An Audience With The King RPG

[Susan Delgado]

******Shire******

Sam urged his pony along, impatient to get to The Marish as soon as he could. The pony, one of old Bill's fine sons, was none too eager to hurry up. He was just fine moving at a sedate walk, and nothing Sam did seemed to make any impression at all on the beast. Finally, Sam gave up on making the pony go faster and settled to gritting his teeth. He had such news for Merry and Pippin! Eventually, he did reach his destination, and beyond it Buckland, but to his extreme disappointment, neither of his old friends felt they could get away, though they wished they could. Each did recommend someone trustworthy to send in his stead and each wished him well.

Merry introduced him to young Orlo Hornblower, a lad seemingly barely out of his Tweens, but who came so highly recommended by the Master of Buckland that Sam found himself with no choice but to accept him.

Pippin was distraught at being unable to go with Sam to see all their old friends and tried most valiantly to arrange matters so he could, but in the end he was unable to. He sent along a third cousin named Odo Took and his twelve-year-old nephew, Brando. It was a long road to Gondor and Sam didn't want to take a child, especially the child of such a good friend as Pippin. He tried to talk Pippin out of sending him, but Pippin was so insistent that the experience would be good for the boy that Sam finally gave in, hoping nothing dire would happen. If something did happen to hurt Brando, Sam would never forgive himself.

The four of them made the three-day journey back to Michael Delving, to report to the Mayor. While less than pleased at the inclusion of a twelve-year lad like Brando, he was so pleased that Sam had agreed to go to the East Farthing and broach the matter with Merry and Pippin in his place that he indulgently allowed the boy to go, but he also insisted on his own prospect, a sturdy Hobbit of middle years named Hardo Proudfoot.

They all went back to Sam and Rosie’s pleasant little house and settled in for the night. There was more preparation to do before they departed, but with luck, they'd leave before the week was out.