The common theme is Yule. Elements: Torrential rains, a location between the Tookland and Buckland, Paladin

“It is rather typical of Lalia, waiting so long before she deigns to give you leave to join your family that we won’t be able to get back to Brandy Hall until half the holiday is over.” Paladin Took said through gritted teeth as he helped his eldest daughter into the small two-wheeled pony trap. They were both on edge and breathless from their rush to leave Great Smials behind them.

“At least she relented, Da. I would have hated missing out on spending Yule with all of you.” Pearl settled herself onto the padded seat of the small carriage.

Paladin and Eglantine’s daughter had started working, in the month of Astron of this year, as a companion and nurse to Mistress Lalia Took. Lalia had decided when her husband, The Took and Thain Fortinbras II, died, that although her son would have to get the title of Thain of the Shire, she would take the title of The Took. She had not been a particularly easy head of the extended family with which to live. She wanted a finger in every pie, she pulled every string and held all her cards close to her more than ample bosom. It was rumored that it was because of Lalia that her son, Ferumbras III, had not yet married. Behind hands it was whispered that he had been unable to find any hobbitess willing to live in Great Smials as his wife while it, and he, was under his venerable mother’s thumb. Lalia, known to her face as “the Great” and behind her back as “the Fat”, had grown increasingly selfish, domineering and huge as her years as The Took had passed. She had eventually needed to be wheeled about in a large, ornate, sturdy chair, and had taken to choosing young lasses of close relation to be her companions.

Pearl waited for her father to get himself settled next to her before tucking a lap robe around both of their legs and feet. The light trap did have a roof of sorts over it, but not that did any good against the breeze created when the vehicle moved at much more than the pony’s slowest walk. The skies were a dull grey, the air heavy with the damp of a winter fog either having just lifted or soon to descend. Paladin clicked to the pony and they were off down the road at a brisk trot. In less than two day’s time, by sometime in the evening of First Yule he hoped, they would be at Brandy Hall with the rest of their family and the family of Paladin’s youngest sister, Esmeralda Brandybuck.

"But they'll miss Yule, Mymmy!"

Eglantine looked at her little lad’s worried face. They had been discussing this ever since her husband had left to fetch Pearl. She reached out her hand to gently stroke his cheek, then wound one of his curls around her first finger. “Well, Pippin dear, as I said yesterday your Da should have arrived at the Great Smials late in the day yesterday and I’m sure they will have left bright and early today. What is the date today, Pippin?”

“30 Foreyule, Mummy.”

“Yes, the last day of Foreyule. And tomorrow is?”

Pippin giggled at this. As if every hobbit child in the Shire didn’t know what day followed the last day of Foreyule. “First Yule, of course.”

“They may miss First Yule, Pippin, though I’m certain they will try to get here tomorrow evening. But they should be here in plenty of time for Second Yule.”

Pippin scowled. “That mean nasty old . . .”

“Pippin!” His mother’s tone was low and threatening, though she actually agreed with her son’s description of the current head of the Took clan.

“Sorry, Mummy.” Pippin lowered his eyes, looking contrite. “If only Mistress Lalia had changed her mind sooner, then we would have got Pearl on our way here and Da wouldn’t have had to go back for her. Now they’ll miss things they shouldn’t miss. They will miss the First Yule feast, and the singing and maybe even miss the treats before bedtime. They may even be late for giving presents.”

“I’m sure they will not miss much, Pippin.” Lanti hugged her lad tightly, chuckling over his concern for his father and sister missing the bountiful food of the Yule season being mentioned before their possibly not being at the Hall to give him his Yule gifts. “If you wish, you can save giving your gifts to Merry and your other sisters until Pearl and your Da arrive. Would you wish to do that, my dear?”

A faint glimmer of the lad’s usually bright smile came to his lips. He nodded his head as he spoke. “Yes, Mummy, that would be best I think. It wouldn’t feel right without Da and Pearl.”

“Will they really be back in time, Mum?” Pimpernel quietly asked. She had been busy doing her best to keep Pippin’s spirits up. He loved Yule to the point that this complication was causing him to lose much of his usual bright outlook.

“Your Da said he would push the pony as much as he could, Nell. He said that he will even try to change ponies at the Quickpost stops if he can so as to get back to the Hall faster,” her mother answered as she reached around to softly rub her middle daughter’s silky hair. “They will be back as fast as can be, dear.”

*********

It was deep into the night and Took’s pony trap was well past the halfway point between Great Smials and Brandy Hall by the end of their first day of travelling. Paladin and Pearl stayed at the Stock-Hall Inn at the junction of the road to Woodhall and the road to Stock, which then went on to cross the Brandywine River, and then on to Brandy Hall. They had changed ponies twice while stopping as little as possible for any other needs. Paladin wasn’t sure he’d be able to get out of the small vehicle, his muscles were so stiff, while Pearl, even being only twenty-six, didn’t exactly hop lightly to the ground. Dinner was a small loaf of bread, cheese and tea before what would be a short night’s sleep. The two Tooks were on their way again ere the black night turned to grey day on First Yule morn.

They were about half the way to Stock when the first drops of rain drummed against the roof of the pony trap. They were perhaps one eighth of a mile past that when the skies poured like water from a newly drawn bucket full of water - hard and fast. It was about half an hour later, as they rounded a bend in the road, that they came upon the stuck farm waggon.

Paladin had felt the road becoming soft beneath the wheels of the trap. He had mentally patted himself on the back for bringing the light weight trap instead of the family carriage. The farm waggon up ahead was no lightweight vehicle, even if it had not been loaded past its sides with the cargo held in place with a tied down tarp. The terrain dipped and in the low spot the rain had created a swift moving stream that washed across the packed dirt road. Paladin knew well what the road had become. Either it was totally washed away and the deep rut had trapped the wheels of the waggon or it was now a bog of soft, thick mud into which the wheels had sunk and were now held fast. A farmer and a lass, soaked to the skin, mud covered where it had clung to them so thickly that even the driving rain couldn’t beat it off of them, were struggling to get the oxen to pull the waggon free.

“Hoy there!” Paladin shouted against the roar of the wind and rain. He hopped down from the pony trap then turned as he thought about Pearl. “Stay put, Pearl!” She nodded and he went back to walking carefully along the part of the road that was still somewhat firm.

“Hoy there, sir!” Paladin called out a bit less loudly as he was now only a few feet from the struggling hobbit. The drenched and filthy hobbit turned to stare at Paladin with weary eyes. “You’ll not budge this. Best to unhitch the oxen and just leave the waggon be.”

“Done that. Oxen be stuck too. Can’t be leavin’ them ta the mud.”

“Indeed not. Let me unhitch my pony. We’ll see if he can at least help the oxen out.”

The farmer nodded then made his slow way toward the lass who stood at the head of one of the oxen while Paladin returned to the trap. Pearl had been listening, as well as she could above the noise of the storm. She jumped down and was already at work unhitching the pony. Her father gave her a scolding look that quickly changed into a smile. Pearl had disobeyed him, but he would not have her do otherwise in this situation. Paladin would rather his children were moved to help whenever help was needed than feel bound to blind obedience. Soon he was leading the frightened pony through the swift water to where the road once again became as firm as was possible in the continuing downpour. Pearl slipped and fell. Paladin slipped and fell. The pony nearly slipped and fell but kept his feet. Gradually the four hobbits and the steady pony gave enough extra pull to get the oxen free.

“Thank ya, Mister Paladin,” the farmer said, extending his shaking hand toward the startled Took.

“How . . .?”

“It’s me, Mister Paladin. Bolkin Pincup, at your service.” The farmer bowed his head a bit. “More like in your debt.”

Paladin laughed. “We are all a good sight messier than I thought. I’m sorry for not recognizing you. Glad to be at your service, Bolkin. Now let us get to some shelter.”

But Bolkin balked at the mention of leaving his waggon. He looked at the load a long moment before turning back to Paladin. “Don’t much like ta be leavin’ it here, Mister Paladin,” he said loudly as the storm hadn’t abated in the least. “There’s . . . it’s . . . well . . .”

Paladin ducked his head a bit to try to look the old farmer in the eye. “Out with it, Bolkin, before we all drown standing up. No one will trouble your waggon. You can come dig it out day after Second Yule.”

“ ‘Twill be too late then, sir. ‘Twill be too late if I wait till then.”

Paladin glanced around then tugged Bolkin in the direction of a stand of thick bushes. “Pearl, you and Tulip watch over the animals a moment,” he called over his shoulder as he and Bolkin ducked under the lowest branches. As he had hoped it was a bit drier in the midst of the bushes. Drier and quieter.

“Too late?” Paladin queried.

“Aye, Mister Paladin. We’ve kin here ‘bouts ‘n we’ve heard o’ a couple o’ families what had a right poor time o’ it this Foreyule. One had a field fire what wiped out their crops and took one o’ their byres. T’other had some sort o’ blight or such what tainted their stores o’ grain and made both hobbits and beasts ill. ‘Tall had to be burned. What the both of them didn’t lose to nature they had to sell to get by. My waggon be loaded with goods and stores for them ta have a brighter Yule, Mister Paladin, n’ that won’t be much help for Yule if it don’t be gettin’ there till after both Yule days be come and gone.”

“Yes, I see that,” Paladin said softly. He stood a moment, crossing his left arm over to rest on the ridge of his stomach. He rested his right elbow on the crossed arm, rested his chin on the thumb of his right hand and rubbed the space between his nose and upper lip with his forefinger. If there was anything Paladin Took was good at it was planning and organizing. He quickly reviewed every aspect of the situation, presented himself with a few different options for action then made a decision.

“We’ll have the lasses hold up the tarp as best they can while we sort through your load, Bolkin. Then we’ll load up one families worth of goods in our trap and on our pony and walk it to the nearest of the two farms. Then we can come back and do the same with the rest.”

“But . . . but sir!” Bolkin’s mouth hung open in surprise as he shook his head. “That’ll be makin’ you and your lass late for where ere ‘tis you be headin’.”

“This storm is already doing that,” Paladin chuckled. “I doubt that we’d make it to Brandy Hall in time for any of today’s festivities.” He sobered a bit and looked eastward. In his minds eye he saw his children who were at the Hall awaiting his return. His very feminine Nell whose looks were oftimes compared to a porcelain doll. Sharp tongued Vinca who could more than hold her own playing rough games with the lads, but whose heart was tender. Pippin, his only lad, whose sunny disposition and mischievous green eyes were so like Paladin’s sister Esme’s. He then looked back towards the road where his eldest, his Pearl, stood with Tulip watching over the pony and oxen. She wasn’t of age yet either so she would have also been giving and receiving gifts today with the other children at the Hall.

But what he, Pearl and the Pincups would be doing today was in keeping with Paladin’s heart, in keeping with the spirit of the Yuletide. Home and hearth. Family and friends. The bonds of kin and kindred.

“Let us get back to the lasses and start unloading some of those goods,” Paladin said as he laid his hand on old Bolkin’s shoulder.

********

The children of Paladin and Eglantine Took sat, together with their first cousin, Merry Brandybuck, in the parlor of the best guest quarters in Brandy Hall. Esmeralda Brandybuck and Eglantine Took had left the room just a few moments before to speak together out of the children’s earshot. It was late into the night, much later than they might usually still be awake even on First Yule. In a corner on a table and flowing off onto the floor were their Yule gifts . . . unopened. The children sat in a row before the fire; Vinca, with Pippin between she and Merry and Nell on Merry’s other side. Pippin’s eyes and nose were the reddest of the group but all the young ones showed signs of tears having been shed. Earlier the children had been anxiously gazing at their Yule presents, hoping the day would be somewhat as usual and they would soon be tearing open their gifts. But Paladin and Pearl had not arrived and concern for the missing Tooks replaced the desire for presents. As the youngsters had decided the day before, gifts simply would not be as much fun if all of the family were not at the Hall. There had been no word from Paladin and Pearl.

“I want Da,” little Pippin whined once more.

Vinca and Merry both leaned into the lad to comfort him as his tears started anew.

“I want Da and Pearl.”

“They’ll be here, Pip. They’ll be here soon,” Vinca said after a few moments had passed. She normally tormented her younger brother, who could drive even a patient adult to distraction with his pesty questions. She had thought to say “Perhaps they decided they would like First Yule better without being pestered to death by you.” But she was as worried as everyone else and the sharp comment fell flat in her mind. It was fine by her if she sent Pippin running to their Mum in tears, yet let someone or something else hurt the lad and all the sisters were fiercely protective of their brother. Their friends and relations already knew it was best to avoid the wrath of the Terrible Took Sisters. Mistress Lalia had no right to do this, to Vinca’s way of thinking, and it was breaking her heart that not only were her father and oldest sister very late but that it was frightening Pippin so badly.

“You said that an hour ago, Vinca, and an hour before that and they aren’t here yet, and it’s ever so dark outside and it’s still raining and nasty, Vinca.”

Merry tugged on a lock of his youngest cousin’s hair as he pulled the lad’s head onto his shoulder. “Uncle Paladin is smart and strong, Pip. He’ll be taking good care of himself and Pearl. They are most likely safe and warm at an inn, wishing they were here instead of there.”

“But they’ve not sent word, Merry.” Pippin’s face turned up, his red-rimmed green eyes looked deep into his cousin’s red-rimmed blue-grey ones. “If they’re all right oughtn’t they have sent word?”

Merry’s stomach clenched. He had been thinking the same thing. It was most unusual that Uncle Paladin hadn’t sent word, but then, the rains had poured down all day. “Perhaps the messenger hadn’t been able to get through all the rain, Pip. There may be streams that are too high. Ones that normally don’t need a bridge but are now too deep to ford across.”

Pippin’s head slowly lowered back to Merry’s shoulder while he hugged his youngest sister tighter with his other arm. Merry, Nell and Vinca all exchanged worried looks.

*******

Dividing up the waggon’s load took longer than Paladin had thought it would. Loading half the goods into the pony trap and figuring out how to secure a load to the driving pony had taken longer than Paladin had thought it would. The grey light of the dreary day was fading as the Tooks and the Pincups arrived at the first of the two stricken farms. The Haymowers were overcome with joy at the goods they received and Pearl gave their lad and lass the gifts she had packed for Pippin and Nell. Some of the food was shared with all then the Tooks and Pincups were bedded down on the parlor floor for the night.

“Da,” Pearl whispered as sleep started to over take her, “we didn’t send word to the Hall.”

Paladin was well aware of this. It had been gnawing at his heart all day that their loved ones were expecting them for at least part of First Yule. “I know, dearest. I know. We’ll just have to do what we can tomorrow.”

But the morrow, being Second Yule, was more of the same. The rain was not as torrential, but it was still pouring down upon the Shire and only those with a desperate need to get somewhere other than where they were ventured out on the roads. There was no way to send word to Brandy Hall.

Paladin and Pearl once again helped Bolkin and Tulip with transferring the rest of the goods to the trap and pony. At least this time they had an earlier start on the job and arrived at the Burrow’s farm around noon. Once again there was joy in the hearts of the needy hobbit family. Again those who were helped shared with those who gave them aid. It was near to three o’clock in the afternoon when Paladin and Pearl waved their farewells from the seat of the pony trap to head down the Stock road toward Buckland.

*******

The weak light of the cloudy Second Yule morning found the family of Paladin Took and the family of Saradoc Brandybuck asleep in various places in the parlor of the Took’s guest rooms at Brandy Hall. No one had wanted to leave the company of the others. Saradoc, Esmeralda and Merry, as Heir of the Hall and his family, eventually had to join the crowd of revelers in the main rooms of the Hall, though the revelry wasn’t quite what it usually was. Everyone was concerned about the missing Paladin and Pearl. Eglantine and her children had come to the dinning hall for meals, but then retired to their quarters, being in no mood for festivities. The day dragged on.

Word had come to Master of the Hall, Rory Brandybuck, that the Brandywine River was rising. The bridge looked solid enough but there was question of how useable the ferry would be. Worried looks passed amongst the adults of the Hall. Esme, Lanti, Nell, Merry, Vinca and Pippin wept and hugged one another. Once again the evening found the two families in the Took’s parlor. Saradoc read a story to which none of them were really listening. They drew comfort from the steady sound of his voice. The hours slipped by.

A short, sharp knock upon the parlor door was followed by a stable hobbit throwing open the door without having waited for a word from those within.

“Back . . .” he gasped, “They . . . be back . . . Mister Saradoc.”

The stable lad was nearly trampled by the suddenly joyous families. Just within the smial door nearest the stable yard they met with the soaked and weary travellers. Everyone talked at once, hugging each other until those who had been out in the weather were somewhat drier and those who had awaited them were considerably damper. Pippin fastened himself around his father’s neck and waist like a stubborn ivy and would only be pried lose when it was threatened that he would then end up in the bath with Paladin.

Soon they were all once more in the parlor, Paladin and Pearl sitting nearest the blazing fire in their warmest nightclothes and dressing gowns. Paladin shared his heaped plate of food with his son who had attached himself once more and would not be moved from his father’s lap.

Paladin continued his telling of their journey to Brandy Hall between large mouthfuls of food. “And so we barely got . . . poor Star unhitched before the trap tipped off the ferry . . . and into the river. We all clung to each other like leeches. We would have been here a bit sooner . . . if we hadn’t had to walk from the ferry.”

“And I’ve no gifts for any of you,” Pearl said quietly, looking down at her plate of food that sat on her lap. “I gave them to the children of the Haymowers and the Burrows.”

“That’s all right, Pearl,” Nell said and gave Pearl a kiss on the cheek. “They needed them more than we do.”

“And we have you and Da,” Pippin said drowsily from the warmth of his father’s arms which were wrapped firmly around the lad. “Much better than gifts, you and Da. Although . . .” He sat up a bit and craned his head toward the corner where the family’s gifts still sat unopened.

Everyone laughed heartily at Pippin’s obvious hint that it was time for the gift giving to begin as Saradoc rose and began to distribute the gifts to those who were nearest and dearest to his heart. They took their time, sharing the fun of the occasion, the pleasure of each other’s company. The older girls eventually stumbled off to bed, Merry and Vinca were nearly asleep and Pippin had nodded off before all the gifts had been opened. Soon all of Brandy Hall was quiet as outside the rains stopped, the clouds parted and the moon shone his light on the peaceful Shire.