(A/N - Hey! How was everyone's holiday? I got a green ipod nano, but I REALLY wanted a piano. I sort of need one if I plan on going into music education... By the way, do any of you have a Lord of the Rings piano book or sheet music for piano out there? If you do, would you possibly be able to scan it and send it to me? I don't have the money to by a new book right now, so I figured I'd ask around. If you do, send me scans at askerica07(at)yahoo(dot)com. I have to use that address because I access it at school where there's an actual working printer with ink, lol. I'm fresh out as of now. Anyhoo, here's chapter thirteen! Enjoy!)
. Reviewers .
x) jennaalissa - Ooo, just woke up! I feel so loved, lol. It's okay that you don't have much to say - I understand those morning wake-ups can be difficult (as I'm sure a lot of people could). I am glad that you reviewed again, however, which means you must've liked it! and I'm so happy you did! Hope this one is just as good! Thank you, and enjoy!
x) Frodo's girl - You know what? Maybe when this whole thing is over, I'll just write a story based on the flashbacks since everyone likes them so much, lol. Sorry it took forever to update - musical's been driving me crazy, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't love every second of it! Stayin after school til six isn't bad... it'll get MUCH worse. You just wait til we get in-house meals and bring pillows and blankets til eleven and twleve at night! Anyhoo, I'll be sending back your edits on 20 hopefully tonight (I don't have rehearsals, but I do have a voice recital at seven), so look for them tomorrow sometime! Thanks for reviewing again, and have fun rereading! LoL
x) Padme4000 - Aww, thank you! If you want, we can look up other 'great' synonyms on thesaurus(dot)com! I love that sight! I have it on my Favorite's List on my computer, lol. It is such a great asset when I write, especially this story when I want to use slang terminology and stuff. It's saved me from using 'stupid' and 'weird' and that. Hobbits may say those things, but not everyday! Well, thank you kindly for another review, and I hope you have just as much enjoyment with thirteen! Thanks again!
x) Eadestre - Hmm... Frodo getting mad at Angie? Well, that will be answered in the chapter below, ma dear! Please keep reading! I know you'll absolutely be more in love as you continue on! Thanks for reviewing, and enjoy the next chapter! Hope to hear from you more!
x) ArwenEvenstar83 - Yes, they were supposed to get Merry and Pippin... or DID they? LoL... just keep reading. You'll see what I mean! Thank you for reviewing again! I don't care how short it is, it just shows that you care! Thanks, and enjoy!
x) Jack.Sparrow.1245 - Thank you so much for all the nice compliments! I'm glad I've got you hooked, LoL, now keep reading! I saw some other reviews yuo have left me and must thank you for those as well! I hope you've become one of my readers. That'd be great! Have fun continuing with the story, and thank you for reviewing! Hope you keep coming back for more!
.. Sometimes the only good things in life are the things that taste good ..
- Dis/Claimer -
. Chapter Thirteen .
.. The Wild ..
"ANGIE!" Pippin cried as he and Merry leapt up and ran over to her.
"What have you done!"
"He's done all that nasty stuff to me! He deserved it," Angie said, getting up. She shook as they all looked down into the dark steep side of the hill littered with leaves and underbrush.
"Frodo never did any of that!" Pippin said. "It was me and Merry who coaxed him to do it!"
"Oh no..." Angie said, looking back down into the ravine now. "I... I didn't mean to..."
"Well it's too late now!" Merry said hysterically. "You've-! How could you! FRODO!"
"What?"
They looked down at the other end of the miniature cliff and saw Frodo coming up out of it as he pulled leaves and twigs out of his hair and dusted off his shirtsleeves. Merry and Pippin stood there a minute in confusion. Frodo, dizzy as he was, smiled a bit at them all. Angie stopped biting her lip and smiled openly with a laugh. Still, Merry and Pippin were lost.
"Oh!" Pippin said after long last. "I think I know what they did, Merry!"
"You think?" Merry asked nervously as Frodo and Angie began to close in on them.
x x x
Dear Samwise,
How are you? I'm well, though I wasn't much earlier... It is only my second night here in Brandy Hall and already things have gotten to be interesting! On our first night here, just the night before, Pippin and Merry tried to turn Frodo against me, and we ended up having a fun old night. Frodo and I were tied up in the hallway, escaped, and then we put on a little show for Merry and Pippin. I pretended to get into a heated argument with Frodo and push him over this little ledge out in the gardens. It was so funny when they finally figured it out! But it was also too late, for guess who we tied up and left behind some bushes til after luncheon? One of the other Brandybucks found them, and then Merry's mother had a chat with us, though we all still glared at each other mischievously from behind our cups of tea at the table.
But all is quiet and well now. I've just finished reading my book earlier and decided to send my thoughts to you. We all wish you could be here. Maybe your Gaffer will let you come out for a few days soon? It will be about a year til our return, but I will write you with every spare moment I can get that Merry and Pippin don't plot against me. I've resorted to putting a sitting chair behind the door at night now, just in case they try another trick like last night. I haven't had any strawberries from here yet, but when I think about it I haven't really seen any. By the way, do you think that you could water my strawberry patch for me while I'm away? You can help yourself to the biggest ones in return. And then some.
Well I must go now. The night is getting darker, and I think I'm the only one in this hallway with their lamp still lit. I hope to hear word from you soon.
Angie
PS - Tell Bilbo I said hello and please do not let this into the hands of my mother. I would be hunted down and beaten.
x
Sam smiled as he folded the letter back up and slipped it into his top bureau drawer. He received it that morning and re-read it upon returning from dinner. He could only imagine what poor Angie and Frodo were experiencing. He'd wish they had known what they had gotten themselves into, but apparently not. Unless they decided to runaway, they would be there a whole year. Sam went over to his desk that was covered in the late evening sunlight and decided to return the letter immediately. It had taken it two weeks to arrive, so he was curious to know what was happening after the first two nights.
x
Dear Angie,
I'm fine, thank you. Your tale sounds quite engaging with all the pretending and tricks involved. Had I been there, I would have untied you and then thrown Merry and Pippin off the ledge instead. They deserve it, trick or no trick. Sorry I sound so harsh, but sometimes there's nothing else that will get through to them, is there?
I'd be happy to water your strawberries for you, too. And if I do have some, I promise that I won't eat a whole plant at a time. I stopped by and saw them just the other day, and they look nice. Your mum didn't catch sight of me, thank goodness, so I'll be doing most of the waterin' in secret. Mr. Bilbo's gardens are looking beautiful all the same as well, and he does say hello and says to have fun while your there. He's also been keeping me company in your absence. And I'm sounding a lot more better when I write thanks to him. This letter's sort like a test, you see. Just to see how well I can do this. Let me know if you think I've done a worthy job.
If you have any more trouble from those rascals Merry and Pippin, you let me know and I'll have a talk with the Gaffer so I can come out there and teach them proper. Sometimes they go a bit too far if you ask me, and I have a feeling that's not the worst they can do.
I'll leave you here. Please send me more news from Buckland - I want to be kept informed of all the doings up there. Goodbye.
Samwise
PS - Don't you worry, Miss Angie. Your letters are safe in my keeping. Write back soon.
x x x
It had been nearly a month since Frodo had stepped foot inside Brandy Hall again. Merry and Pippin were still up to scheming, but he and Angie would occasionally come up with something to set them right. Things were becoming quiet for the middle of a warm summer night just after supper. Frodo sighed, looking about the Hall for somewhere to go. The gardens held no appeal as of now, his room was getting less exciting, and he didn't have the urge to visit the small library to find another book to read.
A book.
He still hadn't returned Angie's book to her, so why not do that while he had the time? He walked up their hallway quietly as he passed a few other hobbits and ducked into his room momentarily to get her book. Then he strode across the hall to her door and knocked firmly but politely. He waited patiently, and Angie's voice came: "Who is it?"
"It's Frodo," he replied.
"Oh, come in," she responded. Frodo opened the door and looked inside; Angie was sitting amongst the blankets on her bed reading a piece of parchment which she looked up from as soon as Frodo saw her.
"Hullo, Frodo. What can I do for you?" she asked, glancing back down at the paper once again.
"I've come to return your book," he said, bringing it up from his side to show her after he reached her bedside. "I've been finished with it for a few days now and haven't given it back to you yet, so I figured I ought to."
"Well, thank you," she said. "You can set it there on the desk." She looked up from the letter, indicated the desk next to the door, and returned to the paper again. Frodo sat the book down and slowly approached Angie. He was curious of what she read.
"What's that?" he asked, standing behind her to see somewhat.
"Oh, letter from Sam," she said, scooting over. Frodo sat down next to her beginning to read the letter. "He sends love and offers service to pummel Merry and Pippin if we need him," she laughed. Frodo smiled and huffed out a short laugh.
"Sounds like Bilbo is fine, too. I think I will write him tomorrow night. I feel bad that I haven't yet."
"Has he written you?"
"No, but I trust he's just waiting for the day one of my letters arrives," Frodo said with a fond smile still on the letter. "Oh, and Sam has been given the privilege to water your strawberries and eat them, huh?"
"Yes," Angie said. "It's the only way I could think to repay him from a distance."
"Well tell him in your next letter to send some out to us!" Frodo said, looking at her. "Just for us, though; Merry and Pippin can never know."
"My thoughts exactly," Angie giggled, setting the letter in her lap. "Alright. Next letter shall be a plea for strawberries."
"Great," he said, standing up slowly.
"Leaving?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Well, I was going to make a quick run to the library," Angie said. "Did you want to come? I would think you might considering you finished my book and all."
Suddenly, Frodo's thoughts about the library changed. A trip to the library sounded good now that he had company to go with.
"Okay," he said, watching Angie place Sam's letter on her nightside table. "Just a short one though, alright? I'm feeling a bit tired."
.. x x x ..
Leaving Bree was not as secret as Strider would have liked. The hobbits didn't look too thrilled about leaving in daylight either. It made them feel very vulnerable and visible to anyone - or anything. The Riders still lingered in the back of their minds as they headed towards the hills in Strider's lead with the company of a new pony named Bill. Sam took a quick liking to him as predicted, and he even talked to him in moments of silence as they traveled.
The air was cold and held even more of a chill when the wind decided to gust on occasion as they followed Strider to an unknown haven of safety away from the village of Bree. If the Riders were there, anywhere seemed like a safe place, even out in the open wilderness. The altitude rose as they approached the hills, and their curiosity rose as well.
"Where are you taking us?" Frodo finally asked of Strider.
"Into the wild," he simply replied.
"Well that answered the question perfectly," Angie muttered to Sam whom she was walking beside. Sam's expression became thoughtful a moment, but then it went back to being indifferent.
"How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?" they overheard Merry saying to Frodo.
"I think a servant of the Enemy would look fairer and feel fouler," Frodo replied.
"He's foul enough!" Merry argued.
"We have no choice but to trust him," Frodo said with a heavy pull on his insides. He felt it was the right thing to do since he had protected them and taken them in, but how was he to know Strider was not doing this for his own benefit?
"But where is he leading us?" Sam blurted out from behind them.
"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee," Strider said, bringing a smile to the face of Samwise. "To the House of Elrond."
"Did you hear that?" he asked, turning to Angie with a large grin of excitement. "Rivendell! We're going to see the elves!"
Angie could only smile herself and laugh with him. Sam's lifelong dream was to meet an elf and learn all about them. It seemed so hard compared to the ambitions the other hobbits of the Shire had, but it was so simple compared to Angie's wish of living a life of happiness not in vain of itself.
"Yes," Strider said from the head of their group. "But to arrive we must remain unseen. Keep close to one another and stay quiet. We will rest for the night when the land pans out."
"Oh, pots and pans," Sam moaned. "Doesn't a nice warm bowl of soup sound appetizin' right about now?"
"Sam," Angie whispered to stop the vision he was setting upon them. He lowered his head as they continued walking.
It indeed sounded wonderful as the air came to hold more chill out in this land. They had a good amount of food back at the inn, but Angie did not recall any soup. Oh but now, now to feel that warm liquid run down into their stomachs was so desirable by them all as their hands began to chap and their hair became windswept from the breeze.
Pippin sighed from beside Angie, catching her attention. "Just to feel the warmth of that cup of soup would do wonders right now," he said longingly.
"Pippin, please," Angie whined. "Not now. We don't get to eat til nightfall, and that's still a long ways off just for a little bite."
"But it sounds so good," he pouted. "Nice, warm, red tomato soup with some pepper-"
"Pip-"
"And a mug of ale alongside it-"
"Honestly!" Merry said, turning around after finally hearing enough of the talk. "Is that all you think about? Food and drink?"
Pippin looked slightly taken aback but replied without hesitation. "I am a hobbit, am I not?" Merry grunted and turned around.
"Just stop it, Pippin," he said lowly.
"Hey! Aren't you a hobbit, too?" Pippin asked, running after him.
"Drop it..."
"Hobbits are hungry by nature!"
"Stop-"
"And you are just as bad as me!"
Merry turned around again with angry eyes darting right into Pippin who began to step backwards when Strider's attention was brought to the arguing.
"Enough," he said as they separated reluctantly. "Hunger is something you will have to learn to live with until we reach Rivendell. There, I'm sure you will be well accommodated. Now let's keep moving and stay quiet."
Strider continued on, and the hobbits looked at one another before following him, saddened that they would not receive any of the soup that had sounded so real and delightful. But then suddenly, as they crested the top of the hill, Pippin's stomach grumbled loud and low.
"Pippin!" Merry shouted in frustration.
"I can't help it!"
x x x
The next day was not all that exciting either. The hobbits were very hungry despite the little food they had eaten the previous night. It is very hard to function on such rations when you're a hobbit who does nothing but eat every hour or two. But anyways, they had to keep moving on little breakfast and water that morning. Still tired and groggy, the five of them were led on by Strider towards Rivendell in the snow-covered hills. The hopes of meeting Gandalf there (and getting a decent hobbit-sized meal) seemed to be the only things keeping their feet moving absentmindedly through the rough wilderness.
Two hours or so after beginning their trek for the day, Pippin's stomach was rumbling again loudly, and Sam's had joined in guiltily. Merry looked at the sun's position in the pale sky.
"Pull over, Sam," he said, grabbing onto the rope around Bill's neck to stop him. "Let's have a bite, hmm?"
Sam and Pippin immediately helped in removing the cooking ware from Bill's load.
"Angie, Frodo," Pippin called, "give us a hand."
Frodo and Angie went over to help seeing that it was indeed time for second breakfast, and they hadn't been this glad in a while for it. They were about to pick up a few scattered twigs for a small fire when Strider's voice came over them.
"Gentlemen," - Angie's face narrowed - "and m'lady," he said, correcting himself for her, "we do not stop til nightfall. We discussed this already."
"What about breakfast?" Pippin asked, stepping forward.
Strider bent his brow. "We've already had it."
"We've had one, yes," Pippin said as Merry walked up beside him. "But what about second breakfast?"
Strider didn't even care to know what second breakfast was, so he kept on walking. He was obviously misinformed on how hungry hobbits could be. Pippin, however, stood there looking somewhat offended as he walked away.
"I don't think he knows about second breakfast Pip," Merry said to his friend who continued to stare blankly out into space. Suddenly, Pippin was snapped out of his trance and became alarmed.
"What about elevenses?" he said, following after Merry. "Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?"
Merry stopped. "I wouldn't count it."
Just then, a small red apple came from over the bushes, and Merry caught it. He smiled, handed it to Pippin while patting his shoulder, and walked on. Pippin looked down at the fruit until another apple struck his head. He looked up in confusion, swearing for a brief second that apples were actually falling from the sky. Merry looked back impatiently.
"Pippin!"
A smile crossed Angie's face, and she laughed a bit. As they passed these apples, Pippin started gathering them all up in his shirt and dumping them in an empty sack on Bill's load. The poor animal whinnied, and Sam, Frodo, and Angie became aware of it.
"Here now, what are you doin'?" Sam asked, stopping a moment.
"Savin' 'em for a pie," Pippin answered honestly. "Once we get to Rivendell, you can bake us a nice one, Angie."
Angie looked at Pippin with all the love in her heart and began to smile genuinely at him until her whole face was filled with laughter. Her cheeks weren't just red from the cold, and she knew it. Pippin smiled back before looking back down at the ground and walking on. As he came up beside her with his hands folded neatly behind his back, Angie smiled and bit her lip expecting something. And something came; Pippin knocked her right over into the bushes and continues walking as if nothing happened.
It attracted the attention of the other three hobbits. Merry started to laugh. Frodo knelt to help Angie as Sam glared dangerously at Pippin.
"Are you alright?" Frodo asked her.
"Just fine," Angie answered as she got up with revenge burning in her eyes towards Pippin's back. Frodo let her slip away from him as she marched up right behind Pippin and practically picked him up and threw him into a tangled mess of a bush. She laughed as Merry's mouth fell open and she passed him by. He looked from her to the bush to Frodo and Sam who were smiling some as they also passed him up.
"Serves you right," Sam said to the moaning form of Pippin lying in the bush as he led Bill along the rough land behind Strider, Angie, and Frodo. As he turned around, Merry started mimicking him with an overdone twisted face and motor mouth. He then helped Pippin leap to his feet and pick a few twigs from his hair.
"You'd think we'd learn not to mess with her," Pippin said, watching her get farther away.
"It's not messing with her, it's how to get away once we mess with her," Merry corrected him. Pippin nodded at this thinking and the pair of them brought up the end of the group as they continued towards marshy grounds.
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