Chapter 4. Co-incidents

The Thain was taking his usual morning ride, escort in tow, at a nice, easy canter, when the pony suddenly stumbled and went down. Regi, who had pulled up to comment to Tolly, kneed his pony into a run, only to have his own pony go down, Regi throwing himself free just in time. Ferdi pulled his own pony to a stop, the rest of the escort following suit, and slid from his saddle, to run to the fallen hobbits. He stepped in a hole and measured his length in the grassy path. As he pushed himself up, his right hand found another hole, and he suddenly realised what had happened.

'Leave the ponies,' he shouted back. 'The footing's treacherous.' Cautiously, he picked his way to Reginard. 'Regi,' he said, urgently. 'Reg, d'you hear me?'

Reginard groaned, and Ferdi helped him to a sitting position on the grass. The fallen hobbit grabbed at his right arm with the other. 'Something's not right,' he gasped. Tolly reached them, and Ferdi said, 'Can you splint his arm? I've got to check on the Thain.'

'I'm all right,' Regi said. 'Better'n the pony, any road, I think he must've broken his neck.' He shook his head, and Ferdi saw that White Socks was lying unnaturally still.

Ferdi rose and stumbled to Paladin's side. 'Sir?' he called softly.

The Thain's eyes opened, and he looked at Ferdi, confused. 'Where am I?' he said. 'What's happened?'

'You took a spill,' Ferdi said. 'Just lie still, Sir, until we sort things out.' At least Paladin's pony was on its feet, though obviously badly lamed.

Hilly came up to them. 'Holes,' he said grimly. 'Holes dug all the way acrost the path, and some ways along.'

'An outbreak of moles?' Ferdi said.

The other snorted. 'Moles dug all these holes in one night? We rode this path just yesterday.'

'You're thinking...' Ferdi said, as the implication struck. 'Someone did this? Someone dug these holes a-purpose?'

'Ferdi, you're either dull of wit, or you had something to do with this,' Hilly said nastily. 'Of course these holes were dug a-purpose. Look at how the holes are hid in the grass, and the dirt's been carried away... Moles would have left some sign.' He looked suspiciously at Ferdibrand. 'Where were you last night? Did you think to do some kind of mischief, not thinking it through, just like the last time?'

'Never!' Ferdi said hotly.

'You weren't at the singing last night,' Tolly said, coming up to them, supporting Regi, bad arm splinted with sticks hastily cut from a tree to one side of the path.

'He's never at the singing,' Regi said quietly. 'Not when there's a fire upon the hearth.'

Ferdi looked at him gratefully, but the other's face was grim. 'This is more malice than mischief, I think,' Regi added. 'Whoever did this didn't mind laming or killing ponies... or hobbits, for that matter.'

Tolly eased him down next to the Thain, who'd closed his eyes again. 'I don't think he's broken any limbs,' Ferdi said. 'At least, I couldn't feel any breaks. But he might well have hit his head. He doesn't know where he is, or what happened.'

'Sir?' Regi said. The Thain groaned in reply. 'Hilly,' Regi said urgently, 'lead your pony well out of the bad ground and ride to the Smials for a healer and litter.' The other nodded and picked his way back to his pony, and carefully led the beast some ways before mounting and kicking it into a run.

'Regi,' the Thain said, opening his eyes again.

'I'm here, Sir,' Reginard answered.

'How's Snipnose? We took a spill?'

'Aye, Sir, the ground here's bad, he stepped in a hole, but he's putting a bit of weight on that leg. I don't think it's broken.'

'Ah,' Paladin said. Ferdi moved to shade him from the sun, which had risen enough to be shining in his eyes, and he added, 'Thanks, lad, very thoughtful.'

'Tolly,' Regi said, 'Go over the ground. Find all the holes you can. I want to know if there's a pattern.'

'You don't think 'twas moles,' Ferdibrand said.

'Moles, perhaps, if moles walk upon two feet,' Regi answered grimly. They waited in silence until the rescue party came from the Smials, easing the Thain onto the litter, carrying him carefully across the tricky ground, and then back to the Smials, a mile or so away.

Ferdi urged Reginard to ride his own pony, while he elected to walk the Thain's limping pony slowly back to the stables. He had a lot of thinking to do.

He had to put up with suspicious looks and mutterings behind his back when he reached the Great Smials, and it was all he could do to keep from issuing denials, which, he felt, would have made him appear even more guilty. He helped Old Tom, head of the stable hobbits, to treat the pony's leg, and thus was able to bring a hopeful report to the Thain, who was resting in his bed, more alert now, but still under the healers' watchful eyes.

The next day, Reginard sought him out. 'I want you to take a ride with me,' he said.

Ferdi looked at his splinted arm in its sling, and back to Regi's face. 'You want to take a ride? Are you in any kind of shape?' he asked.

'I'm fine,' Regi snapped. He had been warding off the healers since early breakfast.

Ferdi misinterpreted his searching glance, saying bitterly, 'You sure you're safe, riding with me?'

Regi snorted. 'I was about to ask you the same question,' he said. 'Had we been riding all together, more than two ponies would have gone down yesterday.' The Thain had cantered a little ahead of his escort, to gain a bit of quiet for thought, as he often did in that part of the path, when the mishap occurred.

'Riding with you?' Ferdi said stupidly. 'You mean, you think...?'

'I think there might have been something to Merimac's warning after all. In any event, a message came this morning, to meet him at the Cockerel today. We can let him know what nearly happened to the Thain, and heir to Tookland. He ought to find it of interest. Will you ride with me?'

'Aye,' Ferdi said.

'Good,' Reginard replied. 'We'll take Tolly and Hilly as well. The Thain won't need an escort this day, I doubt the healers will let him up out of his bed.'

It was not a comfortable ride; Tolly looked at Ferdi with troubled eyes, and Hilly with outright suspicion in his gaze, but both held their peace before Reginard.

Reaching the Crowing Cockerel, they stabled their ponies and Regi and Ferdi went in, to sit in their usual corner, sipping beer while they waited. The other two Tooks remained outside, to watch for Men. The Cockerel was just outside the boundaries of Tookland, and Men came occasionally to sample the best beer on the Stock road. Thus far they had been fairly civil, and their silver was as good as anyone's, as far as the landlord was concerned.

It was not long before the familiar cloaked figure slipped into the room and joined them.

'I was watching for you from the woods,' Merimac said. He took a gulp of his beer as if he needed it to steady him. 'What happened to you?'

'Had a little mishap with a pony,' Regi said casually. He and Ferdi were surprised at the other's reaction. Merimac stiffened and leaned forward, speaking in a whisper.

'Mishap?'

'Aye.'

'Are you sure it was a mishap?' the other demanded, still whispering. Regi met the intense gaze, and gave the slightest shake of the head.

The other nodded, satisfied, and said in a very low voice that the others had to strain to hear, 'There's been a mishap in Buckland, as well.'

'What?' Regi said, leaning forward.

'Someone put a cockleburr under the Master's saddle pad whilst he was fishing at his usual stream,' Merimac muttered. 'He was lucky--all he broke was his leg. The pony went mad as soon as he mounted, there in the wood, and I thought he'd be killed for certain...'

He sipped again at his beer. 'It's getting harder to get away, and creep through,' he said. 'I don't know how much longer we'll be able to trade news. But... remember how I told you to watch your back?'

Regi nodded silently.

'I'd say, better keep watch on all sides, from now on,' Merimac said soberly. Abruptly he rose, placed a coin softly on the table, and slipped from the room.