elderberrywine (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
elderberrywine) wrote2008-03-21 05:24 pm
elderberrywine) wrote2008-03-21 05:24 pm
New Fic: The Tuckborough Affar, conclusion
And here's the rest *points below for explanation*
The stables were as massive and ancient as had been the smials, and it was abundantly clear that the ponies were indeed a passion with the Tooks. No pony could have ever asked for better, for each individual stall was spacious and immaculate, with just enough fresh straw laid about and a deep trough filled with clear water. I had noticed riding tracks, as we came in, where a pony could be exercised and a large field, brown at this time of the year, where they could be given an occasional run. The central barn that held the stalls was connected to the hill in the back, and I quickly noticed that there seemed to be a hallway dug back into the hill at one end. Presumably, the stable staff had their own quarters back there. A great stone-covered fireplace, near the entrance, kept the building comfortably warm, and the entire place was redolent with the aroma of wood, smoke, and pony. Oddly enough, I noticed other animals there as well, and I had to ask Pippin about that.
“Oh, well, of course,” he laughed, reaching down to stroke a marmalade cat that had somehow instantly appeared exactly at patting level. “Yes, and hello to you, Miss Ginger,” he added, patting the cat fondly as it thrust its tail up high and began to purr in a loud rumbling manner. “The cats are to keep down the rats and mice, needless to say, and the goats are to give the ponies a bit of company. They are fonder of them than each other; I have no idea why,” he confided with a grin. “Just like some hobbits I know. And the geese, of course,” he added, as a small flock came rushing over to us, giving preliminary honks, “are soon to be dinner. Well, at least a few of them. Nearly Yule, you know. But they have their other uses, as well. Not much gets by Old Tom,” he added, eying the enormous goose at the head of the pack with a certain admiration. “He’s too tough for dinner, fortunately. He’s quite a character. But do watch your fingers around him, Gamgee.”
“Indeed,” I eyed the beast with respect. My father kept geese as well, and I knew a prime specimen when I saw one.
Tolliver had come forward, by this time, to see what all the fuss was about. He was an elderly hobbit, with a weathered, sun-darkened face and, as it was soon apparent, somewhat of a crusty nature. “Aye, then, Master Pippin, what’s all the pother about?” he asked querulously, leaning heavily on a hay-rake. “An’ who’d these fine gentle-hobbits be?”
“My cousin out Hobbiton way, Mr. Baggins,” Pip inclined his head toward us, “and his friend Mr. Gamgee. They’ve come to have a bit of a look at the ponies. Mr. Gamgee is possibly interested in purchasing one.”
“ ‘Tis that so?” Tolliver suddenly sent a piercing glance my way, and I fervently hoped he had no further questions regarding the matter. My utter ignorance along those lines would be no secret from him, I was immediately sure.
But Baggins quickly stepped in to my aid, and started asking various knowledgeable questions about the ponies, along with Pippin’s assistance. Tolliver said no more to me, but I could sense his keen eye on me yet. As we conversed, however, Baggins kept roaming about the stable, and I noticed his sharp scrutiny of the premises and its employees, which included the two stable lads in one of the far stalls, forking hay and casting curious glances our way. His glance fell at last on some tools left on a stool, and a small pile of wood shavings beneath.
“A bit of whittlin’,” Tolliver responded, when questioned about it. “Summat of a hobby of mine. But let me call the lads, now. They could tell you summat more about the ponies, if you like. I’ve other business t’be takin’ care of, if I might be so bold, Master Pippin.”
“Oh, of course, I’m sorry we disturbed you, Tolliver,” Pippin immediately responded, and the two stable lads, coming to join us with alacrity, proved happy enough to answer any query Baggins or Pippin could think of on my behalf, as I maintained an aloof silence, regarding the animals with what I could only hope appeared to be a penetrating gaze.
After a few more moments of this, however, Baggins gave me a nearly imperceptible nod, and we started back to the Great Smials. But as we were just about out the heavy barn door, Baggins turned to one of the lads, who had been following us, and casually mentioned, “Heard you had a bit of trouble with the ponies before the last meet. Any idea what happened to them?”
“No, Master Baggins,” the lad’s honest face clouded over at the mention. “Not a bit on it. They were fine enough the night before, and then come morning, well, there ‘twas.”
“No disturbances about the place, then?” Baggins reached in his pocket for his pipe and thoughtfully tapped it against the heavy weather-stained wood of the door.
“Nay, none a’tall,” Nub shook his head. “Nobbut natural about it, if you be askin’ me. But I’d best be getting’ back to the hayin’ and not stand here natterin’ away,” he added hastily, catching a glimpse of Tolliver out of the corner of his eye. “Good day t’you, sirs.”
In the back stall, however, I had caught the gaze of the other stable lad, Bills by name. He was staring after us with the most intent expression on his face. Indeed, I might have even have said that he gave the impression of being belligerent. Catching Baggins’ eye, I saw he had noticed the lad as well, and a thoughtful look stole across his face.
&&&&&
The room that I had been given was as casually and comfortably luxurious as the rest of this enchanting place, and after the full dinner and several bottles of Old Winyards that I had assisted in consuming, the bed looked particularly inviting indeed. The only thing that could have made it more attractive, at this point, would have been a bit of company in it, but at this point, that prospect did not seem too likely. Our journey here had been unfortunately timed in that there seemed to be an overload of guests at every inn at which we stopped, and full beds and rooms had been the norm. And now that there was the chance of some privacy, I found that Baggins had been whisked off down some other hall, presumably to his usual room, and there was no hope of me finding him, at least this night.
So I undressed, and sat, in my nightshirt, on the quilts and feather coverlet that lay neatly arranged on the four poster bed, and stared into the red flames of the fireplace. Odd how in such an enormous warren, filled with so many other hobbits, that I could be feeling lonely, and a trifle melancholy. Brusquely telling myself that it was the wine speaking, and that I could find Baggins in the morning, I straightened my shoulders and resolved to get a good night’s sleep, at any rate.
The fire died down to embers as I tucked myself into bed and let the candle by my bedside flicker a little while longer, watching the pattern of the light on the earthen ceiling above me. Somehow sleep was long in coming and the thought of who could have been beside me, and was not, was not hastening its arrival in any way. Less than a fortnight ago, that would have been a thought that never would have entered my head. No, I suppose I am not being entirely honest about that, it might have entered my head in a very vague sort of way, but certainly as no more than a wistfully implausible dream.
But before the candle guttered completely out, there was a soft rap on the door, and Baggins himself quickly entered my room, to my great delight and relief. I suppose that was obvious by my expression, since Baggins gave a quiet bark of a laugh, as he silently shut the door behind him and rapidly crossed the room to my side. “Forgive me, my dear Samwise, for not coming sooner,” he chuckled as he wrapped me up in a warm embrace. “I’ve a bit of a reputation for being up and about at all sorts of odd hours, but I still thought it best to wait until traffic had died down a bit out there. I’ve never seen such a place for hobbits being up and about until all hours of the night.”
“No matter, no matter at all, as long as you’re here now,” I exclaimed in relief as I sat up in bed and began tugging off his jacket. “You can explain it all to me later. All those nights in the inns were extremely trying, you know.”
“Decidedly,” he murmured, assisting my efforts with dexterity and considerable haste. “As you say, discussions can wait.” With a last flourish, my nightshirt was off as well, and our hands, and mouths, were immediately upon each other, and for a good while after that, his touches and caresses were all I knew, or cared to know. Finally, exhausted and sated, we fell asleep wrapped together in the manner that had so quickly become, to both of us, natural and secure.
&&&&&
I was startled awake, in the early morning hours, by a polite knock on the door. Baggins stirred next to me, and with great presence of mind, pulled the coverlets over his head. The maid crept in, laying the first breakfast tray upon the table, and left quickly, but not before giving a curious look in my direction. She must have had a companion on the rounds with her for, once out in the hallway again, I heard her give a giggle and mutter, “Aye, ‘tis a fast worker, that ‘un. And not a wonder, neither, for he’s certainly a handsome…” but the rest of the complement was lost as they continued down the hall.
Baggins gave a sleepy chuckle, and murmured, “Entirely my fault, my dear. Must remember to lock the door tomorrow night. Leaving it open’s the signal breakfast is wanted, you know. Well, it will be at least an hour before she returns. I believe we still have a few days to yet account for.”
He slipped from my room just before she returned for the tray.
&&&&&
Pippin joined us at second breakfast, eager to join in the investigation once again, but both he, and I for that matter, were to be disappointed. Baggins announced that he must leave us, this morning, to travel in to Michel Delving in order to look into certain questions he had on this affair, and that I and Pippin were to stay here. Sensing our disappointment, he gave us a quick apologetic smile and then assured us solemnly that he had a task for us here, if we so chose. “I need you to ask the stable lad, Nub, a few more questions, but I would not like to have you do so in the presence of Tolliver and Bills. Perhaps, Pippin, you could suggest to Gamgee here that he might want to see one of the ponies run a bit, and have Nub bring him out to the track, away from the barn. Just ask him a bit more about what he saw or heard the night before the last meet. Take a care, though, and do not let the other two hear you. These waters are indeed deep, and I must urge the both of you to be very careful.” His expression was entirely serious when he delivered that last warning, and he was quickly gone, leaving Pippin and I to exchange startled glances.
We did, however, as we were told. Pippin, with his singular combination of naïve easy charm and bubbling small talk, not to mention the added benefit of being the master’s son, soon had drawn Nub and one of the ponies out onto the track, away from the others, and I, in the persona of the potential buyer, maintained a stoic silence, since I had no doubt that I would muck it up if I but opened my mouth. It was a blustery day, and the brightly coloured leaves flew briskly by from time to time, but we had other matters on our minds than the bite of the wind, and I have no doubt but that we both whole-heartedly wished to please Baggins upon his return.
Alas for our investigative prowess, however, for the lad had not that much to say. He admitted that it was odd, to be sure, but he had not heard anything amiss that night before the meet. Both Tolliver and Bills had been there, he was sure of it, and he had bedded down in his room just beyond the stalls, as usual, but in the morning, the ponies were hurt and he felt that dreadful about it, indeed he did.
But after a little longer, after he had put the pony through a few more of its paces, he gave us another appraising look, and then with a quick glance toward the stables, drew close to us once more. “Although I don’t mind tellin’ you, good sirs, that there was something queer a’goin’ on that night. There was this awful bay, from the marshes beyond the hill, that near stopped my breath. The moon was full that night, y’see, and I saw this great creature on the ridge, just there. I can’t imagine, noways, how it came t’hurt the ponies, for it never made it to the barn, but I know for a fact that they were that restless that night, a-stampin’ and blowin’, all in a fret. And who’s t’blame them? I never saw the like of that creature, never before and never since, but the others, they acted as if I’d been at the ale too much for my own good, and would have none o’that. Still, I know what I seen, and I won’t be forgettin’ it anytime soon.”
Both Pippin and I exchanged a quick glance at this tale, for certainly this was something of which Baggins should know, but with a rough shout, Tolliver beckoned Nub back to his chores, and there was no more to be asked about the matter.
&&&&&
The bounteous midday meal had been completed when Pippin was pulled off by his father, presumably for an update on our investigations. I felt rather awkward, without Baggins here, and wandered off to one of the inviting nooks of the great hall. The small bookcase, tucked into the wall near a cheerful fire – and how did they keep all those fireplaces burning, I mused. Must have grown trees for that express purpose. At any rate, the bookcase held some wonderful studies of flowers, trees, and other foliage that grew naturally in the vicinity, and I settled down in the plump armchair to browse through them. Time must have gone by faster than I knew, for in the next moment, or at least it seemed to me to be so, I was blinking my eyes open again, and knew from the slant of the light through the windows on the other side of the room that I must have been asleep for some while.
There never was a place like this, for forgetting what one was about, and letting the hours slip away, I thought as I rose to go in search of Pippin again. Something about the ancient hole made time go different somehow. But Pippin was not to be found in this hall, nor the next, and I had no idea where else to look. So I retrieved my jacket, and a scarf as well, for winter was decidedly close at hand, and wandered out of the smial and in the direction of the stables.
I had no intention of going into them, for I felt there was no more to be learned there, but I was curious about Nub’s strange tale of what he had seen, or thought he had seen, the night of the crime. What sort of beast might it have been? And what could the connection have been with what had happened to the ponies, since it came nowhere near the stalls? It was a curious matter, indeed, and I wished to have a few more facts, if at all possible, before I told Baggins what we had heard.
The ground beyond the stables sloped away from the hill that held the Great Smials, and as I followed what appeared to be a semi-obscure trail away from the stable, I noticed that the ground beyond seemed to fall into pits and ridges. It was still green, unusually so for this time of the year, but with a damp, unwholesome look about it. There was an odd smell in the air as well, that of decay and mould. My path had vanished into the dank weeds, and I debated going back to fetch Pippin. He could certainly tell me more, but on the other hand, I had no idea where he was. Impatience won out, for Baggins could be returning at any time, so I searched for anything that looked like stable footing.
There was a squelch to the ground, as I continued on, and I became so engrossed with my footing that I failed to look about me. So I was completely startled by a rough shout, and the appearance of a very tall shaggy and roughly-clad hobbit, who appeared on the ridge above me.
“Who’d be you, and what business is it o’yourn t’be here?” he demanded gruffly, standing silhouetted in the grey light with a heavy cudgel in his hands.
“I’m Samwise Gamgee,” I called back, immediately deciding that confused politeness was my best approach. “I’m a guest at the Great Smials, and I was out for a bit of a stroll. Got myself quite lost, I’m afraid. Would you mind pointing me back in the right direction?”
He stood silent for a moment, and it seemed to me I detected the rustle behind him of some sort of creature moving about. But with one quick glance behind him, he seemed to make up his mind.
“That ridge,” he muttered, pointing behind me. “Follow that, and you’d be back. Watch your neck, though. These parts are treacherous t’those as don’t knows ‘em, and I’ve no time t’be dandlin’ every fool who sets foot here, be they gentle-hobbit or no.”
I must say the inclination to teach him a thing or two about manners nearly overcame my prudence, and he seemed to notice, for he gave a rough laugh, and called out, nearly jeeringly, “Ah, now you’d be thinkin’ you could give a fair account of yourself, but it ain’t like that, here. Nay, not a’tall. G’on w’ye, or I’ll give you cause to hasten your footsteps. There’s things here the likes you ain’t seen before, I’d wager.”
It was the sun gleaming red on the horizon that brought me to my senses. Daylight would be fading fast, and to try to make my way out of this morass in darkness would be folly indeed. So I bit my tongue, and made my way back in the direction that had been pointed out to me.
As I reached the safety of the last ridge, I turned back to look at where I had been, but my erstwhile guide had vanished. Disgruntled, I picked my way through the loose rocks and shale towards the Took stables, which I could now see, in the fading light, not too far away, and nearly did not notice the elderly hobbit, wrapped in a begrimed traveling cape, who trudged up to me from a side path.
“Late to be out on such a chill day, good sir,” he piped up amiably, in a cracked voice. “Much nicer by the fireside, I’d warrant.”
“Oh, come off it, Baggins,” I growled, for I was still in a foul mood. “Certainly you don’t think you’re going to be able to fool me any longer.”
The stranger laughed in delight and immediately gained three inches of height. “I suppose not, and it certainly feels good to straighten up. So I assume my play-acting days are gone, at least when it comes to you, Gamgee.”
“You forget, my dearest Baggins, that I am a student of the hobbit form, being a doctor, you know,” I couldn’t help a wry smile in his direction, and feeling my irritation beginning to seep away in his welcome presence. “And I have made an extremely careful study of yours, in particular.”
He gave his happy characteristic bark, and we managed to find a good hour to ourselves, to further pursue the subject, before it was necessary to appear at tea.
&&&&&
The air in the room was chill when I awoke the next morning, and I stretched out my hand in disappointment, for the prior co-occupant of the bed was no longer there. That was before the sharp aroma of pipeweed hit me and I sat straight up in bed, with not a little dismay. “Smoking already this morning, Frodo? It can’t be good for you, you know.”
“Sharpens the intellect,” Frodo muttered dismissively, waving the pipe through the air. He was seated on the settle across the room, wrapped in his robe, and his feet propped up on a footstool. A small fire was already burning beyond the hearth, and a breakfast tray was on the table.
He caught my alarmed glance at breakfast, and chuckled quietly. “Picked it up outside the door,” he explained, leaning over to pour both of us a cup of tea. “I did remember to lock it last night, you know. Care for a cup?”
I accepted the offer gratefully, but gave him a careful look as I took the cup from his hand. “And how long have you been awake?” I asked, somewhat severely. “It’s quite chilly this morning, and you are not that warmly dressed.”
“Then it’s fortunate I thought to at least bring the robe along, last night,” the corner of his mouth quirked up as he settled back with his own cup. “I was putting the final pieces into place, so to speak, but I didn’t want to leave you quite yet.”
“A justifiable excuse, if I ever heard one.” I could not help the ridiculous grin that spread across my face at his words, and his own smile widened as he set the cup back down and stood up.
“But now the affair is solved,” he announced, flinging off his robe to my great delight. “How long do you think it will take us to get back to Bag End? Do you still want to travel on foot?”
“Three days by foot,” I opened up the coverlet to allow him in. “Or a day by cart. No, I believe I am quite well enough to stand the latter. Three days is entirely too long to wait to find ourselves back at Bag End again.”
“Most logical,” he murmured, rolling me unresistingly to my back. “The cart it is, then.”
&&&&&&
The meeting had been arranged to take place in the stables. Baggins had assembled together Paladin and Pippin Took, myself, and the three stable employees. I had asked him if perhaps the local constable should be there as well, but he dismissed the thought. “The Tooks have always arranged matters their own way, and as you’ll soon see, my dear Gamgee, that is especially the better plan in this particular case.”
The ponies were behind us in their stalls, quietly stamping about a bit and chewing on their morning ration of dried oats as our small party gathered by the barn door. The air in the barn was yet quite chill, as the fire had just been lit in the rough-hewn stone fireplace, and all three of the stable employees were well wrapped in jackets and thick woolen scarves, and Bills had a rather grimy woolen cap pulled low on his forehead as well. Pippin waited quietly next to his father, uncharacteristically withdrawn and obviously uncomfortable, yet his eyes betrayed his nervous excitement. Paladin Took stood, arms impassively crossed over his chest, in the middle of the straw-strewn central hall of the barn, and I had a sudden glimpse into the sure and ancient power he wielded with such deceptively graceful ease. He was indeed, in that moment, The Took, and I was heartily glad it was not I who had to face his displeasure.
Baggins with, I must admit, a certain love of the dramatic, took out his pipe and tapped it against the boulders of the fireplace. “Two of you,” he mentioned in a nearly conversational manner, his gaze fixed on his pipe, “know quite well what happened here the night before the last meet. One of you was the culprit but, in truth, I do not believe him to be the greatest villain here. However, that is a matter for the Thain to decide.”
To my astonishment, it was Tolliver who gave a convulsive gasp, and stepped forward, with tears beginning to fall down his cragged visage. “Aye, ‘twas I as hurt them, Master Took,” he gulped, his hands rigid next to his sides. “But they’re just like me own fauntlings, you must believe me. ‘Twas only t’save them from worse, that I did as I did.”
Bills suddenly spit contemptuously on the barn floor. “Ye ould idiot!” he cried out. “Couldna keep your foolish mouth shut, now, could ye?” And before any of us could react, he sprang over the nearest stall railing and was out the door.
“After him, lads, he cannot get away!” Baggins shouted, his face alight with excitement, and Pippin, Nub, and I immediately followed him in pursuit of the culprit, leaving Tolliver with Paladin Took.
We followed the stable lad down the rocky slope behind the stables and I knew instantly where he was headed. What chance would we stand in the maze of bog and marsh, though, to someone who obviously knew it well? But I had not reckoned on Pippin. It was instantly apparent that he, too, knew his way through the labyrinth of rock and fen, and Baggins, Nub, and I followed his lead.
But just as I was beginning to lose my breath, and the still-healing cut in my side started to painfully remind me that I was not in peak condition, Pippin stopped short on a rocky ledge, looking down below him.
There was a fetid pool, dark with muck and rotted leaves, on the other side of the ridge, and when I reached the others at the top, I realized that the chase was over. On the top of the pool, for a brief moment more, floated Bills’ cap. And then it sank below the mire as well.
“He did not throw it this way to mislead us?” Baggins asked quietly, his arm wrapping around his cousin.
Pippin shook his head, and swallowed in distress. “I saw him fall in,” he whispered, and Baggins tightened his clasp slightly around Pippin’s slight shoulders.
When we reached the stable again, it was clear that the Thain and Tolliver had discussed the matter thoroughly, and had come to a conclusion. “Tolliver stays,” Paladin announced quietly to the rest of us, in a voice that made it clear that there would be no questions on the decision. “Nub, I expect you to continue to help him out, and I will see to finding another lad to help as well. Perhaps you have some suggestions, Pippin?”
Tolliver said nothing, but the look on his weathered, still wet face, was one of immense gratitude as he gave his master a tentative glance. Pippin and his father began to discuss Took family matters, then, and Baggins and I took the opportunity to excuse ourselves.
To my surprise, Baggins headed away from the smial as we left the barn. A fine dusting of snow was beginning to fall, and the air was frosty, but he showed no inclination to find shelter indoors. I followed him, and knew that this was not the time to ask for particulars on the case. He would tell me those, if ever, in his own time and in his own way. But there was something on his mind as he stared to the distant hills, hardly visible in the white cottony mist. “There’s an east wind coming, Gamgee.”
I looked at him in surprise. “I think not, Baggins. The snow generally comes from the north.”
He gave me a glance, his eyes warm, but then turned back, his sharp features chilled and reddened, his keen sight still on the horizon. “My dearest Gamgee. You are one fixed point in this world, at any rate. But there’s a wind coming from the east all the same, such a wind as never blew on the Shire yet. It will be cold and bitter, Gamgee, and a great many things may change before it’s finished blowing. But with the help of our Lady, a cleaner, better, and brighter Shire will lay in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.”
I supposed I looked puzzled, for the corner of his mouth quirked up, and he added, “I suppose I should explain that. But for the moment, I believe the first matter to be considered is how soon we can make arrangements for that cart.”
I found that an immensely appealing proposition, and we made our way quickly back to the Great Smials.
&&&&&
It was very late when we finally rode up the road to Bag End, and Mrs. Rumble had already gone to bed. It was not at all difficult to persuade her to let us fix ourselves a quick morsel to eat, and she ambled sleepily back to her quarters, on the far side of the smial, with a rather confused greeting and a mutter about it not being the proper time at all for waking a body up. The bite to eat was hasty indeed, for both of us had the same destination in mind, and for the same reason, and were soon there.
Afterward, I rose to light a fire, for the room had gone unused for several days and was quite frigid. Baggins watched me by the light of the candle lit on our bed stand, and, while I was preoccupied with stacking the wood just so, murmured, “You’re quite good about things, you know, Samwise.”
“Well, I suppose I’ve prepared many a fire in my life,” I responded, not looking around. “It’s a matter of making proper room for the flames to start, no more than that.”
“Actually, you’re quite adept at a great many things,” his voice was definitely amused now, and I looked behind me with some surprise. “But I was expressing myself badly. What I meant is that you are so very good about not pressing me with unnecessary questions.”
“Ah.” I turned back and completed my task, endeavoring to hide the smile on my face. “There’s no point in me trying to follow your line of thinking, ever, so I must wait for you to explain it, if ever, when you feel like doing so.”
“Knowing I won’t be able to resist it,” he gave a warm chuckle. “You’ve rather made a study of me, Sam, haven’t you?”
Well, that was a fact, and there was no doubt about it. So I climbed quickly back into the bed, joining him under the coverlet, and admitted as much. “Indeed, Frodo, I’ve made a study of you far longer than you’ll ever know. But go on, my dear, enlighten me. What led you to suspect one of the stable employees in the first place?”
“The curious incident of the goose in the night-time.”
“The goose did nothing in the night-time.”
“Indeed. That was the curious incident.”
“Hmm,” I remarked, the facts suddenly falling into place. “And why Tolliver, in particular?”
“His choice of knife for whittling. Extremely sharp, not the sort of thing one generally whittles with, or there would be a good many more four-fingered whittlers about.”
“It’s hard to imagine that he would have hurt the ponies, for he certainly seemed to dote upon them,” I mused, curling up to him a little closer. “And why did Paladin keep him on, do you think?”
“Because, exactly as he said, he did it to keep them from being worse hurt. None of the ponies were permanently maimed, they were just superficially wounded. Enough to take them out of the race, but not enough to having a lasting effect. If Bills had been let do it, I doubt if they would have been anywhere near so fortunate.”
That was indisputable. I had seen the ugly look on the stable hand’s face. “But why all of this in the first place, Frodo?”
“A bet gone bad,” Baggins explained, adjusting himself more comfortably next to me. “It was to only be once, and I suppose Tolliver was too ashamed to say anything about it to Paladin, but once it happened the first time, it was a matter of blackmail from then on.”
“Was it just Bills’ idea?” I asked, thinking about the hobbit I had seen out in the marshes.
“By no means. There were others behind this, and they had more in mind than just betting on a few Shire races,” Baggins’ face suddenly grew dark. “It’s another part of that other matter we were involved in, Samwise. The extent to which Lotho’s deviltry has grown, and has brought the evil influence of those from without the Shire is only beginning to reveal itself, I’m afraid. There were men from the east involved, the same sort of villains that had a hand in the pipeweed smuggling. A few of them were living in the marshlands, along with their brute of a dog.”
“Oh, was that what Nub saw?” I exclaimed, suddenly remembering his wild tale.
Baggins gave a wry smile. “That’s what I was investigating the afternoon I met you there. Yes, they had painted the poor beast with some sort of lurid paint, and had set him upon the ridge that night, in order to catch Nub’s eye. He never saw what was going on behind his back. And if I’m not entirely mistaken, Gamgee, I do believe you were considering sparring with the good citizen you met out there.”
“Ah. Well, he did have a rather insulting manner about him,” I mentioned, slightly embarrassed that he had seen that incident.
“And you are an impetuous sort,” Baggins’ voice deepened slightly, and I felt his hands seize my wrists, as I rolled towards him.
“I suspect you need an impetuous influence in your life, my dearest Frodo, and it is entirely my pleasure to provide that to you.” I could now feel his long frame stretch deliciously out under mine, and found his eager mouth in exactly the right spot.
“I plan on holding you to that, Sam, for a very long time,” he breathed, as we broke apart only momentarily.
“Not long enough,” I murmured, reaching out and snuffing out the candle at the bed side. “Not unless it’s for the rest of our lives.”
His tender sigh of, “It is,” reached my joyful heart just before his mouth found mine once again.
The stables were as massive and ancient as had been the smials, and it was abundantly clear that the ponies were indeed a passion with the Tooks. No pony could have ever asked for better, for each individual stall was spacious and immaculate, with just enough fresh straw laid about and a deep trough filled with clear water. I had noticed riding tracks, as we came in, where a pony could be exercised and a large field, brown at this time of the year, where they could be given an occasional run. The central barn that held the stalls was connected to the hill in the back, and I quickly noticed that there seemed to be a hallway dug back into the hill at one end. Presumably, the stable staff had their own quarters back there. A great stone-covered fireplace, near the entrance, kept the building comfortably warm, and the entire place was redolent with the aroma of wood, smoke, and pony. Oddly enough, I noticed other animals there as well, and I had to ask Pippin about that.
“Oh, well, of course,” he laughed, reaching down to stroke a marmalade cat that had somehow instantly appeared exactly at patting level. “Yes, and hello to you, Miss Ginger,” he added, patting the cat fondly as it thrust its tail up high and began to purr in a loud rumbling manner. “The cats are to keep down the rats and mice, needless to say, and the goats are to give the ponies a bit of company. They are fonder of them than each other; I have no idea why,” he confided with a grin. “Just like some hobbits I know. And the geese, of course,” he added, as a small flock came rushing over to us, giving preliminary honks, “are soon to be dinner. Well, at least a few of them. Nearly Yule, you know. But they have their other uses, as well. Not much gets by Old Tom,” he added, eying the enormous goose at the head of the pack with a certain admiration. “He’s too tough for dinner, fortunately. He’s quite a character. But do watch your fingers around him, Gamgee.”
“Indeed,” I eyed the beast with respect. My father kept geese as well, and I knew a prime specimen when I saw one.
Tolliver had come forward, by this time, to see what all the fuss was about. He was an elderly hobbit, with a weathered, sun-darkened face and, as it was soon apparent, somewhat of a crusty nature. “Aye, then, Master Pippin, what’s all the pother about?” he asked querulously, leaning heavily on a hay-rake. “An’ who’d these fine gentle-hobbits be?”
“My cousin out Hobbiton way, Mr. Baggins,” Pip inclined his head toward us, “and his friend Mr. Gamgee. They’ve come to have a bit of a look at the ponies. Mr. Gamgee is possibly interested in purchasing one.”
“ ‘Tis that so?” Tolliver suddenly sent a piercing glance my way, and I fervently hoped he had no further questions regarding the matter. My utter ignorance along those lines would be no secret from him, I was immediately sure.
But Baggins quickly stepped in to my aid, and started asking various knowledgeable questions about the ponies, along with Pippin’s assistance. Tolliver said no more to me, but I could sense his keen eye on me yet. As we conversed, however, Baggins kept roaming about the stable, and I noticed his sharp scrutiny of the premises and its employees, which included the two stable lads in one of the far stalls, forking hay and casting curious glances our way. His glance fell at last on some tools left on a stool, and a small pile of wood shavings beneath.
“A bit of whittlin’,” Tolliver responded, when questioned about it. “Summat of a hobby of mine. But let me call the lads, now. They could tell you summat more about the ponies, if you like. I’ve other business t’be takin’ care of, if I might be so bold, Master Pippin.”
“Oh, of course, I’m sorry we disturbed you, Tolliver,” Pippin immediately responded, and the two stable lads, coming to join us with alacrity, proved happy enough to answer any query Baggins or Pippin could think of on my behalf, as I maintained an aloof silence, regarding the animals with what I could only hope appeared to be a penetrating gaze.
After a few more moments of this, however, Baggins gave me a nearly imperceptible nod, and we started back to the Great Smials. But as we were just about out the heavy barn door, Baggins turned to one of the lads, who had been following us, and casually mentioned, “Heard you had a bit of trouble with the ponies before the last meet. Any idea what happened to them?”
“No, Master Baggins,” the lad’s honest face clouded over at the mention. “Not a bit on it. They were fine enough the night before, and then come morning, well, there ‘twas.”
“No disturbances about the place, then?” Baggins reached in his pocket for his pipe and thoughtfully tapped it against the heavy weather-stained wood of the door.
“Nay, none a’tall,” Nub shook his head. “Nobbut natural about it, if you be askin’ me. But I’d best be getting’ back to the hayin’ and not stand here natterin’ away,” he added hastily, catching a glimpse of Tolliver out of the corner of his eye. “Good day t’you, sirs.”
In the back stall, however, I had caught the gaze of the other stable lad, Bills by name. He was staring after us with the most intent expression on his face. Indeed, I might have even have said that he gave the impression of being belligerent. Catching Baggins’ eye, I saw he had noticed the lad as well, and a thoughtful look stole across his face.
&&&&&
The room that I had been given was as casually and comfortably luxurious as the rest of this enchanting place, and after the full dinner and several bottles of Old Winyards that I had assisted in consuming, the bed looked particularly inviting indeed. The only thing that could have made it more attractive, at this point, would have been a bit of company in it, but at this point, that prospect did not seem too likely. Our journey here had been unfortunately timed in that there seemed to be an overload of guests at every inn at which we stopped, and full beds and rooms had been the norm. And now that there was the chance of some privacy, I found that Baggins had been whisked off down some other hall, presumably to his usual room, and there was no hope of me finding him, at least this night.
So I undressed, and sat, in my nightshirt, on the quilts and feather coverlet that lay neatly arranged on the four poster bed, and stared into the red flames of the fireplace. Odd how in such an enormous warren, filled with so many other hobbits, that I could be feeling lonely, and a trifle melancholy. Brusquely telling myself that it was the wine speaking, and that I could find Baggins in the morning, I straightened my shoulders and resolved to get a good night’s sleep, at any rate.
The fire died down to embers as I tucked myself into bed and let the candle by my bedside flicker a little while longer, watching the pattern of the light on the earthen ceiling above me. Somehow sleep was long in coming and the thought of who could have been beside me, and was not, was not hastening its arrival in any way. Less than a fortnight ago, that would have been a thought that never would have entered my head. No, I suppose I am not being entirely honest about that, it might have entered my head in a very vague sort of way, but certainly as no more than a wistfully implausible dream.
But before the candle guttered completely out, there was a soft rap on the door, and Baggins himself quickly entered my room, to my great delight and relief. I suppose that was obvious by my expression, since Baggins gave a quiet bark of a laugh, as he silently shut the door behind him and rapidly crossed the room to my side. “Forgive me, my dear Samwise, for not coming sooner,” he chuckled as he wrapped me up in a warm embrace. “I’ve a bit of a reputation for being up and about at all sorts of odd hours, but I still thought it best to wait until traffic had died down a bit out there. I’ve never seen such a place for hobbits being up and about until all hours of the night.”
“No matter, no matter at all, as long as you’re here now,” I exclaimed in relief as I sat up in bed and began tugging off his jacket. “You can explain it all to me later. All those nights in the inns were extremely trying, you know.”
“Decidedly,” he murmured, assisting my efforts with dexterity and considerable haste. “As you say, discussions can wait.” With a last flourish, my nightshirt was off as well, and our hands, and mouths, were immediately upon each other, and for a good while after that, his touches and caresses were all I knew, or cared to know. Finally, exhausted and sated, we fell asleep wrapped together in the manner that had so quickly become, to both of us, natural and secure.
&&&&&
I was startled awake, in the early morning hours, by a polite knock on the door. Baggins stirred next to me, and with great presence of mind, pulled the coverlets over his head. The maid crept in, laying the first breakfast tray upon the table, and left quickly, but not before giving a curious look in my direction. She must have had a companion on the rounds with her for, once out in the hallway again, I heard her give a giggle and mutter, “Aye, ‘tis a fast worker, that ‘un. And not a wonder, neither, for he’s certainly a handsome…” but the rest of the complement was lost as they continued down the hall.
Baggins gave a sleepy chuckle, and murmured, “Entirely my fault, my dear. Must remember to lock the door tomorrow night. Leaving it open’s the signal breakfast is wanted, you know. Well, it will be at least an hour before she returns. I believe we still have a few days to yet account for.”
He slipped from my room just before she returned for the tray.
&&&&&
Pippin joined us at second breakfast, eager to join in the investigation once again, but both he, and I for that matter, were to be disappointed. Baggins announced that he must leave us, this morning, to travel in to Michel Delving in order to look into certain questions he had on this affair, and that I and Pippin were to stay here. Sensing our disappointment, he gave us a quick apologetic smile and then assured us solemnly that he had a task for us here, if we so chose. “I need you to ask the stable lad, Nub, a few more questions, but I would not like to have you do so in the presence of Tolliver and Bills. Perhaps, Pippin, you could suggest to Gamgee here that he might want to see one of the ponies run a bit, and have Nub bring him out to the track, away from the barn. Just ask him a bit more about what he saw or heard the night before the last meet. Take a care, though, and do not let the other two hear you. These waters are indeed deep, and I must urge the both of you to be very careful.” His expression was entirely serious when he delivered that last warning, and he was quickly gone, leaving Pippin and I to exchange startled glances.
We did, however, as we were told. Pippin, with his singular combination of naïve easy charm and bubbling small talk, not to mention the added benefit of being the master’s son, soon had drawn Nub and one of the ponies out onto the track, away from the others, and I, in the persona of the potential buyer, maintained a stoic silence, since I had no doubt that I would muck it up if I but opened my mouth. It was a blustery day, and the brightly coloured leaves flew briskly by from time to time, but we had other matters on our minds than the bite of the wind, and I have no doubt but that we both whole-heartedly wished to please Baggins upon his return.
Alas for our investigative prowess, however, for the lad had not that much to say. He admitted that it was odd, to be sure, but he had not heard anything amiss that night before the meet. Both Tolliver and Bills had been there, he was sure of it, and he had bedded down in his room just beyond the stalls, as usual, but in the morning, the ponies were hurt and he felt that dreadful about it, indeed he did.
But after a little longer, after he had put the pony through a few more of its paces, he gave us another appraising look, and then with a quick glance toward the stables, drew close to us once more. “Although I don’t mind tellin’ you, good sirs, that there was something queer a’goin’ on that night. There was this awful bay, from the marshes beyond the hill, that near stopped my breath. The moon was full that night, y’see, and I saw this great creature on the ridge, just there. I can’t imagine, noways, how it came t’hurt the ponies, for it never made it to the barn, but I know for a fact that they were that restless that night, a-stampin’ and blowin’, all in a fret. And who’s t’blame them? I never saw the like of that creature, never before and never since, but the others, they acted as if I’d been at the ale too much for my own good, and would have none o’that. Still, I know what I seen, and I won’t be forgettin’ it anytime soon.”
Both Pippin and I exchanged a quick glance at this tale, for certainly this was something of which Baggins should know, but with a rough shout, Tolliver beckoned Nub back to his chores, and there was no more to be asked about the matter.
&&&&&
The bounteous midday meal had been completed when Pippin was pulled off by his father, presumably for an update on our investigations. I felt rather awkward, without Baggins here, and wandered off to one of the inviting nooks of the great hall. The small bookcase, tucked into the wall near a cheerful fire – and how did they keep all those fireplaces burning, I mused. Must have grown trees for that express purpose. At any rate, the bookcase held some wonderful studies of flowers, trees, and other foliage that grew naturally in the vicinity, and I settled down in the plump armchair to browse through them. Time must have gone by faster than I knew, for in the next moment, or at least it seemed to me to be so, I was blinking my eyes open again, and knew from the slant of the light through the windows on the other side of the room that I must have been asleep for some while.
There never was a place like this, for forgetting what one was about, and letting the hours slip away, I thought as I rose to go in search of Pippin again. Something about the ancient hole made time go different somehow. But Pippin was not to be found in this hall, nor the next, and I had no idea where else to look. So I retrieved my jacket, and a scarf as well, for winter was decidedly close at hand, and wandered out of the smial and in the direction of the stables.
I had no intention of going into them, for I felt there was no more to be learned there, but I was curious about Nub’s strange tale of what he had seen, or thought he had seen, the night of the crime. What sort of beast might it have been? And what could the connection have been with what had happened to the ponies, since it came nowhere near the stalls? It was a curious matter, indeed, and I wished to have a few more facts, if at all possible, before I told Baggins what we had heard.
The ground beyond the stables sloped away from the hill that held the Great Smials, and as I followed what appeared to be a semi-obscure trail away from the stable, I noticed that the ground beyond seemed to fall into pits and ridges. It was still green, unusually so for this time of the year, but with a damp, unwholesome look about it. There was an odd smell in the air as well, that of decay and mould. My path had vanished into the dank weeds, and I debated going back to fetch Pippin. He could certainly tell me more, but on the other hand, I had no idea where he was. Impatience won out, for Baggins could be returning at any time, so I searched for anything that looked like stable footing.
There was a squelch to the ground, as I continued on, and I became so engrossed with my footing that I failed to look about me. So I was completely startled by a rough shout, and the appearance of a very tall shaggy and roughly-clad hobbit, who appeared on the ridge above me.
“Who’d be you, and what business is it o’yourn t’be here?” he demanded gruffly, standing silhouetted in the grey light with a heavy cudgel in his hands.
“I’m Samwise Gamgee,” I called back, immediately deciding that confused politeness was my best approach. “I’m a guest at the Great Smials, and I was out for a bit of a stroll. Got myself quite lost, I’m afraid. Would you mind pointing me back in the right direction?”
He stood silent for a moment, and it seemed to me I detected the rustle behind him of some sort of creature moving about. But with one quick glance behind him, he seemed to make up his mind.
“That ridge,” he muttered, pointing behind me. “Follow that, and you’d be back. Watch your neck, though. These parts are treacherous t’those as don’t knows ‘em, and I’ve no time t’be dandlin’ every fool who sets foot here, be they gentle-hobbit or no.”
I must say the inclination to teach him a thing or two about manners nearly overcame my prudence, and he seemed to notice, for he gave a rough laugh, and called out, nearly jeeringly, “Ah, now you’d be thinkin’ you could give a fair account of yourself, but it ain’t like that, here. Nay, not a’tall. G’on w’ye, or I’ll give you cause to hasten your footsteps. There’s things here the likes you ain’t seen before, I’d wager.”
It was the sun gleaming red on the horizon that brought me to my senses. Daylight would be fading fast, and to try to make my way out of this morass in darkness would be folly indeed. So I bit my tongue, and made my way back in the direction that had been pointed out to me.
As I reached the safety of the last ridge, I turned back to look at where I had been, but my erstwhile guide had vanished. Disgruntled, I picked my way through the loose rocks and shale towards the Took stables, which I could now see, in the fading light, not too far away, and nearly did not notice the elderly hobbit, wrapped in a begrimed traveling cape, who trudged up to me from a side path.
“Late to be out on such a chill day, good sir,” he piped up amiably, in a cracked voice. “Much nicer by the fireside, I’d warrant.”
“Oh, come off it, Baggins,” I growled, for I was still in a foul mood. “Certainly you don’t think you’re going to be able to fool me any longer.”
The stranger laughed in delight and immediately gained three inches of height. “I suppose not, and it certainly feels good to straighten up. So I assume my play-acting days are gone, at least when it comes to you, Gamgee.”
“You forget, my dearest Baggins, that I am a student of the hobbit form, being a doctor, you know,” I couldn’t help a wry smile in his direction, and feeling my irritation beginning to seep away in his welcome presence. “And I have made an extremely careful study of yours, in particular.”
He gave his happy characteristic bark, and we managed to find a good hour to ourselves, to further pursue the subject, before it was necessary to appear at tea.
&&&&&
The air in the room was chill when I awoke the next morning, and I stretched out my hand in disappointment, for the prior co-occupant of the bed was no longer there. That was before the sharp aroma of pipeweed hit me and I sat straight up in bed, with not a little dismay. “Smoking already this morning, Frodo? It can’t be good for you, you know.”
“Sharpens the intellect,” Frodo muttered dismissively, waving the pipe through the air. He was seated on the settle across the room, wrapped in his robe, and his feet propped up on a footstool. A small fire was already burning beyond the hearth, and a breakfast tray was on the table.
He caught my alarmed glance at breakfast, and chuckled quietly. “Picked it up outside the door,” he explained, leaning over to pour both of us a cup of tea. “I did remember to lock it last night, you know. Care for a cup?”
I accepted the offer gratefully, but gave him a careful look as I took the cup from his hand. “And how long have you been awake?” I asked, somewhat severely. “It’s quite chilly this morning, and you are not that warmly dressed.”
“Then it’s fortunate I thought to at least bring the robe along, last night,” the corner of his mouth quirked up as he settled back with his own cup. “I was putting the final pieces into place, so to speak, but I didn’t want to leave you quite yet.”
“A justifiable excuse, if I ever heard one.” I could not help the ridiculous grin that spread across my face at his words, and his own smile widened as he set the cup back down and stood up.
“But now the affair is solved,” he announced, flinging off his robe to my great delight. “How long do you think it will take us to get back to Bag End? Do you still want to travel on foot?”
“Three days by foot,” I opened up the coverlet to allow him in. “Or a day by cart. No, I believe I am quite well enough to stand the latter. Three days is entirely too long to wait to find ourselves back at Bag End again.”
“Most logical,” he murmured, rolling me unresistingly to my back. “The cart it is, then.”
&&&&&&
The meeting had been arranged to take place in the stables. Baggins had assembled together Paladin and Pippin Took, myself, and the three stable employees. I had asked him if perhaps the local constable should be there as well, but he dismissed the thought. “The Tooks have always arranged matters their own way, and as you’ll soon see, my dear Gamgee, that is especially the better plan in this particular case.”
The ponies were behind us in their stalls, quietly stamping about a bit and chewing on their morning ration of dried oats as our small party gathered by the barn door. The air in the barn was yet quite chill, as the fire had just been lit in the rough-hewn stone fireplace, and all three of the stable employees were well wrapped in jackets and thick woolen scarves, and Bills had a rather grimy woolen cap pulled low on his forehead as well. Pippin waited quietly next to his father, uncharacteristically withdrawn and obviously uncomfortable, yet his eyes betrayed his nervous excitement. Paladin Took stood, arms impassively crossed over his chest, in the middle of the straw-strewn central hall of the barn, and I had a sudden glimpse into the sure and ancient power he wielded with such deceptively graceful ease. He was indeed, in that moment, The Took, and I was heartily glad it was not I who had to face his displeasure.
Baggins with, I must admit, a certain love of the dramatic, took out his pipe and tapped it against the boulders of the fireplace. “Two of you,” he mentioned in a nearly conversational manner, his gaze fixed on his pipe, “know quite well what happened here the night before the last meet. One of you was the culprit but, in truth, I do not believe him to be the greatest villain here. However, that is a matter for the Thain to decide.”
To my astonishment, it was Tolliver who gave a convulsive gasp, and stepped forward, with tears beginning to fall down his cragged visage. “Aye, ‘twas I as hurt them, Master Took,” he gulped, his hands rigid next to his sides. “But they’re just like me own fauntlings, you must believe me. ‘Twas only t’save them from worse, that I did as I did.”
Bills suddenly spit contemptuously on the barn floor. “Ye ould idiot!” he cried out. “Couldna keep your foolish mouth shut, now, could ye?” And before any of us could react, he sprang over the nearest stall railing and was out the door.
“After him, lads, he cannot get away!” Baggins shouted, his face alight with excitement, and Pippin, Nub, and I immediately followed him in pursuit of the culprit, leaving Tolliver with Paladin Took.
We followed the stable lad down the rocky slope behind the stables and I knew instantly where he was headed. What chance would we stand in the maze of bog and marsh, though, to someone who obviously knew it well? But I had not reckoned on Pippin. It was instantly apparent that he, too, knew his way through the labyrinth of rock and fen, and Baggins, Nub, and I followed his lead.
But just as I was beginning to lose my breath, and the still-healing cut in my side started to painfully remind me that I was not in peak condition, Pippin stopped short on a rocky ledge, looking down below him.
There was a fetid pool, dark with muck and rotted leaves, on the other side of the ridge, and when I reached the others at the top, I realized that the chase was over. On the top of the pool, for a brief moment more, floated Bills’ cap. And then it sank below the mire as well.
“He did not throw it this way to mislead us?” Baggins asked quietly, his arm wrapping around his cousin.
Pippin shook his head, and swallowed in distress. “I saw him fall in,” he whispered, and Baggins tightened his clasp slightly around Pippin’s slight shoulders.
When we reached the stable again, it was clear that the Thain and Tolliver had discussed the matter thoroughly, and had come to a conclusion. “Tolliver stays,” Paladin announced quietly to the rest of us, in a voice that made it clear that there would be no questions on the decision. “Nub, I expect you to continue to help him out, and I will see to finding another lad to help as well. Perhaps you have some suggestions, Pippin?”
Tolliver said nothing, but the look on his weathered, still wet face, was one of immense gratitude as he gave his master a tentative glance. Pippin and his father began to discuss Took family matters, then, and Baggins and I took the opportunity to excuse ourselves.
To my surprise, Baggins headed away from the smial as we left the barn. A fine dusting of snow was beginning to fall, and the air was frosty, but he showed no inclination to find shelter indoors. I followed him, and knew that this was not the time to ask for particulars on the case. He would tell me those, if ever, in his own time and in his own way. But there was something on his mind as he stared to the distant hills, hardly visible in the white cottony mist. “There’s an east wind coming, Gamgee.”
I looked at him in surprise. “I think not, Baggins. The snow generally comes from the north.”
He gave me a glance, his eyes warm, but then turned back, his sharp features chilled and reddened, his keen sight still on the horizon. “My dearest Gamgee. You are one fixed point in this world, at any rate. But there’s a wind coming from the east all the same, such a wind as never blew on the Shire yet. It will be cold and bitter, Gamgee, and a great many things may change before it’s finished blowing. But with the help of our Lady, a cleaner, better, and brighter Shire will lay in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.”
I supposed I looked puzzled, for the corner of his mouth quirked up, and he added, “I suppose I should explain that. But for the moment, I believe the first matter to be considered is how soon we can make arrangements for that cart.”
I found that an immensely appealing proposition, and we made our way quickly back to the Great Smials.
&&&&&
It was very late when we finally rode up the road to Bag End, and Mrs. Rumble had already gone to bed. It was not at all difficult to persuade her to let us fix ourselves a quick morsel to eat, and she ambled sleepily back to her quarters, on the far side of the smial, with a rather confused greeting and a mutter about it not being the proper time at all for waking a body up. The bite to eat was hasty indeed, for both of us had the same destination in mind, and for the same reason, and were soon there.
Afterward, I rose to light a fire, for the room had gone unused for several days and was quite frigid. Baggins watched me by the light of the candle lit on our bed stand, and, while I was preoccupied with stacking the wood just so, murmured, “You’re quite good about things, you know, Samwise.”
“Well, I suppose I’ve prepared many a fire in my life,” I responded, not looking around. “It’s a matter of making proper room for the flames to start, no more than that.”
“Actually, you’re quite adept at a great many things,” his voice was definitely amused now, and I looked behind me with some surprise. “But I was expressing myself badly. What I meant is that you are so very good about not pressing me with unnecessary questions.”
“Ah.” I turned back and completed my task, endeavoring to hide the smile on my face. “There’s no point in me trying to follow your line of thinking, ever, so I must wait for you to explain it, if ever, when you feel like doing so.”
“Knowing I won’t be able to resist it,” he gave a warm chuckle. “You’ve rather made a study of me, Sam, haven’t you?”
Well, that was a fact, and there was no doubt about it. So I climbed quickly back into the bed, joining him under the coverlet, and admitted as much. “Indeed, Frodo, I’ve made a study of you far longer than you’ll ever know. But go on, my dear, enlighten me. What led you to suspect one of the stable employees in the first place?”
“The curious incident of the goose in the night-time.”
“The goose did nothing in the night-time.”
“Indeed. That was the curious incident.”
“Hmm,” I remarked, the facts suddenly falling into place. “And why Tolliver, in particular?”
“His choice of knife for whittling. Extremely sharp, not the sort of thing one generally whittles with, or there would be a good many more four-fingered whittlers about.”
“It’s hard to imagine that he would have hurt the ponies, for he certainly seemed to dote upon them,” I mused, curling up to him a little closer. “And why did Paladin keep him on, do you think?”
“Because, exactly as he said, he did it to keep them from being worse hurt. None of the ponies were permanently maimed, they were just superficially wounded. Enough to take them out of the race, but not enough to having a lasting effect. If Bills had been let do it, I doubt if they would have been anywhere near so fortunate.”
That was indisputable. I had seen the ugly look on the stable hand’s face. “But why all of this in the first place, Frodo?”
“A bet gone bad,” Baggins explained, adjusting himself more comfortably next to me. “It was to only be once, and I suppose Tolliver was too ashamed to say anything about it to Paladin, but once it happened the first time, it was a matter of blackmail from then on.”
“Was it just Bills’ idea?” I asked, thinking about the hobbit I had seen out in the marshes.
“By no means. There were others behind this, and they had more in mind than just betting on a few Shire races,” Baggins’ face suddenly grew dark. “It’s another part of that other matter we were involved in, Samwise. The extent to which Lotho’s deviltry has grown, and has brought the evil influence of those from without the Shire is only beginning to reveal itself, I’m afraid. There were men from the east involved, the same sort of villains that had a hand in the pipeweed smuggling. A few of them were living in the marshlands, along with their brute of a dog.”
“Oh, was that what Nub saw?” I exclaimed, suddenly remembering his wild tale.
Baggins gave a wry smile. “That’s what I was investigating the afternoon I met you there. Yes, they had painted the poor beast with some sort of lurid paint, and had set him upon the ridge that night, in order to catch Nub’s eye. He never saw what was going on behind his back. And if I’m not entirely mistaken, Gamgee, I do believe you were considering sparring with the good citizen you met out there.”
“Ah. Well, he did have a rather insulting manner about him,” I mentioned, slightly embarrassed that he had seen that incident.
“And you are an impetuous sort,” Baggins’ voice deepened slightly, and I felt his hands seize my wrists, as I rolled towards him.
“I suspect you need an impetuous influence in your life, my dearest Frodo, and it is entirely my pleasure to provide that to you.” I could now feel his long frame stretch deliciously out under mine, and found his eager mouth in exactly the right spot.
“I plan on holding you to that, Sam, for a very long time,” he breathed, as we broke apart only momentarily.
“Not long enough,” I murmured, reaching out and snuffing out the candle at the bed side. “Not unless it’s for the rest of our lives.”
His tender sigh of, “It is,” reached my joyful heart just before his mouth found mine once again.
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Thank you!
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I'm very happy you enjoyed it, and thanks, as always, for the rec, m'dear!
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LOL! How delightfully Shireish.
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The Goose That Did Not Honk In The Night...
I can see it now.
Many thanks, my dear!
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So glad you enjoyed it!
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Yes, that's the fun part - how can I make them sound and act like H & W plopped in the Shire, and yet still keep them true to F & S?
The east wind coming is definitely chilling..
Oh, that was the first line of Holmes I thought of when I started thinking of this series - so wonderfully apt, isn't it?
Thank you very much, my dear!
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Thank you very much, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
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p.s. I am a great admirer of all your LOTR fiction.
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Hee! But then you'll know the plot
ifwhen I do another!But I'm very glad you liked it, because it's great fun to do. There's just something so strangely satisfying about having Frodo refer to him as Gamgee, at least in public. But then behind closed doors....
And *blush* thank you so much on the LOTR fic thing! And might I add that your icon is absolutely gorgeous - I'm not sure if I've ever seen quite that shot before. Perfectly Sam.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj3bPZKVucM&NR=1
BTW, I took a photo of Sean Astin last night which I posted in LJ just a little while ago, in case you are interested.
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(And of course makes for an all-the-better Sam!)
BTW, I took a photo of Sean Astin last night which I posted in LJ just a little while ago, in case you are interested.
Ooooh, absolutely! Where is it?
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and howdy neighbor - north LA county, myself!
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http://www.oscars.org/events/g2bn5/april.html
Oh, and I heard from Rudy's wife that he misspoke, it's just that they haven't been together for six years so he didn't have any recent photos. I couldn't believe it, either, so I had to ask when I sent him the photo.
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Man, I wonder who they are going to have as guest speakers!
Blech, it's Monday, right? And I'm teaching summer school...
Hmm. *contemplates* How dead would I be the next day?
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Heck, I had good luck with guest speakers on Monday night (Sean was not announced for it but I had a feeling he'd be there), and I am always optimistic. They will probably post the speakers in advance. You might buy a ticket for $5 and then just blow it off if the folks that interest you are not going to be there. Good chance I will have an extra ticket, too. I bought the 5 without knowing who would end up using them.
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Very enjoyable! Sorry I am just now getting around to reading it. Pretty soon I have to dive back into real work again, so no more reading. :( *sniff*
Hope all is well for you. You mentioned something in a comment about something you were going to post about, but I looked around on my comments and couldn't figure it out. I must've missed something. *points to missing brain cells*
Anyway. THANKS for this.
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Pretty much a direct quote, except for changed names. Holmes was referring to a different threat from the east, but all the same...
And that other comment was in regards to my self-pimpage on LOTR Fan Recs - my *ahem* cough*deathfic*cough :D
Well, I'm very glad you enjoyed it, Holmes n00bie and all! They really do meld rather amazingly well, oddly enough.
Alas on the real work thing. I feel your pain. I am barely hanging on to reality for the next six weeks or so until the end of the semester myself. :P
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*pets you*