The Thain and his party returned, Paladin grimmer than ever, and Ferdi heard that he'd not had his own way after all; his son was joined to a farmer's daughter, and naught but death would part them now. Rumour also had it that Pippin had steadfastly refused to return to the Smials. All the Tooks knew he was gone forever; Paladin seemed to be the only Took to hold out hope for Pippin's return. Even Eglantine seemed resigned.

Word came not long after, that the Brandybucks had extended an offer to Pippin, to train as Steward of Buckland under old Cardoc. Things were very tense around the Smials after that; Paladin fumed silently. The Tooks stayed out of his way as much as possible. Ferdi didn't envy Reginard and Tolly, who must needs be in the Thain's presence most of each day.

The barley harvest came around again, and with it the tournament. Once again, Hally and Rosemary and all the little Bolgers came, to set up a booth to sell Hally's woodcarvings. Ferdi turned over all the arrows he'd fletched to his brother-in-love. While the Tooks could not buy from Ferdi himself, under the terms of shunning, Hally had no such constraints, living outside of Tookland. He could sell Ferdi's arrows and turn the money over to Ferdi without fear of repercussions.

Hally and Ferdi went to register for the tournament. Rudibold Took looked past Ferdi to Hally, taking his silver, writing his name upon the lists. Hally took Ferdi's silver from him and pressed it into Rudi's hand. 'Write him down,' he said.

Rudi shook his head, studiously ignoring Ferdi. 'You know I cannot,' he said to Hally. He shoved the silver back at Hally.

Ferdi laughed. 'It's all right, brother,' he said to Hally. 'You and I can walk out together, and I shall be your shadow this day. The Tooks may not be able to watch me shoot, but they'll see me, anyhow.'

'D'you think this is a good idea?' Hally asked.

Ferdi snorted softly. 'The shunning is meant to punish someone who's done wrong,' he answered. 'What wrong have I done? I have no recourse...' He met Rudibold's sympathetic eye before the other hastily looked away. 'What more can he do to me, if I thrust myself into the middle of the tournament? He's already ordered me shunned... I hardly think the Tooks would go along with "bind, blind and over-the-border", even for my heinous crimes.' He picked up the silver and pocketed it again. 'Let us go and shoot for our own amusement, if not for that of the Tooks.'

He put on his brace, though his arm had grown stronger over the past year. No use putting a strain on the arm, after all, when he was only shooting for amusement.

The master of the tournament seemed at a loss to see Ferdi there, but solved the problem by addressing all his remarks to Hally, and unobtrusively setting up an extra target at each round. Ferdi smiled to himself as the tournament progressed. He was shooting as well as he ever had, and the Tooks must be terribly frustrated to have to watch without comment. He did hear an occasional "oooo" for a well-placed shot, quickly suppressed.

They progressed through the events as archers were gradually eliminated, finally coming down to the final two... Tolly, Hally, and Hally's shadow, who didn't count, of course. On the final shot, Ferdi's arrow went true, while Tolly and Hally both missed. Hally bowed to Ferdi ironically, acknowledging him the winner, while Tolly stared off into the distance, but the hint of a grin played about his lips and he might have winked the eye that was turned away from the Thain.

The master of the tournament set up the willow wands for the final round. Ferdi shot again, for amusement, splitting his wand neatly down the center. Hally missed, and Tolly's arrow glanced from the stick, making him the winner, at least in the official record. He bowed to Hally, to the master of the tournament, and then to the crowd, with an ironic grin, then accepted the winner's purse from the hand of the scowling Thain with a last bow, as Hally and Ferdi walked off.

'Pretty good shooting, for a shadow,' Hally said.

'Yes, but I'm the shadow of one of the best in the Shire,' Ferdi returned. 'It makes a difference, you know.'

Rosemary congratulated him as they packed up the waggons. He shared late supper with the Bolgers from Woody End, and Ferdi asked about Estella.

'Well, she's from the rich branch of the Bolgers, you know,' Hally said, 'so we don't get much news, but I hear she spends much of her time at Brandy Hall, and the Brandybucks are not so worried about Merry as they used to be.'

Rosemary squeezed her husband's arm. 'We're rich enough,' she said. 'Don't let my father bother you. Just because he lost all he owned and couldn't marry me off to a "rich" Bolger...'

'He's changed, Rosie,' Ferdi said quietly. 'He's mellowed somewhat.'

'Has he, now?' Rosemary asked.

'O aye,' Ferdi answered. 'I was his last hope, you know, after you married beneath yourself...' Hally punched his arm and he grinned. 'And now I am nobody at all, with no prospects for the future. He has shed his delusions of grandeur and lives in the real world.'

'Can he bear to live in the real world?' Rosemary asked softly.

Ferdi nodded. 'You'd be surprised,' he said. 'He's taught me a few things, these past months. I'm glad I stayed in the Smials, I might never have got to know him otherwise.'

Rosemary reached out a hand, to touch his arm. 'Then I'm glad you stayed, as well.'

'Not that I'd mind moving to Woody End, you know,' Ferdi continued. 'Are you going to ask him, again?'

'I will,' Rosemary said. 'One of these years he'll surprise me and agree to move in with us.'

'Well, you'll have two in the bargain,' Ferdi said. 'The day he leaves the Smials is the day I go as well.'

'That's a promise,' Hally said firmly. 'We won't rent out your room, then.'

'You have a room for me?' Ferdi asked in surprise.

Hally laughed. 'No, but I can build one on, easy enough, once you send word you are coming. And welcome.'

'It'll be nice to be welcome,' Ferdi said softly, and Rosemary rose briskly to hide the tears that came to her eyes.

'How about some more stew before we go to sit with Da?' she said.

'I'd like that just fine,' Ferdi answered, 'if you don't think five helpings is too much.'

'Not at all,' Rosemary smiled, and filled his plate yet again.

Under cover of darkness, Tolly slipped into their circle. 'Hullo, Hally,' he said, nodding at Ferdi.

'Hullo, Tolly, congratulations,' Hally said, and Ferdi grinned.

'I didn't really win, you know,' Tolly said. 'Someone else shot better than I did.'

'I had heard something to that effect,' Hally answered.

Tolly suddenly thrust the purse of winnings at Hally. 'The winner ought to have this,' he said.

Hally tried to push Tolly's hand away. 'You're the winner, according to the rules.'

Tolly shook his head stubbornly. 'No,' he said. 'I won't take it. It's not mine, and I'd rather throw it in the stream than take something that doesn't belong to me.'

'Don't let him do that,' Ferdi said hastily, and Tolly grinned, though he carefully did not look at Ferdi.

'Very well,' Hally said, taking the bag. 'I'll see to it that this ends up in the right place.'

'My thanks,' Tolly answered, and rose to leave. 'And congratulations, to the winner,' he said, studiously avoiding Ferdi.

'I'll pass that on to him,' Hally said. 'Anything else?'

'No, that ought to do it,' Tolly said, and turned away.

When he was well gone, Hally tossed the purse in Ferdi's lap. 'That ought to keep you going awhile, along with the silver you earned for the arrows you fletched,' he said.

'Aye,' Ferdi answered. 'Looks as if I won't have to sell Penny after all.' He sighed. 'At least something went right, for a change.'