(With many thanks to Marigold for the beta, her patience, and her friendship. I would never let you run away from home alone.)
Bywater
In which our heroes run away from home, battle a fell beast,
face down a rider on the Road, and cause much ado at Bag End
Frodo, age 14
It is difficult to do anything secretly in a household as full as Bag End. Overloud whispers and repeated hisses of, "Shhhh!" make it even more difficult. Having so many younger siblings, such sounds, I have learned, generally mean that someone is doing something they ought not.
Setting down the carrots I had just brought from the garden into the kitchen, I followed the not-so-secret noises until I discovered several small someones in the pantry, filling up a bag with apples and biscuits.
"What about some bread?" Faramir was asking, standing on his tiptoes to reach for a loaf on the shelf.
"Bread would be good."
"Well, it won't be very good without butter, but I suppose travellers must do without some things," said Goldilocks, holding open the bag. "Hammie, wrap it up in a tea towel so that it doesn't crumb everywhere," she instructed, and Hamfast, his little face wrinkled with worry, obeyed.
"I don't know if I want to travel if I must go without butter," he said as he carefully wrapped the loaf and put it in the bag. "Or jam," I said, and all three of them whipped around to face me. The startled, guilty looks on their faces gave me some smug satisfaction, and quite a bit of amusement.
"And just where are you going without butter or jam?" I asked.
Goldilocks, always quick to recover herself, jutted out her little chin at me in determination. "We are running away from home and going to the Lonely Mountain," she declared.
Well, this was something new! As much trouble as my younger siblings and Faramir can be, no one would ever call them dull. I fought back a smile and played the dutiful older brother, raising an eyebrow and folding my arms in front of my chest.
"Oh, really?" I asked. "And why is this?"
"Faramir said he was running away, so of course we're going with him," Hamfast contributed. Faramir was kneeling on the floor now, securing the bag. He was already wearing his cloak, and I noticed it was fastened with his father's Elven brooch. He was also pointedly ignoring me.
"Faramir," I asked, "why are you running away?"
"Because I'm tired of the Shire," he declared, a little savagely. "I've seen all there is to see here, so now I am going adventuring, and I am going to live with the dwarves, and you're not going to stop me."
He stood up and tilted his head back to look me in the eye then, daring me to defy him with all the conviction a seven-year-old can muster. Faramir is a smart, inventive lad, but he is seldom deliberately disobedient, and I wondered what was the cause behind this newest adventure.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," I said, and then, taking the only logical tactic, added, "I'm rather tired of the Shire myself these days. Perhaps you would let me come along?"
I gave them my most winning look. Faramir looked aggravated, but Hamfast's face brightened visibly at the suggestion. Goldilocks regarded me thoughtfully, clearly considering my worth. "Frodo might be useful to take with us, Faramir," she said finally, in all seriousness.
"Yes," I reassured her staunchly, choosing to overlook the "might" in her recommendation, "I do have some uses. I can reach things that are higher up than you can. And I can help you if you need to climb over things like high fences. And if Hamfast gets tired, I can carry him."
Goldilocks looked pointedly at Faramir. "Hammie is very small," she pointed out, disregarding the fact that Hamfast stood nearly as tall as her, and certainly outweighed her.
"All right," Faramir said begrudgingly, "Frodo can come. But no one else! There's not much point in running away from home if we take everyone with us."
"I couldn't agree more," I said solemnly. "I'll just get my cloak then. Also, I need to tell Ellie that I can't help her get winter clothes out of the storeroom today after all."
Faramir regarded me with new suspicion. "You can't tell her where we're going," he said.
"Well, I must tell her something," I answered. "Besides, if I tell her we're running away, then she can let Mum and Dad know not to worry about us."
Faramir looked ready to object, but Goldilocks was hefting up the bag in preparation of slinging it over Faramir's shoulder. "Yes, do that, Frodo," she ordered, somewhat distractedly. "We shouldn't want to be in trouble when we get back (from Erebor)."
"Oh, no. We don't want that," I said, and turned before they could see me rolling my eyes.
"Ellie, if we find jewels we will bring them to you to wear and you will be so pretty!" Hamfast told her in great excitement.
"Well then, I look forward to your safe return someday," Ellie said, and bestowed a kiss on Hammie's curls. She winked and mouthed, "Good luck!" to me, and we were off.
"Our first real adventure, without grown-ups or anything!" Goldilocks declared in satisfaction as we started off across the field that would slope down toward Bywater and the Road. "It's only a few days after Mr. Frodo and Dad left on their adventure, too."
"Will there be trolls?" Hamfast asked, and then reached up to take my hand. I squeezed his little hand gently. "Certainly not," I assured him. "The King's men keep the Road safe nowadays, you know, and the only trolls we shall see are the ones that turned to stone."
"But if we're lucky, there still might be some on the mountain pass!" Goldilocks chirped happily, and then ran ahead of us a little, "to scout." Faramir remained quiet, trundling along under the weight of the bag and reaching up every so often to finger his father's brooch. Mr. Pippin often left the brooch with Faramir while he was travelling, and whenever he did, Faramir fiddled with it frequently, though he took great care of it. He and Mr. Pippin had just returned from the North Farthing, where they had travelled with Mrs. Took, but she had not returned with them, and Mr. Pippin had said that she would be staying with her parents and sisters at least until Yule. Mr. Pippin's laugh had been a little quieter than usual, and his smile not so bright, when they had arrived two instead of the expected three.
The Tooks had arrived in time for our yearly celebration for Mr. Frodo and Mr. Bilbo's birthdays, but once the festivities had ended and the other guests had left, the Thain had announced that he needed to go to Little Delving on some business, and would be back in a week or so. He had left just this day, after luncheon, and I now suspected that Faramir had simply been waiting for Mum and Dad to be too occupied to notice what he was up to before he put his carefully laid plans in motion.
Faramir had been poorly behaved and cross throughout this visit, earning two spankings already, one for deliberately knocking his supper plate over after loudly declaring that he did not want roast chicken, and the second for taking Daisy's doll away from her and hiding it, making her cry for most of an afternoon.
He also had routinely addressed his father with more cheekiness than all of us Gamgees combined give our dad, but managed to escape with only one mouth-washing incident. The little siblings had watched this demonstration with a mix of awe and horror, but Ellie had whispered to me, "Poor lad; he should have himself a good cry and get it out that way instead of disrupting the whole smial."
But clearly, Faramir had not had a good cry and got it out, for here he was running away from home, and with a black cloud over his head. At any rate, it was a nice day for it. The sky was blue, the leaves were in full color, and the air had that invigorating freshness that called, "Come roam with me!" I decided to ignore Faramir 's woes for the present and enjoy my walk with Hamfast, his chubby little hand pleasantly warm in mine, and his solid little presence comforting beside me.
We had nearly reached the path that would eventually lead us to the Road when Goldilocks came dashing back, golden curls streaming behind her. "There is an evil beast blocking the way!" she pronounced breathlessly. "We shall have to fight him!"
"We're ready for him," Faramir said grimly, and for the first time, I noticed that he was wearing his father's old toy wooden sword. I could not help but grin at his readiness for action.
Hammie gripped my hand tightly and pressed into my leg, but Goldilocks was practically bounding in her glee. "A battle!" she crowed. "We are going into battle! Frodo! Hamfast! Cover our backs! Faramir, with me!" and with those orders, she dashed ahead.
I looked down at Hamfast, who looked back with troubled eyes. "Goldilocks loves battle," he said mournfully.
"Yes, I know," I answered with a sigh, having been at the receiving end of Goldilocks' attacks in the past. Hoping that the Valar were protecting whatever poor creature had wandered unsuspecting into the fearsome Goldilocks' path, I led Hamfast down to the track.
Goldilocks and Faramir were lying on their bellies beside the track, nearly hidden by the tall grass. In the center of the track was Puck Applethorn's extraordinarily elderly and placid dog, Harry. Old Harry seemed to be right in the middle of a most satisfying nap, completely unaware of his danger. I quickened my pace a little, wanting to make sure no one actually harmed Harry in their zeal
"Careful, Frodo, he'll see you," Goldilocks hissed as I approached, and I accommodatingly crouched down beside her.
"What do you think it is?" I asked, gesturing toward Harry. He let out a snuffling snore and twitched before settling back down.
"A fell beast, without a doubt," Goldilocks pronounced, narrowing her eyes at her prey. "But don't worry, Frodo, Faramir and I will slay him."
"Perhaps," I whispered, "you should give him the chance to lay down his weapons and pledge his fealty to the King first."
Goldilocks turned to look in contempt at me, but Faramir -- the son of the Knight of Gondor -- rose regally from the grass, wooden sword in hand. "I will go forward for the parley," he said grimly. "It is only sporting." He marched toward Harry as though approaching his doom. "Foul creature of the Dark Lord!" he announced loudly once he was in front of Harry, sword held upright in front of him. "We give you this one chance to repent your evil ways and swear your loyalty to the King!"
Harry started awake and yawned. He caught sight of Faramir and thumped his tail on the ground in greeting. "Speak!" Faramir commanded. "Will you let us pass in peace?" At the word, "Speak!" Harry obediently barked, then stood up and stretched. He went over to Faramir and nuzzled his foot-fur, then sniffed with interest at the bag of provisions.
"Good Harry!" Hamfast declared, all trace of fear and of make-believe suddenly gone. "Faramir, we should give him a biscuit." He waded out of the grass and onto the track to pat Harry's head.
"Hammie!" Goldilocks snapped, jumping to her feet. "You're spoiling the adventure! We can't give the fell beast a biscuit!" But Hammie already had two ginger biscuits in his hand, and soon was happily munching on one as he fed the other to a grateful Harry. Faramir ruefully patted Harry's head.
"Good dog," he reassured Harry, who barked happily.
"Faramir!" Goldilocks scolded, and stamped onto the path. "You were supposed to kill the fell beast!"
"It's all right, Goldilocks," he said, smiling for the first time since our adventure had begun. "It turns out he is a friend unlooked for. Maybe Harry wants to come with us on our adventure."
Goldilocks looked at him doubtfully. "Harry is awfully old," she pointed out as the dog licked her hand in greeting.
"He's old and wise," I said, coming onto the path myself now that all danger was past. "Harry, you are welcome to come with us for as long as our paths go in the same direction." I gave him my best bow, but Harry, intent on seeing if more biscuits were forthcoming, ignored me, unimpressed. Goldilocks decided to soothe her unsated thirst for blood with a biscuit, then Faramir decided that he wanted an apple, and then Hamfast took out the loaf of bread to give Harry some of it, thereby saving more biscuits for himself, but ended up dropping it in the dirt. Goldilocks squawked over the ruined bread until I suggested that perhaps we would encounter some elves who would provide us with lembas, and she quite agreed that lembas was better than bread any day.
Then Hamfast wanted to carry the sword but Faramir said no, and Hammie cried inconsolably until Faramir gave him his slingshot to carry instead. Then we had to find stones for the slingshot, and then watched with interest while our newest companion dug a small hole beside the path for no apparent reason. We finally set off again within the hour, Harry happily trotting alongside Hamfast. The Road.
"We are on The Road," Goldilocks declared excitedly every few minutes, until Faramir began to sing one of Mr. Bilbo's old walking songs and she began to sing along instead. The sun was beginning to set, Hamfast to yawn and I to wonder how to turn our little adventuring party around before dark when both Faramir and Goldilocks abruptly stopped singing and pricked their ears forward. Then -- "Riders!" Faramir hissed. "Riders on the Road! Quick, hide behind that tree!"
We scrambled for cover somewhat pointlessly, as Harry began barking when he sensed our excitement, and then chased his tail around directly in the middle of the Road. We peered cautiously out from our hiding place.
"A horse?" Hamfast asked.
"A Black Rider?" Goldilocks guessed, sounding much too hopeful.
"Elves?" Faramir suggested.
"Why, no, it's, well, it's -- Uncle Tom," I said as the pony came into sight.
"Oh," said three disappointed voices. I climbed back out to the Road and waved, my small companions joining me.
"Well, Frodo-lad!" Uncle Tom greeted me as he pulled Dapper up. "It's getting late for you children to be about. You won't be back home before dark from where you are now."
"No, sir, we've run away from home," I said solemnly, hoping that Uncle Tom would take this news with good nature.
"Oh, have you now?" Uncle Tom said, peering down at me. Uncle Tom and Aunt Marigold have only daughters, none of them anything like Goldilocks, so I was quite certain none of his children had ever run away from home.
"Yes!" Goldilocks said in excitement. "And we battled a fell beast and escaped from Black Riders on the Road!"
"Ah, well, that's a full day," Uncle Tom said, seeming to catch onto the game. "And where do children who run away from home eat their supper?"
"We had bread but Hammie dropped it on the path, and we had biscuits but Harry and Hammie have eaten most of them," Goldilocks reported. "But we still have apples."
"I see," Uncle Tom said sagely. "Well, I know of a nearby hostelry that serves bread with butter and jam, and meat and vegetables and perhaps even pie. It might be just the place for you to sup."
"Really?" asked Faramir in confusion. "I've never heard of a hostelry around here. Where is it, please?"
"Just up yonder," Uncle Tom said, waving his hand. "The proprietors are pleasant enough folk by the names of Granddad and Grandmum. You'd be just in time for supper, and inside safe and snug before it's dark."
"But I want to walk in the dark," Goldilocks asserted, and Uncle Tom leaned down to look her in the eye.
"Miss Goldilocks, I'm thinking you want to go straight to your grandparents and have supper with them. Isn't that what you think too?" he asked sternly. She scrunched up her nose in thought.
"Please, Goldilocks, I don't want to walk outside in the dark," Hamfast said, tugging at her skirt. "I don't want to run away at night."
Goldilocks seemed ready with a sharp retort when Faramir suddenly said, "Yes, let's go to Mr. and Mrs. Cotton's. Hammie is tired anyway, and Harry has to go home."
"That's right," Uncle Tom said, straightening back up. "I'll let them know you're coming, and I'll be back out after you if you're not there soon. Don't forget to send Harry home at the top of the lane."
"Yes, sir," I said. "We'll be right along." Uncle Tom rode off, and I turned to look at Faramir. Goldilocks looked somewhat put out, but was not scolding him.
"It's all right," he reassured us, and he seemed resigned to the end of our adventure. "Maybe after tea is just too late to run away."
"Maybe," I agreed, picking up Hammie, who was yawning again. "But we can always set out again after supper if you want, Faramir."
Goldilocks was looking consideringly at Faramir now, and suddenly reached out to take his hand. "Maybe Grandmum will have pie," she suggested, and Faramir smiled wanly at her. Grandmum did have pie, apple-blackberry, and it was delicious. She also had bread with butter and jam, and ham, and mushrooms, and peas and boiled potatoes. Hamfast nearly fell asleep at the table toward the end of the meal, and Grandmum let the four of us sit and sip milk and a dash with Granddad while she and Aunt Marigold and our cousins cleared the table. Uncle Tom and the farm hands disappeared into the room they use to sit and smoke and play games after working all day.
"So, who came up with this running away business?" Granddad asked when it was just the five of us, Harry having been rewarded for his loyal service with the few remaining biscuits at the farm lane and told to go home.
"Faramir," Goldilocks said promptly. "He is running away to the Lonely Mountain, like Mr. Bilbo, so Hammie and I said we would go with him, and then Frodo said he thought he should come too because he could be useful, but really all he's done today is carry Hammie when he was tired."
"Well, that's something," Granddad said, eying each of us. Hamfast was half-dozing, and Goldilocks and I met his gaze, but Faramir was downcast, studying the contents of his teacup.
"Did Frodo think to tell your dad and mum that you were running away?" Granddad asked Goldilocks, even though he was looking at me again.
"No, but he told Ellie," Goldilocks assured him. "Don't worry, Granddad, she will tell them that we are all right. We will go directly back once we have finished our adventure."
"What a blessing that is to know," Granddad said, and then I thought I heard him mutter something about Dad and nonsense and adventures. Then he cleared his throat. "Well, Faramir, are those still your plans?" Faramir was silent, still looking into his teacup, so Granddad continued, "Because if they aren't, I could hitch up the cart and have you children back at Bag End in no time, and you'll all be tucked into your beds within the hour, warm and snug and safe. What say you to that, Master Took?"
Faramir sniffed, and his lower lip quavered for a moment. He did not cry though, but answered, "Yes, please, Mr. Cotton. I think we have run away enough. And it is my fault, so if anyone is to be in trouble, it should be me."
"Oh, I'm certain you will be," Granddad said mildly, then stood up. "Go tell everyone good night, children, and get your cloaks back on. I'll get the cart."
We all sat for another moment, Hamfast pressed to my side and dozing, until Goldilocks said, "Are you sure we're done running away, Faramir? Because you seem sad."
Faramir slammed back the last of his milky tea and set the cup down firmly, just as I had seen his father do with many a mug of ale. "We're done," he said. "I think we must be in awful trouble."
"It will be all right," Goldilocks said, and reached over to hug him. "You'll see. I simply won't stand for our first real adventure to have a sad ending." There was a great uproar from inside the Hill when Granddad pulled the cart up to the door at Bag End. I had swung down from the seat beside Granddad and gone around to the back to help my fellow miscreants down when the door popped open and Rose stuck her head out. "Oh, Frodo, Elanor is in the most dreadful trouble, but you worse, I think," she said in breathless excitement.
Merry elbowed his way through the half-open door and grinned happily at me. "It's the most trouble you've been in, ever!" he said, clearly quite delighted with my impending woe. "Running away from home -- I never would have dared to try that!"
He would have gone on, but just then the door opened completely and Dad appeared. "Rose, Merry, go get ready for bed," he ordered, and they scrambled to obey. "Hello, Dad," he said to Granddad, then came around to the back of the cart.
I had helped Faramir and Goldilocks down already, and Goldilocks smiled up at him. "Hullo, Daddy," she said, sounding and looking as sweet as a hobbit child can. Faramir looked stubbornly at the ground, his jaw set in a determined line.
Dad looked at them and sighed, then lifted the sleeping Hamfast out of the back of the cart. "Go to your mother, Goldilocks, she's worried about you," he said, then looked grimly at me. "And you as well. She's waiting in the study. Faramir, go with Goldilocks and Frodo, and I'll come speak to you children once Hamfast is in bed."
I bid Granddad thanks and good night, and then made my way to the study while Dad was still talking to him, cradling Hammie close in his arms. We were in dreadful trouble, certainly the most trouble I had ever been in. Goldilocks was persistent in her conviction that none of us had done anything wrong, and I could not determine if she was trying to avoid punishment, or if she was sincere.
"But, Dad," she said in exasperation once she understood that running away from home was not an acceptable activity, "we couldn't let Faramir go into the Wild alone. If he had to go, we had to go with him. You should know that, you had to go with Mr. Frodo. Besides, we took Frodo with us to take care of Hammie."
Dad gave me an exasperated look that clearly said he would have preferred I had just stopped them from adventuring at all before he turned back to Goldilocks.
"I did not run away with Mr. Frodo when I was six years old," he said sternly, seemingly unmoved by Goldilocks' earnest expression. "I mean, I did not run away with Mr. Frodo. That was different. And you," he nabbed one of Faramir's arms and pulled him closer, "what were you about, young hobbit? Just where did you think you were going in such a hurry?"
"Erebor, sir," Faramir muttered, still looking at the ground. "And it was all my idea. No one else would have come if I hadn't wanted to leave."
"But whatever made you want to just set out for the Lonely Mountain like that -- you're too old for such nonsense, Faramir," Dad said, and Faramir chewed on his lip in silent response.
"Daddy," Goldilocks piped, "we weren't going all the way to the Lonely Mountain tonight. We were just going as far as Buckland tonight, then Bree tomorrow, then to Rivendell, and then to the Lonely Mountain."
Dad looked long and hard at her, and she met his gaze fearlessly. Finally -- "Go get cleaned up and get into bed, the both of you," Dad said. "That's enough of this nonsense for tonight."
"Yes, sir," they chorused, Goldilocks still bouncing and cheerful, Faramir still downcast and defeated.
"You, too," Dad said, fixing me with his gaze. "I'll decide what's to be done with you in the morning."
"Yes, sir," I answered, and fled the study.
Washed and in my nightshirt, I could not resist poking my head in on my fellow adventurers before going to bed. Goldilocks was sound asleep already, tucked into bed with Daisy and Primrose, but Faramir was still awake, a candle burning on the chest of drawers. I guessed he was waiting for Hamfast, who was probably receiving a much-needed bath; Merry and Pippin were already asleep in the other bed. "'Lo, Frodo," Faramir said glumly. He was fiddling with his father's Elven brooch as he lay in bed.
"'Lo, Faramir," I answered, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you sorry that we were not able to run away all the way to the Lonely Mountain?"
Faramir shrugged, and looked at the brooch rather than me. "I suppose not," he said. "I didn't mean to cause all this trouble. I just wanted to go somewhere else for a bit."
"Maybe it's the season," I suggested, and he finally looked at me questioningly. "My dad says that Mr. Frodo was always wanting to go after Mr. Bilbo in the autumn, that the season made him want adventure and travel. Maybe you just felt a little like that."
Faramir looked like he fancied the idea. "Maybe," he said, cocking his head in thought. "Father says I remind him a bit of Cousin Frodo, that I even look like him some. Maybe it is the time of year for adventures."
"Maybe," I said. "And remember how much trouble Mr. Bilbo had when he came back from his adventure? He almost lost Bag End -- that's much worse that whatever will happen to us!"
Faramir smiled at me now. "That would have been dreadful," he said. "Then we couldn't be here now, could we?"
He fiddled with the brooch again, and then said reluctantly, "I suppose I would have missed Father, though, if we had really run away."
"Yes," I agreed, "I would have missed Mum and Dad."
"And Mamma, too, I think," Faramir said very quietly. "I would have missed her too."
"I am sure that you'll miss her this winter, when she is so far away for so long," I answered just as quietly, and Faramir nodded minutely, his lower lip trembling.
"If I'd been adventuring all winter, there might not have been time to miss her," he said in a quavering voice. "But I missed her today, even though we had great adventures, so maybe I would have missed her still."
"Yes," I agreed, and stroked Faramir's curls. Faramir sniffled and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes.
"Thank you for running away with me, Frodo," he said.
"It wouldn't have done to let you run away alone," I pointed out. "What if Dad had let Mr. Frodo run away all by himself?"
Faramir gave me a shaky smile. "I don't think Mayor Gamgee liked Goldilocks saying that very much," he said ruefully, and I bent my head conspiratorially near to his.
"Neither do I," I whispered, and we both giggled.
Just then I heard a sigh from the doorway, and Dad came in carrying Hammie. "Bed, lads," he ordered. "Faramir, tell Frodo good night."
"Good night, Frodo," Faramir said, and pressed a kiss to my cheek before snuggling down next to Hammie. "Good night, Mayor Gamgee," he added, and Dad bent over him to place a gentle kiss to his curls.
"Good night, Faramir-lad," he said kindly.
In the hallway, he looked sternly at me, but I could see something else in his look, something that looked like pride. "I'm only saying this once, Frodo-lad," he said, then paused dramatically, "I did not run away with Mr. Frodo."
I fought back a smile. "No, sir, of course not," I answered.
"That was very different," he continued.
"Yes, sir," I agreed.
"We really had no choice," he added.
"No, you didn't," I said.
"And I couldn't let him run away by himself," he concluded.
The smallest hint of a smile worked its way onto my face despite my best efforts. "I know you couldn't, Dad," I said.
"Go to bed, Frodo," he said sternly, and then pulled me into a hug.
"Good night, Dad," I said, and hugged him back.
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