***

Angst Warning: Breakers Ahead. Continuing threat of angst for the foreseeable future. Keep hoping for the dark cloud's silver lining; every storm ends eventually....

***

Chapter 6. Standing Up for the Steward

'Congratulations!' Pippin said, slapping Reginard on the back. 'I thought you'd never get around to asking.' He topped off the glasses from the pitcher of ale, lifted his own glass, and said, 'To the happy couple!' He and Ferdi drank, while Regi cleared his throat, stared into his glass, and then smiled.

'When's the date?' Pippin asked.

'I know that weddings are usually in the spring...' Regi began.

'...but he doesn't want to wait so long,' Ferdi drawled.

Pippin hushed him with a glance and repeated his question.

'In the autumn,' Regi answered solemnly, but as he spoke his face brightened with anticipation, now that the long wait was nearly done, 'when harvest is done. We thought it might be nice to celebrate during the harvest festival, as a matter of fact.'

'Good timing,' the Thain agreed. 'And will you want me to do the honours? Or the Mayor?'

'That was something I wanted to talk to you about,' Reginard said. 'I was going to ask Mayor Samwise to do the honours.'

Pippin's smile deflated slightly, so slightly that only one who knew him as well as his steward was coming to know him might notice. 'You'll be busy, you see...' Regi said hastily.

'Busy?' Pippin asked.

'Aye. You see... I wanted to ask you to stand up with me,' Regi explained.

'What about Ev'ard? What would he think?' Pippin asked.

'Well, you see, he'll be a bit busy, as well,' Regi said, and Ferdibrand chuckled.

'What is it?' Pippin said, fighting annoyance. He did not like to feel he was lacking information.

'He'll be marrying at the same time,' Ferdi said, and guffawed at the look on the Thain's face.

'And Ferdi here,' Regi said with a stern look at his cousin, 'will be standing up with him.'

'Ev'ard's marrying?' Pippin said. This was the first he'd heard of it.

'Aye, he's been that quiet about his courting,' Regi answered. 'It's no wonder we didn't hear about it... the lass is a Brandybuck.'

Pippin nodded as understanding dawned. Everard had met his love whilst in Buckland learning about the secrets of the black powder.

'They had quite a courtship,' Ferdi said. 'I believe a tree or two gave their lives to support the correspondence, and a barrelful of ink seems to have gone missing.'

Changing the subject, Reginard said, 'How was the picnic?'

The Thain smiled. 'It was a beautiful day for a picnic.'

'Did Faramir learn to swim?' Regi asked. He noticed Ferdibrand suppress a shudder.

'He's half fish already,' Pippin said, 'so there was very little learning involved. Most of my task was to haul him out of the water, like any good fisherman, before he caught his death.'

'Cold pool on a hot day sounds refreshing,' Regi said. 'Might be tempted to try it myself sometime.'

'Come along with us on the morrow,' Pippin said. 'It was such great fun we thought we'd try it again.'

'Sorry,' Regi shook his head with a smile. 'I've a previous engagement.'

'Ah, yes,' the Thain said wisely. 'I can imagine. How about you, Ferdi?'

Ferdi cast a helpless look at the steward. Do I have to do this kind of thing? he seemed to be asking.

Regi gave a firm nod. It would be good for Ferdi to plunge into an icy pool. Might cool some of that hot air of his. 'You ought to go, Ferdi,' he said. 'You know the Thain is supposed to have an escort whenever he goes out of the Smials.'

Pippin laughed. 'And why is that?' he asked. 'Is it to keep him from running away?'

'Might be something like that,' Regi said. He knew one thing for sure, he never wished to be Thain. Steward was about as far as he ever wanted to go.

However, by the next afternoon, there was no thought of teatime delights, neither sipping tea and making wedding plans, nor splashing in a refreshing pool on a hot summer's day. On the next afternoon, a wildfire had broken out just east of Tookbank and was threatening to burn all the way to Tuckborough and beyond.

Reginard thrust through the doorway without knocking. 'Mardi!' he shouted. 'Rosa! Telly! Lili!'

Rosa came from the kitchen, hands in a towel, Lili and another sister behind her. 'What is it?' she asked.

'Where's your father?' Reginard demanded.

'In the back garden, I think,' Lili said. 'I'll fetch him,' but there was no need, for Mardibold himself had heard and came in from the garden, wiping his feet, but ready to hear whatever had brought Reginard shouting into his home.

'You've got to get yourselves to the Smials at once,' Regi said tersely. 'A wildfire's on the way; we don't know if we can stop it in time.' He caught at Rosa's arm as she started for the bedrooms. 'No,' he said, 'there's no time to pack up anything, save perhaps some blankets if you're quick about it.' He looked to Mardi. 'Take your healer's kit with you,' he said, 'but nothing else.'

'Right,' Mardi said. 'Do you want me to go to the Smials, or to the fire?'

Rosa gasped.

Reginard squeezed her arm reassuringly. 'All the healers from the Smials are on the fire lines already,' he said. 'It might be a good idea for you to go to the Smials in case a healer should be needed there.' He paused. 'Turn your animals loose,' he added. 'They stand a better chance, running ahead of the fire, than in a byre burning down around their heads.'

'Right,' Mardi nodded. 'We'll be right along. I take it you've other folk to be rousting out. Rosa, you gather the children whilst I get my kit. Lili, you and Telly loose all the animals and meet the others in the front garden.'

Regi gave Rosamunda's arm a last squeeze and was gone.

The streets of Tuckborough were a pandemonium of hobbits and animals. The animals were turned away at the entrance to the Smials, and stable lads from the Thain's stables were using ropes to drive them back down the road through Tuckborough and out of the town.

'But this is my prize pony,' a hobbit was arguing as Mardibold's family reached the Smials. 'You've got to let me take him in.'

'Sorry,' a grim-faced Took said. 'Hobbits are more important than animals. Set him loose; if he's as fast as you say he'll outrun the flames.'

The Took wrested the rope from the pony's owner, pulled the halter from the pony's head and gave it a sharp slap. 'Hiya!' he shouted. 'Off with you then!' and before the owner could grab at the beast it was gone.

The Took turned back to say, 'Inside with you now, can't you smell the smoke? The fire's coming on fast!'

Tooks from the Smials were herding the townspeople in through every entrance at top speed. 'Crowd in, as far back as you can!' they shouted. 'Make room for more! Hurry! Fire's coming!' Hobbits murmured, babes screamed, soft sobs were heard from some of the hobbit lasses as they crowded into the Smials.

Mardi caught a look at Rosa's haunted face, and wondered where Regi was now. Was he still in the town, hauling hobbits out of their homes as the sparks blew down onto the thatched roofs around them? Would he get out in time, before Tuckborough became an inferno?

Mardibold noticed that most of the hobbits being herded into the Smials were old gaffers and gammers, mothers with children, and lasses. The able-bodied and older lads were being sent to the fire lines. He wished he could go as well, but he'd promised Regi to stay in the Smials in case of an emergency there. He wondered if Regi had pressed that argument upon him to keep him safe for Rosa's sake.

The shoving stopped and there was a series of hollow-sounding booms as the great doors at each entrance were shut, and the hobbits began to settle themselves on the floor to wait. Some adults were sobbing softly, and small children cried in fear and confusion.

Rosa hummed beside Mardi, then lifted her voice in a song. Mardi gave her hand a squeeze and joined in. Soon, more voices joined, singing softly, and when the song ended, another began. It was a way to pass the time.