Chapter Nine: A Job for a Baggins
Wow, I updated. I am very tired right now, but I finished this chapter. More to come soon, just this for right now. It will start getting interesting again in a while. I already have the full planned story outline written.
**************************************** It was beginning to become dark when a wagon came to a halt near the door of Bag End. Two hobbits jumped out and walked up to the round door. They had only to knock twice before the door swung open revealing a rather somber-looking hobbit, who immediately turned cheerful as he identified the two visitors.
"Merry! Master Brandybuck! If this isn't a pleasant surprise!" he cried rushing to greet them.
"Well, Frodo, it is indeed. But what had made you so melancholy earlier?" Saradoc asked, shaking Frodo's hand.
"The S.B's."
"Ah," both father and son replied, nodding their heads.
Frodo smirked. "Luckily for you, I had a window put in the study that allows me to see who is at the door. This past week I've had at least three, er, visits from them. I doubt I would have opened the door again to see Lobelia's face."
"I wouldn't have either," Saradoc laughed, remembering the last time he saw her face.
"Well, come in," Frodo replied after a moment. He stepped aside and let them pass.
"We don't mean to barge in, Frodo, unexpected. But we were just passing through Hobbiton and decided to visit," Saradoc explained.
"Oh no, I have been quite bored, actually." he replied, shutting the door. "Why were you passing through?"
"We're heading to Marmada's house down near Michel Delving. I'm afraid we won't be long. We're staying at an inn, tonight."
"An inn!" exclaimed Frodo. "No, no. Why don't you stay here tonight? I have the room, and I wouldn't mind having you two." He looked pleadingly at Saradoc.
The Bucklander nodded hesitantly. "Well, if it is all right with Meriadoc-" "It is!" Merry replied gleefully.
"All right then, Frodo. I will go fetch the bags and be right back."
After a wonderful, late supper had been eaten and Saradoc had went to bed early, Merry and Frodo lay together on the dark blue rug near the fire, having a little talk.
"I don't know what happened, Frodo. I haven't had any news of Pippin since that day. I've practically been out of my head trying to figure out what I did wrong."
Frodo nodded as he processed this new information. By the way Merry was speaking, he could almost guess how much heartbreak his poor cousin was going through. "Merry, I don't think you did anything wrong."
"Then why-"
"Listen, Merry," Frodo interrupted. "I know you strongly believe it, but I don't think it was by Pippin's choice that you were told to stay away." Merry gave him a look that said to continue. "If I know Pippin, which I do, I think he would have told you himself. But he didn't. His father did." He nodded at Merry, trying to make him catch the hint. Unfortunately, Merry's face held a very blank expression, meaning the hint had flown right over his head. "Uhh," Frodo breathed, frustrated at his cousin's denseness. "I believe it was Paladin's decision, and only his, to keep you away from Pippin."
"But why would he do tha-"
"I don't think it had anything to do with you. From the chat that has been going on about it, I think Paladin is still angry at your father for selling his mule."
Merry nodded. "Perhaps, but why wouldn't Pippin have contacted me by now if that was true? And why would Uncle Paladin try to do something like that if he was angry at my father?"
This time Frodo shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe he felt threatened or something by you. And Pippin might have been grounded or ordered not to talk to you. You never know what is going in that mind of his. I'm sure he will get over it within the next week. I hope anyway."
"Oh, well you're a real help, Frodo!" Merry muttered, crossing his arms and going into one of his stubborn moods.
Frodo almost smiled. "Well, I answered your other questions, didn't I?"
"But you don't know it they are true or not," Merry argued.
"Yes, but I have a strong suspicion."
Merry was quiet for a while, staring off into the crackling fire. Frodo waited for him to speak again, gazing intently at the emotions swirling in Merry's rich honey-colored eyes. Merry had uncrossed his arms and rested an elbow next to him on the floor with his head in his hand. His face held an emotion too difficult to determine, with his lips slightly parted and his eyes flickering as they reflected the flames of the hearth. Merry broke his own silence when he suddenly spoke. "Maybe you're right."
"Of course I am. You know what old Bilbo used to say, 'Frodo, you have a well-balanced head, a smart mind, and a healthy appetite.' Of course, I don't have a well-balanced head anymore from all the weight I've been putting on it with my healthy appetite."
This made Merry chuckle a bit. Frodo smiled, being delighted that he had eased some of his younger cousin's tensions. He yawned and stretched, looking at the clock. "Well, shall we call it a night?"
Merry nodded. "Yes, I am a little tired. We have been talking for three hours!" They both stood and gathered up the pillows and blankets they had set on the floor.
Merry laughed a moment as a thought popped into his head.
Frodo looked up at him. "What?"
Merry shook his head. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about that time when Pippin was about eight or nine years old and we spent Yuletide here. Pippin decided he wanted to sleep out here and wait for the gift wizard to come."
"Gift wizard?" Frodo asked, a bit amused.
"Bilbo had told him there was an old wizard who had a giant bundle of gifts that slipped into hobbit's homes during the night on Yuletide and gave gifts to good little hobbits. Anyway, Pippin decided he wanted to see the gift wizard for himself so we slept out here on the rug with some pillows and blankets. He fell asleep within an hour and literally started sobbing when he realized he had missed his chance the next morning."
"Oh, I remember that. And we all gave him extra presents that year out of pity. And he tried the same sob story the next year, trying to get another round of more presents. Ha! We tied him to the chair when we realized what he was doing."
"And we left him like that all day. I even had to spoon-feed him like a two- year old so he would stop yelling about being hungry," Merry added, smiling as he saw the little form of Pippin tied with cord to the lounge chair struggling to free himself. He was all right though. Merry thought he actually liked being tied up. His parents did, anyway.
"Well, let's get to bed before I fall asleep standing!" Frodo remarked, heading to his bedroom.
Merry nodded. "Good-night, Frodo. Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams to you, too," Frodo yawned and closed the door to his bedroom.
Deciding he was exhausted, Merry walked over to the guestroom he was staying in and fell on the bed, too tired to think about anything else besides his comfy pillow.
Wow, I updated. I am very tired right now, but I finished this chapter. More to come soon, just this for right now. It will start getting interesting again in a while. I already have the full planned story outline written.
**************************************** It was beginning to become dark when a wagon came to a halt near the door of Bag End. Two hobbits jumped out and walked up to the round door. They had only to knock twice before the door swung open revealing a rather somber-looking hobbit, who immediately turned cheerful as he identified the two visitors.
"Merry! Master Brandybuck! If this isn't a pleasant surprise!" he cried rushing to greet them.
"Well, Frodo, it is indeed. But what had made you so melancholy earlier?" Saradoc asked, shaking Frodo's hand.
"The S.B's."
"Ah," both father and son replied, nodding their heads.
Frodo smirked. "Luckily for you, I had a window put in the study that allows me to see who is at the door. This past week I've had at least three, er, visits from them. I doubt I would have opened the door again to see Lobelia's face."
"I wouldn't have either," Saradoc laughed, remembering the last time he saw her face.
"Well, come in," Frodo replied after a moment. He stepped aside and let them pass.
"We don't mean to barge in, Frodo, unexpected. But we were just passing through Hobbiton and decided to visit," Saradoc explained.
"Oh no, I have been quite bored, actually." he replied, shutting the door. "Why were you passing through?"
"We're heading to Marmada's house down near Michel Delving. I'm afraid we won't be long. We're staying at an inn, tonight."
"An inn!" exclaimed Frodo. "No, no. Why don't you stay here tonight? I have the room, and I wouldn't mind having you two." He looked pleadingly at Saradoc.
The Bucklander nodded hesitantly. "Well, if it is all right with Meriadoc-" "It is!" Merry replied gleefully.
"All right then, Frodo. I will go fetch the bags and be right back."
After a wonderful, late supper had been eaten and Saradoc had went to bed early, Merry and Frodo lay together on the dark blue rug near the fire, having a little talk.
"I don't know what happened, Frodo. I haven't had any news of Pippin since that day. I've practically been out of my head trying to figure out what I did wrong."
Frodo nodded as he processed this new information. By the way Merry was speaking, he could almost guess how much heartbreak his poor cousin was going through. "Merry, I don't think you did anything wrong."
"Then why-"
"Listen, Merry," Frodo interrupted. "I know you strongly believe it, but I don't think it was by Pippin's choice that you were told to stay away." Merry gave him a look that said to continue. "If I know Pippin, which I do, I think he would have told you himself. But he didn't. His father did." He nodded at Merry, trying to make him catch the hint. Unfortunately, Merry's face held a very blank expression, meaning the hint had flown right over his head. "Uhh," Frodo breathed, frustrated at his cousin's denseness. "I believe it was Paladin's decision, and only his, to keep you away from Pippin."
"But why would he do tha-"
"I don't think it had anything to do with you. From the chat that has been going on about it, I think Paladin is still angry at your father for selling his mule."
Merry nodded. "Perhaps, but why wouldn't Pippin have contacted me by now if that was true? And why would Uncle Paladin try to do something like that if he was angry at my father?"
This time Frodo shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe he felt threatened or something by you. And Pippin might have been grounded or ordered not to talk to you. You never know what is going in that mind of his. I'm sure he will get over it within the next week. I hope anyway."
"Oh, well you're a real help, Frodo!" Merry muttered, crossing his arms and going into one of his stubborn moods.
Frodo almost smiled. "Well, I answered your other questions, didn't I?"
"But you don't know it they are true or not," Merry argued.
"Yes, but I have a strong suspicion."
Merry was quiet for a while, staring off into the crackling fire. Frodo waited for him to speak again, gazing intently at the emotions swirling in Merry's rich honey-colored eyes. Merry had uncrossed his arms and rested an elbow next to him on the floor with his head in his hand. His face held an emotion too difficult to determine, with his lips slightly parted and his eyes flickering as they reflected the flames of the hearth. Merry broke his own silence when he suddenly spoke. "Maybe you're right."
"Of course I am. You know what old Bilbo used to say, 'Frodo, you have a well-balanced head, a smart mind, and a healthy appetite.' Of course, I don't have a well-balanced head anymore from all the weight I've been putting on it with my healthy appetite."
This made Merry chuckle a bit. Frodo smiled, being delighted that he had eased some of his younger cousin's tensions. He yawned and stretched, looking at the clock. "Well, shall we call it a night?"
Merry nodded. "Yes, I am a little tired. We have been talking for three hours!" They both stood and gathered up the pillows and blankets they had set on the floor.
Merry laughed a moment as a thought popped into his head.
Frodo looked up at him. "What?"
Merry shook his head. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about that time when Pippin was about eight or nine years old and we spent Yuletide here. Pippin decided he wanted to sleep out here and wait for the gift wizard to come."
"Gift wizard?" Frodo asked, a bit amused.
"Bilbo had told him there was an old wizard who had a giant bundle of gifts that slipped into hobbit's homes during the night on Yuletide and gave gifts to good little hobbits. Anyway, Pippin decided he wanted to see the gift wizard for himself so we slept out here on the rug with some pillows and blankets. He fell asleep within an hour and literally started sobbing when he realized he had missed his chance the next morning."
"Oh, I remember that. And we all gave him extra presents that year out of pity. And he tried the same sob story the next year, trying to get another round of more presents. Ha! We tied him to the chair when we realized what he was doing."
"And we left him like that all day. I even had to spoon-feed him like a two- year old so he would stop yelling about being hungry," Merry added, smiling as he saw the little form of Pippin tied with cord to the lounge chair struggling to free himself. He was all right though. Merry thought he actually liked being tied up. His parents did, anyway.
"Well, let's get to bed before I fall asleep standing!" Frodo remarked, heading to his bedroom.
Merry nodded. "Good-night, Frodo. Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams to you, too," Frodo yawned and closed the door to his bedroom.
Deciding he was exhausted, Merry walked over to the guestroom he was staying in and fell on the bed, too tired to think about anything else besides his comfy pillow.