CHAPTER 2

Pippin’s mind struggled towards awakening. There was a strange hand soothing his brow. It wasn’t Merry. He knew Merry’s hand better than his own. It wasn’t Frodo’s long, gentle palm, which he knew nearly as well; nor was it Sam’s sturdy one. The hand was too small and too soft to be Strider or Legolas or Gimli. It was a hobbit’s hand, a lass--oh, that’s right: he was back home! But if he was home, why did he hurt so much?

That throbbing agony in his leg? Suddenly he remembered--fishing with his brothers-in-law, the storm, the tree. He had a broken leg.

He forced his eyes open, and was pleasantly startled to see, only inches from his own, another pair of eyes, Tookish green, but with tiny golden flecks. There was a little tilted nose, and a pink bow of a mouth, bracketed by a pair of dimples, all of it framed by wisps of dark curls.

“Oh,” he whispered.

To his dismay, the lovely face moved away.

“Mistress Lavender, Mistress Took! He is awake now.”

Diamond--that was her name--Miss Diamond, the healer’s apprentice, was replaced by his mother and by Mistress Lavender. His mother bent over and kissed his brow, and Mistress Lavender possessed herself of his wrist, taking his pulse in a business-like way.

The healer moved her own hand next to his brow. “His pulse is steady, but he does have a very slight fever; only to be expected after such an injury. Mr. Peregrin, how do you feel?”

“I’ve felt worse.” This much was true. How could he complain about a broken leg after everything else he’d been through? And though his leg did indeed hurt him most horribly, he was not about to make a baby of himself--especially in front of that lovely vision he could still make out, though she had moved away to make room for her elders.

Mistress Lavender, though, would have none of that. “I asked how do you feel *now*?” she repeated firmly. She drew the leather cord over her neck, with the bit of amber that was suspended from it, and dangled it over his leg.

“Hurts.” He could admit that much, as she could see for herself anyway, with that thing swinging erratically over his leg. Healers! His eyes sought for Diamond’s face again.

Lavender noticed. Uh-oh, she thought, can’t have the wind blow that way. “Diamond, go and prepare some willow-bark tea; make it fairly strong.”

“Yes, Mistress Lavender.” Pippin thought her voice was lovely. Her accent was a bit different; he remembered that she was a North-Took--one of old Bullroarer’s descendants.

Now that he was awake, he was aware of certain things. He needed to relieve himself, but he was surrounded by females. Never mind that one of them was his mother and the other two were healers. At least at Cormallen his companions had all been his friends and fellow warriors, and he wasn’t embarrassed to ask for the chamber pot. But he supposed he wasn’t going to have much choice.

“Erm--Mistress Lavender?” He blushed. This was going to be hard. He didn’t know her nearly so well as he had Poppy, who had taken care of him for as long as he could remember. And he was all too aware of the lovely apprentice hovering in the background.

But Lavender was an observant healer, and she knew exactly what was in her patient’s mind--she’d seen that same blush on male patients before.

“Mr. Peregrin, why don’t we see if your father would care to step in here for a moment, and we’ll go out and give you a bit of privacy?”

Eglantine chuckled, and went to the door. “Paladin? Would you come in for a few minutes?”

Pippin’s father came in looking anxious. He’d been waiting for some time as his wife and the healers had been busy with his son. He gave Eglantine a peck on the cheek. “Is everything all right, dear?”

Lavender spoke up. “Everything is as well as can be expected right now, Thain Paladin. I believe, however, that your son could use your assistance.” She explained how he could help Pippin up to relieve himself without putting any pressure on the broken limb. Paladin listened attentively, and then the two healers and his wife went out, leaving him alone with his son.

“Hullo, Father. I’m sorry about this.” It was still a bit embarrassing to have his father help him, but better than the alternative.

“Don’t be sorry, son.” Following the healer’s instructions, he helped Pippin to take care of his needs. His son was as white as the sheets, broken out into a sweat, and had bit his lip until it bled to keep from crying out, by the time Paladin got him back in the bed.

As Pippin lay trying to get his breath back, Paladin sat down next to his bed, and took his hand. “Son, you know that it is thanks to you that your sisters are not widows today. I am so proud of you.”

“It was--”

Paladin interrupted. “Do not dare to say ‘it was nothing’. Do you value your life or theirs so little?”

Pippin flushed. “No, father, that is not what I would have meant. But I did not do anything extraordinary--I just saw what needed to be done and did it. It’s not like I even *thought* about it before hand.”

Paladin patted his hand. “You may not have thought it extraordinary. You have saved lives before. But it will always seem so to me, and I marvel that I have a son like you.” His eyes were moist as he spoke. He had not always shown his pride in his son. There had once been a time when he despaired of his ever learning responsibility; those days were past. He had seen too much since Pippin’s return not to know how amazing the lad was.

Pippin’s own eyes teared up. He had put his parents through so much grief in the past, it meant a lot that his father could finally say he was proud of him.

“Father?”

“Yes, son?”

“What can you tell me of Miss Diamond, Mistress Lavender’s apprentice?”

Paladin raised his eyebrow at the sudden change of topic. But a glance at the deliberately casual expression on Pippin’s face suddenly enlightened him. Aha, he thought, and he smiled inwardly, though he didn’t allow it to show on his face.

“Well, being a North-Took, she is a descendant of the Bullroarer, so that would make her a sixth cousin on her father's side, I believe.”*

Paladin thought for a second. “I think that your mother said she has been Mistress Lavender’s apprentice for about two years, which would mean she has about five years left until she becomes a full healer. And I think from what your sisters have told me, that she is about a year younger than you.”

“She’s very pretty.”

“She is indeed. But I must remind you, Pippin, that lasses who study to be healers very seldom have the time or thought to spend on lads.”

“Oh, I know that,” said Pippin artlessly, “but I like lasses who want to be healers.”

Paladin remembered that Pimmie had told him Pippin had been paying some attentions to Poppy’s apprentice Viola, before they had left on their journey. “Why is that, son?” he was curious. He’d never heard his son express any sort of preference in feminine companionship before.

“Well, it’s because they seem to have more in their heads than worrying about clothes and parties. They know that life can be serious, they know what‘s really important, and they don’t seem to mind hearing about things that might be a little unpleasant.” His voice trailed away, and his face looked a bit drawn. “You won’t say anything to anyone, will you, Father? Especially Mother?” he asked anxiously.

Paladin grinned. “Your secret is safe with me, son.” This could be interesting.

_________________________________________________

“Are you going to be all right, Rosie my love?” asked Sam anxiously, for about the fourth time.

“Of course I am, Samwise Gamgee! The very idea! Now you just get yourself going. Poor Mr. Merry is going to take off all on his own if you don’t move along right smart now. Don’t worry about me at all!” She gave her husband a firm peck on the cheek and a bit of a push out the door. Mr. Merry and Mr. Frodo were waiting very anxiously indeed, and yes, Mr. Merry did look ready to take off like an arrow from the bow, if he had to wait another minute. He had already saddled the ponies, and was champing at the bit just as much as they.

So Sam hurried on out. The rain had slacked off to a mere drizzle, and the thunder was now sounding far to the east; they would be riding out of the storm, at least.

Rose shut the door to Bag End, and leaned back against it. There was no way she would have told Sam how nervous she was about staying here all alone. Mr. Pippin was more like kinfolk than a friend, even if he was gentry, and of course Sam needed to go to him, which he wouldn’t if he thought she was even the least bit afraid of being alone.

Sam mounted Bill, and Merry turned to look at him and Frodo. “Let’s go,” he said tensely, and started off at a trot. Frodo and Sam soon caught him up, and they kept a smart pace. They’d be at the Great Smials shortly after midnight if all went well.

__________________________________________________

While Paladin spent a few minutes with his son, Lavender took a few minutes to speak to her apprentice.

“Diamond, do you remember what the first principles are of being a healer?”

She looked at her mistress with surprise. A sudden quiz was not that unusual, but these were things she had down pat months ago. “To do nothing that would cause further harm, to use the best of my knowledge and abilities, to not try something that is clearly beyond my ability unless it is a matter of life and death, to keep a clear head, and to care for each patient as a person, but not personally.”

“I think that it is that last principle that may come to give you some difficulty in the days ahead.”

“What do you mean?” Diamond was mystified, and just slightly offended.

“I think that Peregrin Took finds you attractive.”

Diamond laughed. “Surely not!”

Lavender shook her head. “I might be mistaken, but I think not. You must know that you are a pretty lass.”

“Well, I’m not ugly, I know,” she laughed, “but I’m going to be a healer.” She said that as though it put her beyond being thought of as a potential mate.

Lavender laughed. “What has that to do with it, dear? *I* am married.”

“But that’s different!”

“In some ways. Polo and I did not even meet until I had been a full healer for several years, and he was never my patient, though his mother was. But simply being a healer does not mean that you will never be thought of as a pretty lass, nor as a potential wife.” Lavender shook her head. Many people did feel that way. The majority of healers never wed. But it was more to do with being absorbed by the work than of not wishing to marry.

And female healers held privileges that the average hobbitess did not. No one thought ill of a healer who wished to travel about the Shire on her own.

“Well,” said Diamond, “I suppose I should be flattered if he feels that way, but I am far too busy to be worrying about a lad. Even one as handsome and dashing as Peregrin Took.”

“That’s my lass.” Lavender was reassured. Diamond was an excellent apprentice, one of the best she had trained in years. She did not want her distracted by romance. And she would need her help in caring for the patient.

__________________________________________________

* Thanks to eiluj and FantasyFan for helping me reflect the degree of relationship accurately.  Your reviews were of great help.