Chapter 30. The Lively Hunt is All My Heart's Desire

'So what is this King of Haragost like, anyhow?' Reginard asked. 'You haven't said much about him. He went on to the Lake with Elessar?'

'Yes,' Pippin replied. 'He seemed to enjoy his time at Brandy Hall. Very jolly type, likes to laugh and sing and eat...'

'Ah,' Regi said. 'Sounds like a pleasant enough fellow.'

Pippin remembered Elessar's warning. 'Perhaps,' he said cautiously. 'We'll see him again in a few months. Elessar will be doing an inspection tour of his outposts along the Bounds of the Shire, and we'll probably meet up with him in Greenholm.'

'You're going back to Greenholm?' Regi asked. 'Have they been having more trouble with ruffians?'

'No, none at all, thankfully,' the Thain answered. 'But I'd like to take another look at the Far Downs and the Westmarch.' He looked seriously at the steward. 'Will you be well enough to manage things here, with both myself and Ferdibrand gone?'

Reginard bristled. 'I'm well,' he protested, and then reconsidered. 'Nearly well,' he amended. 'I move a little slower these days, perhaps.'

'Don't we all?' Pippin asked wryly. He was not that old--middle-aged by hobbit standards--but he did not enjoy the seemingly inexhaustible energy he'd had in his youth. Still, he had a long way to go before he was a gaffer, if no more trolls fell on him in the meantime.

The Thain had not told anyone but Ferdibrand about the King's contemplated action. He was not all that sure he wanted to add so much more territory to the Shire, truth be told. Responsibility already weighed heavily on his shoulders. Still, it was worth consideration, especially if he could find someone trustworthy to oversee the new Farthing.

He took a deep breath. Farthing it was, indeed, as big as the biggest Farthing they already had. What would it be called? They already had a West Farthing. Westmarch, he supposed, was as good a name as any.

He wanted to survey the sweep of new land before meeting with the King at Mid-year, and he had several teams of hobbits in mind for the task, with Ferdibrand, of course, in charge of the endeavour.

So it was, in the second week of April, that Ferdibrand and a group of hobbits set out for Greenholm. Speculation was rife about the Smials, but no one guessed the real reason for their journey, so far as the Thain heard.

Even Diamond asked in vain. 'You're sending Ferdi off? Alone?'

'He's not alone,' Pippin answered. 'He's taking a horde of hobbits with him.'

'I noticed,' Diamond said. 'All the best and brightest of the young hobbits in the Smials, and the two from Greenholm, plus the Mayor's oldest son, who just happens to be working for Ferdi at the moment, though I think his real reason for staying is to keep himself between the Greenholm hobbits and his sisters... I suppose you'd send Farry along as well, if he weren't at the Lonely Mountain. Does Samwise know about this?'

'No,' said Pippin. 'Nor does Merry, so don't go trying to pry it out of Estella in your next letter.'

'Very mysterious,' Diamond said. 'You're not usually one to keep a secret.'

'Thought I'd try it on for a change,' Pippin said, 'seeing as how I've never done it before.'

'Hah,' Diamond said.

'I'm very open and honest!' her husband protested.

'O really?' Diamond retorted. 'What about...?' Pippin was rescued from this uncomfortable place by the wakening of the youngest members of the family, demanding their tea.

***

Pippin received regular reports, and when each arrived he closeted himself in his study with Reginard for long discussions. The two alternated between apprehension and elation, considering the reports of the richness of the land and its scope.

April passed into May, then June arrived. Mayor Samwise and his family came to open the annual Tookland Pony Races, and Mayor Sam was a little startled to find his son gone.

'Off to Greenholm?' he said. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

Pippin cleared his throat. 'I thought he wrote you to that effect,' he said. 'He was supposed to, anyhow.'

'Was he really?' the Mayor asked sceptically. He'd always had a sense for when Pippin was up to something, from the time he'd known him as a little imp, turning things downside-up on a visit to Bag End.

'He was!' Pippin defended. 'At least... he was supposed to tell you he was working for Ferdibrand.'

'He did, at that,' the Mayor admitted. 'And Ferdibrand is in Greenholm, I take it? Trouble with ruffians again?'

'All is quiet on the Western Bounds,' Pippin said stoutly. 'We'd have heard something otherwise.'

'And what are they doing in Greenholm?' the Mayor pressed.

'Representing the Thain,' Regi said smoothly, setting a glass of ale before the Mayor. 'Drink up, now,' he added. 'Late supper will be starting soon and you do not want to rush this ale; it is some of the finest I've tasted in years.'

Samwise got nothing from Pippin, and a letter to Merry elicited no satisfactory response. Pippin was keeping the Master of Buckland as much in the dark as he was the Mayor. Fretting would do no good; the Took would tell them when he was good and ready... but that did not make Samwise, or Merry--now that he was aware something was going on--any more comfortable. Even Elanor and Rosie-lass did not know why Frodo and the hobbits from Greenholm had gone with Ferdi.

The Mayor had to go to the South Farthing to open the Strawberry Festival, and after that he was kept busy, but just before Mid-year's day, he received a letter from the Thain inviting him to stop over at the Smials on his way to Michel Delving for the Litheday celebration. He met Merry at the Crowing Cockerel, also on his way to Tuckborough.

'So, we're about to find out what the mystery is,' he greeted the Master.

'Probably just a surprise birthday party for one or the other of us,' Merry answered.

'It's not my birthday,' Sam protested, 'nor is it yours.'

'That will make the surprise complete,' Merry said. He looked about the common room and lowered his voice. 'I think we ought not to speculate, Sam,' he said. 'This is something big, whatever it is.'

Samwise nodded.

They rode companionably together the rest of the way to the Great Smials, receiving a royal welcome when they arrived. Teatime was festive, and they were glad to greet Legolas and Gimli afterwards.

'We are on our way to meet the King at the Western Bounds,' Legolas said in answer to Merry's query. 'Pippin was to join us, so we thought it might make a merry party to travel together.'

'Do you have room for another?' Samwise asked.

'Can you cook?' Legolas returned with a straight face.

'I'm told my camp cooking is passable,' the Mayor said solemnly.

'Very well,' Legolas nodded. 'We'll take you on.'

'How about me?' the Master asked.

'Can you wash dishes?' Gimli put in. They all laughed.

'There's a promising sound,' Pippin said, coming up to the group. 'Much better than grumbling and complaining.'

'Now who ever would think to do that?' Gimli said irritably. 'Certainly no one here!'

Later, the elf and the dwarf took themselves off for a walk, tagged after by a horde of young Tooks, who were fascinated by these outlandish folk who were such great friends with the Thain.

Pippin invited Merry and Sam to join him in the study.

Once all were there, Regi shut the door firmly.

'All right, now, what is this all about?' Merry asked.

'Take a look,' Pippin said, spreading out a map upon the desk.

Samwise looked. 'The Westmarch,' he said slowly. 'But this is a much more detailed map than they have at Greenholm.'

'I've had teams surveying the land. They're almost finished, as a matter of fact. From what they've managed to accomplish since the Gondorian New Year, we shall have a fairly good idea of what is involved.'

'What do you mean?' Merry asked.

'Strider has offered to grant the Westmarch to the Shire,' Pippin said after a pause.

'The whole of the Westmarch?' Merry gasped. He looked down at the map again. 'Where would the new Bounds end?'

'The Tower Hills would be neutral territory, habited by Guardsmen, Elves, and Hobbits. We would be able to delve in the eastern face of the Hills; the Guardsmen would occupy the western side, and the towers, of course, would remain property of the Elves, though I doubt they often visit those anymore. The entire plain, however, would become a part of the Shire.'

Samwise looked at the map, his breath taken away. 'It is a whole new territory,' Pippin said, excitement in his tone. 'No one lives there, the land is empty for the taking. New farms, new grazing lands, new communities... room to grow.'

'The West Farthing is hardly overcrowded,' the Mayor pointed out.

'The West Farthing does not receive as much rain as the Westmarch,' Regi said quietly. 'It may be within the Bounds, but it shows itself a harsher land to occupy than the Westmarch promises to be.'

'The farmers of Greenholm have already been cultivating the plain near the Far Downs,' Pippin reminded Samwise, and the Mayor nodded. 'If the land were within the Bounds, it would come under the King's protection. The farmers on the plain would need fear no further incursions from ruffians.'

'That would be a great benefit,' Merry said. 'Why keep it such a secret?'

'I wanted to see the survey results before making the news public,' Pippin said. 'I did not want to raise the hopes of the Shirefolk, only to dash them again if the land turned out to be hostile, and I do not want hobbits moving out onto the plains until we are sure the land is scoured of ruffians and the King has outposts set up and patrols watching the new Bounds.'

'Very cautious of you,' Merry said.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Pippin asked.

'Nothing,' Merry answered. 'It is a good thing to plan ahead, to be prepared.' He wondered what had happened to his bold, impetuous cousin to make him move so carefully. Had Pippin somehow lost his nerve? Merry shook himself. They'd all become more cautious since Elanor and Rose and Celandine's family had been taken. Still... were they independent hobbits? ...or nervous sheep, waiting on the protection of the shepherd? He didn't like to think of himself as a sheep, knowing sheep as he did, with all the flocks owned by Brandy Hall. Sheep were... to put it mildly... stupid.

It was agreed that Mayor, Master, and Thain would travel together to Michel Delving for the Litheday festivities, and then go on to meet the King outside the Bounds near Greenholm.

'Almost like old times,' Gimli rumbled. 'Here we have five of the Nine travelling together.'

'But quieter,' said Pippin. 'Let us hope this is more of a holiday than a Quest, shall we?'

***

'Nearly Mid-year's Day,' Ferdi said in satisfaction, 'enough time left for one quick survey, yet.' He looked critically at the map his teams had worked so hard to fill in. 'Not enough time to do the Tower Hills justice, mind,' he said, dissatisfied. 'But it will have to do. We shall just scout the eastern face of a portion of the range of hills, looking at the suitability of the rock for delving smials.'

'My father told me there are natural caves,' Fastred spoke up. 'That ought to count for something.'

'Promising,' Ferdi said. 'We'll see if we can find one for the record.'

'If we sent out all the teams at the same time we could cover quite a bit of territory,' Frodo said, but the chancellor shook his head.

'No, the teams that just came in will need rest, and time to finish their reports before the Thain arrives.' He frowned, looking at the map. 'I am tempted to go on this one myself,' he said. 'Just one team, leave the rest here in Greenholm to get ready for the influx of visitors. I do believe Mayor and Master will be coming, Legolas and Gimli with them, and of course the King and his retinue.'

'Whom will you take?' Frodo asked eagerly.

Ferdibrand stroked his chin as he considered, still gazing at the map. The Mayor's son remained hostile towards Fastred and Leotred, resisting any overtures of friendship the two offered. He was probably resenting yet their attentions towards his sisters. This would not do at all, to Ferdi's thinking. It would be good to throw the three into the bag together, let them rub the rough edges off one another.

'Fastred...' he said, as if considering. The hobbit from Greenholm nodded soberly, though his eyes were shining. He had been shaping into a fair assistant in the months since he'd come to the Smials, and Ferdi meant to ask the Thain if he might keep the lad on when he became Warden of Westmarch.

Meeting Leotred's eyes, he said, 'Considering we'll be climbing about on rocky hills, we ought to have a healer along in case someone stumbles and stubs a toe... Leot, are you game?'

'Yes, Sir,' Leotred answered, standing straighter.

'Hmmmm,' Ferdibrand sighed, his eyes on the map again. 'How's your shooting, Frodo?' he asked absently.

'I've been practicing,' Frodo said.

'He's improved quite a bit,' Fastred added.

Though his eyes were on the map, Ferdi caught the glare Frodo sent the other's way. No help wanted, evidently. If he could just get the two of them working together on a thorny problem, that attitude would go by the wayside, he'd wager.

'All right,' Ferdi said, as if he'd just then made his decision. Straightening, he said, 'That's our team. Not many, but there's not much time to get there and back and write up the report. We'll leave first thing on the morrow; go pack up.'

'Yes, Sir!' the three younger hobbits said smartly, and marched from the room.

There was a disappointed buzz from the rest of Ferdi's hobbits, and he smiled sympathetically. 'There'll be more survey work to be done,' he said cheerfully. 'I do think that what we've found will please the Thain immensely.' He looked about. 'Thank you all for your efforts,' he added. 'Now, off you go, or you'll miss tea!'

The hobbits dispersed, but the chancellor lingered a long time after, gazing at the painstakingly prepared map.

***

Notes from the original posting:

Note to Readers:

The Muse was quite cheerful last night and wrote a chapter and a half of "Flames". Now if I can just get her to look at "Merlin" again, fill in the missing material that comes before the already-finished chapters awaiting posting... (coaxing voice: "O Muse! :::waving pina colada vaguely, as if not knowing what to do with it::: Musie, dear!")

Xena, excellent comments, I am very encouraged. Thank you for your kind words about Gimli. I do think there is a heart of gold under that gruff exterior, and since being adopted by hobbits he's probably mellowed a bit more. He fits right in with the Tooks, on second thought.

FantasyFan, you're welcome, and then some. Must turn around and thank *you* for the thoughtful reviews you send my way. Y'know, sometimes I feel like a hobbit... just a little taller than average (short for a Big Person, tho).

Hai, you're most welcome, and thanks for the encouragement.

Runaround, you noticed! Cannot say anything about that at present, watch this space for developments...

Look for a new chapter to this story, if all goes well, in two days. Unfortunately, angst is about to re-enter the scene, if not today, then soon. Warning: breakers ahead!

Look for the newest chapter to "Flames", in case you are following that story, on the morrow. And thank you for your patience.

***