12

The sun had just risen when Pippin awoke.  He looked over at his sleeping wife.  He wanted to wake her and share a moment of farewell before he and the lads departed for Buckland but he didn’t want to disturb her.  Gently he began playing with one of the dark ringlets that lay against her pillow.  

Diamond stirred in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes.  “Good morning, love.” she sleepily said.

Pippin leaned over her and claimed a long, passionate kiss.

“What a wonderful way to awaken,” Diamond whispered when they parted.  “I only know of one thing that could make it better.”  Here she reached over and wrapping her arms around him, she pulled her husband fully over her.

Pippin needed no further encouragement.  He claimed her completely and made for himself a memory to carry him through their absence to come.

-----

The trip to Buckland was uneventful.  The late Summer days were fair and bright.  As they traveled, Pippin looked with contentment upon his homeland.  Peace and plenty seemed to once again be the norm.  It was hard, even for him, to imagine when it had not been so.  At times nineteen years felt like an age of the world and at other only the blink of an eye.

“Ada,” asked Bandobras as they drove along the East Road, “why are all the trees near the road so young when all the others around here seem so old?  Were the ones here cut down to build the road?”

“No, son, they weren’t cut down to build the road.  The road is older than all the Shire and was built before hobbits ever even knew about this land.  The trees that lined the road were cut down during the Troubles.  These trees are only a few years older than you and Faramir.  Mayor Same replanted them in the Spring after the ruffians were driven out of the Shire.  You’ll learn more about that when you’re a little older.”

“That was right after you and Uncle Merry and Sam and Frodo came back, isn’t it?” asked Faramir.

Pippin nodded.  “Yes it was.”

From this their talk turned to other things and the miles passed pleasantly as the day went slowly on.

-----

The sun had long gone to bed and the stars were shining brightly when Pippin pulled the cart into the yard at the Golden Perch.  The lads were half asleep as he lifted them down and stood them on their feet.  

“Come on sleepyheads,” he said gently.  “The seat of a wagon is no place to sleep.  Let’s find you a soft bed, shall we?”

After a quick bite of supper, both lads fell quickly into a deep sleep.  Pippin sat awake enjoying a mug of the Perch’s famous beer.  As he sipped and looked into the small fire on the hearth, he remembered other visits to this inn and times when he’d wished to visit and couldn’t.  Events and memories of two decades past flitted through his mind.

“You’re getting maudlin in your old age,” he finally told himself.  “You’ve done way too much reminiscing for your own good today.  Now get some sleep.  These lads are going to be excited to see their uncle and cousins tomorrow and, at this rate, you’re going to be tired to handle it.”

But, even in sleep, his memories visited him.  He dreamt of farmer Maggot and his mushrooms and a foggy night in Buckland.

-----

The next morning they left the inn after second breakfast and were able to reach Brandy Hall at Teatime.  

The young Brandbucks were eager to see their Took cousins.

“So Dad’s going to teach you two how to ride?”  asked Perry.  

Faramir nodded.  “Ada says that Uncle Merry is one of the best hobbits when it comes to ponies and riding and how to take care of them.”

“He is,” agreed Perry.  “He taught me everything I know, and I’m still learning.  He says I’ll never know everything there is to know but I’ll be as knowledgeable as any hobbit, except for him.”  Here he gave a laugh.

“Ada says your dad learned a lot from his friends in Rohan and that the ponies you have here have a lot of Rohiric blood in them.”

“They do,” said Perry.  “Dad says that breeding is a huge part of having ponies and he wants to have the best stock in the Shire.  If you get a pony from us, it will something special.”

“Um-hm,” agreed Faramir.  “I think Ada is hoping to get a couple your dad’s ponies: not just for us but to improve our stock too.”

-----

While the lads talked, Merry and Pippin held their own discussion.

“So, is Diamond all right with the lads staying till next month?”

“She is,” answered Pippin.  “It’s me she wants back right away.  I have to leave the day after tomorrow.  I promised I’d be back in five days.”

“Then I’ll make sure that you can get a look at the documents I need your signatures on and the ones that I need your opinion on tomorrow morning.  I’ll start working with the lads tomorrow afternoon.  You can come to that first lesson.”

“I’d like that,” said Pippin.

Their talk turned to other topics and the rest of the mid-afternoon meal passed pleasantly.

-----

The next morning, after breakfast, Merry and Pippin met for a time in the Master’s office.  They went over the documents and contracts that Merry needed either Pippin’s signature or his opinion of. 

While they were working on that, Perry had taken the younger lads out to the stables.  Wenny had wanted to go too but her mother encouraged her to stay with her.  This was just for the lads she reminded her daughter.  “We’ll Just stay here and bake biscuits, how’s that?”

The younger child had agreed.  If food was involved, she was not about to miss it.  Even the lads looked a little disappointed that they would’t get to be a part of the baking.

-----

Perry, who was feeling particularly grown up in this situation, showed Faramir and Bandobras around the stable and the yard.  He pointed out each of the ponies and named them all.  He showed them the tack room and gave a short description of the various items there.  He also reminded the lads about being quiet around the ponies so that they wouldn’t get spooked and he told them never to light a lantern or anything near the stables.  If they needed to go in at night, get an adult to help them.  “There shouldn’t be any reason for any of us to be out here after dark,” he said.  “Usually the ones out here then are post riders and errand runners.”

-----

“Well, that’s all I needed to tell you,” said Merry as he prepared to leave his office.  “I think you can manage from here.  Don’t get writer’s cramp, and feel free to join us when you’re done.”

Pippin looked at his older cousin.  He resisted the strong temptation to stick out his tongue.  “You make me feel like a truant being made to stay in and write sentences instead of going out to play.”

Merry laughed.  “No,” he said, “that’s your guilty conscience getting the better of you in your old age.  It’s not like it should take you that long to do.  You’ve had more practice than most at signing your names.”

“Right,” said Pippin and sighed.  “I’ll be along shortly,”

-----

The lads looked up when Merry walked into the stable yard.  They came trotting over to him with bright eyes and excited faces.

“All right, are you ready for your first lesson pony ownership?”

“Yes,” both Tooks answered.

“Then let’s get to today’s activity.  The first thing you’re going to do is learn to muck out the stables.”

“What?!” yelped Faramir.  “What’s that got to do with learning to ride?”

“It’s not just about the riding,” answered Merry, going into the stables and gathering the tools the lads would need to clean the stalls.  “You have to learn how to take care of your pony.  You may find yourself somewhere that you don’t have stablehands to do the work.  Who do you think cleaned the stable when your ada and I lived at Crickhollow?”

“I guess I never thought about it?” said Faramir looking downcast.

“Trust me, we cleaned more than our fair share of stables.”

Here he handed the lads each a shovel.  “Start getting the used straw out and then we’ll go from there.”

Merry stepped back and watched them work.  He gave them advice every so often but, for the most part, he mainly watched them.

-----

By the time Pippin came out of the Hall, Merry had the lads putting new bedding in the stalls.

“So, what’d I miss?”

“Your favorite activity,” Merry answered.

Pippin shook his head.  “Oh, those poor lads.  I wonder if they’ll be begging me to take them back to Tookland with me tomorrow.”

“I don’t think so,” answered Merry, coming over to lean again the fence next to his cousin.  “Once they started to understand that this is a part of owning ponies, they didn’t have as much disagreement with doing it.”

“Then they’re both better hobbits than I.”

Both older hobbits laughed at that.

Merry sobered and looked hard at his friend.  “How are you really doing, Pip?”

“What do you mean?  I’m fine.  Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, I still worry about you is all.  I guess I should be clearer.  Are you and Diamond really doing better or was that all for us at Yule?”

Pippin pushed himself away from the fence and looked hard at Merry.  “Are you serious?  Merry, we said what we meant back at Yule.  We’re working things out; and it’s going quite well, if you must know.  I’m not going to give you details because those aren’t anybody’s business but ours, but we have reclaimed our relationship.  You can take that any way you want.  We’re happy and we’re trying to build a happy home for all four of our children.  The adoption should be finalized in a couple of months.”

Merry held up his hand in placation.  “All right.  I accept your word and ask your forgiveness for my doubt.”

“Forgiven,” said Pippin.  “Merry, you worry way more than is good for you.”

“You and my wife are in total agreement there.”

-----

The next morning as Pippin prepared to leave, he sat down with both the lads.  “This is it,” he told them, “it will be about six weeks till we see you again.  This is your last chance to change your minds.  You’re sure you want to stay?”

Faramir nodded and Bandy enthusiastically exclaimed “Yes, this is fun!”

With that settled, they headed to breakfast.

When they were done eating, Merry sent Perry, Faramir and Bandy out to the stables.  “I’ll be out shortly,” he said.

When they were gone, he turned to his cousin.  “I promise to take good care of them.”

“I know you will,” answered Pippin.  “It’s still going to be a long few weeks though.”

“Look at it as a vacation,” said Merry laughing.  “You’re going home to a house full of lasses.  Quiet and calm.”

“As quiet and calm as any home with a three-year-old and an infant can be.”

“We’ll see you at Bag End for the birthday, all right?  And just think, it’s an even more important date now since it’s Sapphire’s birthday too.”

Pippin got a thoughtful and slightly distant look on his face.  “You know,” he finally said, “I think Frodo knows about her and how special she is.”

Merry patted his shoulder.  “I think he knows about all of them.  He may have named Sam’s but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have named ours too.”

Pippin smiled.  “well, I’d better be going.  Diamond will not be pleased if I don’t keep my word and make it home tomorrow.”

Merry turned to lads and began instructing them on caring for a pony.  As he talked, he showed them the curry comb the hoof pick and other tools.

Pippin took the opportunity, while they were distracted, to slip away.  He figured it was better to leave this way than to risk tears from the lads.