Chapter 5. An Un-expected Message

‘Someone at the door!’ Bilbo called down the hall from his study. ‘Frodo, lad, would you be so good as to…?’

‘Quick Post!’ Frodo exclaimed, having already opened the green door to see a hobbit standing, hand raised to knock again. An impatient pony pranced behind him at the end of the reins, lathered and breathing hard, but evidently eager to run again.

He fished in his pocket for a coin – they’d been planning to go down to the market later, so he was prepared with coins in his pocket, to dally at the candymaker’s table – and held it out to the messenger with one hand, while taking the extended paper with the other.

‘Thanks!’ the young rider said with a grin – it was clear he loved the excitement of his work. ‘Must be off!’ And without another word he turned to his pony, vaulted into the saddle, and was off at a good clip, down Bagshot Row and the Hill road beyond.

‘Quick Post!’ Bilbo said, arriving at the door in time to see the dust raised by the pony’s departure. ‘Well! He certainly was in a hurry…’

‘Didn’t even wait for an answer,’ Frodo said. ‘Don’t they, usually?’

‘Not if there’s bad news,’ Bilbo said, a frown creasing his forehead as he took the folded paper from Frodo’s hands. Seeing Paladin’s seal, he pursed his lips, troubled. ‘Why don't you brew us each a cup of tea, dear boy?’ And as Frodo started to turn away, to obey (albeit reluctantly, for the tween was burning with curiosity about the contents of the message), he added under his breath, ‘I do hope nothing’s happened to that young rascal.’

‘What young rascal?’ Frodo said, immediately alarmed and forgetting all about teapot, tea, and Bilbo's request. His hearing was sharper than the old hobbit gave him credit for, a faculty that had stood him in good stead when he was "one of the worst young rascals of Buckland" and also came in handy when any of several certain mysterious visitors stopped at Bag End for a night or three.

Bilbo broke the seal and shook the message out of its folds, rapidly scanning down the page. He put a reassuring hand on Frodo’s arm. ‘Not young Pip,’ he said, ‘nor Merry, I’m glad to say, for it’s about the time when the Brandybucks make their usual summer visit, isn’t it?’

‘It is,’ Frodo agreed, though he was being devoured with curiosity as to the contents of the Quick Post message. In point of fact, the Brandybucks’ usual visit to Whittacres was a large part of the timing for his and Bilbo’s anticipated journey next week. ‘But what is it? What is the message about?’

Bilbo held out the page and took his hand from Frodo’s arm to point out the relevant passage. ’Found a Man in our stream, it says,’ he read. ‘A Man! Of all things…!’

‘And Pip says he’s an old friend of yours…’ Frodo read. ‘An old friend?’

‘I can think of several off the top of my head,’ Bilbo said, though he didn’t elaborate. ‘Seriously ill, eh? Need my help and advice…’ he snorted. ‘That’s Paladin all over,’ he went on, ‘if it’s quite convenient for you to come! I bet Aggie asked him to put that part in.’ Despite the gravity of the situation, he chuckled, and answered Frodo’s wondering look by saying, ‘I’m sure it wasn’t quite convenient at all, for Paladin, for a Man to trespass in his stream in the middle of the haying!’

He looked down at the paper once more. ‘Well, well, well,’ he said under his breath. ‘At a loss, are they? I shouldn’t wonder…’ And then he looked up. ‘Pack your bags, Frodo! We’re off to Whittacres, as quickly as we may go on borrowed ponies!’

‘Right away!’ Frodo said, and was off to his room.

Bilbo gazed after him with a fond smile, remembering this “worst young rascal of Buckland” borrowing a pony for some prank or other. He had no worries about the lad being able to keep up with him, riding at a good clip. It was a good fourteen miles across the fields, and he thought it might take them about two hours, perhaps a little less, if the ponies were fast ones.

He went to throw a few things into a bag for himself, remembering to include several pocket handkerchiefs, enough for himself and the lad, in case Frodo should forget to pack his own.