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Eleventy-one Years: Too Short a Time   by Dreamflower

Chapter 20: Deep Roots Are Not Reached By the Frost

Spring, S.R. 1312

Though long delayed, when the spring of 1312 finally arrived, it did so quickly. Folk long kept indoors by the drear and deadly cold began to come outside to greet the Sun on her daily journey. Warmth seeped into bones that had not known warmth for months. It was on a day in Astron that Bilbo finally heard his mother laugh again. They were in the kitchen doing some long delayed spring cleaning. She was wiping out cupboards, he was scrubbing the hearth, and she laughed and said "Oh, my!"

"What's funny, Mama?" he asked, startled and overjoyed to hear the laughter he'd begun to think he'd never hear again.

Belladonna put her hand to her nose. "My nose is not cold, Bilbo-lad! My nose is warm! My nose hasn't been warm in six months! Whatever shall I do? I've forgotten what to do with a warm nose!"

Bilbo giggled at the silly face she made, and then both of them began to laugh, out of all proportion to the joke. Bungo came in--still pale and leaning on his cane, but looking better than he'd looked in a long time. He joined his family in the laughter as well, when he heard the jest, feeling of his own nose.

Bilbo felt his heart swell with a feeling of happiness he'd begun to think would never come again: his family was whole, and together, and things were getting better every day.

The Shire was still reeling; hobbits grieved for those lost to the winter's illnesses, and crops were late going into the ground. There were few stores left, and much livestock had also been lost. There were many hobbits, like his parents, whose health would never be quite what it had been before; but the Shire had come through the other side of the Fell Winter with persistence and generosity.

Now that things were popping up out of the ground, cupboards were less bare. The lads now took their poles to fish, and with pockets full of stones, would go out and come home with fish or with a brace of coneys or squirrels for the cooking pot. There were young dandelions and sorrel and wild onions and wild garlic to be found in the fields and mushrooms popping up in shady copses and under logs.  

Bilbo was among the few lads daring enough to go seek out the bird's eggs in the nests high above the ground. He was careful not to raid every nest he found though--but it was nice to bring a few home to his parents. Every little bit helped until the crops began to come in. The year would still be lean, even if there was good fortune with this year's planting, for with spring so late, there'd be no time for summer crops this year.

In Thrimmidge, Bilbo took up his lessons once more. Before this, between the struggle to survive and his father's poor health, there had been no time for the sort of lessons that both Bilbo and his father had always enjoyed.  Now there was once again time for Bungo and Bilbo to sit companionably in Bungo's study in the morning between elevenses and lunchtime, Bilbo's quill scratching away writing essays about the founding of the Shire, or using his slate to work complicated sums, while his father sat nearby reading and ready to answer Bilbo's questions. If his father nodded off sometimes during these sessions, Bilbo did not mind. He was simply glad to have his father there at all.

In Forelithe, Mistress Rose advised Bungo to begin to take short walks. "Not far, mind you, and stop to rest whenever you grow short of breath. For a couple of weeks, just take a stroll around your own garden. Then slowly venture a little further: down the Hill perhaps, if you can borrow a trap or something to come back up. I don't want you walking uphill just yet!" She also advised him to continue to take the tonics she had been giving him, and to keep the tincture of foxglove on hand. "Take a few drops if you feel too breathless or have pains in your chest," she said. Bungo made a face, but nodded, for he was too pleased with the chance to go outdoors once more to object to her restrictions.

That afternoon after luncheon, Bungo went out of Bag End's front door for the first time since he had received the letter from Overhill. Leaning on his cane, with Belladonna holding on to his other arm, and Bilbo hovering at his side, he stepped outside and took a deep breath. The day was warm enough, but not hot, and the air was filled with the smell of flowers. The herbaceous border was in bloom: columbine and forget-me-nots, geraniums and primroses, violas and pansies and pervinca, all lending their fragrance to the day.

The Bagginses walked slowly down the path to the gate by the road, and there they stopped, Bungo leaning against the gate to catch his breath.

"I can't believe," he said, "that I am so winded."

Belladonna patted his arm. "It's all right, dear. This is just the first time--it
will get better!"

"I'm sure it will, Papa," Bilbo put in. "You'll see!"

Just then a voice made them all start: "Mr. Bungo! It's good to see you out and about agin, sir." They turned to see Tam Goodchild approaching with a barrow-load of mulch. "I didn't know as how you was able to come out!"

"Mistress Rose just gave me leave today, thank you, Tam! It's nice to see the garden looking so well."

"Though we got a late start, things are growing a-pace, Mr. Bungo. And not just the flowers out here--we'll be a-picking cucumbers and beans and such out o' the kitchen garden in just a few days."

Tam gave a tip of his cap, and moved on to his work, placing some mulch around some young bedding plants that had been planted around the sapling that would replace the tree lost in the ice storm.

Then Bilbo spotted the posthobbit coming up the lane, and he could not help a twinge of worry, and he saw his father grow pale. But Bungo stood his ground and Belladonna placed her hand upon her husband's arm and gave it a squeeze.

"Good day, Ned," Bungo said, "have you any letters for us then?"

"And a good day to you as well, sir," he replied as he sorted through a handful of letters. "Here you are!" He handed over two of them. "It's good to see you out again, Mr. Bungo!" and he was on his way, whistling cheerily.

Bungo handed one of the letters to Bilbo. "It's from Siggy!" he exclaimed.

The other was addressed to both Bungo and Belladonna in the Thain's distinctive and old-fashioned hand. "Shall we go in and take some tea, and read our post?" said Belladonna.

Bungo nodded, and the family made their way back into the smial.

In the kitchen, Bilbo put the teakettle on, while his mother put out some ginger biscuits, and soon they all sat around the table.

Bilbo opened his first:

The Great Smials
17 Forelithe, S.R. 1312

Dear Bilbo,

Is your family coming for Lithe this year? I hope so! I really miss you. It's been almost a year since I've seen you and I do want to see you again.

Things had been pretty bleak around here. Everybody misses Grandmother dreadfully. Grandfather has moved into his study and won't come out.

Nobody knows if Gandalf will be here this summer, but everyone hopes he will and not just for the fireworks! Everybody is ever so grateful for his help this past winter. If he comes this year I will not even touch his fireworks! Chop's coming.

He's trying to get a lass. He wants to court Periwinkle Goldworthy, but I hear she won't give him the time of day because he's been such a rascal in the past.

Well, I hope I will see you soon! Please write me back!

Love,

Your cousin,
Siggy

Bilbo looked up at his parents. "Are we going?" he asked.

"Let us see what your grandfather has to say, shall we, son," his mother replied. Bungo handed her Gerontius' letter, and she slipped her thumb beneath the seal to open it. She scanned it quickly, and then, clearing her throat began to read aloud:

The Great Smials
17 Forelithe, S.R. 1312

My darling daughter and family,

As you know, Midsummer rapidly approaches. I do hope that you will be able to come to visit for Lithe this year. It has been very nearly a year since I have seen any of your family.

Mirabella will be coming, although Gorbadoc will be detained in Buckland. He has only been Master a couple of years, and Buckland has not recovered quite so quickly as the rest of the Shire from the Fell Winter, as people are now calling it.

I know Isumbras would be glad of your advice. Young Fortinbras has begun courting a lass, and he and Carnation have reservations about her, and so, I confess do I. There's no question of a betrothal yet--she's rather young even for an informal courtship, though as you know those of the Southfarthing are rather more lax than the rest of the Shire in such matters. She's a Clayhanger, with connexions among the Bracegirdles and the Sackvilles. She's a handsome lass named Lalia, and Fortinbras can't stop singing her praises.

I do hope that my concerns are groundless, yet I cannot help but remember your brother Hildifons and the results of his disappointment in love with that Sackville chit. We don't wish him to break his heart over her, and yet we also do not wish to drive her away if she is truly fond of him and he of her.

How are all of you doing? I hope you have all recovered well from your illness, and that things in Hobbiton are prospering.

Love to you all,
Father"

"Are we going?" Bilbo asked anxiously. He was quite excited at the thought of seeing his Took relatives again.

Belladonna looked at Bungo. "I don't know. Are you up to the journey, dear?" she asked.

"We will have to see what Mistress Rose says," was his answer. "But even if I am not, I would like to see you and Bilbo go."

And that, it turned out, was how it went. Mistress Rose did not think Bungo would be up to such a journey. It was arranged for Jack Twofoot to come and stay at Bag End to help out around the smial, and his mother would come in to fix suppers. Fosco and Ruby agreed to look in on him while Belladonna and Bilbo were gone.

On the last Trewsday of Afterlithe, the driver hired from The Ivy Bush loaded Belladonna's and Bilbo's luggage into the pony trap, and carried the two of them off to the Great Smials.

It would be their only visit to the Tooklands for the next three years.





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