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Where the Merlin Cries  by Lindelea


Chapter 26. They Are All Waiting On Thee

Ferdi and Fastred again rode ahead when the coach reached the outskirts of Tuckborough. The town was bedecked with Yuletide cheer, the marketplace bustled with hobbits buying special provisions for the holiday feasting, and despite the cold drizzle there was an atmosphere of anticipation and celebration.

When they reached the yard of the Smials, Ferdi tossed his reins to Fastred, saying, 'Wait a moment,' and strode into the Smials, acknowledging the greetings of the Tooks who'd seen them ride up.

'Ferdi! You've returned! Is the Thain coming?'

'He is,' was the reply, 'so look sharp.'

Fastred watched as the guards flicked imaginary dust from their clothes and straightened to stand proud before the doors.

Ferdi was soon back with Healers Woodruff and Mardibold and several sturdy Tooks. Mardi greeted Fastred soberly, saying, 'Did you get a chance to give Regi my message?'

'I did,' Fastred answered, 'and he was much appreciative.'

'I can imagine,' the healer said dryly.

'The Ent draught worked,' Woodruff said. 'Perhaps he was not so bad off as they'd thought...?'

'You'll see for yourself when we bring him in,' Ferdi said. 'I want you to make a thorough examination, give us an idea of how much longer he ought to be in bed.' He shook his head. 'I'm surprised Rosa didn't have the babe, yet.'

'You're not the only one,' Mardi said.

'How will she react to the news that Regi's been injured?' Ferdi said, his worry clear in his tone.

'As long as she sees him alive and well...' Mardi began.

The coach rolled into the courtyard, interrupting him, and pulled up before the door. The escort dismounted, and the Thain accepted the greetings of his people, then turned urgently to the coach.

'Gently, now,' Ferdi said as two of the Tooks went to open the door of the coach, handed out the Mayor and his ladies, and then stepped into the coach to lift out Reginard.

'I am well, I can walk,' he was protesting, and Mardibold stepped up quickly.

'No you don't, Son,' he said. 'My daughter will have my hide if she finds out I've let you walk into the Smials.'

What little colour Regi had left his face. 'She knows?' he said faintly.

'No, not yet, but I have a feeling she'll be finding out soon,' Mardi said briskly, nodding to the Tooks to carry the steward in. 'She's at late supper now, but they'll send her in to you as soon as we have you comfortably settled.'

'Ferdi, see to things,' Pippin said vaguely as he followed the little procession of Regi, his bearers, and Leotred. The chancellor nodded.

'Come, Fastred, we have things to see to,' he said, and soon the younger hobbit found himself immersed in details: ponies cooled out and put away, the Mayor and his family settled in a suite, late supper sent to them there, luggage taken down from the coach and dispersed to its final destination, and all the other myriad details of arrival.

In the steward's suite, the bearers had laid him upon his bed and departed with bows to the Thain. The healers unwrapped the layers of blanket and cloak, but as they reached the final layer, the Thain stayed their hands.

'You know what happened?' he said.

Woodruff shook her head. 'Only that he was injured when captured by ruffians,' she said. 'That could mean anything.'

Pippin nodded, and said, 'If the news can be kept confined to this room... if it is at all possible, then that is what must needs be done.'

'Sir?' Woodruff said.

'One of the reasons the King issued an edict to bar Men from the Shire, was to avoid staining the hearts and minds of hobbits with their violent ways,' Pippin said. 'I do not want this to become common gossip about the Smials, spreading the contagion to Tookland and beyond.'

'We shall do our best,' Woodruff said, and Mardi nodded. Pippin stepped back, and the healers pulled back the edges of the steward's shirt. Woodruff sucked in her breath, and Mardi swore softly.

'If I had not seen the Ent draught at work, I would ask how it is he still lives,' Woodruff murmured. Looking intently at Reginard, she said, 'How do you feel?'

'Tired,' Reginard said. 'A bit stiff and sore, but no more than that.'

'You are able to eat, and drink? Your body functions as it should?'

'O aye,' Regi said, 'or they wouldn't have let me come at all.'

'I have seen such wounds resulting from hunting accidents,' Mardi said grimly, 'but this...' He swallowed. 'This looks as if someone shot an entire quiverfull into you.'

'They did,' Regi said quietly. 'All but the ones that missed, anyhow.'

'Not many missed, I'd say,' Mardibold said.

'No, not many did,' Regi affirmed.

The healers went over him thoroughly, poking and prodding and asking questions, until they were satisfied.

They got him into a night shirt and tucked into the bed before Rosamunda came.

She gave a glad cry. 'Reginard! I thought you would never come!' She knelt awkwardly to hug him, then was helped up and into the chair next to the bed. 'This babe will be born any day now, I think,' she said, rubbing at her protruding abdomen, and then at her back. 'But... you...'

Rosamunda looked up at the Thain. 'I thought something had happened to Mayor Samwise, with Rose Gamgee being called away so suddenly.'

'No, not the Mayor, but the two oldest Gamgee daughters were in grave peril for a short time, and Regi was injured...'

'Why wasn't I told?' Rosa said between her teeth, gripping her husband's hand tightly enough to make him wince. Seeing this, she loosened her grip and apologised, but turned a stern face to the Thain.

'You could not have travelled to his side, in your condition, and there was nothing to be done,' Pippin said gently.

'Nothing,' she gasped, the colour draining from her face. She had followed in her father's footsteps, and as a healer, she recognised the meaning of the phrase the Thain had just employed.

'Rosa, I am well, now, or nearly so. On the mend, anyhow,' Regi said soothingly. 'Reports of my dying were greatly exaggerated.'

'But... you were dying,' she said slowly.

'They used the Ent draught,' her father said, laying a hand upon her shoulder.

'But that's so dangerous,' she protested, looking up into Mardi's face, and then back to her husband. 'Regi?'

'Do not upset yourself, my love,' he said, tightening his grip on her hand. 'All is well.'

'He is mending nicely,' Woodruff said in her most encouraging tone, 'and while I intend to keep him abed another week or three...' she glared sternly at the steward's groan on hearing this news, 'I think he will be back on his feet sometime next month.'

'Next month,' Regi protested.

'Aye, verily, or the month after,' Woodruff said. 'But not to worry. Ferdi's got enough energy to do his job and yours combined.'

'That's what worries him,' Rosamunda chuckled. 'If the Thain ever finds out, he might just elevate Ferdi to steward and give Regi the push.'

'If the Thain ever finds out what?' Pippin asked, recalled to the conversation.

'Never you mind,' Rosamunda said firmly.

***

Celandine stood by the rail, waving to the well-wishers on shore, a riot of colour interspersed with black and silver. They were finally on their way home! She looked up at the King beside her.

'Elessar,' she said. 'I do not know how to thank you.'

'You have thanked me over a dozen times already, you know,' he smiled. 'Once would have been sufficient.'

'No, and a dozen times, or a dozen dozens, will never suffice,' she said. 'What you saved us from...' The wonder in her eyes grew. 'You marched that great army South, for us...'

'Well,' Elessar said practically, 'we had a few other fish to fry as well, and now we have come out of it not only with the hostages intact, but a new ally in the bargain.' He smiled at the young King of Haragost, who bowed with a smile of his own.

'Tell me again of your country,' Ha'alas said now in halting Westron. 'It seems I can never eat my fill of your words.'

'As long as it's just words to be eaten,' Gimli growled to Legolas beside him, a little further down the rail.

Legolas looked at him with a thoughtful expression. 'Actually,' he said, 'it is quite a hobbity thing to say, seeing as hobbits are so often eating their fill...'

***

In the middle night, on the day the Dove sailed from Haragost with her joyful cargo, the King's message came to Buckland at last. The messengers slid from their lathered horses and ran to pound on the North Gate.

A sleepy Shirriff swung open a small door in the wall. 'What is it?' he asked with a yawn.

'Message from the King!' one of the messengers shouted. 'To be delivered to the Master at once!'

The Shirriff was immediately awake and alert, wakening others to draw back the great bar that locked the gate, saddling a fast pony and alerting the quick post rider. Within minutes, the message was on its way to Brandy Hall at the pony's fastest pace.

Merry jerked awake at the tap on the door. He slipped from the bed, hoping to avoid disturbing Estella, but she sat up and said, 'What is it?'

'Message from the King, Sir,' the servant said as Merry opened the door. He took the scroll, opened the lamp to fullest brightness, began to read. Estella watched the play of emotions across his face, joy, satisfaction... sudden shock.

'What is it, beloved?' Estella asked again.

'Good news,' he said in a hollow voice. 'Blossom, Poppy, and Larkspur have been recovered safely.'

'But... what of Celandine? ...and the others?' she gasped.

He shook his head, handing the scroll to her, waiting until she'd finished reading.

'I must go and let Berimas know,' he said quietly. 'At least... at least he has not lost his entire family.'

He tightened his hands into fists. 'We should be shouting for joy, for what Elessar was able to accomplish,' he said. 'This is more than I ever dared to hope for.' He sighed. 'So why do I wish for more...?'

Estella took him into a long hug, holding him until he shook himself and broke free.

He took the scroll from the bed where she'd dropped it, kissed her tenderly on the forehead, and said, 'I must bear this news to Berimas.'

***

Author's Notes from original posting:

Note to Readers:

Thank you for the comments! Reviews keep the Muse happy.

Dana, abso-bloomin'-lootely smashing reviews! (have been humming "My Fair Lady" this day, can you tell? You were spot on... yes, the scribe ought to have said "all safe" but he's an i-dotter and a t-crosser, or he wouldn't be a scribe, now, would he? And yes, Gimli is more cynical than Legolas, but Leggie is right. He was adopted by the hobbits first, you know, so he's been a "hobbit" longer than the dwarf-hobbit. And you still have the homecoming to look forward to, I think (peeking). Yes, that's right.

FantasyFan, in the next chapter you'll see a conversation between Fastred and Leotred that will let you "get into his head a little".

Bookworm, you're right, but... well, you see, the scribe got a little distracted, there...

Runaround, have you come to tea with us before? Pull up a chair... would you prefer seedcake or berry tart?

Xena, yes, it's always nicer to heal at home. Ever been sick on vacation away from home? Miserable.

Have written well ahead in this story (am at chapter 34 already, can you believe it?), so look forward to daily updates for the nonce, unless something happens to interrupt.

I have not added a new chapter to "Flames", in case you are following that story, but it is in the works. Check back, say, Wednesday... Of course, if you look at the author page at ff.net, you'll see if it gets updated sooner than that.








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