Chapter 10. Midnight Watches

Everard put his hand under Ferdibrand's elbow and urged him up from the table. 'Come, Ferdi,' he said.

The Took cousin on Ferdi's other side met Everard's glance and got up to take Ferdi's other side. Everard nodded thanks. Together, they escorted him stumbling to his bed and into it.

'Thanks, Tolly,' Everard said as they settled to either side of the bed.

Mardibold came in, carrying a covered cup, which he coaxed into Ferdibrand, and the three watched while the draught took effect. The healer lifted an eyelid, nodded, said, 'He'll sleep through until morning.'

Tolly said softly, 'He redeemed himself this day.'

Everard shook his head. 'By running away from another fire.' At Tolly's look of shock he said, 'You know that's what the talk will be, should the Thain die. If Pippin lives, of course, Ferdi will be a hero for saving him.'

'He's right, Tolly,' Mardi said softly. 'The Tooks have a long memory, I fear. They've never forgiven him for that youthful prank.'

'They forgave Pippin,' Tolly said stubbornly. 'They made him Thain... we made him Thain.'

'We didn't have much choice in the matter,' Everard replied. 'It was Thain Paladin's wish, it was the natural succession, once he owned his son again, and it was Regi's choice.'

Tolly gave a low snort. 'To remain steward. Why won't he be Thain?'

'For the same reason Mardi here won't be Thain,' Everard said, 'even though he's next in the succession after Pippin.'

'Don't start that again,' Mardibold said. 'Old Isembold, in his infinite wisdom, excused his descendants from the Thainship. It'll pass on to your branch of the family, Ev'ard, and you know it. Will you take it on, if Reginard declines?'

'He won't decline,' Everard said. 'He'll hate it, but he'll take it on. We're running out of options.'

'Who says the Thain has to be a Took?' Mardibold said.

Everard looked at him sharply. 'Mardi!' he reprimanded. 'Bite your tongue!'

The healer only smiled and rose. 'He won't need watchers this night, but you might check on him in the morning, see if you can get him to eat something,' he said.

'I'll watch with him,' Tolly said quietly. 'I'm not sure I'd be able to get up from this chair, anyhow. You go and get some sleep, Ev'ard, you look exhausted.'

'Do you want me to make you up a draught?' Mardi said, eyeing him.

'You keep your potions to yourself, Mardi,' Everard said. 'I'm going to take a little walk, and then I'll take myself off to bed. You don't need to worry about me.'

Out in the courtyard, the smell of smoke still hovered, but as Everard lifted his head to sniff the air, there was a softness to it. He went in to find Reginard, finding him at last in the Thain's study, head on his arms on the desk. He started to creep from the room again, but his brother raised his head.

'What is it?' the steward said blearily. 'Pippin?'

'Everard,' his brother said.

'O of course,' Reginard said, rubbing his eyes. 'Silly of me, I thought for a minute...'

'Well, this is where he might come, if he were able to slip past the bed-watchers,' Everard said.

'If he ever rises from the bed again,' Reginard said morosely.

'Don't give him up, Regi,' Everard said.

'Have you seen him, Ev'ard?' Regi said. 'He looks dead, already.'

'O, he's been known to surprise people,' Everard said. 'By the way, the wind's changing.'

'Eh?' Regi said, confused by the change of subject.

'Swung around from the east. We might see some rain in the next day or two.'

'That'll wreak havoc with the hay and wheat,' Regi muttered.

'O, if we get hard rain or hail, maybe,' Everard said, 'but this might just be a soft, steady rain, good all around, putting the fire to rest and greening up the crops. It's still more than a month until harvest.' He looked keenly at his brother. 'Go to bed, Regi. You're all in.'

Regi shook his head. 'Thought I'd look in on Pippin once more.'

'Do that, and then take yourself off to bed,' his brother repeated. 'There's naught more that needs doing this night.'

'You'd make a good Thain, with your attention to detail,' Regi said.

'Hah,' Everard answered. 'I'm good at ordering people about, as well. Go to bed, Reg.'

The steward nodded tiredly, got up from the desk, and the two brothers left the study together.

They found Diamond asleep in the chair by the bed, Pervinca awake on Pippin's other side. She looked up as they entered to say, 'Still breathing.'

'That's better than the alternative,' Everard said. 'There, Regi, you've seen him, now take yourself off.' He looked hard at Pervinca. 'How long have you been here?'

'Not long,' she said softly. 'You take care of your brother, I'll see to mine.'

Everard nodded, took Reginard's arm, and said, 'I'll see to it that he gets some rest.'

'You do that,' Pervinca said, her eyes already back on Pippin, unconsciously counting the breaths that stirred the coverlet.

'Come, Regi,' Everard said, and the steward allowed himself to be led from the quiet room.