Chapter 80. Bread and Breakfast

Pippin wakened to the crackle of a bright fire on the hearth and a delicious smell in the air. He heard Faramir talking quietly, then a chuckle from... Legolas? He opened his eyes to see Faramir and Legolas at the little table, Faramir in one of the chairs, and Legolas upon the floor to be at proper table height. Had the table a voice, it would have groaned for the weight of food piled upon it, and the merry twain were making a hearty meal.

Seeing the Thain awake, Legolas turned slightly from the table to bow in his direction. 'Good morning!' he said merrily. 'Your son kindly invited me to join him at breakfast, and I told him I would show him something of the wood elves' fare, when we were talking over Bilbo's tales last evening. You are in good time; we have not yet eaten all.'

'That's a relief,' Pippin said, throwing back the covers. He took the empty chair, and Legolas soon loaded a plate and placed it before him. The delicious smell was coming from the steaming bread; he took a bite, and said, 'I remember this! It is what Gildor served us at the beginning of our journey.' ...surpassing the savour of a fair white loaf to one who is starving.

'Not quite what they bake in the ovens in my father's halls,' Legolas laughed, 'but it will serve.' He took another bite from his own plateful of food, then said, 'Faramir was just telling me the story of the elf and the dwarf.'

'Which one?' Pippin asked.

'There are more than one?' Legolas said, amused.

Pippin threw back his head and laughed. Faramir said, 'He could tell a tale a night for a year and not be half done.'

Legolas shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 'I didn't realise we had afforded so much... amusement.'

'Years of pleasure for many a hobbit,' Pippin said. 'You're famous throughout the Shire.'

'I had thought of accompanying you to Tookland,' the elf said thoughtfully. 'Now I wonder if it is a wise idea.'

'We don't have to tell them that you are the elf,' Pippin said.

'I had thought the tale was very specific as to names,' Legolas pointed out.

'We can just say it was "some other Legolas",' Pippin said, off-handedly.

'And would the hobbits believe that?'

'No,' Pippin answered, 'but it might give you the illusion of anonymity.'

Legolas laughed at that, and added more food to Pippin's plate. 'Eat up, you are falling behind.'

'When are we going back?' Faramir asked his father.

'Yuletide starts tomorrow. I doubt they will even begin offloading the cargo until after Yule. The messengers will be going out today to tell the Shirefolk and Breefolk to send waggons to Bucklebury Ferry landing, and to the Bridge. We'll be offloading at both ferry landings; the carpenters have already started working to build upon the landings so that ships may tie up there. We'll cart it from both landings westward throughout the Shire and eastward throughout Buckland and Breeland,' Pippin said. 'We'll spread the food as far as it'll go.'

'I think you'll find it will go far,' Legolas said. 'Not only will the measure be full, but heaped up and running over. Ithilien sent food as well as Gondor. Every one of those ships is filled until no more could be added without foundering the ship.'

He saw Pippin's smile fade slightly, but then the Thain nodded and said, 'Our King doesn't do things by halves, does he?'

'No, I find that he doesn't,' Legolas answered quietly. 'The Shire will have food enough to last until harvest time, and beyond, if needed, and if for any reason next year's harvest should fail, there is plenty more in the storehouses of Gondor.'

'Though we should have to sell ourselves into slavery to pay for it. I hope there is enough gold in the Shire to pay for those ships full of food out there on the River.'

'Ah, well, you'll just have to mine more gold, I suppose,' Legolas said, but the Thain did not smile, and pushed his plate away. Legolas took this opportunity to load more food upon the plate. 'Do not let this food go to waste,' he said. 'I was up betimes baking that bread, I will have you know, and I do not intend to eat it all myself.'

'I will help you,' Faramir said, his mouth full of said bread.

'We would not want your sacrifice to be for naught,' Pippin said with a wry smile, and accepted his loaded plate back with a sigh, deigning to eat once more.

'So when are we going back?' Faramir asked again.

'As I was saying, Yuletide begins tomorrow. If we leave the day after, make an easy two-day journey with a night's rest at the Crowing Cockerel, we can arrive at the Smials by tea-time the day before Year's End,' Pippin said.

'I've heard of the Crowing Cockerel,' Legolas said. 'Someone mentioned the best beer on the road between Stock and Tuckborough.'

'O aye,' Pippin said, 'and they ought to have some beer left, I think. One of the few crops that didn't fail completely was the hops.' He shook his head. 'At least we do not have to wait for a new brewing, from the supplies on the ships, to age and mellow.'

'And what, after Yule?' Legolas said, to distract him momentarily from the thought of the ships and the debts they represented.

'I have been away so much since the babe was born; I rather think Diamond would like me to stay awhile,' Pippin said, but then came back to the topic of the ships. 'When Merry sends word that the offloading of the ships is nearly done, and the fleet is ready to depart, I will return to Buckland with Tookland's gold.'

He sighed, then brightened. 'You are welcome to stay at the Smials for as long as you wish, Legolas, or wander about the Shire, or return to Buckland. Once the Tooks get used to you, I don't think you need to worry about being shot full of arrows should you travel without escort on our roads and paths.'

'That's reassuring,' Legolas said, 'I think.'

'They still haven't got over the ruffians, you know,' Pippin said. 'Strider came close to losing a score of his guardsmen, had not one of my cousins decided to ask questions before shooting. Anybody over hobbit-height is automatically suspect. Dwarves may pass through with impunity, they're short enough. Fair Folk... they're tall, and might be mistaken for Men at first glance, but they have an air about them, when they choose to be seen at all, and so we have not shot any by accident... at least, not yet.'

'What if I travel upon my knees?' Legolas asked.

Pippin snorted. 'Well, that would make you shorter, in truth, but might make for slow travel.'

'Indeed.' Legolas nodded solemnly. 'I will be safe enough, I suppose, travelling with you and Faramir?'

Pippin made a great show of considering before nodding. 'I think so,' he said. 'As long as you stay close to us, you ought to be out of harm's way.' He paused. 'Would Gimli be coming as well?'

'The Master has invited him to play the part of Father Yule at the Hall,' Legolas smiled. 'I think he will spend Yuletide here in Buckland, though he wishes to come to visit Tookland after Yule.'

'He would receive a warm welcome from the Tooks,' Pippin said. 'We sent some engineers to study with the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain, and they brought back much valuable knowledge with them.' He scratched his chin. 'Come to think of it, you could probably travel safely about Tookland with Gimli by your side. The people would not shoot at you quickly were you walking with a dwarf.'

'I am sure Gimli will be gratified to hear that,' Legolas answered.

There was a knock on the door and a deferential servant stuck his head in at Pippin's hail.

'Your bath is ready for you, Sir,' he said, withdrew his head, and closed the door again.

'My bath?' Pippin said, surprised.

'Ah, yes, when we saw you stir I let the staff know that they could prepare your bath,' Legolas said. 'It's a bit chilly this morning, even with the fire, don't you think? A hot bath will do wonders to warm you up.'

Pippin stared at him, speechless.

'I imagine you took quite a chill on the ride here from Hobbiton,' the elf continued. 'Would you not find "water hot steaming in a tub" preferable to "water cold streaming from above"?'

'Legolas,' Pippin said, eyeing him with concern, 'I do believe we have corrupted you.'

'I have come to the conclusion that we are long-lost relatives,' Legolas answered. He laughed at the hobbit's look of astonishment. 'Think on it,' he continued. 'Hobbits and elves must be cousins of a sort: we love good food, good wine, song, dance, making merry. And we can be warriors fierce and fearsome when pressed.' He took another bite from his plate, closing his eyes to savour the mouthful.

'You go ahead and have the first bath, Da,' Faramir put in. 'I've not quite finished telling Legolas the tale of the elf and the dwarf, yet.'