Mirror image
by Nevaeh Elenath

Chapter one Madoc

*knock, knock*
“Coming!” I called when I heard someone knock on the door.
“Mornin’ Mr. Frodo,” Sam said when I answered.
“Good Morning Sam,” I said, “what do you need?”
“Will Whitfoot, the mayor, wants to see you,” Sam said.
“Why?” I asked shocked, only law breakers went to see the mayor.
“I dunno,” Sam answered matching my unease.
“All right, Half a moment, I need my jacket,” I said as I grabbed it off the floor, and slipped it on.
I followed Sam outside into the crisp November air.
“D’you think you’re in trouble?” Sam asked nervously.
“I don’t believe so, I haven’t broken any laws,” I said unsure.
We walked for a few minutes, which seemed like hours, then finally reach Will’s house, I knocked, in a state of unease.
“Oh, hello Frodo, Sam, come in,” said Mrs. Whitfoot, the mayor’s wife.
“Hello Mrs. Whitfoot” Sam and I said in unison.
“Will they’re here,” She called into the smial.
Will stepped into the room, “hello lads!”He said warmly.
“‘Lo Mayor” Sam muttered.
“Hello Mayor,” I said trying to hide my nervousness.
“Now, I bet you’re wondering why I called you here,” he said leading me into his office.
A young lad was standing in the corner, with his head down.
“This is Madoc Hobytle, his parents were killed in a fire last week, I need you to take care of him until we can find permanent parents,” Will said gravely.
“Hello, Madoc I’m Frodo, Frodo Baggins,” I said.
“‘Lo,” he said quietly.
“I’m sorry Frodo, but I have business to attend to, so excuse me,” Will said.
“C’mon Madoc, I’ll take you to Bag-End,” I said.
I walked out of the office. Sam was sitting in a chair waiting for me.
“What happened?” Sam asked.
“Nothing, I just have to watch Madoc,” I said indicating the lad, “Madoc, this is my gardener, Sam Gamgee,”
“Hullo,” Madoc said almost silently.
“Good-bye lads,” Mrs. Whitfoot said kindly as we walked out the door.
“So, how old are you?” I asked trying to start a conversation.
“Twelve,” he muttered.
Something stirred in my mind, “only twelve?” I asked.
“Uh-huh” Madoc said blankly.
“Frodo, he’s like you,” Sam whispered.
“I know,” I said aloud.
“What?” Madoc asked
“Sam was just saying, you’re like me,” I said.
“I-I am?” Madoc asked, looking up at me for the first time.
“Yes, my mother and father died when I was only twelve,” I said, feeling despair wash over me, “It happened twenty-two years ago, but it still hurts,”
“What were their names?” Madoc asked.
“Drogo and Primula,” I said.
“My parents were Mardocc and Rosemary,” Madoc said.
“I’m sorry, Madoc, you too, Mr. Frodo,” Sam said.
“It’s all right Sam,” I muttered.
Finally we arrived at Bag-End.
“Wow. This place is so big!” Madoc said with amazement.
“It will be only a little smaller, now that two people are living in it,” I said opening the door.
“What about Sam?” Madoc asked, confused.
“Oh, I live down the road,” He said.
“Would you like to find yourself a room?” I asked, “and give yourself a little time to explore,”
“Thanks Frodo,” Madoc said starting a full inspection of the smials.
“Sam, would you like anything?” I asked.
“No thank you, Mr. Frodo, I’ll be out picking apples, if you need me,” Sam replied.
“All right Sam,” I answered.
Then I walked into the study, and began to straiten the mess I had left the previous night.
“Frodo, D’you need help?” came Madoc’s voice.
“No, I’m all right,” I said placing some books back on the shelf.
“How can you live in a big place like this?” Madoc asked.
“Well, I just do, I inherited it, mind you” I said clearing off a cluttered desk.
“That’s interesting,” Madoc said.
“Have you found your room?” I asked setting some maps in a drawer.
“Yes I have, but . . . I don’t have anything to put in it,” He answered, with a hint of embarrassment.
“*Avo ‘osto*” I replied without thinking.
“Pardon?” Madoc said confused.
“Sorry, must have slipped into elvish,” I said putting the quill back into it’s place.
“You know *elvish*?” he asked surprised.
“Some,” I responded turning to him.
“By wind, rain, and water! Really?” Madoc said galvanized.
“Yes, I could teach you, if you’d like,” I suggested, “but first, let’s get you some clothes, and other essentials.”
“Okay,” he said, energetically.
We grabbed our coats, and began to walk outside.
Sam was there salvaging the rest of the un-frostbitten apples.
“Would you like to join us, Sam? We’re heading down to the market,” I called to him.
He looked over, “If it’s all right with you,” He answered.
“Of course, c’mon!” I said beckoning to him.
He stuck the meager amount of apples into his coat pocket.
The trip was long & tedious, first, we had to stop at the tailors to get Madoc’s measurements. Then, we went into the bookshop to pick up a journal
And a few other items. Then going back to the tailors to get his clothes.
“Eh Madoc, D’you like mushrooms?” Sam asked as we walked home.
“Yes, why?” he asked.
“You ought to have Frodo make you some mushroom soup, It’s the best in all of the Shire,” Sam answered.
“Really Sam, It’s not *that* good,” I said feeling my face redden.
“Of course it is,” Sam answered smiling.
“In all of the Shire, Sam?” Madoc asked amazed.
“All four farthings,” he replied.
“*Sam*,” I maundered going a deeper shade of scarlet.
“In all honesty Mr. Frodo, it really is the best in The Shire,” Sam said.
“In all honesty it really isn’t,” I answered, but seeing the hopefulness in their faces, well, I gave in, “all right, if you want, I’ll make you some, & Sam, you can stay for dinner if you’d like,”
“Thanks, Mr. Frodo, I’ll go tell my Gaffer,” Sam said running to the left.
“Wow, that’s fantastic! In all the Shire!” Madoc said enthusiastically.
“Now, Madoc, don’t get too excited, Sam sometimes tends to overreact,” I said, knowing it wouldn’t matter.
* * *
“Frodo, what were your parents like?” asked Madoc a few hours later while the soup was cooking.
Sam glanced at me, possibly checking my reaction to the question.
“Hmm, I’m really not used to being asked that question,” I said stirring the bubbling soup, “well my father and I used to wrestle out in the fields, and at night my mother would call us in for dinner,”
This time Sam looked at me longer, I knew now, what he was thinking; I had never really talked about my parents around him, of course this was the first time, in a long time, that I had talked about them at all.
“Er . . . how did they, die?” Madoc asked quietly.
“Well . . .” I struggled, unsure of what to say, but took a deep breath and continued, “one night, we were staying in Brandyhall, with my cousins, in Buckland, and they decided to go on an after-dinner sail, on the lake, I, of course, wanted to go with them. But they flat out refused,”
Sam stared at me, waiting for more, but just recalling this part was hard for me.
“They did not return that night, or the next morning, I thought maybe they had stayed out, & slept under the stars. I decided to go search for them, and began walking around the lake, calling for them, but then I turned around a bush . . .” My voice cracked as images flooded into my head, I could not continue, the grief was still too near.
But I did not cry, those tears had already been spent years ago.
“Frodo?” Sam asked, breaking my thoughts.
“I’m all right, Sam,” I said, my voice back to normal.
“I’m sorry, I asked,” Madoc muttered sheepishly.
“Don’t blame yourself, Madoc, it’s not your fault,” I said.