Chapter 26. Coming Home
The babes were both asleep, their tiny son in the cradle that had already been in their apartments, and their baby daughter in the cradle that had appeared since Meadowsweet had left the Smials to stay with Mardi's family in Tuckborough. She walked idly around the sitting room, with its cheerful fire on the little hearth, the teakettle just beginning to steam on the hob, and the brightly shining lamps, polished wood and brass, well-swept floor and soft rug underfoot. Vases of fresh flowers stood on either end of the sideboard, and a gleaming silver bowl on the shining table held a tempting assortment of fruit.
Every room displayed the same loving care, seeming too much for a single hobbit to manage, especially considering that Rusty had charge of two families, Meadowsweet's and Pimpernel's. Though Meadowsweet knew the hobbitservant could – and had, in the past – obtain help from the Head Holekeeper to lighten his load, she wouldn't be surprised to be told that all the small touches of care she saw about her had come from Rusty's hand alone. She dashed a tear from her cheek and blessed the hobbit. She and Tolly would have to talk about finding some tangible ways to express their thankfulness...
Tolly.
Her breath came short as she remembered Regi's caution. Coming from the no-nonsense hobbit, the warning made a greater impression, somehow.
Though it felt as if she'd been waiting forever, the knock that came at the door startled her nonetheless. She managed to stifle an unthinking 'Coming!' by biting down hard on her clenched fist as she hurried to the door.
Bringing her hand down to rest on the knob, she hesitated. Could she do this?
She must.
He might have stayed there, Regi had said.
But he didn't! she told herself fiercely. He might have stayed there, stayed safe, not knowing I'm in the world, not knowing about his babes, and them not knowing him...
But he's here. He chose to take the risk of returning to us. Can I do any less? Meadowsweet took a deep breath, tried to control the trembling that had seized her, and turned the knob.
Tolly stood there, Healer Woodruff beside him but not touching him. Her hand was raised to knock again, but she let it fall to her side without a word.
Meadowsweet thought she saw her own anxiety mirrored in her beloved's face before it went blank and his eyes seemed to look into a far distance. Have I lost him already?
Woodruff smiled and took Tolly's arm. 'Come, lad,' she coaxed. Her voice had an oddly soothing sing-song quality, resembling the tone one would use with a fussing babe or skittish pony. 'You said the place didn't look familiar to you when we left the Thain's study, but when you closed your eyes, as we walked, your body remembered the turning.'
Meadowsweet saw her beloved's eyelids close as if Woodruff had just made a suggestion rather than an observation. She hastily stepped back as the healer tugged gently at Tolly's arm, and the two moved together into the entryway.
Woodruff's gaze sharpened, demanding Meadowsweet's attention, and the healer gestured with her free hand. Back, the gesture said. Step back.
Meadowsweet obediently took a step backwards.
Farther, Woodruff's hand communicated. Farther.
Meadowsweet had backed up nearly to the table when the message changed. Stop and stay!
The healer gave Tolly's arm a little shake before she released him, and then she did a curious thing: she snapped her fingers, and Tolly's eyes opened.
Meadowsweet took a sharp breath but managed not to speak as her beloved surveyed the room, his eyes skimming past her as if she were invisible. 'It – it looks familiar...' he said uncertainly.
'That's right, lad,' Woodruff said.
It occurred rather belatedly to Meadowsweet that the healer had yet to call Tolly by name, and she wondered... If, somehow, her beloved was unable to take this final step, could the healers – or the escort, or the Thain himself – bear him back to the North Farthing? She made a private resolve to plead for them to do just that, if that should turn out to be Tolly's only hope for survival. She would give up her future with him to ensure he would have a future.
Somehow, Meadowsweet managed to keep herself still, all but her head and her eyes, as Tolly left the entryway and began to walk around the sitting room, stopping to examine various details. But Woodruff nodded reassurance, communicating that all was as it should be.
'Breathe,' the healer murmured, and Meadowsweet realised the quiet word had been directed towards her. She gulped a breath, and the dizziness she only now noticed subsided.
Tolly's eyes had turned towards her at the sound, and he stood in place, staring blankly at her. Meadowsweet met his gaze as steadily as she could manage. At last, he whispered, 'Sweetie?'
Unsure as to whether she should answer, she looked to Woodruff, but Tolly drew her attention as he closed the gap between them.
'Sweetie?' he said again, staring into her face, but then his eyes fell to her abdomen, and he drew a sharp breath. Tears filled his eyes, and he moaned, 'O my love... the babe...'
Released from her frozen state, Meadowsweet embraced him, murmuring, 'All is well, my heart, all's well, you've come home...'
Standing rigid within the circle of her arms, Tolly shook his head and sobbed, 'I – I'm – I'm so sorry, love, so sorry...'
Meadowsweet clung to him more tightly, remembering to speak gently, 'What're you so sorry about, dearest?'
'I forgot... I didn't come home to you...' Tolly sobbed. Meadowsweet stiffened as he concluded, 'I forgot... you.'
'Well I never forgot you, love, so that's one thing in our favour, I should think,' she answered. She suppressed a sigh of relief as she felt his hands move around her to return the hug she'd initiated. And though she mentally kicked herself immediately after the words left her mouth, she couldn't seem to help saying, 'Did you really forget me?'
In apology, she kissed him gently where his neck met his chin, and then lifting her hands to grasp at his ears, she tilted his face downwards, towards hers, and she stood on tiptoe to press her lips against his. When the kiss ended, she whispered, 'I love you, my heart. You are my heart!'
'I dreamed you,' he whispered in return.
'Dreamed me? Dreamed of me?' She was confused.
'You were in my dreams,' he clarified, but fresh tears welled in his eyes. 'But I didn't know you. I – I couldn't name you... I couldn't find you! I looked and looked...' He caught his breath in a sob, and his gaze resumed that frightening blankness. 'I cannot... cannot find you...'
'I'm here,' she said quickly, staring into his eyes, her hands cupping his face. 'I'm right here, beloved.'
'Couldn't find my way back,' he said, closing his eyes. 'I'm sorry...'
Meadowsweet's temper stirred then, slipping past her effort to control it, and she snapped, 'You nearly died! ...Regi told me: you nearly died, and you were very ill... so very ill, you didn't even know your own name! You've nothing to apologise for! Nothing!'
Tolly's eyes opened, to stare at her. She moved her hands to his shoulders and gave him a little shake. 'Nothing!' she repeated in a lower tone. 'And here you are now... you came back to us at last...'
Tolly stepped back, his eyes drinking her in. But then, belatedly, he said, 'Us...?' He caught his breath. 'The babe...?' he repeated, dread in his tone.
'The babes,' Meadowsweet said. 'I did not lose our little daughter from shock and sorrow, for though they told me you were dead, I knew right here,' she fisted her right hand and thumped her breast, over her heart, adding, 'that you were still in the world. I knew you still lived!'
'I wasn't here... for them. For you,' Tolly said.
'I knew you would be here in any way you could,' Meadowsweet said. 'And I saw you... in my dreams... And so, in some sense, you were here with me when I needed you.'
He shook his head, whether in negation or confusion, Meadowsweet did not know. She said, 'All is well, my heart,' hoping she spoke the truth, and took his hand, adding simply, 'Come.'
Tolly followed meekly as she led him to their bedroom.
Meadowsweet nodded a silent dismissal to the minder who sat knitting in the rocking chair by the fire, and the minder bundled her needles and yarn into her basket and hurried from the room. Then Sweetie led Tolly to the larger cradle, squeezed his hand, and said, 'Our son. He's grown a bit since you last saw him...'
Tolly nodded wordlessly.
Meadowsweet led him to the smaller cradle just beyond, released his hand and reached down to lift the sleeping babe. 'She'll be wakening soon, wanting her tea,' she murmured. She cuddled the baby close and then extended the bundle of blankets to Tolly. 'Highday-a-week will be her naming day,' she said. 'I had thought to call her "Linnet"...'
Tolly accepted the bundle, staring down into the sleeping face. 'My little songbird...' he whispered.
Meadowsweet laughed. 'Yes!' she said joyfully. 'We always said we wanted to raise our own flock of songbirds!'
'My love,' Tolly said, looking from the babe to Meadowsweet, his eyes now fully aware. He bent his head towards her, and she raised her face to his, until their lips met in a kiss.
And somehow Meadowsweet knew that all, truly, was well once again.
***
A few days before the travelling Tooks' scheduled arrival, Pippin stationed a messenger at The Crowing Cockerel, halfway between Stock and Tuckborough, to watch for Diamond and Farry (and the rest of the Tooks with them, of course). Thus, as the large body of travellers began to stream into the courtyard of the inn, the messenger grinned and said, 'I think this is it!' to the ostler standing just outside the doorway to the stables.
'I think you're right, young fellow,' the ostler replied, followed by, 'Pony post!'
As per the Master's and Thain's arrangements, stable workers sprang into action at the words, saddling one of the fine Tookish ponies kept ready at all times, day and night, and leading the beast out of the stables. 'My thanks, Doro!' the rider said, rendering the ostler an archer's salute before he stepped up lightly into the saddle and nudged the pony into a gallop.
Doro nodded satisfaction. As he pulled the heavy door closed, he called into the stables, 'Well done, lads! He's off like a shot from the bow! Iffen he's not careful, he may just arrive before he left!' Cheerful laughter at his witticism warmed him as he turned to deal with the influx. O' course, they'd stable as many o' the beasts as they had room for, and a fair number of the working hobbits who were travelling with the coaches and waggons would be sleeping in the hayloft. The travellers of highest rank would fill the rooms of the inn, and the overflow would stay in pavilions they brought with them.
Or so the innkeeper and his staff had been informed. On their long, roundabout trek to the North Farthing, the Tooks had started in the wee hours o' the morning and passed right by the Cockerel in the middle o' the day, a long parade of coaches and waggons, providing such an unusual sight that had many of the hobbits who lived or worked along the way stopped and stared until the last conveyance had passed. On the way back to the Great Smials, the plan was to stop at the Cockerel overnight, allowing them to arrive home again before teatime on their final day of travel rather than arriving in the middle night (which would be quite inconvenient all around).
In the early months of his Thainship, Pippin had worked together with Merry to place fast ponies at inns and with smallholders every ten or so miles along the Stock Road, ostensibly to carry official messages between the Great Smials and Brandy Hall, a marvel of modern communications. Since the Mayor of Michel Delving lived in Hobbiton, relatively close to the Great Smials, there was no pressing need to establish a similar network of post ponies between Tuckborough and Michel Delving to expedite the exchange of critical information between the three Shire officials. Any urgent message from the Master could swiftly travel the Stock Road via Pony Post and then be taken from the Smials to Hobbiton by one of the Thain's Messengers on an equally fast pony.
After the cousins had worked out the necessary details, Pippin had supplied fine ponies from the Thain's stables, while Merry paid for their upkeep at the established waystations. This arrangement struck down two – or even three! – birds with a single stone, so to speak. Constrained by the disappearance of the Tooklands' treasury before Pippin's father had become Thain, the newest Thain and his Steward were already struggling to keep up with expenses – and the Thainship brought along with it a fair-sized herd of fast ponies. Selling numerous ponies to raise revenues would have kindled the ire of the proud Tooks; however, "lending" the same number of ponies to the new Pony Post service meant that Brandy Hall was paying for their upkeep, taking care of that expense, at least. As gravy on the taters, the Tooks could take pride in their contribution to Shire communications, including the potential to increase the rapidity of calling a Shire-moot or Muster in a time of emergency, measures that fell under the Thain's jurisdiction.
At Pippin's urging, Samwise had spread the word about the newly established Pony Post service to the hobbits working for the Shire-post (used for local mail delivery by hobbits working for the Mayor) and Messenger Service (comprising hobbits also working for the Mayor but who rode longer distances on ponyback to deliver mail within the Shire). Instead of riding their own ponies at a sensible pace, meaning that sending a Quickpost message from Tuckborough to Bucklebury typically required two days' travel time, the Messengers working for the Mayor could use the Pony Post steeds, pelting along at a gallop and changing mounts at every waystation, cutting the time to cover the fifty miles from days to a matter of hours. Though hobbits tend to be suspicious of innovations in general, the newly established Pony Post quickly won grudging approval when folk began to realise that it cost no more to use than the Messenger Service (because the Master was covering the added expense), yet urgent messages, such as those concerning accidents or impending birth or death, could arrive at their destination more than a full day earlier than the traditional service had been able to offer, and the farther the distance, the greater in terms of time-savings.
Thus, word came to the Great Smials a full day ahead of the caravan of Tooks who were returning from the North Farthing.
'The Pony Post is already paying for itself,' Pippin observed to Reginard when the news arrived not long after eventides. Since the Steward's Rosa was also travelling, Regi had found himself drawn to the study to finish catching up on the work that had piled up while he'd been away.
With no Diamond to keep him in check, Pippin had also returned to the study after teatime. 'Alert the kitchens! Ahoy! Land ho! as the sailors of my acquaintance have been known to shout at the end of a long Sea-journey. Grand celebration ahead!'
'None of your nonsense, now, lad,' Regi said to restrain this flight of fancy, unable to suppress a shudder at the thought of sailing so far out on the water that one would shout for joy at the sight of land again.
The Smials seemed so quiet with nearly half of its residents gone! The Steward was half tempted to mutter something about the need to make up future errands to tempt the Tooks to travel more, simply to gain additional periods of peace and quiet, save for the fact that voicing such might move the Thain to chide Regi for his nonsense. And that would never do.
Shoving these thoughts aside, Regi spoke to the Messenger hovering in the doorway. 'Go and advise the chief cook of the arrival tomorrow,' he said. 'The Thain has ordered a grand welcoming tea, with all the accompaniments!'
'Sir,' Isenard said smartly, and closed the door behind him.
As if he'd heard the Steward's unspoken thoughts, Pippin raised his arms and stretched, saying, 'It's been so refreshingly quiet! ...the last few days. P'rhaps we might turn our thoughts to finding more reasons for Smials Tooks to make themselves scarce now and then...' But then he shook his head and added, 'No, for they'll be back on the morrow, and then we'll be too busy with the "usual" work to add any further tasks to the agenda. But...'
Regi waited for the rest.
'...but,' Pippin repeated, 'from what Woodruff said this afternoon, it's all worked out for the best for Tolibold! Why, she all but said he's nearly home free!'
Regi smiled, struck by the whimsy the words conjured. 'His struggle to find and bring together his memories has resembled a game of "I hide and you seek me" at that,' he said. 'At least the way you explained it to me on the ride from the North Farthing, and from what I've been able to glean from Woodruff since we've been here.'
'Let us do what we can to make sure the hobbit comes out the winner,' Pippin said. 'And not only for his sake, but for the sake of all who love and care about him.'
***
Early the next morning, following the young Thain's instructions, Steward Reginard issued a series of orders that he might have argued against at any other time. In this case, however, Pippin had discussed the matter thoroughly with him and explained his reasons for the course they were now following. Thus, at the same time Regi's messenger was arriving at the Crowing Cockerel, half a day's travel from Tuckborough, to intercept the oncoming procession before it started, word was spreading within the Great Smials in the early morning hours as hobbits worked their way down the corridors, pounding on each door in turn until someone answered, then issuing the startling announcement: 'By order of the Steward, all hobbits are to confine themselves to quarters after the late noontide meal is finished. No exceptions! All hobbits – gentlehobbits, servants, visitors and working hobbits alike!'
Something was in the air, though the Talk could not begin to illuminate this extraordinary declaration or the reasons behind it. (Had someone among the Tooks who had visited the North Farthing fallen ill of a virulent fever? Was the "confined to quarters" proclamation meant to protect the residents of the Smials as the stricken hobbit was carried to the infirmary?) Astonishingly, the news was also disseminated amongst the hobbits already working at their tasks for the day: the kitchens, the laundries, the stables, the dairy barn and coops, the forge, and everywhere else where the Steward's word held sway, including Tuckborough, where the message was to stay off the streets from noontide until further notice.
'I can't help but think I'm being rather high-handed,' Regi said to Pippin as the two stood in the best parlour with its panoramic view of the courtyard, outbuildings, and part of Tuckborough beyond, watching the message spread. The corners of his mouth tightened in a humourless smile as knots of hobbits formed in the courtyard and the main road leading through the town. 'What can it mean?' he said in the voice of an old gammer gossiping to her friends.
'I suppose this would be an opportune moment to say, None of your nonsense now!' Pippin observed. 'Except for the fact that it's likely to be exactly what they're saying...'
'Well, the cat is well and truly out of the bag now, and there's no point in trying to stuff her back in,' Regi said.
Pippin winced. 'Sharp are her claws; nearly as sharp as the tongues of the Tooks,' he responded. 'Though I think you've picked the wrong metaphor in this case.' At Regi's questioning look, he said, 'No, but I think it's more a case of "Now we've put the cloud-cake in the oven, we dare not take it out again or slam the door lest it fall!" ...or something to that effect.'
'We must go on as we've begun,' Regi said.
'Exactly!' Pippin confirmed. 'And that means water rations for anyone who so much as sticks his nose into the corridor until we sound the all-clear.'
'I hope you know what we're doing,' Regi said.
'I hope Woodruff knows what we're doing,' Pippin amended. He turned away from the window and added, 'Well then, early breakfast is underway in the great room, and the tongues are flying! We've given them so much food for thought this day, they'll be in no danger of growing bored as they await the arrival of the travelling Tooks!'
Regi privately thought to himself that all danger of growing bored had flown out the window on the day Pippin had arrived at the Smials to take up the duties of Thain. However, it probably wouldn't do to voice the idea, and so he merely said, 'I ordered early breakfast served in your study, Sir, since our families are still travelling.'
'Very good, Regi,' Pippin said. 'Best to get an early start this day since no work will be done after the late noontide meal, if all goes according to plan.'
***
Roughly halfway between the end of the late noontide meal and teatime, a lone coach escorted by a single rider rattled through the empty streets of Tuckborough and into the courtyard before the Great Smials, where a small welcoming committee stood waiting. They were well-wrapped-up against the icy winter air, as if they were about to embark upon a journey through the winter landscape; however, this was not the case.
'Ho-o-o-o!' the driver called to the ponies, and they clattered to a stop on the stones. A stable hobbit stepped forward from the small group of stable workers explicitly summoned by the Steward, and he took hold of one of the lead ponies.
Before the driver could hop down, Tolibold had already moved forward to put the step in place, and Thain Peregrin, as part of the welcoming party, was opening the door to the coach.
Tolly straightened again just in time to catch a small bundle of determination that flew at him from the inside of the coach, chanting, 'Da! Da! O Da!'
Cuddling little Lark close to his heart, he said, 'My little songbird! How glad I am to see you!' And momentarily turning away from the coach, he said to Meadowsweet beside him, whose raven hair flew wild and free behind her on the wind, 'This is our little daughter from the North-lands, my love.'
Eyes the colour of the stormy sky met eyes of mysterious forest green, and then Sweetie smiled. 'Lark?' she said. 'Your da has told me so many wonderful stories about you, and how you saved his life! I'm so very grateful... How can I ever thank you enough, my darling?'
Little Lark set her chin firmly. 'You could be my mum,' she said slowly. 'I've never had one of those. Not that I remember.'
'O my dearest!' Meadowsweet sobbed, holding out her arms to Lark. The child released her hold on Tolly and allowed herself to be transferred to Meadowsweet, who hugged her close, tears sparkling from her cheeks.
Tolly turned to greet the lads, who'd jumped down with the help of the Thain's guiding hand and now caught their da between them in a grand three-way hug.
'Da!' came their muffled cries.
'My lads,' he said, bending over one and then the other and straightening again to greet their grandfather. 'Old hobbit,' he said. 'Welcome.'
The two lads spoke at the same time. 'Is it always so quiet here?' and 'Is she all right?' as Meadowsweet laughed and wept at the same time, still clinging to Lark.
'She's just happy you've come,' Tolly answered. 'And no, this is unusually quiet for the Great Smials, by order of the Thain and Steward, as a way of welcoming you all to the South-lands. They seem to think I still need peace and relative quiet to properly heal, and o' course nobody listens to me when I tell them I'm feeling quite well!'
Lark lifted her head from Meadowsweet's shoulder and said, 'Well they ought to listen to you! And I'll tell them so, I will!'
'O' course you will, little songbird!' Tolly said. 'I've nothing to fear now that you're here with us!'
Meanwhile, Regi had handed out his Rosa, and Hilly had hopped down from his pony, turned the reins over to a waiting stable worker, and then helped his Posey descend from the coach. Lastly, Pippin welcomed Diamond, Faramir and Eglantine, steadying each one as they stepped down and distributing hugs amongst his loved ones.
Now that they'd emptied the coach, which had been rather crowded upon arrival, the Steward turned to address the arriving hobbits. 'Let us not freeze our blood to stone in this icy air!' he said. 'Why, tea is laid out and ready for you; Sweetie and Tolly invite you all to join them in welcoming the travellers home!'
They entered through one of the lesser doors at the ground level and walked through strangely silent and empty corridors. Gorbyl and the children were frankly overwhelmed at their surroundings. 'It's... It's so big...!' Flam whispered to young Gorbi, and Gorbi answered with an awed, 'So... grand!'
Lark whimpered, and Tolly took her from Meadowsweet's arms and cuddled her close. 'All's well, sweet Lark. I promise.'
'How will we ever find our way?' Gorbi said, tugging at old Gorbyl's sleeve.
Though his eyes were as wide as those of his grands, the old hobbit managed a chuckle. 'Why, how did we ever learn to find our way through the Wood?' he said. 'We did, though, didn't we? And the Wood's much bigger and grander than the Smials, believe you me!'
At last, they reached the apartments assigned to the head of escort and his family. Rusty was waiting in the doorway. 'Welcome!' he called. 'Your timing is excellent, masters and mistresses! The teakettle just boiled, and I've just filled and cosied the teapots! Come in! Come in!' And he stepped back from the door in tacit invitation to enter.
The Steward was the last to enter. As adults helped the children remove their wraps and then shed their own winter coverings and hung them on the hooks in the entryway, he quickly doffed his cloak and muffler and shoved them at Pippin. 'I'll just take care of the next matter of business,' he said to the Thain.
'You do that,' Pippin acknowledged. 'I'll try to keep the locusts from devouring all before you return.'
'My thanks,' Regi said, and then he was gone. Not long after, the news began to spread through the Smials in a flurry of knocks and shouts, flowing down one corridor after another like a flood and quickly filling the passageways with released hobbits, inundating the old manse with the energy of excitement and gab and gossip. 'All clear!' The message also went out to the outbuildings and the town of Tuckborough beyond, and soon things were back to normal, more or less. For of course there was a great deal of gossip to get through after being pent up, with the threat of water rations (and during Yuletide, at that!), for a full hour or more.
Along with the All clear! message came the announcement that the travelling Tooks were due to arrive at any moment. Thus, the corridors were quickly cleared again as people hurried to put on warm outer garments and join the swelling crowd in the courtyard waiting to cheer the travellers and welcome them home.
At Tolly's invitation, Rusty introduced himself to Gorbyl and then each of the childer in turn. When he got to Lark, the hobbitservant fell to one knee and held out his hand to the little one. 'Look at you, little miss!' he said in a wondering voice. 'Why, are you my long-lost twin? For I've never seen the like!' In truth, though his eyes were brown, the curls atop Rusty's head and feet were the exact match of Lark's red-gold locks.
'We must be!' little Lark laughed, putting her hand in his.
'At your service, Miss,' Rusty said with a gentle squeeze, and then he stood to his feet and excused himself. 'For I must lay tea for the hobbits next door,' he said, 'and I was told they'd be arriving an hour or so after the first coach.'
Lark wanted to call him back, but Tolly swept her up. 'Rusty's got very serious work to do,' he said. 'Just as serious as your work, my lass! ...milking the goats and gathering the eggs and all. Why, what would the nannies do, should you allow Flam to call you away to pick berries at milking time?'
This explanation made sense, and so Lark was content to climb upon Meadowsweet's lap and direct her new mum in filling a plate for her with good things.
In the middle of this engrossing occupation, Sweetie looked up and surprised a solemn look on young Gorbi's face. 'You don't have to call me Mum, you know,' she said, 'not if you wouldn't be comfortable so. I know you're old enough that you still remember your real mum.'
'I—' Gorbi began, and then he looked at the floor and dug his toe into the soft rug.
'I'll never try to replace her in your heart,' Sweetie said, looking from Gorbi to his younger brother Flam. 'But I do hope you will, someday, welcome me to your family, just as,' and she looked up to meet Tolly's smile, 'just as you welcomed my true-love upon a time. I would dearly love to have such a wonderful family to call my own.'
She had to hastily set Lark's plate on the table to avoid a mishap, for Flam flung his arms around her and Lark and burst into tears. Gorbi followed more slowly, but when he reached Meadowsweet, he hugged her and Lark and Flam all together, as far as he could reach, anyhow, bowed his head, and stood silently.
When Meadowsweet raised questioning eyes to old Gorbyl, standing arm in arm with Tolly, the old hobbit gave her a watery smile. 'I think the childer mean to say, Welcome to the family!' he said huskily.
The old north-Took had carried his old pack with him in the coach, not willing to relegate it to be lashed on with the rest of the baggage, and now he untied the laces holding it closed and took out a carefully-wrapped parcel which he handed to Tolly. 'I brought it for the lads and lass's sake,' he said.
Nestled within the wrappings was the portrait of Wallas and Dove that had graced the mantel in the little cot in the Wood. 'Here, Sweetie,' Tolly said, holding the portrait that she could see it without disturbing the children surrounding her. 'Wallas... and his Dove.'
'Oh!' Sweetie said, holding Lark a little closer. 'That's your Da! O' course it is! ...and your Mum, she's so lovely...' To Tolly, she said, 'I think it should go on the mantel here, that Wallas and Dove may watch over their childer as they've always done... and may their dreams be peaceful ones...'
'Aye,' Tolly said low, and he bowed his head for a long moment.
And then he gladly went to do his wife's bidding.
***