Author's Note: Even though there was no response for Chapter 3, I'm putting up what I have written from a long time ago basically because I'm bored. Review, and I'll love you forever. Italics are thoughts.
Disclaimer: If I owned it, people might actually read it. Bleh.
Thaurdil had no way of predicting the actions of children, so he couldn't have known a small Rohan child was to wander outside the walls and find Frodo. And of course, wherever children go, their mothers are most likely to follow.
At first, the pair of mother and child thought Frodo was only a piece of baggage tied atop the horse, but when he started moving and whimpering they quickly changed their minds. Thaurdil had bought everything he thought they would need to get to Gondor and was going to get an ale...or two... or at least enough to get very drunk because he thought the hobbit was easier to handle that way. However, before he could find a cheap tavern, he had a strong urge to go check on the useless hobbit. When he got there, he found the mother and child trying to untie his captive.
"Hey!" At his unexpected call, the Rohirrim quickly turned around and saw Thaurdil running toward them. "He's mine!"
The mother said, "Who is he of yours that you would tie him up on a horse while you do Eru knows what inside the city."
"He is mine. Mine to do what I want with. If I had wanted him to come into the city, he would be in the city. If I wanted to tie him up and leave him on my horse, he would be tied up on my horse. If I wanted someone to untie him, I'd put up a sign or something."
"But surely you cannot be his father!"
"I assure you, dearest lady, this...child is no son of mine."
"How is it you came to be his guardian then?"
"I wish I could explain that to you, madam, but that involves a very complex legal process which I'm not a liberty to discuss at the moment."
"Eru above... You've kidnapped him!"
Frodo, who hadn't seemed to be aware during this conversation, started to nod his head as if in agreement. Thaurdil, in what he thought was a discreet way, slapped him.
"You have my word, lady, that I did not take this lad from his home. If that is all, we need to be on our way. Good day."
Once they were out of earshot, Thaurdil hissed at Frodo, "You dare tell anyone how I came to have you, and I'll personally make sure you never forget it for what little time I'd let you live." Frodo nodded. "Good. Now that we have that settled, we are going to Gondor."
So he still insists on going to Gondor. I wonder how he plans to keep this a secret when people find out when we're not even in a town. I wonder how big exactly is Gondor?
For the rest of the trip, nothing eventful happened. They stayed away from large towns and slept under the stars. Once they had entered Gondor, Thaurdil headed for Minas Tirith. Frodo was astonished with the landscape, especially the mountains in the distance.
Frodo would remember his first sight of Minas Tirith for the rest of his life. He was particularly amazed with how tall it stood at 7 stories high.
Thaurdil lead the horse into the city, passing the guards like some innocent merchant. Actually, that was the story he gave them to get in.
He went to a small house on the 2nd level that was crammed with all sorts of small items. Frodo was given instructions to organize the place with Thaurdil went to his favorite pub.
"Thar! I haven't seen you in these part in awhile! Where've you been?" asked a scruffy-faced ruffian, who happened to be the bartender, as soon as Thaurdil entered the tavern.
"I've been in Bree, Edoras, and everywhere in between on business. Give me an ale, Mithmir."
"Gladly. So tell me, what business did you have in Bree? I thought Bree was too easy for you."
"Well, see, Mith," He beckoned him closer and whispered in his ear, "I bought a young hobbit there while I was passing through sold by Gormir. Apparently one of the Dunedain had taken it into his care, and Gormir decided to take it to show how well they were protecting them."
"Oh." Mithmir laughed. "I see".
Of course, Mithmir had no idea what the Dunedain was, or did, but the name sounded important so he played along. "This hobbit you bought...is it a boy or a girl?"
"Boy."
"And you plan on making it own its own keep, doubtless?"
"Hm... Hadn't thought of that..."
Thaurdil stayed at the bar long enough to get properly drunk, plus a little more before he left. He found a shoe shop on his way back to his house, and somehow with his drunken mind recalled the hobbit had no shoes, so he bought some. He arrived at his house calling for Frodo. "Hobbit! Hobbit, come here!" When Frodo came, Thaurdil slurred at him, waving the shoes. "Put these on, go out and find you a job. Don't come back until you have one, and don't tell anyone anything about why you're here."
Frodo walked out the door muttering, "Get a job. I don't know if the people here sleep at different times, but in the Shire, it would be really hard to find any business open, let alone any businesses offering jobs. And, if I do find one offering a job, how am I to explain why I need one? This is just great. As if I haven't been through enough already, being kidnapped from the Shire and all, I actually have to work in a town in the middle of a country that I didn't even know existed!" As he ended his rant, he noticed a man in armor looking at him funny, so he decided to ask him. "Excuse me sir, but do you know where I could apply for a job?"
"No, I can't think of any place that would have any positions open for one so young. Especially for such a young halfling."
"Thank you...Wait. hafling?" Frodo stopped, confused. "Who said anything about halflings?"
"You did."
"I did no such thing!"
"You did, in a way. I heard you say something about how you were taken from the Shire. One, this means you're a hobbit, and two, this means you were kidnapped and need to tell someone so they can return you to your home."
This is not good. If Thaurdil finds out, he'll kill me! "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, sir." The only thing giving away his lie was his troubled eyes.
"I'm afraid you did, halfling. Tell me, who did it?"
"Nobody did it. I'm not a halfling, and I wasn't kidnapped!" He was starting to get really panicky now, but still noticed the other guards that were starting to come closer as if expecting trouble. "Could you just please tell me if there are any job positions open anywhere?"
The guard crossed his arms. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll tell you what you want to know." The other guards came still closer, creating a tight circle around the two arguing.
"But I cannot tell you what you want to know without lying!"
"So you admit you were kidnapped?"
"I wasn't kid--" Frodo stopped, and realized what he had said to give himself away. The guard nodded, and Frodo felt a tight pressure on his upper arms. "Take him to the steward. He'll know how to handle this." Frodo was forced away, tears streaming down his face.
At the Citadel, the guards neared the door to the Steward's business chamber. As they grew closer, Frodo began to struggle. "Please...Please let me go! I didn't do anything...Please!"
The guards knocked on the door. "What is it now?" came a voice from inside. "Already this day I've been trouble with news about my youngest son. This had better be important."
They entered. "One of the new guards saw him," the guard holding Frodo said, "and apparently heard him talking about being taken from the Shire. When asked about it, he denied it adamantly."
"And the guard that saw him...where is he?"
"I'm right here, sire."
"Can you remember what he said?"
"Not exactly, sire, but I remember the general idea. He was talking about how he was taken from his home in the Shire. He also mentioned having to find a job in this town. I don't think he knows exactly where he is."
"Thank you. And what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I think this is all a big misunderstanding, sire. I never said anything about being taken from the Shire, but I did ask the guard about getting a job."
"Tell me halfing, do you think I'm stupid?"
"No, sire." Frodo stuttered. "Why?"
"My son is an avid reader. He loves to learn about the various cultures of Middle-Earth. Sometimes, he shares this knowledge with I and his brother. One day he came across this unique species called hobbits. There is something special about hobbits that you can always tell them apart from humans. Remove his shoes." He ordered his guards.
Frodo began to struggle again. "Please sire, but you don't really want to do that...my feet stink."
"Your feet stink?"
Frodo nodded and unconsciously stopped kicking, glad the Steward understood. Guards immediately grabbed his feet and took of the shoes.
"Your feet stink."
Frodo nodded, defeated, and the interrogation began.
"How did you get to Gondor, halfling?"
"On a horse, sire."
Denethor rubbed his temples. "And where you alone on this horse?"
Frodo hesitated before deciding he should answered. "No, sire."
"Can you tell me who you were with?"
Frodo looked around wildly for any exits, but guards blocked them all. "It was a man. His name was..." He broke off and began crying silently.
"Yes?"
"His name was Thaurdil." Frodo said so softly Denethor could barely hear him.
"And where his he now?"
Defeated, Frodo answered, "He lives in a small house on the 2nd level sire."
"Thank you." Denethor nodded, and some guards left. "Please, sit down." Frodo complied. "Now, how did Thaurdil come by you? Did you take you from your home personally, or did he get you from someone else?"
While Frodo still seemed on edge, he offered little resistance in his answers to the questions. "Someone else, sir. I think his name was Gormir or something of the like."
"And Gormir..."
"And Gormir took me himself, sir."
"I see. These were the only men involved? No other accomplices? No one either tried to contact?
"No one, sire."
"Thank you. We shall find you a place to sleep in the tower tonight, and tomorrow we shall try to get into contact with your parents. You can give us the address then."
Deciding to tell them tomorrow his parents weren't alive, Frodo simply said, "Thank you."
Thaurdil was outraged when Frodo didn't come back within a couple of hours. "Where did the little brat go?" He asked himself, throwing in a jacket and stepping outside. The cool wind and the night sky made him realize that no business would be open except for pubs at this time of day, and that he had told the halfling not to come back until he had found someplace to work. He decided to go back to the pub and wait until morning to see if Frodo was back by then.
On his way there, struck by a sudden idea, he asked a guard nearby if he had seen a child with dark hair and bright blue eyes. The guard answered in the negative and Thaurdil walked past.
As soon as he was gone, however, the guard called another guard to his post and told him about the man. They decided one of them should go tell Denethor.
Thaurdil was a clever man when he was sober, and he was sufficiently sober now to have just hidden out of sight where he could listen to the guard. He followed him up to the Citadel, where he saw Denethor's guards leading Frodo away to the residential chambers.
TBC...
Wow...That was longer than I thought it was. If anyone has any comments, positive or negative, please, please, please review and I shall defend myself against flames, or be eternally grateful for constructive criticism.
