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A Small and Passing Thing  by Lindelea

Chapter 7. One Step at a Time

On the morning of the following day, Healer Finch re-wrapped Fredegar’s right hand after a more thorough examination. ‘He’s too weak to bear the pain of re-setting the bones, at present,’ Finch told his parents. ‘We need to feed him up, get his fever under control, heal the infected lesions.’

’Can we take him home now?’ Odovacar said. ‘He ought to be in a proper hole, a homelike place, well-intentioned as the hobbits here might be.’

Finch regretfully shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t chance it,’ he warned. Rosamunda sat silently listening to the conversation, holding her son’s left hand, but when she looked up, her expression went straight to Frodo’s heart. They'd stayed the night in the crowded Town Hole, and while the hobbits of Michel Delving had been kindness itself to the released prisoners and their loved ones, the meeting hall was a far cry from a homey hobbit hole.

’Would Hobbiton be too far?’ he asked. ‘Bag End is a homey place, and...’ He broke off.

’What is it?’ Odo said.

’I keep forgetting,’ Frodo said ruefully. ‘It’s not homey, not the last time I saw it, and...’

‘Not to mention that it’s not yours to offer anymore,’ Merry put in.

’I was about to say just that,’ Frodo said. ‘I’m certainly glad Lobelia didn’t hear me making free with her hole.’

Lobelia had been driven away in state, carried off by Bracegirdles who’d come all the way from Hardbottle to look for relatives taken by the ruffians. There’d been several Bracegirdles in the Lockholes, not surprising considering their abrasive tongues. She had been crushed by the news of her precious Lotho’s murder. Uncharacteristically silent, she had allowed her relatives to bundle her into their coach and drive away without a word to anyone, though the townsfolk had cheered her going. (Folk had often wanted to cheer her going, in the past, and now that they had a good reason for it, they made the hills ring with their “huzzahs”.)

Farmer Cotton spoke then. He’d joined the procession of hobbits on their way to Michel Delving, driving his waggon, in order to bring several hobbits of Bywater back home from the Lockholes. He’d stopped by now to ask when Sam would be returning, and to offer Frodo a room, in case he’d decided against going back to the wilds of Buckland, where all this trouble had started. ‘There’s plenty of room at my place,’ he said.

’I couldn’t put you out,’ Odovacar said formally.

’Who said anything about you putting me out?’ the farmer said in surprise. ‘We’ve plenty of room and to spare. Why, we would have taken the Gamgees in when Bagshot Row was dug up, if it was allowed.’ He nodded. ‘There’s room,’ he said. ‘It may not be fancy, but it’s comfortable.’

Odovacar smiled. He’d been living in a large cupboard in the hole of his gardener, sleeping on a fold-out bed, hiding with his wife whenever ruffians came around. ‘I’d be beholden to you, sir,’ he said with a bow.

’What do you think?’ Frodo asked Finch. ‘Bywater’s not that far, a day’s journey, or two at most.’

’I suppose we could bundle him up well,’ Finch said slowly. ‘I was going to wait here a few more days before taking Budgie and Robin home. I could check in on him on our way to Bridgefields, see how he’s mending. We can take care of that hand when you get him home, in three, maybe four weeks, I’m thinking.’

’Home for Yule?’ Rosamunda said hopefully. ‘And Estella?’

’Stell,’ Fredegar breathed.

’What was that, son?’ Odovacar said, bending over the makeshift bed on the floor of the meeting hall.

’Where’s Estella?’ Fredegar whispered, trying to lift his head. ‘Where is she?’ he begged his father. ‘Did they lock her up, too?’

’No, of course not!’ Odovacar said, shocked. ‘She’s well and safe, Freddy, you know that.’

Freddy didn’t seem to hear. ‘Where is she?’ he repeated. ‘Where?’ His eyes closed and he let his head fall back again, exhausted.

’Where is Estella?’ Frodo asked.

’Freddy took her to Woody End, to the home of Hally and Rosemary Bolger...’ At Frodo’s blank look, he added, ‘Rosemary was Ferdibrand Took’s sister, until she married against her father’s wishes and was disowned. Ferdi stayed in contact with her.’

’I see,’ Frodo said. ‘So Estella is in Woody End?’

’No,’ Odovacar said. ‘Ferdi slipped out of Tookland periodically to gather news for the Thain. Freddy hoped that Ferdi could slip back into Tookland with Estella. The Shire was getting to be a dangerous place for pretty lasses, but Tooks kept the ruffians out of their land.’

’I see,’ Frodo said again.

’Once you’re settled in Bywater, it’s only a dozen or so miles across country to the Great Smials,’ Farmer Cotton said. ‘It wouldn’t be difficult to send someone to fetch your daughter, or even to go yourself.’

’True,’ Odovacar said, looking into his wife’s hopeful face. She’d been bereft of both her children for far too long. He straightened up, saying decisively, ‘Well what are we waiting for? Shall we depart?’

’We’ll ride along with you,’ Frodo said. ‘I think our business here is finished.’

’I sent Pippin off to the Smials last night; he's probably halfway there this morning. I'd imagine he stopped off at a farm along the way,’ Merry said. ‘I’ll go with you, spend a night in Bywater,’ he looked to Farmer Cotton, ‘if I may,’ and receving a nod, went on, ‘and then go on to the Smials to meet up with Pippin. We’ll be planning the campaign to drive the rest of the ruffians out.’

’If there’s anything...’ Odovacar began, turning to Finch.

The healer smiled and shook his head. ‘I’ll get everyone back to Budgeford,’ he said. ‘I brought two waggons with me, hoping that the full score would have survived.’

’Old Oakleaf is making everything ready for your return,’ Odovacar said. His gardener would make sure that the rebels would receive a heroes' welcome when they crossed Budge Ford to enter the town, and he’d already arranged for quite a few little comforts to be delivered to the homes of their families, courtesy of the ruffians and the “gathered” goods they’d stashed in storeholes in the Scary Hills.

’Home,’ Rory said. ‘A fine word it is; I can hardly believe it’s still there.’

’That old wizard used to come around to tell us cheerful little tales. He liked to promise us that he’d leave nothing standing,’ Rocky said darkly.

’He said when he’d finished with the Shire, he’d let us free again, just so we could crawl across the desert that the land had become, and mourn over the homes and hobbits that were no more,’ Stony said, pulling his wife closer.

’He’s the one that’s no more,’ Frodo said, steel in his voice, curiously mingled with regret. ‘He cannot hurt the Shire or Shirefolk any longer.’

’Praise be,’ Rory breathed. ‘Did the hobbits rise up against him at last?’

‘No,’ Merry said quietly. ‘Hobbits aren’t that sort of folk. He was killed by one of his own.’





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