Toads croaked loudly upon their lily pads, sometimes in unison and other times one after another, but on and on they continued making their night in the Marish an uncomfortable one. Joining the toads were the crickets who rubbed themselves to Pippin's view-raw.
Then last of all came the hooting of a barn owl, high above them in the top of a tree. For all their noises together, it seemed deafening to their pointed ears and sent their nerves a stirring.
However, for the eeriness of the night upon the mossy green land in which they camped and sitting in front of their campfire, nothing sent them to standing faster and their hearts racing than the rider that had just entered a few yards from them. The shadowy figure upon his dark pony slowly approached them in the darkness that bordered around them from outside of their campfire, in which the two cousins stood. Their eyes widened upon the first glimpse when the tree branch snapped and the bushes parted.
Merry looked down upon the ground and scanned it quickly to find the sword that belonged to Pippin, that he had barrowed. Upon seeing the sword a few feet from where he stood, he slowly took his steps to reach it.
Pippin stood frozen in place with his eyes cast upon the darken figure while it slowly approached. He jumped a fright when curse words were suddenly spoken.
"Get me off this confounded, sharp spine, never-ending neighing thing that you call a foreign pony!" shouted Merril loudly, when she came into the light from the campfire.
Instantaneously, the two cousins both took in a deep breath and began to laugh at the younger lass upon the pony. Pippin, standing the closest to her, offered his hand to help her down. Merry smirked at the comment made by Merril in knowing his pony's unique qualities. Placing the sword down, he commented, "Whinnie can be a bit loud and riding bareback from the distance that you have come, no wonder your bottom would be somewhat sensitive."
"Sensitive is not the word that I would use at this moment, Merry, but I am very glad that I have finally found you," Merril kindly greeted him.
"It would not be to my liking for a lass of your years to be traveling by herself, especially in the Marish and at nighttime no less. But seeing you here, Merril, I am very grateful. Tell me now everything that you know of that has happened to Estella," said Merry.
"I have only heard bits and pieces of conversation that Myrtle and my Da have spoken, but enough to know they mean you and Estella harm," she began when Merry took a seat upon the ground next to the campfire. Seeing him sitting, she tried to join him, but her sore bottom did not find no comfort being upon it once again. Pippin too, joined them and listened intently to the lass's tale.
"When Myrtle heard of your marriage to Estella Bolger, she was in a rage of angry words. I heard her telling my Da that she is going to take her to the abandon cottage in the Marish and they plan to take your pony away from you, Merry. They mean to trap you somewhere in the Marish. I had to warn you!" she said casting worried eyes upon the young Master of Buckland. She idolized him above all others and loved him so.
Merry looked at Pippin and knew they were walking into a trap. "Pippin, at first sun light, you take Merril and head over to Farmer Maggots. I do not want her involved with any of this."
Merril's eyes widened, "No, Merry!" she cried. "I want to stay with you!"
Merry smiled and gentled his words to the young lass, "Merril, you must go with Pippin. If any harm would come to you, I could not live with myself."
Merril smiled at Merry being so well thought of by the one she admired and then nodded, wanting the please him.
Merry stood and walked over to his blanket and laid it upon the ground next to his campfire. Gesturing towards Merril, he offered his blanket so she could rest. "You sleep here for the night. I want to talk to Pippin for a time."
Tucking the lass into his blankets, he whispered to her, "Just to let you know, Merril, I am not married as of yet." Giving the lass a jesting wink and messing the thick curls on top of her head, he understood Merril's infatuation with him and had experienced this many times with the young lasses in Buckland. Standing, he walked back to Pippin to speak with him.
Merril beamed a brilliant smile at the young master and wrapped herself into his blanket. She was exhausted from her long ride to follow him through the Marish and instantly closed her eyes. Holding the blanket up to her nose, she could smell the sweet scent upon it of the young Master of Buckland and allowed herself to drift off to sleep, dreaming about him.
The two cousin's walked over to the darken area away from the campfire when Pippin asked, "What are you going to do?"
xxx
The evening air in the Marish was crisp and bitter and it gnawed at the elderly hobbit who stood with a blanket covering the top of his head and down across his shoulders to his hairy toes. His eyes swept the area looking for his daughter who he knew should have joined them hours ago. Dawn had just broken in the sky above them and he fretted their plans have gone amiss.
Pacing over to the dirt path that was covered from side to side with thick moss and overgrowth of bush and weeds, he scanned it looking up and down the length of it. Coming out of the bush and onto the path was a cloaked figure that he was expecting to see and took in a deep breath of relief.
Gesturing her over to him, he waved her to hurry.
In the dark misty land in which they stood, Mr. Broadbelt spoke to his daughter. "Whatever has taken you so long, you should have been here hours ago!" he snapped scowling at her. "But never mind that for now, we need to take our positions. Meriadoc should be coming soon. The lads have got the traps sent for that pony of his and they are standing ready just as soon as he comes down this path!"
Mr. Broadbelt pointed to the lads in there hiding spots, some behind the trees and others in them. He hastened his pace taking his daughter's arm to lead her further into the brush away from the path. "Have you secured that lass well enough so she does not get away?"
His daughter nodded and followed his quick feet that led them to their camp.
They passed a bowman who placed his arrow and pulled back the string. He too stood ready and waiting against the tree.
From the far side of them a pony suddenly whinnied loudly while a branch snapped and the bushes parted. Galloping fast towards them a rider suddenly appeared. Mr. Broadbelt let out a scream of fright and sent his knees to shaking.
The rider pulled his pony to a halt while it reared and pranced its feet coming to a stop before them. "He's down a good stretch o' the path and a head'n 'ere slowly. By the looks o' it, he's by himself!" said the scout that Mr. Broadbelt hired.
Wiping his brow with his handkerchief and calming down his worst nerves, he pointed to the supplies sitting a few feet from him. "Get your rope and stand by to lasso that pony just as soon as those lads pull their ropes and trap them into it. The bowman will stop the rider from doing anything. You just make sure you get that pony!"
"Yes, sir, Mr. Bolger!" exclaimed the lad and raced to get his rope ready.
A noise on the path turned their heads sharply towards it.
xxx
The sun slowly rose from the east and began to dissipate the thick clouds. Rays of sunlight beamed threw gaps between the clouds, and chased the gray haze away giving them a rainbow of splendid colors. Even the mist that clung upon the ground began to move with the gentle blowing of southern winds and the tree branches bowed ever slowly against it and seemed to wave in greeting the new day.
Merry purposely and carefully maneuvered his pony slowly down the dirt path, while his eyes watched ahead of him for any sudden movement or something that could be hidden in a bush or tree. He also paid attention to his pony and knew from his experience with her, that she seemed to sense trouble before trouble found them.
Thinking about his sleepy cousin, Merry almost chuckled when he woke him a couple of hours before dawn, to give him a good head start in getting Merril to the Maggots. Farmer Maggot lived just down the far end of the cross road a mile or so from where they camped and another few miles southward from there. This would take Pippin deeper into the Marish and closer to Buckleberry's Ferry and the Brandywine River.
Pippin could hardly keep his mind focused or his eyes opened when he climbed upon his black stallion. He weaved in his saddle and turned his pony in the wrong direction. It took Merry a few words and one harsh sentence to gain the attention of the Took. When Merril climbed upon Whinnie, she also claimed Merry's blanket that she found to dear to part with.
Waving to the two who road out from their camp, Merry stood and watched them. Seeing that Pippin was now awake enough to lead Merril in the right direction, he decided to clean up his camp and pack everything away. Taking his time, he took extra care of Snowclad, making sure she had enough time to eat and drink.
When the sun broke the early morning sky, Merry decided it was time to find Estella and bring her home.
Letting go of his thoughts, he again returned his full attention to the road ahead of him and Merril's warning rang in his ears. If he was riding into a trap with Snowclad, then he was more than ready for it.
With each section of groups of trees he passed and another group a head of him, Merry knew within a mile, he would reach the old abandon cottage in the Marish. If there was a trap waiting for him, they were undercover so well that not even a bird or rabbit could detect. The hair on the back of his neck began to stand when Snowclad appeared to become nervous and skittish. Her feet pranced, short, quick-steps and then she would stop. Snorting and bobbing her head, Merry could sense her discomfort.
His eyes shifted from side to side and then up and down the lengths of trees on the side of the road. Merry placed his hand upon the hilt of Pippin's sword and his knuckles turned white from his tight grip.
Inch by inch, Snowclad moved ahead upon the path and pulled her nose forward appearing to test her reins and bit. Merry allowed her to have full reins and trusted his pony's instincts. He could see her ears standing straight up straining to hear any short distant sound. The quietness of the Marish seemed eerie with no birds chirping in the trees or squirrels chattering in the branches. He knew without a doubt the trap was just before them.
The bushes shifted slightly and a fast rabbit dashed out, running for its life directly in front of Snowclad. With the tension building in both of them, the rabbit sent shivers of fear down their spins and Snowclad suddenly reared and bolted straight forward. It took Merry by surprise and before he could pull back upon the reins, ropes suddenly snapped in front of them and to the side and to the back of them. Merry heard the twang of an arrow being shot just as he turned in the same direction of it. He felt the thud of impact and then a piercing hot pain that seemed to torch the inside of him. Slowly as if time and sound had suddenly stood still, he felt himself falling backward and cascading downward, falling and falling, until he hit the ground when a burst of sound exploded all around him.
Hairy feet and pony hooves descended in all direction while chaos and madness surrounded him. Loud shouting and screams echoed from everywhere, while Merry sucked in his breath deeply just trying to breathe. His eyes focused upon the straight and even feathers that were separated in between a single stick of thin wood and then traced it downward to his chest where it was embedded deep within him. His blood was pooled upon his white shirt and tight fitting vest, but in his hand he still clutched on to Pippin's sword. He heard the hysterical screams coming from his pony and tried to focus upon a hobbit that seemed to fly in mid-air after Snowclad kicked him dead-center.
Awareness snapped him to full attention taking in the scene before him and his hearing became acute.
"Get 'at pony fer Miss Estella Bolger!" shouted the lad while fear of it seized him.
Merry tried to lift a shoulder from the mossy green grass and weeds that he fell upon by the side of the dirt path. When the pain torn through him, it forced him back down upon his back, helpless to do anything for his poor pony. Laying there watching, the words of the lad echoed in his mind, 'Miss Estella Bolger'. Did he hear the lad correctly? Was it Estella all this time doing this dastardly deed? Was Myrtle also involved in this plot against him and the two of them teaming up together? Was he that wrong about Estella? Perhaps wrong about everything? Questions raced through his mind while his eyes became hazy and his mind light-headed.
"Get 'at pony fer yerself, 'at pony is crazed!" the other lad shouted back to him.
"Mr. Fredegar Bolger will have yer skin if'n ya don't get 'at rope around da pony!" added another lad.
Snowclad reared and thrashed her hooves high above the three lads that stood in front of her and then landing them upon the ground, she charged at them. The lads scattered in all directions, leaping out of the way and dashing under the ropes they penned her in.
A caped figured darted in between the ropes and the hood of her cape fell to her shoulders while her light-brown curls were fully exposed and her soft-blue eyes filled with tears and fear.
Leaning over him, Merry could see Estella's beautiful face and felt her take the sword from his hand. In that moment, Merry descended into darkness from the loss of his blood.
xxx
A/N: "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh! What a place to stop?"
"But I had too….sorry! If I went on any further this would have ended into a very long, long chapter with the events that will happen next. Since I could not explain it out at a reasonable amount of words and pages, I opt to end it here for now. The next chapter will shed some light and add to the tension from this last chapter as this story unfolds.
I hope those who are reading this story will offer some reviews. It really helps to have your input in making this a good story that I am trying really hard to write…"
Thank you, greenDayzIdiot for your review…you really made me smile….
Time and Fate; Yes, it was Estella, however, with her being there at that precise minute only lead Merry further into believing what Myrtle wanted to happen in the first place. I love to put a little twist in my stories just to keep it interesting. I hope you come back to read more and find out what is going to happen next. Thank you again for your review…(in Smeagol's words….