Chapter Two: The Beginning

The ride to Bywater was a slightly dreary one. The overcast sky delivered a light drizzle that morning, making the air seem heavy and musty smelling. Pippin tried to stay awake, but the rhythm of the ponies’ clip-clop almost lulled him back to sleep. He felt his eyes rolling underneath his eyelids for the hundredth time when he felt Merry jab him in the ribs. “Ow!” Pippin rubbed his side, “What was that for?”

Merry grinned, “If I can’t sleep then neither can you.”

Pippin couldn’t deny that his boredom was getting the better of him. He gave Merry a stern look, “I wasn’t sleeping....yet.”

“Well, you won’t get to nap now because we are nearly there.” Merry turned left from the East Road and headed north. They rode a couple miles when Merry passed the village livery where he would normally have stopped, but proceeded on to the Ivy Bush where Sam was waiting with Merry and Frodo’s packs. As they pulled up Pippin hopped out of the cart and helped Sam to swing the packs into the back.

Pippin asked, “Did you change your mind and decide to come along, Sam?”

“No, Mr. Pippin, my Gaffer’s needin’ help these days,” Sam answered. “Lots of rain lately and now lots of clippin’, if you get my meanin’.”

Frodo emerged from the Ivy Bush holding a rucksack, letting the tavern door swing shut behind him. He walked up to Sam and handed him a key. With all seriousness he admonished his Gardner, “No wild parties while I’m away!”

Sam’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide as if he’d just been accused of stealing something. “I--I,” he stammered. “No, Mr. Frodo! I would never--” Then he heard the laughter of the two other hobbits and saw Frodo’s wry grin, realizing his master was joking with him.

Sam blushed, “Well, I’ll try not to have too many!”

“Sam!” Frodo laughed and put his hand on Sam’s shoulder, “You are a wonderful companion. I wish you were able to accompany us on this little trip.”

Sam looked down and kicked the dirt under his feet, “You’ll come back to tell me all the wonderful tales, will you not?”

“Every single one--I promise,” replied Frodo.

Merry took Frodo’s hand and helped pull the elder cousin up inside the cart. “Goodbye!” They all shouted and waved to Sam as the cart turned round and made towards The East Road again.

As they left the village they could hear the townsfolk mutter things like, “There goes that Frodo Baggins again! He’s as cracked as that Bilbo was!”, or they’d simply shake their heads and say, “A Baggins, a Brandybuck, and a Took! Nothing good can come of that lot!”

Frodo and Merry shared grins as they heard the various remarks made about their unnatural behaviour. In the back, sprawled out among the packs lay a dozing Pippin; he’d given up on trying to keep his eyelids from closing.

Off they were to Woodhall.