34 ~ The News

I am sitting in the study, gazing down at the half blank page before me, unsure if I should go on or not. I am nearly to Moria, but I do not wish to write anymore of darkness. I must go on, though. I have started it, and I must finish it.

I pause and glance up as the door opens. I turn around and see Sam standing in the doorway, a sad expression on his face.

“Sam, what’s wrong?” I ask, standing up.

“I just heard from a friend of the Goodbody’s that Mrs. Goodbody took ill sudden an’ they don’t expect she should get better,” Sam says sadly. “They don’t think she’ll last the night.”

It takes me a moment to process what he’s saying. “They think she’s going to die, then?”

Sam nods, and I feel a deep sorrow for Ellis and his family. They have become good friends of ours since I began teaching Ellis three weeks ago.

“We must go to them!” I say, suddenly. “Go tell Rosie to get ready, and pack some of those candies she makes that the children like.”

Sam nods and goes out, and I run to grab my pack and blanket before meeting them in the kitchen.

“I’ll go fetch the wagon,” Sam suggests, and I nod, helping Rosie shove the jar of candies in the bag she had grabbed. He notices the blanket in my pack and looks at me questioningly, but says nothing. It is summer now, but I still find myself getting cold much quicker than I used to.

* * *

Ellis and two of his younger sisters greet us at the door.

“Mr. Frodo!” Ellis exclaims, throwing himself into my arms. “Da didn’t know what to do, the little ones are all just sittin’ here, and they’ve been told to not bother the healer, but just sittin’ here’s makin’ them scared, and I don’t know what to do about it…” I can hear the tears threatening to break loose in his voice.

Rosie instantly rounds up a group of the children, and heads them into the kitchen to help her make supper.

Ellis looks at me for a moment, then buries his head n my shoulder, crying softly. I stroke his back, trying to comfort him the way Sam has always comforted me.

“I don’t want her to die too,” he whispers.

“I know,” I say.

I glance up to see Sam talking with Mr. Goodbody in the doorway to the bedroom. He looks strained and sad. He meets my gaze, and gives me a small, grateful smile.

I return it with a nod, and then turn to lead Ellis into the kitchen, where Sam joins us a moment later.

I notice that their kitchen is mostly repaired, though the rest of the hole is still in ruins. Rosie pours a glass of milk and hands it to Ellis, who sits, sniffling, at the table, cradling his arm to his chest.

He looks up and says, “Thank you,” then stares back down at the table as I come to sit beside him.

I can’t help but wonder why more sorrows have been brought upon this family that has endured so much. I do not understand why evil must continually befall those who do not bring it upon themselves, even after all I have seen of it. I wish I knew. That knowledge might make the trials easier to bear.

“There must be a reason for it,” Ellis says quietly.

I meet his eyes, seeing that old haunted look coming back. “Mum always said there’s a reason for everything. Even Ana dying,” he says, tears coming to his eyes again. “If she hadn’t died, this wouldn’t have happened” –he raises his arm- “ and I might never have met you, Mr. Frodo.” He shakes his head. “I just don’t see a reason for this happenin’ now.”

I nod as he leans against me, knowing that nothing I say will help at the moment.

“Ellis…” one of his younger sisters comes to sit by us, a small smile on her face. “You’ve got a milk mustache.” She giggles and Ellis smiles a little.

“Do I?” he says quietly. “Well, why don’t you bring me a napkin, Amber, and I’ll take care of it.”

I smile. “None of your other siblings would do that, would they?” I ask. “Make you cheer up like that?”

Ellis looks at me for a moment, then says, “No, they wouldn’t.”

“I’m guessing this is your turn to be to her what Ana was to you,” I suggest.

The child, Amber, comes up with a rag, and hands it to her brother, promptly seating herself in his lap.

Ellis wipes the milk off his upper lip, then wraps his arms around his sister’s waist and kisses the top of her brown curly head.

A deathly silence fills the room. Even the youngest are quiet, they understand that now isn’t the time for noise. And we wait.