Gone Missing: Darkness Falls (locked to Aille & Samwise)
Uncle Bliss was sick. Very sick. Sick enough that all the servants in the temple were very busy trying to tend to him and his wife, Joan. Sick enough that when two of his friends came to visit, Joxer and Iolaus, they stayed to help watch over him. So sick, in fact, that even Aille didn't have time to spend with her. And her Daddy . . . he was gone altogether. Gone to find something to make Uncle Bliss better. An amulet. Rose didn't understand how a pendant could help, but then there were lots of things she was still learning about her strange and wonderful new home.
Because everyone was so worried and busy, Aille had asked Rose if she wouldn't mind spending a few days with Master Samwise and his family. Rose had loved the hobbits the minute she'd met them at Bliss and Joan's wedding reception and had become quite good friends with the hobbit children. Even if she did stand taller than all of them. She understood that she wasn't being sent away because no one wanted her. She was being sent away just until things settled down a bit.
But she missed her Daddy almost immediately. Missed him something fierce. Missed him more than she'd ever missed him before, even when she was in the School. She was worried about him. And a little bit hurt. Because he'd left the temple to go find the medicine for Bliss without saying goodbye. She knew he was probably worried about his friend and had gone before Bliss could get any sicker. But knowing something and feeling something were two very different things.
Rose lay awake for a long time in the human-sized guest bed in Bag End, laying on her side and looking out the little round window at the night sky beyond. Lay there and thought about her Daddy whom she loved very very much . . .
. . . His kiss was soft and loving as it brushed her rosy cheek. Gentle hands pulled the blanket up her small body to tuck it around her shoulders.
"Kiss Moonracer, too, Daddy," she said.
"Alright." Leaning over the little stuffed winged lion and giving him a kiss as well. "There. All tucked in. Both of you." His fingers, warm and strong, brushed a strand of fine blonde hair from her forehead. "Watch over Aille and the baby for me while I'm gone, princess."
"I will." He turned to leave and she felt something catch her heart. "Daddy!" When he paused in the bedroom doorway to look over his shoulder she said frantically, "I love you!"
"I love you too, honey." He blew her a kiss and then he was gone. Out the door and into the darkness beyond.
"Daddy?"
A chill wind blew through the door, smelling of dust and earth and age. As if there were a cave on the other side of the open door instead of the garden. A dark shadow of fear crept over Rose and gripped her heart like a cold bony hand.
"Daddy?" she whispered again, clutching the winged lion to her chest. "Daddy, please . . ."
Something moved in the shadowed opening but it wasn't her father. It was something dark and evil and brooding. Short, like a dog, with black fur all stiff and matted. And eyes as dark as blood. It growled low in its throat from the gloom. She tried to turn away but couldn't. Instead, she looked into those bloody red eyes and saw -
-- Her father lying on the rocky ground like a broken rag doll. Something black and wicked sticking up from his chest and blood - so much blood! Spreading across his shirt and on the ground beneath him, pooling outward --
Rose sat bolt upright in bed and screamed. "DADDDEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
Because everyone was so worried and busy, Aille had asked Rose if she wouldn't mind spending a few days with Master Samwise and his family. Rose had loved the hobbits the minute she'd met them at Bliss and Joan's wedding reception and had become quite good friends with the hobbit children. Even if she did stand taller than all of them. She understood that she wasn't being sent away because no one wanted her. She was being sent away just until things settled down a bit.
But she missed her Daddy almost immediately. Missed him something fierce. Missed him more than she'd ever missed him before, even when she was in the School. She was worried about him. And a little bit hurt. Because he'd left the temple to go find the medicine for Bliss without saying goodbye. She knew he was probably worried about his friend and had gone before Bliss could get any sicker. But knowing something and feeling something were two very different things.
Rose lay awake for a long time in the human-sized guest bed in Bag End, laying on her side and looking out the little round window at the night sky beyond. Lay there and thought about her Daddy whom she loved very very much . . .
. . . His kiss was soft and loving as it brushed her rosy cheek. Gentle hands pulled the blanket up her small body to tuck it around her shoulders.
"Kiss Moonracer, too, Daddy," she said.
"Alright." Leaning over the little stuffed winged lion and giving him a kiss as well. "There. All tucked in. Both of you." His fingers, warm and strong, brushed a strand of fine blonde hair from her forehead. "Watch over Aille and the baby for me while I'm gone, princess."
"I will." He turned to leave and she felt something catch her heart. "Daddy!" When he paused in the bedroom doorway to look over his shoulder she said frantically, "I love you!"
"I love you too, honey." He blew her a kiss and then he was gone. Out the door and into the darkness beyond.
"Daddy?"
A chill wind blew through the door, smelling of dust and earth and age. As if there were a cave on the other side of the open door instead of the garden. A dark shadow of fear crept over Rose and gripped her heart like a cold bony hand.
"Daddy?" she whispered again, clutching the winged lion to her chest. "Daddy, please . . ."
Something moved in the shadowed opening but it wasn't her father. It was something dark and evil and brooding. Short, like a dog, with black fur all stiff and matted. And eyes as dark as blood. It growled low in its throat from the gloom. She tried to turn away but couldn't. Instead, she looked into those bloody red eyes and saw -
-- Her father lying on the rocky ground like a broken rag doll. Something black and wicked sticking up from his chest and blood - so much blood! Spreading across his shirt and on the ground beneath him, pooling outward --
Rose sat bolt upright in bed and screamed. "DADDDEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"