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Old 09-18-2003, 05:03 AM   #55
Hilde Bracegirdle
Relic of Wandering Days
 
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Hilde Bracegirdle has just left Hobbiton.
Tolkien

Gilly

Gilly had been quietly trying to compose a walking song, occupying herself in such a way with the hope of not becoming overly distraught or anxious. Rather a hard thing to do, for as time progressed Benia was favoring her leg more and Gilly was becoming single minded in her determination to reach the Chetwood, as her friend referred to it. The open country they were now forced to traverse was no place for them to be when trying to remain hidden from view, and Benia was forced to pause frequently.

So the hobbit’s song reflected this, being not so much about the mice and rabbits and birds of prey that she wove into her rhymes, but about the uncomfortable urgency of being hunted by something altogether unpleasant. Benia was the rabbit, of course, stopping to look around and listen, quick and alert. Gilly, was the field mouse, small, not stopping to look left or right. She had long since given up stopping each time with Benia, knowing that her friend would be beside her again in no time at all, and by so doing she found she could maintain a relatively steady pace and meter.

But as the forest grew closer, Gilly’s thoughts began to construct themselves as verses of victory and homecoming, relief and reprieve for the hapless creatures populating her song. And it was at this very moment that Gilly’s hopes were dashed as she heard the fast moving rustle of Benia’s skirts and her proclaim the arrival of the hunter. Gilly turned around wide eyed in time to see Benia, face flooded with pain running full tilt toward her shouting “Run for the trees!”

Squinting with open mouth, and peering into the distance, the hobbit could make out the form of the bounty hunter as he swung himself onto his horse. Wasting no time, Gilly hitched up her layers of petticoats and bolted for the forest. If she were caught, she reasoned, she would no doubts be killed or worse, as she would bring no price for him, but rather would be a burden. If she were to escape though, she felt he would scarcely bother to risk Benia’s departure by looking for a small hobbit that was on foot.

“Run!” she heard Benia voice again further behind her.

Benia on the other hand did bring in revenue and apparently needed to be delivered alive to Harad, for Kaldir had already had ample time to dispose of her if that was what was called for, Gilly reasoned. So he would have to make the long trip south with her if that was the case. Plenty of time to organize a proper rescue. Perhaps she could make her way to Archet on her own and get help there, or turn back to the Forsaken to see if the ranger Hanasían could be of help.

Upon reaching the cover of the underbrush at last, Gilly allowed herself to turn around. As she did she saw the bright glint of raised swords in the distance, and after a moment the slighter of the two figures fell to the ground. Immediately the woods and grassland seemed to have grown strange and oppressive as the hobbit stared in disbelief. She felt so terribly alone; unable to aid her friend who, the hobbit assumed, was grievously wounded with only her murderer beside her as she lay dying. The helplessness of the situation bore home to Gilly. Overcome with grief, hunger and exhaustion she threw herself down sobbing into her bundled skirts.

Last edited by Hilde Bracegirdle; 03-22-2004 at 05:47 AM.
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