Gormbard revelled in the feel of grass between his toes again and he was soon on the outskirts of Brockenborings. Gormbard made his way towards the Sheriffs office; he thought it best to let everyone know he was safe. As he entered he saw one of the Bounders sat behind a desk.
“It is I Gormbard” he announced “I am back safe and sound”
“That’s nice” replied the Bounder “ back from where?”
“Back from being held captive by the Goblins, I am safe and sound and you can call off the search”
“Call of what search, first I have heard about any search,” said the Bounder as he slowly stirred the contents of his teacup.
“No search, has no one reported me missing?”
“Don’t think so, let me check” The Bounder examined the nearby notice board from the comfort of his chair, “hmmm nope no missing persons been reported. There is a report of a missing goat” he turned back to Gormbard “Your not a goat are you?”
“I am most certainly not,” replied Gormbard
“Pity it was a fine goat, it won the North Farthing Show three years running”
Gormbard had had enough and stormed out of the office. No one had missed him, no missing persons reported; no one had even noticed he had gone. Well he would just have to get back to the Mathom House to see Master Foxtail and report to him that he had been unable to finish his task.
As he arrived back in Michel Delving Gormbard slipped across the square unseen, he was in no mood to be stopped by nosey inquisitive Hobbits. As he climbed the hill he saw Miss Muddybanks.
“Hello, is Master Foxtail in?” asked Gormbard
“He is in his office” replied Eustoma “It’s Gormbard isn’t it?”
“Yes I is” said Gormbard glad that someone remembered him at last.
“Well I would not show your face around the Mathom House, Master Foxtail was furious when you went off gallivanting here there and everywhere, months of hard work wasted he said”
“But what about my job and lodgings?”
“He has given the position to someone else and the lodgings with it”
“But it was not my fault, I was held captive by Goblins” pleaded Gormbard
“A likely story, I never heard of no Goblins going around grabbing Hobbits” argued Eustoma “Now you best be off before Master Foxtail sees you calls for the Bounders”
Gormbard sank down under a tree to think things over. Things were worse now than when he fled from Bree, at least then he still had his Burglars tools and plenty of money. Now he had just the clothes he wore and it was very unlikely that he would find work in town, Master Foxtail held a lot of influence in Michel Delving.
Gormbard picked himself up and took the road heading east out of town; maybe he could find work in one of the more remote villages of the Shire.
