GAME OF TRUST

CAUGHT IN THE SEARCH

"Who is this?" Nicolas asked as soon as he saw Tory with Merry.

"He says his name is Tory, and he has offered to help us search for our kids." Merry replied.

"Son, do you know who we are looking for?" He asked Tory.

"Sir, to be honest, I don't know who they are."

"Then why have you offered to help?"

"He says it's for the love he has for my daughter who he just met." Said Merry.

"Are you prepared for the journey you are about to embark on?" Nicolas asked again.

"All these were what I tried telling him but he still insisted and Kyle said he can come with us."

"Son, I must advise you to go home because it's going to be dangerous." Nicolas said. "Merry, please tell the kid to go back."

"I tried but he would not listen. I think he has made up his mind so talking him into it won't help." Merry said as they ready the horses for their journey.

"Okay son, since you won't go back I must say you must be extremely careful and never leave our side." Nicolas advised.

"Sir I appreciate your concern but I think I can handle myself." Troy replied politely.

"You sound like you've got some skills." Asked Merry.

"Yes sir, I have been training since I was little."

"Olivia! We are leaving." Nicolas shouted.

"Okay ,please be safe and bring them back safely." A female voice replied from the inside. It was the wife of Nicolas.

"Son won't your parents be worried about you?" Nicolas asked.

"No sir, they won't bother at all." He replied as they got on their horses and began their journey.

"Son, how old are you?" Merry asked.

"I'm twenty sir."

Hearing his age Merry and Nicolas had a weird look at each other and said. "Are you sure your parents would not look for you?"

With surprise that they did not know who he was he said. "Yes sir I'm very sure, why do you ask?"

"You are barely of the same age as those we are searching for and you say your parents won't be worried." Nicolas said.

"Son it's not too late for you to turn back seeing we've only gone half way the journey. I understand you are trying to prove your love for my daughter but this is too much." Merry said.

"Sir please do not send me back, I have to do this for you and your family to accept me."

"Yes you have been accepted but please you must not continue with us." Merry said as he stopped his horse and that of Nicolas and Tory also stopped.

"Sir you might have accepted me but how about your sons would they see me worthy of their sister. So you see I must continue with you till the end of this journey." Tory said as he made his point clear to the both of them.

"Okay then." Merry said as they continued with the journey.

"Son, since you are here with us, tell us who your parents are?" Nicolas asked.

"Is it really necessary to know who my parents are?" Tory asked as he tried not to reveal his identity to them because he was ashamed of his father and the things he heard about him which he still needed to be sure if they were true.

"Yes son, it is important that we know who your father is." Merry said.

"Look!, over there I think I saw someone, maybe they are the ones we are looking for." Tory said in order not to answer the question.

"Do you think they got this far?" Nicolas asked Merry.

"I don't know but we must find out who it was that moved in the bushes." Merry answered, so they began to search the woods.

In a few seconds they realized that they had been drawn into a trap as a good number of soldiers from Imladris compassed and took them hostage but they made their camp there in the woods and sneaked into the land to gradually take over the land.

"I still don't believe we actually did that." Fili said as both he, Alvat and Clifford came out of the woods. At this time it was getting dark.

"Did you see the looks on the face of the soldiers?" Asked Alvat as they all laughed.

"I must say this is the best adventure we've ever embarked on." Said Clifford.

"Sure it is, I can't wait to go back there and see the faces of those soldiers. They are really no match for us." Alvat said.

"Go back there!!" Both Clifford and Fili explained.

"Do you realize we almost got killed back there?" Clifford asked.

"I'm not ready to go back there anytime soon until those soldiers are gone. I wish we were still back home." Fili said.

"So you both are no longer going to train for a while now." Alvat asked as he was disappointed by their words.

"Well maybe we shall look for another place to train on but certainly not in that woods again." Clifford replied.

"You do remember that those same soldiers are the reason why we are no longer in our country today. They have chased us again to this place and you want us to run like we did four years ago." Alvat said as he tried giving them courage.

"We definitely won't chase them out seeing their number." Said Fili.

"We are not going to fight them but since we know the words more than they do we might be able to hurt them like animals by placing a few traps for them. Let us not just leave the place for them."

"Alvat we shall talk about it late but first let us focus on getting home, our parents would be worried by now." Said Clifford.

"I don't think they would be worried at all. They know we will always come back like we used to." Fili said.

"Today was different, you know Fili." Clifford replied.

"Okay then, farewell! Say hello to dad for me." Fili said as was about to leave them.

"Don't forget to say hello to dad and mom for us and tell them we are sorry we couldn't meet today." Both Clifford and Alvat chorused as they went their separate ways.

"Father! Mother! I'm back, Clifford and Alvat apologise for not coming today." Shouted Fili as he got home.

Coming out was Olivia who asked. "Where is your father?"

"I don't understand mom, he was here when we left for the woods." Fili replied.

"Oh no!" Olivia exclaimed.

"What is going on Ma?"

"Your father want in search of you boys with sir Merry and some stranger."

"What! Why would they go looking for us... have they forgotten we can handle ourselves." Fili said while he thought of what to do.

"But you were gone for too long."

"I know mother, but we are not still kids."

"Neither are you adults." Olivia added.

"I'll be back and please don't go anywhere." Fili said like one who remembered something and then ran off again.

"Where are you going?" Olivia shouts.

"I'll be back ma!! And please don't get missing when I'm back!" Fili shouted in response as he kept running.

In a short while, he arrived at Merry's place as he found Clifford Alvat and Kyle arguing.

"Brothers!" He said. "I think we'll have to go back to the words."

"Oh! Thank heaven you are here." Clifford said. "We have been telling our mother here that we must go back and find our father but she still insists that we wait for them."

"She also said some stranger about our age went with them." Alvat added.

"You should wait for them believing that the young boy would return with them." Kyle said.

"Why did you allow them to go in the first place?... why didn't you tell them to wait just as you are telling us now?... What do you know about this boy you speak of?... How long have you known him that you put so much confidence in him?... please let us go bring them back for we know the words more than they do." Said Alvat with all sorts of determination as Clifford and Fili agreed with him.

"Mother please let them go bring father and sir Nicolas back, I guess they're right... They know the woods better and would be able to find their way easier than father." Victoria pleaded for Kyle to listen to her brothers.

Not knowing what to do Kyle was silent.

"Ma, is that a yes?" Fili said as he smiled a little to change her mind.

"Okay! You can go..." she said and they turned to leave with joy. "But not today seeing it's almost dark, you leave at first light tomorrow."

"But ma..." The three said together.

"Do you want me to change my mind?" She asked as she made an usual face.

"No we don't, but at least let's prepare for tomorrow." Fili asked.

"Okay then, I'm waiting for you inside." Kyle said as she entered the house and Victoria followed her while the three young youths set their things ready.