The night seemed colder then before. The lake in Hobbiton had a thin crisp layer of ice on it. It looked strange, snow flakes were hitting it, yet they were melting slow, instead of falling in liquid water. The fish that lived in the water of the lake came up to the surface. But they could not take breath.
There were small air bubbles trapped under the sheet of ice. The fish would come to the surface, take a breath and then dart back down. The bottom of the lake was warmer then the surface. Hundreds of fish were gathered there. The bottom of the lake had silt built up. There were rotting logs, good homes for newts and frogs.
Crucian carp and small trout lived in the murky water too. Remnants of water lilies remained at the bottom. Small oxygen bubbles rose though the silt. Pillars of weeds swayed in the calm water.
On the surface, the fox was exploring. It looked around and sniffed the ground. It looked around suddenly, something was coming near to him. The foxes ears shot up, it stood still like a snow statue. The wind around him blew. A figure could be seen walking around. It too stopped.
Neither of them moved. It was a stand off. But the stand off didn't last. The second creature moved on. This creature was another fox. An enemy of the first fox.
So, the first fox followed the second. Closer and closer he got. But the other heard him coming. He looked around. The two of them had the exact same objection. To keep their territory and get rid of the other.
The two animals were now a few meters apart. Snow continued to fall from the black sky. The circled each other. Their paw prints were showing in the soft snow.
Neither of them would back out from a fight now. They growled at each other, trying to be intimidating. But they were not. One of then drove forward, but stopped a spilt second later. They were close to fighting now.
The Great East Road was snow covered. More and more snow fell to earth. Pippin was still driving the cart. His eyes were heavy and the coldness was getting to him. Every so often, he would fall asleep. Not a for a long time, seconds at the most. But it was enough to annoy him.
"I cant do this much longer" he told himself.
But he willed himself to go on. Every minute felt like hours. The snow was hitting his face. His skin was numb with cold. The hobbit couldn't hold the reigns any longer.
In fact, he couldn't even feel himself holding it. The pony's were faring much better then he was. They continued on, the coldness didn't effect them. They kept their head's down and battled though the relentless snow.
Dolly was still sleeping. She was sleeping as peacefully as she could. But the coldness was getting to her. The wind blew on her face. The coldness felt like small daggers every time she breathed.
She coughed, the air tickled the back of her throat. Pip was still driving as Dolly slowly sat up. She could see some snow flakes resting on his back and shoulders. A few snow flakes made their way into the cart. They met either the wood, Diamond or Dolly. The fabric that made up the outside of the cart was flapping in the wind. Dolly could hear the snow flakes impacting on it.
"Pippin?" asked Dolly.
She yawned and sat up. Pip looked back.
"Dolly, you awake?" he asked.
His voice was trying to soften the fact that he was now very cold.
"Yes" she answered.
She crawled past Diamond and sat near the front.
"It's dark" Dolly pointed out.
"How long have I…?" she asked, stopping mid sentence.
"A few hours" Pip answered.
He quickly glanced to the side. He was hiding something. Dolly yawned again. She sat back and rubbed her arms. Even though she had a blanket on, she was still freezing cold. There were small goose bumps all over her arm.
"Pip, I should start to drive soon, you need your rest" Dolly said.
Pippin looked around.
"Just… Just a few more min… minutes" he said.
His lips were blue, his fingers were so cold that they were stiff. They hurt him with every bump on the road. Pippin coughed. He was getting ill in the coldness.
"D…Dolly" Pippin said.
The hobbit looked up. Pip then stopped the cart. He was sure that there were no carts coming on the road. The hobbit slowly looked around.
"Are you sure… sure you want to drive?" he asked.
Dolly looked out of the cart.
"Should we wait until the snow stops?" she asked.
Pippin looked around. Some of his hair was sticking to his face. The wind blew the remainder around, onto his face.
"I think that's a good idea" he answered.
He slowly got off of the seat. He got onto the now very deep snow. His feet hurt as Dolly came around the side of the cart. She place a hand of Pip's shoulder as she walked past.
Pippin slowly got onto the cart. Every bone and muscle hurt him. They were hurting so much that he was twice as slow as normal. He sat on the cart and took a deep breath. He didn't have the power to lift his own legs any more. He placed his hands under one leg and lifted it.
The pain hurt him. It showed on his face. His other leg dangled. He slowly lifted that one on as well.
"Are you on?" asked Dolly.
"Yes" Pippin said.
He heaved himself further on as the cart started to roll. Dolly steered the cart and set it on the road. Her hands were not as cold as Pip's hands. But they soon succumbed to the coldness.
The snow relentlessly bore down on them. Everyone else had gone into shelter. Their houses were warm. The snow had been kept out by the walls and windows. Some of the houses were very old, built well before anyone could remember. There were one or two abandoned cottages now and again. Their windows and doors had been taken away and used elsewhere.
Some houses and cottage had lights on. But they were very faint. The fires had been left on all night due to the coldness outside. The coldness was getting worse and worse day by day.
Dolly was not getting very cold. Her hands had gone colder then Pippin's did. Dolly's head had started to droop. Pippin was already in a deep sleep with no plans of waking up.
The cart came back as house. Dolly accidently let go of the reigns. The ponies stopped in the deep snow.
There was a house a short distance away. One of the man was still awake. He was looking out of the window. The snow was blocking his view, yet he could still see the road. It was then he saw it. A shadow of a ponies and cart. The natural light was low, but was enough to make him see.
The man took a long look. Questions were running around his tired head. His feet had shoes on, unlike the hobbits in the cart. So, the man got up from his nice chair. He place the book upside down as to not to have lost his page.
He walked down to the front door. But, before opening it, he put on his coat and scarf. He took a deep breath and opened up the door.
The coldness hit the man's cheeks. He took another deep breath and the coldness hit him. He walked out and closed the door. He took a few steps into the coldness. After about ten more seconds, the coldness got to his chest. The snow hit his face, numbness started to come to him.
The path that lay on the ground was now covered. Grass was under snow too. The snow crunched underneath his feet at he got to the road. There was no gate or hedge dividing his garden from the road. But there was no need.
The road was rarely used to stop at.
The cart was a few meters away from where the man was. He could see the small figure of Dolly curled up. Snow was covering her up. The man then ran around to the other side. The snow flakes were coming down as hard as ever.
"My god" he said.
He knew that he needed to get her into the warm. So, he took her off. He then looked at the cart.
"I'll check it when I come back" he said.
So, the man lifted Dolly up and quickly walked back to his house. He opened the door as quickly as he could. The door opened and the warmth hit him.
The man went into the lounge and placed the hobbit on the floor. Dolly's lips were blue.
"I'll be back in a second" he said.
The man hoped that she was the only one out in the cold. But he was wrong. There were two other hobbits out there. The man rushed out again. The coldness didn't get him the second time around. But he could still feel it.
The ponies were still standing there. The cart stood behind them. The top was covered in snow. The human then went to the back where Pippin had got in.
The human opened up the back and saw two bodies laying there. Neither of them were move. So, the man got in. There was a male and a female laying there. Both of them looked in a bad way. The man walked over to the male.
"What?" he asked.
He then looked over at female. Her stomach was larger then normal. It took the man a few seconds to figure out what it was.
Without a second thought, he went over to Diamond. He lifted her up. Her body was cold.
"Come on, lets get you inside" he said, getting out of the cart.
He held Diamond in both arms and carried her though the snow. The flakes were large. They covered the ground like a blanket. The snow now had foot prints in it. A few blades of grass could be seen though the prints. But they would soon be buried under the snow again.
The man walked into the house. Dolly was already coming around, but she didn't get up. The man placed Diamond down next to her and walked out.
Dolly opened her eyes. She started to cough. The hobbit looked around. She was in a strange place.
"Pip?" she asked.
But there no answer. Dolly realised that the coldness had gone now. She turned her head to the right. There was strange carpet under her. It was dark red in places, yet it had dark green and dark yellow as well.
A table stood to the left, Diamond lay to the left as well. The man then came back in. He was holding Pippin. He went and placed him down. Pippin's eyes were closed.
"Pippin?" Dolly asked.
But there was no answer.
"Your awake?" asked the man.
Dolly looked up at the man. She slowly put her hand on the carpet and pushed herself up. She sat up as she continued to look at the man standing there.
"What happened?" asked Dolly.
Her eyes were still not used to the light of the candles around her. They flickered in invisible wind.
"You were out in that there snow" said the man.
He had a strong YorkShire accent. An lit pipe and open book lay on his seat. The smell of tobacco smoke filled the room. The window was dark and reflecting the light of the candles. There was a small table in the middle of the room. There was a mug on there which was once home to the man's ale.
"W…Why?" asked Dolly.
Her looked around. Pippin and Diamond lay next to her on either side.
"I don't know, neither of you look at your best" said the man, his eyes darted to the two other hobbits.
Dolly looked over at Diamond. Memories started flooding back to her.
"We were on our way to… to… to Rivendell" Dolly told him.
She looked over at Diamond.
"Diamond needs Elven help" she told him.
The man looked confused.
"But Rivendell is days journey away from here. If she needs help, I could send a message to them" he said.
Dolly was confused.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
The man smiled.
"I am friends with the Elven king. I have been to Rivendell many times before this date. I have a horse that I will use to send a message"
Just then, Pippin groaned. He was still very sore and stiff from the cold. The man smiled.
"It's good to see that your up" the man said.
Pippin stopped suddenly. He heard the man's voice.
"Pippin?" a female voice asked.
Pip had his hand on his forehead. He had a stuffy nose, making it harder to breath. Pippin slowly lifted his head and looked towards the man. The hobbit had fallen silent, his mind was full of questions.
"What is your name?" the man asked.
Pippin wasn't sure if he should tell the man. After all, Pip had come across some men that hated hobbits.
Could Pippin trust this one?
It was not himself that Pippin was worried about. His wife was laying there.
"Why?" Pip asked.
He had water dripping off of his hair.
The man smiled.
"Do not worry, I will not hurt you" the man told him.
But, even with his word, Pip could not trust him. The hobbit looked over at Dolly. She looked back at him.
"Pippin, we need to get to Rivendell as soon as possible" she said.
Dolly had now made up her mind. She was going to trust him. But it wasn't up to her. Pippin still had to make up his mind.
"Yes, but how do we know we can trust you?" Pippin asked.
The hobbit and human looked into each others eyes. The hobbit could feel something. Something that would help him.
It was the truth.
Pippin took a deep breath.
"You said that you could send a message to them" Pippin told him.
The man smiled.
"Yes, I have a stable boy that can ride here to Rivendell in a few days" said the man.
He looked up and over to the window.
"Yet the snow will make it harder for him to ride" he said, more to himself then to Pippin.
The man started to think. He knew that the hobbits needed to get to Rivendell. But, they had shown that they cant make it.
"And… And he would do that?" Pip asked.
The man looked back at him.
"Yes, he will" he answered.
"But we should wait until morning"
Pippin slowly stood up. He felt dizzy. As he stood there, he swayed. Dolly slowly got up as well. She started to cough. Her throat was dry.
"I will get you water and food" said the man.
So, he walked out. Pippin recovered a short while after. Yet he was still a bit dizzy. But he was feeling better. He yawned and looked around. Everything was much bigger then he was used to. The fire place was flaming and letting out heat.
Pip's body was still painful, but it was getting better. The hobbit could hear the man getting plates out and placing them on the work top.
"Dolly, we have to get moving" Pippin said, turning back to her.
Dolly had been looking at the large chair.
"No Pippin, you know what happened to both of us. If we go out there, we might…"
But Dolly stopped. She didn't want to say it. But she didn't have to. Pip already knew.
"I know, but it's not us that I'm worried about" he told her.
In the kitchen, the man was putting two large chunks of cheese on each plate. There was a loaf of bread sitting on the work top too. It was freshly baked, just a few hours old. He took a bread knife in one hand, then the loaf in another. He placed the blade on the loaf and started to cut.
Crumbs started to fall off of the loaf. The blade cut though the loaf. The bread was half cut now. A minute later, the man had cut though all of the loaf.
He ripped the last bit of bread and placed it on the plate. He smiled as he picked the plates up. The man turned around and walked though the kitchen door. He walked into the lounge to see both hobbits standing.
"Here, eat this" he said, handing them to the hobbits.
Pippin took his and looked down. The cheese was red and the bread looked light and fluffy. He then sat down on the carpeted floor again. Dolly did the same. Pippin looked at the loaf.
"This doesn't look that bad" he said.
The man had left the room. He was getting large glasses of cool water. He turned on tap on. Cold water rushed down into the bottom of the clear glass. The water rushed over the side of glass. A few bubbles floated up to the surface of the glass.
A few moments later, he placed the glass down and picked up the other one. The tap was left on as he placed the other glass under the small column of water.
The sink was now wet with the water from the tap. Like the glass before it, the water filled up. The man then turned the tap off and picked up the first glass.
He then walked back into his lounge.
"Here you are, some water for you"
He placed them on the table. Pippin looked at him.
"I was wondering, what is your name?" he asked.
The man stood up.
"Gwerraent" he answered.
"My name is Gwerraent"
Pip looked at the clear water. Dolly had already picked hers up and drank. The water flowed down her throat and refreshed her almost instantly.
"If there is anything that you would like, just tell me and I'll get it for you" said Gwerraent.
Pippin nodded. The hobbit ripped a bit more bread off and started to eat it.
"I will be getting the stable boy ready" Gwerraent told him.
He then walked out. He closed the door behind him and walked over to a rack full of coats and scarves. He took a coat and put it on. It covered his arms and body, leaving his neck exposed. But, he grabbed a scarf. He wrapped it around his neck.
The coldness outside was looming into his mind.
It was another mile walk to get to where the stable was and he had no horses. The snow was too deep for the cart to move.
"Looks like I'll have to walk" he told himself.
So, Gwerraent walked towards the door. He looked back to see that the other door was closed. Gwerraent placed his hand on the handle and opened the door.
The strength of the wind blew on his face. A few snowflakes were being pushed against him. The wind made it hard to close the door. The man stood there. Wind and snowflakes pounded against him.
He placed one foot in front of the other and started to walk. The snow left his foot prints. The cart and ponies were parked a few meters away from his garden. Large trees grew all around. The land was considerably flat. The hills were shallow with rivers running though the hills.
But they were frozen over. A small bit of ice had been broken though by the water rushing over the stones. The day light started to strengthen. Yet the clouds were not going away. The snow kept piling on.
Some of the trees had collapsed under the weight of the snow. Branches snapped off and fell to earth. They landed in the snow, creating an imprint.
The branch was still in the snow. The wind blew in drapes across the land.
Back in Hobbiton, everyone was asleep. Yet, the foxes were not. They had a small hide just outside of Hobbiton. There, they lived. They made their homes in the, once was soft soil. The had dug deep into the ground. Inside, small fox cubs cuddled up to keep warm.
They had large ears and bushy tails. Their mother was laying next to them. The family was in pitch blackness. Warmth instead of coldness.
The cub played in the darkness. But to their eyes, they were in low light. There were five cubs altogether, two male cubs and three female. One or two were sleeping near their mother. The mother's chest was going up and down as she breathed.
She looked over at her cubs. She yawned and her ears went back. Just then, she heard a noise. Her ears pointed up as a creature entered.
She looked over at the entrance as another fox came in. the cubs instantly stopped playing. It was their father. One of the cubs stood up. But it's father didn't notice it.
The mother stood up as well. The small cub moved out of the way. The other four looked at their parents. The father had a bit of snow on his paws. But it was melting. The two foxes touched noses. The cubs then started to play again.
Meanwhile, the man walked though the ever increasing snow. The flakes were pounding his face. Yet he knew that he had a long way to go.
He was only a few hundred meters from the house. But it had taken him the best part of five minutes to do so. His feet were numb with pain. Snow had gathered on his feet. He stopped and lifted up his foot. It was heavier then normal. He chipped the snow off. It fell on the snow in a clump.
He did the same to the other. A few seconds later, he set off again. His feet crunched into the newly laid snow. Small blades of grass poked though at the side of the road. They waved in the wind. The trees stood firm in the gusts of wind.
Outside, Origo was in trouble. But he was not in the safety of his dead tree. He was in a mouth of a creature much bigger then himself.
The pup was being taken far away from the road. Flakes of icy snow was blasting at his face. There was a burrow a few hundred meters up the road. Origo was being taken to a fox burrow. The creature had Origo in it's mouth. The pup was swinging above the ground. Paws, dangling above the snow.
A few minutes later, a bald patch in the snow could be seen. It was like a black hole in the middle of a vast white sheet. The fox looked around, its eyes scanning the area.
It seemed safe.
So, the fox ducked its head and went in. Darkness fell around the puppy. Deeper and deeper they went. The ceiling then went away and they were in a large chamber. There, the pup was put down on the ground. The fox stood there. Origo looked around. The pup was starting to get scared. There were no sounds in the chamber.
"What's going on?" he barked.
Origo looked around. He knew that he couldn't get out. His ears were flopped down and wet. His little brown eyes scanned the area. Even though there was no light, Origo could still see. A figure stood in front of him.
"Where am I?" Origo asked.
The fox then walked towards him and turned to the right. Just then, small figures came in.
One figure, two figures, three figures, four figures, five figures and a final one.
They all stopped in a line as they saw Origo standing there. They were just as big as the pup. But they had pointed faces and bigger, pointed ears. Each looked like each other. Their paws were black, yet they faded to a copper red colour at the top. There was white fur under their bodies. It reached all the way to their chin. Their tails were black and bushy.
One of the six cubs stepped forward. Ori instantly started to growl. The cub's ears pointed up. She placed her paw back and sat down. The cub looked at her father. Yet he did not look back.
Origo looked from side to side. He needed to get to his Diamond. But the pup was now trapped. He was still very hungry. Just then, another figure moved. It was another fox, quite like the father. But this time, it was the mother.
She had a dead animal in her jaws. A rabbit.
Origo looked at the dead rabbit.
"What's that?" he thought.
The rabbit was wild and didn't normally come out at night and in the snow.
Ori's eyes followed the rabbit. The mother, also known as a Vixen to most folk, placed it in front of him. Origo stared at it. His little eyes trying to figure what the thing was. He looked back up at the vixen. She pushed it forward with her nose.
But still, Origo didn't know what to do with it.
The vixen then sat in front of her cubs. They moved out of the way to get a look at what was going on before them. Their little eyes looked at the pup.
"He's strange" whined one of the little foxes.
The others looked around at her.
"He smells different" said one of the others.
One of the other pup pawed his sister.
"You're the one that is smelly!" he whined.
The two of then started play fighting. A third started to play fight with them. They nuzzled each other. The male, which was the stronger of the pups, pinned his sister to the floor. He nuzzled her, making her struggle.
"Get off of me!" she whined.
Her brother got off of her. Their heart's were racing.
"Eat it" barked the mother.
Origo instantly stood up. His ears poked up. The pup was more scared then ever before. He missed his Diamond very much. So, he started to bark. The vixen looked around at her pups.
"Go into the other chamber" barked their mother.
They instantly turned around. The six of them scattered down the entrance. After a few moments, only the vixen and Origo were the only two left in the chamber. The dead rabbit sat between them.
The two of them looked at one and other. Origo's eyes were now used to the darkness around him. His stomach was very empty now. He had not had his turkey in a few days.
The pup was really weak. His fur was started to become dirty. His eye sight was starting to dull. The coldness around was even more intense then before. But his weight had not gone down.
"I need to go home!" Origo barked.
The vixen's ears moved. But she still couldn't understand what he was trying to tell her.
"Eat it" she said.
Origo whined and looked to the small hole that lead to the outside. The soil was wet where the snow had melted. A few worms had surfaced from the soil below. They wriggled though the roots and rotten leaves.
There were two chambers in the fox's burrow. One for food and one for sleeping. Both were warm in winter and cool in the heat of summer.
Origo started to walk forward, around the dead rabbit. The Vixen watched him. The pup walked towards the opening. The Vixen watched him. Wondering what he was doing.
Ori went out of chamber and up the small passage. It rose upwards, but it was not too steep. The snow was gathering around the entrance to the den.
The puppy stopped. He wondered if it was safe to go outside. His brain was working on a plan.
"Maybe if I stayed just a few more hours" he told himself.
The pup looked back. The vixen was standing there, head low due to the ceiling of the den. Her eyes looked at him. Unblinking and knowing.
Origo only had one choice to make. He had to stay in the den. But he needed his turkey.
In the coldness, a lone man walked though the snow. This man was a few hundred meters away from where he needed to get to. In normal weather, it would have taken him a third of the time to walk what he had done. A small hamlet was situated just a few hundred meters from the big road.
The man turned off. Now all he had to do was to find the stable. It was a few more houses down the road. The stable was a bit longer then a normal house. There was a small field behind the building, used to let the horses run free.
The building had a small house attached to it. Made of wood. The glass was clear. A small bit of snow settled on the sill of the window.
A small bit of wood could be seen laying on the ground. A snowy blanket covered it. On the fence that kept the horses, there were a few inches on snow. A plough was sitting on the edge of field. Yet it had not been used in a few months. Hard soil and dead grass was stuck onto the sharp blades. The blades were still sharp.
The man knocked at the door of the house. The knocker was freezing cold. The man stood there, both hands under their opposite arm pit.
The man took a deep, cold breath. He looked around, but no one else was around. The sun was an hour from rising. Yet the snow would go on long after the sun had risen.
Gwerraent looked around again. The door had still not opened. So, taking a freezing and stiff hand, he banged on the door again.
Inside the house, there was a man sleeping in his bed.
Bang
Bang
Bang
The noise met the man's ears. His eyes slowly opened.
Bang
Bang
Bang
It echoed around the house.
"Who's banging on my door at this time on night?" asked the man, getting up.
He had a night gown on, but that didn't stop the coldness getting to him. He left the warm bed to go cold. The covers were left to lose their heat.
The man, who yawned as he walked towards the front door. A burning candle, stuck on a small brass holder, was in his hand. He could feel the heat from it. The light from the small flame was enough for him to see what was coming.
The house was much warmer then the outside. Yet there was a cold draft running though the gaps in the doors. The man's feet were bare, making the coldness more real.
Bang
Bang
"Alright, alright!" said the man.
He went to the door and opened it. The door opened slowly. To the man outside, his body was shivering so much.
"What do you want?" asked the man from the door.
The man outside had snow in his hair. He shivered.
"Fradoc, its me!" said Gwerraent.
He came closer.
"My dear sir, come in!" said Fradoc, opening the door wider.
The candle flickered as more wind and snow drove their way in. Gwerraent walked in, Fradoc quickly closed the door behind him due to the heat escaping. The door slammed shut. The coldness the ceased to invade the house.
"What are you doing at my abode?" Fradoc asked.
Gwerraent walked in a few more feet.
"I have a job for one of your stable boys" he answered.
Fradoc was confused.
"At this time of night?" he asked.
"What for?
Gwerraent, who had been warming up by the second, looked over at the window.
"The sun will rise in an hour or so. There are a few hobbits on their way to Rivendell"
Gwerraent then looked down.
"They are in great need and have to send word forward" he answered.
Fradoc was confused.
"Hobbits?" he asked.
"From the Shire. The thing is I think it is Peregrin Took" Gwerraent answered.
There was an awkward silence. Both of them had heard that name. Both had heard many different stories concerning the hobbit.
"Are you sure?" asked Fradoc.
Gwerraent nodded.
"And you left him alone?" Fradoc questioned.
"No, he had his wife and another female hobbit" Gwerraent explained.
Fradoc fell silent. Thoughts were running though his head.
"Alright" Fradoc started.
"I will get one of my stable boys and he will send word to Rivendell"
Gwerraent nodded.
"I will be back at my home, sent the boy there first"
Fradoc nodded and turned around. Gwerraent had only just warmed up, but now he had to go out in the blizzard again. Darkness come around him again.
The man took a deep breath. He wanted to stay in the warmth. The coldness was too intense for him. But he had to get back to his own home.
So, he opened the door. His hands had just gotten used to the warmth again now. But now he had to go back into the cold and lose all the heat.
Gwerraent placed his hand on the handle. He looked around and then opened it. Fradoc was getting changed in his room when the door slammed shut. A cold draft entered the room a few seconds later.
Fradoc then sat on the bed. He grabbed his shoes and put both of them on. The floor below was made from brown tiles. The gap between was filled with hardened black paste. They were shiny, reflecting the light of the candle.
In another part of the house, three boys were sleeping. There were three beds as well. The boys were no older then eighteen. Each had their own name. One had come from just down the road, one had come as far away as Rohan.
All three knew how to ride horses. All of them were trained to work with them. The three of them helped Fradoc around his farm.
But, now because it was winter, the boys had to find other work. For they could not work on the land. They would have to wait for autumn to do so.
Fradoc slowly opened the door. The hinges creaked open. The floor was made of exactly the same type of tiles that ran all though out his home.
The man walked and stood in front of the beds. He looked at all three boys. Fradoc then moved to his left. The boy nearest the window was the one he had chosen to do Gwerraent's work.
So, he walked slowly and quietly over to him. There was a small table near the end of his bed. It had a book on it. The boys that he employed were not illiterate. They had been taught by their parents and other people how to read, write, sow seeds, ride horses.
"Wake up" said Fradoc, shaking the boy.
The boy's eyes opened to see Fradoc standing over him.
"Mister Fradoc, sir" said the boy.
He pulled the covers off and stood up.
"I have a job for you" Fradoc told him.
"I want you to go to Mister Gwerraent's house, do you know where that is?" Fradoc asked.
The boy nodded, but he was still confused.
"Is that all, sir?" asked the boy.
He was a little bit shorter then the man he was facing.
"Mister Gwerraent will tell you the rest, get ready and get on your horse"
The boy nodded and walked away, leaving the man standing there. The other two boys were now awake. The boy that was furthest away was now sitting up.
"What's going on Mister Fradoc?" he asked.
Fradoc looked around, candle still in hand. It flickered as he moved it.
"Nothing, go back to sleep. You have to be up in a few hours"
Then man took a deep breath and walked towards the door. The boy then settled back down again. The room was then thrown back into the darkness. The door creaked and clicked shut. Silence once again came into the room. There were a few patters at the window. The snow seemed to be coming down heavier then ever before.
"I wouldn't like to be going out in this weather" said one of the boys.
He turned on his side. The second boy smiled.
Outside, Gwerraent was now back on the Great East Road. He didn't seem to be as cold as last time. His body was generating more heat then was normal. But he was still shivering.
His house lay just three quarters of a mile away now. Every step was getting harder and harder. Every second felt like a minute. Every snow flake was like a small knife stabbing his skin.
Pippin and Dolly were laying on the large couch. Pip had found some blankets in a cupboard. They were too big for them, but neither of them complained.
"We should get one for Diamond" Pippin told Dolly.
Dolly had a strange feeling that she and Pippin shouldn't be there. It was a struggle to get the blankets. They had been on the top shelf in the closet. He had looked up at it.
"Pip, your never going to get…" but Dolly stopped.
"Yes I am" Pippin said, interrupting her.
He walked forward a few steps towards the shelves. There were seven wooden shelves from the bottom on the closet, to the top. Pip placed his hands on the shelf. It was made from smooth wood.
Dolly watched on as Pip placed one foot on the shelf below, then the other. He slowly started to climb. Dolly watched him. The wind rattled the door.
After a few more minutes, Pippin got to the top. He was shaking, the hobbit didn't know why. His hand touched one of the sheets.
"Just one more" he told himself.
He placed one foot on the shelf and lifted himself up one more time. There were folded sheets stacked on top of one another. Pippin grabbed one. It was a bit heavy, but Pip managed pull them off.
He threw them off. Dolly moved out of the way just in time. The sheets landed in a pile on the floor. Dolly them picked them up and moved them out the way as Pip made his way down.
Dolly moved out of the way and watched Pippin make his way down. After another minute, Pippin made contact with the floor.
"We should get some sleep" he said.
Dolly nodded. The both of them walked back into lounge. The candles were half the height when they were just lit. The wax formed solid drips, like a small water fall frozen in time. The wick continued to burn. The small piece of string coloured black by the heat. Every few minutes, it would break off and fall in the pool of melted wax.
Pippin placed a sheet at both ends of the couch.
"That should do" said Pippin, smoothing the sheets down.
Dolly was looking at the door. Something was obviously bothering her. Pippin noticed this.
"Dolly? What's the matter?" he asked, slowly walking to her.
The hobbit looked back at the door, she slowly turned her head. Hers and Pippin's eyes met.
"He should have been back a few minutes ago" Dolly told him.
The hobbit nodded. He then walked away, leaving Dolly standing there. She wondered what Pip was doing, but didn't follow him. Pip slowly made his way to the door. He could hear it clicking a few times due to the wind. He looked up at the door handle.
He reached for it and put pressure on it. The door pushed against him. A few snow flakes made their way into the house. A cold wind blew at him. The coldness touched his skin. It was equivalent to hundreds of small knives digging into his skin. Pippin could see the snow flakes building up a carpet.
Pippin looked around, there were small holes in the snow.
"That must be his foot prints" Pippin told himself.
There were a few prints walking down. Pip's eyes then rolled over to the cart. The horses were still standing there. He then took a deep breath. The cold air was sharp.
The hobbit then closed the door.
"Anything?" asked Dolly.
The door shut and Pippin looked back. He shook his head.
"No, no not yet" he said, stepping from door.
He took a deep breath and looked around.
"We should get some sleep" Pippin told her.
So, the two hobbits then made their way into the lounge. Diamond was laying on the floor.
"We should move her" Pippin said.
Dolly walked to the side of him. They both looked at her.
"Where?" asked Dolly.
Pippin looked around. There was a large, single seat chair near the fire.
"Over there" Pippin said, looking at the chair.
Dolly looked at it as well. She nodded as Pippin took one of Diamond's arms. Dolly did the same and, between them, they lifted her up. It took some of strength to move the hobbit to the seat. When it was done, both Pip and Dolly needed to catch their breath.
"Right, I think we should get to bed" Pippin said.
Dolly smiled and walked over to the sofa. The sofa was faded. Pippin thought it was once dark green. The sofa was as big as their bed's back home. He got into his side and covered himself up. Dolly snuggled down and rested her head on the arm rest.
Pippin started to flip over to different sides. He couldn't get comfortable. Something was on his mind. Something important.