CHAPTER 53

Merry’s four friends returned to the Great Smials wondering just what they were going to tell him. They went in search of him, and found him in the Took family sitting room.

Pippin burst out laughing. “Well, I see you have consoled yourself! Here you are surrounded by females, with two lasses upon your knees!”

For Frodo had thought the best way to cheer Merry up was with little ones.

He had brought all three of Pippin’s sisters, and the babes, as well as Rose and Marigold. Frodo sat with little Largo contentedly on his lap, while Merry was entertaining Flora and Alyssum with silly stories about their Uncle Pip.

Still, as they came in, his face shot up, and he looked at his friends hopefully.

The other three all looked at Legolas--it had been his idea, after all.

He sat down on the floor next to Merry. “Well, she is no longer angry about what happened the other night. I explained to her about how it was necessary sometimes for violence to be used to protect the weak, how the Rangers have protected the Shire for many generations. I told her that Aragorn told me once that you would have made an excellent Ranger if you had been a Man, for you had the right temperament--”

Merry looked surprised. “He said that about *me*?”

“Indeed he did.”

Sam spoke up. “And I told her you always protected the people you love, and that you would never harm anyone you cared about, only someone who threatened them. Even when you were a little lad.”

“Thank you, Sam.”

And Pippin put in “I told her about how you had protected Lady Éowyn and King Thèoden from the Witch-king.” Merry looked alarmed. “Don’t worry, I didn’t give the scary details, just enough to let her know how important it had been, and how all you thought of was your friends.”

Merry nodded. It sounded hopeful.

Frodo was wondering why they hadn’t just said that Estella was willing to see Merry again.

“Anyway--” Pippin looked at Legolas again.

“Meriadoc, she is now filled with such great admiration for you, that she feels she is unworthy of your affection. She thinks you need to find a lass who is brave and bold, and not so timid as she.”

“Estella is *not* timid!” Merry shouted, startling Alyssum, who began to cry, and slipped off his knee to hide her face in her mother’s lap.

Flora put her hand on his cheek. “Poor Unca Merry,” she said sadly.

Pippin’s sisters had all burst out laughing, while Rosie and Mari shook their heads. Frodo moaned.

“I said not so, Merry. That is what *she* said!” Legolas defended himself. Truly, he had not thought they had been so eloquent. “And she is not angry with you any longer.”

“What am I going to do now?” groaned Merry.

Pearl stood up. “That, cousin, is what happens when you send a lad to do a lass’s job.” She kissed his brow and went out.

Pervinca grinned. “Your troubles are over, Merry. Pearl’s on the job.”

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The next day brought a drizzle of fine rain, and a grumpy lot to the assembly. But there was a sense of anticipation. They were finally going to begin tackling the King’s edicts.

Frodo explained the role the Rangers had played over the generations, protecting the Shire from many a menace that never was seen by any hobbit of the Shire due to their vigilance.

“They have literally given their lives in order to see that we were peaceful and undisturbed. But it has taken its toll over the years, and there are not so many of them as there once were; the War did not help. It was because of that, and because of Lotho, that we had the trouble that we did last year. The King has ordered them to resume the patrols since the War is over, but their numbers have dwindled even more, and it will be some generations before there are again enough of them to keep us completely safe again. Indeed, I do not think it wise that we ever count on them for that--we need to maintain our own vigilance now. This is why he has requested that we need more Bounders.”

Now Saradoc stood. “I have agreed to put my resources to work in recruiting more Bounders, but Buckland is only our border to the East. I will need assistance in finding those who can help me recruit in the North, South and West Farthings. Thanks to the reparation money, we should have no trouble in paying any stout lads we may gather.”

And now the debate began as to how many more Bounders would be needed, and where, and for how long.

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For the first several days of their imprisonment in the Men’s camp, the Bankses had cringed whenever any of the Men came near them. They had not talked much, even among themselves. They also had been quite hungry, as the Men fed them no more frequently than they fed themselves, which was only three times in the day, meager meals by hobbit standards.

Still, gradually they had become a bit less fearful. The Men spoke to them coldly and formally when they brought the food, but were not discourteous. Not one single hobbit had come to see them or inquire about them, not even Beryl. No one had informed them that she had been so distraught over their fate that she had spent the last several days under the influence of calming draughts administered by a healer. When hobbits did come to the camp, they totally ignored their presence, speaking and dealing only with the Men.

So they looked up hopefully when Borondir led a young hobbitess towards them.

“This is Apprentice Healer Viola. She is here to see to your Marking.” He looked at her. “Is there anything that you will need, Miss Viola?”

She glanced disdainfully at the three who sat before her. “Only to stand by, in case they should need restraining.”

The three blanched. Once she was through with them, their former lives were truly over. Even if they ever should return from their exile to the south, they would be marked forever as those who had betrayed their own people.

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Odovocar returned to The Leaping Hare at the end of the day quite tired. Now that they were getting into the actual workings of the King’s edicts, things were beginning to get both more interesting and more difficult.

He pondered the envelope in his pocket. He certainly hoped it would help. Estella was no longer moping over Merry, she now was bearing the air of a noble martyr, and it was decidedly annoying. He was glad that he was no longer a courting lad, and his heart went out to the young Brandybuck.

When he got to the room, he passed the envelope along to Rosamunda without comment.

“Estella, Pearl has invited us to tea at the Great Smials tomorrow.”

“I don’t wish to go, Mother. It is just a way to get me to see Merry.”

“Oh, I don’t think so dear,” lied Rosamunda. This little ploy had Pearl’s clever mark all over it. “they have also invited Angelica. I believe that it is to be just lasses.”

Estella sighed. “Well, in that case, I will go.”

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Reggie felt exhausted . Opal was beginning to come out of the stupor she had been in since the shock of her accident, but now she was fretful and in despair. She had finally acknowledged that her leg was gone, and her weeping had been hysterical as she said that she should have died, as she would have no life now.

Amethyst and Garnet had coped well with the beginning of the storm, but they too were exhausted, and had finally gone to their own rest.

Poppy had left a draught, but she had asked them not to use it unless it was absolutely necessary, as she did not want the lass to become dependant on the medicine.

As he was beginning to think perhaps he would have to give it to her, there was a knock on the door. He gave a sigh of relief. The one thing that had seemed to settle his daughter had been her stream of visitors. She had never had that much attention from anyone outside her immediate family before, and it surprised her to see that all these people seemed to care about her.

It was the Elf, Legolas, again, and this time he had brought his friend the Dwarf with him. Although he had been a few times, this was the first visit since she was conscious enough to be aware of his presence.

She sniffed, and gazed at him with wide eyes.

“Good day, Miss Opal. I thought perhaps you might like to meet Gimli. It is he that found you that night after you encountered the horses.”

“Gimli son of Gloín at your service, Miss Opal.”

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Paladin and Saradoc were closeted with Everard and Merimac.

“How do you think it is going?” the Master asked his brother.

Merimac chuckled. “Well, it’s going to take time. We’re hobbits, after all. But I do believe that in the end it is all going to be ratified if nothing else goes wrong. The discovery of Clodio’s and Dago’s treachery shook them, and made them more sympathetic towards the Men.”

“By the way, Paladin,” asked Everard, “has there been any word yet of Bracegirdle?”

“Not yet. We’ve had messages sent out in every direction, but there has been no word of him since he left Hardbottle.”

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Dago looked down at the Ford in frustration. He had been camped here for days. But those Men were on the other side.

He had thought of maybe risking riding out openly, with a plausible lie about why he was travelling from the Shire, but it was too late for that now. A hobbit messenger had come by the day before, and he was sure it was with news of him. There was no way Clodio would keep silent about his part in things. What was he going to do? He could not stay here much longer.

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