Early one morning, Barliman Butter ascended the creaky old stairs of the Prancing Pony, the newsie lodging house. Once inside the room full of sleeping boys he yelled, "Boots! Wake up! Boromir!" he smacked Boromir across the side of the head as Boromir shot and exclaimed defensively, " I didn't do it!" "What do you mean you didn't do it? You didn't get up! Get up carry the banner! Get up, kids they sleep and sleep, they sleep their lives away these kids!" He approached the sleeping Aragorn and nudged him. " Hey Strider, you dreaming about selling papes?" Aragorn grunted and yelled, "Get away from me you're mad!" then he punched his pillow and slowly got up. Across the room Pippin was getting up and adjusting his suspenders and groggily groping for his cigar then glancing up he saw it hanging pout of Snipeshooter's mouth. "That's my cigar!" He asserted. Snipeshooter retorted, "You'll steal another." Pippin grabbed the cigar out of his mouth and then gave it a good smack. Merry sensing an approaching fight pulled Pip back and said, "Hey bummers we got work to do." Pip snorted then out the cigar in his mouth. Frodo limped past Aragorn then turned around and asked, " Hey Aragorn when I walk does it look like I'm faking it?"
"No, who says you're faking it?"
"Well, I dunno but there's so many fake crips on the streets these days a real crip ain't got a chance."
"I don't think you'll ever have to worry about that, Frodo, one look into those big, blue eyes of yours and you've got it made."
"Really?"
"Sure." The rest of the morning went as usual, Frodo almost got himself beat up by Merry if it wasn't for Sam. And also as usual the newsies had a brush with the Delancey brothers, the city's notorious pair of orcs.
"Dear me, what is that unpleasant aroma? I fear the sewers must have backed up during the night!" Pippin said, sniffing the air. "No it's too rotten to be the sewers" Boots added.
"Oh oh, it must be the 'Delcancey bruddas'" Frodo contributed.
Pippin furthered the taunting, "Hiya Boys!"
"That's right that's an insult, so is this!" Aragorn then grabbed one of the orcs' helmet and took off running. A fight soon ensued and as normal Aragorn won. The boys stood around congratulating themselves when a new elf and his little brother came onto the scene. Aragorn knocked on the distribution center window, and then rang the bell. "Hold your horses I'm coming!" Wormtongue rolled up the shutters then sighed woefully. "Didja miss me Wormtongue, didja, didja miss me?" Aragorn goaded "I told you a million times the name's Grima, how many?"
"Don't rush me I'm perusing the merchandise, wormtongue. The usual."
"100 papes for the wise guy. NEXT!"
Pippin approached and smiled, "Morning your honor, listen, will you do me favor will you spot me 50 papes? I got a hot tip on the forth, won't waste your money."
"Sure thing?"
"Yeah yeah, sure thing, not like last time."
"50 papes" Pip took them and then sat down next to Strider. Pip looked over the paper then remarked, " Look at this, 'Baby Born With Two Heads' must be from Lothlorien."
Aragorn turned and noticed the two new boys he asked the smaller, " You wanna sit down?" The little sat down as the older proceeded to buy his papes.
"I paid for twenty and only got nineteen" he reported to Grima.
"Are you accusing me of lying kid?"
"No, I just want my papers."
"He said, beat it." Morris the orc snarled fiercely.
Aragorn jumped up and counted the papers, "No, it's nineteen worm but don't worry about it, it's an honest mistake, Morris, he can't count to twenty with his shoes on."
The orc growled and lunged at Aragorn from behind the bars in the windows.
Aragorn borrowed a quarter from Pip and bought another fifty.
"I don't want another fifty"
"'Course you do, every newsie wants more papes"
"I don't."
They walked down the ramp and into the streets. "I don't take charity from strangers, I don't know you and I don't care to, here are your papers."
"They called him Strider!" the little one shouted.
"That's right, that and a lot of other things including Aragorn Son of Arathorn, which is what me mudda called me, what did yours call you?"
"Les, and this is my brother Legolas, he's older."
"yah no kidding, how old are you Les?"
"Near ten"
"Near ten, well, that's nno good, anyone asks say you're seven, you see Les younger sell more papes and if we are gonna be partners we wanna be the best!"
"Wait who said anything about partners?" Legolas asked skeptically. But somehow either be Aragorn's charm, his little brothers persistence or by his own stupidity he found himself Aragorn's selling partner…
Thanks to all who reviewed! You make me feel so special! Happy dance…;)
