Protecting the Innocent (O64)

[arwen75]

B2MeM Challenge Beasty:Snake & Rangers of the North:Protectors (O64)
Format: Ficlet
Genre: General
Rating: G
Warnings:  None
Summary: An encounter in the Shire
Authors Notes:  This is not my best work by any means. I just had the idea in my head but the muse refused to cooperate fully in putting it down. We shall see if she does better in the next few days as I may try to revise this as one of the prompts feels really forced. EDIT: RE-written it to a point and I am feeling a little happier about the story and its flow. Still not brilliant but at least it reads a bit better.

Aragorn had decided to spend these days checking the watch kept on the borders of the Shire. So it was that he heard a high-pitched scream coming from just over a small hill. Spurring his horse onwards he came upon the sight of a group of hobbit children frozen in spot while the young matron with them continued to scream. Getting of his horse, he advanced carefully towards the group trying to see what the issue was. As he got close he spotted the snake on the ground in the middle of the children.  He knew that it was actually rare for a snake to bite – they tended to be more frightened of people and indeed this one was not venomous. However he also knew that such sightings would be rare in the Shire – indeed there were few snakes this far north – they tended to prefer the warmer climes.

Looking around, he found a stick and cautiously approached the snake. He picked it up using the stick and moved it out of the group – where upon it slithered away. He gave a slight bow to the group saying, “Mistress. I apologise for my sudden appearance e, but I heard your screams.”

“Thank you Mister. I did not know what to do. But why did you just move it and not kill it – it could still harm the children.”

“It was not a poisonous snake Mistress and was in fact probably more frightened of you than you were of it. Rarely will any snake bite – they tend to avoid people.”

“I thought all snakes were poisonous Master. But thanks to you I will at least know that some are not.”

“In these climes Mistress snakes are rarely seen and those that are will not harm you.”

She gave a slight curtsey herself saying, “Thank you for explaining Master and for youryour help. Now I must take the children in.”

“I was glad to help Mistress. I will say farewell.”

With that Aragorn once again gave a slight bow as he returned to his horse and continued to make his way round the borders to see his patrols. They protected the Shire-folk from many things both large and small and would continue to do so. He would hate to see such a calm and peaceful land disturbed by what could lurk outside its borders.

Comments

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

You have a good idea here. I think it would work better with less emphasis on ptotectors

[arwen75]

Thanks for the suggestion Linda. I have re-done some of this and taken a lot of the initial writing away. Think it reads better now if still not exactly as I want. Muse is still refusing to co-operate.