Chapter 16. Dreams of Home

Two more days passed and Fredegar steadily grew stronger, though the healer still insisted on small, frequent meals. Two waggonloads of Freddy’s rebels stopped at the Cotton farm on the evening of the second day and were joyously welcomed by one and all.

Young Robin was carried in and laid beside Fredegar on the softly cushioned bed. ‘Hullo, Robin,’ he said. ‘How goes the fight?’

’It goes, sir,’ Robin said, ducking his head. ‘Budgie says I’ll be able to stay up on Last Night with the rest of the tweens to watch the old year burn away with the Yule log.’

‘That’s fine news!’ Freddy said. ‘It’ll be good to see the old year go.’

‘It were a rough one, and that’s a fact,’ Stony said. He was much improved, able to walk from the waggon to the door on his own feet, though two of the Cotton lads carried him, one on either side, up the steps. Beechnut and Rory were able to make it up the stairs with only a steadying hand to help them. They gathered together, some in Freddy’s room, some in the kitchen round the big table, and feasted, and if the feast had legs and moved from room to room, no one seemed to mind.

‘It’s too late and too cold to drive to Bridgefields this night,’ Farmer Cotton said, and he would take no protest, but insisted on putting up all of Freddy’s rebels, though the old farmhouse was bursting at the seams.

In the morning, after a fine breakfast cooked by Rosie and Mrs Cotton, Freddy’s rebels took their leave, singing a song for their leader that they’d made up along the way from Michel Delving.

The road is long and the way is steep,
Away, my laddie, on your way home!
I’ve miles to go before I may sleep,
Away, my laddie, home!

But the lamp in the window is shining for me.
The kettle is singing; she’ll be brewing our tea,
And out of the window she’ll be glancing for to see,
Away, her laddie, on his way home!*

‘Home,’ Freddy murmured as the song ended, ‘a lovely word indeed,’ but his eyes were sad. He put on a smile for his rebels and had a hug and a good word for each one as they surrounded him.

‘We’ll see you before the year is out!’ Rocky said, last to leave the room, and Freddy nodded.

‘Before the year is out,’ he echoed, keeping his grin in place until he heard the front door slam behind the last one.

‘You look tired, son,’ Rosamunda said gently. ‘Perhaps this was a bit much for you.’

‘O no,’ Freddy protested. ‘It was wonderful to see them all again, on their feet, and headed…’ he sighed and forced the last word out, ‘...home.’

‘Are you pining for home?’ his mother asked, stroking his forehead as he settled back against the pillows. His answer puzzled her.

‘There’s time yet,’ he said softly. ‘The year’s not out, not for a little while, anyhow.’ He remembered the wizard’s promise. Home in time for Yule.

That afternoon, Pippin breezed in with a cheery greeting. ‘Well, cousin!’ he said. ‘You’re looking much better than you did a few days ago!’

‘I wish I could say the same for you!’ Frodo laughed.

‘I beg your pardon!’ Pippin said.

‘You have it,’ Frodo said, ‘but you’d do better to beg a bath instead!’

‘I’d like to see how you’d look, chasing all over East Farthing after a bunch of scurrilous ruffians!’ Pippin said, his eyes flashing, but Frodo put a hand on his arm.

‘I meant no insult, Pip, really I didn’t. But wouldn’t you feel better after a good soak in a steaming tub?’

‘I might,’ Pippin said, still bristling.

‘Come now,’ Frodo said, tugging at his arm to lead him from the room. ‘It just so happens that I know where there’s a tub going begging. I was about to take a bath myself, but you may have my tub, and I’ll bathe later, if cousin Freddy doesn’t mind putting up with me for a bit longer.’ He talked Pippin down the corridor, and then there was the shutting of a door and silence. Within a few minutes Frodo had returned, sitting down next to Fredegar with a sigh.

‘What’s got into our little cousin, I wonder?’ Freddy said. ‘He’s all prickles and stings!’

‘His father, more than likely. Chances are, he’s done a brilliant job of driving out ruffians thus far, and Paladin’s found him wanting, as usual,’ Frodo said. He leaned forward to look into Freddy’s face. ‘Have you been overdoing?’ he asked. ‘You look tired.’

‘Such a heartening thing to say to a patient,’ Freddy said. ‘Why, I feel weaker already.’

‘I’m sorry, Freddy,’ Frodo said.

Freddy snorted softly. ‘Just don’t go changing from Mayor to healer,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t suit you.’

‘I don’t think “Mayor” suits him either,’ Merry said from the doorway. ‘What all have you done? You’ve been Mayor half a week and I can’t see that you’ve accomplished all that much of anything!’

‘I sent out notices,’ Frodo said calmly.

‘Notices!’ Merry snorted.

‘That’s right,’ Frodo maintained. ‘I’ve discharged most of the Shirriffs, I’ll have you know, sent them packing back to their farms and holes and regular work. We don’t need so many, now that we’ve so few rules again: only the sensible ones that hobbits have always followed.’

‘Well done, cousin!’ Freddy said, applauding by slapping his knee with his good hand.

‘So what else are you going to do, your Mayorship?’ Merry wanted to know.

‘Nothing,’ Frodo said.

‘Nothing!’ Merry cried in astonishment.

‘I firmly believe in letting well enough alone,’ Frodo said. ‘Once the ruffians are out, all we need is Bounders to make sure they stay out. Inside the Shire, what do we need Shirriffs for? ...except perhaps to round up stray animals, for the most part.’

‘Just the way it’s always been,’ Rosamunda said thoughtfully.

‘It’s always worked in the past,’ Frodo said. ‘Lotho may have had a lot of new ideas, but I don’t think he thought them through. And I think he was influenced too much by the thoughts of Men.’

‘Yes,’ Merry said soberly. ‘We’d do well to avoid their influence.’

‘I’d agree to that,’ Freddy said fervently. Merry looked at him intently.

‘You look tired, cousin, though better than you did when we left.’

Freddy threw up his hands. ‘I must be tired, then,’ he said. ‘Everyone who is anyone has told me so.’

‘Then take a nap,’ Rosamunda said.

‘And I shall take a bath,’ Merry announced.

Frodo chuckled. ‘I wasn’t going to say anything,’ he said, ‘especially after I offended Pippin, but—‘

‘Offend away, cousin!’ Merry said cheerily. ‘Pip’s had his nose out of joint all the way back to Bywater.’

‘Why?’ Frodo asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Merry answered. ‘Something Paladin said, undoubtedly.’

‘If you’d take yourself off to your bath, Merry, tired hobbits might be able to get some sleep around here,’ Freddy said pointedly.

‘Don’t let me keep you awake!’ Merry protested. ‘Sleep well, cousin, and I will hope to see you when we’re both fresher.’ He blew a kiss to Rosamunda and left the room.

Rosamunda plumped Freddy’s pillows and pulled the covers up under his chin. ‘There you are,’ she said. ‘We’ll leave you for a little, my love.’

‘Thank you,’ Freddy said, closing his eyes and stretching beneath the covers. Soon he was half-asleep, and thinking ...of home. He wondered if the end would come immediately, or if he’d have time to see his friends and his old haunts before the burial. He wondered where Estella was and wished he might see her one more time, just to be able to bid her goodbye.

***

Pippin bounced in after his bath, wakening Freddy from an unsettling dream. ‘O I’m sorry!’ he apologised. ‘I didn’t realise...’

‘Not at all, cousin, I was glad to waken,’ Freddy said honestly. ‘Have a seat, tell me what’s what.’

Pippin sat down, stretching out his long legs, and proceeded to tell about their sweep through Woody End, meeting up with hobbits from the Marish and Buckland. ‘We’ve much territory to cover yet,’ he said critically, ‘but the ruffians are on the run.’

‘Good to hear,’ Freddy said.

Frodo entered with a tray, settling it in Freddy’s lap. ‘We have here some of Mrs Cotton’s lovely chicken and dumplings,’ he said, ‘and you are to eat every bite!’

‘How about me?’ Pippin asked indignantly. ‘What does a hobbit have to do to get a meal around here?’

‘You might trade places with me,’ Freddy said. ‘I’d welcome driving off ruffians for a change.’

‘Hah!’ Pippin said. ‘I’d like to see someone try to stick me in a bed!’ He sniffed. ‘Still,’ he added reflectively. ‘A hobbit might starve to death, waiting for someone to notice he’s hungry.’

‘Exquisite torture,’ Freddy murmured in a faraway voice. ‘Most suited to hobbits.’

‘What was that, cousin?’ Frodo said, stricken by the look on Freddy’s face. When Freddy didn’t answer, he pressed, ‘Freddy? Fredegar, are you all right?’

‘Quite well,’ Freddy said, coming back to the present. He looked down at the tray. ‘Really, Frodo, I don’t know what you folk are thinking of, giving me all this. I just ate an hour ago, you know, and I don’t think I could eat another bite.’ He pushed the tray towards Pippin. ‘Here, cousin, take it, please.’

‘I—I couldn’t,’ Pippin protested, clearly uncomfortable.

‘Really, Pip, lend me your aid,’ Freddy said. ‘Make the food disappear before my mother comes back and stuffs it into me. If I eat any more I’ll burst!’

‘Freddy...’ Frodo began.

‘Don’t you start, Frodo,’ Freddy said. ‘You know I’ve been good. I’ve eaten every scrap they’ve fed me for the past three days. Haven’t I earned a rest?’

‘Well,’ Frodo said, clearly wavering.

‘Besides,’ Freddy said. ‘I don’t think I could eat another bite to save my life!’

‘It smells awfully good,’ Pippin said wistfully.

‘Take it, cousin,’ Freddy said persuasively, shoving the tray further in Pippin’s direction, so that he had to catch it or else let it fall onto the floor. ‘They’ll only be feeding me again in an hour as it is.’

‘When you put it that way...’ Pippin said, looking to Frodo for tacit permission.

Frodo gave in, laughing. ‘Honestly, Freddy,’ he said. ‘However are we going to fatten you up in time to take you home?’

‘Home,’ Freddy said softly. ‘I don’t think you have to fatten me up, Frodo. Haven’t you heard? I’m to be home in time for Yule.’

‘That’s what I’d heard,’ Pippin said through a full mouth.

‘Home,’ Freddy said again, and sighed. Frodo gave him an odd look, but said no more for the nonce.

*For the music to this song, click here or copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://www.classicalfree.org/music/home.mid

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