Chapter 33. I Have Placed My Confidence

'Are you going to meet with Elessar?' Merry asked as he walked with his cousin in the brilliant sunset light.

'I had wanted to consult with Ferdibrand, first,' Pippin said.

'As head of the survey...' Merry began, but the Thain interrupted.

'More importantly, as Warden of Westmarch, eventually perhaps even Master of Westmarch, I value his opinion,' Pippin said.

Merry stopped in surprise. 'Just how long have you been thinking about this?' he asked slowly.

'Since Strider offered the Westmarch to the Shire, back in Buckland,' Pippin answered.

'You didn't tell me,' Merry said.

'I didn't tell anyone, excepting Ferdibrand. Even the survey team doesn't know why they are surveying the land. We've allowed them to think they are helping me do the King a favour.'

'Why the secrecy?' Merry asked, more curious than angry.

Pippin sighed, but did not answer.

Merry put a hand on his cousin's shoulder. 'What is it, Pip?' he asked.

'Perhaps I'm just not the right one to be Thain,' Pippin answered softly.

Merry bit back an automatic protest, forcing himself to wait. Pippin was not the type to go fishing for compliments.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was so low that Merry had to strain to hear him. 'The Westmarch is so big, Merry, so rich, such a prize, I ought to be jumping for joy that it is ours for the taking... but I am not. I see it as just another stone added to the load that I am already staggering under. I cannot... I cannot...' his voice broke, and then was quiet for a long time. 'It is just too much,' he said finally.

Merry thought for a long time before he answered. 'With a competent administrator, one who can take some of the load,' he began, 'which Ferdibrand will be, knowing him...'

'Yes,' Pippin answered. 'He is the best choice to oversee the new territory. But how can I spare him?'

'Reginard...' Merry began, but Pippin broke in.

'Ferdi has taken on Regi's load as well as his own. I lean heavily upon him, myself, when the Shire grows too heavy. Regi's not well, as you know, Merry.'

'I know,' Merry said, 'but he is getting better.'

'Slowly,' Pippin said. 'When a pony's been down you don't hitch him to a fully loaded waggon right away; you give him a light load at first and gradually add weight as he grows stronger.' He took a deep breath. 'I do not want Reginard to break under too heavy a load, too soon.'

'And so you risk breaking down, yourself,' Merry observed.

'O Merry...' Pippin said, his voice shaking, then burst out bitterly. 'I'm a coward, and that's all, just a useless coward. I'm afraid to take on this new challenge, afraid to let Ferdi go, afraid...' He could not go on, and Merry put his arms around his younger cousin.

'Steady, Pip,' he murmured, as he would to a pony balking at a hill. 'The load's too heavy, for sure. Give it over for the moment. Rest this night. We will talk to Strider about this in the morning.' He felt Pippin's headshake against his shoulder, and added, 'Listen to me in this, I'm supposed to be older and wiser, after all.'

They stood a long time together thus, the younger drawing strength from the older, as the last of the light faded from the sky, before they turned to walk back to the smials.

***

When Frodo entered the cave, fading daylight behind him, he found that Fastred had lit one of the small travel lamps they'd brought with them. The tiny flame seemed almost lost in the darkening cavern, but there was enough light for the tween to see the worry on the Greenholm hobbit's countenance.

'I cannot rouse him to drink,' he said. 'Do you think he might have hit his head after all?'

Frodo shrugged. 'I'm no healer,' he replied, then crouched down by Ferdi, softly calling the older hobbit's name. There was no response.

'Have you tried putting the bottle to his lips?' he said.

'I'm afraid he'll choke,' Fastred answered.

Frodo nodded. 'You know, I just realised,' he said, 'the Thain is supposed to be at Greenholm by now, and he was to meet the King there. We were doing the survey for the King, you know.'

'I knew that,' Fastred said, though he had often wondered at the way Pippin and Ferdibrand had closeted themselves for discussions before the survey team had left the Great Smials, and how Ferdi always finished the reports in private, and sealed them before sending them on to the Thain. Why the secrecy? Something was in the wind, something to do with the Westmarch... and the Thain.

'Well, the King is a healer,' Frodo went on. 'He was first recognised as King by his healing powers. Perhaps he could heal Ferdi's leg.'

Fastred kept his thoughts to himself, but his lips tightened. Certainly the King loomed large in the stories, but didn't fantastic stories often grow from little seeds of events? All the King had to do was lay his hands on someone already recovering from a fever, and folk would be ready to spin a legend.

'How do we know he'd come?' was all he said.

'If Leot tells the Thain that Ferdi thinks there are ruffians infesting the Tower Hills, the Thain will call on the guardsmen, and the King will not let them ride out without him...' Frodo said.

Fastred suppressed a snort. Frodo certainly had a lot of faith in this King of his. 'Let's try one more time,' he said, to change the subject.

He poured some of the icy water from the spring into the palm of his hand and gently patted Ferdi's cheek. 'Wakey, wakey!' he said cheerfully.

Ferdi moved his head away and groaned. 'I hate it when people say that,' he muttered.

'Time for a drink,' Fastred said.

'I'll take a mug,' Ferdi said, 'but no more, mind. I'm on duty in a few hours.'

'Ferdi, wake up!' Fastred said, holding the bottle to the chancellor's lips. 'Drink this down. Water from the spring; best water you'd ever tasted, you said.'

Ferdi drank and half-opened his eyes. 'Not bad,' he said, when the bottle was taken away. 'Got anything to go with that?'

'Let me see,' Frodo said, digging in the bag. 'Bread and cheese... or would you prefer cheese and bread?'

'The former, I think,' Ferdi said. 'If it is not too much trouble.'

'No trouble at all,' Frodo answered.

Fastred picked up his bow and quiver and jerked his head towards the entrance of the cave.

Frodo nodded and kept talking cheerfully as he broke off a chunk of bread and cut some cheese, handing this to Fastred to take with him, then prepared another portion for Ferdibrand.

Fastred munched his portion as he walked to the entrance of the cave, then sticking his head out, he listened carefully to the night noises outside. All seemed as it should be, so he cautiously emerged, crept to a hiding place with a good view of the cave entrance and its environs, and settled to watch.

***

It had been a long, hard ride, but now Leotred could see the lights of Greenholm ahead, and the sight gave him new energy. The ponies, too, pricked up their ears and surged ahead, the call of home strong in them.

It was close to dawn, and the stars were beginning to fade in the sky as the Sun threw her promise above the Far Downs. Suddenly, tall, dark shapes loomed ahead, and a grim voice called, 'Halt! Identify yourself.'

He must have reached the Bounds; these were King's Men!

'Leotred of Greenholm,' he answered, pulling the ponies to a stop, which they were happy enough to do, immediately trying to drop their heads to crop at the grass. He kept their heads up, however, for he did not want the tired beasts to forget their manners and perhaps decide to take a nice roll to ease their tired muscles.

'Advance and be recognised,' the voice came again, and Leotred squeezed with his legs to make his weary pony step forward. A lantern was uncovered to shine on his face, and he fought the instinct to throw up his arm to shield his eyes.

'It is one of the Pheriannath,' another guardsman said. 'How do you come to be riding out of the Westmarch, alone?'

'Four of us went out on the business of the King and the Thain,' Leotred answered. 'One was injured, and I was sent back to summon aid.'

'The King will wish to hear of this,' the guardsman answered. 'I will send a messenger to fetch the Thain, and bring you to Elessar at once.'

'I need to gather some supplies...' Leotred began, but the guard cut him off.

'All in good time. I am sure the King will make all the necessary arrangements. Follow me.'

It seemed he had no choice in the matter, and so Leotred complied.

***

A soft knock at the door, and the officer in charge of the outpost stuck his head in. 'Beg pardon, my Lord King,' he said, 'but one of the Pheriannath has come out of the Westmarch with an appeal for aid.'

'Thank you, Farothion,' Elessar said, rising from the bed, quickly pulling on his boots. 'Is the Thain here?'

'We have sent word to Greenholm,' the officer answered.

Elessar emerged into the common room, buckling his sword belt. A hobbit stood before him, not much past his majority, the King guessed. The hobbit bowed.

'Leotred of Greenholm, at your service,' he said.

'And at yours, and the service of your family,' Elessar answered. The hobbit relaxed subtly. 'Come, sit, take food and drink. The Thain ought to be here shortly.'

Leotred nodded, climbing atop one of the tall stools kept for hobbit convenience. Food was set before him, and he bowed to the King and the officer before tearing into the food as one famished.

'Beg pardon,' he said through a mouthful. 'I haven't eaten since yesterday, and it's a long ride from the Tower Hills.'

'You came from Emyn Beraid?' the King asked sharply. 'You are part of the Thain's survey?'

Leotred nodded. 'We ran into trouble, a rockslide. Ferdi said...'

'Ferdibrand Took?' the King interrupted.

'Yes, he was leading our team. He was injured in the slide. He said... he thought...'

'Slow down,' the King urged. 'Take a deep breath.'

Leotred complied, finished chewing the current mouthful, washed it down with a swallow of ale, nodded. 'That's better,' he said. 'He thought it was a trap, set by ruffians.'

'Did you see any ruffians?' Farothion asked sharply.

Leotred shook his head. 'No, but Ferdi said it was a trap.'

'He'd know; he set enough traps in his own day, to keep ruffians out of the Tookland,' Elessar commented to the officer, then turned back to Leotred.

'How badly was Ferdibrand hurt?' he asked.

'Badly broken leg,' Leotred said. 'I didn't have what I needed to deal with it--I did what I could and then rode for help.'

'Is he alone?'

'No, my brother Fastred, and Frodo Gamgee, are with him,' Leotred answered.

'Call out your men,' Elessar said to the officer. 'Rouse the entire outpost. Ready a messenger to send along to the next outpost, to cover Greenholm while we're gone.'

'Yes, my Lord,' Farothion said, and jumped to comply.

'Where are they now?' Elessar asked.

'In a cave we found. The entrance is not obvious, and we hoped it would give them shelter and conceal them from any ruffians that were alerted when the trap was sprung.'

'Ruffians?' said King Ha'alas, rising from his own sleeping place where he'd been listening. 'Do they yet trouble this land?'

Pippin spoke from the door, Merry and Sam standing grim-faced on either side, and Gimli and Legolas close behind. 'Ruffians?' he said. 'I was afraid of that.'

***

Notes from the original posting:

Note to Readers:

The Muse is plugging along at Merlin. We have broken through to already-written material, half a dozen chapters' worth, so you may look forward to regular updates for the next two weeks (every other day) as long as ff.net cooperates.

No time for more notes this morning, not if I hope to get this up on ff.net, but I certainly appreciate the reviews and will have more time on the morrow...

Look for a new chapter to this story, if ff.net agrees, in two days. Warning: we have entered rough waters, and more breakers are ahead!

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

***