[Nurumaiel]

Angelica and Merimac Muddyfoot strode up the little stone path that led to the door of their cheery little hole. It was late in the evening, and Angelica suspected that the children would be hungry. Her suspicions were confirmed when Prisca threw open the front door and cried, "My stomach is grumbling, Mummy! Daddy, do you know what? It's angry because it hasn't had any food."

"Well," said Merimac loudly, trying to lure Fosco out of wherever he was. "We just so happened to stop by the shop on the way back and we got…" He never finished. Holding up the sweets was enough. Prisca toddled forward excitedly and grabbed the candy, stuffing it into her mouth.

Angelica seemed a little puzzled as she stepped into the house with Merimac and closed the front door behind them. "Prisca-baby, where's your brother Fosco?"

"I don't know," said Prisca. "Maybe he's sleeping. I was sleeping."

Merimac saw the look in Angelica's eyes and hastened to comfort her. "I'm sure it's just as Prisca said. He must be sleeping somewhere. Come on, let's look." Taking her hand, he led her first to the twin's room. Fosco was not there. Nor was he in any of the other rooms.

"Oh, Mummy, I know now," said Prisca, tugging at her mother's skirt. "He was chasing baby dragons. That's what he called the grasshoppers."

"Where was he chasing them, Prisca?" Merimac asked firmly, before his wife could scream out any questions in terror.

"He went into the garden," the little girl replied. "I don't know what happened to him after that. I went to find a cookie."

"I'm going to the Shirriff this very moment," said Angelica, throwing on her shawl once more and nearly running to the front door. Merimac caught up with her, and pulled her back gently, saying, "Angelica, I'm sure he's staying with one of his friends. Nothing happened to him." Angelica opened her mouth to reply, but Merimac covered it with one hand and turned to Prisca. "Er…. Prisca, could you go find your older brother?"

Prisca set forth on this mission obediently, and Merimac let his wife's mouth free. Words tumbled from it. "But, Merimac, you know… you've heard… what if Fosco was kidnapped? What if the kidnapper found him wandering all alone and - "

"You know that didn't happen," said Merimac. "Now let's go find him." He sounded confident, yet after two hours of searching his eyes betrayed fear, though he tried to hide it from his wife. "Well… maybe we should see the Shirriff, just to let him know about it."

And the two worried hobbits stumbled into the Shirriff's office, Angelica's eyes red with crying, and the stain of tears still on her pale cheeks.

[ April 11, 2003: Message edited by: Nurumaiel ]