Author’s Note: This story grew out of Chapter 30 of A New Reckoning. I had this little idea, but it seemed that it was hijacking the whole chapter, so I decided to take out all but a few hints, and make it into a separate story.

Disclaimer: Middle-earth and all its peoples belong to the Tolkien Estate. I own none of them. Some of them, however, seem to own me.

SILENT PARTNERS

SUNDAY, 18 RETHE S.R. 1420

Merry and Pippin drove the cart along the road towards Hobbiton. It was the first load of Frodo’s things being returned to him at Bag End. But that was only the excuse they were using to go see their cousin; they were worried about him, afraid that he might be having a bad turn this time of year.

Only three days before, Merry had been nearly incapacitated by a recurrence of the illness he had suffered when he helped to slay the Witch-King at Pellenor fields. As soon as he recovered, he began to worry about Frodo, fearing that he might be feeling similar effects from his ordeal in the Black Land at that time. Over his parent’s objections he and Pippin had set out at once from Crickhollow, the cartload of possessions as their excuse.

“Stop fidgeting, Pip. We’re almost there; see we’re coming up through Bywater right now.” Merry was anxious, and not as patient with his younger cousin as usual.

“Sorry, Merry,” Pippin was still a bit subdued by Merry’s close call on the fifteenth, and more than a bit anxious himself. Just then, though, he perked up.

“Look, Merry, it looks as though they have nearly finished with The Green Dragon finally! When do you suppose it might be open again?”

This piqued Merry’s interest as well. “I don’t know, Pip, but on the way home, we can stop and ask. I hope it will be soon. I certainly miss having the inns and taverns in the Shire.”

For one of the worst things to come out of the Troubles, besides the loss of life, had been the wanton destruction of places. However, Saruman ( or Sharkey as the hobbits in the Shire had known him ) was not responsible for the inns being torn down. That had been Lotho Sackville-Baggins own idea entirely. He didn’t like the thought of places where hobbits might gather and perhaps plot against him. And the destruction of the inns also made travel around the Shire difficult, which worked to his advantage.

They passed on through Bywater, and turned down the South Lane that led to the Cotton farm, located between Bywater and Hobbiton, where Frodo was staying until Bag End was completely restored.

As they approached, they were glad to see Frodo, sitting on a bench by the front door, enjoying a pipe and reading a book.

“Looks like we worried for nothing!” said Pippin.

Merry shook his head. “We’ll see.”

They hopped down from the cart, as Frodo stood up to greet them. “Hullo, cousins! What have we here?”

Merry turned to check the ponies, and then said “We thought we’d start bringing your things back to Bag End, as we heard it was nearly ready.”

He reached out to give his older cousin an embrace. It was still strange to him to be so much larger than Frodo. He was disturbed to feel his cousin thinner than he had seen him last. When he drew back to look at him, he noticed how pale he was. He also refused to meet Merry’s eyes, a sure sign Frodo had not been well. He looked at Pippin, who had also noticed.

“Where’s Sam?” Merry asked.

“Oh, Sam has been gone since the beginning of the month. He had to check on the trees he had planted and graced with the Lady’s gift.”

“What?” Pippin’s voice was sharp, and Merry gave him a soft poke.

Fortunately, Frodo didn’t notice. Just then the door opened and there stood Lily Cotton, Farmer Cotton’s wife. “Good morning, Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin! We’re just about to have elevenses, if you care to join us.”

“That sounds splendid!” said Pippin. But the look he cast back at Merry was stormy.

They all went into the Cotton’s spacious kitchen; Rosie was there, Sam’s betrothed, and she gave the cousins a warm smile. All the male hobbits were out in the fields--they took their elevenses with them.

The five of them enjoyed a leisurely meal, and when it was done, the cousins decided to drive on up to Bag End and unload the cart.

Rose was clearing up the plates. She stooped next to Merry’s ear while Frodo was helping Mrs. Cotton to put away food. “Mr. Merry, if you’ve got a moment, I need to talk to you without Mr. Frodo knowing.”

Merry looked a bit startled, but nodded. As soon as she could Rose drew him into the hall, while Pippin kept Frodo engaged in conversation.

“Mr. Merry, I know he doesn’t want anything said, but I don’t think that’s right. Just promise you won’t let on, please?”

Merry nodded.

“About five days ago, Mr. Frodo took real sick. He was having some kind of waking dream, and he kept holding on to that jewel he wears around his neck, talking about ‘it is gone forever’. His left side was like ice, but he was running a dreadful fever for a while, and that scar by his neck was inflamed. I wanted to send for Sam, but Da said ‘wait’ and the next day he was much better, and he made us promise not to tell. Well, Da promised, but I didn’t say nothing, so I guess he thinks I promised too. But I don’t hold with keeping things like that from folks who love you.” Her eyes were wide, and bright with tears. It was clear that she had been very worried.

“Thank you, Rose. I am not surprised that he was ill, and I am glad that he is better now. I appreciate that you confided in me.” She gave him a weak smile, and a sigh of relief.

The three cousins took the cart to Bag End, and began to unload. Merry and Pippin were amazed to see it. Aside from being empty of possessions, it was completely restored, though everything looked too new and clean. The smell of fresh paint and new wood filled the smial.

The small cart was soon unloaded into the front hall. It was all just boxes and bundles, as they had not brought any of the furniture yet.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay one night at the Cotton’s?” asked Frodo.

“No,” said Merry “I think that we will head back right away. As soon as we get back, we’ll hire carters to bring up the waggons of furnishings, and make a return trip.”

They dropped Frodo at the farm, and started back the way they had come.

As soon as they had left Frodo, Merry told Pippin what Rosie had said. The younger hobbit began to wax eloquent on the subject of what he called “Sam’s desertion.”

“He should have known better than to leave at a time like this!”

“That’s enough, Pip! Sam is doing his part to get the Shire going again, and he probably thought that being home now, everything would be all right.” Merry did not want Pippin to be angry at Sam. “Look, here’s Bywater. Why don’t we stop and ask about The Green Dragon?”

This distracted Pippin, as Merry had hoped. They pulled up in front of the low building. Like Bag End, it smelled of paint and new wood. Not seeing anyone, they hopped down and stuck their heads in the open door. They heard some banging coming from another room.

“Hullo!” they called. “Master Toby?”

A stout older hobbit came into the room, carrying a hammer. It was Toby Harfoot, the innkeeper. “Well, good afternoon, Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin! I was just putting up some shelves in the storeroom.”

“We saw how close to finished things looked, and thought we’d stop to inquire when you will be opening again,” said Merry. “You know we’ve missed The Green Dragon dreadfully.”

A troubled look came over the old hobbit’s face. “I don’t expect it will be anytime soon, sirs. You see, we started in right after the Scouring to set things to rights here, but I have put every copper I had into getting the place rebuilt. I’m afraid it will be months before I have the coin to purchase stock and to hire help. I’m sorry to have to tell you that.”

Merry and Pippin exchanged a troubled look. “We are heartily sorry to hear it,” said Pippin. “Well, I guess we need to go, but I hope things will look better for you soon.”

The two got back in the cart, but Merry did not whip up the ponies. He had a thoughtful look on his face. Pippin knew that look--his cousin was getting an idea.

“Pip, how much of your knighting money do you have left?”

“About, oh around seventy-five silver pennies, more or less. You?”

“I think I have about sixty still. You do know what I’m thinking, don’t you?”

Pippin just gave a wolfish grin. They got back down and went back into the inn.

“Toby?” asked Merry, “just how much money do you think it would take to get The Green Dragon up and running again?”

“Oh, sirs, at least somewhere between twenty and thirty silver pennies. But I’m hoping that if I can save up about a third of that, I can get a loan for the rest.”

“I’ve something else in mind. How would you like a couple of investors?”

And so, for a handful of Gondorian silver, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took became silent partners in The Green Dragon Inn.

“I’d prefer,” said Merry, “to keep this quiet. Let us dispense with the seven witnesses and the red ink for at least six months; then we will see if we want to make the partnership official. Also, for the first six months, put all our part of the profits back into the Inn.”

Pippin drew out two more of the silver coins. “And this is over and above the investment. This is for the first night we come in here after you re-open, to buy a round of drinks for the house”

Toby’s eyes popped. “Mr. Pippin, that’s far more than a round of drinks will come to!”

“Well, we might want to buy more than one.” He gave a charming Tookish smile. “And if we get carried away with the singing and dancing, it might cover any broken crockery or dented tankards.”

The old hobbit’s eyes filled with tears. “You don’t know how much this means to me, Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin.”

“It means a lot to us, Toby.” said Merry. “When we got home and saw the way things were in the Shire--well, let’s say that we just want to see things getting back to the way they ought to be.”

______________________________________________

MONDAY, 3 ASTRON S.R. 1420

It had been a wonderful evening. Merry and Pippin had escorted their guests back to Bag End, and now they had gone back out on the front steps of Frodo’s smial to enjoy the stars and a quiet smoke before they retired.

Pippin started to hum, and then he and Merry sang softly:

“You can keep your fancy ales,

You can drink them by the flagon

For the only brew for the brave and true

Comes from the Green Dragon…”*

_______________________

*From the film The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King