Bergil was pinching himself because he did not quite believe what was happening. He was sharing Bag End's kitchen table with three Elven princes and the King of Men, and they were all meekly preparing vegetables under the piercing gaze of a hobbit woman less than four feet tall. Rose was stirring a pan of custard on the stove with one hand while cradling baby Pip on her hip, rocking slightly from side to side.

       Beregond, Faramir, Sam, Frodo, Gimli and the King's cousins peered in, grinning. Aragorn grinned back, plying a small sharp knife with some skill as he peeled potatoes. Bergil was doing the same, as there seemed to be a mountain of the things.

       "Rose, you would have been a wonderful army commander. That is how we get volunteers in the army - 'I want you, you and you!'"

       Rose laughed. "Don't think you've got away with it, Captain Beregond. You'll be doing them tomorrow!"

       Elladan was dealing with the parsnips - not a vegetable he had encountered before in their uncooked state. However, a small knife was a familiar weapon to an Elf, and he was managing to peel them with little difficulty. They were going into a pan to be roasted. His brother was tackling the carrots, and Legolas was remonstrating with a large white cauliflower, which seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

       "That cauliflower fighting back, laddie?" queried Gimli. There was a very undignified snort from Halboron.

       "The wretched thing has a mind of its own." Legolas glowered at the unrepentant vegetable.

       "You know, if you chop it in half it will sit better on the board," Rose murmured.

       The aggrieved Prince of Eryn Lasgalen did as advised and then beamed at Rose. "Thank you. I was beginning to think there was a conspiracy!" He broke the two halves into florets and dropped them into the saucepan, then did the same with a second one.

       "We shall make a cook out of you yet, mellon nin," said the King.

       Halboron lost the battle, slid to the floor and howled with laughter. "This..............." he wheezed, "..........is priceless! I never thought I'd see the day..........."

       Frodo and Sam were both beyond speech, leaning on each other and shaking. Frodo shared Bergil's disbelief. He thought he had never seen anything more incongruous than three of the First Born and the great King of Gondor, knees tucked up, carefully preparing vegetables under the exacting tutelage of Farmer Cotton's daughter.

       Tarondor had joined his brother on the floor. "I think Rose could have had an army of orcs organised to do housework. What a talent! I shall have to bring the young Rangers to you for some training, Mistress Rose."

       "Don't know about that. I just said that the quicker the veg was done the sooner we could eat. Funny how that seemed to do the trick!" She set the baby in his high chair and poured the custard over some fruit and sponge cake in a large dish. Three more, already done, were nearby. "I'm assuming everyone likes trifle? Won't need a heavy pudding after the main course. I think four big bowls should be enough."

       Everyone confirmed that they did indeed like trifle. Saucepans were filled and set to boil, and the guests stretched cramped limbs and wandered into the parlour.

       Above the fireplace were two portaits. Aragorn, Gimli and the Elves noticed that the male hobbit looked a lot like Bilbo Baggins, curly light brown hair topping a good-natured face.. The hobbitess was quite lovely, with the refined features of the Tooks, large blue eyes and a mass of auburn ringlets.

       "Bilbo's parents," Frodo explained. "Bungo and Belladonna Baggins. She was a daughter of the Old Took, and sister to my grandmother Mirabella. Apparently she was very eccentric - Bilbo used to say that she was the one with the adventurous streak. She knew Gandalf because he often visited the Smials and was a great friend of Gerontius. Bungo built this smial for her, to her desires. She designed the gardens, especially the rose garden. The Gaffer told us that Lobelia ordered it dug up, and her ghost came back and frightened off the workmen. Lobelia couldn't find anyone to do it once word got round, so the rose garden is still here. I dread to think what Sam would have said if she had succeeded."

       On another wall was a painting of a small family group. The male hobbit was clearly another Baggins and the hobbitess was immediately recognised as Primula. They were seated, leaning forward, hands clasped around the baby seated on a blanket on the table in front of them. The child, not quite a fauntling, had a mop of dark curls and enormous blue eyes. He wore a white shirt and dark blue trousers, and clutched a huge grey toy cat which was larger than he was.

       "Oh Frodo!" Faramir whispered. "Weren't you just the most adorable baby?"

       Frodo laughed. "That did not last, as you can see."

       "I will disagree with that, tithen nin," murmured Aragorn. "You are clearly still that beautiful child of Iluvatar and your parents are still bursting with pride - even more than they are in this picture."

       "That cat is bigger than you there!" Beregond laughed.

       "That's Mister Tibbles. He's still around. I wanted to give him to Ellie when she was little but Sam was afraid he'd be too battered. He's like me, showing signs of wear and tear, but still has all his innards and is good for a cuddle now and then."

       Aragorn laughed and crouched to give his small brother a hug. "I had a furry dog which Lord Elrond gave me when I first arrived in Imladris. It remained on my bed there, even when I was out in the wild and only visited occasionally. Indeed, along with the Sceptre of Annuminas and my beloved Arwen, he also brought Huan with him when he came to Minas Tirith."

       Everyone laughed at the thought of the great warrior king being reunited with his childhood comforter.

       "At least you didn't take him with you when you went on campaigns," Frodo chuckled. "Out there, fighting orcs and leading the armies against the Dark Lord, and snuggling up with a furry toy at nights!"

       Rose and Sam served the ale and wine and the friends sat contentedly waiting for dinner. It was growing dark outside when Sam suddenly glanced out of the window, jumped up and grasped the King's hand.

       "Come on, you must see this!"

       Everyone hurried out onto the path. In the western sky, where the light still lingered, the clouds were tinged with red and gold, signifying a fine day to follow. Sam gently turned his King to face the north-west, and Aragorn saw a large flock of birds.

       "What are they?" he whispered.

       "Starlings. Watch, and see what happens now. This is one of the wonders of Arda."

       More and more birds joined the group, wheeling and swooping until the sky was black with them. They flew in intricate patterns, sometimes splitting into two or three groups, whirling in cylindrical shapes, in spheres, gradually flying lower but always moving and spinning in a dizzying gyroscopic aerial dance. Aragorn could not possibly calculate the numbers but it was possible there were a quarter of a million birds. The only sounds were the raucous cries and the sussuration of half a million beating wings. Lower and lower they flew, now rippling in a long ribbon, now splitting into sections. Then, possibly at some unknown signal, they began to tumble down, cascading like a waterfall of living flesh and feathers, into the woods to roost for the night. At last only one group was left, and then they too funnelled down and vanished, even as the last of the light disappeared, leaving only silence and stillness.

       For several minutes no-one spoke. Then Legolas said softly, "Great are the beauties and mysteries to be found in Arda. I do not think I have seen so many birds in one place before. The Shire is so full of wonders."

       "I remember Bilbo showing me the starlings when I stayed here once. I could not believe what I was seeing. How many do you think there were, Aragorn?"

       "It was impossible to tell, but probably a quarter of a million - perhaps more. No wonder the hawks and buzzards don't take them - they must be completely confused by those numbers and the constant swirling. There is safety in numbers for the birds."

       "Not such a common sight at this time of the year. Reckon you were lucky, Strider. Usually it happens more in the autumn when there's loose grain in the fields after harvest."

       Tarondor shook his head. "I can't believe how quickly they disappeared, pouring down into the woods like that. A truly amazing sight."

       Rufus had also been watching the great flocks, his eyes slightly narrowed and his mouth open, making small chattering noises. When the last starling vanished, he washed his paws and stalked indoors, his tail held high.

       Inside once more, they sat round the large dining-room table. The dining-room was surprisingly spacious, with a huge table, carpets, a large fireplace and pictures on the walls. On one wall was the massive picture presented to Frodo by the Twins on his birthday the previous year. It was a painting of the Fellowship gathered near the gates of Rivendell as they prepared to depart on the Quest. Other pictures included those of Aragorn, Arwen and the children and one of Faramir with his family. The children had their own, smaller table, and there was much jolly talk among the company. Sam poured a lovely pale pink wine which drew high praise, then he and Rose carried in the puddings. As each one was cut, the smell of cooked meat, onions, mushrooms and herbs assailed their nostrils. Bergil sniffed appreciatively, his face wreathed in smiles.

       "Mistress Rose, that smells so good! I have been imagining what this tastes like since Sam mentioned it in Gondor."

       Rose smiled. "I just hope you're not disappointed, my dear." She returned to the kitchen to fetch dishes of carrots and cauliflower, mounds of soft and fluffy mashed potato and golden-brown parsnips.

       When everyone had a full plate they stood and observed the Standing Silence. Aragorn bowed, hand on heart, then they sat and began to taste the wonders of Rose Gamgee's beef and kidney pudding.

       "I think we've all tumbled into Paradise. I have never tasted anything so incredible. Rose, you should write a Shire cookbook so the cooks at the Citadel can make these dishes. It won't taste quite like yours but I think these magnificent recipes should be better known in other lands."

       "Me? Rose Gamgee write a book?! Gracious! What a notion."

       "I don't see why not," said Frodo. "I can always do the actual writing."

       "Of course," added Faramir slyly, "It would involve a lot of research - trying out all those recipes, just to check they're absolutely right. Can we help with that?"

       "Ah, now I see where this is going! You're all going to write back to Eowyn and Arwen, saying you're staying in the Shire till Halimath, researching recipes!" Frodo looked delighted to have discovered their scheme.

       Tarondor sighed. "This is the finest food I have ever eaten. Mistress Rose, your talents are legendary and rightly so.

       "I have heard this dish described but no-one ever told me it tasted so wonderful." Halboron was doing a fair impersonation of Pippin, concentrating on clearing his plate.

       Bergil looked at Rose. "It tastes even better than I could possibly have imagined."

       "It is a shame King Eomer could not be here. He would love this. Even the wine is perfect, and Dwarves do not normally drink the stuff." Gimli paused for a moment and smiled encouragingly at the Elves, who were also eating with great enthusiasm.

       "Why did he not come with you? He could have done. We would have been happy to see him."

       Aragorn smiled. "He would have enjoyed that. Unfortunately, Lothiriel has not been well. She is expecting another child and slipped on the steps to Meduseld when they were icy, spraining her ankle. They were worried she would lose the child but thankfully all seems to be going well now, but he was reluctant to leave her."

       "Poor lass," murmured Rose. "I must send some jam and a fruit cake. Are you calling there on the way back?"

       "We shall certainly call at Edoras again and would be happy to deliver some treats for them. I hope there will be fruit cake for us too?" Aragorn added hopefully.

       "Get along with you! Since when have I not sent fruit cake? I'll make some tomorrow and put plenty of brandy in the mix. That way they'll keep a good while."

       "They don't need to keep very long," said Faramir with an impish smile. "We eat them too quickly for that."

       "I don't suppose Tarondor and Halboron have tried your fruit cake yet, Rose." Frodo raised his eyebrows at the King's cousins.

       "Alas, no, although we have heard a great deal about it."

       "There will be a chance to try it on Sam's birthday. You surely didn't think there could be a birthday without cake?"

       Even the Elves managed second helpings of pudding, and Legolas admitted that, despite its recalcitrance earlier, the cauliflower was an excellent and tasty vegetable.

       When no-one could eat another scrap they sat back, full but happy. The children were impatient for trifle but Rose told them to wait, and they accepted this, reluctantly. The tables were cleared and washing-up done in a short time, as the guests worked smoothly as a team. Sam shook his head in disbelief, as the King, both Stewards, Men, Elves and a Dwarf carried, washed, dried and stacked all the plates and cutlery.

       "Well, my Lord Faramir, tomorrow you shall see the memorial garden to Boromir. I didn't show you today because the white flowers were not quite open, but they will be tomorrow. The best place to see the overall effect is from the roof of Bag End, then we can go in and walk around properly."

       "I'm looking forward to seeing it, Sam. My brother would be greatly touched and honoured to be so remembered."

       "I'm sure he would," murmured Aragorn. He returned the last of the plates to the cupboard and carried two of the large bowls of trifle through to the dining-room.

       "Twifle! Hooway!" cried little Rosie, clapping her hands.

       "Hooray!" echoed Bergil and Halboron.

       Tarondor shrugged helplessly at Sam. "I told you he's the 'Pippin' of the family!"

       Sam looked completely incredulous. "I refuse to believe there's two of 'em!"

       "This is the impetuous Ranger who, on his first foray into enemy territory, told a rampaging orc that he smelled abominable and should try soap and water!" Tarondor gave his brother a meaningful look which Halboron chose to disregard.

       "It was the truth. He smelled worse than your boots after six months in the wild. Anyway, he was annoying!"

       "I see what you mean," Frodo said. "Pip dropped a stone in Moria and disturbed millions of goblins and a Balrog. They just can't resist. He looked into the Orthanc palantir and almost had his mind destroyed by Sauron, despite Gandalf's warnings. Oddly enough, some of Pip's actions, which should have been disastrous, turned out to be surprisingly useful. Not the appearance of the Balrog, I hasten to add, but Sauron's glimpse of him in the palantir led him to make the wrong conclusions and drew his gaze away from us. And Pip's offer of fealty to Lord Denethor turned out to be a fortunate one, particularly for you, Faramir, and for Beregond. Our dear foolish Took will likely turn out to be a great Thain when the time comes."

       "He's grown up a great deal in the last ten years. Not that he's stopped fooling around. He can still act like a total idiot and do daft things," said Sam.

       "It wouldn't be Pip otherwise."

       The trifle proved to be just as good as the rest of the meal, a rich concoction of fruit, sponge, custard and cream. No-one said much until every last scrap was eaten and spoons licked clean.

       Aragorn leaned back and loosened his belt. "Rose, that was so good there are no words to describe it. I beg you, write down the recipes for me before we leave."

       "I will do that, my dear lord Aragorn. I'll write down what I know, and ask my Mum and some of the other women in Hobbiton and Bywater for their favourites. Not quite sure what the Citadel's cooks will make of it but I'm sure they'll make a fair job of it."

       "Thank you, dearest Rose. Being here is a joy and I'm sure everyone will agree. You seem to know how to enjoy life here, in a way some people have forgotten."

       They staggered through to the parlour and flopped on couches and rugs. Rosie-lass cuddled on Aragorn's lap and beamed at her mother.

       "All corners full, Mummy!"

       The King agreed. "Yes, there is no corner left unfilled. I fear I may need to walk back to Gondor in order to lose the weight I shall have gained."

       "I think a little extra weight will do you no harm. I've always thought you're a bit too thin."

       "The citizens of Minas Anor will find another name for me - 'Flourdumpling,' just like your former Mayor."

        Rose went into peals of laughter. "I can't see you ever being as rounded as old Will Whitfoot. You'll meet him at the party and then you'll see what I mean."

       Frodo settled on the couch beside Aragorn and sipped at his wine. "You said you wanted to hear some of the stories of Merry and Pip and all their escapades?"

       The others nodded, keen to hear some of the famous stories.

       "Oh dear, where do I start? The first time Pip ever stayed here as a little faunt, he managed to cover himself and most of the kitchen - and Gandalf! - in flour and jam. Merry once dared him to climb the little ash tree along the lane and Pip decided he'd go one better and climbed the great oak! They raided Paladin's cellar once and when we found them, they were stark naked and had painted patterns all over themselves with Pip's paints."

       "What about the ale barrels at the Free Fair. Must have been........what.....seventeen years ago?" Rose suggested.

       "Oh yes! Those blasted barrels! The pair of them thought it would be a good idea to roll some of the ale barrels around while the election was taking place. Pip said his usual 'Trust me, it'll be fun!' Unfortunately they failed to realise that the barrels in question had been put to one side because the fermenting process had gone wrong. Naturally all the shaking and rolling caused the ale to froth and suddenly the barrels began to explode. Within minutes it was chaos, with folk scattering in all directions." He chuckled. "Saradoc, Paladin, Sam and I all ran towards the noise because we followed the golden rule."

       "And what is the golden rule?" enquired Elladan.

       "Wherever there's a commotion, there you'll find Merry and Pip. They were completely unrepentant and covered in ale froth which smelled like vinegar. Paladin hauled them back to the inn and gave them a bath!"

       "I seem to remember that those words began to strike terror in all of us, even in Rivendell. 'Trust us, it will be fun!' was usually the signal for Lord Elrond to clutch his head and Gandalf to thunder 'Peregrin Took!' in tones which brooked no argument." Gimli boomed a laugh.

       Frodo grinned. "On one occasion Merry was confined to his room while we were all staying at the Smials. I don't remember what he was supposed to have done but Esme put her foot down and that was that. Pip decided to cheer him up, so he dressed himself up in a dress of Pervinca's, used some of Pimmie's face paints and strolled round to Merry's window. Of course Merry thought it was hilarious - and he laughed even more when Cousin Ferdibrand took a fancy to the mystery lass and chased 'her' all over the gardens, begging for a kiss! It took Pip the best part of the afternoon to lose him, although another cousin - who shall be nameless - suggested allowing Ferdi that kiss just to see his face."

       Tarondor and Halboron laughed even more than the rest. "Yes, dressing up in ladies' clothing can cause problems," the older Man said, looking pointedly at Aragorn.

       "Don't tell me you've ever worn a dress, Strider," said Sam, grinning from ear to ear.

       Aragorn glanced at his cousins. "Thank you for dredging up this tale," he muttered.

       "Will you tell it, my dear cousin, or shall I?" beamed Halboron with a wicked smile.

       "I'll tell it, thank you. This was many years ago, when I was Captain Thorongil to those in Gondor. I was in Harad, which was quite a dangerous place to be, and I had carried out my mission and was on my way back to my ship when..........."

       "We should tell you that our Chieftain was wearing a rather fetching white and green gown and a yellow veil."

       "Not your colours, Aragorn!" Frodo was enjoying the tale.

       "No, definitely not, and the yellow veil was usually worn by.......how shall I put this?...........ladies of questionable virtue who worked the port area. I was on my way back to the docks when I was stopped by a couple of very ugly, very drunken sailors who asked me how much I would charge to give them a nice time."

       Rose was giggling. "I'm almost afraid to ask what happened next!"

       "I tried evasion but that failed abysmally, so I told them to follow me round the corner where I would give them an experience they would never forget! And I'm sure they never did forget it. I kneed one where it would do most good and punched the more offensive one on the jaw, then ran like an antelope and leapt aboard my ship. My own crew told me they had never seen anything funnier than me running full tilt for the quayside and clambering aboard, skirts flying!"

       The entire company collapsed and the children slid to the floor and rolled about in uncontrollable giggles for several minutes. Bergil's eyes were almost popping out of his head at the thought of the great King Elessar in a dress, being propositioned by a couple of drunken sailors.

       "How did you ......er.......What did you do about.......shape?" Sam asked, his hands more eloquent than his words. Aragorn laughed.

       "Two balls of thread tucked into little pockets inside the bodice. I found I could overhear quite a lot of interesting information in that guise because the women of Harad dress discreetly and no-one gives them a second glance when it comes to discussing politics or military matters. And men will talk a great deal when in their cups."

       Faramir was very taken with the thought of the King in a dress. "Perhaps a career on the stage calls?" He turned to the others. "It has never been acceptable for women to become players, although one or two are beginning to insist. The Stewards' Ruling was always that female roles must be played by men and usually young lads whose voices have not broken take the girls' parts. Times change though, and women who want to do this are no longer regarded as immoral, which can only be a good thing."

       "I thought the players were wonderful," said Rose. "We have mumming and such in the Shire, and a few strolling players, but they usually perform at fairs and in market-places. There are no proper theatres for them."

       "Do you have Morris-men?" asked Halboron. "I know they are very popular in the Bree-land."

       "Yes, Morris-men and the hobby-horse. Beltane is the festival for that, on the first day of Thrimidge. We have a maypole in the Party Field and there's dancing and lots of feasting - as usual!And at the end of Win'filth we have the Fright Festival, when we remember our loved ones who have died, and the children dress up and receive sweetmeats. Pumpkin and turnip lanterns stand outside the doors so everywhere looks very frightening. We went to Brandy Hall the year before last, and they do it better than anywhere else I've seen." Rose lifted her younger daughter, who was fast asleep, and carried her off to bed, telling the older two to make their farewells.

      Frodo-lad and Ellie went round the company, bidding them goodnight and giving and receiving many hugs and kisses. They hurried off to wash and prepare for bed and Aragorn promised to tuck them in.

                                                                          ************

       The King joined his friends outside for a smoke before bed. A few lights still shone in the windows of New Row, where May was no doubt settling her children and Ivy Sandyman was sewing. Frodo had insisted that she use something better than tapers and rushlights and had provided her with a proper lamp with a special glass which concentrated the light for reading and close work.

       On the slopes beyond New Row, Aragorn noticed a small building, just visible in the moonlight. Soft bleating noises could be heard from the byre.

       "Tully Noakes' sheep," Frodo explained. "When you import Shire wool in Gondor, a great deal of it will be from those sheep."

       Sam nodded. "Best wool in the Shire. I don't know if it's the pasture or Tully's care, or a mix of the two, but those sheep have the softest wool I've ever seen."

       "They're the most pampered creatures. Tully, bless him, will never let a weak or orphan lamb die if he can possibly help it. He takes them back to his cottage and tucks them in front of the fire with blankets, and feeds them with a rag soaked in milk. He lives in that middle cottage up there." Frodo pointed to a row of three stone cottages on the top of the ridge. "He's a widower now, but his daughter and her family live on one side and his son lives on the other. Totty is also a shepherd."

       "I should like to meet Mister Noakes and see these wonderful sheep."

       "We can introduce you tomorrow. Tully's always happy to talk to a fellow enthusiast."

       Faramir sighed contentedly. "There is a special kind of peace in the Shire. It seeps into the soul, I feel. We have been here but a short time, yet I feel so rested and content."

       Everyone agreed. The Elves lay on their backs, gazing at the stars. Suddenly, from the orchard, came a liquid outpouring of such exquisite beauty and poignancy that all stilled to listen. Somewhere in the branches, an unremarkable-looking brown bird was opening her throat and pouring forth her unique contribution to the song of Iluvatar. It formed a trilling cascade of notes which seemed to fill the Shire and rise to dance among the stars, until Earindil himself must surely hear it.

       "Tinuviel," Aragorn murmured. "Her song is glorious."

       "She sings most evenings in the spring and summer. I'm glad she's back again," said Frodo softly.

       A white shape sailed noiselessly past, as a barn owl set off to hunt. The Shire's small rodents should beware, particularly as another hunter was creeping along the garden path. Rufus was no longer a domestic pet; he was a mighty lion, stalking his prey through a jungle of grasses.

Pipes smoked, the Men, hobbits and Gimli returned indoors, leaving the Shire to the Elves, the hunters and the stars.