“Degger suddenly slapped a hand to his forehead and exclaimed, “Oy! There’s been so much change in my life on this trip that Mistress Tina won’t recognise me when we get home!” - Chapter 17

Chapter 18, In the Wake of a Storm

Degger rolled over in his bed, bringing the warm covers up round his ears to ward off the world for just a little while longer. Distant sounds became muffled and underneath the covers everything was dark. But also underneath the blankets, the air was stuffy, matching the growing heaviness Degger had been feeling in his heart of late. The lad made an air hole round his blankets for his nose to breathe in the cooler air. Yet to the nineteen-year-old hobbit, it all seemed simpler this way--to hide from his troubles. In truth, since his return to Great Smials a week ago, Degger had found it more and more difficult to rise from his bed in the mornings. The Sun, unfortunately, kept rising from her bed earlier and earlier, so last night Degger pulled the curtains shut round his windows in order to avoid her bright, shining face in the morning. It was too much cheerfulness for him to deal with. She seemed all too joyous these days during the newness of spring. Even the weather was getting warmer although Degger wouldn’t have known it first-hand, having cooped himself up in his bedroom for the past three days.

Today is the twelfth of Astron--Pippin’s birthday. Degger knew that Pippin, Merry, and Everard were all outside at this early hour having fun while kicking the soft leather ball round the garden. Degger turned over in his bed restlessly, hearing someone approach his bedroom door and knock.

“Degger?”

Degger slowly threw off his blankets to sit up. “I’m awake, sir.”

The door creaked ajar. Paladin peeked from round the door, seeing the young slim hobbit sitting on the bed with wild, dishevelled hair. “Degger, I sent Pippin in an hour ago to tell you that second breakfast was on the table.”

“He did, sir.”

“Then why didn’t you come?” Paladin watched the lad shrug his shoulders indifferently. He knew what was most likely behind Degger’s gloomy mood, and Paladin figured he probably made things worse by allowing the lad to wallow further in his misery the past few days. Well, if Degger wasn’t going to open up, then Paladin felt forced to make the first move.

“Get out of bed now, young hobbit, and wash up. When you are finished, I will be waiting for you in my office.”

This particular tone of voice Paladin would normally employ on Pippin or Merry to keep them in order, however, he never thought he’d ever have to use it with Degger, yet, at the moment, it seemed to be the only means to get the teen-ager moving and out of bed. Only when he saw the lad scoot to the edge of the mattress did Paladin shut the door to let him dress in privacy.

Degger, for his part, sat upon the edge of his mattress, a heaviness upon his shoulders. His mind travelled back to his journey the week pervious...

“And here,” said Rick, “is where yer grandfather and grandmother lived.” Degger followed his elder cousin into the darkened musty apartment. A layer of dust four years thick and a variety of cobwebs lay upon various surfaces and objects thereon. Large linen sheets had been thrown over stuffed chairs, couches and a round dining table near to the empty sideboard.

Holding a candle aloft, Degger silently walked throughout the room surveying the hallowed items that belonged to his late grandparents. Degger looked at every knick-knack, every shelf, and the little table near the hearth, then gradually made his way over to the bed and night table. His desire was to glean as much about his grandparents as possible without disturbing their belongings. When Degger came upon the night table he spied a book caked in dust laying upon the under-shelf, he did not touch it, but rather crouched down to blow a hard breath toward it.

“I still can’t read it,” said Rick, peering over Degger’s shoulder. He waved away dust particles flying in the air and nearly extinguished their light in the process.

Degger set the candle on the night table, careful to keep it away from anything that could spark a fire. He first wiped his sweaty palms on his breeches and then reluctantly picked up the book. He used a handkerchief to carefully wipe away the dust where he figured the title should have been.

“‘The Personal Journal of Diggory Took’,” the teen spoke barely above a whisper.

“Ye ought t’ take that home with ye, lad,” said Rick. “That belongs to ye now.”

Degger held the book close to his heart, heedless of the greyish-white residue that now graced his waistcoat. His thoughts were miles away....

Now, back at Great Smials and having dressed for the day, Degger peered into the mirror before him, water dripping from his chin. Well, I still look the same, he thought wryly. With a sigh, he grabbed the towel to dry his face then walked over to the window. He threw open the curtains, flinching at the bright sun climbing the morning sky.

His deed attracted the attention of a small group of lads kicking a leather ball outside in the garden. Merry and Everard immediately began play-wrestling with the byrding. Pippin wormed his way out from under his bigger cousins then ran up to the window, patting it with the palm of his hand.

“Come outside, Degger!” came Pippin’s barely audible voice from the other side. “It’s warm out here!”

Degger mournfully shook his head, then turned away. As he put on his waistcoat while walking toward the door Degger could hear his friends’ muted wonder at why he refused to join them outdoors.

It wasn’t far to walk to Mr. Paladin’s formal office, as it was only in the next tunnel over. Mr. Paladin, as Acting Thain, was still catching up with business from the time they had been away. As he approached he could see that the door was open. Stopping in the entryway, Degger knocked.

“Come in,” said Paladin, putting his quill-pen in the ink jar on his desk then slid his paperwork off to the side.

Degger entered the Thain’s office, feeling quite small while glancing at the elaborate furnishings all around the room. “Ye ordered me t’ come, sir.”

“Aye, I did,” replied Paladin, taking in a deep breath then let it out. “When we first returned to the Smials, Degger, you seemed fine. But for the last five days you’ve missed breakfast nearly every morning. Today is Pippin’s birthday and he wants to share it with you. You’re one of his closest friends. What has happened since our return to make you want to stay in your darkened room all alone?”

Degger shrugged his response.

“Sit down, please,” instructed the elder hobbit. Having a nephew that often kept his feelings closed helped Paladin to choose questions that should trigger an opening with this young charge. “Are you sleeping through the night?”

The teen sat down, his eyes focussed on the intricate design of the wooden desk. “Sometimes, sir.”

“Are you plagued with unsettling dreams?”

“No, sir.”

“Unsettling thoughts?”

Degger looked up, speaking in a soft voice, “Aye.”

“A lot of unanswered questions?”

“Lots o’ them, sir.”

Paladin nodded in understanding. “That sounds about right for a lad of your age dealing with the sort of concerns you have been confronted with recently. Will you tell me about the questions niggling at the back of your head?”

Degger blushed, his soft brown eyes returning to the carved patterns in the decorative panel of the desk.

“Degger, I cannot help you if you don’t open up to me.”

“Well....sir,” Degger whispered, then swallowed the rising lump. “Well...I wonder about thin’s. I don’t understand why...why.... Why couldn’t Taddie have a chance at seein’ all o’ this?”

Paladin rose from his chair and took the seat beside the lad who had become as much a part of the family this past year as Merry had when he was a young lad. He looked at the teen with love only a parent can render, taking Degger’s hand in his. “You blame Rick and your Aunt Layla for the bad things that happened to you and your brother and sister after your dad died?”

“I don’t blame’em for ev’rythin’,” said Degger, “but I think Taddie might be alive today if they didn’t give up lookin’ for us so easily. An’ I have trouble with that.”

“That’s understandable, but Taddie would not necessarily be alive,” Paladin replied. “Rick and your Auntie arrived in Michel Delving weeks after I had already taken you home to Whitwell. Taddie’s death wasn’t their fault--it was a tragic accident. For the sake of reasoning, let us say that Rick and Layla did find you children huddled in that alley before I did. They would have taken you back to live at Ivy Bellflower to literally be forgotten by the Tooks.”

Degger puzzled at Paladin’s words. “How could that happen?”

“Rick would have turned you three children over to your grandfather, Diggory. You might have fared nicely with your grandfather, but he was quite aged--so much so that his eyesight had already failed him. Diggory might have lingered a little longer for the sake of his grandchildren, but at 105, he was at the end of his days. And his sister Bettie is only five years younger than he. You three would have become orphans yet again and Layla would most assuredly have had her way at that time. She would have stolen you children away to Nobottle to be raised as Hornblowers, never to be recognised as the Tooks--or Greenhills--that you are.”

Degger paled as he listened to the faerie tale that could have come true. Paladin continued. “Think about it, Degger. You and Taddie were the last heirs, albeit indirect heirs, to Isembold’s family. Sadly, Taddie passed away, but now you are the last remnant. You were meant to be found, but not by Rick or Layla. And the only way the Tooks of Great Smials would ever know of Isembold’s heir was to bring Isembold’s family back into the fold, as it were. Cousin Ferumbras became ill, we discovered the brown box with Isembold’s family certificates, and then we set out in search of them.” Paladin grinned and added, “And in the process, we happened upon Isembold’s heir.

“But what is so important about bein’ an heir t’ Isembold? His branch is dyin’ out. Why couldn’t Tad be the heir?”

Paladin smiled. “You’re both heirs! Poor Tad’s accident was just that--a horrible accident, and now it is you who is the head of Isembold’s family. I should like to think that young Tad was meant to enjoy the same things as you if his misfortune hadn't got in the way. As for being Isembold’s heir, it’s always important to know where you came from. It helps you to understand where you’re going in the future. As an indirect heir, it isn’t all that important, however, if you were a direct heir, then you, not Addie or Reggie, would be next in line for being Took and Thain--that is, after Pippin. And that is very important to know.” Paladin genuinely laughed at seeing Degger’s eye widen in amazement.

Degger let out a sigh of relief. “Well I’m glad I’m not direct, then!”

“Don’t say that,” said Paladin. “One never knows what the future holds for them. You may never wear the medals of Office, but fate may have other plans for Isembold’s descendant. Either way, master Degger--your lineage has plenty of Took blood in it, and there is a way to honour your mother, grandfather, and great-grandfather, if you wish.”

* * * * *

“Look who’s finally decided to come outside and enjoy the Sun while she lasts!” laughed Merry.

“Hurry, Degger!” yelled Pippin, “She might see you and hide behind those white puffy clouds drifting in the north sky.”

Degger smiled at his friends. “Oh, aren’t we the clever ones o’ the bunch!” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

“How are you feeling?” Merry asked.

Degger stood and surveyed the best of friends any lad could ask for. “I’m a bit better, thank ye. I just needed remindin’ o’ where I came from an’ where I’m goin’.”

An anxious look crossed Pippin’s face. “Where are you going? Back to Ivy Bellflower?”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, Mr. Pippin,” said Degger. “Ye lot seem t’ be stuck with me for a while yet.”

Everard and Merry smiled. “I don’t consider it being stuck,” said Merry.

“Neither do I,” added Everard.

Pippin looked at Degger for a long minute then spoke up. “Me, neither,” he said. “Here, is where you belong.”

TBC

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