and peered out into the hallway. Seeing that no one was about, he returned back into the room and walked over to the chest that was pulled away from the wall.
Faramir could hear the creaking of the old hinges of the chest being opened and Fardom rummaging through it. Piles of parchments were set upon the floor next to the old chest with a couple of old books on top of them. Daring to take a peek from under the desk, Faramir saw that Fardom had found a hat and topcoat that the stable lads used when they were working in the barn.
Fardom brushed back his hair from off his brow and tucked his hair into the hat, pulling it down upon his head. He stood and shook out the topcoat and ran his hands down to straighten the wrinkles. Rushing he placed his arms into the sleeves and over his own weskit. He marveled at the bigger cut of cloth that easily fit over what he had on. The hobbit that had once owned this coat must have been a stocky sort of a fellow. Smiling to himself, Fardom quickly buttoned this coat and headed out the door of the room.
Faramir quickly slide himself out from under the desk and rushed to the rabbit hole to peer inside. From the blackness of the tunnel, he could not see anything else inside. His hope that his auntie Estella would be the next one popping out for this hole was soon dashed and he wondered what type of game that they were playing now. Since Fardom was dressing up as a servant, then it must mean that his auntie Estella was in costume also. Thinking if he could spot her, then he would be the winner of this new game. Faramir dashed into the hallway and down the long length of corridor heading towards the servant's common room to find her.
XXX
Dougal stepped back in between his two older sons and glared at the hobbits that surrounded them. Sheffield stood frozen in place unable to move. The drumming of his own heartbeat echoed in his mind as fear entirely seized him. Slowly the oil that his father had flung upon is shirt had saturated it and began to sting his skin. The sweet sickly odor made him nauseous, both from the smell and his raw nerves. Feeling the burning sensation from the oil, it brought him to focus upon what had just happened.
Before he had a chance to speak, Saradoc grabbed his wrist and pulled him next to him. Holding his sword in his hand that seemed to glisten even in the darkness of the stable. The new elvish blade was polished to its uttermost sheen. Clutching the hilt of the sword firmly in his hand he made a step closer to them. Paladin came around from the back door with an arrow strung into his bow and he pulled it back aiming it at Dougal and his sons.
Dougal's eyes watched it carefully and then glanced up to see the fiery look of its master.
"Burn my stables, will you! Trying to set this lad on fire, is your deed!" shouted Saradoc, pausing a moment before he continued. "You've captured and taken my wife and daughter-in-law and after I have found them, it will be the last dastardly thing you will ever do!"
"I know nothing o' yer wife being taken or yer daughter-in-law!" stated Dougal honestly, "As fer yer barn, I was only a funning with me lads. Ya not be thinkin' I'd torch me own boy, have ya!"
"I know what my own eyes and ears have heard!" said Saradoc. "As Master of Buckland, you and your son's will be tried and sentenced!"
Paladin edged his way closer to his dearest friend all the while holding his arrow guarding them.
Dougal looked down upon the ground trying to think how to get out of this situation. Seeing the barrel of oil next to his foot and his son's still holding the burning torches in their hands, he suddenly kicked the barrel over. The oil splashed out upon the floor of the stable and the scattered straw that lay about their feet. In one quick motion, he grabbed the torch out of Digger's hand and cast it down upon the oil. Flames shot up instantly and so did Paladin's arrow. It struck Dougal into his chest and the elderly hobbit clutched at it and slowly sunk to his knees.
Digger and Till not waiting nor caring about what had just happened to their father, dashed out of the stable at the exact same time. Running for their lives as fast as their legs could carry them.
With the flames shooting higher in the stable, the hobbits ran out chasing them. All but Sheffield, he ran over to his dying father's side and dragged him out of the burning stable. Gently resting him upon the ground just outside of the stable, Sheffield looked down upon his father's face and saw his eyes staring up at him. Struggling to speak, but unable, he died in his youngest son's arms.
A loud neighing scream came from inside the stable and Sheffield's eyes darted toward the sound. Seeing the flames that was now shooting high and began burning the roof of the stable. Dashing to his feet and unthinkingly ran inside the stable forgetting that his own shirt was soaked in oil. His only thought was to save the small foal in fear of her life.
Cocking another arrow in his bow, Paladin poised himself just outside of the stable and drawing it back, he fired it again. The arrow sailed into the air and hit its target into the back of one of the fleeing lads. Seeing his brother suddenly fall, Digger stopped in his tracks while Saradoc raced up beside him. Holding his hands above his head to show the old Master that he had given up. Saradoc held his sword out to the lad, while Paladin raced over to the fallen lad.
The reluctant servants threw down their weapons and abandoning their masters. They raced for buckets of water to begin putting out the fire in the stable. The servants stood in a line while buckets began to be filled at the water trough and passed down to one hobbit after another. The last hobbit tossed the full pail of water onto the flames and dropped the empty bucket to grab the next one handed to him. The empty bucket was picked up and passed back to another line of hobbits to be refilled.
Still the flames shot even higher almost covering the entire entrance of the stable. The servants saw Sheffield entering the building, but as the minutes ticked by, he did not come out. Fear for the young lad mounted in their hearts, but still they kept the buckets coming, doing their best to keep the flames away from the door.
Within a second, the young foal burst out from the doorway when the flames suddenly parted from the constant water being tossed upon it. Sheffield was holding on for dear life to the mane of the young foal and tucking his legs up underneath of him. When the pony raced out into the crowd of hobbits, Sheffield let go of it and fell to the ground. His shirt was missing and when one of the servant lads turned him over, he could see the blisters of burns upon his chest.
Saradoc turned his eyes upon Paladin when he announced that the lad he shot was died. Suddenly Digger leaped upon Saradoc and pulled his knife from his belt. Holding it up against his throat, he told him to drop his sword.
Paladin grabbed his bow and reached for his arrow.
"Drop it or yer Master will die!" Digger yelled at him.
"Don't do it, Paladin!" shouted Saradoc as he dropped his own sword to the ground.
He froze in place staring at his dearest friend and not knowing what to do next. Staring at the knife at his throat and seeing trickles of blood beginning to drop. He had no choice but to drop his bow and arrow.
"Let him go, lad!" ordered Paladin. "I am the Thain and I order you to release him!"
"You'll not be ordering a' thing!" stated Digger as beads of sweat poured down from his brow.
Paladin could see the fear in the lad's eyes and knew if he pushed him, that he would instantly kill Saradoc.
"Okay, you got me, lad! I'll do anything you say, just do not hurt him!" begged Paladin.
"Ya get me a pony and do it quick, see!" said Digger pushing firmer upon the Master of Buckland's throat.
"All right, I'll order a pony brought to you immediately!" said Paladin and turned to a servant who stood back away from them and watching in fear the scene in front of him.
The servant stared at Paladin almost too fearful to tell him that there were no ponies in any of the stables. His voice cracked trying to get the words out.
Paladin turned sharply back to Digger and the knife and waited for what he would do next.
A thundering roar of pony hooves echoed from over the hill just behind them. Digger turned Saradoc around with him and stared as a large group of ponies and riders crested the hill. Seeing that there was no escaping, Digger raised his knife and plunged it into Saradoc's chest and dropped him to the ground. Trying to make a run for it, Digger raced off away from the approaching riders. Paladin grabbed his bow and loaded his arrow rapidly and fired it. The arrow sailed through the air and into Digger's back killing him instantly.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A/N: Thank you again for your interest in this story and for all your reviews. I love reading them! You all are so awesome!
ShireElf: Thank you for your email review and your help in revising that last chapter to make it a little more clearer in what was happening. Sometime, I am not as clear as I would like to be. Anyway, It is wonderful to have your input! You rock! We now know Merry has made it home, but what he returns to will be something beyond what he could ever imagine. In one quick day, everything seems to have been taken away from him, or has it? What of Faradom? Will he ever get away from Buckland or will his fate be sealed? Hopefully in the next few chapters I can surprise you by its ending!
Lowri Brandybuck: Hopefully you will like the next chapters coming up also as I am finally getting to the part where I wanted my character to be in this story. I too hate it when FF is down, but this is still an awesome website to share stories and write reviews! Did I tell you I love reviews! Yes, preciousesssssssss, Loveofthering wants more and more reviews!
BedTimeMonster : Hopefully I answered your questions in this chapter, but the suspense will not end here, Fardom is still walking around Brandy Hall and he is the only one who knows where Estella, Esmeralda and the rest of those hobbits are. That's if they had lived through the cave in. I have rewritten chapter 9, but not changing the plot of what is happening in that section, but further clarifying events that occurred. Thank you again for your reviews, It makes me want to keep writing knowing that you are enjoying reading it!
Finding the Tweskbury's
A single ray of sunlight beamed from the small rounded window down upon the floor on the opposite side of the aged old desk. In the center of the light was a small pile of red juicy strawberries that little Faramir used to bait a rabbit that he assumed lived within the tunnels underneath Brandy Hall. The hobbit size hole that was made at the base of the wall and hidden behind a large trunk would be a perfect spot for a rabbit to have made it. At least this is what he thought and what his auntie Estella had told him when the mean hobbit made them crawl into it. She loved telling him stories and setting his imagination soaring. It has always made him feel better when he was upset or frightened.
He rested his chin upon his small hands while lying on his stomach. With the minutes that ticked by he began to watch the thick dust particles floating in the sun's ray that shone from the window. After the floor had shaken, he noticed that the dust became thicker and seemed to becoming out from the hole in the wall.
A tickle in the small hobbit's nose threatened to make him sneeze. He wrinkled his nose and sniffed trying to keep the sneeze away, but it increased his sensations more. His eyes watered while his breath came in diminutive gasping of air and he knew if he allowed this sneeze to happen it would frighten off the rabbit. Little Farmer grabbed his nose in between his finger and thumb and closed off his nostril to trap the explosion of it. Holding his nose he could feel the sneeze dissipating. With a sigh of relief, his eyes darted back to the strawberries and then to the dark shadow that moved at the entrance of the hole.
When the sunlight hit the top of the shadowy figure's head, a familiar yellow streak of his bangs mixed with the brown curls of his hair. Faramir's eyes widened in fear and his heart raced rapidly in his chest. Seeing this fearful hobbit again, he recoiled farther back into the dark shadow from underneath the desk in which he hid.
Watching the intruder's feet from the safety of his hiding spot, he saw that the hobbit meandered over to the door and peered out into the hallway. Seeing that no one was about, he returned back into the room and walked over to the chest that was pulled away from the wall.
Faramir could hear the creaking of the old hinges of the chest being opened and Fardom rummaging through it. Piles of parchments were set upon the floor next to the old chest with a couple of old books on top of them. Daring to take a peek from under the desk, Faramir saw that Fardom had found a hat and topcoat that the stable lads used when they were working in the barn.
Fardom brushed back his hair from off his brow and tucked his hair into the hat, pulling it down upon his head. He stood and shook out the topcoat and ran his hands down to straighten the wrinkles. Rushing he placed his arms into the sleeves and over his own weskit. He marveled at the bigger cut of cloth that easily fit over what he had on. The hobbit that had once owned this coat must have been a stocky sort of a fellow. Smiling to himself, Fardom quickly buttoned this coat and headed out the door of the room.
Faramir quickly slide himself out from under the desk and rushed to the rabbit hole to peer inside. From the blackness of the tunnel, he could not see anything else inside. His hope that his auntie Estella would be the next one popping out for this hole was soon dashed and he wondered what type of game that they were playing now. Since Fardom was dressing up as a servant, then it must mean that his auntie Estella was in costume also. Thinking if he could spot her, then he would be the winner of this new game. Faramir dashed into the hallway and down the long length of corridor heading towards the servant's common room to find her.
XXX
Dougal stepped back in between his two older sons and glared at the hobbits that surrounded them. Sheffield stood frozen in place unable to move. The drumming of his own heartbeat echoed in his mind as fear entirely seized him. Slowly the oil that his father had flung upon is shirt had saturated it and began to sting his skin. The sweet sickly odor made him nauseous, both from the smell and his raw nerves. Feeling the burning sensation from the oil, it brought him to focus upon what had just happened.
Before he had a chance to speak, Saradoc grabbed his wrist and pulled him next to him. Holding his sword in his hand that seemed to glisten even in the darkness of the stable. The new elvish blade was polished to its uttermost sheen. Clutching the hilt of the sword firmly in his hand he made a step closer to them. Paladin came around from the back door with an arrow strung into his bow and he pulled it back aiming it at Dougal and his sons.
Dougal's eyes watched it carefully and then glanced up to see the fiery look of its master.
"Burn my stables, will you! Trying to set this lad on fire, is your deed!" shouted Saradoc, pausing a moment before he continued. "You've captured and taken my wife and daughter-in-law and after I have found them, it will be the last dastardly thing you will ever do!"
"I know nothing o' yer wife being taken or yer daughter-in-law!" stated Dougal honestly, "As fer yer barn, I was only a funning with me lads. Ya not be thinkin' I'd torch me own boy, have ya!"
"I know what my own eyes and ears have heard!" said Saradoc. "As Master of Buckland, you and your son's will be tried and sentenced!"
Paladin edged his way closer to his dearest friend all the while holding his arrow guarding them.
Dougal looked down upon the ground trying to think how to get out of this situation. Seeing the barrel of oil next to his foot and his son's still holding the burning torches in their hands, he suddenly kicked the barrel over. The oil splashed out upon the floor of the stable and the scattered straw that lay about their feet. In one quick motion, he grabbed the torch out of Digger's hand and cast it down upon the oil. Flames shot up instantly and so did Paladin's arrow. It struck Dougal into his chest and the elderly hobbit clutched at it and slowly sunk to his knees.
Digger and Till not waiting nor caring about what had just happened to their father, dashed out of the stable at the exact same time. Running for their lives as fast as their legs could carry them.
With the flames shooting higher in the stable, the hobbits ran out chasing them. All but Sheffield, he ran over to his dying father's side and dragged him out of the burning stable. Gently resting him upon the ground just outside of the stable, Sheffield looked down upon his father's face and saw his eyes staring up at him. Struggling to speak, but unable, he died in his youngest son's arms.
A loud neighing scream came from inside the stable and Sheffield's eyes darted toward the sound. Seeing the flames that was now shooting high and began burning the roof of the stable. Dashing to his feet and unthinkingly ran inside the stable forgetting that his own shirt was soaked in oil. His only thought was to save the small foal in fear of her life.
Cocking another arrow in his bow, Paladin poised himself just outside of the stable and drawing it back, he fired it again. The arrow sailed into the air and hit its target into the back of one of the fleeing lads. Seeing his brother suddenly fall, Digger stopped in his tracks while Saradoc raced up beside him. Holding his hands above his head to show the old Master that he had given up. Saradoc held his sword out to the lad, while Paladin raced over to the fallen lad.
The reluctant servants threw down their weapons and abandoning their masters. They raced for buckets of water to begin putting out the fire in the stable. The servants stood in a line while buckets began to be filled at the water trough and passed down to one hobbit after another. The last hobbit tossed the full pail of water onto the flames and dropped the empty bucket to grab the next one handed to him. The empty bucket was picked up and passed back to another line of hobbits to be refilled.
Still the flames shot even higher almost covering the entire entrance of the stable. The servants saw Sheffield entering the building, but as the minutes ticked by, he did not come out. Fear for the young lad mounted in their hearts, but still they kept the buckets coming, doing their best to keep the flames away from the door.
Within a second, the young foal burst out from the doorway when the flames suddenly parted from the constant water being tossed upon it. Sheffield was holding on for dear life to the mane of the young foal and tucking his legs up underneath of him. When the pony raced out into the crowd of hobbits, Sheffield let go of it and fell to the ground. His shirt was missing and when one of the servant lads turned him over, he could see the blisters of burns upon his chest.
Saradoc turned his eyes upon Paladin when he announced that the lad he shot was died. Suddenly Digger leaped upon Saradoc and pulled his knife from his belt. Holding it up against his throat, he told him to drop his sword.
Paladin grabbed his bow and reached for his arrow.
"Drop it or yer Master will die!" Digger yelled at him.
"Don't do it, Paladin!" shouted Saradoc as he dropped his own sword to the ground.
He froze in place staring at his dearest friend and not knowing what to do next. Staring at the knife at his throat and seeing trickles of blood beginning to drop. He had no choice but to drop his bow and arrow.
"Let him go, lad!" ordered Paladin. "I am the Thain and I order you to release him!"
"You'll not be ordering a' thing!" stated Digger as beads of sweat poured down from his brow.
Paladin could see the fear in the lad's eyes and knew if he pushed him, that he would instantly kill Saradoc.
"Okay, you got me, lad! I'll do anything you say, just do not hurt him!" begged Paladin.
"Ya get me a pony and do it quick, see!" said Digger pushing firmer upon the Master of Buckland's throat.
"All right, I'll order a pony brought to you immediately!" said Paladin and turned to a servant who stood back away from them and watching in fear the scene in front of him.
The servant stared at Paladin almost too fearful to tell him that there were no ponies in any of the stables. His voice cracked trying to get the words out.
Paladin turned sharply back to Digger and the knife and waited for what he would do next.
A thundering roar of pony hooves echoed from over the hill just behind them. Digger turned Saradoc around with him and stared as a large group of ponies and riders crested the hill. Seeing that there was no escaping, Digger raised his knife and plunged it into Saradoc's chest and dropped him to the ground. Trying to make a run for it, Digger raced off away from the approaching riders. Paladin grabbed his bow and loaded his arrow rapidly and fired it. The arrow sailed through the air and into Digger's back killing him instantly.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A/N: Thank you again for your interest in this story and for all your reviews. I love reading them! You all are so awesome!
ShireElf: Thank you for your email review and your help in revising that last chapter to make it a little more clearer in what was happening. Sometime, I am not as clear as I would like to be. Anyway, It is wonderful to have your input! You rock! We now know Merry has made it home, but what he returns to will be something beyond what he could ever imagine. In one quick day, everything seems to have been taken away from him, or has it? What of Faradom? Will he ever get away from Buckland or will his fate be sealed? Hopefully in the next few chapters I can surprise you by its ending!
Lowri Brandybuck: Hopefully you will like the next chapters coming up also as I am finally getting to the part where I wanted my character to be in this story. I too hate it when FF is down, but this is still an awesome website to share stories and write reviews! Did I tell you I love reviews! Yes, preciousesssssssss, Loveofthering wants more and more reviews!
BedTimeMonster : Hopefully I answered your questions in this chapter, but the suspense will not end here, Fardom is still walking around Brandy Hall and he is the only one who knows where Estella, Esmeralda and the rest of those hobbits are. That's if they had lived through the cave in. I have rewritten chapter 9, but not changing the plot of what is happening in that section, but further clarifying events that occurred. Thank you again for your reviews, It makes me want to keep writing knowing that you are enjoying reading it!