Chapter 21. Hide and Seek

Ferdi heard soft voices as he groomed Dapple. What with pulling extra duty because of Tolly’s wedding, he hadn’t had as much time to spend with his mares the past few days, and now, with his new clothes all hanging on lines in the sun he thought it best to keep out of the way of whoever it was who’d complained of his shabbiness. It was the perfect excuse to give Penny and Dapple a thorough grooming and take Dapple for a long ride. Since he was working with Penny and Socks so much, getting them ready for the races, he felt he’d been neglecting his old lass.

Looking around he saw the son of the Thain and Goldilocks Gamgee petting a mother cat that had set up housekeeping in the vacant stall across the way. He watched to see if they’d try to handle the kittens; the wee mites were a bit too young yet, but Faramir had evidently taken Old Tom’s last scolding to heart and neither tot tried to pick up the babes, content to watch the scraps of fur play and nurse and nap.

Ferdi’s fingers kept working as he watched, of course, for they were almost never still. Indeed, they drew his attention back to Dapple as he encountered a stubborn tangle in the long tail. While he was working this out, he heard the door at the far end of the stables bang, and looking up, saw that the tots were gone.

Dapple was saddled and Ferdi was adjusting the bridle when Elanor spoke from the corridor. ‘Uncle Ferdi?’

He turned with a smile. ‘Hullo, Nell.’

She was not smiling however. ‘Uncle Ferdi, have you seen Goldi? I’ve looked all about the yard, and in the Smials, and...’

 ‘Have you asked your mother?’ Ferdi said. ‘Perhaps she put her down for a nap.’

Elanor dropped her eyes. ‘I didn’t want to bother her until I’d looked everywhere first,’ she said. ‘She’s not been feeling well...’

Ferdi nodded. The Talk was that the Mayor’s wife was in the family way again. ‘She was just here a little while ago,’ he said, meaning Goldi. ‘Looking at the kittens with Farry.’ He nodded to the stall behind Elanor.

She glanced behind her, smiled and said, ‘O such dear little things!’ but the touch of anxiety did not leave her face.

 ‘Come, lass,’ Ferdi said, opening the stall door and leading Dapple out. Elanor fell in by his side. ‘I think I heard them go out the meadow door. Undoubtedly they’re picking wildflowers, or sleeping in the Sun.’ They paced slowly down the cool, dim, dusty corridor to the door at the end. Ferdi blinked a bit at the bright sunshine beyond, but his eyes adjusted quickly and he led lass and pony out into the meadow.

The tots had left no sign of their passing, to Elanor’s eyes, but after they’d been walking only a few moments Ferdi grunted and said, ‘They’ve been here, all right. They left a clear trail to follow.’

Bewildered, she looked before them, but she did not have his hunter’s training nor his hunter’s eyes to see the faint trail through the grass, and the forlorn stems of broken-off flowers left along the way. Ferdi was sure the trail was fresh when he saw several wildflowers picked with stems too short to carry and thus left to lie, though not yet badly wilted.

The sounds of the children playing in the yard behind them faded as they made their way across the meadow. Ferdi wondered just how far the tots had wandered before turning aside, or back to the Smials, or sitting down and falling asleep amongst the flowers.

***

It was a beautiful place to play, wild and yet unfrightening; exciting to be out from under the watchful eye of a tween, yet comforting to know the Great Smials was just down the hill and over the meadow. Goldi hid and Farry found her quickly by her giggling, then Farry hid and Goldi was hot and tired by the time she found him. It was energising, however, to know that it was her turn to hide and be found, and so she perked up as she heard Farry begin the song... when it ended, he would be seeking her, but she determined he wouldn’t find her soon!

As he sang Farry listened as best he could to the sounds of Goldi moving through the grass. She was going to the far side of the grassy hill! He would have to seek her in the direction away from the Smials, that was for certain. She was going quickly, too, and would leave a fine trail to follow. He hurried through the rest of the song when he could no longer hear her movement. He had a good idea where she’d gone to ground.

Indeed, the grasses were still bent down by Goldi’s passing, and Farry chortled as he followed the trail. ‘I’ll find you!’ he shouted cheerily, and listened for her giggles. The trail ended, and he stopped, baffled, then brightened. She had to be right around here, somewhere. He hadn’t seen the side trail, showing where Goldi had doubled back and then moved off to the left, crouching in a little hollow, well hidden by the long grass.

 ‘Goldi!’ he called softly. No giggles. She must have gone on ahead some ways. Farry pushed on.

***

 ‘I cannot believe they’d wander so far!’ Elanor said as they climbed the large hill. She had to lift her skirts from the drag of the long grass, and she was growing hot and tired and more worried than ever. Goldi had wandered more than halfway down the Hill to Hobbiton on one occasion, but Miller Sandyman’s wife had seen her before the tot had reached the Water, and brought her back up the Hill to Bag End. Across the meadow and up this big hill, now, was farther than that, and downhill had been much less work. Elanor could not believe that Goldi had not tired and whined to turn back.

 ‘Two will wander farther than one,’ Ferdi said, thinking of adventures he and Merry Brandybuck had shared in their young days. ‘No telling how far they’d go if they had food, but I’m fairly sure they set off empty-handed.’

They crested the hill and found the hide-and-you-seek-me trails setting off in all directions. ‘This will take some time,’ Ferdi said, looking all about. ‘But here is where they are playing. Easiest just to raise our voices!’ He called. ‘Farry! Goldi! ‘Tis teatime, and we’ve saved some cakes for you!’ That wasn’t far from the truth. They’d be bringing out blankets and baskets of food to the meadow soon for Diamond’s birthday tea, and it would be as well if her young son were in attendance, now wouldn’t it?

Elanor lifted her voice. ‘Goldi!’

Listening, they heard a sleepy, ‘Ellie!’ in reply.

Following the sound, Elanor called again. ‘Goldi!’ Ferdi walked after her, scanning the surrounding grasses.

On the far side of the hill they found the little one, lying curled in a little nest of grass, blinking. Elanor swooped upon her little sister, throwing her arms around her, hugging her and scolding her in the same moment.

Ferdi broke in. ‘Where’s Farry?’ he asked.

Goldi pushed Elanor away and reached her dimpled hands for Ferdi. ‘Want Ferdi!’ she said. Ferdi looked serious, but he wasn’t scolding at the moment. Ellie was.

Ferdi took her up and let her pet Dapple’s velvet nose as the mare stood patiently. ‘Where’s Farry?’ Ferdi said again.

 ‘Don’t know,’ Goldi pouted. ‘I hided, he seeked me, but he took a nawful long time...’

Ferdi raised his voice. ‘Farry!’ There was no answer.

Ferdi thrust Goldi into Elanor’s arms. ‘Take her back to the Smials and tell the Thain,’ he said. ‘His son’s gone wandering in the long grass on the first hill past the meadow. If he’s fallen asleep and doesn’t waken to calls it might take some time to find him.’

Elanor nodded and turned back the way they’d come.

Leading Dapple, Ferdi struck out in widening circles until he thought he’d found Faramir’s path, leading down the hillside, away from the Great Smials. At the bottom of the hill was a tiny stream. The print of a small foot was clear in the mud near the water, on the far side of the stream, leading away.