Chapter 12. Whispers

The hobbits washing dishes were so deep in their gossip that they didn't hear the Thain's hobbitservant come up behind them with the spent tea tray.

'...such a shame. 'E's been the finest Thain Tookland's ever knew, I warrant, and it's too bad to lose 'im now.'

At the soft throat clearing behind them, the little group stiffened and fell silent.

Sandy stood grimly behind them until one turned tentatively to see if he was still there, then immediately began apologising, taking the tray from him. He did not leave, as they expected, but stood soberly until one turned back to say, 'Can I help you, Sir?'

'What news d'you have of the Thain?' he asked quietly.

'You... you'd know better'n us now,' another ventured timidly.

Sandy nodded. 'That I would,' he said mildly. 'But I want to know what the talk is.'

He fixed them all with a stern eye until one said uneasily, 'But surely ye know.' Sandy made no answer. The speaker dropped his eyes. 'They say 'e's lost the use of 'is legs,' he muttered. 'Hopeless crippled, they say.'

Another spoke up. 'They say Reginard's running things already, that he's about to be tapped to step up.'

'Where did you hear this?' Sandy demanded.

'It's all the news,' one of them said. 'Everyone's saying so. You know how it is.' Unfortunately, Sandy did know, all too well. Tookland was fertile ground for rumour, once a seed was planted it quickly took root, sprouted, and formed seed that the wind scattered to the far ends of the land.

He needed to nip it in the bud now, pull up the weeds by the roots and throw them on the burning pile. And it needed doing quickly, before the Tooklanders took it into their heads to force the Thain to step down because of some imagined lacking on his part.

Sandy shook his head. 'The steward's just doing what he's always done,' he said, 'being steward. The Thain hasn't stopped running things. His is the voice behind every order, his hand holds every lead.' He was reassured to see them nodding. After all, it wasn't that different from the old Thain. Paladin had hardly left his rooms those last few years.

'Now,' he said, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. They gathered closer. 'I need your help.' They nodded. 'Whenever you hear one of these scurrilous rumours, I want you to stamp it flat,' he said. 'This kind of talk is hurtful to the Thain, to Tookland, to the Shire...' he took the time to gaze into each pair of eyes, before concluding, 'to us all.'

***

'News from Buckland!' Ferdibrand sang as he entered the study, waving an envelope in one hand and a bulky package in the other.

'Pony post?' Pippin asked.

'O aye,' Ferdi said, 'Would they send birthday greetings any other way, these days? Especially with those ponies eating their heads off at Hall's and Smials' expense.'

'What time did the rider leave Buckland?' Reginard asked.

'Just after elevenses, he said.'

'And it's after teatime. Not a record run, then,' the Thain commented.

'They're a bit rusty. We'll have to start doing practice runs again,' Reginard said. 'Well, feed him and send him back again, and tell him to make better time on the return run or we'll want to know why.'

Diamond had opened the letter and was reading it. 'Estella sends her best, and her birthday present to us is in the package.'

'Looks as if it was awkward enough to carry,' Regi commented. 'Rider must've had to strap it to his back.'

Ferdibrand carefully cut the cords and unwrapped the outer layer, then the inner layers to reveal a painting. He turned it to face the Thain and Mistress.

'Oooo,' Diamond said, 'Just look at that! How that girl sits still long enough to make such a treasure...'

Looking as if they were about to step from the canvas, Merry and Pippin stood on either side of Faramir, who was holding up a trout half as tall as himself. The trout stream flowed behind them, rendered so realistically they could almost hear the laughing of the waters dancing over the rocks, and the wind sighing through the trees. All three wore wide grins.

'Where's Faramir? He's got to see this!' asked the Thain.

'Out in the stables, helping with another foaling. For a wonder White Face didn't wait until the middle of the night to birth this time,' Ferdi answered.

'Mayhap the lass is developing some sense,' Regi said.

'I doubt it, I warrant she was just tired of carrying around all the extra weight,' Diamond said dryly. She remembered that feeling. Her attention was caught by her husband, who was staring fixedly at the picture. 'What is it, love?'

He began to smile. 'I think I know what our lad's name is to be,' he said, softly. 'O aye.'