Nasty Hobbitsess

Chapter 7

Both the hobbits were about to force Frodo back to the inn when one of the men called out.

"Hey! Wait a second! What's going on here? Is he in trouble?" He nodded to Frodo.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," said Merry, still heading toward the inn. "But that's none of your business."

"I said, wait a second!" The man became harsher. "Who is he? What's with 'em?"

"He is our cou---" Pippin had no chance to finish as a kick was blown hard to his shin.

"We don't really know who he is," Merry continued for him. "He's mad, can you see? His family in the Shire asked us to take care of him. But it is, my! Very, very difficult!"

Frodo looked at him with widened eyes. "That's not ---" But Merry elbowed him so hard he couldn't complete the sentence. Frodo bent down in agony, panting.

"So, dear friends, can we go now?" asked Merry. "I guess it's time for him to eat." With that Merry grabbed Frodo and turned around, leaving the questioning looks on the men's faces.

*********


In the room, Merry roughly tossed Frodo to the floor.

"It's outrageous, Frodo!" Merry exclaimed. "I can't seem to be able to control you anymore. We have to do something about it."

Frodo looked up at him apprehensively.

"Why?" asked him in a hoarse voice. "You've got the ring. Leave me alone now!"

Merry leered. "Do you think it's that easy, Frodo? If I let you go, you'll run directly to that man in the Prancing Pony or even go back to the Shire where you can talk to everyone about what happened. And what will come next? They will all hunt Pippin and me!"

As Merry stepped towards him, Frodo slid back in a futile retreat.

"I --- I will not do that. I'll just say that you are traveling somewhere. Please, Merry, I am useless for you. I'm just a burden."

Something flashed through Merry's mind but he shrugged it off. "You cannot tell me what to do or not do! Now shut up!" He motioned to his cousin. "Pippin!"

Pippin handed Merry a cup of something that looked like tea. "I need you to drink this," Merry said while drawing the cup to Frodo. Alarmed, Frodo moved back further.

"What IS that?!" gasped Frodo. Nobody had given him anything to eat so far and suddenly they offered him tea?

"It's nothing," answered Pippin as he approached him threateningly. And he had something in his hand*. Frodo's panicked eyes moved back and forth from Merry to Pippin. What were they going to do to him this time?

"You want us to do this the hard way, Frodo? Fine!" Is this Pippin or Merry's line?

Suddenly they both were right in front of Frodo's face - Merry holding the cup and pressing it to his tightly shut lips and Pippin nudging the ti his his dagger to his throat. Frodo lifted his head involuntarily.

"Drink, or I'll slice your throat, beloved!" purred Pippin. Frodo could do nothing but obey. He gulped down several times and grimaced. It tasted bitter.

Almost immediately Frodo's eyes felt heavy. He looked up, his two cousins a blur to him. "You are drugging me?" Frodo whimpered. It was a rhetorical question. He felt dizzier and dizzier as the world spun around him. Frodo's eyelids fluttered, then slammed shut. At last he fell to his side and the darkness engulfed him completely.

***

Sounds of clicking glasses mixed with laughter and dirty words could help disguise their secret conversation. It was the men that chased Frodo and another three men who looked just as terrible.

"Are you sure he said the Shire?"

"Positive!"

"Which one?"

"The beautiful one. The one with big eyes and dark curly hair. He looks terrible, though. I don't know what had happened to him."

"What do you mean?"

"*He had bruises all over his face and body. He was bound too."

"That's not our business," The other one snapped. "Who knows, that (probably will make) it easier for us. He won't give us a hard time later. Tell us, where can we find him?"

The first ruffian just shrugged. "That's not a part of our deal, is it? You just asked us to (report) any informa abo about any halflings from the Shire. You didn't mention anything about helping you find them."

The man growled and banged the table. "Do you want the same fate (to) come upon you?!" The other one raised his hands, giving in.

"All right, all right. But there's not much more to say anyway. He was with two other halflings who then took him away; I don't know where to!"

The man waved his hand, motioning for him to leave. "It's easy. We'll find them." He squinted when the group still didn't move. "Well, what are you waiting for??"

"Uh, the money?"

"No money until the halfling is in our hands. Period." They just nodded and left, too terrified to suggest another arrangement.

When they were alone, the three men looked at each other. "Finally, we have something to give Sharkey."

"Right. After all these years."

"But we need to be careful. I heard rangers are looking for him, too."

"Why does evee wae want him?"

"Who knows? We're just told to bring him to Isengard, and to Isengard we will take him."

"Fine, fine."

***

Strider heard a noise under the window of his bedroom. He opened it silently and reached down. Apparently it was a dwarf or a hobbit judging from the size. He pulled the form up with all his might.

"Ahh!" The being cried out. "Beggin' your pardon, Sir, but---"

"You! You must be one of them. What are you doing outside my room?" Strider snapped, shaking him violently.

Then he looked more closely. Hmm, maybe not. This one was sturdier and he looked dirty, pale and frightened.

"I'm looking for my master, if you see my meaning."

Strider released him. "I don't. Who is your master? Who are you, and what happened to you?"

Sam observed the man before him, terrified. "Please sir, don't do anything to me. I don't have anything. They hit me sir, hit me so hard I was unconscious for days. And they took my master."

The ranger knew that very few hobbits traveled this far. And those came to Bree recently were --- He asked the question carefully.

"Does your master --- happen to be Frodo?"

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam gasped. "Indeed sir! But, how do you know?" Sam squinted at him suspiciously. "Do you have him in your keeping?"

Strider sighed. "Unfortunately no. I saw him with another two hobbits. And he didn't look very well. By the way, do you know them?"

"Oh, no." Sam covered his face with his hands, starting sobbing. "I know them sir. I mean I know who they are but I don't think I know them anymore from what they did to Mr. Frodo. I was to help him, Sir, but, but ---" His sobbing was harder.

Strider grasped Sam's shoulders and drew him to a chair. "Sit down first. Then tell me everything you know. We must save your master. I hope it's not latelate."

***

Frodo awoke and opened his eyes. But to his wonder, he couldn't see anything. Everything was pitch black. He felt his eyes, checking if he was blindfolded. He wasn't. Then he realized that he wasn't bound anymore. But why couldn't he see? Panic started to grow in him.


TBC


AN: Would you review? Please?