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Striking Sparks  by Lindelea

Chapter 14. An End to Waiting

The rain began before the dawn, a gentle, misting, soaking rain that blessed the cheeks of the hobbits on fire watch, who raised their faces to the sky in welcome.

Regi stood in the courtyard before the Smials, taking great breaths of the freshening air, before turning his steps back in to deal with the demands of the day. He checked on Pippin several times, but each time Ferdi and Diamond shook their heads; there was no change.

Faramir sat with his father for an hour in the morning, and another hour in the afternoon, telling the Thain more of the stories he'd learned at his father's knee. Reginard was present for several of these. 'Looks as if you've inherited your father's gift for tales,' he said to the lad. 'Come now, I think his pony's wanting someone to feed him an apple.'

'I thought Socks was out in the field,' Faramir said.

'We brought him into the stables when the rain started,' Regi answered. 'Wouldn't want the Thain's favourite to slip and take a fall, now, would we?'

He walked the lad down to the stables and cut the apple into pieces for Faramir to offer to the pony. Socks, for all his wild ways, took each piece delicately from the tiny hand, nodding thanks and putting his nose down within Faramir's reach for a rub, but rolling an eye at Regi when the pony thought the steward came too close.

'Go on with you, rascal,' Regi scolded, and Faramir actually laughed.

The velvet nose descended again, and Regi watched in wonder as the lad scratched the face and under the jawbone.

'There's a sweet lad,' Faramir murmured. At Regi's snort, the pony jerked his head up again and eyed the steward with disdain.

'I don't think he likes me,' Regi remarked, and the pony shook his head.

Chuckling, Faramir replied, 'He thinks a great deal of himself.' As the pony turned a dark, wondering eye on him, he added hastily, 'As he ought, of course, fine figure of a pony that he is.'

Socks nodded wisely, then put his nose down once again for a last scratching, before pulling back into his stall and turning his tail to them, head in the corner, hind leg cocked, evidently drifting off to sleep.

The steward escorted Faramir back into the Smials, depositing him with his nurse, who was all the fresher for the break from her responsibility, ready to take the lad once again under her ample wing. Regi went to the Thain's study, to catch up on paperwork.

He returned to Pippin's bedside at teatime, meeting Healer Woodruff at the door. Diamond was asleep, head down on the bed, and Ferdi sat at Pippin's other side. The healer was talking to Ferdi as they entered, saying, 'Very well, you've been here all the day, now as soon as I get back I want you to go and make a proper tea, and get yourself some rest.' She nodded for emphasis, looked to the steward, said, 'Still no change,' and slipped out the door.

'Went to get more herbs for the simmering,' Ferdibrand said quietly.

Regi moved to the side of the bed, looking down upon his cousin. 'I wonder if he'll ever wake?' he said morosely. 'It's been three days now.'

'He's still breathing,' Ferdi answered. 'That's something.'

There seemed no more to be said, and so the two watched awhile in silence.

The rhythm of breathing changed, and dread stirred in Regi's heart. He was turning towards the door to summon a healer, when he noticed Pippin's eyes blink open, the Thain's hand pulling free from Diamond's, groping, coming to rest upon her head, fingers twined in her hair.

'How...?' the word came out little more than a croak, and Pippin's eyes closed again.

Reginard bent closer, to say urgently, 'Pippin.'

Ferdibrand got up from his chair and moved to the table, taking up pitcher and cup.

The eyes blinked open again, searching before finally finding Reginard, awareness sharpening the gaze, not dreaming or half awake, but really with them this time. Hope leapt within the steward. He saw Pippin move a dry tongue over cracked lips before the other whispered, 'How... long?'

Regi smiled, his joy growing. 'We stopped the fire three days ago,' he said softly.

Ferdibrand poured a cup of water and brought it to Pippin's lips. 'Here, Pip,' he said. 'Sip some of this... Small sips.' They watched, encouraged, as the Thain swallowed half the cup of water, a sip at a time.

'That's better,' the Thain whispered when Ferdi took the cup away.

Reginard placed a gentle hand on Diamond's shoulder. 'Diamond,' he said.

She stirred under Pippin's hand, and the fingers moved in her tangled curls. She raised her head, to stare unbelieving into his face, and then the tears came and she nestled her head gently against his labouring chest, carefully circling him with her arms.

Reginard spoke again. 'You had us a bit worried.'

Pippin managed to nod, but didn't seem to have the energy to speak further.

Ferdibrand bent down to say, 'The fire's out; we managed to stop it with the fire breaks. We still have hobbits out watching for flare-ups and hot spots, but the rains started this morning, so our troubles ought to be finished soon.' He held up the cup. 'Would you like more?'

The head moved feebly on the pillow, and Ferdi put the cup back down. After a few more words, Pippin drifted off to sleep.

'He's going to be all right,' Diamond whispered.

'Yes,' Reginard said, taking what felt like the first deep breath he'd had in three days. 'He is.'





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