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At the End of His Rope  by Lindelea

Chapter 87. Payment in Full

'Regi, I want you to send Ferdi and half the archers back to Tuckborough, along with the coach with my family,' Pippin said. At Diamond's protest, he put up a silencing hand. 'No,' he said, and Diamond knew that tone, the one that brooked no contradiction, no argument, the "stubborn rock of a Took" that would not be moved. 'It is too dangerous,' he said. 'Gold is poison, and I will not have you near it. The sooner we're rid of it, the better; and I want you back in the Smials, with guards about you, as long as there are Men loose in the Shire.'

He would not remind her of the horrors he'd heard, and seen, among Men in Gondor, and that a few rogue and greed-driven men had brought to the Shire in the time since he'd become Thain, quickly hushed up by agreement of Thain and Master and Mayor for the sake of the Shirefolk who had no need to know of such things. Kidnapping for ransom... and worse. The things that renegade Men did to those weaker than themselves, he could not begin to describe. Better to shuffle his family off to safety, to be thought of as a fusspot, than to let them experience for themselves what he feared. The things that renegade Men would do for gold...

'You're going on with the gold?' Reginard asked quietly. 'Why not go back to Tuckborough in the coach, with your family? How do you expect to ride a pony? You can hardly stand by yourself! I could take the gold to the ships.'

'No,' Pippin said again. 'I must see the debt paid, Regi, surely you must understand this.'

The steward conceded defeat. 'Very well, on one condition.'

'And that is...?' Pippin said quietly.

'I will ride with you. That way if you should start to slump in the saddle, someone will be there to catch you.'

Pippin laughed, a hand to his chest to ease the discomfort. 'Very well. I can't think of any I'd rather have beside me.'

With relief he saw the coach off, some of the archers riding borrowed ponies, some slipping through the woods to be ready for any possible repeat of the trouble with ruffians already seen on this road.

Then King Elessar and his guardsmen, King Eomer and his Rohirrim, Legolas and Gimli and the remaining hobbits transported the gold, without incident, to Buckland. Elessar urged them to take the gold across the Brandywine Bridge and through the North Gate, for the Bucklebury landing was much more secure from attack than the landing on the western side of the River.

The Thain was swaying in his saddle as they pulled up before the Hall, steadied from both sides by his steward and one of his archers. King Elessar himself eased the hobbit from the saddle and carried him into the Hall, taking him to the bed in the rooms always kept in reserve for the Thain's use, laying him down, saying, 'Rest. The debt can be paid tomorrow as well as today. The ships will not sail in the night.'

'They had better not,' Pippin whispered in reply. 'I do not like to think of driving the waggons all the way to Gondor with ruffians about.' The King smiled, smoothing the covers over his stubborn friend, and sat down next to the bed.

'You don't have to watch with me, Strider,' Pippin said sleepily. He yawned. 'I'm...' his voice trailed away and he slept.

Mayor Samwise peeked in. 'How is he?' he asked. 'They just told me you'd come in; they seem to think my life is not complete without a nap after tea.'

'Recovering nicely,' Elessar answered. 'He should be himself in a week or two.'

'And I'm to find that reassuring?' Sam said. The King chuckled.

'They'll be serving up late supper soon,' the Mayor continued. 'Will he need a tray as well as yourself?' he said, nodding to the bed.

'I don't think he'll waken,' Elessar said. 'He shouldn't have been on a pony for some days yet.'

Sam snorted. 'When has he ever listened to healers? You ought not have been surprised.'

'I wasn't,' the King said softly. Sam smiled, nodded, and left the room.

In the middle night, Legolas softly entered, placing a hand on the King's shoulder. 'How is he?' he asked.

'Not too much the worse for wear, I think,' Elessar said. 'His will is strong.'

'Good,' Legolas replied. 'You take some rest yourself,' he said. 'We will be busy in the near future, hunting wolves dressed as sheepdogs, I think.' The King nodded and rose to his feet, ducking out the doorway, and the elf added some wood to the fire on the little hearth and settled in his place next to the bed.

In the morning, a soft knock came at the door and a servant quietly brought in a tray, laid it on the table, poured out tea for the elf in one of the guest-sized mugs, and left again with a quick bow to Legolas, who nodded his thanks. He sipped the hot drink, then turned away to put another log on the fire. When he looked back to the bed, Pippin's eyes were open, watching him.

'You must think me completely simple,' the hobbit said. Legolas raised an eyebrow. 'No, really, I know you must,' Pippin continued. 'How I let people take care of me, seeing to it that I eat, making sure I rest properly, even laying out warm clothes for me that I might not take a chill, as well as keeping a fire going through the night.' His eyes went to the little hearth and back to the elf.

'But fighting them took more energy than I had, for such a long time, that I just got in the habit of letting them. It is such a simple thing, and it gives them such pleasure... and there is so much else that demands my attention...' his eyes fell on the tray of food, waiting on the table. 'For so long, too, it was more duty than pleasure to eat, I had to force myself to take in what I could stomach, and hope it was enough. I almost resented their reminding me that I must eat, much as I realised it was necessary. As for taking rest... every time I'd close my eyes, I'd wonder if they would open again to the light.'

He smiled. 'Frodo told me once that you elves call our mortality a gift. It was another thing to wonder about... he knew that if he could keep me wondering, I would not think of the pain in my feet or the emptiness of my belly on that long, long journey...

'A bitter gift, it seemed, when I watched the blossoming of my children, knowing I would never live to see the harvest. No matter how I grasped a day, it would always slip away. And then I was healed, and the days stretched before me in endless wonder... I thought it must be a little of what the elves feel... but the wonder is not endless, is it? Your life is a river, flowing by, and mine is a pitcher, and someday the last drop will be poured. Each day is to be treasured; I see the gift now. I wonder if the elves know to grasp at each day in turn, a gold coin to lie upon the palm but a moment, or are they merely content to bury the hoard, knowing it is all there in a heap, never-ending. Do they know?'

He looked again to the elf, eyelids growing heavier, and said, 'You must think... but I've had much time to wonder...' He sighed, and slept again. The elf felt an unfamiliar ache at his throat, and a pricking behind his own eyelids, and he sat very still, letting his tea grow cold as he watched the other sleep.

Later, Regi put his head in at the door. Scowling at the untouched tray, he said, 'You're getting as bad as he is!'

'That was for me?' Legolas said, bemused.

'Whom else would you think it was for?' the steward of Tookland grumbled. He took the tray from the table with a jerk and left the room.

He returned later with a servant, both bearing trays.

'Wakey, wakey,' Reginard said briskly. Pippin groaned and opened one eye. 'You've slept through early breakfast and second breakfast and you're in danger of missing elevenses if you're not careful,' the steward scolded. 'And you're getting just as bad, cousin,' he scolded Legolas. 'Call yourself a proper hobbit...' he grumbled, 'Now, eat!'

The Thain and the elf ate.

Pippin being still very stiff and sore, Legolas helped him into his clothes, smiling at the ironic look the Thain gave him as he carefully fastened the woollen cloak, pulling it firmly about Pippin's neck and shoulders to ensure no searching fingers of wind would find their way in.

Merry and Samwise met them at the main entrance to the Hall, and Legolas relinquished Pippin to them. 'They're awaiting us in the King's pavilion,' Merry said. Together, the three Counsellors of the North-kingdom representing the Shire walked to the pavilion, at a slow pace to accommodate the still-recovering Thain. The guardsmen before the entrance admitted them. They found Captain Fargold and his Chief Officer Thingal waiting.

'Where's Elessar?' Pippin asked quietly.

'He had to attend to a matter of business,' Captain Fargold said. 'It's all right, I have all the necessary paperwork here. King Elessar, King Eomer, and Prince Faramir have authorised us to seal the bargain.' He fumbled at his belt. 'As I said, I have all the papers here.'

He paged through the papers, laying each one down upon the table, explaining the notations and tallies that showed what the great ships had carried in their cargo holds from Ithilien and Gondor to the Shire. 'Breeland, of course, is a separate accounting,' he said.

'Of course,' Pippin nodded.

'The Shire would not be expected to pay for the food received by Breelanders, of course.'

'No, I'm sure they have made their own arrangement with the King,' Pippin said. The Captain exchanged glances with his officer. Of course. They had received the shipment of food as grateful subjects who'd thrown themselves on the mercy of the King in their time of trouble.

'Ah, here we are,' Fargold said, coming to the last page. 'Here is the final tally, the reckoning of the amount due.' He blinked at the page, to all appearances bewildered by what he read. 'What is this...?' he said. He shoved the paper over to his officer, who picked it up and looked closely, nodded as if to indicate that all was in order, then handed it back.

'I'm sorry,' Captain Fargold said, 'My eyes are not what they used to be. I can still spy what I wish to see across the waves, but I cannot read the name of the agent at the bottom of the page... apparently the bill has already been settled.'

'Settled!' said the startled hobbits together.

'Yes, see for yourself,' the Captain said, pushing the paper across the table. Pippin took it up, scanning down the page to the bottom, where a bold hand had noted: "Paid in Full. Agent: Frodo Baggins, service rendered." His hand began to shake, and he laid the page down, where it was taken up by Merry, Samwise reading over his shoulder.

Pippin could tell when Sam reached the bottom of the page, for he suddenly took a deep breath. Merry heard a strangled sob behind him and looked back. Samwise stood with his head down, trembling, one hand across his eyes.

"Oh Sam," Merry murmured. He wrapped comforting arms around him, and the Mayor of the Shire stood stiffly in his embrace, then slumped and began to weep helplessly. Merry stood for a long moment, holding the sobbing Mayor, until Sam regained control of himself, while the Captain and his officer averted their eyes, busying themselves with the papers upon the table. Finally Sam was quiet, and a moment later, he straightened, groping in his pocket for a handkerchief, wiping his eyes and blowing his nose, then nodding, squaring his shoulders, again the Mayor; grieving gardener carefully put away again.

Merry put his hand upon Pippin's shoulder. He said softly, 'Frodo told me he'd already paid... but I thought it was only a dream.'

Pippin turned to him. 'It was a dream, Merry. Don't be daft. The food must be paid for.'

'Frodo paid,' Sam said softly.

'What was that?' Pippin asked.

From behind them, Arwen spoke. 'Debts must be settled, Peregrin Took,' They had not even heard her enter the pavilion. 'Do you not see?' She came forward to place a hand on one shoulder each of Master and Thain, her gaze encompassing Mayor as well, peering down into their faces with a stern look.

'Yes,' Pippin whispered, putting his hand upon Frodo's name on the page, as sudden tears flooded his eyes. 'Yes, debts must be paid.'

 





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