Chapter 62. Worth a Thousand Words 

Never was such a merry Highday feast seen in that little house before that day, or so the guests were informed by Annie and Tod and Ted and even Ted's wife, Alysa, who came belated and was quite surprised and overwhelmed to share the family's table with one of the Fair Folk. But somehow Legolas soon had them all laughing and at ease in his presence, even when the talk turned to more serious matters. Tolly even found he didn't mind sitting in the tall chair Annie's children had used to sit at table in days gone by.

'And so, King Thranduil has sent me to invite you all to settle in Eryn Lasgalen, where Mistress Anemone's childhood home stands, repaired and refurbished and ready to greet you.'

'Please,' Anemone said, taking the Wood Elf's hand. 'Mistress sounds so stiff and formal and, and, as if I am putting on airs somehow. I'm Annie to all who know me, though, my Prince,' she looked at him shyly, 'you have my leave to call me Windflower as in the old days if that is your preference.'

Legolas patted her hand with his free hand and smiled, all kindness and grace. 'Annie you shall be, then, my little Windflower,' he said.

'But...' Ted said, taking Alysa's hand in his. 'Who did you mean when you said you all?'

'Exactly who you thought I meant,' Legolas said, and somehow the Man felt as if the Fair One could see into his innermost thoughts and feelings. The son of Thranduil patted Annie's hand again and then gestured to each of those sitting at the table, saying, 'Annie, sons Ted and Tod, any wives and children they may have...'

Tod started. 'But I don't,' he said. 'I mean, not quite yet! I only asked her a month or so ago...'

Tolly cocked his head. 'And did she say yes?' he said. At the younger brother's nod, he grinned widely. 'My best to you both!'

'But I do not know if her parents will give her leave to travel so far...' Tod said in honest distress.

Legolas bowed from his sitting position. 'I will go with you to them on the morrow and explain,' he said. 'But only if it is something you wish.'

But Annie said softly, her eyes looking into a far distance, 'It is a bride's lot to go where her husband goes; at least, that has always been the way of things amongst the Woodmen.' She smiled and looked at Tolly. 'Else I'd never have travelled to the Shire, lived there for a time, and met you, Tolly. And perhaps my little son, lost in a different wood, would have perished. So I bless the custom that took me from Father and home, even though I cried for days when I learned we were leaving the Elves... and then later, the Bree-land...'

'Home is where your treasure is,' Tolly murmured, thinking of the Shire proverb.

'I will go to the Miller and explain,' Tod said, 'to him and his wife and his daughter. And if they will not agree to move the wedding sooner, that it might take place before the departure, and then let her go, then...' he looked around the circle of his family and the visitors. 'Then I will remain in the Bree-land, and send the rest of you off with my blessing.'

But Ted smiled, and when his younger brother looked at him curiously, he said, 'But Toddy! Even before we began walking out with our lasses,' and he pressed Alysa's hand, 'we talked honestly of how we might have to go elsewhere to find work... so it will not come as such a surprise, I think.'

'And Willow is a sensible lass,' Alysa said. 'And, to be honest, I think she would welcome new sights and new experiences! She was just telling me the other day how she's lived in the Bree-land all her life and never yet seen a mountain!'

'Did she say she wanted to see one?' Tolly asked in astonishment.

'Yes!' Alysa said, laughing. 'She did, indeed!'

'And as for you, Tolibold Took,' Legolas said, and the hobbit looked at him in astonishment at his sudden air of formality.

'As for me?' he echoed.

'In your saddlebags is another message awaiting delivery,' Legolas said.

Tolly stared at him in astonishment. 'How did you know that?'

***  

Lastly, after going over the scrolls with Tolly, that the messenger might be familiar with their content, and then having the escort repeat the words he was to use in presenting the scrolls, Pippin had paused briefly.

Tolly had waited, not sure if he'd been dismissed, or the Thain had been distracted and would momentarily return to the business at hand.

It was the latter, apparently, for Pippin came back from wherever his mind had wandered and said, 'Just a moment whilst I tie up these documents nicely with a ribbon bow and seal them. What good is the seal of the Thain if I don't use it, after all?'

And Tolly, who was not among the admittedly small circle of hobbits who regularly chided Pippin for nonsense, simply nodded instead of saying, None of your nonsense, now, Pip!

After the rolls of parchment were tied up, the wax was applied and sealed, and Pippin was satisfied that the seals had hardened sufficiently, he turned to his head of escort and said, 'Just one more matter of business.'

'Sir,' Tolly answered.

Pippin picked up a sealed envelope from his desk. 'You'll find further instructions within,' he said. 'Once you have safely delivered your messages to the intended recipients. But,' he held up a cautioning hand. 'Do not open it until then.'

*** 

How had Legolas known? 

'It is time to break the seal, open the envelope, and read the message within,' Legolas said, confirming that Pippin had somehow conveyed his expectations to Tolly's fellow messenger before they had set out for their various destinations. 

But as Tolly hopped off his high seat and reached down to pick up the saddlebags he'd stowed under the chair before climbing up to sit down and feast, Legolas forestalled him. 'But wait,' he said. 'I also have a message for you from the King of the Woodland Realm.'

'For me?' Tolly said, feeling stupid.

'So, fetch your Thain's message out of your bag, and take your seat once more, I request of you,' Legolas said. 'For there is a particular order of business that I deem ought to be followed in this instance.'

Accordingly, Tolly climbed down, fished the envelope out of his saddlebags, climbed up again, sat himself down, and found himself the subject of all eyes. 'I'm ready,' he said. 'What is it I'm supposed to do?'

Legolas rose from his seat beside Tolly and bowed deeply. 'As the son of the Woodland King,' he said formally, 'it is my pleasure to invite you to join the Elves of the Wood of Greenleaves in welcoming an Elf-friend home.'

Anemone and Tod, Ted and Alysa sat stunned, but then Anemone clapped her hands together in joy, and her family all beamed at this turn of events.

Tolly's mouth opened, but he could find no words to say and, so, remained speechless.

The Wood Elf grinned and tapped the envelope lying on the table in front of the Hobbit. 'That message is for you, to answer any question that is likely to arise.'

Numbly, Tolly wrenched his eyes from the Elf's shining face and looked down at the envelope. He fumbled it into his trembling hands. For some reason, dislodging the seal offered some unexpected difficulty, but at last, he withdrew the note tucked within.

In careful printing, as if Pippin had wanted to ensure there'd be no mistaking his meaning, the missive read,

The King of the Wood of Greenleaves
has requested a Meeting
with an Envoy from the Shire.
Therefore, Tolibold, son of Haldibold Took
is appointed as the Liaison representing the Thain and Took
to King Thranduil and the Fair Folk of the Forest and Stream
from this day forward.

And punctuating this remarkable announcement was the Thain's familiar scrawled signature, which made things all the more official somehow, to Tolly's mind, accompanied by the date he'd signed the document, which happened to be the day before they'd left the Great Smials to go their various ways, Pippin and his family to Brandy Hall, and Tolly to the Bree-land... and beyond.

*** 

Regi held the message sheaf in his hand and pondered his next move. News from Buckland! indeed, he thought gloomily. ...and more. The news from Buckland was bad enough – the Thain and his family would be staying on an extra week, extending their annual visit with the Brandybucks.

No need to inform Ferdibrand of the change in plans, Pippin had written. I sent him a message by the same Post rider to inform him of our new itinerary so that he won't go to meet the coach at the Ferry a week early!

Well that was thoughtful of you, Regi thought sourly to himself. Was it that you're enjoying the Brandybucks' hospitality so much, or are you simply avoiding the task of informing Meadowsweet about her husband?

Bad news keeps, he thought. He was almost seriously considering withholding the news about Tolly until the Thain returned and could convey it himself to Tolly's mercurial wife.

But no, he decided. His own feelings aside, it wouldn't be fair to the head of escort's family, Tolly's wife and children, to keep them in the dark about their loved one. Meadowsweet had already asked twice when she might expect Tolly's return, and even young Gorbibold, their eldest, upon catching Regi in a quiet moment, had shyly asked the Steward when his father might come home again.

O' course, he could hardly fault the lad for his anxiety at Tolly's extended absence, considering past events...

Very well. Regi mapped out his course of action. He could wait until eventides, when Sweetie and the children would be in their apartments, for that family seldom relegated the children to minders. Both Meadowsweet and Pimpernel were somewhat peculiar amongst the Great Smials Tooks in that preference. While both wives attended Diamond during the day, keeping her company and running errands and such, they divided the task between them, with one of them serving in the mornings and the other in the afternoons. While one was serving, the other watched over both families' children. 

Regi's Rosa had explained it all to him as an effort on the parents' part to provide an extra measure of security to the children since the positions the fathers held often pulled them away from home for extended periods. Though Regi was not in the habit of exercising his imagination, he supposed that made sense.

With Diamond away in Buckland, Pimpernel and Meadowsweet would probably be found together, Regi thought, and that was enough to decide him. 'Twould be much better to have Pimpernel there to smooth things over, should Sweetie take the news badly. He shook his head and snorted at himself. He was certainly no "hero of the Tookland"! 

He got up from his chair in the Thain's study, yanked the door open, and nodded at the hobbit of the Thain's escort who was stationed there, ready to take a message or run an errand or announce visitors or simply guard those in the study from interruptions. "Those" at the moment comprised only Reginard, for Ferdibrand was off visiting his sister in the Woody End until it was time for him to walk to the Ferry landing to meet the Thain's coach.

'Haldi,' he said. 'I'm going out. If anyone wants me, they can find me in the great room at one o' the clock.'

'Sir,' Haldi acknowledged.

Silently fuming, Regi stalked down the corridor, beginning the short trek past the private quarters of the Thain to the apartments of others among the most influential Tooks living in the Great Smials, including himself, the Thain's special assistant, and the head of escort. At least if he did not find the wives in one apartment, he'd likely be able to locate them in the adjacent suite. And if they'd gone off to Tuckborough together, well, Rusty (who served both families) would be able to tell the Steward where they'd gone and when Meadowsweet should be expected to return.

The luck was not with him, as it turned out. At his knock on Tolly and Meadowsweet's door, he heard a cheerful greeting, and soon Meadowsweet herself opened the door and greeted him. 'Regi!' she said. 'Do you come bearing news of my wandering husband?'

Wandering was right, Regi thought. He saw Pimpernel seated at the sitting room table, and smiled tightly and nodded in response to her greeting, then looked back to Meadowsweet. 'As a matter of fact, I do.'

Meadowsweet belatedly remembered her manners and pulled the door wider open. 'Come in!' she said, waving the Steward towards the table. 'We were just having a spot o' tea whilst the littlest finish their naps! Please, join us!' And she took Regi's arm as if to guide him to a chair.

Halfway to the table, Regi shook off her hand. 'No, really,' he said, 'I cannot stay. But I thought you ought to have the news that just came in.'

'He's here?' Meadowsweet said brightly, but at Regi's lack of response, she said, 'He's on his way home?' And then she gasped and put her hand to her heart. 'Something's happened to him!'

'No, no, nothing like that!' Regi hurried to say, lifting a staying hand. Coward, he scolded himself. But really, perhaps he ought to have asked his wife Rosa to convey Tolly's message.

As he was speaking, Pimpernel rose from the table and moved to Meadowsweet's side. 'What is it you're not telling her?'

Meadowsweet had calmed, and now her eyes were snapping with suppressed annoyance as she echoed, 'Yes. What is it you're not telling me?'

There was nothing for it. 'He's gone off to visit the Elves.'

Of any of the reactions he might have anticipated from Tolly's volatile wife, Meadowsweet's response floored him and left him speechless.

She reared up to her full (albeit diminutive) height, lifted her chin to look down her nose at Regi, for all the Steward was nearly a head taller than she was, and planted her hands on her hips, presenting a perfect picture of irritation.

'Just who does the hobbit think he is?' she demanded. 'Bilbo Baggins?!'

~ * ~ * ~ THE END ~ * ~ * ~