First posted on my LJ about a month ago.

Have been musing on the Tooks, lately, and especially about Hildibold, an OC but a Took of Tooks for all that. He marched off to the Battle of Bywater at Ferdibrand's side, fearless and bold, ready to throw the ruffians out of the Shire for good, and make a song afterwards to charm the lasses.

But things didn't quite work out as he thought they would...

But many of the strongest and most desperate got out on the west side, and attacked their enemies fiercely, being now more bent on killing than escaping.

Frodo had been in the battle, but he had not drawn sword, and his chief part had been to prevent the hobbits in their wrath at their losses, from slaying those of their enemies who threw down their weapons.

The Battle of Bywater, as described in "The Scouring of the Shire", from Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Battle of Bywater

It was all a lark, keeping the ruffians out of the Tookland. A lark, and yet deadly serious business--for we'd be dead if they could catch us. A game it was, trap the ruffians and dance away, laughing, like one of the faerie folk of legend. "Catch me if you can!"

And Pip returns from the dead in knight's clothes, leading us marching and singing in his pony's wake. I laugh aloud--a game it is, and what a game!

But the rest was no game; ruffians climbing the walls to get at us shooting into their midst. One jumped over, raised his club, took aim... a Took fell. Not content merely to escape, the ruffian raised his club again, and again--until my arrow took him.

I don't remember the rest. I shot into the mob, I shot... and was pulling back the bow to shoot again at the ruffians, strange, sitting upon the ground with hands upon their heads, in the midst of a battle! ...when a hobbit stepped in the way, jerked at my arm to spoil my aim. Have done!

I hold that arrow in my hand.

How did my quiver come to be empty?