Writer note: Just wanted to mention my awesome beta-read, Pervinca, who has been such a wonderful help! This chapter would of came out totally different if she hadn't stated one thing to me, and made me think about where this story was headed!
Chapter 2: Just a Little Slip in the River
Estella ran. Tears blinded her vision, but she kept running. Her mind
left barely any room for rational thinking. All she could see were the
months she had watched her father morph from the strong gentlehobbit she
had always known him to be, to the invalid who needed help just to sit
up.
When her mother died years ago, it was quite sudden - a matter of weeks.
Her father, on the other hand, had wasted away for a couple years. It
hadn't been sudden and deep down, she knew to expect him to pass sooner
or later, but it still felt as if her heart had been wrenched from her.
Estella halted. The Brandywine River was before her. Had she ran that far
that fast? She watched, absently, the moon rippling on the current. The
thought of Fredegar promptly appeared in her mind, and a fresh batch of
tears streaked down her cheeks. She wondered if he'd actually do the
dirty work of taking care of the body and planning a funeral. She
wondered if he was even still at home, or if he ran away himself like he
was so accustomed to do.
Estella collapsed to the thick grass beside the river, and wept into her
arms until she knew no more.
Birds chirped as the first snippets of the sun peeked over the trees.
Estella groaned and rolled over. She lay for many minutes in a twilight
sleep. The sound of the river caught her ears, and she bolted up. It was
morning, and for a moment, she was dazed as to how she got where she was.
The memories, though, flooded back as fast as the current of the
Brandywine was running. She clutched her head, willing herself not to
start crying again.
She didn't cry, but stood and stopped closely near the edge of the river.
Estella wasn't too fond of water, even though she had grown up fairly
close to the Brandywine. She didn't know how to swim and the current -
which usually ran at a good pace in this section of land - often scared
her. Not today though. She crept closer and closer until her toes touched
the water.
'What am I doing?'
The thought ripped through her, and she took a step back with one foot.
'Would I let this river take me away? Will it ease the pain?' She stared
into the water, and shuddered. 'No, it's not right. A harsh punishment,
indeed, for Fred. I am not that cruel or angry to bring my life to an
end.'
She could not find a reason, but knew she desired to live. The memories
of what life use to be before the tragedies melted into her mind. Estella
sighed, closing her eyes. She loved playing cricket with her brother and
his friends. She'd always be the last to be picked for a team (as
Fredegar was never a captain, otherwise he would have picked her first
thing) and she wasn't a very good player, but that didn't her from loving
to play any less.
A rolling field of wildflowers flashed in her mind, and she was brought
to a place she hadn't seen in years. It was a field passed the forest in
Buckland where the hills lobbed up and down. Wildflowers grew plentiful
there, and it was a beautiful sight to see them blowing in the wind.
Estella was so caught up in the world she once knew, that she didn't
realize till it was too late that she was slipping on the smooth grass.
She fell to her knees, feet dipping into the water. She reached to grab
the long grass to pull herself up, but she slide and the current pulled
her in.
It felt more than an eternity as Estella struggled to break through the
water's surface. She never had any formal swimming training, just her
brother's friends telling her to flap her arms like a bird and that would
guarantee a successful swim. She tried to flap, but the current was too
much and she kept slipping in and out - water gushing into her mouth
every time.
Estella's strength was running low. She knew she was no match for the
current, and stopped struggling. As she gave up on the world around her,
a hand caught her collar.
"Hurry along, Merry! We need to get to Brandy Hall before breakfast is
served!"
"We have time, Pip! We can squander a few minutes trotting. It's a
beautiful morning!"
The two cousins had decided the night before to take a trip to Brandy
Hall from Crickhollow to visit for the day. The cooks at the Hall always
prepared a delicious breakfast, better than anything Merry or Pippin
could ever prepare. Pippin was all too hasty in wanting to be there
before breakfast was served.
Merry looked up the river. It was rushing fairly rapidly this morning. He
squinted, his eyes catching sight of something thrashing about near the
edge. He flew off his pony and to the water's edge when he realize it was
hobbit struggling to stay afloat.
"Merry, what is it?" Pippin called, hopping off his pony and joining
his
cousin.
"Someone is in the water," Merry replied. He pointed upstream, and
Pippin
finally saw the figure. "They're coming this way. Take my hand. I'll try
to catch them as they go by." Merry sounded awfully calm.
Pippin grasped his cousin's hand with both of his, and helped Merry slid
carefully to the water's edge. The hobbit was only seconds away from
passing them. This was their only chance. Merry took a quick deep breath,
and grabbed for anything his hand would catch.
He caught a collar, and gripped it tightly. "Pull me up!"
Pippin did not let go of his cousin until Merry was safely on shore. Then
he helped pull the drenched hobbit wholly out the water. It was a lass,
and her dress was rather heavy, being waterlogged. To their surprise, she
was aware and started coughing and sputtering. Merry patted her back,
pushing the wet hair from her face. He recognized her immediately.
"Estella?"
"Fatty's sister?" Pippin gasped.
"Are you all right?" Merry asked, helping her to sit up. She nodded,
weakly, and then began to cry. Merry cracked a lop-sided smile, wrapping
an arm around her shoulder. "You're safe, Stella." He looked down at
her
head resting on his shoulder. She wept into his livery.
Merry had known Estella since they were children. She lived in Budgeford,
not too far from Brandy Hall. Merry had become friends with Fredegar,
because he was friends with Merry's cousin, Berilac. Estella was always
Fredegar's shadow when she was a young tweenager. There were few lasses
who weren't your usual giggly, girly tween-type and weren't worried about
getting a little dirt on them. Estella was one of that rare kind, and
Merry always got along with her well. He did consider her a friend.
He hadn't seen her much the last few years, with spying on his elder
cousin, going off on the quest, and being busy with restoring the Shire.
He knew her father was an invalid and that Estella was taking care of
him. He had visited the Bolger smial several times to check up on
Fredegar right after he was taken from the horrible Lockholes. He didn't
see Estella much on those visit, because she was in her father's room
most of the time.
After a few minutes, Estella calmed and Merry felt it right to ask
questions. "How did you get in the river?"
Estella sucked in, her head still against Merry's shoulder. "I
slipped."
"What were you doing so close to the water to slip in?" Pippin
asked,
curiously. He was seated across from his two companions.
"I wanted the river to take me at first, but changed my mind after it was
too late."
The two cousins gaped at her blunt answer. Did that mean what they
thought it did?
"Why?" Merry said.
In barely a whisper, she answered, "My father died last night."
"Oh, Stella." Merry pulled her closer, and wrapped his other arm
around
her. "I'm sorry, lass."
Pippin just sat there quietly. Though he knew Fredegar well, he did not
know Estella particularly well. Merry did, so he let his cousin handle
it.
"We should get you home, out of these wet clothes," Merry said.
"No!" Estella pulled away from him. "I can't go home. Not right
now.
Please, take me anywhere but there."
She was pleading, and Merry couldn't help but feel his heart breaking for
the poor girl. They were at the halfway mark in-between Brandy Hall and
Crickhollow. Estella most definitely would not want to be around all the
bustle that was in the Hall. He nodded. "I'll take you back to our home
in Crickhollow until you feel up to going home."
Pippin gaped. He hadn't expected his cousin to say that. Maybe bring
Estella to Brandy Hall until she felt better, but not to their own home.
He didn't respond to this until Merry was helping Estella onto his pony.
"Are you sure about this, Merry?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"Stella needs some time away from everything. She won't be with us long.
Why? Do you mind?"
"I don't mind. It's just she's a very vulnerable lass right now. It's
hard to tell what to do and what not to do around her."
"Then let me handle her. I want you to ride to Budgeford and tell Fred
she's with us."
Pippin did not protest. He watched Merry climbed onto his pony, Estella
in front of him, and rode back in the direction they had come. He heaved,
and climbed onto his pony. "So much for breakfast."
Chapter 2: Just a Little Slip in the River
Estella ran. Tears blinded her vision, but she kept running. Her mind
left barely any room for rational thinking. All she could see were the
months she had watched her father morph from the strong gentlehobbit she
had always known him to be, to the invalid who needed help just to sit
up.
When her mother died years ago, it was quite sudden - a matter of weeks.
Her father, on the other hand, had wasted away for a couple years. It
hadn't been sudden and deep down, she knew to expect him to pass sooner
or later, but it still felt as if her heart had been wrenched from her.
Estella halted. The Brandywine River was before her. Had she ran that far
that fast? She watched, absently, the moon rippling on the current. The
thought of Fredegar promptly appeared in her mind, and a fresh batch of
tears streaked down her cheeks. She wondered if he'd actually do the
dirty work of taking care of the body and planning a funeral. She
wondered if he was even still at home, or if he ran away himself like he
was so accustomed to do.
Estella collapsed to the thick grass beside the river, and wept into her
arms until she knew no more.
Birds chirped as the first snippets of the sun peeked over the trees.
Estella groaned and rolled over. She lay for many minutes in a twilight
sleep. The sound of the river caught her ears, and she bolted up. It was
morning, and for a moment, she was dazed as to how she got where she was.
The memories, though, flooded back as fast as the current of the
Brandywine was running. She clutched her head, willing herself not to
start crying again.
She didn't cry, but stood and stopped closely near the edge of the river.
Estella wasn't too fond of water, even though she had grown up fairly
close to the Brandywine. She didn't know how to swim and the current -
which usually ran at a good pace in this section of land - often scared
her. Not today though. She crept closer and closer until her toes touched
the water.
'What am I doing?'
The thought ripped through her, and she took a step back with one foot.
'Would I let this river take me away? Will it ease the pain?' She stared
into the water, and shuddered. 'No, it's not right. A harsh punishment,
indeed, for Fred. I am not that cruel or angry to bring my life to an
end.'
She could not find a reason, but knew she desired to live. The memories
of what life use to be before the tragedies melted into her mind. Estella
sighed, closing her eyes. She loved playing cricket with her brother and
his friends. She'd always be the last to be picked for a team (as
Fredegar was never a captain, otherwise he would have picked her first
thing) and she wasn't a very good player, but that didn't her from loving
to play any less.
A rolling field of wildflowers flashed in her mind, and she was brought
to a place she hadn't seen in years. It was a field passed the forest in
Buckland where the hills lobbed up and down. Wildflowers grew plentiful
there, and it was a beautiful sight to see them blowing in the wind.
Estella was so caught up in the world she once knew, that she didn't
realize till it was too late that she was slipping on the smooth grass.
She fell to her knees, feet dipping into the water. She reached to grab
the long grass to pull herself up, but she slide and the current pulled
her in.
It felt more than an eternity as Estella struggled to break through the
water's surface. She never had any formal swimming training, just her
brother's friends telling her to flap her arms like a bird and that would
guarantee a successful swim. She tried to flap, but the current was too
much and she kept slipping in and out - water gushing into her mouth
every time.
Estella's strength was running low. She knew she was no match for the
current, and stopped struggling. As she gave up on the world around her,
a hand caught her collar.
"Hurry along, Merry! We need to get to Brandy Hall before breakfast is
served!"
"We have time, Pip! We can squander a few minutes trotting. It's a
beautiful morning!"
The two cousins had decided the night before to take a trip to Brandy
Hall from Crickhollow to visit for the day. The cooks at the Hall always
prepared a delicious breakfast, better than anything Merry or Pippin
could ever prepare. Pippin was all too hasty in wanting to be there
before breakfast was served.
Merry looked up the river. It was rushing fairly rapidly this morning. He
squinted, his eyes catching sight of something thrashing about near the
edge. He flew off his pony and to the water's edge when he realize it was
hobbit struggling to stay afloat.
"Merry, what is it?" Pippin called, hopping off his pony and joining
his
cousin.
"Someone is in the water," Merry replied. He pointed upstream, and
Pippin
finally saw the figure. "They're coming this way. Take my hand. I'll try
to catch them as they go by." Merry sounded awfully calm.
Pippin grasped his cousin's hand with both of his, and helped Merry slid
carefully to the water's edge. The hobbit was only seconds away from
passing them. This was their only chance. Merry took a quick deep breath,
and grabbed for anything his hand would catch.
He caught a collar, and gripped it tightly. "Pull me up!"
Pippin did not let go of his cousin until Merry was safely on shore. Then
he helped pull the drenched hobbit wholly out the water. It was a lass,
and her dress was rather heavy, being waterlogged. To their surprise, she
was aware and started coughing and sputtering. Merry patted her back,
pushing the wet hair from her face. He recognized her immediately.
"Estella?"
"Fatty's sister?" Pippin gasped.
"Are you all right?" Merry asked, helping her to sit up. She nodded,
weakly, and then began to cry. Merry cracked a lop-sided smile, wrapping
an arm around her shoulder. "You're safe, Stella." He looked down at
her
head resting on his shoulder. She wept into his livery.
Merry had known Estella since they were children. She lived in Budgeford,
not too far from Brandy Hall. Merry had become friends with Fredegar,
because he was friends with Merry's cousin, Berilac. Estella was always
Fredegar's shadow when she was a young tweenager. There were few lasses
who weren't your usual giggly, girly tween-type and weren't worried about
getting a little dirt on them. Estella was one of that rare kind, and
Merry always got along with her well. He did consider her a friend.
He hadn't seen her much the last few years, with spying on his elder
cousin, going off on the quest, and being busy with restoring the Shire.
He knew her father was an invalid and that Estella was taking care of
him. He had visited the Bolger smial several times to check up on
Fredegar right after he was taken from the horrible Lockholes. He didn't
see Estella much on those visit, because she was in her father's room
most of the time.
After a few minutes, Estella calmed and Merry felt it right to ask
questions. "How did you get in the river?"
Estella sucked in, her head still against Merry's shoulder. "I
slipped."
"What were you doing so close to the water to slip in?" Pippin
asked,
curiously. He was seated across from his two companions.
"I wanted the river to take me at first, but changed my mind after it was
too late."
The two cousins gaped at her blunt answer. Did that mean what they
thought it did?
"Why?" Merry said.
In barely a whisper, she answered, "My father died last night."
"Oh, Stella." Merry pulled her closer, and wrapped his other arm
around
her. "I'm sorry, lass."
Pippin just sat there quietly. Though he knew Fredegar well, he did not
know Estella particularly well. Merry did, so he let his cousin handle
it.
"We should get you home, out of these wet clothes," Merry said.
"No!" Estella pulled away from him. "I can't go home. Not right
now.
Please, take me anywhere but there."
She was pleading, and Merry couldn't help but feel his heart breaking for
the poor girl. They were at the halfway mark in-between Brandy Hall and
Crickhollow. Estella most definitely would not want to be around all the
bustle that was in the Hall. He nodded. "I'll take you back to our home
in Crickhollow until you feel up to going home."
Pippin gaped. He hadn't expected his cousin to say that. Maybe bring
Estella to Brandy Hall until she felt better, but not to their own home.
He didn't respond to this until Merry was helping Estella onto his pony.
"Are you sure about this, Merry?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"Stella needs some time away from everything. She won't be with us long.
Why? Do you mind?"
"I don't mind. It's just she's a very vulnerable lass right now. It's
hard to tell what to do and what not to do around her."
"Then let me handle her. I want you to ride to Budgeford and tell Fred
she's with us."
Pippin did not protest. He watched Merry climbed onto his pony, Estella
in front of him, and rode back in the direction they had come. He heaved,
and climbed onto his pony. "So much for breakfast."