Chapter 11: When Pools Are Black and Trees Are Bare

3 Foreyule, S.R. 1311

 Bilbo huddled beneath several blankets. He had thought that he would get used to being hungry in the morning by now, but his stomach kept on protesting anyway. He and his parents had been cooped up together in Bag End for five days now, venturing out no further than the woodpile.

His mother's temper had been unusually short, and his father had been wrapped in gloom. Bilbo was beginning to feel bored, and wanted nothing so much as to get out! Yet there was nothing to get out for. The shops had little to sell, and other families and friends were cooped up as well. Visiting would be an imposition, with provender so short.

He glanced out the window. It looked as though it might be late enough that he could get up without interrupting his parent's first breakfast. He slid out of bed, washed quickly in the icy cold water in his basin, and dressed as quickly as he could. Then he padded down the passages to the kitchen. They were still at the table, sipping tea. Bilbo poured himself a cup and sat down with them.

"Shall I get you some porridge, son?" asked Drogo.

"No thank you, Papa. I will wait until second breakfast." His father nodded. Bilbo was pretty sure his parents had guessed what he had been doing, just as he had guessed what they had been doing. But so long as no one said anything about it, there was no reason that it could not continue until things were better. And they just had to get better, thought Bilbo desperately.

He was sipping slowly at his tea, which had one saving grace: it was hot, and warmed him from the inside out, when there came a rapid knocking at the kitchen door. The three of them looked at one another in surprise: who could it be at this hour? Bungo rose and opened the door. It was Posey Twofoot.

She rushed in. "Mrs. Baggins! Can you come down to Greenbriars? It looks as if Mrs. Ruby will have her babe today--my mum's there-- and she sent for you!" Mrs. Twofoot was one of Hobbiton's midwives, but more to the point, she lived near Greenbriars.

"Oh my!" Bilbo's mother got up at once. "Come in, Posey, and warm up while I get dressed and ready!"

"We will all go, dear," said Bungo. "I don't fancy you walking down the Hill in this icy weather, but Bilbo and I will come and help you along! I am sure that Fosco would appreciate my presence at a time like this, and Bilbo can perhaps, help keep the little ones occupied and out of the way!"

Posey waited as the family got ready, and then Belladonna returned to the kitchen and took out a basket. She loaded it with jars of soup, a loaf of bread that had been planned for their luncheon, and a few other items.

"What are you doing, Bella?" Bungo asked.

"We are likely to be there most of the day, dear. And I don't like to think we would be a strain on their larder; they have little ones to feed, after all."

Soon they were all bundled up. Posey offered to carry the basket, so that Bungo and Bilbo could walk on either side of Belladonna. They went out the kitchen door, for the front walk was treacherously icy, and began the walk down the hill. Bilbo had walked down the Hill all his life. When his grandparents had still lived at Greenbriars, he had gone down there several times a week to visit them; this past summer he'd been down there almost every day as the smial was being worked on. Summer seemed so long ago now. Just then he almost stumbled as he put a foot wrong into a drift that was deeper than it looked. He pulled his mother a little off balance as well, and that more than anything, brought him out of his thoughts.

"Bilbo!" his father said sharply, "Take care!"

"I'm sorry, Papa!" He paid much more attention to his footing. He would never forgive himself if he caused his mother to fall!

They walked along the verge, rather than in the road, for the road was a mess of ice and mud. It took them twice as long as usual, and Bilbo was ever so glad to see the smial come into view. Bungo took the basket from Posey, and turned to knock on the door.

Fosco had been anxiously watching for them, and they were barely upon the step before he opened the door. "Mrs. Twofoot is with her, Belladonna." Bella and Posey went straight back. Posey was also her mother's apprentice.

Bungo and Bilbo stood there looking awkwardly at Fosco. Then Bungo said, "We brought a few things..."

"Yes, yes, of course, thank you," Fosco was nearly babbling. "We'll take them to the kitchen..."

Fosco led the way as though Bungo and Bilbo did not know perfectly well where the kitchen was. Bilbo was surprised to see Dora and Drogo in their places at the kitchen table. Drogo had an obviously empty bowl, but he was running his finger around it, and then licking it and then looking at it sadly. Dora had her hands folded on the table, and her eyes were anxious.

She looked up as they came in. "We stayed right here, Papa, just like you said. We didn't move or anything. Drogo was good, too."

"Oh, Dora!" Her father looked stricken, and Bilbo suddenly realised that Cousin Fosco had forgotten that he'd told Dora and Drogo to stay in the kitchen.

Drogo put the bowl down, and his face lit up. "Bilbo!"

"Hullo, Drogo," Bilbo replied, ruffling the faunt's hair. He looked over at Fosco. "Why don't I take Dora and Drogo to their room for a while, Cousin Fosco?"

Fosco looked very relieved, and Bungo nodded proudly at his son. Bilbo took the two children by the hand and led them back to the nursery.

"What shall we play?" Bilbo asked. "Do you want to play farm, Drogo?"

The little one shook his head.

"Why don't I read you a story, then?"

"Will you hold me, Bilbo?"

"Yes, Drogo. Dora, why don't you pick out the story book?"

She dipped her head and bit her lip. "You didn't say 'please', Cousin Bilbo."

Bilbo did not know whether to laugh or be annoyed, but she looked so serious. So he said "So I didn't! Please, Dora, would you pick out a story book?"

She nodded, and went over to the shelf. The story was about a little lamb that got lost from its flock, and how all the other sheep looked for it. Bilbo sat in the rocking chair by the nursery hearth with Drogo on his lap and Dora sitting on a cushion at his feet.

"Once there was a Little White Lamb who loved to run and play in the meadow with the other sheep. She liked to eat the daisies and the clover in the meadow, and to drink from the clear stream that ran down from the hills.

Most of the time she minded her Mama Sheep and Shepherd and Dog, and stayed with the flock. But one day she saw something fluttering in the air, and flying from flower to flower. It was a big yellow butterfly, and she had never seen one before. So curious was she about this strange creature that she tried to follow it-- and follow it she did, down the hill and across the stream she ran. But she did not understand that the butterfly could go where she did not, and she suddenly found herself tumbling over a ledge into a little gully...

....Dog barked and barked and barked, and Mama sheep bawled and bawled. Soon Shepherd came running. He saw the Little White Lamb in the gully, and he laid down upon the ledge and used his crook to bring her up. She was so happy to see her Mama Sheep, and her mother was happy to have her back. All the other sheep were glad as well. Dog rounded them up, and Shepherd led them all towards home."

Bilbo started to close the book, but Drogo put out a chubby little finger, onto the picture of the happy sheep.

"I want Mama."

"I know you do, Drogo, but she can't see you right now. She is very busy."

The faunt looked up at him, and then burst into tears, clinging to Bilbo and weeping into his shirt. Bilbo held him close and patted his back and made soothing noises and wished there was a grown-up nearby to tell him what to do. But Papa was busy trying to make Cousin Fosco feel better, and Mama was in with Cousin Ruby and Mrs. Twofoot. Dora stood by and gazed at him solemnly. There were tears in her eyes as well, but she was blinking them away and trying to be a "big lass" as her father had told her.

Perhaps if she had something to do it would make her feel better.

"Dora, could you fetch me a wet flannel to wash Drogo's face?"

She nodded. Her brown eyes were huge in her pale face, and Bilbo felt his heart wrench as he realised how thin she was. She went out of the room for a few minutes, and Bilbo shifted Drogo around and began to rock back and forth, the way he remembered his own mother doing for him when he was little and upset. Soon Dora came back and offered Bilbo the damp flannel, and Bilbo began to wash the little tear-stained face. "Thank you, Dora," he said.

"You're welcome, Cousin Bilbo." She continued to stand there and just stare at him and Drogo.

Bilbo was glad that the doors of Greenbriar were nice thick ones, for though he wished he knew what was happening, he was just as glad as not that he couldn't really hear what was going on. He wondered how much longer it would continue, and what they would do with the children if anything bad happened.

Just then, to his immense relief, the nursery door opened, and his mother came in-- and she was smiling.

"Dora, Drogo?" said Belladonna gently. "You have a new baby brother!"

"Can we see him? Is Mama all right?" asked Dora.

"Your mother is asleep. She was very tired, for it is hard work to bring a baby into the world. And so is your new brother. Little Dudo also had to work hard to be born. You must let them rest. Why don't we all go into the kitchen and have some tea."

"But we can't have tea, Aunt Bella!" exclaimed Dora. "Papa says we must make the food last."

"This is a special day, dear," Belladonna replied. "I am sure that your Papa won't mind. He will probably join us and have a little, too!"

Belladonna made some tea, and heated up some of the soup that she'd brought. Bilbo looked at Dora and Drogo's thin and pinched faces, pale from being cooped up inside, and their eyes too large.

He looked up at his mother. "I'll just have a little tea, Mama. I am more thirsty than hungry."

Belladonna's eyes sparked with tears, but also pride. "I see, Bilbo-lad. Very well."

It truly was a long day. After they had eaten, Bilbo went back to the nursery with the children, and settled between them on the large bed, to encourage them to nap. Soon they all three fell into an exhausted sleep.

It was quite late in the day when Belladonna went in to wake them up. Fosco took the two little ones to see their mother and meet their new brother, and Bungo, Belladonna and Bilbo saw themselves out.

The walk up the Hill was not so treacherous as the walk down had been. They stopped briefly, halfway up, and Bilbo looked out over Hobbiton. The Water was black and still, and the trees were black and bare against the white of the snow. Save for the smoke here and there coming through the chimney pots, one could scarcely see any of the smials and cots of the village.

Bungo asked his wife: "How is Cousin Ruby? And the baby?"

Belladonna looked solemn, and did not meet his eyes. "Ruby's not well; she didn't eat enough the last few weeks. She's weak, and so is little Dudo. I think they will both live, and so does Mrs. Twofoot, but it is going to be difficult for both of them."

"Dudo?" asked Bilbo. "Is that his name?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad he will live. I hope that things will get better soon." He sighed. "It will be Yule soon.  Things have to get better for Yule!"

He did not see the sad look his parents exchanged behind his back.