Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Growing Pains  by Meldewen Ilce

Special Dedications:

Cette histoire est dédié à mon ami Julie . Sentez mieux bientôt! Vous aimer, mon ami! -Amy

Hannon le, Nana! - Amy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10 May 1380, S.R.
Outside of Brandy Hall, Buckland

As the sun sank slowly, an 11-year old Frodo Baggins rose to his feet, pulling his pole's line lazily out of the water. As he stood, he brushed off the back of his pants before he grabbed his fishing line to wrap it around the pole. The last thing he did before he turned to leave was to pick up the bunch of fish he had caught off of the ground. Only when he started to leave did the youngest of his cousin speak up.

"Hey, Frodo, why are you leaving so early for?" Fosco Brandybuck asked in a voice loud enough to cause the others to hiss 'shhhhh!' at him. Fosco merely shrugged in reply setting his pole down on the bank of the Brandywine River before joining Frodo.

Frodo nodded, replying quietly. "Mama told me to be home early tonight. My Uncle Bilbo is coming to visit from Hobbiton and she wants me home early for supper and bed."

At that moment, the voice of Primula Baggins came from the direction of Brandy Hall. "Frodo! It's time to come in now!"

Frodo formed a half-cup with his free hand and shouted, "All right, Mamma! I'll be right there in a minute!" Frodo rolled his eyes again as the other boys said "shhhhhh!" and turning half towards Brandy Hall, he waved and said "Bye! I'll see you fellows tomorrow if I can get away while my uncle is visiting us that is. If not I'll see you when I can!"

Marroc, Longo, Berilac all looked up to wave goodbye to Frodo and say, "Bye, Frodo!"

While only Orgulas not doing the same because he was pre-occupied with getting a fish pulled from the water that had his line taunt. Instead he grudgingly said between clenched teeth, "Bye Frodo!" as he continued to struggle with the fish.

Whistling happily as he walked inside Brandy Hall towards the apartment he shared with his parents, he was unaware that the fish he had caught was dripping dirty water all over the floor. He was stopped in his tracks by the voice of his least favorite older cousin, Pansy.

"Frodo Baggins!" her voice snapped. "You halt right there!"

Suppressing a sigh and the urge to roll his eyes, Frodo turned to look at Pansy and asked in an impatient voice, "What is it, Pansy?"

Now Pansy Brandybuck was one of the oldest children in Brandy Hall, a tweenager, 26 to be exact, and she took pleasure in bossing all the younger children around who hadn't yet reached their teens, let alone their tweens. In secret all the children of every age mocked her, and referred to his as "Her Royal Bossiness, the Princess Pansy".

"Don't you take an impertinent tone of voice with me, Frodo. I won't put up with it," she replied, reaching out to grab his earlobe as though he were a naughty child and she the adult. She pointed down at the trail of water he'd left from the fish. "Do you see that water? I want you to get something and clean it up BEFORE someone slips on it. Do you understand me?" She pulled on his ear when he didn't answer he fast enough.

"Ouch! You're HURTING me!" Frodo exclaimed.

"Do you UNDERSTAND ME?" Pansy repeated.

Frodo attempted to extract his ear from her grip, but she only held on tighter, causing him to shriek, nearly in tears. "Let go of me, Pansy!"

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, I UNDERSTAND!" Frodo yelled. To his relief, she released his earlobe and he rubbed it blinking back tears as he tried to rub the smart out of it. "I'm going to have a bruise there!"

"And you'll be smarting elsewhere if you don't hop to do what I told you to do," Pansy replied.

Frodo looked at her, stunned. "You wouldn't DARE to spank me!"

A storm cloud crossed Pansy's expression as she replied, "Watch me, Frodo Baggins!"

Not wasting another second, Frodo took off running down the hallway of Brandy Hall, hurrying for all he was worth towards the home he shared with his parents, hoping only to reach the safety of his mother's arms before Pansy could make good on her threat...





        

Next >>

Leave Review
Home     Search     Chapter List