An Adventure of Hobbit Proportions RPG

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

The noon passed towards afternoon and the day was still sunny and pleasant. The road between Stonebow Bridge and Whitfurrows in the west was well-kept and it was used by many people, hobbit travelers and cartmen. It was true however that most of the travelers passing through it at this time of day were loners or only small groups of tradesmen; or families, of four or five members at most, who went to or returned from visiting their relatives living in other parts of the Shire. A group of seven hobbits, a pony and a dog truly called for attention, if only because any potential traveler had to move aside when the gang of cheerful youth, spread across the entire width of the Road, appeared in front of him. The lasses were chatting happily, the more seriously looking male hobbits and Mosy with Hugo followed, but all were immersed in their own thoughts and the opposite-goers had to take care themselves how to avoid such a cavalcade.

As the afternoon was passing, the amount of people the company met was slowly diminishing. Whoever was on the road, was already close to returning home, so now the folks encountered were mostly the inhabitants of Whitfurrows going back from labouring in the fields or from a trip. Around the fifth hour, the road seemed all empty. The travelers kept walking on, as the village of Whitfurrows had not to be far away, however the sun had still some distance left to the horizon. It was now shining right into their faces. When Mosy for a moment turned his head to the right, the burning image of Sun remained still in his eyes. This way he could not see a young male hobbit walking out of a grove of trees across the field. When Mosy turned back, the hobbit was already treading towards the road in a steady pace, until his feet stepped on the firm ground. There he stopped, tightened his backpack and looked around. The road was quiet and deserted, except for the large group of travelers ahead. Seemingly pleased by the fact, the incomer turned westwards and went on in the footsteps of the company.

It went like this for a while, however soon it became apparent that the lone traveler is faster than the group. It was not that surprising, however: he was a young hobbit, probably still in his tweens; rather stumpy, but quite muscular; not with very long legs, but walking fast; and his mud-stained hairy feet and brown breeches could tell a careful observer that this person has long journey - or perhaps journeys - behind himself. Even his shiny yellow shirt was a little creased and a tiny twig in his brown wavy hair hinted where the tweenager had been sleeping lately. Indeed, the experienced tramp started to soon catch on the company. When he came closer, the laughter and words and bits of dialogue between the travelers reached his ears.

If anyone had turned back at the moment, he would have seen the sudden change in expression of lone hobbit's face. For a little while, he stopped, his eyes observing closely the members of the company, one by one. His sight paused on the lasses, but in the next moment, Gaffer Hugo turned back to look where Snatch had gone and noticed the lone traveler in the complany's back. The tramp's rather thoughtful expression turned into alarmed one and he resumed his course, as if nothing had happened. Gaffer Hugo turned his head back, because Snatch had just crawled out of the field on the other side. But the young lone hobbit moved now steadily on in his course, following the company westwards, keeping constant distance from them.

The afternoon was getting late when the company reached Whitfurrows, an old settlement on the crossing of roads from the Bridge, Frogmorton to the West and Budgeford to the North. At the first houses, the six hobbits and the pony stopped (not Snatch, who was busy chasing a scared hen which dared to go too far from her home - and now was paying for it). They exchanged a few words on how to continue, and a rhetorical question was raised whether to stop here for today or keep going until sunset. There was not much to discuss: on such a nice day, everyone felt like keep walking.

However, this unexpected stop caused the pursuer at their heels to catch up with the group. He did not stop, and had no reason to stop, after all. He passed through their center.

"Good afternoon," Gaffer Hugo greeted him cheerfully from the height of his seat, and others followed.

"..'noon..." the lone traveler stammered, and turned his face away from the companions, so that they didn't see him blushing all over. He also sped up and entered Whitfurrows with the speed of a post runner. He did not dare to turn back and went on steadily, following the road in its course, westwards. Swiftly, he passed the crossroads and at the last houses of Whitfurrows, he started to slow down. Then he took a peek over his shoulder.

The company had resumed its movement meanwhile. They already reached the crossroad, and turned - northwards. The young hobbit gnashed his teeth. For a brief moment, he stood, following the moving group by sight, fists clenched, as if some battle was going on inside him. Then with a sudden move, he turned, and with his face red as lobster he returned to the crossroad and turned towards the North - where, some hundred yards in front of him, the large group was moving.

[littlemanpoet]

The travelers crossed the bridge over The Water and stopped in Budgeford for the night. There was a good inn there, as there was in almost every Shire village, and their stay was both comfortable and fairly priced.

In the morning, over first breakfast, Snatch seemed to catch whiff of something right there in the common room that set him off agrumbling and agrowling again, so he only gave half his nose and eyes to Gaffer's plate; which was unusual for Snatch, so Gaffer took notice despite the pain in his ankle which was not lessening as he'd hoped.

"What's up, Snatch, my boy?" He tossed him a piece of sausage that in Snatch's distraction he actually missed, his jaws snapping on air. Most unusual indeed, though the dog was quick enough to scoop it off the wood floor as quick as nothing. Even while chewing he went back to growling and grumbling, which was sort of comical in its way. "Don't go growling with your mouth full o' food, Snatch," Hugo chuckled.

But he took a look in the general direction of Snatch's mistrust, and saw that lone hobbit again that seemed to have decided to go the same way they had. Hugo caught the eye of the hobbit once when he glanced over toward him, and the young hobbit - for he seemed short in years as well as height not to mention grooming - blushed red as a ripe tomato.

"Rudy," Gaffer said to his nephew sitting next to him, busy with his eggs and sausage, "there's somethin' off about that hobbit, that tweener I bet or I'm a babe in arms."

Rudy nodded. "I've been watching him too."

Brown overheard from across the table and took a surreptitious look back of himself in that direction.

"What do you make of it if anything, Brown?"

[Gwathagor]

Brown looked back again briefly. He thought for a moment and drummed his fingers on the heavy oak table.

"I saw him behind us on the road yesterday, but I hadn't realized he'd followed us all the way here. Maybe it's just coincidence that we've come the same way, but I'll say this: he's certainly been acting curiously."

Brown put a piece of bacon and half a tomato onto a piece of cold toast and then (somehow) fit the whole thing into his mouth. As he chewed, he thought.

"Now why did Snatch notice him? Could he be some kind of rascal, waiting to rob us when we're out on the road...I've heard about hobbits going bad, though I've never known any to myself."

"Then he's a rather stupid rascal," said Rudy, "Because we'd out-number him by 6 - and a dog."

Brown reflected on this and then leaned over to stroke Snatch's tail. "Aye, you're right there...more than likely, he's just some odd fellow that Snatch recognizes from Brandy Hall. Have either of you seen him before?"

[littlemanpoet]

"Nay, I never saw him before yesterday," Gaffer answered. "And ol' Snatch here, I think he just knows him from yesterday is all. He don't take so kindly to strangers, especially those as acts like they doesn't belong, if you take my meaning."

Hugo skewered more bacon and egg and toast and chewed thoughtfully.

"How about one of you go and have a word with him and see what he's about?"

[Gwathagor]

Brown grinned widely.

"Then it'll have to be Rudy," he said. "I don't take too kindly to strangers myself."

He laughed at himself, drained his mug, and pushed back his plate. Then he leaned back in his chair and stretched, while out of the corner of his eye he took a good, long look at the strange hobbit. He seemed to be doing his best to not notice them and appeared very absorbed in his breakfast.

[Valier]

Bunny's ears perked up at the conversation going on between the men. No one seemed to want to talk to this stranger. She looked to where their glances were directed. There sat a normal looking Hobbit, thoroughly engrossed in his breakfast.
Bunny had not even noticed him earlier as the others seemed to have, which embarrassed her some what. She was way too busy chatting up a storm with the other lasses. Living in a house with all brothers, she relished the time she had alone with other girls.

Bunny gave a mischievous grin at the boys, loudly cleared her throat so all their eyes would follow her and pushed back her chair and rose. Smoothing her skirt and hair unconsciously, Bunny made her way through the quieting inn towards the table the stranger occupied.

As she neared she held out her hands in greeting. "Hello there! Kind sir...My name is....OOOOOFFFFFF!!! and down she went. Her wretched toes were always getting in the way! Her face reddened.

"My name is Bunny, Bunny Took." She stated from her spot on the floor. The stranger held out his hand to help Bunny up. " My companions and I have noticed you may be following us.....Are you? and if so why?"
Bunny again straightened her skirt and now stood with hands on her hips looking as stern as one can after just falling onto the floor.

[Boromir88]

"Then it'll have to be Rudy," he said. "I don't take too kindly to strangers myself."

"It looks like Bunny's taking care of our stranger. Besides, I never heard of no hobbit that steals from other hobbits. It's called bor-..." Rudy was cut off by Bunny's sudden spill.

He didn't mean to laugh so hard at the site of Bunny falling down, but he couldn't help himself. "At least we won't be short of any entertainment on this adventure." he told Brown and the Gaffer.

He did feel bad for laughing out loud the way he did. Now, Brown's talk of hobbits going bad, had Rudy wondering about this stranger. He wanted to go find out who was this hobbit.

"I better give our little Bunny a little help." he chuckled. "Will one of you two remind me to get some biscuits before I leave? I forgot after all the excitement in Stonebow, I don't want that to happen again!"

Rudy walked over to the table where the stranger was sitting. Bunny had just asked the stranger why he was following them. He looked at Bunny and smiled "Sorry to intrude, just thought I'd say, you gotta watch out for those floorboards, they like to jump right out in front of you. You should have seen the time when Mira had made breakfast. She had just cleaned up a spill, father went into the kitchen and slipped on the wet floor. I was behind him, saw exactly where he fell, but was laughing so hard I proceeded to walk where he did and took a spill right next to him."

Rudy wanted to make sure Bunny had no hard feelings by his slightly rude laughter. Plus, he wanted to have a reason for going over to the strangers table in the first place. "Hello, sir." he said addressing the hobbit. "You may call me Rudy, and what should I call you?"