Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search
swiss replica watches replica watches uk Replica Rolex DateJust Watches

As the Gentle Rain  by Lindelea

Chapter 45. A Model of Patience

Pippin and Freddy had been ordered back to their beds, escorted by their families. Nell and Ferdi’s children had joyously greeted their parents while Cuillon, Elessar and Ulrich looked on with pleasure. Now two beaming women appeared bearing laden plates.

 ‘Second breakfast!’ one sang. She was quite proud of remembering the hobbity term.

 ‘Nice and hot!’ the other contributed. ‘You children go on; your breakfast is waiting for you in the hall.’ With another kiss each for mother and father, the younger children allowed themselves to be herded from the room by the older.

 ‘Will you be joining us?’ Ferdi said, squinting at the King and head healer hovering in the doorway, as one of the serving women propped him with pillows into a sitting position.

 ‘No, but thank you,’ Cuillon said courteously. ‘I would sit, a time, before turning my attention to the duties of the day.’

 ‘Please,’ Nell said with a hospitable sweep of her hand towards two chairs. Cuillon and Elessar seated themselves comfortably, prepared to chat lightly whilst unobtrusively observing the recovered and recovering hobbits.

Nell sat close beside Ferdi. She was ravenous, she discovered, and had eaten several bites before she noticed that Ferdi was merely staring at his plate.

 ‘Is something wrong, my love?’ she asked. ‘Is there anything wanting?’

 ‘All is well,’ he said absently, moving his hand cautiously towards the plate and away again. ‘I will eat, just as soon as I find something to eat with.’

 The fork was there on the plate, and Nell told him so. He stared with a puzzled expression and finally admitted, ‘I cannot sort it out, Nell. I see two forks, and when I reach I cannot seem to find a one of them.’

 ‘Two forks?’ Cuillon said. He rose from his chair and crossed to the bed to put his hand before Ferdi’s face. ‘How many fingers do you see?’

 ‘Fingers?’ Ferdi said, blinking. ‘I see a blur...’ He blinked again. ‘O yes,’ he said, his face clearing. ‘Three, I think. Or is it four?’

Cuillon looked at the two fingers he had extended and said, ‘That’s just fine, chancellor. It’s not at all unusual to experience some disturbance in vision after a blow such as the one you sustained. It ought to resolve in time.’ He did not specify how much time. Elessar had told him that the Halflings healed more quickly than Men, as a rule.

 ‘I assume you mean I’ll be able to see properly,’ Ferdi said.

 ‘Yes,’ Cuillon replied, unruffled. ‘That is what I said.’

Ferdi solved the problem of eating by closing his eyes, resorting to the skills he’d used during the years he’d been blind.

After eating a hearty second breakfast, Ferdi stretched and yawned. ‘A goodly meal,’ he said contentedly. ‘I think I could do with a nap, and get up after that, perhaps.’

 ‘Perhaps,’ Nell said dismissively, and snuggled against him. Her drugged sleep had been long but not restful, and she felt relaxed and ready to sleep in truth. ‘We shall see,’ she added, her eyes closing of their own accord.

However, Ferdi did not get up after that nap. When he and Nell were still stretching after wakening, Pippin entered and sat down to repeat Cuillon’s words concerning Ulrich’s fate.

 ‘You want me to stay in bed?’ Ferdi said in consternation.

 ‘Only so long as the healers advise,’ Pippin replied. ‘I don’t ask you to dissemble or pretend to be more ill than you are.’

 ‘Of course not, my love,’ Nell said. ‘For the first time in your life, you must hearken to the healers.’

 ‘It is only until one of us can find a way to save the Man,’ Pippin said. ‘Of course, if we have not found it before the healers pronounce you well, there’s nothing for it but...’

Ferdi nodded soberly. ‘I will do my best,’ he said. ‘I can promise no more than that.’

 ‘It is all I can ask of you, cousin,’ Pippin said.

***

 ‘Will Ferdi’s vision really clear, do you think?’ Merry asked Pippin that evening over supper.

 ‘Elessar and Cuillon seem to think it will,’ Pippin replied. ‘They say he’ll be on his feet, not much the worse for wear, in a week or so.’

 ‘A week,’ Merry said in dismay. ‘I had better get back to the Hall of Records.’

 ‘Do you really think you can find something to save Ulrich?’ Pippin said, his tone discouraged.

 ‘I don’t know,’ Merry admitted. ‘There’s something I heard or read once, I cannot quite remember...’

 ‘What?’ Pippin said eagerly.

Merry shook his head. ‘I told you I can’t remember,’ he said. ‘But I think there was a record I read once, years ago, that might have some bearing on Ulrich’s case.’

 ‘Well then,’ Pippin said brightly. ‘You’ve a whole week to find it!’

 ‘A week,’ Merry echoed dismally. ‘Do you know how many records are in that Hall? Thousands of years worth, and I haven’t the faintest idea what it was that I read, that is niggling at the back of my mind.’

 ‘If you found it once, you can find it again!’ Pippin said encouragingly, clapping Merry on the shoulder. ‘I have perfect confidence in you, cousin.’

Merry forced a smile, said good night, and made his way out of the Houses of Healing, back to the Hall of Records with its overwhelming collection of papers, to what seemed a near hopeless task.

At the threshold he was stopped by a guardsman. ‘Hold! I’m sorry, Master Perian, I cannot allow you to walk unescorted.’

 ‘I’ll go with him,’ Elfwine said, coming up the steps. ‘Where are we going?’

 ‘To the Hall of Records,’ Merry said.

The young prince made a face. ‘Back there? Such a dusty place it is, living up to such a name,’ he said. ‘I had thought, perhaps, of a ride across the plain under the stars.’

 ‘A Man’s life hangs in the balance,’ Merry said.

Elfwine brightened. ‘A quest!’ he cried. ‘When you put it that way... such an endeavour takes on new meaning, new interest! If I may be of assistance...?’

 ‘I’ll take all the help I can get,’ Merry said.

***

 ‘We must get out,’ Brant said. ‘We must. We cannot stay here in the City, with every Man’s hand against us.’

 ‘They’ve searched and they have not found us,’ Pilgrim said cheerily. ‘They will never find us, the imbeciles! They do not know what they are looking for!’ He glowered into the darkness. ‘Do you really want to brave the displeasure of the flames?’

 ‘We’ll find other offerings,’ Brant said. ‘The world is full of possibilities.’

 ‘No,’ the Pilgrim said. ‘We promised the flames one of the small folk, sweet and tender, and we will take one with us when we go.’

 ‘You’re mad,’ Brant said, and not for the first time. ‘How can we do such a thing?’

 ‘Their young ones are small,’ Pilgrim said. ‘Small enough to hide easily. Why, that hobbit female we had wasn’t all that burdensome to carry. We wait until they relax; we snatch a little one when they are distracted by something else, and we go before the alarm can rise. We must not disappoint the flames, you know.’ He gave a diffident cough. ‘Don’t think they’ll let you off so lightly next time.’

Brant looked glumly at his bandaged left hand. Pilgrim, hearing the outraged cry of the flames, had forced him to thrust his hand into their midst. Brant was relieved it hadn’t been his sword arm. Still, the flames were hungering for more, and even Brant had begun to hear their clamour, so loud had it grown. He feared the flames would try to take more than just a taste of his left hand, the next time...

***

Yes, I'm back from vacation. Thank you, had a lovely time. Don't you love weddings?





<< Back

Next >>

Leave Review
Home     Search     Chapter List