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Pearl of Great Price  by Lindelea


Chapter 27. Missing

In the second week of March the weather turned cool, but ploughing and planting were in full swing. Thus Pearl was greatly surprised when Paladin Took was shown into the Thain’s study mid-morning of a fine spring day.

 ‘Paladin!’ Ferumbras said, rising from the desk with a smile, hand extended. Paladin shook the proffered hand without an answering smile. ‘What brings you to the Smials?’

 ‘My son,’ Paladin said, voice breaking on the last word, and Pearl rose from her chair in alarm. Her father’s face was pale and strained, dark circles stood under his eyes, and he twisted the hat he held in his hands.

Ferumbras came out from behind the desk, taking the farmer’s arm, guiding him to a chair by the hearth. ‘What has happened?’ he asked. At a look from the Thain, Isumbold fetched a mug and poured out a cup of strong tea for the farmer, sweetening it well.

 ‘We’ve searched and searched,’ Paladin said, absently taking the mug.

 ‘Drink,’ the Thain said, and the farmer looked down in surprise, and then sipped obediently. ‘You’ve searched... the lad’s gone missing then. How long?’

 ‘We first missed him yesterday morning,’ Paladin said. ‘Nell rode out to the fields to tell me. I thought nothing of it; he often goes to play when he ought to be working...’

Ferumbras nodded. He’d been a lad once. How well he remembered.

 ‘At noontide I rode back to the house to deal with the lad, but he hadn’t returned. You know lads, they might take bread and cheese in a bag but when that’s gone they’re back and ready for a hot meal.’

 ‘I know,’ Ferumbras said. ‘So you searched.’

 ‘Aye,’ Paladin whispered. ‘We looked all over the farm, my family and the hired hobbits, and then I sent hobbits out to the neighbours to tell them. We must have had an hundred hobbits combing all the land around Whitwell, and no sign...’ Pearl gave a little sob, and he nodded at her apologetically. ‘We took lanterns and searched all through the night.’

 ‘And...?’ Ferumbras pressed.

 ‘Nothing,’ Paladin said. ‘One of my dogs had gone missing as well, and I thought Pip would run into little trouble with Lop along, but neither one has come home and there’s no sign.’ He bowed his head. ‘No sign,’ he repeated.

 ‘You think he was coming to the Smials, to see Pearl perhaps?’ Ferumbras said.

 ‘Did he go to see Frodo?’ Pearl said. ‘Have you sent word to Bag End?’ Mistress Lalia took one of the girl’s hands in hers and patted it gently.

 ‘I sent off to Bag End,’ Paladin said, ‘and when word came back from Frodo this morning I didn’t know what else to do. Pip’s not been there, nor been seen in Bywater, nor by any of the farmers between.’ He looked desperately to the Thain. ‘You have hunters and trackers working for you,’ he said. ‘Please...’

 ‘O please,’ Pearl sobbed. ‘O Pip!’

 ‘Isum,’ Ferumbras snapped. ‘Gather the hunters and trackers, as many as you can find.’

 ‘Verilard’s the best we have,’ the head of escort replied. ‘Shall I send someone out after him?’

 ‘Indeed,’ Ferumbras said. ‘Have them go to Whittacres, that’s where the trail would start. Send messengers to the farms between Whitwell and Tuckborough, have them join the search. If the lad’s to be found, we’ll find him.’ Turning to Paladin, he said, ‘Have you eaten?’

 The farmer didn’t seem to understand the question, but sat holding the forgotten mug half-full of tea.

  ‘Pearl,’ Lalia said, giving the girl’s arm a little shake. ‘Take your father to the great room and get him something to eat. The Thain will meet him there.’

 ‘Yes’m,’ Pearl said, breaking free from the frozen horror precipitated by the fact that her younger brother was missing. She sobbed again, and the Mistress squeezed her arm hard. ‘I’m sorry, Mistress,’ she gulped. ‘He’s only eleven...’ She thought of foxes and stoats and the stray dogs that had been reported to be worrying sheep lately. Surely Lop would protect Pip; he followed the lad everywhere when not called upon by Paladin to mind the sheep.

 ‘Go now,’ Lalia said, and Pearl went to her father, encouraging him to get up and walk with her to the great room.

 ‘I can’t,’ Paladin muttered when she put a plate of eggs scrambled with bacon and potatoes before him. ‘I cannot.’

 ‘When did you last eat?’ Pearl said. If she could just keep busy thinking of inconsequentialities...

Paladin shook his head irritably. ‘I don’t remember,’ he said.

 ‘Then eat,’ Pearl said sternly. ‘Don’t make me feed it to you!’

Paladin looked at his eldest daughter in surprise.

 ‘I will, too,’ Pearl said. ‘I’ve had plenty of practice managing people.’

 ‘I’m sure that you have,’ her father said. She was glad to see him pick up his fork, and sank down next to him.

 ‘Do you think...?’ she whispered when he’d taken a few bites. Paladin looked to her but continued to eat rapidly, not from hunger. He knew he needed his strength to continue the search. ‘Do you think he was on his way to see... Merry?’

 ‘The thought had crossed my mind,’ Paladin murmured, looking about to see if any was attending their conversation. ‘He’d have to go by Tuckborough or Bywater, depending upon which route he’d take.’

 ‘He’d know the Bywater road better,’ Pearl whispered, ‘since that is the road we always have taken on our Yuletide visits.’

 ‘But this last visit we sledged to Tuckborough and took the Stock road onwards,’ Paladin said. ‘He might have thought that way easier, once he got past the greater hills.’

 ‘But...’ Pearl said, and lowered her voice still more. ‘What if the Mistress finds out?’

 ‘We’ll bake that bread when it’s risen,’ Paladin said heavily. He put his fork down to lay a hand on his daughter’s. ‘If the trackers are able to track him, even if it’s past Tuckborough and on the way to Buckland, if they are able to find him and bring him safely home, I won’t care what anyone thinks.’ He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. ‘I just want my boy back safe, that’s all.’

 ‘O Da!’ Pearl sobbed, burying her face in his shirt. He put his arms around her, holding her close, having no words of comfort to offer. The wild Green Hills were no place for a young hobbit to wander alone, even with the most faithful of sheepdogs by his side.






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