The last of First Breakfast’s dishes were cleared from the table in the Thain’s private dinning room. Around the table sat not Thain Paladin II’s family but the heads of the various branches of the Took clan whose families dwelt within the borders of Tookland. Paladin sat at the center of one side of the table.

Four days previously as Paladin had sat in his office, a darkness that had nothing to do with the weather had begun hanging over him. It was as though . . . as though . . . he did not know. It was like the shadow of some impending doom. With the shadow had come ill news; fear was near to tearing Tookland asunder as word of the siege spread from the farms on the borders inwards. Such a thing had never happened before, no hobbits had faced such a thing as far back as their long memories ran. The spreading fear did not bode well for the Thain. So even as his feelings of uneasiness grew, Paladin had come up with the plans for this meeting and sent out the invitations to the heads of the families he presided over. Yesterday, being the 29^th of Solmath, the strange gloom had lifted somewhat and with it Paladin’s spirits. He now felt ready to take charge of Tookland’s future.

As Paladin stood the Tooks in the room hushed their conversations, Paladin’s secretary sat ready to take notes of the meeting. Just as he was about to speak, the diningroom door opened and Eglantine made her way to a chair in a corner of the room.

"I have called you all together," Paladin began, "as the heads of the various Took families living in Tookland, to discuss the matter of the Ruffians and Sherriffs patrolling our boarders. Although this obviously is a most urgent matter for those of you whose lands are adjacent to the boarders, the fact that all routes in and out of Tookland have been closed off concerns us all."

"Begging your pardon, Thain," interrupted Adelard. Although Paladin held the family titles, Adelard’s word carried weight as he was the eldest Took present. "But such business isn’t normally conducted with hobbitesses present." All the hobbits at the table turned to look at Lanti.

Eglantine rose, standing her tallest to face the Took elders. "Gentlehobbits, I am a healer and as such have concerns for how this situation will affect those under my care. Also, this matter will most certainly affect your wives and children. There are concerns that we have that I doubt you will consider if a hobbitess is not here to bring them to your attention. As such, though I know it is not customary, I ask leave of you all to remain and to be allowed to have input into your discussion."

For a few moments none of the elders spoke, then Adelard rose. He bowed to Eglantine. "A well-thought out argument and confidently spoken. You are correct, I think on both of your points and so I say the Thain’s wife, Mistress Eglantine Took, be allowed to participate in this discussion."

"Aye," was heard around the table.

"Add that to your notes, Isembold," Adelard said to the secretary, bowing once again to Lanti before sitting back down.

Paladin resumed his speech. "To begin, Cousins, I will have it be known that the talk in Tookland that what has befallen us is my responsibility, my fault if you will, is true." Gasps were heard from several of the elders. "It is true," he continued, "in that I would not agree to be part of Lotho Sackville-Baggins’ treason against the Shire. Some of his representatives came to me wanting me personally to become a partner with Lotho. They had with them this map which shows those parts of the Shire that Lotho either owns himself or are owned by those who support him shaded in red." Paladin paused to gaze at each Took seated at the table as he leaned over to spread the map he had crumpled and thrown at Ron Fernberry out in the middle of the table. There was another round of gasps and the beginnings of anxious chatter but Paladin’s voice cut through it. "Being shocked does us no good, gentlehobbits. Tookland was an island in the midst of a crimson sea well before Lotho Pimple closed off our borders. Would you have had me join with him? Would you have had The Took and Thain lend his authority to Lotho’s thieving? Would you have had the Tooks be a part of these abuses of the Hobbits of the Shire?" Paladin slapped down on top of the map one of the lists of rules that had been posted on every dwelling throughout the Shire. "This was brought to me before the blockade was in place. I want it passed around. Everyone of you are to read it thoroughly." With that Paladin sat down, brought his tented fingers to his lips and closed his eyes as the list of rules made its way slowly around the table.

Paladin’s attention was called back to the meeting by Adelard’s touch upon his right shoulder. The list had been read by all present, including Lanti.

Paladin looked around the table. "Opinions, Cousins?"

"Well, it be seemin’ to me," came Theribald Took’s quiet voice, "that we’ll be havin’ an easier time o’ things, and that’s for certain. Those rules be right tough and with needin’ permits to travel very far, seems to me most every town will be a mite shut off."

"Good point, Theribald." Paladin nodded to the farmer from the southern end of Tookland. "Yes, a positive way to look at things. We will at least have access to all of Tookland’s resources as well as the freedom to move about with in our borders."

Hildinbras spoke next. "And we’ll have none of that Gathering going on. At least we will get to keep the fruits of our labors." There were nods along with murmurs of approval.

"But Tookland isn’t entirely self sufficient, my friends." Adelard reminded the group. "We import the coal and iron used by our smithies. Our ale, and the grains we use for making our own, come from the North Farthing. Glass for our windows, bottles and such is all made in Michel Delving."

"Our fabric for making our clothes comes from weavers in the North Farthing as well. That is where the flax is grown for linen and most of the Shire’s wool is produced there as well." This was the first heard from Eglantine. "Cotton is grown in the South Farthing near the Bounds and the fiber is processed and woven there. There are many children who will be out-growing clothes who will need to be provided for. And several of the herbs we healers use are brought in from other places as well."

"I grow a bit of pipeweed on my holdin’s," added Theribald. "Bein’ as I’m far south enough. Me and my son Hildigrin both. But ‘tisn’t near enough to keep every Took in Tookland what smokes in weed for very long."

Talley, the Master Farmer at Paladin’s holdings in Whitwell spoke up. "What we do have in good measure is grazing land, hay and wheat. We should be able to keep up with milk, meat and bread."

"Good, good. Enough," Paladin said and held up his hand to halt the discussion. "What we will be needing now are ideas on how to best manage what we have and how to work around what we have not. Have any of you thought about such matters?"

"Not afore now," Theribald replied slowly as he scratched his chin. " ‘Twould be possible for Hildigrin and I to plant more weed this spring. But bein’ short on pipeweed be naught but a bit o’ bother. What the Mistress and Adelard brought up, that is being much more needful."

Lanti stood up and came to the table. "Gentlehobbits, perhaps because the Thain is my husband and, unlike many of you, I am a resident of Great Smials, I have been aware of the situation and the needs that might arise longer than the rest of you. I have a few ideas regarding some of these matters. If you are interested, I would like to share them with you."

"You’ve already been recognized, Mistress Took," said Adelard with a smile, he always had liked his cousin’s wife acknowledging that she had a good head on her shoulders.

"Thank you, Adelard. I felt it would be good to see if some of your wives would be willing to try growing some of the medicinal herbs that we normally have to get elsewhere. Most everyone has a herb garden. Care would just be needed to keep them separate from the cooking herbs. I have culled seeds from most of them. I’ve no idea if they will grow here, but I think it is worth trying. Then, I think it would be good to have families bring their children’s out grown clothes to the Smials. Then those with no older children to hand things down will have a place they know clothes may be obtained for their growing young ones."

"Excellent, my dear! That is exactly the sort of thinking we need. Ways we can work together and help each other for the betterment of Tookland." Paladin stood. "Cousins, I ask now that you all return to your homes. Speak with your own families. Your children and their families and so on. Then, we will meet together again in two weeks time to discuss our needs as our people see them, as well as solutions that have been thought out. I will look forward to seeing you then, gentlehobbits." With that, Paladin nodded to his relatives, walked over to his wife, offered her his arm and they left the diningroom together.