Note to the Reader: The missing chapter (10) has slipped into place and settled nicely. Thanks for letting me know it had wandered.

12. Sleepers, Wake!

Fastred wakened about noontide, having slept round the clock. He was stiff and sore, and hungrier than he'd ever been in his life. Raspberry, passing by, saw him stir and came to help him sit up.

'Welcome back to the world,' she said. 'I thought you were going to sleep your life away.'

'Almost wish I had,' he grunted, putting a hand to his forehead. 'O my head.'

Raz put a soft, cool hand on the back of his neck. 'Head ache?' she asked.

'I wish I could say it ached,' Fastred said. 'That would be an improvement over how it feels at the moment.'

'Lie back down,' Raz said gently. 'I'll bring you something for your head.'

'Bring me something for the stomach as well,' Fastred said. 'It's thinking the road's been washed out, naught's come down the trail for so long.'

Raz smiled. 'Same old Fastred,' she said. 'The day you go off your feed's the day I'll start to worry about you.'

She brought him back an herbal concoction, 'For your head,' she said firmly when he viewed it with suspicion.

'The last herbs I drank did this to my head,' Fastred grumbled, but he drank obediently. Halfway through his meal, the pounding subsided and he breathed a sigh of relief.

'How long did I sleep?' he thought to ask.

'You arrived yesterday noontide, and it's just after noon now,' Raz answered, only to see her brother bolt upright from his sitting position, nearly spilling the tray of food.

'I had a message for the steward,' he said, his expression grieved. 'I promised I'd deliver it.' He sighed, dropping his eyes. 'It's probably too late, now.'

'If it was a farewell message, yes, it is too late,' Raz smiled, and his shoulders slumped, for, eyes on the ground, he did not see his sister's reassuring expression.

'I was afraid of that,' he said, low.

Raz took him by the arms to give him a little shake. 'Fastred, look at me,' she said firmly.

He raised his head. 'How's the chancellor taking it?'

Her lips twitched in irritation. 'He's taking it very well,' she said with asperity, 'seeing as how the steward hasn't died.'

'Hasn't died? He's still suffering? How can you smile at a time like this?' Fastred said in shock.

'Of course, I'd forgotten you didn't know,' Raspberry said contritely. 'I just imagined that you knew the Thain came bearing the steward's cure.'

'The Healer at the Smials gave him a flask of something...' Fastred said slowly. 'I just thought it was to sustain the Thain through the long ride, when he'd gone without sleep himself for so long, watching over his wife.'

'That flask of something wrought a wonder of healing in the steward,' Raz answered. 'He's sitting up, sipping broth, even as we speak. So go and deliver your message. I think he wants to thank you, anyhow, for fetching the Thain so quick.'

Fastred set his tray aside, hunger forgotten, and followed Raz to the steward's room.

'Fastred!' said the Thain, seeing him come in. 'Good to see you awake. How's your head?'

'Getting better, thank you, Sir,' he answered. 'It doesn't quite feel as if it's about to roll off, now.'

'Good, good,' the Thain said.

'I have a message for you,' Fastred said, crossing to the bed and meeting Regi's eye. The steward certainly looked much better than the last time he'd seen the hobbit.

'O? What's that?' Regi asked. He turned an accusing eye on Pippin. 'You didn't tell Rosa about me, did you?'

'Not at all,' Pippin assured him.

'No, the message is from Mardi,' Fastred broke in. 'He wanted you to know...'

'What?' Regi asked.

'He hasn't given up hope quite yet,' Fastred said slowly.

Regi chuckled. 'Good for him,' he said. 'Best father-in-love a hobbit could ask for, and a healer in the bargain.'

'I sent word back to the Smials this morning,' Pippin said quietly. 'Don't want them to keep thinking that you're dying, or dead; someone might let something slip to Rosamunda.'

'I'm in enough trouble at the moment as it is,' Regi said, 'for having been shot full of holes by ruffians. If she thought I'd died, I don't know what she'd do to me.' He shuddered.

'You made another joke,' Ferdi said accusingly. 'Are you sure you're not dying?'

'Fairly sure,' Regi said, putting down his empty mug. 'Though I might starve to death if they keep me on broth for long.'

'Well, just don't make a habit of it,' Ferdi grumbled. 'You, making jokes, is not something I'm used to.'

'I'll do my best,' Regi said equably, 'but with all these holes in my body, I fear much of my good sense has already leaked out.' He took a deep breath and stretched cautiously. 'You know, it takes nearly dying to make one truly appreciate living.'

Surprisingly, Ferdi smiled, a faraway look in his eyes. Unconsciously, his fingers went to the rope scars on his neck as he answered, 'I do think you have the right of it, cousin.'

The Thain nodded soberly. 'I'd had the same thought myself, a time or two.'

Fastred felt distinctly out of place. 'Well, I'll take myself off now,' he said.

The Thain seemed to waken from a dream. 'You do that, lad,' he said. 'And if you happen to look in on Rosie and Elanor, let the Mayor know I want to see him.'

'Yes, Sir,' Fastred said, and left the room.

***

He delivered his message to Sam, then looked to Elanor, who sat by her sister on the bed. 'How is she?' he asked.

'The same,' Elanor said, tears in her eyes. 'I don't know what we're going to do.'

'I have an idea,' Fastred said.

Leot met his brother's eyes. 'Are you thinking...?'

Fastred nodded. 'It's worth a try,' he said. 'She's slipping away, I can see the difference from when we walked her back here.'

Mistress Rose gulped back a sob. 'What idea?' she said shakily.

Fastred crossed to Rosie-lass, saying to Elanor, 'If I may...?' She rose from the bed to make room for him. He bent down on one side of Rosie-lass while Leotred took her from the other side.

'Rosie-lass,' Leot said in a gentle sing-song. 'Rosie, Rosie-lass, 'tis time to rise.' Like a sleepwalker, she slowly came to her feet, and with Fastred at one elbow and Leotred at the other, she began to walk carefully towards the door.

'Where are you taking her?' Mistress Rose whispered, but Leotred shook his head slightly at her, all the while crooning a sing-song of encouraging nonsense.

Elanor and her mother followed them out of the door, down the tunnel to the door of the steward's room. Sam had just entered and was standing just inside the door when it opened again, and he turned to see his wandering daughter. 'Rosie?' he gasped, but the little group pushed past him towards the bed.

Halfway, Rosie-lass stopped, stiffening.

'Rosie?' Regi said quietly, from the bed. He'd been informed of her condition, but seeing her was still a shock to him.

She gave a gasping sob, then tried to turn and flee, but the brothers held her firmly. 'No!' she said. 'No!'

'Rosie-lass,' Regi said, trying to rise from the bed, only to be pushed back by Ferdibrand.

'No, you're dead, they killed you and it's all my fault,' she sobbed.

'I'm not dead, far from it,' Regi said, finally letting Ferdi settle him back against his pillows.

'Don't--don't let his ghost come for me,' Rosie pleaded to her father, as if seeing him for the first time.

Samwise crossed to her, taking her in his arms, holding her as she sobbed, welcoming her wakening. 'It's all right, lass, he's not a ghost, he's real as all the rest of us.' He guided her to the bedside.

'Come, lass,' Regi said, holding out his hand, bandages still covering the healing wounds on the arm. She shrank back from his touch, but when it turned out to be warm flesh rather than the icy chill she expected, she took another shuddering breath.

'You're... alive?' she whispered.

'I certainly hope so,' Regi said. 'If I'm not, then I'm in terrible trouble with my wife.' He winced as Rosie-lass threw herself against him, but held her gently, stroking her hair, murmuring reassurance.

'It was all my fault, all my fault,' she sobbed. 'If I'd come down...'

'If you'd come down, they would have hurt you, as well,' Reginard said, 'and I really would have died to see that, lass.' She allowed herself to be soothed and cossetted, and when she was calm, Regi said, 'I imagine you're hungry, are you not? How would you like to share a cup of broth with an old pincushion like me?'

Rosie-lass gulped back a sob and gave a watery smile. 'I'd like that just fine,' she said. Rose and Sam, tears of joy bathing their own faces, engulfed their found daughter in an embrace.

Fastred stepped to the watching Elanor's side, taking up her hand and giving it a squeeze. She smiled back at him, returning the squeeze. 'Everything is going to be all right, now,' he murmured.

'Yes,' Elanor said, and nodded. 'Thank you.'