Notes to Readers:

The Muse is plugging along at Merlin. The wedding on the Far Downs is written, can you believe it? ...in rough draft, at least, so stay with us through these current difficulties, the reward is coming...

Thanks for the reviews! Very helpful, quite motivating.

Aemilia Rose, help is on the way.

runaround, yes, the last few chapters have been depressing, as difficult to read, I suspect, as they were to write. More so, even, because I know the ending and you do not... but hang in there.

Cassaclyzm, welcome! I think there's an extra chair over there; Xena, dear, would you please move that pile of books and papers? Thank you, love. How do you take your tea, Cassa? And do help yourself to teacakes, there are plenty more where those came from.

FantasyFan, a masterful analysis, many many thanks. I so appreciate your insights. Also, I like the analogy to card-playing, it paints a very clear picture of motivation and strategy. And you caught the innuendos! I'm so glad, I wondered if anyone would notice that Frodo didn't know the meaning of the word "torture", and that Pippin wasn't sure, either, exactly what the King meant. BTW, Celandine from "SpiderWebs" is the same as Celandine in "Merlin". SpiderWebs is simply an expansion on the story Pippin tells Regi in chapter 19.

PansyChubb, you asked the same question as FantasyFan. I hope the answer will come clear in time. If not, you will just have to wait until the next story (the one about Goldilocks and Faramir, which does not yet have a working title but is already outlined and ready to be written).

Xena! Welcome back! *hug* (if I may be so bold). We saved your chair, dear. Someone stuck their head in and, thinking it "extra", tried to drag it off to shirebound's parlour, which is quite crowded, but we wouldn't let them have it. We knew you'd be back. I like the way you "hit the highlights" with your comments; your reactions are very helpful as well.

Look for a new chapter to this story, if ff.net agrees, in two days. Warning: we have entered rough waters, and more breakers are ahead in this chapter! However, there might be a break in the clouds ahead... (peering intently)

Look for the newest chapter to "Flames", in case you are following that story, on the morrow. (Flames is finished, by the way, and I find the ending very satisfying even though I hated to end it!) Thank you for your patience.

Two more stories are in the works. Look for them here at ffnet in a week or two if all goes well. The first is called "Shire" and contains my take on the history behind the founding of the Shire (hopefully more interesting than your run-of-the-mill history book). The second is called "FirstBorn" and takes place couple of years after "Flames" closes, nearly halfway between "Flames" and "Down and Out". In addition, Dana keeps nagging at me to write a few more of the stories I've told her about, but there is only just so much time in the world... (keep nagging, Dana... with my memory, I might forget about Pip and the Master's seal, or the "get lost" story, or Cellie's spider, or...)

NEWS FLASH: Cellie's spider got written into a story, and is posted at ff.net with the title "SpiderWebs", just in case you were interested.

***

37. A Battle Arose

'Ruffians? Coming here? They have never disturbed us before,' Cirdan said slowly.

'They have been growing bolder,' Elessar answered, 'so bold as to venture into the Shire, despite the watchers at the borders, to carry off Halflings.'

'So I had heard,' the old shipwright said, though "old" was perhaps not the proper word to use, Fastred thought. Ancient and youthful at once, ageless, perhaps. 'Do you think they have the numbers to attack both harbours?'

'We must not take any chances,' the King said. 'Notify all your elves to be on alert.'

'The guardsmen?'

'We can split them between the two harbours; I've also sent a messenger back across the plain, to the outpost near Greenholm. We'll receive reinforcements from the nearest outposts fairly soon, if they do not run into ruffians on the way, and a large body will be on the way from Fornost as soon as the message reaches the garrison there.'

'In the meantime we must prepare ourselves for attack. A siege does not worry me; we have ample supplies and springs of fresh water within the walls...'

'I do not think that ruffians would besiege you; theirs is the quick strike, the surprise, with hope to overwhelm.'

'When can we expect them?' Cirdan said, and the King looked to Frodo.

'They said,' he replied hesitatingly... 'They were waiting for a signal, to join with other groups into a large whole, to march under cover of darkness, hide through the day, strike between middle night and the dawn.'

'They'll strike sooner than later, I think,' Elrohir said, 'especially if they had any word of the battle between that band of ruffians and your guardsmen.'

The others nodded, and Elladan added, 'They will be hoping that the guardsmen will come to the conclusion that they encountered an isolated band, but they will take no chances that more guardsmen might be called to scour the area for ruffians.'

Cirdan nodded. 'I think you have the right of it. So the attack could come as early as this night.'

'We must be ready,' Elessar confirmed.

'We will be,' Cirdan said. He turned to the elf beside him. 'Send word to the other harbour, to prepare for attack any time after darkness falls.' The other nodded and was swiftly gone.

'How can we help?' Pippin asked.

'Your bows will be of use, I think,' Cirdan said. 'You Halflings can conceal yourselves, lie upon the rooftops, perhaps, shoot from cover any that try to come over the walls.'

The Thain made a wry face. 'I am not much of an archer,' he said. 'I am better with a sword than a bow, I fear.'

'I have heard of your valour in battle,' the shipwright said gravely. 'As a Knight of Gondor, I would expect to find you by the side of your King.'

Pippin nodded. 'Just like old times, eh, Strider?' he said, a grin lighting his face. 'Only this time, we're both on the same side of the wall.' He eyed the King. 'Unless you'd like to sail into the battle as you did once. They even have ships here, quite handy.'

'Just like old times,' Elessar replied, a smile lighting his own face. 'I think I can leave out the ship, this time.'

'Very well, Strider; I shall follow your lead,' the Thain said graciously.

The King inclined his head. 'Be sure that you do,' he said.

***

Fastred watched the bustle of preparations in wonder. 'I thought these elves half in a dream when we met them,' he said to Frodo. 'They never seemed to be in a hurry about anything, even about Ferdi...'

'It seems they are capable of haste,' Frodo answered. He felt rather small and useless, but Bergil had assured him that when the time came for battle, size was no matter. 'When do we seek the rooftop?'

'After dark,' Fastred answered. 'If ruffians are watching, they won't see us climb up, and we shall have an element of surprise.'

'Ruffians are very fond of surprises,' Frodo said.

'Not this one, I warrant,' Fastred answered.

'How's Ferdi?' Frodo asked.

'Leot's with him now. He's stopped eating again, though I think they were able to get him to take some water.' Fastred sighed. 'He's convinced that he will be a hopeless burden, unable to use his hands, or his eyes, or to walk...'

'Funny,' Frodo mused.

'Funny?' Fastred said, incensed.

'No, not in that way,' Frodo said hastily. 'It's just that... his own father was badly burned in a fire, and lived for years afterwards without the use of his arms and legs. I never heard Uncle Ferdi grumble about the "burden" of caring for him. Why would he not extend the same grace to us?'

'I do not know,' Fastred said, troubled. 'I only know that if you take a wild hawk, tie it down, cover its eyes with a hood, it'll pine for the sky and even will itself to die. Leot had to release the merlin he nursed as soon as it was able to fly, or it would have died, I think. You have to take a hawk from the nest when it's still young, to be able to tame it to sit on a perch and fly from your arm.'

'Ferdi's not young, but he's always been young at heart,' Frodo said. 'If only...'

'I know,' Fastred said, clenching his hands into fists. 'I know,' he repeated, then reached around to take his quiver from his back. 'Might as well check your arrows,' he said. 'I think we'll put them to good use this night.'

***

At dusk, Gimli and Legolas found the hobbits sitting together, soberly sharing a meal.

'Who is watching with Ferdibrand?' the elf asked in surprise.

'Elrohir,' the Thain replied. His face was strained. Though by custom he must accept Ferdi's decision, it did not mean he had peace with the chancellor's choice. 'He told us to leave Ferdi alone, let him sleep.'

'It is time for the archers to seek the rooftops,' the elf said. 'Merry, you're to take charge of the young hobbits. Samwise, stay with Gimli; you may end up fighting back-to-back as you did in Moria should enough ruffians come over the walls, and your fighting styles complement one another, as I recall.'

'It has been a long time,' the Mayor began, but the dwarf interrupted him with a slap on the back.

'Your arm never forgets the axe or the sword... or the frypan, for that matter,' he chuckled. 'We shall show these ruffians a trick or two they've not seen before.'

'Pippin, Elessar awaits you,' Legolas continued.

'Who am I to keep a King waiting?' Pippin said lightly, dusting the crumbs from his fingers as he rose, but the sorrow did not leave his countenance.

'Two kings,' Gimli said, 'but let us not quibble over minor details.'

'Do you have the mail shirt?' Samwise asked, stopping Pippin with a hand on his arm.

'You really ought to be wearing it yourself; Frodo left it to you,' Pippin answered.

'Are you wearing it?' Sam pressed, and Pippin nodded.

'Good,' Sam said, and stepped back. The others watched the Thain go. 'I'm worried about him,' he added, when Pippin was out of earshot.

'You're not the only one, but this is neither the time nor the place,' Merry said so low that he had to strain his ears to catch the words. Raising his voice, the Master of Buckland added, 'Come on, lads, while there are elves handy to boost us up onto the thatch. I don't fancy having to jump the distance.'

'Take care,' Sam said to Frodo with a nod to his eldest son.

'You too, Dad,' Frodo answered, trying to grin. He turned away to trot after the others.

'A roof's a good place for him,' Gimli said reassuringly. 'At least he'll be out of reach of the ruffians.'

'I hope so,' Sam said. He and Gimli stationed themselves in the shadow of an overhang, not far from the wall, where they could watch for ruffians.

The elves had taken most of the ships out of the harbour, anchoring them beyond swimming range, though a few ships in varying stages of construction remained in their cradles, affording cover to elvish archers.

Cirdan's people and the visitors waited through the long hours between dusk and middle night. Watchers paced behind the thick walls, looking over into the darkness, ready to sound the alarm at the first sign of invaders.

Waiting on the rooftop with a few elves, Frodo noticed buckets of water being handed up from the ground. 'What's that for?' he whispered to Fastred.

'Fire,' the other answered. 'Hadn't you noticed we're lying on thatch?'

The thought had not occurred to Frodo before, that the ruffians might set the roofs alight in the heat of battle.

'A few buckets... to put out a thatch roof?' he said sceptically, his heart pounding a little faster. 'Are they serious?'

'A few buckets, to buy us time to escape being roasted, should the worst come to pass,' Leotred answered.

'Hush, now,' Merry said, and the younger hobbits were again quiet.

There was a sudden yell from the wall, and then the twang of a bowstring and a scream from without. 'They're coming at the wall!' a watcher shouted.

The ruffians fell back, their first plan, to quietly steal over the walls at various points and slaughter the sleeping elves, stymied. Their chiefs quickly rallied them, and holding shields before them, they came at the walls again, throwing up ladders and swarming up faster than the ladders could be pushed back.

'I thought ruffians came in small groups,' Fastred gasped. 'There must be hundreds!'

'This has been a long time in the planning,' Legolas said from beyond him. 'Some are winning their way over, let us busy ourselves.'

They plied their bows, picking off ruffians at the top of the ladders, but by sheer force of numbers some were winning through, albeit facing stiff resistance from sword-wielding elves inside the walls. One ruffian chieftain directed his archers to fire flaming arrows over the wall, into the roofs, and soon the hobbits found themselves beating out flames rather than shooting. Meanwhile, more ruffians came over the wall, and Cirdan saw their objective: the gates.

He pointed, and Elessar nodded, throwing his guardsmen into the fray. If the ruffians reached the gates and threw them open to their fellows outside, the battle might go against the defenders. At the moment they were barely holding the determined invasion at bay.

King Ha'alas sang and swung his scimitar, his face bright with the joy of battle, and Samwise saw why the Southrons were so feared and respected in Gondor. One warrior, pitted against many, and yet any that dared come within reach fell beneath his shining blade.

'Let us not just stand here, m'boy,' Gimli shouted. 'Looks as if there's plenty to choose from... come along!' Sam held Sting at the ready as the two moved into the mêlée.

'Time to get down,' Legolas sang as he emptied the last of the buckets onto the burning thatch. 'There's a clear path here, follow me!' He counted the hobbits as they slid off the roof into his arms, nodding in satisfaction as the Master came down, last of the archers. 'Good,' he said. 'Find a sheltered spot and keep shooting.'

Elrohir was bent over a wounded elf, staunching the flow of blood when he heard his brother's voice. 'Who's with the halfling?' Elladan said. 'I thought you were watching him.'

'He was safe enough,' Elrohir answered. 'Cirdan called me away to tend the wounded. No one's going to get into the infirmary, it's too well defended.'

'No ruffian, perhaps, but the flames will,' Elladan said grimly. 'The roofs are all alight, if you hadn't noticed.' He put out a hand to stay the other. 'I'll go,' he said. 'You have your hands full here.' Elrohir nodded his thanks, turning back to his patient as Elladan sprinted towards the burning buildings.

***

Ferdi jerked awake, feeling hands on his bad leg. 'What is it?' he said.

Elladan's voice answered, cool, somehow amused, detached, though his hands worked swiftly. 'It seems I must move you from your bed, master chancellor.'

'Why?' Ferdi demanded, not that he cared all that much, mind, but he could still ask questions, couldn't he?

'The roof is alight,' the son of Elrond said. 'I do not know that we will be able to fight the fire and the ruffians at the same time, so I thought to carry you to a safer place.'

Ferdi felt the pull on his leg lessen, and then Elladan gently lowered his injured limb to the bed.

'On the other hand,' the son of Elrond said, 'I forgot that you had turned your face to the wall, and were not interested in living any longer.' A blanket was swiftly wrapped around Ferdi. 'You even told your fellows that they ought to have let the flames have you.'

Ferdi remained stubbornly silent.

'Here's your chance,' Elladan said.

'What do you mean?' Ferdi was stung to ask.

'I can leave you here, let the flames take you this time, save you and everyone else a lot of trouble.'

'You wouldn't!' was forced out of the hobbit.

'It is time for you to choose... I have much to do as it is, it would be no trouble to leave you here if that is truly what you wish.'

Ferdi was stunned to silence, but the elf went on, relentless.

'Make your choice, master chancellor. What shall it be? Life? or death?'

'Life,' Ferdi said hastily, and the son of Elrond chuckled. Ferdi felt himself lifted carefully in the other's arms.

'I had hoped you would choose wisely,' Elladan answered.

The son of Elrond moved smoothly, bearing Ferdi so easily that he felt no pain in his leg, but suddenly there was a jar; Elladan stumbled, it seemed, and sank down, still holding Ferdi securely. His breath came now in gasps.

'Elladan, what's happened?' Ferdi demanded.

'We will... rest here,' Elladan answered.

'Are you injured?' the hobbit said urgently, feeling the other tremble beneath him.

'Do not be so quick to give up your life, little one,' the son of Elrond murmured, his words strangely laboured. 'Each day is a feast to be savoured...' He gave an odd sort of cough and was silent.

'Elladan?' Ferdi said, twisting to touch the son of Elrond with his bandaged hand. 'Elladan?'

All around them the sounds of battle raged: shouting and screaming, the clash of steel on steel, the roar of hungry flames...

Elrohir had been correct, Ferdi's fingers were healing. He was able to fumble his way across the other's body, though it cost him in terms of knifelike pain at the ends of his fingers. He felt his way, stopping only when one hand encountered the protruding shaft.

'Elladan?' he whispered. There was no answer. The bandages on his hands prevented him from checking for life, but he hoped that the slight rise and fall of the other's chest against his ear was not mere fancy on his part.

Groping further, he explored the body until he found the long knife hanging from the belt. Carefully drawing this weapon--yes, his fingers definitely were working better, he was able to grasp and pull, ignoring the pain--he settled back to await further developments.

If possible, the battle sounds seemed to be increasing in intensity. Ferdi listened intently, trying to follow the action with his ears. When he'd been a little hobbit, he had played a game of closing his eyes and trying to make pictures in his head of his surroundings, just from what he could hear and smell and feel. This practice stood him in good stead now, as a picture of the battle rose in his mind's eye.

Ruffians were coming over the walls now, he thought, being beaten back for the most part by elves and guardsmen, but the fighting was fierce and the defenders, it seemed, might be falling back. The buildings behind him were fully involved now, the hungry flames roaring in triumph as they consumed their prey. Ferdi shuddered in spite of himself; he'd be in the midst of that inferno, if not for Elladan.

He listened tensely, long knife down by his side, hearing heavy footsteps stop before him. Friend or foe? A friend would have spoken at once, uttering words of concern... He waited, counting on the ruffians' natural contempt for others, waited for the gloating words he felt sure would come.

He was not disappointed. 'What have we here?' a rough voice sneered, coming nearer as the ruffian bent down to finish them off. 'A little rat and a big one...'

Ferdi struck just below the source of the voice, was rewarded by a gurgling noise, and then a heavy weight fell across his legs, causing him to cry out. He renewed his grip upon the hilt of the long knife, jerked it free, and waited.