'But see here, Master Sandyman, I've a score to pay in this village, and don't you make it any longer with your jeering, or you'll foot a bill too big for your purse.' Sam Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Chapter: The Scouring of the Shire. 

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       "Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!"

       Sam's anguished howl reverberated round the Hill as Rose raced the last few yards down the lane. That cry was echoed in the White Tower of Ecthelion where Aragorn sank to his knees, his legs collapsing under him. He was reeling with shock, powerless to do anything but watch

       Frodo glanced down, barely noting that Sandyman's hand was now empty. The miller looked almost as shocked as the onlookers, not believing what had just happened. Then self-pity consumed him again.

       "It's all your fault, Brandybuck! You've always hated me......"

       Frodo looked at him, his lip curling in contempt. "Oh shut up!" he snapped. He wound his hand back and punched his adversary hard on the jaw. Ted collapsed like a poleaxed ox, his eyes rolling back in his head.

       "Ow! I'd forgotten how much that hurts." Frodo rose and stepped away, shaking his hand and rubbing his bruised knuckles. Sam rushed to his side in a frenzy of concern and began unbuttoning his shirt.

       "I'm alright, Sam, really," he protested, but Sam continued to pat him, tears of shock running down his face.

       "He stabbed you! Where is it? Where's the wound?"

       May and her family were consoling Ivy and the children but all eyes were on the Master of Bag End, all waiting for heart blood to stain the shirt front and Mr Baggins to fall lifeless on the verge. Sam unfastened another shirt button and stopped, stupefied. Rose ran over to look, her legs barely supporting her. She gazed at Frodo in disbelief; she had seen the knife aimed at his heart. Everyone was staring. As the shirt parted, something glittered in the afternoon sun.

       "You...........you're wearing the mithril shirt!?!" Sam murmured. "Just like in Moria........You're .. alive!"  He and Frodo fell into each other's arms,both weeping with relief. "I thought he'd stabbed you in the heart."

       "I thought he'd cut your throat!" Frodo replied shakily. "Oh Sam! What would we all have done without you?"

       "You daft Baggins, what would we have done without you! He got you in the arm - we need to dress that.and I reckon it'll need stitches. But.....but why? Why are you wearing that?"

       "I was down in the cellar fetching the wine when I heard a voice telling me to put it on. I've learned to listen to those voices, so I did as I was told. And never mind my arm - your ear will need dressing." He sank onto the verge, his arms still tightly round Sam. He felt he never wanted to let go.

       Rose embraced them both, fighting her own tears. "You pair of ninnyhammers! You might have both been killed!"

       In Gondor Aragorn was laughing in relief but tears streamed down his face and his hands shook. Hobbits really are amazing creatures, he thought ruefully.

       "Sam-dad! Uncle Fro! Are you alright?"

       The Gamgee children clustered around. Merry-lad was wide-eyed, clinging to Fro and little Rosie's hands, and Ellie carried a sleepy baby Pip.

       "We're fine, my loves," Sam managed, conquering rising hysteria with some difficulty. Their gawking expressions and innocent, touching concern reminded him of what might have been destroyed if either he or Frodo had been fatally wounded.

       "You're bleeding!" Rosie-lass said.

       Frodo looked down at his arm, surprised to see a huge hole in his shirt-sleeve and bright red blood running from a wound on the inside of his upper arm. It had not felt such a large gash at the time but he realised that it was almost five inches long.

       "So I am. It's nothing, Rosie-posie."

       "Doesn't look like 'nothing' to me!" said Ellie tartly.

       The commotion had brought other people from Hobbiton itself. Doctor Porto rushed up the incline, Garnet Tunnelly panting after him, her healer's satchel flapping. Teddy and Jeb Sandyman were just behind them. Teddy vaulted the gate to embrace his mother and siblings.

       Frodo had been unprepared for the size of the wound. He went to stand up but stopped as tiny coloured stars danced before his eyes. He felt hot and cold and slightly peculiar as the shock finally caught up with him.

       "Head down, Mr Frodo!" Garnet said firmly. "Take deep breaths now." She crouched beside him and took a bottle of smelling salts from her pocket. "There now........'tis not the thing for gentlehobbits to be doing, and I reckon you thought your fighting days were over."

       Frodo calmed himself, using the techniques Lord Elrond had taught him. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I'm being a wet blanket......."

       "You're being nothing of the kind. It's the shock making you feel a bit faint. We'll get you inside and see to that cut, and Master Sam's ear."

       Gando Greenbanks and a second Shirriff arrived, carrying several lengths of rope. Ted was beginning to come round, swearing and cursing as they tied his hands. Gando dealt him a brisk whack with his cudgel, which silenced him effectively enough, and they bundled him towards their ponies.

       "Take him to the Shirriff's House for the night. He can sleep it off there. In the morning he's to be taken to the Lockholes. The Thain and Master and I need to consult about this and decide what's to be done." Sam continued to dab at his ear but he spoke with complete authority, and the two hobbits bowed respectfully before departing with their sullen guest.

       The knife lay in the grass and Sam lifted it gingerly. Frodo-lad was despatched to Bag End to find a thick envelope and a stick of sealing-wax, and the weapon was placed safely inside and sealed before witnesses.

       When Frodo had recovered a little, Sam helped him to stand and they went into Ivy Sandyman's smial. Ivy bustled around, making tea and sending Lily and Violet off to find clean towels.

       "Right, Master Sam, you sit there and we'll look at that ear. Ah! Hot sweet tea - just what our two heroes need. Thank you, Mrs Sandyman." Porto beamed at Ivy and went to the kitchen to scrub his hands before beginning his examination.

       Frodo sipped gratefully at the strong tea well laced with honey. He was feeling steadier and looked around the simple but homely little smial, concerned at the distressed faces of the Sandyman family. Ellie was drying Violet's tears with her own handkerchief, Lily was as white as a sheet and young Will and Teddy were forcing themselves to be the strong ones.

       "Don't cry, Violet. It's over and we're all safe." He held out his hand and she walked slowly towards him to stand in the shelter of his arm.

       "Perhaps..........'twould be better if we moved away, Mister Baggins. Trouble seems to follow us wherever we go and we've caused so much bother..........." Ivy was allowed to proceed no further as Frodo held up a hand.

       "You will do nothing of the kind, Mrs Sandyman. You are settled here in Hobbiton, the children are happy and have made friends. Why should you have to uproot them over this? I believe you will not be troubled again because, although I cannot second guess the Thain and Master, I suspect Ted will be returned to Bree and barred from entering the Shire at all. Besides, we want you here. We are neighbours and we will see this thing through together, as neighbours should."

       Ivy went bright pink and hid her face in her apron for a moment, but then she stood a little straighter, and nodded. Lily felt she could have declared her undying love for the Master of Bag End right then and there, Teddy and Will whooped in relief and Violet wrapped her arms around Frodo's leg and hugged as hard as she could.

       Porto looked up. "I am not going to stitch this wound, Master Sam. Ears bleed profusely enough and sticking a needle in it will only cause more damage. A nice thick compress and a tight bandage for a couple of days should be enough. Now, Mister Frodo, let me look at that arm. Hmmmmmm. That will leave quite an impressive scar from the look of it."

       "Just what I need - another scar," said Frodo wryly. "I'll soon have a complete set!"

       Garnet chuckled and began bandaging the pad in place on Sam's ear. Porto washed his hands again and Rose helped Frodo to slide his arm out of his sleeve. With the blood cleaned away it was obvious that stitches would be required. The underlying muscle had been slashed and that would need to be closed before the skin could be sutured.

       "This may hurt a bit. Would you like some poppy syrup to take the edge off?" Porto enquired as he threaded a curved needle of the kind used in the Houses of Healing.

       Frodo shook his head. "I took far too much of that stuff three years ago - almost lived on it for months. I'll be fine. Pain does not worry me. It's nowhere near as bad as the pain when I lost my finger. And the agony of the Morgul wound was unspeakable."

       "I'll be as gentle as I can," the young doctor promised, and began. Frodo turned his head, not sure that he wanted to watch his arm muscles being sewn together, and Garnet kept up a stream of cheerful chatter to distract him.

       The children watched in fascinated horror, delighting in every gory, gruesome detail now they knew Sam-dad and Uncle Fro were safe. They asked all sorts of questions about blood, muscles, bones and how to sew skin.

       "Stop bothering Doctor Porto," Rose chided. "He's busy."

       "It's no bother I assure you, Mistress Rose. Your children are delightfully inquisitive." He threaded a different needle.

       "Why are you using another one?" young Fro asked.

       "Our Lord King said that Lord Elrond used different needles for muscle and skin. He used them at the Houses and at Cormallen and the Healers saw that they were effective. The round-bodied needle works better with muscle and the sharp-edged one passes through the skin more easily. The curve of both needles makes it easier to manouvre, particularly when I hold it in the forceps." He sewed neatly, knotting each stitch individually, his tongue poking out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated.

       "Does it hurt, Uncle Fro?" Ellie asked, biting her lip.

       "No, not really. Prickles a little but no worse than that. Certainly nothing like the pain of the Morgul wound or Shelob's bite."

       "You're the bravest hobbbit in the Shire!" she declared, and the other childen agreed.

       "Oh! I thought Sam was the bravest hobbit?" Frodo said, his eyes twinkling.

       "Um........ you both are." This compromise pleased everyone, including the Sandyman family, who cheered just as loudly as the others.

       Porto tied the last stitch and gave a satisfied sigh. "There! All done, Mister Frodo. The stitches should stay in for about ten days."

       "What about the ones inside?" Frodo-lad enquired.

       "They will dissolve in three or four weeks." He addressed his patients. "You may both have a slight fever, but so long as it is only slight there is nothing to worry about. No strenuous activity for the next few days - that means no gardening, Master Sam - rest and drink plenty of fluids. Light food only for today and tomorrow and then good red meat, liver, and a glass of red wine to help replenish the blood you have lost. I shall stop by tomorrow to see that all is progressing as it should. I'm sure Mistress Rose and the little ones will see that you both do as you are told." Porto packed his instruments away, to be cleaned and boiled on his return home, and went to wash his hands.

       Rose followed him out to the kitchen and they spoke for some minutes. Frodo gave her a long hard look when she returned, which she returned with a sweet smile. May came in to see that the two hobbits were not in any danger, and Teddy and Jeb returned from repairing the gatepost.

       They made their way slowly back up the Hill after reassuring Ivy and her family that there was no need to pack up and leave. Neither hobbit bore any grudge against her and her children, who had been the innocent victims once again. They removed their bloodstained shirts and put them in a bucket of salt water for the night. Rose would see if they could be salvaged when she knew if the blood had come out. She put the kettle on and slipped a good dose of Porto's sleeping-draught into the patients' tea, smiling guilelessly across the table at them as she handed them the cups.

       Finally Frodo yawned. "I think I'll go a nd have a nap. Not sure why I'm so sleepy ........."

       "Shock, probably," said Sam. "I'm a bit tired myself. We'll have a doze and then help prepare dinner. Will you manage alright, lass?"

       "Of course I will, ye daft ha'porth. Go along with you - have a nap and I'll call you when dinner's ready."

       In the bedroom Frodo removed the mithril shirt and placed it carefully on a chair, murmuring thanks to Bilbo for gifting it to him. Sam echoed that sentiment as he tucked his Master in.

       "Sam?"

       "Yes, m'dear?"

       "Will you stay with me for a little while. I need to know you're here and safe."

       Sam smiled and lay down on top of the quilt and Frodo pillowed his head on his brother's sturdy shoulder. Sam rested one hand on Frodo's chest, over the heart he feared had been stopped forever, and whispered a prayer of thanks to whoever had given his beloved friend that warning.

       "I don't know what we would have done if you'd been killed, Sam. How would Rose and the children have coped? It seems selfish of me to wonder what I would have done but I don't think I'd want to live without you. Your care has always sustained me and you've saved my life so many times, just by being you....."

       "You saved my life today, m'dear. If you hadn't shouted that warning I wouldn't have pulled back and that knife might have gone through my neck - straight through that big blood vessel." He raised a hand and touched the area below his left ear, feeling the steady pulse.

       "I'm thankful I saw it. What was Ted thinking of? He must have known it would end in disaster."

       "He's lucky he's not on his way to Gondor for the King's justice. Merry and Pippin are going to be furious when they find out."

       Frodo groaned. "I'm dreading what Merry will say. You know what he's like when anything threatens those he loves. We'll have to stop him skewering Ted with his sword and dragging the body round the Shire tied to Stybba's tail, or whatever they do with miscreants in Rohan."

       "He'll scold the pair of us too. You're right, he will be cross. D' you reckon we have time to set off for Gondor before he finds out?"

       "Not the way gossip travels in the Shire. We should have set off a week ago!" Frodo fell silent and when Sam glanced down he saw that the most beloved of hobbits was sleeping peacefully. He would stay a little while and then go and help Rose, he thought.

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       In Gondor the High King stood on rather shaky legs and smiled fondly at the sight of the two sleeping hobbits, lying much as they had done in Ithilien, Frodo's head resting on Sam and the gardener's hand over his friend's heart. That seemed to comfort both of them. Aragorn did not know why Frodo had been wearing the mithril shirt but perhaps he had had one of those prescient dreams of his. Whatever the reason, the King was grateful beyond measure, and he thanked the Valar once again for their mercy and love towards the dearest of his subjects.

       "I need a drink," he muttered, and returned to the Royal Apartments to find some strong brandy to calm his shattered nerves.