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Where the Merlin Cries  by Lindelea

Chapter 43. Let Songs of Rejoicing be Raised

'How clever! How very thoughtful!' Pimpernel exclaimed, wakening her husband.

Ferdi wondered if he would ever become accustomed to opening his eyes to darkness. 'What's thoughtful, Nell, my own?' he asked, reaching toward the sound of her voice, her hand instantly meeting his in quick reassurance.

'A tray, with legs, so that you might sit up to eat without any weight on your lap,' she said.

'I wouldn't mind a weight on my lap, if it were the proper one,' Ferdi said, and his wife laughed.

'I shall be sitting on your lap again before you know it, my love,' she said, laughter still rippling in her voice. 'And I do believe all of the children will pile on as well, and crush you completely flat.'

'Won't that be convenient,' Ferdi murmured, pulling her close to nuzzle her hair. 'I won't need to open doors anymore, just slide underneath them.'

'If you two turtledoves will stop billing and cooing, your breakfast is still hot, but I cannot guarantee it will remain so much longer,' Sam's voice said.

'Good morning, Ferdibrand,' King Elessar's voice was heard. 'Let us sit you up, shall we?'

Ferdi felt himself carefully lifted, and settled back against pillows as Pimpernel pulled away again, retaining his hand.

Something was different. 'My leg...' he said slowly. 'You've let it down again.'

The King chuckled. 'Yes, but it is still splinted, so do not try to get up, or even to bend it yet, if you please, master chancellor.'

'Nell, my own,' Ferdi said as he felt the tray settled before him and smelled something promising, 'I do believe I will sit out the next dance.'

'Very well, my love,' Pimpernel said. She tucked a serviette beneath his chin. 'I think we are ready.' However, nothing happened as Ferdi waited, sorting out the smells. Bacon... definitely. Eggs, he thought. Could that be fried tomatoes? And... his mouth watered. Baked beans.

'We are ready?' he said encouragingly.

Pimpernel chuckled. 'We are, indeed.' She guided his hand to the tray, touching first the fork, then the knife, then the plate, lifting his arm to move over the plate to where a mug of tea steamed. 'Think of the plate as a map,' she said, her fingers curled around his, causing him to pick up the fork and touch each item as she named it. 'The eggs, fried to perfection, are to the south, the beans to the east, fried bread is west, with bacon just to the north and west, and tomatoes due north.' She released his hand, and Elessar watched in fascination as the fork moved unerringly to touch each food in turn, while Ferdi guided the fork without aid.

'I think I can find my way around,' Ferdi said. 'But this fork feels surprisingly right.'

'That was what I meant by "thoughtful",' Pimpernel said. 'Someone's gone to a great deal of trouble fashioning hobbit-sized cutlery and china, or else they've made a trip back to the Shire and rummaged through someone's cupboards.'

'Don't tell me,' Ferdi said. 'An elf lord went a-calling in the Shire again, with the seal of the Thain.'

'Not quite,' Elessar said, settling next to the bed. He watched Ferdibrand lift the eggs onto the fried bread without mishap, cut off a bite-sized piece, lift it to his mouth, and put down knife and fork for a sip of tea. 'It was Legolas and Gimli, with a note from Fastred, who fetched what was needed from Greenholm.'

'Remind me to thank them,' Ferdi said, guiding a forkful of beans to his mouth.

'You're welcome,' Gimli boomed from the doorway. 'Good to see you sitting up and eating, cousin!'

'I am here, as well,' Legolas said. 'Good morning, cousin.'

'Cousin?' Elessar said, puzzled amusement in his tone. 'You've been adopted by hobbits?' His face cleared as he remembered. 'O yes, there was something said to that effect...'*

'You ought to try it, you know,' Gimli said stoutly. 'Fine family. Wonderful board. Good ale, and the storytelling...'

'But very selective,' Ferdi said, cocking an eye up at the King for all the world as if he could see him. 'I'm not sure you'd qualify to be a Took... we'd have to give it some thought.' He turned back to his plate for a bite of tomato, and sighed in satisfaction. 'Now that is what I call breakfast!'

'While we were in Greenholm, we sent on a message to Hobbiton, to Mistress Rose,' Legolas said, leaning against the doorway. 'It seems there is a wedding in the offing.'

Ferdi affected surprise. 'A wedding?' he said. Pimpernel laughed, and he turned to her. 'Well?' he demanded. 'Are you going to enlighten me?'

'You've only been pushing them together for months,' his wife said, leaning to kiss him on the lips. 'Mmmm,' she added, 'you taste of bacon.'

'Didn't they feed you, my love?' he asked in alarm.

'Yes,' she said fondly. 'I've already eaten. But I could use another bite.' The fork moved to spear a bite of bacon and lifted it towards her mouth, and she steadied Ferdi's hand in hers to take the bite. 'Mmmm,' she said again. 'Lovely.'

'Fastred...' Ferdi said, as if unsure.

'...and Elanor, and Leotred and Rose,' Pimpernel said smugly, and Ferdi heard Samwise chuckling behind her.

'Really? I am astonished,' Ferdi said. He kept on eating in the face of his wife's amusement. 'When is the wedding?'

'As soon as you're on your feet,' Elessar said. 'I'm told you've threatened them with dancing at their wedding, and they're going to hold you to it.'

***

'Quick post, Mum!' Merry-lad sang out as Rose came from dusting the study in response to the pounding on the door.

Rose tried to stop the trembling that shook her hands as she took the letter from the waiting hobbit. 'Thank you,' she managed to say.

'What is it, Mum?' Elanor said, coming from the kitchen, wiping her hands.

Rose steadied her voice. 'Ellie, take your brothers and sisters down to the stables and polish the harness until it gleams,' she said.

'Yes'm,' Elanor said with a troubled glance. Her mother was expecting bad news, it seemed. She wondered, not for the first time, where her Dad and brother Frodo were, for no letters had come from the Great Smials in several weeks. She put on the kettle for tea, called the children from the various parts of the hobbit hole where each was busy at some task, sent them down to the stables ahead of her, warmed the teapot, put the tea on to steep and cosied the pot, set out mug, sugar and milk on the table, and called to her mother. 'Mum! We're off! Tea's on in the kitchen!'

'Thank you, my dear!' her mother called back, and Elanor let herself out to follow the others to the stables.

Rose put the letter down on the table and poured herself a cup of strong tea. She noted that the address was written in Sam's hand. Rosie-lass's nightmare had come back to haunt her mother over the past weeks, the fear increasing a hundred-fold when she'd heard the arrival of the quick post rider, and her hand trembled as she took up the letter again. Had something happened to her Frodo?

Opening the letter, she scanned the contents and gave a cry, dropping into the rocking chair by the fire, clasping the letter to her bosom and bursting into tears.

Elanor, who'd checked on her brothers and sisters and come back to hover just outside the kitchen door, crept in. 'Mum?' she said softly. 'Mum, what is it?'

'O Ellie,' Rose sobbed. 'O...' She held out the letter.

Elanor took it as if it might bite her. She, too, remembered her sister's dream, and now trembled for Frodo, irritating, beloved brother that he was.

'Dearest Rose,' she read.

'After serious consideration, taking your thoughts on the matter to heart, I have accepted the proposal of Fastred of Greenholm, in asking for Elanor's hand, and the proposal of Leotred, his brother, in asking for Rose's.

'Should you find this acceptable, not having changed your opinion of these worthy hobbits, I ask you to consider setting a wedding date at the time of the harvest festival, on the Far Downs above Greenholm, at the request of the Thain, in order that the King might attend without having to travel deeply within the Bounds of the Shire.

'Please see to the invitations, not neglecting Queen Arwen at the Lake.

'I remain, ever faithfully yours, etc.'

*** 

Author's Note: In case you were wondering, Gimli and Legolas were welcomed by the Tooks (if not formally adopted) during the course of At the End of His Rope.

Notes from original posting

Notes to Readers:

Thanks for the reviews! Very helpful, quite motivating.

Am feeling better, thank you for the good wishes. The Muse is back from vacation but feeling a bit rusty; the writing goes, but does not flow as usual. At least the clouds have lifted. I go through this on a regular basis, so thanks for bearing with me.

Bookworm, I know, that line about Elrond marrying a halfling (or not marrying one) cracks me up as well.

Xena, I hate to repeat myself as well. How is it I manage to write three versions of the same story? I have no idea. I think Elladan's choice is "canon", at least, I've read elsewhere what the sons of Elrond chose, though I have not seen it in any original source of the Professor's as of yet.

Hai, glad you like E. and E. You know, I didn't like them before I started writing them, either. Elves are difficult. But they grow on you. Perhaps it is exposure to hobbits that makes them more likeable.

runaround, here's tissue for you. How about another cup of tea?

Look for a new chapter to this story, if ff.net agrees, in two days. Angst forecast: we are in happier times in both stories (this one and "Flames"), fairly clear sailing from here on out, as I recall.
 
Look for the last chapter to "Flames", in case you are following that story, and if ffnet agrees, on the morrow. Thank you for your patience.






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