Chapter 12. Of Blessing and Bane

The Sun was low in the sky as they returned to the Great Smials, Ferdibrand providing a lone escort to the Thain and his family. Tolly had stayed behind, of course, for the wedding celebration would continue into the wee hours of the following morning, and Pippin had given him the day after the wedding as a free day with full pay. Hilly would return to the Great Smials with the rest of his family, probably after serenading the newly married couple, standing outside their wedding bower to sing a song of blessing before departing as the Sun rose from her bed. Hilly would undoubtedly be weary on his return, but hobbits are resilient and sturdier than they look. He’d stand his watches, run messages, escort the Thain or a member of Pippin’s family if need be, seek his bed early, and be himself again upon arising.

Pippin had reappeared just before the wedding feast, none the worse for wear, to Diamond’s relief (and Ferdi’s though he did not say anything to anybody, not Tolly and certainly not the Thain!) and Eglantine’s raised eyebrow.

All he said was, ‘You didn’t think I’d miss the feast, did you?’

 ‘You managed to miss the wedding,’ Diamond replied softly. She was cradling young Faramir, who’d fallen asleep in her arms. Undoubtedly hunger would waken him soon, but young hobbits need their sleep and even in the midst of the celebration hobbit mums and older sisters could be seen sprinkled throughout the crowd of merrymakers holding sleeping babes and toddlers.

 ‘Come, Pip, help me spread out the blanket,’ Eglantine said crisply. All about them coverlets and blankets and cloths were being spread upon the meadow until the hilltop resembled a giant’s patchwork. Enormous baskets containing food and drink were being carried about the field and distributed by pairs of tweens. Hobbit families settled down to eat and drink, sing and laugh and tell stories. Children awakened to eat and lay down to continue their interrupted naps, full and content, lulled to sleep by the rise and fall of the voices around them. A number of adults fell asleep as well, including the Thain, his head pillowed on Diamond’s lap whilst Eglantine snuggled her grandson close and sang songs. Thus Pippin was well-rested when the fiddler played a flourish, shouting at the end to waken those who dozed in the pleasant afternoon sunshine.

 ‘We cannot be lying about all the day!’ he called. ‘There’s a wedding to be celebrating!’

A cheer arose from the crowd as he began to play a lively tune. Farmer Banks rose from his family’s blanket to take Meadowsweet’s hand, to lead her to the space left open by the picknickers. Tolly rose and looked to Mrs. Banks. She smiled, nodded, and gave him a hand so that he could help her up. The guests clapped and cheered as the two couples danced. As the first dance ended, Ferdi claimed the bride from her father.

 ‘Grace go with you, Sweetie,’ Mr. Banks said, squeezing her hand. She smiled at him wordlessly, and he turned to join hands with his wife as Tolly released her. Other hobbits rose to join the dance.

 ‘Well, Sweetie,’ Ferdi said as they danced. ‘It was a good wedding, was it not?’

 ‘I hope it wasn’t too good a wedding,’ Meadowsweet said. ‘You know it’s bad luck if everything goes right. My brothers will be arranging some sort of mishap if things keep going the way they’ve been going.’

 ‘I already told them there’s no need,’ Ferdi said. The Thain slipping his escort was a big enough mishap, as far as he was concerned. That Pippin had come to no harm was not much comfort. He did not look forward to having it out with the Thain, but he had to confront his cousin on such irresponsible behaviour early on, or resign his post, for he did not care to be playing these games. Not anymore.

 ‘Oh?’ Meadowsweet said, blinking.

Ferdi smiled. ‘Nothing to worry your curly head about,’ he said. ‘The problem’s been taken care of already.’ In a sense that was true. He didn’t need to pull Tolly away from his own wedding celebration to mount a hunt for a missing Pippin.

He steered them over to Tolly and stopped. Placing Meadowsweet’s hand into Tolly’s waiting one, he said, ‘Mr. Took, I give to you Missus Took.’

 ‘My thanks,’ Tolly said, his eyes not straying from his bride’s shining countenance.

 ‘You’re more than welcome,’ Ferdi said. ‘May you have a dozen children, and a larder that’s always full.’ He shook Tolly’s free hand, kissed Meadowsweet’s cheek, and stepped back. ‘Congratulations, and see you back at the Smials.’

 ‘You’re leaving so soon?’ Meadowsweet said.

Ferdi shrugged. ‘My part is over. I have toasted you, blessed you, danced you from father to husband, and I relinquish you now to his competent care.’ He smiled to reassure her. ‘I must be ready to depart when the Thain decides to go.’

 ‘Otherwise he’s likely to leave without his escort,’ Tolly said, his arm slipping around Meadowsweet. How good it felt to hold her close!

 ‘Indeed,’ Ferdi said dryly. Tolly didn’t know the half of it.

Though he could have danced with a dozen lasses or more, Ferdi stayed close to Pippin for the rest of the afternoon. After tea was served, with an abundance of fancy biscuits baked over the preceding week by the surrounding neighbours, the Thain rose from his family’s blanket. ‘I’ll return soon,’ he promised.

Ferdi rose to follow as unobtrusively as he could. Eglantine shook her head. ‘He’ll probably put himself on water rations for neglecting his duty,’ she said quietly.

Diamond stared at her. ‘Why would he do that?’ she said.

 ‘He noticed Pip was gone,’ Eglantine said. ‘I saw it in his face when he was giving the wedding blessing.’

 ‘But...’ Diamond protested.

Eglantine put her hand over Diamond’s. ‘O he won’t restrict Tolly and Hilly. They were released from their duties this day. But he escorted us to the wedding, do you not see? It was the only way for him to be here to stand up for Tolly, and while he was busy doing that duty, your husband slipped the escort.’

 ‘Your son,’ Diamond said absently.

Eglantine smiled grimly. ‘Exactly,’ she said. ‘He has his father’s stubbornness and pride, without Paladin’s regard for tradition. If he sees no use for it, he has no compunction about discarding it.’

 ‘But not at Ferdi’s expense!’ Diamond said.

 ‘Oh, yes,’ Eglantine said. ‘Sometimes our husbands are so short-sighted...’ She looked down at little Farry, listening wide-eyed. ‘Come, love!’ she cried gaily, with a quick nod to Diamond that meant, We’ll talk about this later. ‘Your Gran is in need of a partner for this dance!’ She arose, light on her feet for all her bulk and white head, and soon the two were skipping to the music of the fiddle.

Pippin made his way to the blanket where the Banks family were drinking their tea and watching Tolly and Meadowsweet dance. ‘Farmer Banks?’ he said.

The good farmer looked up and got to his feet. ‘Yes?’ he said politely, extending a hand. ‘You must be a friend of Tolly’s, from the Great Smials.’

Pippin smiled and nodded. ‘That I am,’ he said, bowing to Mrs. Banks and addressing the family as a whole as he added, ‘At your service.’

 ‘And your family’s,’ Farmer Banks said. ‘I hope you are enjoying the wedding.’

 ‘Lovely occasion,’ Pippin said politely. ‘I’m sorry to say we must be leaving soon, but we have enjoyed the festivities.’ He received the protestations of Mrs. Banks with a nod and a smile, then said to the farmer, ‘If I might have a word with you before going...’

Farmer Banks allowed his arm to be taken, and he walked with Pippin a little ways down the hillside, away from the merry crowd, Ferdi casually trailing them after a word of congratulations to the Banks family.

In a few words Pippin explained why the Banks’ near neighbours were not at the celebration. The farmer started. ‘But this is terrible news!’ he cried, then clapped a hand to his mouth and looked apprehensively up the hill. Thankfully none seemed to have heard him, save Tolly’s friend Ferdi who was standing nearby for some reason. Ferdi heard the exclamation, of course, but Pippin had spoken so low that he did not know the reason for it, nor, as his cousin turned away and walked with the farmer further down the hill, did he learn any more about the matter. 

 ‘You’ve sheep in the field yourself,’ Pippin said, and the farmer nodded.

 ‘I hired a hobbit to watch them for the day,’ he said. ‘He’ll bring them to the fenced pasture near sunset and join the celebration.’

 ‘You’d best send your sons to watch through the night,’ Pippin said. He hesitated. ‘Did any of your dogs stray in the night and come home bloody?’

The farmer stiffened in outrage, but Pippin showed him the heavy ring on his hand. ‘I must ask,’ he said. ‘Any dog can become a sheep worrier, and there is no help for it but to destroy him, for you cannot break him of destroying sheep.’

 ‘Aye,’ the farmer breathed, then remembered to bow. ‘Aye, Sir,’ he said.

Pippin shook his head. ‘That’s not necessary,’ he said. ‘I came to the wedding as Tolly’s guest, not as the Thain, and a wonderful day it has been, indeed. But I am speaking now as Thain, for I must. Watch your dogs. Shoot any that wander and come home blood-stained. Guard your sheep. You have my leave to shoot any stray dogs that enter your pastures, without fine or penalty or reparations to the owner, until we’re sure the sheep-worrying has stopped. The same word is going out to your neighbours, so I’d tie your dogs up, if I were you, or shut them up to keep them at home.’

Farmer Banks nodded. He’d heard the son was not so hard as the father, but Pippin could have been a young Paladin in that moment, from the set of his jaw and the resolution in his tone.

 ‘Very well,’ he said. ‘I’ll shut up my dogs, and we’ll set a watch on the sheep, day and night, until we hear otherwise.’

 ‘Good,’ Pippin said. ‘Send word to me at once if you have any trouble.’ He shook the farmer’s hand again and added, loud enough for Ferdi to hear, ‘Congratulations on your daughter’s wedding.’ He walked back up the hill with the farmer, who had the good sense not to introduce him as Thain to any of his friends or relations.

Meanwhile, Ferdi walked down the hill. He had all the ponies saddled and waiting by the time Pippin, Diamond, Eglantine, and little Faramir descended to the farmyard.

 ‘Thank you, Ferdi,’ Pippin said.

 ‘You’re welcome, Sir,’ Ferdi replied tonelessly. Pippin shot him a sharp look but said no more. It was a quiet ride back to the Great Smials.