Chapter 20

The Work of Wartrol

Many hammers sounded at once and at different intervals. The constant uneven pounding echoed into the long hot summer afternoon. Beads of sweat ran down their red faces of the hobbits who labored in rebuilding the new stable for the Brandybucks.

Hobbits took off their straw-hats that protected them from the rays of the scorching sun and dabbed the sheen of sweat from their brows. Wagons of lumber lined one area of the courtyard at the burn site of the old stable. While the hobbits walked back and forth carrying the boards to the builders. Ponies in halters tied with ropes raised the tresses for the roof while hobbits pounded them into place. Workers with saws cut the lumber to size while the foreman called out the measurements to the cutters.

One hobbit in particular worked off by himself near the old iron-gate to the entrance of the tunnel and the one area that was not entirely burnt down. The wooden frame of the corner that he worked was in the shadow and out of the direct sun. Upon his head, he also wore a straw-hat that was pulled down far upon his brow. His kerchief was soaked of perspiration, but remained tied about his neck rather than in his hand as the other hobbits used to dab themselves if need be.

Silently he worked by himself taking one newly cut board from the bed of his wagon and entered the tunnel. The hobbits could hear the pounding from his hammer for a short time and then reappear from the tunnels carrying a box covered with a piece of cloth back to his wagon where he would hide it under his woven tarp. The workers who labored within a few yards away from him constantly watched and wondered at his unusual technique. He banged the iron bars of the gate to the forbidden entrance to the tunnels under Brandy Hall and played with the key in the lock to appear that he was working diligently at his task. From time to time, he would enter the tunnel again with another board and then come out carrying a box covered with a cloth. He would take the covered box and again place it under the tarp only to take another board and return back into the tunnel. As the afternoon wore on the hobbits kept their watch on this unusual fellow.

Once the hobbit that they watched had a few boxes loading in his wagon, he would climb upon the drivers seat and snap the reins sending his ponies pulling the wagon down into the green, grassy-fields behind the stable and disappear into the small grove of trees on the other side of the field. He would return again a few minutes with the same bulge under the tarp of his wagon.

The hobbits that took notice of this became curios of why he would go back and forth from his wagon and carrying boxes to and from the tunnel. Thinking he was the iron smithy hired to work on the iron-gate, they still could not figure him out.

When the sun began to dip in the sky above them and a cooler breeze rolled in from the south, trailed by thick looming gray clouds that followed it. The hobbits began to put down their tools to wash for their evening meal. Seeing the hobbit with the straw hat still upon his head stopping his wagon after returning from the small grove of trees across the open, grassy-field. They gathered around him to greet him.

"Will ya be done a fixin' dah gate by day's end?" asked the elder hobbit who dabbed at his forehead with his handkerchief.

"Yep!" was all the hobbit said who sat upon the wagon seat and tied the reins to the iron bar next to him. Climbing off his wagon and taking out his hammer from his pocket, he stroked the iron metal with his fingers and tested the weight of it in his hands.

"Ya must be the master iron-smithy hired by Crickhallow way, be ya not?" the elder hobbit asked.

"That be me, all right! But excluding the Master part. I'm his apprentice, Wartrol Snardbottom at yer service!" lied the confident Wartol without a single blink to his eyes as he stared at them.

The younger hobbit who joined them could not contain his curiosity any longer and pulled upon the tarp to peek inside.

Wartrol as he was known at that moment turned around quickly and glared at the meddlesome lad. "Keep yer fingers off me tools and supplies!" he yelled and pulled the tarp back over his boxes.

"Ain't no harm being done here, friend. Just our curious nature is all. We've been a wondering nearly all afternoon what you be keepin' in 'em there boxes!" the elder hobbit asked him.

"If'n you be needin' a nosing around me things, than have you a look-see fer yerself!" snapped Wartrol at them and gripped the handle of his hammer tighter until his white knuckles shown.

The curious hobbits pulled back the tarp and ogled at the pile of wet, creek-bottom stones in each box and then looked back to Wartrol confused.

"I thought ya says yer a smithy not a stone layer!" asked the elderly hobbit.

"Smithy, yes, and a stone-layer besides! That there foundation is cracked something fierce and the tunnel weakin' some. The dirt has been fallen all day about me ears and the timber creeks somethin' awful!" added Wartrol trying to cast fear among the hobbits so they would not want to have a look-see into the tunnels. "It'll take days fer me rocks to set properly and harden to support that rafters from breakin' apart. I sure could use yer help in the deep tunnels resetting the timbers so the roof won't come a crashin' down and another cave-in a happenin'!"

The hobbits looked horrified and hesitant at each other and shaking their heads at the elder hobbit who spoke to Wartrol.

"We're not trench diggers, lad! We're builders!" he scoffed. "You'll be needing ta take it up with the Master of Buckland. He'll find ya lads fer that type of work!"

Feeling the growl in their stomachs the hobbits gathered together after their curiosity was satisfied and began heading toward the kitchen courtyard where the cook was setting up the tables for the workers to eat.

"Come join us, friend and share a good decent meal with us!" the elder hobbit offered.

Wartrol nodded as he too felt his stomach pitch from hunger. He walked side-by-side with the elderly hobbit and followed the workers over to the wash tub blending in with them. After his turn at washing his hand in the big tub of water, he took off his straw hat and let the thick curls of his hair to fall about his brow. The yellow strip of hair in his bangs mixed in with the brown curls upon his head. Wartrol smiled as he took his spoon in his hand and quickly wolfed down a heaping plateful of food as the setting sun cast a rainbow of red colors across the gray clouds that gathered in the sky.

XXX

Merry and Pippin met in the center of the tunnel and faced each other with their lantern held high in their hands above them. Soon Sheffield and Tom joined them as they walked out of another tunnel just behind them. Turning, they watched the two lads approach them.

"Have you any luck in finding any clues to where Faradom is hiding down here?" asked Merry.

"Nothing yet, Master Merry! There's too many tunnels down here that lead in a twist of mazes. If'n I hadn't marked me own trail, I'd have been lost to wandering!" commented Tom.

"Face it Merry, we'll be needing more hobbit to search. It will take days doing this by ourselves," added Pippin.

"I agree with you, Pip. The only thing that I saw was a worker repairing the entrance to the burnt stables and by the looks and sounds coming from outside, they've stopped for the day and heading for their evening meal. I think we better head back as well, tomorrow we can begin our search and keep a watchful eye upon the corridors and question each guard that's not known to us. We could have a long night of it, lads!" said Merry and turned walking towards the rabbit hole to head back into Brandy Hall.

As Pippin climbing from the rabbit hole and being the last one to enter the small room, Merry commented to the group. "Let's go down to the kitchen to wash and see if Hatty has saved us anything to eat."

XXX

The door opened quietly to the apartment of Peregrin Took and shut again without a single creek of the hinges. Slow steady feet tipped-toed across the wooden and stone floor and stole quietly into the bedroom. A single candle burnt on the table by the side of the bed and he could see Diamond and little Faramir curled up sleeping side by side.

A slow smile crossed his lips as he reached down and plucked up the sleeping lad into his arms and carried him out of the bedroom and away from his sleeping mother.

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A/N: Sorry this is such a short chapter, but I needed to leave a cliff hanger here while I set up the next couple of chapters.....You just have to do that once in awhile to keep it interesting!

Please review, it keeps me writing and hoping that you are enjoying this story!