There's Something Odd with the Trees
Disclaimer: The rights to creation and characters of Middle Earth belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien and its affiliates. I claim no rights to any of them. No money is being made by me or anyone I know related to this story, which I am imagining for my own amusement and hopefully that of others.
Timeframe: 1433 by the Shire Reckoning, Year 12 of the 4th Age by the reckoning of Gondor
Yustays Bracegirdle looked out over the orchards that his family had tended for several generations. The lands of the Marish had provided his family with a good living for many many years, as the Brandywine River to the east provided a good water supply and Woody End forest to the west protected the trees from winter winds.
Although it was officially part of the Eastfarthing, the people of the Marish had long looked to the Master of Buckland, rather than the Thain or the Mayor. Most of their trade was east and west across the River, and not north or south, although there was a good deal of that as well. As all hobbits loved to eat well, the fruits of the land went in all directions.
Fruitman Bracegirdle's two oldest sons now worked in the cooperage in Woody End, which made barrels both big and small, to serve both the vineyards of the Green Hill Country of the Southfarthing, and the pipeweed fields to the south. Larger casks came from the cooperage in Buckland, where they harvested the big oaks from the Old Forest. Bracegirdle's eldest daughter's husband was the Master Cooper of Buckland, and a cousin of the new Master of the Hall.
The Master was one of the Travellers who had helped end the 'Troubles', driving out the renegade men who had invaded the Shire at the end of the bigger war in the far-off lands that the Travellers had gone to in their very non-hobbitish adventures. Since their return, Sam Gamgee had been elected Mayor, Peregrin (Pippin) Took had succeeded his Grandfather as the Took and Thain, and Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck had taken over command of Buckland. The latter two gentlehobbits had been affected strangely in their wanderings and now were both a good head and a half taller than was proper for hobbits, which was strange in itself as neither family had ever shown signs of excessive height.
The last of the travellers, Frodo Baggins, heir of the equally odd Bilbo, had never taken a wife, and had gone away somewhere some years before never to return, and having had the same propensity for 'adventures' as his uncle, was not missed by most in the Shire. He had been a kind hobbit, and very generous in helping restore the Shire after the Invasion and the Battle of Bywater where the invasion was finally put down, and so there were some who had benefitted from his philanthropy and who still spoke kindly of him.
The orchards of the Bracegirdle lands were worked by several branches of the family, as they were extensive in order to provide for a Shire full of hungry hobbits. In the late spring, there were cherries and apricots, followed by plums, peaches, and pears, and in the fall there were apples of many varieties. The firm fruit were plucked from the trees for the tables, while the windfalls were taken to the brewing sheds for cider and perry. Some of the fermented fruit were diverted to a special house, where by a secret family process (which, according to family legend, was taught to Yustay's twelve-time great grandfather by the Elves) the pulp was turned into fine fruit spirits, liqueurs and brandies, and the spring flowers were made into perfumes.
In years with an especially cold winter (which was unusual for the temperate Shire) which permitted its preparation, the family's applejack and cherryjack met with enthusiasm for the rare treat.
Having worked the land for most of his eleventy-two years, 'Stays' Bracegirdle knew his trees, both his family's own as well as trees in general. And since the invasion by Sharky and his gang, and the subsequent Scouring, there was something very strange going on. Several of the orchards had been torn up during the Troubles, and new trees had been planted where the land could be cleared of debris and made ready. Some of the new fruit trees were planted where there was space even if the land was not the best for those varieties. Then the strangeness occurred.
Some nights, there were strange noises in the orchards, and the family dogs refused to go and investigate. Fruitman Bracegirdle would go out to check that no vandalism was taking place, and in the moonlight (on nights when it was available), it appeared that some of the trees were walking around. Sometimes, it looked like some kinds of trees were lifting the new saplings and putting them down in other locations. Sometimes, older trees were removed and the new trees put in their places. In the mornings, the new plantings were often found to be re-located to spots which were better for that specific kind of tree, and in general, the layout and health of the orchards were improved greatly.
The newly relocated orchards also appeared to be tended by more than hobbits, and both orchards and other crops prospered beyond the growings in any living memory.
When these events were first told to the world, suspicions were voiced about extra sampling of the wine barrels and the other spirits. But too many hobbits, some of known veracity and moderate consumption of intoxicants, confirmed the stories of the sightings for them to be easily dismissed. And these stories were not from Bree-landers, who were known to tell outlandish tales, but from good reliable Shirefolk.
Moreover, the sight of what came to be called 'the wandering trees' was found to be common throughout the Eastfarthing, and in other areas as well. Bracegirdle's daughter, now Mrs Holly Brandybuck, told the family that similar odd things were happening in the Buckland and the Old Forest to the east. Some large trees appeared to be 'walking' through the Forest, and places where the coopers had thought that they had harvested all the oak trees, seemed now to have mature trees ready for harvest.
When told of these odd occurrences, the Master had merely nodded his head and said that there were stranger things in the outer world than men, both good and bad, and some seemed to benefit the Shire's hobbits rather nicely – some thought he knew more than he was saying. What he did say was "Perhaps what was lost has been found."
On nights of a full moon, some strange hooting sounds could be heard in the forest, and sometimes higher-pitched hootings seemed to answer from the Marish and the Woody End forests. After a couple years, some of the hootings began to have an even higher pitch, although no new type of owl was seen in either forest.
At this time, the Thain would often come to visit his old friend, the Master. The two unnaturally tall hobbits would wander into the forests, and return with wide grins on their faces. It was certain form their demeanours that something very right was happening.