Chapter 13. An Ounce of Prevention

Tolly crouched low outside the little cottage, half-undecided whether to turn and worm his way out of the vicinity, or to wait and see if he could overhear any of the conversation. One ruffian leaned against the doorway, a slab of rabbit pie in his hand, and more were inside. There was much talk and laughter, to be sure, but the words were hard to distinguish. Even the closest ruffian spoke incomprehensibly, what with his mouth overstuffed, and crumbs issuing in little puffs as he talked.

But the Thain had sent Tolly to find out what had happened to Ferdibrand, who'd not returned from his latest excursion outside the Tookland, and Tolly'd had no luck up to this point. Most of the hobbit holes in this part of the Woody End were deserted, as if the families had fled to some hiding more secure, and those still occupied would not open to his cautious knocking.

He'd had to duck into cover more than once, in his searching, for there were a number of Big Men about. Happily for a hobbit's sake, their boots made a great tromping noise as they walked. Why, Tolly could hear them yards away. But walking and talking were two different matters, and he'd still not found someone to answer his questions.

He'd had hopes of the woodcutters, or at least the wife, though he'd not been back to the cottage since the Tooks had hauled the wood away. He'd been all around the border of the land the Tooks claimed for their own, working under Reginard's direction, and later Ferdibrand's, setting traps to keep ruffians out of the Tookland. He had not gone far outside of Tookland's bounds, however, and had not ventured far into the Woody End, not any further than the ruins of the Crowing Cockerel, an inn the ruffians had burnt not long after Yule, and that far only when Ferdi was later than he'd expected, returning from one of his scouting expeditions.

Ferdi, who had a sister living in the Woody End, often crept out of the Tookland to gather news from the outer Shire. He'd even met with a renegade Bucklander who crossed the River on a regular basis to send news to the Thain, or to bring messages from the Thain to the Master of Buckland, who was officially cooperating with the ruffians, but unofficially supporting those who worked to make the ruffians' lot less comfortable and easy.

Ferdi had passed by the woodcutters' cottage on more than one occasion, and he'd told Tolly the family were still there, though the Men went out to cut trees at Lotho's behest. Tolly had turned away from the news, for he could not think of the boys, of Toddy's look of betrayal, without a pang. He'd not seen Toddy, or Teddy, or their mum or dad or uncle since that dismal day, not even when the Thain had thought to send him back to the cottage with a second eviction notice, some months later.

Word had reached the Thain that the ruffians were ruthlessly cutting trees, without regard to wise forestry or even need -- for they cut the trees and left many to rot, not even taking the wood for use -- and that the lovely Avenue on the Bywater Road had been cut down, nearly to the last tree. Paladin, hearing the report, and that his former woodcutters had done a great deal of the cutting, had raged, and fretted, and sent Tolly to evict the woodcutters from the cottage.

But Regi had stopped him, outside the stables. 'You've already evicted them,' he said. 'Going again won't do any good, and it might do you a great deal of harm.'

Tolly'd had the same thought, but answered, 'But the Thain...'

'You're to go off with Hilly, check the border-posts,' Regi said.

Tolly stared, open-mouthed. 'But...' he said when he could find his voice again. Then his face cleared. 'The Thain changed his orders?'

'No,' Regi said. 'And when you return, and he questions you, all you need to tell him is that you evicted them, but they wouldn't go.' He gave the younger hobbit a stern glance. 'It's the truth, isn't it?'

'But...' Tolly said again, his head whirling. 'You're telling me to go against what the Thain said I should do? And to lie to the Thain?' His voice rose in his consternation, and Regi grabbed at his arm and shook him, hard, returning his answer in a voice that was little more than a hiss.

'I'm telling you that you've already carried out this order of the Thain's, and it's time to move on to the next task,' he said. 'What good will it do, to go to the woodcutters' cot, and to be taken by ruffians to the Lockholes? For Lotho has claimed the cot and the Woody End and the trees for his own, and the woodcutters are working for him now!'

'I'm not afraid...' Tolly said, standing straighter, but Regi gave him another shake, while glaring at a curious stable lad who'd ventured near, such that the hobbit decided it might be better to see what other chores were wanting.

'More fool, you,' Regi said. 'They've started beating the hobbits that they take to the Lockholes, from the word Verilard brought from Bywater; he saw several of them being dragged along the Bywater Road, and from what Verilard said they were not treated at all gently or kindly.'

Tolly snorted at this, but Regi's stare demanded his attention. 'They were beaten, Tolly,' he said. 'They've started beating the hobbits they're taking in, and bad will only come to worse, the way things are going.'

'But the Thain...' Tolly said stubbornly.

'We cannot afford to lose an archer of your skill,' Regi said. 'There's a battle to come; I feel it in my bones. We'll need all the archers we've got.' He took a deep breath. 'If you insist on carrying out this commission for the Thain, I've no choice but to send your brother Fredebold in your place.'

'He'd fall all over his feet!' Tolly protested, thinking of his next-older brother, fine at making tunes and holding his drink but having little skill in any other area, and something of an embarrassment to his family and seldom mentioned. As a matter of fact, Tolly doubted his brother had stirred from the Spotted Duck since the borders had been closed, and now Regi was proposing... 'If anyone would be likely to stumble into a ruffian, he would.'

'Aye, likely,' Regi said, 'but at least he can be spared, and you, yourself, Tolly, and Hilly cannot, nor any of the other archers.'

'But,' Tolly said again.

'They were evicted,' Regi said again, 'and if they were honourable Men, they'd have gone the first time the Thain told them to go, and not stayed under Lotho.'

'With winter coming on, and little children,' Tolly argued.

'You're taking the part of renegade Men?' Regi said, his jaw tight with anger.

'If I were Thain I'd've invited them to come into the Tookland, to continue working for the Thain, with honour, as they always had -- they were always true, Regi, and what reward did they receive?'

'Tolly!' Regi said, grabbing at both of Tolly's arms to shake him again, as if he'd shake reason into the hobbit. He dropped his voice to a bare whisper. 'That sort of talk is... you know what it is!'

Treason is what it was, Tolly knew, and he himself was aghast. One did not question the Thain's orders, especially now, with the borders sealed and who knew what sort of battles were lurking on the horizon. He straightened, then, for didn't this conversation start with Regi countermanding a direct order of the Thain?

'If Paladin thought you were in league with ruffians...' Regi whispered.

Tolly shook his head wearily. 'Since when has it been treasonous to argue on behalf of those who've done no wrong?' he said.

'He has already banished...' Regi began.

'Aye, a trouble-maker, working under Pimple Baggins' direction,' Tolly said. 'If he wishes to draw the brand across my cheek and fling me out of the Tookland, for standing up for my friends -- who are only ruffians because they had no other choice, Regi...'

'Enough of this!' Reginard spat. 'You're to do as you're told -- as I tell you, that is, and whether or not you understand that it's for your own good! And if you do not wish to obey a direct order, I suppose I can have you locked up until you do see reason, or your brother has been sent to evict the woodcutters and Verilard brings back news that he's on his way to the Lockholes for his troubles!'

Tolly stared, and Regi released his hold, his shoulders slumping, before passing a hand over his forehead. Silence stretched between them, and then Regi said, with a bitter laugh, 'A fine Thain I'll be making, losing my temper and ruling by threat and imprecation.' His gaze caught Tolly's again, and his mouth twisted. 'Tolly,' he said. 'How can I reach you? It is a fool's errand, and while I cannot say so to Paladin's face, I can try to undo the harm before it's done.'

'Just who is ruling the Tookland, anyhow?' Tolly said low. 'Who is it, issuing orders? Is it you? Or is it Paladin?'

'Thain Paladin, for the most part,' Regi said, adding in a mutter, 'I only step in when he loses his temper and doesn't think things through.'

'Fool of a Took,' Tolly whispered. 'You just mind yourself, Regi, lest you find yourself thrown out of the Tookland for your doings.'

And now, here he was, once again by Paladin's orders -- and Regi had been out, checking the southern border of the Tookland, and so not on the spot, as it were, to countermand this particular visit to the cottage. At least there was no eviction notice folded away in his pocket. He was here to find out what had happened to Ferdibrand, preferably to find Ferdi, if he'd been injured on his latest foray, and to bring the both of them safely home to the Great Smials once more.

The ruffian in the doorway threw back his head and laughed, an unlovely sight with his mouthful of food. Tolly hoped he'd choke, but no such luck. The Man swallowed what was left of the bite and said his first clear words of the conversation. 'Serves the Fox right, I say!'

Tolly stiffened, for "Fox" was the name that Ferdi was known by, in the Woody End, the name printed on the papers nailed to trees along the Stock Road, with Ferdi's likeness and the promise of a rich reward for his capture. Straining his ears to catch the answer from inside the cottage, he crept forward, to the edge of his concealment.

A twig snapped behind him, and he dove to one side, understanding that somehow he'd been discovered, but the hunter was quick enough to grab Tolly's foot before he could quite get away, and the hobbit felt himself inexorably drawn back, his trailing arms and body scraped over low brambles even as he kicked and fought to free himself.

Laughter boomed behind him. 'Caught a rabbit in the brambles!' his captor cried in a jolly voice. 'You said we were running short of pie -- what say, we bake us another?'

Tolly twisted desperately, but the Man had a good grasp, and a club, besides, which he used with skill. He poked the hobbit in the stomach with enough force to send Tolly retching, and then tapped the side of the hobbit's head, just hard enough to stun. Tolly felt himself lifted, while stars danced before his eyes, and he struggled feebly.

***

Steady now, don't drop him!

That's all he needs, on top of everything, to be dropped on his head!

Easy, easy, fellow, it's all right, naught here to hurt you...

Ruffians, Tolly managed to gasp, but the darkness swallowed first the dancing stars, and then Tolly himself, and the answer, meant to reassure, mingled with the raucous laughter of memory.

What, ruffians? No ruffians here...