A Hero

Merry had spent a most enjoyable day with his two favorite cousins, Frodo and Pippin, at their favorite place, The Green Dragon. In all truth, Merry wasn't much of a drinker; he was the one who had to take Pippin home at the end of the day and explain the young Tooks state to his father, Paladin. They sang and danced, and flirted with all the pretty hobbit girls. Altogether a fabulous day.
There was just one comment made by Ted Sandyman that momentarily slowed him down.
"There's one of the big folk that's been lookin for ya, Merry. Better watch yerself."
Merry paid him no mind, and continued with his activities.
Sure enough, by the time that they were headed back to the great Smails, Pippin was indeed in quite a state. Merry had to practically carry him to the door. After explaining to Paladin what they had been doing, Merry decided it was time to go before Paladin became angry with him as well, and decided to yell at him. He hated it when he got in trouble for Pippin's misadventures. He had a long walk back to Brandy Hall, and most of it would be in the dark, he thought. Better to get off as soon as possible.

Teylor waited in the dark by the roadside. A sneaky looking halfling had told him that the hobbit he sought would be coming soon. This was good. If he could just grab the halfling off the roadside, it would be so much easier than trying to get into their home.
He waited. All of the other halflings had gone in for the night, there would be no one to witness it.
Then he heard feet, halfling feet, coming down the roadway. He looked down the western raod, and there he was. The halflig he had seen before. The one that he needed for his master. This would be easy. The halfling was almost to him.

Merry jumped as he heard someone on the roadside say with a heavy accent, "What is the time, do you think?"
Standing just off the road was a man, just like Sandyman had said. Merry paniced, not having seen a man before, and now remembering what Sandyman had said. He ran. He ran as fast as he could down the roadway, yelling for help as he went. He heard booted feet following him, and then suddenly, he was lifted up.
Merry kicked and struggled with all his might, but he could not get out of this grasp that now held him. Suddenly he was hit on the head, and knew no more.

The halfling had been warned. Teylor saw lamps coming on in some of the nearby houses. They could not stop him. He had what he wanted. He put the unconscious hobbit under his arm, and ran into the darkness...