Epilogue

Part I

The Ride of Peregrin Took

The night was dark, horribly dark. Paladin Took’s thoughts were darker. He had failed. Failed his family. Failed his friends. Failed his heritage. A gloom he thought could never befall a hobbit weighed heavily upon his heart. Every thought only led down darker more lonely pathways. All was lost.

Paladin heard her come into the room. Heard her get ready for bed. He felt her pull back the bedclothes, sit upon the edge of the bed, lie down and cover herself up. He felt her stretch herself along his back, wrapping one arm and one leg around him, as she had done every night since his torment had begun. She gave him some room as she felt him begin to roll over, then they clung to each other as though some wild force of nature was trying to tear them apart. Eglantine stroked her husband’s hair as he sobbed himself to sleep. A few nights before he had finally written a note to her, placing it upon her pillow, explaining that he wanted to speak to her, was desperate to speak to her . . . but could not.

"I find myself unable to speak at all, my dearest. It came upon me one afternoon in my office and it is for this reason I have kept to my bed. Best, I feel, that it is thought I am ill, not incapacitated in such a strange manner."

And so she had safeguarded his secret, telling the rest of the Tooks that The Thain was ill with fever, and being a healer, she was readily believed.

Pippin and those with him had ridden as fast as they could toward Tookland. Half a mile from the first rise of the Green Hills he signaled a dismount. Quietly, he explained what needed doing and they all set to work. Out of one of his saddlebags, Pippin pulled out the shirt he had worn for most the Quest, it was all he had with him that would tear easily. He and the others began to tear whatever cloth they had into strips to bind around any part of saddlery or bridle that was metal and might jingle as they walked through the fields and into the woods. Pippin stopped as his tearing suddenly stopped. He looked down at the shirt in frustration, they were in a hurry, he had no time for uncooperative cloth. His tear had met an obstacle. A lump quickly formed in his throat as he looked at the corner from Merry’s handkerchief still stitched to his shirt. Pippin closed his eyes and clutched the shirt to his chest for a few moments, then he tore around Merry’s gift, gave it a quick kiss before tucking it down inside his innermost shirt next to his skin.

They saw the patrols just inside the woods. More to the point, they saw three Hobbit Sherriffs and one Ruffian Man sitting at a campfire.

"If they are all together," Pippin whispered to Togo Proudfoot who stood next to him, "then there is a stretch of the land not being watched. I want you to go east, send Rolly west, and see which side is short of guards. Then come straight back." Togo and Rolly went separate ways and the rest waited with Pippin. Soon Rolly was back.

"There’s one not far to the west." he reported.

Togo was longer in returning and reported a fair gap to the east. Pippin sent two of his hobbits a short way to the west between the four at the fire and the nearer guard, the rest followed him stealthily in the darkness around the circle of light cast by the campfire. When everyone was in place, Pippin stepped into the light, sword drawn, cloak thrown back, helm gleaming upon his brow.

"Good evening to you," he said in a quiet tone. The four around the fire jumped in surprise and stared at this apparition with the image of a tree glowing upon its chest. In a few seconds time all four were knocked unconscious, firmly bound together then tied as a group to a tree. Pippin’s next move was to get to one of the small side entrances into Great Smials, one that went directly to The Thain’s rooms: directly to his parents. He left two hobbits as guards over their prisoners, then his group with their ponies moved through the gap into Tookland.

He left the others at the edge of the woods not far from the smial and crossed the lawn to the small round door, took the key from its hiding place then entered the small tunnel. Pippin was assailed by familiar sights and smells, though he noticed the smell of supper was disturbingly absent. He paused a moment, leaning against the wall to collect himself. He was home.

Eglantine stirred sleepily. A voice was calling her, calling her Mum, but it didn’t sound like any of her daughters.

"Mum, wake up." Shaking was now added and Eglantine turned her head toward the doorway of the room. She could tell the lamp had been turned up. She opened her eyes.

She nearly screamed. Fear filled Lanti Took’s eyes as she tried to edge closer to Paladin and further from the intruder. Beneath the covers she began hitting her husband in the chest to wake him up.

"Pippin!"

Lanti wasn’t sure which should cause her to swoon, that this apparition was perhaps her son, whom she had given up for dead, or that Paladin had said Pippin’s name. Paladin in that instant felt his darkness lift. There was hope! His mind had quickly grasped that not only was this his son, but that before him stood a warrior armed for battle . . . who had made it through the patrols and into Tookland.

"Da! Mum!" It was then Pippin realized that his mother was still looking confused and frightened and that he was still wearing his helm. He hurriedly unstrapped it, pulling it from his head. "It’s me, Mum, it really, truly is me."

A great deal of hugging and crying along with everyone talking at once filled the master bedroom of The Took and Thain of the Shire.

" . . . thought you were dead . . ."

" . . . we couldn’t get word from anyone . . ."

" . . . wonderful, beautiful, horrible and frightening . . ."

"Are you taller?"

"I’m a Knight of the High King of Gondor, but he’s really my friend Strider."

" . . . and we’ve had troubles . . ."

This last brought Pippin back to the present. "Oh, Da! Oh, I’m forgetting myself. I . . . we . . . Frodo, Merry, Sam and I, we’re raising the Shire. We’re standing up to them, Mum, and we are putting them on the run. But we need more help, Da. We need the Tooks, Father." Pippin paused for a breath then took his father by the shoulders. "Thain Paladin, will you call a Shire-muster?" To his father’s surprise, Pippin went down on one knee before him, drew his sword then held the hilt out to him. "This sword is sworn to the service of the High King, and I am his messenger and representative to the Shire. I offer this sword and myself to your service as well, as Thain of the Shire. Will you accept my service?"

Paladin blinked back tears of joy and pride. "I . . . eh . . . yes. Yes, I will accept your service, Peregrin Took, Knight of the High King."

Father and Son embraced, then they both drew Eglantine in as well. Moments later, Paladin was dressed, Pippin was heading out to escort his "Hobbits-at-arms" to the main entrance of Great Smials. He had been planning strategy as he had ridden to Tookland. Soon the Thain of the Shire and his son would be leading troops of Tooks into battle.

Part II

Samwise Gamgee and The Gaffer

Sam and Jolly Cotton headed off to fetch the Gaffer, going cross-country to better avoid Sherriffs or the Chief’s Men. As they hurried along, they talked quietly together.

"I owe you more’n I can say, it seems Jolly. You and your family. We’ve had a bit o’ what it has been like here whilst we’ve been gone, what with no inns and no hospitality and naught but a lot o’ fool rules. I’m . . . well I’m more’n grateful for you n’ yours keepin’ watch on my Gaffer."

"Well, it started out just being the Gaffer, the Twofoots and Widow Rumble. It be, let me think . . . startin’ early Halimath that we took to aidin’ all those as is livin’ in them shacks." Jolly felt a pain in his heart as he heard the sharp hissing intake of Sam’s gasp. He laid his hand on Sam’s arm and they stopped walking. "I’m right sorry, Sam, but as we’re a-headin’ that way and you’ll soon be seein’ for yerself, well . . . I may’s well tell ya that ‘tisn’t pretty. And Sam," Jolly paused and took hold of Sam’s other arm. "Yer Mum, Sam, she . . ."

"She’s gone, isn’t she?"

"Yes. She passed end o’ last Rethe. I’m sorry Sam."

Sam rubbed at his eyes a few moments then looked at Jolly. "Thank you for tellin’ me, Jolly. I wouldn’t have wanted to go openin’ my mouth and havin’ somethin’ hurtful to my Gaffer come out o’ it. Let’s get goin’."

When they got to the row of shacks, Sam was glad it was night . . . everything looked bad enough in the dark, he didn’t think he was really ready to see it all in the harsh light of day. Jolly stopped in front of Number Seven and knocked three quick short knocks on the ill-fitting door. They waited a bit then he knocked the same way again.

"He must be asleep, Sam."

"And near to deaf as a post." Jolly could hear Sam’s smile.

"Why don’t ya open it up, Sam. Ya bein’ his son it don’t seem so much like just bargin’ in."

Hamfast Gamgee felt himself being shaken, while someone kept mumbling at him. "A moment, Bell. A moment," he muttered. But "no" his brain said to him, "not Bell". He woke up a bit more.

"Gaffer. Da. Wake up. You needs be wakin’." More shaking. "Gaffer, it’s me, it’s Sam. I’m back, so’s Mr. Frodo, Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin as well. Wake up."

Ham opened his eyes to see a pair of hazel-brown ones looking right back at him. "Sam?" He blinked a few times. "Back yerself up lad so as I can see more’n just yer eyes a starin’ at me." When he opened his eyes again, his son had stepped back and the Gaffer noticed Jolly Cotton was there as well.

"You need to get up, Gaffer," Sam said. "We are doin’ somethin’ about all this mess Lotho Pimple’s gone ‘n caused, but I want you some place better’n this. I’m here to fetch you to the Cotton’s."

"Alright, alright lad. Then ya need be givin’ me room ta get up and get myself dressed decently."

The lads helped the Gaffer get dressed, then he unexpectedly turned and hugged his son. "She’s gone, Sam-lad."

"I know, Da. Jolly told me."

"She used that shawl from the yarn ya got her, used it right to the end. Loved that shawl, she did."

Sam just nodded his head, which was resting against his father’s.

The Gaffer sniffed loudly as he pushed away from Sam. "You be right uncomfortable to hug, Sam-lad. What be ya doin’ in all that ironmongery?"

Sam wiped his tears away and smiled. That was the Gaffer he knew and loved. As they headed out of the dreadful hut, Sam took his mother’s shawl from the back of her rocker.

Part III

The Hobbits of Brandy Hall Welcome Home

Meriadoc Brandybuck

He reined his pony to a stop, his cousin doing the same beside him.

"Why are we stopping, Merry?"

Merry Brandybuck nodded his head toward what lay just up the road and to the west. "There it is, Pippin. Home."

"Well, the backside of it, at least." Pippin jested.

"Yes, if you insist on being picky about it, Pip. But home none-the-less."

"You did remember to send word from Standelf, didn’t you?"

"Yes, Pippin."

"Telling Aunt Esme and Uncle Saradoc we’d be here this afternoon?"

"No, Pippin. I was too daft to remember to give my parents fair notice of our arrival. I felt it much better to just sneak up on them in the night as you did to your parents." Merry gave his cousin an exasperated look. "Yes, Pippin, we’re expected."

"That being the case, why are we sitting here, upon our ponies, upon the road, not moving? Oughtn’t we be moving toward the Hall, Merry?" Pippin raised his eyebrows and gestured toward Brandy Hall with his head.

"I want to just . . . enjoy the view . . . for a few moments, Pippin. I," Merry paused and sighed. "I don’t think they are going to be all that happy that we aren’t going to be living at the Hall, only near it at Crickhollow." He paused again then turned to look at Pippin. "I really need a happy homecoming, not an argument over where I choose to live."

Pippin reached over and hauled his cousin into a hug, nearly unseating Merry in the process. "They shall be so overjoyed to see me, they won’t care where you are going to live." Merry tried to pull away but Pippin didn’t let him. "Really, Merry. You know better than that, or at least you should know better than that. We, you, will be in Buckland. You, we, will be a mere two miles away. It will be well, Merry, my lad."

Merry gave Pippin a squeeze before letting him go and reseating himself more securely on his pony. "Yes, well, I hope you have the right of it, Pip." They clicked to their ponies, heading for the Hall at a leisurely walk.

There was hardly a hobbit who lived at Brandy Hall that wasn’t in the large main entrance to greet the Master and Mistress’ son and nephew. First at the doors were Merry’s parents. The hobbits of the Hall hushed as Esmeralda and Saradoc first stared at, then greeted, then crushed their son with hugs and kisses. Eventually, Pippin was pulled into the hugging as both lads were dear to the Master and Mistress. After sufficiently greeting everyone, the two Heros of the Battle of Bywater headed into the ballroom. For the first time in a long time there was food enough for all. There were music, dancing and laughter. Every eligible lass wanted the chance to dance with the tall, handsome, Travellers and they tried to oblige them. Finally, the hobbits grew tired. Bidding the Master and Mistress, as well as the guests of honor, good night and heading to their apartments or guestrooms. When all the others had left, Esmeralda, Saradoc, Merry and Pippin retired to the Master’s quarters, Saradoc having instructed the servants to not trouble with cleaning up until the next morning.

They talked long into the night and the early morning. Merry and Pippin telling of their journey and when they would mention a certain month or date, Saradoc or Esme would tell of the happenings at that time in the Shire and Buckland. Esmeralda was aware of things that were being avoided, left unspoken. At those times she would look at her nephew, but Pippin always had his head down. Eventually the tale wound down to the return of the four hobbits to the Brandywine Bridge.

"The rest you pretty much know," Merry said with a sigh. "We’ve spent the rest of the time till now helping the Shire-folk see the remaining Ruffians to the borders. We also began training them to better defend themselves should things, the world outside the borders, go so wrong again."

Saradoc looked at these two hobbits whom he loved so dearly. "Well, my lads, if I may still call you that." Merry and Pippin blushed and nodded. "Then, my dearest lads, this is all a wonder. I won’t deny that, like most everyone else, I had given you up for dead." Silence followed this, though Esme was glaring at her husband. He had not dared to admit to her before that he had doubted her assurances that the four Travellers were alive. "It is a marvel and a joy to know I was wrong," Saradoc continued. "And to know . . ." he was choking up a bit, "To know you have handled yourselves so well, representing us hobbits to the wide world in such an honorable way. Knowing . . . knowing you went through . . ."

Esme’s glare softened. She got up to comfort her dear Saradoc. "Having you tell us even a bit of all you endured, our dear sons, you have made us so very proud of you both."

Saradoc nodded before speaking again. "I beg you to forgive my losing hope and doubting you all."

"Da," was all Merry said as he went to his father, got down on his knees and held him tightly. "It’s I should be asking forgiveness of you. Running off and saying nothing."

"You had no choice, lad. You were right about that. We would have thought it was some mad prank or game you were at and done everything we could to prevent you four going anywhere. It was the right thing to do."

Merry nodded his head against his father’s shoulder. After a bit, Saradoc turned and kissed the side of his son’s head. "I think it best we all get to our beds, Son, with instructions to everyone to leave us be until we choose to arise. Does that sound good to you, Merry?"

Merry nodded as he drew away from Saradoc. "Yes, sounds lovely, Father." Merry helped his father up, they both embraced Esme then started for the door with their arms about each other, Merry’s arm on Saradoc’s shoulders, his father’s arm where he could more comfortably reach, around his son’s waist. When they got to the door, Merry turned. "Are you coming, Pippin? We’ve our old room together."

"A moment, Merry, you go on ahead and check for snakes under the beds." Pippin winked at Merry who shook his head while rolling his eyes.

"The lad’s a knight and still wants me looking under the bed for him," Merry chuckled as he and Saradoc left together.

Pippin and his Aunt Esme held one-another tightly as they both wept. There was much each of them wanted to say but it was awhile before their tears subsided enough to speak.

"Thank you," Pippin finally managed to whisper. "It meant so much, it helped so much." He drew a deep breath then released it in a sigh. "I’m sorry as well. Sorry you . . . that you saw . . ."

Esmeralda reached up and laid her fingertips gently against her nephew’s lips. "I knew my son was alive." She closed her eyes but left her fingers where they were. "I knew Merry and you, dear Pippin, were alive. And Frodo and dear Sam as well. It was hard, yes, but I knew what no one else did. It helped me to bear what was happening here."

Pippin kissed his aunt’s finger tips then took them away from his mouth. "I’m also sorry that I wasn’t as much help to you. I think I could have been but . . . I fought it all. I thought I was going mad. I didn’t know."

Esme smiled up at the tall young hobbit, standing in her embrace, dressed in the uniform of the King he now served. "You know now."

Pippin nodded. "She showed me. She showed me her meeting with Her Took, long years ago in the woods and I knew and understood it all."

They held each other tightly awhile longer then Pippin placed a kiss on the top of his aunt’s head. "We’re both nearly exhausted, my dearest Aunt Esme. I think I need to go make sure your son is still good at clearing snakes out from under beds."

Esmeralda Took Brandybuck looked up into Peregrin Took’s warm smile. In both pair of green eyes, the stars were dancing.

Finis