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One Who Sticks Closer than a Brother  by Lindelea

Chapter 49. Between You, Me, and the Bedpost

The next morning, the King and his Counsellors solemnly shook hands in the presence of the nobles and guardsmen who were travelling with the royal party, and announced that their deliberations had concluded, with success for all. The guardsmen who’d been assigned to keep intruders away from the King’s pavilion drew deep breaths of relief at this, though of course they didn’t show it, standing at attention in ranks as they were. Nothing had been said about punishment for anyone, not even Bergil, who’d pulled aside the tent flap enough to speak to those within.

Of course, it helped that the Ernil i Pheriannath had slipped out of the tent; had been the one to “borrow” the Messenger horse – and insisted that no fault be assigned to those guarding the horses. He’d had a sudden pang of conscience, it was said, for being so eager to see the King again that he rode off without waiting for his escort. Somehow the word had been spread (no one quite knew where the information came from in the first place, though perhaps Hilly had talked about such on his earlier visit to the Lake while acting as escort by Tookish custom) that the Thain travelled almost invariably with an escort, and that an escort found in neglect of his duties would suffer severe consequences.

The Men shuddered to imagine what “severe consequences” might be. They knew what the phrase meant in Gondor and Arnor, especially for a guardsman found in neglect of his duties. An escort was a guard of sorts, as it were.

After that, there was time for the hobbits to bathe and dress in anticipation of the arrival of the Mistresses of Tookland and Buckland, as well as the Mayor's family. Then there was the celebration itself, a combination of welcome and farewell. The hobbits welcomed the King and his retinue in the journey from the Lake to the Gate of Buckland, but also wished them safe travel on their return to Gondor.

With such a lot of celebrating to do, it’s not surprising that three days were set aside to fit everything in: the feasting, the exhibitions by hobbit archers and wrestlers and dancers, and of swordsmanship and unarmed combat by the guardsmen, and riding exploits by the knights who accompanied their King. And more feasting, of course.

***

At the same time King and Counsellors of the North Kingdom were sealing their agreements, Tolly was stretching in his bed, and looking about with greater consciousness. ‘An inn!’ he said in surprise. ‘What are we doing in an inn? Last I remember…’

‘What is the last you remember?’ Mardi said, moving immediately to his brother’s bedside with a frown, that he quickly replaced with a bland healer’s smile.

‘Why, I…’ Tolly said in confusion, blinking at him. ‘Have I been ill? Why are you here? Where is Meadowsweet?’

‘Your wife,’ Mardi said, ‘is taking a bath. A nice, hot, steaming, long, soaking bath. Healer’s orders.’

‘Has she been ill?’ Tolly said, sitting up in alarm and making as if he would jump out of the bed and go in search of his beloved.

‘No, but you have,’ Mardi said.

Tolly screwed up his face in puzzlement. ‘But I’ve never felt better!’ he insisted. ‘Not even a muzzy head, as if I’d had too much to drink last night! I feel as if… as if…’

‘What do you feel?’ Mardi said, taking his brother’s hand to find the pulse. ‘Hold still!’

Tolly held still, but it was more because he was thinking hard, than that he was obeying his older brother. At last he said in a soft voice, full of wonder, ‘As if I’ve been on holiday,’ he said. ‘A long holiday, filled with feasting, and joy, and sunlight…’ And he looked to his brother, clearly bemused. ‘But if I had been on holiday, such a holiday, wouldn’t I remember it?’

‘You would,’ Mardi said, gently releasing his brother and sinking down on the bed. ‘If there had been such a holiday, I’m sure that you would remember it.’

‘And if I’d drunk enough to forget,’ Tolly forged on, ‘well then, I’d have the big head this morning, which I don’t.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Mardi said, ‘that your head is not aching, that is.’ He reached out a hand, which Tolly (out of reflex) tried to fend away. ‘Now then,’ Mardi said firmly. ‘Let the healer work.’

‘Healer?’ Tolly said, allowing Mardi to test his forehead for fever. ‘What do I need a healer for? I feel… I feel… well! No, better than that!’

‘You sound well,’ Mardi said, suddenly shot through with gladness. ‘You look well, you feel well – why, even your breath is fresh and sweet, where before…’

‘Before?’ Tolly interrupted, with a keen look as if to discern the unspoken words.

Mardi drew a deep breath and let it out again. ‘Let us simply say that you were not well, and leave it at that.’

‘Not well?’ Tolly said.  ‘What ever do you mean?’

Mardi’s explanation was put off, however, by the advent of Meadowsweet, fresh from the bath, flushed and rosy, smelling of sweet soap, her curls still damp and falling over her shoulders. ‘Tolly!’ she cried, running to the bed and falling on her husband, holding him as tight as might be. ‘O Tolly! You’re awake!’

‘I am at that,’ Tolly said, rather muffled, but his arms went around his wife and he hugged her gently. ‘I should make a practice of going to sleep and awakening again, quite often, if it’s to cause so much joy to those that I love!’

‘None of your nonsense, now, lad,’ Mardi said, and then he began to laugh, and also to weep at the same time, in his joy.

And then Meadowsweet was hugging her brother in love, and whispering comfort, and Tolly sat up to hug them both, and all laughed and wept together, even though Tolly really had not a notion why.

Freddy, sharing early breakfast in the common room with Haldi, missed all the emotion, but it didn’t matter, really. He’d never had any doubt that Tolly would recover. He’d had a comfortable journey, and had travelled farther than ever before in his life, quite beyond the borders of the Tookland – such an adventure! He was sure he’d be able to dine out on the story for some days to come.

He was quite looking forward to the journey homeward in the luxury of the Thain’s best coach, into the bargain.

***

Ferdi awakened feeling better than he had in… he couldn’t quite remember. Days? The aching in his head had subsided, and the difficulty in moving the limbs on one side of his body seemed to be improving.

Nell kissed him quite tenderly when he opened his eyes. He had the impression that she’d been sitting by the bedside, watching him sleep, for some time.

He didn’t try to form words – there was no need for him to talk, really, for Nell anticipated his every want, propping him with pillows and feeding him a delicious breakfast, such that he didn’t have to lift a finger. Actually, floating on a cloud of well-being as he was, he didn’t even object to being fed, simply accepted each mouthful with a smile and nod.

A small frown of worry appeared between Nell’s eyebrows when Ferdi greeted Healer Woodruff’s arrival with a slight nod and tranquil smile. Surely something was wrong with her husband? Woodruff, too, seemed to pause a moment in uncertainty, but quickly resumed her brisk, cheerful manner. She extended both hands to him, taking his hands in hers, wrapping his hands around her fingers.

‘Now, then, Ferdi, I want you to squeeze my fingers, just so hard as you can!’

Nell watched the healer closely, saw her eyebrows rise in surprise; and a real smile took the place of the healer’s usual calm and cheerful expression. ‘Very good!’ Woodruff said, blinking. ‘That’s very good indeed!’ And Nell began to feel less worry, and more hope.

Woodruff pulled the bedcovers down to test the reflexes in Ferdi’s legs and feet, and seemed more than satisfied with the results. ‘Well now,’ she said, pulling the covers up again and smoothing them over her patient. ‘A good night’s sleep, and a few good meals… that’s what I always say!’

‘He’s healing?’ Nell ventured.

‘O’ course he’s healing!’ Woodruff said. ‘More, even!’

What she meant by “more”, Ferdi was too sleepy to ask. In point of fact, he was yawning widely, full of good food, floating on clouds, if you could say such a thing about warm, soft bedding, and drifting into a healing state of slumber once more.

‘But…’ Nell protested. ‘He’s only been awake long enough to eat a little, and now…’

‘Look,’ Woodruff whispered, as Ferdi’s eyelids fluttered and closed, and he drew a deep breath and sighed it out again, followed by regular, even breaths. ‘Just look at him! He’s got colour in his face, and the shadows are gone from under his eyes! He’s better, Nell, so much better than…’ she hesitated, and gulped, for it was hardly a sentiment that a healer should express. But she’d given up hope for the hobbit, she could admit it now, and how glad she was, to be proved wrong!

‘He’s so much better than I could hope, or imagine,’ she said, and gave Pimpernel a glad hug. ‘O my dear! I have such hope, that I never would have dreamed of!’

Pimpernel returned the hug, and then sat back. ‘You’d given him up,’ she said in wonder and sudden realisation.

Woodruff shook her head, but she wasn't negating Nell's statement. ‘It’s as Mardi said, when they pulled him out of the grave,’ she admitted. ‘He said, He’s had such a blow to the head as to send him to the Feast, and he had the right of it.’ She shook her head again. ‘I for the life of me could not see what was keeping him here, in this life, save his love for you – and love is not enough, not with such serious injury, and yet…’

She suddenly shook a finger in Pimpernel’s face, but the grin on her own belied the gesture. ‘Don’t you ever tell!’

‘Tell what?’ Nell said, befuddled.

‘Don’t you ever tell that I have no idea how this could have happened, no way to explain his recovery! Why, the Tooks will never listen to me again!’

And then the two of them, Nell and Healer Woodruff, were laughing, and hugging, laughing hilariously until the tears poured down their cheeks, quite unlike the staid healer’s usual mien.

And Ferdi simply smiled in his sleep to hear them, heaved a sigh, turned over, and pillowed his cheek on his hand.





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