Chapter 4
Keeping Both Your Eyes Open
The fading shade of nightfall gave way to the dawn of first morning light and with that so did Frodo. He opened the third round door to the entrance of Brandy Hall and stood upon the grass thick with morning dew. A low lying mist began to lift just over the tops of the rolling hills in Buckland. When the sun rays grazed over the mist it filtered a red-orange glow to the sea of tall grass that grew in and around Brandy Hall.
Songs of birds exploded in rhythmic tones with the greeting of the new day. It only added to the happiness he was already feeling with the plans that he had made. Today was going to be a day that he would remember for his entire life, a day that he would ask Minderrell to be his wife.
Frodo knew that Minderrell would not be at the swing yet, where they met almost daily, it would be closer to second breakfast before he would even leave Brandy Hall for the Marish.
As it was customary with most hobbits, when asking for a lass's hand in marriage, was to bring the attending family gifts. This early morning hour would find Frodo in the market square of Bucklebury to purchase items hard to find in the wetlands of the Marish.
Farmer Maggot was due back soon from his trip to the Old Forest and Frodo greatly feared this meeting with him. He had hoped that with his purchase of the finest pipe-weed from the South Farthing would at least soften the old farmer up some so he would at least allow Frodo to speak with him. For Mrs. Maggot, Frodo thought of giving her a large bushel basket of freshly picked apples and bags of sugar for her pantry. He knew these commodities in the Marish would be greatly received and valued by those that lived in there.
He would also purchase a bolt of weaved cloth to exchange for Mrs. Maggot's turnips stew and mushrooms to present to the Master of Buckland as a gift, so he would marry them at Brandy Hall.
Frodo's morning was going to be very busy, going from shop to shop, but at the end of the day, his dreams were all going to come true, Minderrell would soon be his wife.
His pockets were filled with the coins from his inheritance after his parent's passing and even Dinodas sweetened his pot by add a few more coins just because he was so happy.
After hours of bargaining with the storekeepers and then finding out they were completely out of sugar, Frodo opted to purchase a large package of freshly cured bacon from the storekeeper. When Frodo had his purchases, he headed to Buckleburry Ferry to take it across the Brandywine River and then to the Marish.
The ropes on the ferry Frodo pulled seemed unwieldy and weighty as if something did not want him to make it across the Brandywine River. The waves in the water hit the sides with extra force and made it appear to pitch and pause in place rather than move forward. Frodo planted his feet firmly upon the wooden floor and tugged on the ropes only to gain minimal distance. His muscles in his arms and shoulders ached from the exertion and strain he was putting in this effort. Fighting the current and the waves to what seemed like an hour; the ferry finally hit the shores of the Marish.
Setting his feet in the wetlands, he tied the ropes securely to the pole and went back on ferry to retrieve his purchases for the Maggots. He gathered his backpack and hoisted it upon his shoulders and turned to the path that would lead in the directions of the farm.
He envisioned Minderrell's lovely face and her laughter echoed in his mind the closer he got to the swing and their usual meeting place. It was unusual for the lateness of the hour it took Frodo to accomplish his deeds as he expected Minderrell to be sitting upon her swing waiting for him. But she was not there. Putting down his backpack on the ground in front of the swing, he stretched his back and looked at the swing and then further down the path to the farm where she lived. There were no usual activities going on in the courtyard of the farm from her brothers who worked with the animals and crops that they tended. Frodo thought queer of this.
He sat upon her swing to wait and viewed the courtyard of the farm in the hopes that she would soon join him. The squeak of the swing's rope against the bark on the branch of the tree caused one of the dogs to perk his ears up and then his head. At the same time, Frodo noticed the dog. In one swift bolt of speed, Wolf lunged from the porch racing to the swing and the stranger upon it. Frodo only had a moment to clutch the swings rope and climbed it to the top. Hoisting his leg over the branch, he pulled himself to safety from the vicious dog.
Snarling jagged teeth and ear piercing barking alerted the family within the farm house. Frodo frantically clutched the safety of the thick branch that kept him away from the fierce dog below him. Adjusting himself upon the branch just a little, he got himself in a better position. However in doing so, tore the front pocket of his very best vest upon the coarseness of the bark. Frodo watched in horror as his mother's ring fell from the tree onto the ground in front of the dog. Frodo kept his eye upon the spot where it had fallen so he could find it when one of the Maggots called their dog off.
Three of Minderrell's brothers raced from the farm house to where Wolf had corned the trespasser. Seeing who it was, Boletac pulled Wolf away from the swing, while Agaric called to Frodo to come down. Napus's eyes burned angrily up at Frodo and he clutched his fists to his side. Boletac took Wolf into the house, while Mrs. Maggot shut the door so he could not get out. The two returned to the swing and just in time, when Napus grabbed Frodo by his weskit and crossed his fists against his face. Frodo fell from his feet, while Agaric grabbed his brother to restrain him.
Frodo lifted his arm in protection to cover the throbbing pain of his bleeding cheek from the blow that Napus gave him. He cast unbelievable eyes upon the two brothers struggling in front of him, until something else redirected his attention away from them. His eyes then caught a glimpse of his mother's ring lying upon the ground in the grass and he quickly picked it up and held it in his fist.
Agaric's loud angry voice shouted at his brother to contain him while he tried to hold him in place, "Napus, have you lost your mind completely!"
Napus's wild angry eyes glared at his brother, "I saw 'em, Agaric, with my own eyes!" he shouted at his brother. "I saw the two 'o 'em swimming in the creek, him shown her the queer ways of the water. Yer protecting a murderer! He kilt Minderrell as if his hand held a dagger, and with his lips gave her a kiss."
Agaric shoved his brother to the ground, while Boletac came around him and with a thick hand grabbed the back of his collar and hoisted him to stand, ending the confrontation between them. "Our sister is dead and our Mum is heartsick, Napus! Tis' is not the time fer ya ta be going off half cocked!"
Frodo dropped his arm to his side that held his mother's ring and sat there frozen in his place. He no longer felt the throbbing pain that welted against his cheek and as if time suddenly stood still, everything in front of him moved one frame at a time. Boletac and Napus's words echoed into his mind, "Our sister is dead;"… "He kilt Minderrell;"… "Murderer!"
A war of emotions collided and split only to regroup and attacked again and again in his mind. Neither mind nor heart would surrender to the other--- they were equal in strength and power. The blood rushed from his head and his heart struggled to pump the blood even faster, pulsating and pounding in the confines of his chest.
His arms and legs awkwardly tried to respond to his will to stand and he forced each one to do so.
It was the kindness of Mrs. Maggot that came to his aid and grasped his hands and held them. Only then did Frodo feel the war of emotions within him surrender and allowed him his own free-will. He could see the tears flowing from the old hobbitess's eyes that ran down the wrinkles and lines of her aged face. A face so heartbroken and forlorn, it would be forever engrained into his mind for all time to come. Her voice so weak from weeping it trembled with each word that she spoke. "Napus, should not 'ave done what he did ta ya, my dear boy, nor say what he has. Tis true 'o his words 'at me poor Minderrell fell in the creek and twas drown just afore dawn this morning. Napus found her and has not been himself since."
She paused a moment wiping the tears with a kerchief she had knotted in her hands and then added, "nor any 'o us fer that matter."
The grief from Frodo's heart burst from the core of him and mixed with the sadness all around him. His tears flowed freely down his cheeks and his voice quivered and quaked while he tried to speak to Minderrell's mother. "Where…." He paused, struggling and choking on his words, "Where is she? I must see her…"
"She ain't here, Mr. Baggins," she spoke, but those words tore at her heart once more and she sobbed trying to tell him. "Me dear husband has taken her to the Old Forest, to the one who walks those lands." Pausing for a moment and through her choking voice, she added. "He plans to bury her by the pond of the lady 'o the forest where her songs would be sung upon her fer all time ta come."
Frodo cast unbelievable eyes upon Mrs. Maggot almost pleading to her that all she told him could not possibly be true. "No," cried Frodo with his heart equally broken, "No…"
Before his mind could recognize what he would next, Frodo found himself running through the Marish as fast as his legs could carry him. He would run until he had no breath left in him to reach the gates of the High Hay and stop Farmer Maggot from his quest.
Sam's lips narrowed thinly as did his old wrinkled eyes, He knew if someone would have taken Rosie from him, even in her death that he too would have found and fought any manner of evil creature in this world or not and even Sauron himself, if need be. He clutched the bed sheet into his tight fist as if he welded Sting in his hand. "Go get him Mr. Frodo and give him what for!" shouted Sam in his anger.
If Sam could have willed himself into the book at that moment he would have done so just to help Mr. Frodo.
What trouble bothered the ferry before now glided with swiftness across the Brandywine River to the other side. The ferry impacted the land and came to an abrupt stop when Frodo leaped from it and took off in a flash running as if Farmer Maggots dogs were hot on his trail.
Frodo only paused a few moments bending down upon his foot to look at the fresh track marks left in the dirt from the small cart pulled by a pony. He also saw the farmer's foot prints and those left by his two dogs and they were upon the path that would lead them towards the High Hay. Dogs or no dogs, Frodo would find them and confront Farmer Maggot.
He could see Brandy Hall in the distance while he ran and walked, interspersing between the two to save as much of his strength. The path that he followed curved around the far side of where the Brandybuck's lived within Buck Hill. The path continued a wide curve passed Bucklebury and then straight on until the High Hay Gate. This took Frodo most of the entire afternoon and then into early part of the evening before he neared the fearsome gate. He watched the clouds begin to fill the sky while he walked feeling exhaustion taking a hold of him. Frodo would not allow his thoughts to turn to Minderrell or of her passing. Those feeling he would save for later and barred them deep within himself. Instead he focused upon the path, the tracks in which he followed, the fierce dogs that could possibly eat him, and of the Farmer in which he knew so little about, but still enough to fear him.
Dawn was fast approaching when Frodo got close enough to the gate to see it. He felt that he had failed and Farmer Maggot had passed through the gate and was now in the Old Forest.
He felt his legs wanting to give and grabbed the bars of the locked gate at the same time to steady himself. Leaning his face against the cold iron of the bars, he was ready to succumb to his grief when he heard something behind him.
Snarling growls exploded in the low lighting of dawn and he turned quickly when one of the two dogs pounced upon him knocking him to the ground. All Frodo could see were the sharp fangs of the vicious dog in which he feared the most upon him.
"Stay yer mark!" shouted the Old Farmer at his dogs.
The dog that sat upon Frodo's chest immediately obeyed withdrawing his fangs and retreating back to its master.
Frodo immediately sat up and faced the fearsome farmer and his dogs.
"Ya have courage, Mr. Baggins," said Farmer Maggot and extended his hand to help Frodo stand.
Frodo took his hand and slowly raised himself to his feet. From behind Farmer Maggot, Frodo could see the pony and the cart and knew what was in it. Taking a few step around the farmer, Frodo peered into the cart and the blanket that covered the one that he loved and he cried just from the site of it as if all hope was gone.
Farmer Maggot's thick hand came down upon Frodo's shoulder and it startled him not knowing what the farmer would do to him.
The round, red faced hobbit had a kindly sparkle within his eyes that gentled Frodo's fear of him. Giving Frodo a nod, he beckoned him to say his final good-byes to his daughter.
He climbed into the cart and kneeled down to her and pulled the blanket from her still form. There, just like in the image of his mother when she died, laid the one he loved the most in his life. The one he would have married and lived and loved his entire life with. The one who would have bared his children and breathed life back into him, now took the heart of him.
Death had taken all those that Frodo had loved and needed in his life. No gentle arms would ever hold him, nor kiss him. No words of love would ever be spoken to him or from him.
He reached around her and brought her lifeless form within his arms and stroked the long lengths of her dark curly hair and stroked the gentle softness of her flawless cheek. Frodo then reached into his pocket and took out the ring of his mother and placed it upon her finger. Then with the last kiss from his lips, Frodo said good-bye to the only one that he would ever love and held her tightly sobbing out the last of what grief was left within him.
The gentle scene beheld by the farmer touched the core of him and brought tears to his aged eyes. Pulling Frodo from the side of his daughter, he embraced Frodo in his strong, thick arms.
Through Frodo's sobbing and inconsolable words, he spoke to Farmer Maggot, "It was I that taught her to swim. It's my fault. I caused this to happen to her!"
"No, Frodo," came Farmer Maggot's words. "There's things in the world 'at are meant to be and things 'at happen fer a reason. There not clear to the looker 'at bears witness 'o 'em, but none the less is sound when yer eyes are both open. Ya have to open yer eyes, Frodo, ya have to keep both open ta see clearly. There are possibilities of this world that closed eyes could never understand nor ever care ta see, but it's there Frodo as long as both yer eyes can see it."
Frodo pulled away from Farmer Maggot and looked him directly into his wise old eyes and was touched by the words that he had spoken. With tears flowing from his eyes, he spoke to him, "I don't understand, Farmer Maggot. I can not see the meaning of why she is taken away from me when I loved her and needed her so…"
His fingers embedded with clay, lifted Frodo's chin so he could peer into his tear streaked eyes and spoke to him, "Ya will Frodo Baggins, Ya will understand one day when ya keep both yer eyes open and can see things clearly, then ya will understand."
Farmer Maggot walked away from Frodo and gathered the blanket in his hands and covered his daughter's face and body.
Frodo cried with a deep sobbing, "Please, do not take her into the Old Forest where I will never be able to follow and find her. Bury her at Brandy Hall next to my mother and father," he begged and pleaded.
"It is because I take her to the Old Forest 'at you will find yer peace, Frodo. In this, I know what I speak," Farmer Maggot told him.
Farmer Maggot gave a whistle to his dogs that came running to his side and he opened the High Hay gate wide and walked over to his pony and led them into the Old Forest.
Frodo's knees collapsed from under him and he sunk to the ground moaning out his grief from his heart so badly broken and he heard the iron-gate snap shut and the locks securely placed so no one could enter.
………
A/N: Elwen, Sorry about my poor choice of word usage when I used only a simple sentence stating, 'the howls of barking could be heard within the Marish' as an introduction of Farmer Maggot coming back home…
I guess I got lost in my own story and forgot about the reader. I should have made it clearer…
I really appreciate your taking the time to review this little story. It makes me feel like someone is enjoying it and making me want to finish this just for you! …..(Smile)…..
