Chapter 11. From Little...

"From little sparks great wildfires grow." --Shire proverb

Five hobbit lads, flushed with triumph, emerged from their early-morning raid on a mushroom field and slipped into the woods near Tookbank. A mixture of brothers and cousins, the young Tooks went to their favourite hiding-spot near the stream, by the broken-off stump of a great tree that had rotted away years earlier.

'It's dry enough, we need to build the fire nearer the water,' the eldest said importantly, 'so's we can put it out quickly if a wind kicks up.' He kicked at the ring of rocks outlining their usual firepit.

'There won't be any wind 'til later,' the cousin nearest his age argued. It always rankled that the eldest took charge in all things; he'd probably claim all the biggest mushrooms into the bargain.

'We shall build the fire near the water,' the eldest said slowly, emphasising each word. 'And you may go home if you don't want to play.' He grasped the bag of mushrooms more tightly, and the younger cousins hastened to scrape away the soil and grass from a spot nearer the stream, and kindle a fire there.

'Twas a grand feast they had, with purloined bacon from the pantry and the plunder of mushrooms, all roasted on sticks over the fire, washed down with water from the stream.

A thin call sounded on the breeze, and the eldest jerked upright. 'That's Mum!' he said. 'Quick, we've got to get back or we'll miss breakfast!' He shoved his last mushroom in his mouth and began to kick dirt over the fire.

'Well, come on you lot, what're you waiting for?' he barked to his cousins and little brothers.

They all helped shove dirt onto the fire. As the eldest turned to the stream, to scoop up water in his hat to make sure of the fire's dousing, he was arrested by a cry from the youngest.

'Race you! Last one back has to wash the dishes!' the little one shouted as he leapt up and began to run. Too true, the last one at table had to help the sisters with the dishwashing afterwards whilst the other lads got to do more exhilarating work out of doors.

The eldest hesitated, but as all the younger hobbits took to their heels, threatening to make him the last, he shook the water from his hat, clapped it on his head, and sprinted to catch up. He had only to pass the slowest runner and he'd be washing no dishes that day...

Under the cover of dirt, the coals of the little fire glowed, eating down into the large root that crossed under the impromptu firepit. Finding the dry, dead wood to its liking, the fire began slowly to nibble its way up the root, towards the main body of the tinder-dry stump.

***

It had been a long, hot, dry summer, and the Thain was grateful for the rainy spring they'd had earlier. The crops were growing well, thanks to their good start, and it looked as if harvest might even be a little early this year.

He had been confirmed by the hobbits of the Shire at the Free Fair held in Michel Delving to celebrate the Lithedays, but before that he was confirmed by the Tooks and Tooklanders. Half of Brandy Hall had attended, and the Mayor of the Shire had done the honours, grinning proudly at Pippin. 'Never thought I'd see the day,' Samwise said under cover of the cheering crowd.

'Never?' Pippin said back.

Sam shook his head. 'After that last stunt you pulled in Tuckborough, I thought they'd never let you in again, much less make you Thain.'

Pippin laughed and said, 'It was half Merry's fault, you know.'

'And they've never let me into Tookland since, until today...' Merry said.

'It helps to have friends in high places,' Pippin said solemnly. He gave the Mayor a nudge. 'You're neglecting your duties,' he said. 'It's time for you to open the festivities. People can't stand around cheering for the Thain all day, no matter how pleasantly it rings upon the ear.'

'What are you thinking about, my love?' Diamond said, bending to plant a kiss as she picked up his breakfast tray.

'About how easy it is to neglect one's duties,' he said, looking up with a smile.

'Anyone in particular?' Diamond asked.

'Yes, my steward.'

Regi looked up. 'What have I done now?' he said

'It's what you haven't done,' the Thain chided him. 'I wanted that report on crop readiness yesterday. You've been spending all your time watching those engineers again, haven't you?'

'Well, you wanted a report on how they were working with that black powder they brought back from Buckland,' Regi said.

'And how long does it take to talk to them and write out what they tell you?' Pippin asked.

'I needed to watch a bit, get a better idea of what they were talking about,' the steward defended himself.

Pippin smiled. He'd been fascinated with the black powder, himself, when he'd been steward of Buckland and the King had sent Merry information on the stuff. Gandalf had given the King the secret of the powder before passing over the Sea, that fireworks should not disappear from Middle-earth with him. The King had thought that the peaceable hobbits could be trusted with the secret, and that the stuff might come in handy in their excavations. Though dwarves were diggers as well as hobbits, they were a shade too aggressive to be given the powder, the King had decided, and they might scorn its use in any event, considering the care they took plying their hammers in the crystal caves.

Curious, how the stuff burned with a quick hot flame in the open air; but cage it, put it in a box, and it exploded violently. Doderic had experimented, and Pippin had stolen time from his duties as steward to watch as often as he could. It was dangerous stuff, but then so many useful things were dangerous. Take a knife, for example. You could carve a toy for a wee hobbit, or cut your meat, or stick yourself seriously enough to need a healer. And fire could keep you warm, or cook your food, or light your pipe, or burn the life out of you were you to treat it casually.

'So has anyone blown himself to pieces yet?' the Thain enquired.

'You know Aldebrand is more careful than that. And Everard seems to have a real gift.'

'With his explosive temper, he ought to feel right at home with the stuff,' Pippin answered. 'Now let's get to work. Time is wasting, and teatime will be here before you know it.' He looked up at Diamond. 'What are we having for tea this day?' he asked.

'It's such a lovely day, I thought we'd take Faramir on a picnic,' she answered.

'Lovely,' he said. 'We can go to the little pool and teach the lad to swim.'

'Swim!' Reginard said, alarmed.

'O aye,' the Thain said, eyeing his steward with amusement. 'Every Brandybuck knows how to swim, you know. Should we let them get ahead of the Tooks?' He looked back down at the stack of papers before him. 'Let's get to business; you know I won't work past teatime.'

'Yes, Sir,' Regi answered. That was one custom of old Thain Paladin's that his son had chosen to continue. Reginard rather enjoyed having the afternoons free, himself. There was a certain lass in Tuckborough whose family he'd been taking tea with, now, and he'd beaten her father at Kings several times in the past week. He figured he'd soften him up a bit more, then ask him for his daughter's hand. Autumn, when the leaves turned to gold and scarlet flame, was a fine time for a wedding...