1460 SR

Under cover of the high bushes and hanging tree branches Freddy Took edged forward, silent as only a hobbit could be, until he saw the small clearing bathed in dappled sunlight. He slid the bow from his shoulder and nocked an arrow. Then he waited for the right moment to move.

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       It was Isumbrand Took who first broached the idea of a band of hobbit Rangers, during the visit to Gondor for the King's hundreth birthday. Travelling with several of Lord Elessar's closest kin had made the hobbits realise just how much they owed these brave Men, who had sacrificed so much. It seemed only right that hobbits should help to patrol the Bree-lands and Shire borders, so that no invasion could catch them unawares again.

       The King thought it a good idea, and so did Merry and Pippin. Thain, Master and Mayor all agreed, and soon the first Hobbit Rangers were training under the eye of the Captains. Merry and Pippin had joined immediately and were delighted by the response. Isumbrand, Fernilac, two of the Boffins, Diamond's younger brother and a number of others, in the Shire and around Bree, all enrolled and were put through their paces. At the end of their training they were presented with their swords and a new cloak pin, designed by Frodo - the Star of Arnor above a gold and silver mallorn tree. The King himself came north to do the honours and was deeply moved and proud when they went on their knees before him and swore their oath of allegiance.

       Swordsmanship did not come as naturally to the hobbits as archery, but they persevered. Tracking was not too difficult - most hobbits knew how to read the world around them, and tracking wrong-doers was easier than finding a crop of fine mushrooms after all. Within a few years the best families in the Shire were proudly sending at least one son to join the Rangers.

       When Freddy Took was old enough there was no question of him not joining. Since his journey to Gondor in the company of several of the Dunedain, Freddy's one ambition had been to be a Ranger like his great friend Captain Erithain. It was one of the proudest moments in the Ranger's life, watching young Freddy receiving his pin and swearing his oath to the King, his hand resting on the sword.

       Dashing. That was the word most often used to describe the young Took. He was almost as tall as Thain Peregrin and Fari Took but much broader. As those who had seen his portrait could testify, the hobbit Freddy most resembled was the famous Bandobras. He was bold but not reckless, brave without being foolhardy, and although he enjoyed the admiration of the lasses he behaved like a gentlehobbit at all times. He had the refined features of the Tooks, green eyes and fairish auburn hair, and masses of Tookish charm. His quick mind and highly-developed sense of responsibility made him a superb strategist and his air of panache attracted the lasses like bees round a honey pot.

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       Alf Goatleaf was as dissolute as the rest of his family. He was a petty criminal and wastrel and had been in trouble since the age of ten. His latest escapade had been to rob an old woman in Bree, pushing her to the ground and running off through the gate with her purse. Freddy and Tornilac, the Rangers on duty in that area, went after him. He was easy to follow, crashing through the undergrowth like a stampeding oliphaunt and leaving broken branches and snapped twigs in his wake, to say nothing of alarming the woodland birds and animals. The two Rangers had moved ahead of him and now awaited his arrival in the clearing. Freddy knew that Torni was on the other side, equally well-hidden, his sword at the ready. The cousins made a good team, working smoothly together.

       Goatleaf stumbled through the ferns and paused, eyes darting warily from side to side as he made sure he was unobserved. He drew a small grey suede purse from his pocket, pulled the drawstrings and emptied the meagre contents into his hand, cursing as he did so.

       "Why, it was hardly worth the bother!"

       "What did you expect from a poor old woman living in Bree?" Freddy enquired drily, stepping out, bow taut and aimed at the man. "If you rob the poor you must expect poor earnings. No, don't try anything stupid. I'd be quite happy to drop you where you stand but that would be foolish of you. Stealing does not carry the death penalty."

       "Think I'm scared of you Little Folk?" Goatleaf sneered. Freddy shrugged.

       "You should be - considering the Little Folk brought down the Dark Lord, the Witch-King of Angmar, fought assorted orcs and trolls and chased a load of ruffians out of the Shire. The King always says no-one should under-estimate hobbits. Now put those coins back in the purse, close it and place it on the ground in front of you, then step back four paces."

       "Who's goin' ta make me?"

       "We are," said Freddy pleasantly.

       A sharp jab high on his inner thigh caused Goatleaf to jump. Tornilac Brandybuck had emerged from the bushes on the other side of the clearing and was now standing behind him, prodding him with a very sharp sword.

      "I would suggest you do as my cousin requested - unless you wish to be gelded."

       "You wouldn't dare!"

       "Oh dear!" murmured Freddy. "Not a smart move, Mr Goatleaf. You really should never dare a Brandybuck not to do something - it's the surest way of making them do it."

       Muttering obscenities, Goatleaf did as he was told. He thought about looking for a weapon but the ground consisted of leaf litter and wild flowers, and he remembered his cousin Ben trying something similar with these two and being kicked in the face. He threw the purse down and stepped back.

       "Hands behind your back please, Mr Goatleaf," said Torni, and the man was so surprised by the polite tone that he complied, only to feel a set of manacles being snapped on his wrists.

       "Now let's get moving," Freddy said. He picked up the purse, slipped it into his pocket, shouldered his bow and drew his sword. "We've missed lunch and tea, thanks to you, and I don't intend to miss supper, so make haste, Mr Goatleaf."

       Torni chuckled. "Never dare a Brandybuck - and never get between a Took and his food! Step out, Mr Goatleaf. We'll keep up with you, never fear, and you'll spend the night in a nice comfy cell in Bree gaol. There's pheasant at the Pony tonight."

       "With bread sauce and bacon rolls, I know. Don't dawdle. We have an appointment with a pheasant and I think it very rude to be unpunctual." Freddy began to whistle.

       "Never thought I'd see the day - bloody Rangers with furry feet!" Goatleaf mumbled.

       The hobbits exchanged a look. "Our feet may be furry but our eyes - and our swords - are as sharp as those of Men. You and your ilk would do well to remember that."

       Alf was unlikely to forget it, being prodded regularly all the way back to Bree. By the time they reached the gaol he was glad of the rest. The sound of the young Rangers being cheered by Bree's indignant citizens did not improve his temper either. Hobbit Rangers! Whatever next?