8. Watch, Pray, Be Prepared

The Mayor and the Thain's chancellor talked quietly as they carried Regi along, holding the two front poles of the litter, the Shirriff and Fastred holding the rear poles.

Bergil had sent a guardsman off at a gallop to the nearby outpost, from there to send swift messengers in both directions around the borders of the Shire, to warn of the bounty on the Pheriannath, and that ruffians were emboldened by their greed to enter the Shire proper in search of their prey.

At the outpost where the road to the South entered the Shire, the message would split, continuing eastwards along the Bounds, and southwards to Gondor, to the King.

'We'll have to send a message to Pippin,' Ferdibrand was saying softly, 'to let him know Regi's been mortally wounded.' He sighed. 'I do not know if he can get away, but he might be able to, and come in time to take his leave.'

'He will need to know of the danger to the People, as well; the news must be spread throughout the Shire as quickly as possible, but most importantly on the borders. Buckland is especially vulnerable.'

Ferdi nodded. His eyes were red with weeping. 'Someone who was there ought to go,' he said, 'but I do not want to leave Regi to walk alone in the dark, and you must not leave your Nell and Rosie-lass.'

Sam smiled briefly at the chancellor's special name for his eldest and looked over at Bergil, who carried Elanor in his arms. 'You're right,' he said, 'but somehow I must send this terrible news on to their mother.' He wanted to be in two places; here, with his daughters, and at the Smials, with Rose, when she received the awful news.

'I'll go,' Fastred said softly.

The Mayor looked at him gratefully. 'You can use the ponies kept for the quick post riders,' he said. 'You'll go faster if you change ponies at every inn along the way.'

'Will the innkeepers give them to me?' Fastred asked.

'Here,' Ferdi said, letting go the litter with one hand to dig in his pocket. He brought out the heavy ring, seal and signet of the Thain. Regi had worn it, as the Thain's representative this trip, and the guardsmen had found it on One-eye's body when they'd searched the ruffians before burying them. 'Put this on.' He extended his hand back to Fastred, across Regi's body.

Fastred took the ring, hesitating, but the chancellor said, 'Go ahead,' nodding in satisfaction as he complied. Ferdi added, 'Now you're the Thain's representative, and those innkeepers had better extend every courtesy to you, or they'll be hearing from me.'

Fastred nodded. He caught a glimpse of his brother, leading Rose along by the hand as if she were a small child on a walk in the garden, chatting of everyday inconsequentialities. The lass stumbled along, eyes unseeing, but at least they had her moving in the direction of Greenholm. When a guardsman had tried to pick her up, to carry her as Bergil was carrying Elanor, she'd stiffened and stopped breathing, until Leotred had swiftly intervened, sending the guardsman away, crooning gentle words, stroking one of the unresponsive hands as if it were a wounded bird.

Leotred was the only one able to get Rose moving. To the Mayor's grief, she did not respond to anyone else, not even her father or brother, and Elanor was too traumatised herself to try to reason with her sister.

...and so the little party came to Greenholm, to be met with shocked exclamations and swift action. Reginard was laid gently on a much-cushioned bed, and Ferdi sat down beside him, holding his hand, giving Fastred last-minute instructions.

When he was finished, he was silent a moment, looking to the steward. 'Tell Pippin to hurry,' he said. 'I don't think Regi has much time.'

'I'll do that,' Fastred replied, looking away as the other began to weep again.

'I'm sorry, lad,' Ferdi said.

'It's nothing,' Fastred soothed.

'It is not nothing,' Ferdi snapped through his tears. More gently then, he said, 'You see, he saved me from myself, when I was about your age, saved me from drowning in bitterness and resentment, saved my life, he did.' He breathed deeply, and added, '...and I came too late to save him.'

Fastred laid a hand gently on his shoulder, having no words to say. Ferdi nodded, then said, 'All right, lad, be off with you now.'

'I'll hurry,' Fastred said softly, and was gone from the room.

***

The seal of the Thain did wonders for innkeepers' attitudes, Fastred found. They'd barely noticed him, deigning to take his money as he'd travelled to Tuckborough in the first place, but now they could not do enough for him, bringing him food and hot drinks while a fresh pony was saddled, packing more food in saddlebags, offering him whatever he might need to speed him on his way.

He left just after teatime, riding as the Sun sank behind him. The first stretch was the longest, for there were no inns between Greenholm and Michel Delving, only isolated farmhouses. When his pony began to tire about halfway to Michel Delving, he turned into a farmstead, shouting, and showing the seal of the Thain (though the farmer had never seen it before, he knew about it, as every Shire inhabitant would), he was given a fresh pony, the farmer's fastest, and sent on his way.

Coming into Michel Delving, he rode at a trot through the darkened streets until he came to the inn. When the ostler saw the seal, he sent a lad at a run, and soon the innkeeper, cloak thrown over his night clothes, was bowing and scraping before him, offering him the best room, and a hot dinner in a trice if he'd care to wait.

He made the other settle for giving him a fresh pony and a hastily assembled sandwich and water drawn fresh from the well in the courtyard, and then he swung into the saddle and was away.

Now he was able to change ponies every ten miles or so, and the miles melted away more swiftly beneath the ponies' feet. He was glad to see the dawn, for it meant a hot drink while waiting for the fresh pony to be saddled, and the tea, sipped scalding and strong, drove the weariness from his brain for a time.

Pushing each pony along at its best pace, he was able to travel from Michel Delving to Waymeet in half the time it had taken the group on their way to Greenholm, then on down to Whitwell, then Tookbank.

He wasn't sure he'd be able to find his way over the tracks through the hills, but the innkeeper in Tookbank, seeing the seal of the Thain, instantly offered to guide Fastred himself the final stretch.

The hobbit from Greenholm was glad of the company, for he was staggering in the saddle, but a cup of hot, strong tea did wonders to brace him up, and he mounted for the last stretch with fresh determination.

The Sun was casting long shadows before them as they rode up to the Smials. There was a festival atmosphere about the place, bright cloths hung from all the windows, every hobbit he saw was wearing a great grin.

'It's a boy!' the stable lad crowed as he stepped up to take the reins of their lathered mounts. 'Two of 'em, in fact! Twins!'

'The Mistress?' the innkeeper demanded.

'She's fine! The healer says she's fine!' the lad said, nearly dancing in his joy.

'That's good news,' the innkeeper answered soberly. 'Thanks, lad. I'll take late supper here, and stay over, go back on the morrow, if I may.'

'Certainly,' the lad bubbled, not noticing the others' lack of joy. 'I'm sure they'll find you a room, and you're welcome to join the celebration in the great room after late supper as well. The Thain's providing ale for everyone! The more the merrier!' He led the ponies away, still chortling.

'Come lad,' the innkeeper said. 'Your news won't keep.'

They trudged across the courtyard to the main entrance, Fastred weighed down by weariness, feeling as if he were slogging through a bog, to be greeted by the Took guarding the door. Seeing the seal of the Thain, the guard bowed and personally conducted Fastred to the Thain's private quarters.

Indicating that the other should wait, the guard tapped on the door, soon emerging with the Thain.

Thain Peregrin stopped short at seeing Fastred holding out the heavy ring. 'Where's Regi?' he asked, his eyes keenly searching the other's face.

'Dying,' Fastred said bluntly. There was no good way to deliver the news he bore. The Thain stepped back a pace, then nodded, quickly assimilating the news.

He stuck his head back into the private quarters, telling someone he'd be back in a trice. Taking Fastred by the arm, he closed the door, and walked rapidly in the direction of the study, shouting for Sandy.

At the hobbitservant's near-instant appearance, he ordered the saddling of the swiftest ponies, and for Healer Woodruff to attend him at once in his study, and for travel rations to be packed up ready by the time the ponies would be.

Reaching the study, he opened the door, pushing Fastred before him. 'What's happened?' he snapped. Fastred explained rapidly. When he heard of the abduction of the Gamgee lasses, the Thain paled, a muscle working in his jaw. 'Go on,' he said grimly.

Fastred detailed the quick gathering of the hobbits, the party setting off at a trot along the paper trail the steward had left, being caught up halfway to the woods by the galloping guardsmen, who dismounted and led their horses, following the trackers.

He paused when the rescue party reached the clearing, sickened again at the memory, swallowing hard, the meal he'd eaten in the saddle between Tookbank and Tuckborough suddenly sitting uneasily in his stomach.

'What is it?' the Thain asked quietly. He knew it had to be bad. Any time hobbits mixed with ruffians, it turned out badly for the hobbits, as a rule.

Fastred swallowed again, and haltingly described the scene in the clearing. The Thain blinked, seemed scarcely to draw breath, his hands curled into fists, his lips thin with rage.

'And then, when they cut him down, they found that he lived, still... but...' Fastred faltered.

'And what of Rose and Ellie?' the Thain asked quietly, steel in his voice.

'Rose was safely up in a tree where Reginard had put her before the ruffians took him,' Fastred answered. 'Elanor was rescued from the ruffians by the guardsmen, some ways downstream, on their way to the River Lune and then to the Sea.'

A tap on the door, and Sandy stuck his head in. 'All's ready for you, Sir,' he said.

The Thain nodded. 'Send Hilly and Tolly to me,' he rapped out, 'and I want you to put Mistress Gamgee in the best parlour, and send Nell to attend her there.'

'Very well, Sir,' the servant said without question, withdrawing his head again.

'Get yourself something hot to eat,' Pippin said then to Fastred. 'I'll meet you in the courtyard in half an hour.'

As he was eating at a table in the great room, a healer came to see him. 'The Thain ordered this,' the hobbit said gravely, extending a covered cup. 'Here,' he said, 'It'll wake you up, give you energy for the ride back. You won't be good for much when it wears off, but it ought to get you to Greenholm, at least.'

Fastred took the cup with a wondering look, and the healer sighed. 'Best drink it hot,' he said, 'tastes pretty awful. I don't like giving folk such a thing, but it's the Thain's orders. Guess he doesn't want you falling off your pony on the journey back.'

'Right,' Fastred said, gulping down the hot contents and trying not to gag.

'Good lad,' the healer said quietly, 'bravely done.' He nodded gravely. 'Give my best to Regi,' he added. 'Tell him Mardi's not giving up hope quite yet.'

'Mardi,' Fastred repeated obediently.

Just then the wee lass who'd been carried off to her rest by the steward on the eve of their departure for Greenholm ran up to them, laughing. 'Granda!' she shouted. Mardi picked her up, forcing a smile.

'There's my little love,' he said.

The little one turned to Fastred with a frown. 'You rode off with my da,' she pouted. 'Why didn't you bring him back again?'

Fastred looked helplessly at the healer, who bounced the child in his arms, saying, 'Where's your mum got to? I thought I told her to put her feet up, and you were supposed to be telling her stories!'

'She wanted a piece of cheese,' the little one said solemnly. 'Said she must have it, for the babe was asking for it. You know we must give the babe whatever he asks for, or he won't come out when he's supposed to, to greet us, just stay inside mum and pout.'

'We cannot have that,' Mardi said, obviously glad for the change of subject. He put the lass down and took the little hand. 'Come, lass, let us track down that elusive cheese for your mum before the day grows any shorter.'

'The day's over already!' the little one laughed. 'Sun's abed!'

'And so will you be, my lass, after we've delivered our cheese,' Mardi said. He cast a last glance over his shoulder to Fastred, and the other nodded. The message would be delivered.