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At the End of His Rope  by Lindelea

77. Ghosts of the Past

'You must be soaked to the skin,' Bergil said worriedly, but Pippin only laughed.

'And so are you!' he retorted. 'And there's more of you, so you're more soaked than I am!' Bergil shook his head, and Pippin added reassuringly, 'We are nearly to Brandy Hall, and my timing, as usual, is impeccable, for we ought to be arriving just at teatime. A nice warm cup will do me wonders.' He lowered his voice, saying, 'Besides, they are nice and dry in the waggon. I could hardly seek shelter there and drip all over everyone.'

Very soon they were passing through Bucklebury. It was a far cry from Bergil's first glimpse of the place; hobbits were out and about their business, mothers with baskets on their arms, coming from market, little ones splashing in the puddles behind them, a tween scattering grain to chickens that had ventured out into the misting rain in search of bugs.

'Here we are!' Pippin shouted as they took the turnoff for Brandy Hall. 'I wonder if they will have seedcake for tea?'

***

Residents and guests of Brandy Hall had just sat down to tea when Merimas Brandybuck entered the great room with a wide grin. 'Still more guests! The Thain is arriving, with a waggonload besides,' he said to Merry. 'It will be quite a lively Yule this year.' He bowed to King Elessar and his queen. Arwen had arrived that day from Fornost, to celebrate Yule, with the little princess and young heir, along with the children of the rulers of Rohan and Ithilien. The youngest of these were enchanted with hobbit accommodations, which suited their size perfectly. They sat upon benches or in chairs pulled up to the hobbit-sized tables, whilst their elders had to make do, sitting on cushions upon the floor to be at proper table height.

The small children also delighted in the hobbit cups and saucers, plates and spoons, though the Master of Buckland had arranged for the potters to throw larger cups, plates, bowls, and pitchers, and the smiths to craft larger eating implements for the larger guests of the Hall. Beds were not quite as easy a problem to solve, but the Big People elected to sleep upon the cots they brought and set up within their pavilions. They spent much of their time in the pavilions or high-ceiled great room, when not walking or working in the rain, but took at least one meal each day in the great room with the Brandybucks.

'And who is in the waggon?' Merry asked.

'The Gamgees, Pippin told me, but how many of them I do not know, for the waggon is covered, of course. If we set a score of places we shall be ready for any contingency.' Merimas turned to Elessar. 'It might interest you to hear that it is being driven by your errant guardsman,' he added, his grin broadening at memory of the ridiculous sight of a Man driving a hobbit waggon. 'They will be pulling into the courtyard at any moment; I encountered them on the road and rode ahead to tell you to set places at table for them.'

Prince Faramir of Ithilien paused in a comment to Eowyn on hearing repetition of his name. He looked up expectantly in time to hear Merry say, 'Faramir, your father is arriving. Will you go to greet him?' The Man felt a moment of disorientation, imagining Denethor riding into the courtyard, then Eowyn was laughing at him, catching his mistake, and he joined her in amusement. Of course, the Master was addressing his namesake, who had jumped up from the table in excitement.

Merry rose, telling the servers to set more places, then said to Estella, 'You stay, my dear. It will be as easy for you to greet them as they enter as to stand upon the stones.'

'Yes, beloved, I will stay here with my feet up, good obedient wife that I am,' Estella said demurely, and Merry chuckled.

'Turning over a new leaf?' he asked softly, and she flashed him a stern look.

'Be off with you!' she ordered. 'Before our guests have to find their own way into the Hall!'

'I shall join you,' Elessar said, rising, and Faramir of Ithilien also rose. 'The rest of you, stay, mind the tea, lest the hobbits eat all before we return.'

'That is a real danger,' Estella said. 'I am eating for two, you know.' She acknowledged the bows of the departing menfolk with a regal nod.

The clouds parted to allow a watery Sun to shine upon the courtyard as the three reached the main entrance to the Hall. The waggon stood before the door; Pippin had dismounted and was lifting one of the occupants out as young Faramir held the flap aside. As Pippin turned from the waggon, bearing his burden to the entrance, Prince Faramir of Ithilien had another moment of confusion. 'Frodo?' he said uncertainly.

Pippin smiled. 'Why, yes,' he said. 'This is Frodo Gamgee. But how did you know?'

Faramir said, 'I--' and then shook his head. 'Greetings, Peregrin,' he said formally. 'It has been a long time.' Frodo Gamgee was the image of his father at a younger age, and Pippin... twenty-some years older than the last time Faramir had seen him, about the age now that Frodo Baggins had been at that time, bore a striking resemblance to his cousin, more so for being gaunt and drawn from long illness and the strain of the past few months.

'Greetings, my Captain,' Pippin answered, and the illusion vanished with his smile. 'Or perhaps I should say, "Prince".' He turned to Merry. 'We have three needing beds; they are not quite ready to join the company for tea.'

Merry looked past him to see Bergil carrying a well wrapped-up Samwise. 'One more?' he asked.

'Goldi,' Pippin said. 'The others might need to be helped down, but they're well enough to walk into the Hall and join us for tea.'

Merry reached the waggon as Rose finished wrapping Goldi in a blanket. 'Rose,' he said, 'Welcome to Brandy Hall. I hope you will be staying for Yule.' He was shocked at the appearance of all the Gamgees; they looked like ghosts of themselves, and he resolved that they would not be returning to Hobbiton until Hall hospitality had coaxed them back to health. He took up Goldi, and Elessar and the two Faramirs steadied the rest of the Gamgees as they climbed down from the waggon.

'Strider, if you wouldn't mind escorting the guests to tea,' Merry said, 'I will return as soon as we've taken care of these three.' King Elessar nodded, with a gentle squeeze to Rose's hand on one side and Elanor's on his other.

'All out?' the stable lad holding the ponies called, and Prince Faramir waved. The little group walked slowly into the Hall, accommodating the slow pace set by the convalescents.

Inside the Hall, Merry hailed a passing servant, saying, 'The Mayor and his family are come; we shall put them in the Mayor's apartments. I want you to find Healer Robin and send him to me there.'

Bergil had to crouch to carry Samwise through the corridors, and was relieved to lay the Mayor upon his bed and straighten as much as the ceiling allowed. 'There you are, Sam-Dad,' he said. 'We'll bring your tea to you here.'

'I don't need any tea,' Sam said. 'A nap will do me fine.'

'You had better take some tea,' Merry said, 'Or Estella will feed it to you herself. She thinks all hobbits should eat all the time, or all's not right with the world.'





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