Frodo stirred and opened his eyes. He wondered how long he had slept because although dayligh streamed through the window it was surely dinner-time and his stomach was growling.

       "Awake at last, you old slug-a-bed?"

       "Merry? What in the Shire are you doing here? What time is it? How long have I been asleep?" He looked at his dearest cousin who sat in the chair beside his bed, long legs stretched out, shirtsleeves rolled up and a reasonably respectable weskit open and rumpled.

       The Heir of Buckland gave his cousin an infuriating grin. "Which question shall I answer first? The time is breakfast time, the day is Mersday, you have more than slept the clock round and we rode through the night when we heard the news. We arrived just as Sam woke up and arrived in the kitchen, hungry for his dinner, to find it was almost two hours past midnight."

       "I missed dinner? Well really! Someone might have told me. One of Porto's damn sleeping potions I suppose. Is Sam alright? I was so afraid............"

       Merry stood and leaned over to embrace Frodo. "Sam's fine, you idiot Baggins! I don't now whether to hug you or thump you! What were you thinking of? I know you were afraid for Sam, but taking on that drunken nincompoop when you knew he had a knife.......!"

       "I knew you'd be cross........."

       "Cross?!! I'm bloody furious! If you - or Sam - had been killed I would have stopped off at the Shirriff's House and put that whining miserable specimen of a hobbit out of his misery - and hang the consequences!"

       "And what would that achieve, Merry-mine? Two dead hobbits in the burial-ground instead of one. No, Ted was drunk. He was not really aware of what he was doing, just angry and resentful."

       "Stop making excuses for the fool. Honestly, Fro, I give up! You and he are total opposites in every way."

       "What do you mean?" Frodo sat up, wincing at the muscle twinges in various parts of his anatomy, the soreness of his left arm, and very bruised knuckles on his right hand.

       "Ted blames the world and everyone in it for his troubles, and you spent years blaming yourself for every bit of trouble in the world. What a pair! You are too damn forgiving, Fro. He deserves everything he has coming to him - and if I have anything to do with it that will be an awful lot!" Merry was angry but his grey eyes were wet and his voice shook.

       "Calm down, squirt. This situation needs cool heads. It will be a few days before we can travel to Michel Delving and meet with Pal and Sara, and that is probably a good thing. It will give us all a chance to think about it, as well as giving Ted a chance to cool his heels." He kissed Merry's brow. "If orcs, trolls, spiders, Gollum, the Nine, Saruman and Sauron were unable to kill me then it takes more than a drunken Ted Sandyman to get rid of your Fro."

       "I should hope so," Merry mumbled, swallowing a sob.

       "Awake at last, is he?" said a cheerful voice, and Pippin entered the room, carrying a tea tray.

       Merry gave a slightly hysterical laugh. "I wish I'd seen you punch him on the jaw and lay him out though. Sam and Rose gave us a graphic description but it's not the same. I haven't seen you do that since the day Lotho chased young Sam round the Party Tree and met your fist on the way!"

       "Ooooh! I wish I'd seen that!" Pip placed the tray on the bed and plopped down next to Frodo. "Shall I be mother?"

       "I'm not sure you could take the extra responsibility," Frodo quipped, ducking the gentle swat before being swept into a huge hug.

       "That mithril shirt has been worth more than the Shire indeed. It stops any weapon. Must have been just like Moria."

       "Yes, although Ted didn't use as much force as the troll."

       "A troll and Ted Sandyman. I knew he reminded me of someone!" Merry declared, piling biscuits on a plate for his cousin.

       "Isn't that rather insulting to trolls?" Pip queried.

       "Certainly I think the troll had more brains," Frodo agreed. "I feel so sorry for Ivy and the children. She was talking about leaving rather than bring any more trouble in our direction."

       Merry sobered immediately. "Now I feel bad. Poor lass, it's not her fault. And the children were just settling nicely. I hope you told her she must stay." He handed Frodo a full cup.

       "I did indeed. I tried to reassure her that this is not likely to happen again..........."

       "Not if I have anything to do with it!" Merry muttered but Frodo ignored him.

       ".........and I think she has accepted that.. Perhaps Rose and May can talk to her too. I should hate to see the children uprooted again." He munched a biscuit, his expression thoughtful. Then he brightened. "How is Diamond? And little Faramir? And how is the lovely Stella?"

       "They're fine - but don't try and change the subject. We need to talk about this. It's no good just sending him back to Bree. You said years ago that we shouldn't just dump our problems on the outside world. And what about Aragorn? Or Tarondor? They may want a say in his punishment you know."

       Frodo sighed heavily. "Yes, I know. Aragorn may already have some idea of what's happened. You know he has intuitions and foreboding dreams. I know he doesn't normally interfere in Shire affairs but legally he could demand that Ted be sent to Annuminas or even to Gondor. And thinking about it I doubt I'd forgive myself if we sent Ted back to Bree and he injured or killed someone there. We shall have to wait and see."

       Pip nodded. "That's what Sam was afraid of - that you'd blame yourself if Ted killed someone in Bree after you'd pleaded for mercy for him." They knew Frodo would feel responsible and all dreaded that something like that would be a severe set-back to his progress.

       "I realise that sometimes I'm inclined to be too merciful. I think it may be better in this case if we hand him over to those who can dispense proper justice. I'm sure they won't execute him. Aragorn is very good at finding a punishment to fit the situation."

       "Da is all for using him as target-practice for the Tookland archers," Pip added cheerfully.

       "You won't hear any argument from me!" Merry poured a second cup for their cousin.

       Frodo smiled. "Once we've all calmed down we can think clearly. When I thought he'd killed Sam, I wanted to kill him myself, so I do understand how you feel. When I hit him I had to restrain myself because part of me just wanted to hit him again and again."

       "He is such a bloody fool - what does Sam's Daisy say? 'No more brains than a potato.' She absolutely right!"

       Merry snorted. "It's a pity the Lockholes aren't like they were when we returned. That would be poetic justice, for Ted to be locked in those."

       Frodo shuddered. "I don't think I'd wish those horrible dank cells on anyone, even Ted. It is much more humane now, with proper beds, washing facilities and privvies. Hopefully he will have time to think on what he has done, but somehow I doubt he will learn anything from this. He never does." He pushed back the bedcovers and stepped onto the rug.

       "Where do you think you're going?" Merry looked up in surprise.

       "Going? I'm going to the kitchen for breakfast because my stomach is making more noise than a Balrog with toothache." Frodo rummaged in a drawer and found an old clean shirt, buttoned it with some difficulty due to his swollen knuckles, and made for the door.

       "You're supposed to be resting........"

       "That does not mean I have to lie around in bed all day. I am starving and if I don't eat breakfast soon I may start finding your legs as appetising as those orcs did!"

       "But......but............." Pip looked at Merry, shrugged his shoulders and they followed Frodo to the kitchen.

                                                                          ************

       After a breakfast which was not as substantial as he had hoped - due to Porto's instruction that he was to have a light diet until the next day - Frodo had a long bath. Merry and Pip went to help and fuss over him, washing his hair, scrubbing his back and making sure he did not damage his stitches. He allowed them to fuss a little because he knew they wanted to do it, and at least while Merry was making himself useful he was not ranting about what he would like to do to Sandyman. Being coddled was a small price to pay for peace and quiet, Frodo decided.

       Washed and dressed, he returned to the kitchen to find Porto eating jam tarts and drinking tea. He greeted the young doctor warmly, helped himself to several tarts in case Rose whisked them away, and poured himself a cup of tea.

       Porto declared himself satisfied with his patients and cheerfully ignored Frodo's pointed remarks about potions and the lack of proper sustenance. He checked the dressing on Sam's ear, which was held in place with a bandage which went round and round his head, but as there was no blood seeping through he did not disturb it.

       Frodo's arm looked good, with just a little inflammation round the sutures. Neither hobbit had a fever and both looked disgustingly healthy, having had such a close brush with Lord Namo.

       "I'm happy with thing so far. There's no infection or fever. How do you feel in yourself?" He looked at the bruised knuckles and nodded in approval at Rose's remedy - witchhazel followed by arnica ointment.

       "Fine - just relieved that neither of us were more seriously injured. I think someone was looking after me to give me that warning."

       "Any idea who it was?"

       "The thought arrived in my mind so firmly and in such a way that I believe it must have been dear Gandalf. The voice of Eru or one of the Valar would not have been so down to earth, I think, nor would thay have called it 'Bilbo''s mailshirt' in that way. I believe it was Gandalf."

       "There!" Pip cried triumphantly. "I knew it was Gandalf!" He turned to Merry. "See? I was right - I'm always right."

       "Except when you're wrong," said Merry calmly.

       "Well yes, obviously. Hey! What do you mean by that? I'm not wrong...........often."

       Sam rolled his eyes and shrugged helplessly at Porto, who was grinning. He had spent enough time with the Captains to know what they were like. Rose waved the tea towel threateningly, refreshed the teapot, and they all enjoyed elevenses before the doctor went on his way.

       Ellie and little Rose were playing healers and had been trying to persuade Rufus to co-operate and be nursed but the big red tabby had other ideas and scampered down the passage. The girls trudged into the kitchen, gazed at their uncle and smiled at each other.

       "Uncle Fro? You're supposed to be resting. Why don't you lie down on the couch and we'll look after you."

       "Doctor Porto said you have to west," added Rosie-lass, her expression as winsome as she could make it.

       "Well I'm not really tired and there are things I could be doing......."

       "West!" said Rosie-lass sternly, pointing to the parlour. "You need looking-after."

       Frodo sighed and obeyed the little tyrants. He lay down on the couch, Ellie plumped a cushion and placed it behind his head and little Rose covered his legs with a blanket. They fussed over him for some minutes and then tip-toed away. When Merry peered round the door a few minutes later he saw that his cousin was sound asleep, Rufus curled up beside him.

       Rose chuckled. "Oh dear! I did give him rather a generous dose of Porto's draught so the effects probably haven't worn off yet."

                                                                          ************

       In the Citadel Aragorn laughed at the serious expressions on the faces of the two little girls, and watched for some minutes after Frodo fell asleep. Then he returned to the Royal Apartments to continue his letters. He had written to his cousins and Thain Paladin and was now writing a loving letter to Frodo and Sam, expressing his concern and asking that Sandyman be sent to Gondor. As a witness to the attack he felt he should give judgement, and he hoped gentle, merciful Frodo would trust him to do enough but no more than was necessary.

       Arwen entered the study, smiling as she crossed the room soundlessly and leaned across the desk to kiss her husband.

       "My love, there is a visitor seeking an audience. He waits on the Keel of the Rock."

       "Who is it? Why is he out there? Should he not be in the audience chamber?" He placed the quill in the inkwell and looked at his wife.

      Arwen laughed merrily. "That would be a little difficult! I beg you to see him. He is a lord among his own kind and worthy of great honour."

      Aragorn walked outside and stopped. On the wall sat one of the Great Eagles, watched in awe and some alarm by Bergil and some of the other guards. He looked hard at the enormous bird and saw the small patch of white feathers among the brown, where a fireball from Orodruin had caught him as they flew to rescue the Ringbearers.

       "My lord Meneldor!" He bowed. "You do us great honour in coming here. To what do we owe your noble presence?"

        "Lord Elessar." The bird bowed in his turn. "The Lord Manwe believes you have need of a swift messenger to carry letters to Annuminas and the Shire."

       "You know what has happened in the Shire?"

       The bird inclined his head. "An attack upon the Ringbearers is a serious matter of concern to all the Free Peoples. You will wish to communicate with the Lord Tarondor and with the hobbits themselves. It seems wise to entrust the task to one who can travel upon the wind and reach the Northern lands in less time than a man on horseback."

       "I am very grateful to you, my lord Meneldor. I do wish the letters to be received as quickly as possible, before the tender-hearted hobbits decide to be too merciful to their attacker. I am writing the last letter and the warrant for Sandyman to be taken into my cousin's custody. Will you rest and eat while I do so?"

       Meneldor nodded. "I shall visit the peak of great Mindolluin and return before sunset, Lord Elessar."

       Aragron smiled and caressed the bowed head. "I shall have meat waiting for you on your return, my friend."

       Meneldor flapped his great wings and launched himself, swooping down and then lifting on the wind to circle the city before flying to the top of the mountain.

                                                                          ************

       "I'll just go and dead-head those petunias in the hanging baskets," Sam said, walking towards the door.

       Merry jumped to his feet. "You'll do no such thing, Sam Gamgee! Porto said nothing strenuous."

       "Beggin' your pardon, but dead-heading a few flowers is hardly strenuous........."

       "And begging your pardon, I'll do it. Pip can make himself useful and water them too, and Frodo-lad can steer him away if he does anything daft."

       "Surely not?" murmured Frodo. "Pip do something daft? Whatever next!"

       "Hah, hah! Very funny, Fro. I am not going to pull up Sam's prize plants and Merry knows how to tidy up hanging baskets." We won't do any damage, you know."

       "I know, Squeak. I'm just teasing."

       Merry whistled as he went round the smial, nipping off the wilting flowerheads of the blue and white petunias in the baskets. Pip carried water from the rain barrel and gave each basket a good drink, then did the same with the tubs and window boxes. Young Fro checked the main flower beds and the vegetable garden, where the soil was still damp from last night's rain, and the trio assured Sam that his garden was flourishing.

       Rose had made a cake and they sat in the garden for tea, where they were joined, rather shyly, by Ivy and her family. Merry sat next to her and discussed the situation, insisting that they were wanted in Hobbiton. He was relieved when Ivy said that she had spent several hours with May that morning and would not be moving away.

       Later Merry took Will to the stables to see to the ponies, and introduce the lad to Stybba and Pudding. Will asked many questions about Rohan and Merry promised that one day, when the lad was older, he would take him to visit Edoras.

       As the sun slipped behind the hills in the west, Meneldor took off from the Keel of the Rock and began his journey across the mountains, over Rohan and towards the green lands of the Shire, carrying letters which boded no good to Ted Sandyman.