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At the End of His Rope  by Lindelea

Ch 81. Greeting the Thain

An efficient conspiracy resulted in the Thain's taking six meals that day. The Gamgees invited him to share second breakfast with them, and though he'd eaten heartily early on, the talk and laughter distracted him enough to consume a fair amount. Then Gimli sought him out when it was time for elevenses, just happening to suggest they seek a quiet corner in the great room, so that the dwarf could ask about Yuletide practices in the Shire. Everyone in the great room at the time was served elevenses, of course, by the efficient kitchen staff. At midday, Estella insisted that he join herself and Merry for a filling dinner, and at teatime, Elessar summoned him to a consultation with the captains of the ships, complete with savouries and sweets. Beregond found him later, at the desk in his room, writing a note to his steward, and persuaded him to share late supper with the guardsmen.

Afterwards, he checked on Faramir, then fell into his bed, tired and replete, and was quickly asleep. The next day was much the same.

The Thain and his son were awake early on the day after. Pippin had a few last-minute consultations with Elessar, the Master of Buckland, and the captains of the ships, and then he was ready to go, only to be balked by Legolas.

'We must have second breakfast, before we start,' the elf insisted.

'When did you begin eating second breakfast?' Pippin demanded.

'Since discovering that elves and hobbits are distant relatives,' Legolas said. Gimli snorted at this, but held his peace. Pippin shook his head, but conceded.

Finally they were on their way, crossing the River on the Ferry, under the nose of one of the anchored ships, waving at the curious sailors on the deck, who would not be allowed to set foot on shore, for the King had decreed that no more Men would be admitted to the Shire. Soon enough, his edict would again ban all Men, including himself.

Pippin and Faramir rode ponies, but Legolas elected to stride along beside them. In truth, it was no difficulty for him to keep up, and talking was much easier than if he'd sat upon a tall horse;  walking along, he was face-to-face with the mounted hobbits.

The rain had cleared and the Sun shone brightly above, but the air was chill enough that they could see their breath, and the ponies', as they travelled. After a couple of hours, approaching an inn, the elf said, 'Ah, perfect timing!'

'What is?' the Thain asked.

'An inn! We can stop for elevenses,' the elf said.

'When have you ever eaten elevenses?' Pippin asked in exasperation.

'I discovered their delights at Brandy Hall,' the elf said. 'I am enjoying being related to hobbits more each day.'

Faramir laughed, then said, 'I'm a bit hungry, myself, Da.'

'Very well,' Pippin said. They tied up the ponies before the inn, no use putting them in the stables for such a brief time, and went in. The innkeeper was overwhelmed to have one of the Fair Folk at one of his tables, as well as the Thain, and as a result they ate very well indeed, even with such short notice.

After mounting, they travelled on another two or three hours, until another inn came in sight. Legolas smiled, but Pippin spoke before he could open his mouth.

'Don't tell me,' the Thain said. 'You're perishing of hunger and wish us to stop for dinner.'

'What a good idea!' Legolas said, and Faramir hid a smile. The Thain sighed, but allowed the interruption in the journey, as they had been making good time and ought to arrive at the Crowing Cockerel around teatime...

...which they did, and proceeded to enjoy tea, and stories, and hot baths, and late supper, and bed. It was altogether a very pleasant day of journeying halfway to Tuckborough.

The next day, except for being considerably colder, was nearly the same. Inns were placed along the road at convenient intervals for travelling hobbits, and Legolas threw himself into his new role with enthusiasm, also making sure that at each stop, their table was situated close to a warming fire.

As they were entering the last inn before Tuckborough, where they would take their midday dinner, they encountered Ferdibrand Took.

'Hullo, Ferdi, what brings you here?' the Thain hailed him.

'Watching out for you,' Ferdibrand said, eyeing Legolas with some awe and a great deal of suspicion. 'Diamond was expecting you home for Last Day, so I was fairly sure you'd be travelling this day.'

'Regi fussing about the Thain having a proper escort, again?' Pippin said.

Ferdi chuckled. 'Always,' he answered. 'Your escort will be ready to ride out when you are. I'll go tell them to saddle up now.' He also sent one of the hobbits back to Tuckborough at a gallop, though he didn't tell the Thain that.

When he returned to join them at table, Pippin introduced Legolas.

'The Legolas?' Ferdi said, raising an eyebrow.

'How am I supposed to take that?' Legolas asked.

'Are the stories true?' was Ferdi's next question.

The elf laughed. 'From the sampling I've heard, they're true enough,' he said.

Ferdi shook his head. 'Cousin, I've wronged you,' he said frankly to Pippin. 'I thought all this time that you were spinning wool for our amusement.'

'O no, the stories are all cut from whole cloth,' Pippin said solemnly.

'Welcome to Tookland,' Ferdibrand said. 'I am at your service.'

'At your service, and your family's,' Legolas said properly, with a bow, before settling to the floor to begin his meal.

'He's part hobbit, you know,' Pippin said without further explanation, and tucked in to his food.

Now with a proper escort, as opposed to a single elf, afoot, the Thain continued to Tuckborough.

As they approached the outskirts of the town, they heard a shout, and then a cheer went up, and soon they were riding between two solid lines of hobbits on either side of the road through the town, shouting, cheering, singing, and waving bright cloths to greet their Thain. Legolas stole a glance at Pippin, wondering. Was this the careless tween who'd shared his journey through peril and adventure, not so long ago? The Thain was riding silently, a slight smile on his face, nodding to the right and to the left, acknowledging his people. The elf wondered what was going through his mind.

In truth, Pippin was thinking of his last homecoming, the day before Remembering Day, only two months previous. The streets had been lined then, as well, but with silent, staring hobbits, Tooks and Tooklanders whose food had run out, who were reduced to eating their flocks and their herds for want of anything else, who saw even this last source of food dwindling, with nothing beyond but hunger... and death. They might have eaten longer had the Thain not ordered the supply of seed planted some weeks earlier; they could hardly dig it up again from the dusty ground.

He had no hope to offer them, simply rode by in silence, hunger cramping his own belly, knowing their pain himself. When he reached the Smials, he dismounted, hugged his wife for a long moment, and closeted himself with his steward.

'What will we eat when the flocks and herds are gone?' the steward had asked.

The Thain had looked at him silently, for the space of several breaths. 'We'll start to eat the ponies,' he said. 'if we have to.'

The steward had nodded. 'Will the King's waggons come?' he'd asked.

The Thain had not answered.

The next day was Remembering Day, and since the stream that ran through Tuckborough was all but dry, the hobbits who had loved ones to remember had travelled to Bywater, to set their lighted boats upon the water there, to camp after the ceremony on the dusty verge as there was no hurry to go home again, no hope at home or anywhere in the Shire.

...but in the middle night swift riders came from Buckland, on their way to the far ends of the Shire. The wains had come from Rohan, filled with food, and had already crossed the Brandywine Bridge, making their way steadily closer.

The Tooklanders packed up their belongings and walked homewards through the darkness, singing.

Such were Pippin's thoughts, as he rode through the cheering throng to the Great Smials.

 





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