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At the End of His Rope  by Lindelea

Chapter 18. Signs of Life

Halfway through May, the Thain walked the entire distance from bed to study.

'Well now,' his steward said, 'You've set the record for endurance. We'll have to work on speed, next.'

'O aye,' the Thain gasped, raising a trembling hand to wipe his face.

Reginard frowned. 'Methinks we need to make haste a bit more slowly.'

'What?' Pippin said weakly. 'And give up this pleasant exercise?'

'I didn't say we'd give up the morning stroll, cousin,' was Regi's answer. 'Just that we wouldn't try to walk halfway to Buckland in a day.'

'O aye,' Pippin repeated. He was beginning to catch his breath, and Reginard and Ferdibrand shared a look of relief over his head.

The Thain pulled a stack of papers over and got down to business. 'You're taking your job as chancellor much too seriously,' he said to Ferdi. 'You must be going through ink by the barrelful, and I'd like to know how many trees gave their lives to sustain this burst of paperwork?'

'O, I thought you wanted me to earn my salary,' the chancellor said mildly, smiling at the Thain's sharp look. 'Every one of those papers means something, Pippin.'

'That's what I'm afraid of,' the Thain said, drawing the top paper off the pile.

'He's right,' Regi put in unexpectedly. 'Under the old Thain you wouldn't believe the piles of unnecessary paperwork I sweated through.'

Pippin shot him a wry look. 'O yes, I would,' he maintained. 'I sweated through it as well.'

'Yes, when you weren't off to Buckland to visit those ne'er-do-well Brandybucks, or hiking through strange foreign parts in the company of odd folk.' Reginard shook a finger at him. 'You're not going to get off so easily this time, cousin. We've finally got things running smoothly and you are going to stick around to run them, if we have to tie you to that chair!'

'I hope it won't come to that,' the Thain said mildly, writing several comments on the paper he held and taking the next from the stack. Steward and Chancellor exchanged another glance. They were in complete agreement with him.

Some time later, he put the last paper aside with a sigh. 'There, that ought to keep you busy awhile,' he said.

'At least until tomorrow,' the steward answered.

Pippin stretched. 'We've worked right through elevenses. Is the tea still warm?'

Ferdi felt the pot under its cosy. 'Barely,' he said. 'Sorry, should have paid more attention.'

'Ah well, we got a lot accomplished,' the Thain said, picking up a sandwich only to put it down again.

'That will be a grand comfort to the mourners at my memorial after your wife gets through with me,' Ferdibrand said.

'I'll deliver a touching eulogy, don't worry, cousin,' Pippin said.

'Yes, if you haven't wasted away from hunger,' Ferdi returned acidly. 'You eat less than any hobbit I know.'

'Aye, but at least I burn it all off,' Pippin said equably. He looked up at his wife's entrance with a smile. 'Diamond!'

'Don't "Diamond" me,' she said grimly. 'You've been letting them work your fingers to the bone again, no food, no rest.'

'O aye,' the Thain sighed with a martyred look. 'They drive me worse than a company of orcs.'

'Well, 'tis a good thing the cooks have roasted a lamb just the way you like it, with mint sauce and all.'

'Poor lamb,' Pippin muttered.

Regi laughed. 'It gave its life in a good cause, cousin.' He reached for a morsel, to have his hand slapped away by the Thain's irate wife.

'Go get your own,' she said sternly. 'This is for my husband, before he wastes away to skin and bone.'

'All that?' Pippin said in dismay.

'Aye,' Diamond said firmly.

The Thain drew a deep breath, then smiled winningly at his wife. 'Thank you, my love,' he said. 'I'll have Regi bring the tray down later.'

'O no,' she shook her head. 'I am going to take it down myself, after I watch you eat every bite.' She locked gazes with her husband until he dropped his eyes and picked up his fork.

***

That afternoon, after tea was finished, Regi stretched and flexed his shoulders, nodding to Ferdi, who left the study on some errand. 'A good day's work,' the steward said. 'How about a break?'

'O aye,' Pippin answered. 'We could hike across country to the Green Dragon for a pint and be back in time for late supper.'

'Some fresh air would do me a world of good,' Regi said cryptically. Sandy had entered the study and now he and the steward moved to either side of the Thain. 'I think you've done enough walking for this day; how about a ride?'

'Get up there, old pony,' Pippin said, and they lifted him from the chair.

'Where are we going?' he asked as they carried him to the main entrance of the Great Smials.

'Out,' the steward said succinctly.

'I can see that,' Pippin said. 'Want to give me a clue?'

'You'll figure it out,' Regi said, 'given enough time.'

Pippin glanced over at Sandy, who wore a dignified smile. They took him to the stables, where Ferdi was standing with three saddled ponies.

'A ride?' Pippin asked in wonder.

'Looks that way, doesn't it?' Regi grunted. 'Nothing wrong with pony's legs, after all.'

They set him down before Socks, and Sandy slipped the Thain a carrot. 'Wouldn't want him to think you forgot,' the servant said somberly.

'No, I'd hate to throw him into a snit just when we're about to have some fun,' the Thain returned, and offered the carrot to the pony, stroking the velvet nose as the treat was graciously accepted. 'Whew, that's a relief,' he said. 'Looks as if we might be on speaking terms again.'

Regi and Sandy supported him over to the pony's side. 'All right, get your foot into the stirrup,' Regi said. They held him steady and Sandy guided the left foot into place, then they made sure he had a firm grip on the saddle before they turned him loose.

'Hop up, now,' Regi said encouragingly, and Pippin soon found himself standing in the stirrup.

'Can you get your leg over?'

Pippin tried but had to shake his head.

'Ah, well, that'll come in time,' the steward said, unruffled. He eased Pippin's right leg over the pony's back, and Pippin was sitting in the saddle. He was able to wriggle the toes of his right foot into the stirrup and sat, tired but triumphant. Ferdi and Regi swung into their own saddles and they were off.

'You needn't hover so close,' the Thain said to the two who rode on either side of him. 'I'm fine!' For the first time in weeks he was telling the absolute truth.

'Socks is a bit out of practice,' Ferdi said. 'We just want to reassure him, is all.' The Thain let it go, choosing instead to enjoy the sunshine, the breeze on his face, the shouts and hands raised in greeting.

'That'll give them something to gossip about over supper tonight,' Ferdi said softly.

'O aye,' Regi snorted. 'Guess the Thain isn't quite dead, yet.'

'Not quite,' Pippin agreed.





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