Chapter Four
The longer he sat there with Diamond, the last apprehensive Pip felt. At the beginning of this he was sure he was shaking horribly and noticeably, but now he felt calmer, and collected.
Pippin now held Diamond's hands, an action he felt responsible for now. He didn't exactly know why, but he thought it partially had to do with the fact that he did not want her to leave, or be dragged off by some other hobbit lad who might think he could do better with her. Yes, that had to be it.
Just then, Pip heard footsteps quickening behind them. He whirled his head around to see Pearl, one of his three sisters. "Pearl!" he exclaimed, standing. "I haven't seen you in ages! What brings you back to this part of the Shire?"
"Pip," she said quickly, "Pimpernel is off finding Sam and Rosie, and Pervinca is looking for Merry. Our father, he's been taken very ill." her voice trailed off and he could tell she was fighting back tears. "The physicians don't think he'll make it."
"They know nothing," Diamond said. "I am a physician as well, I will see to my father-in-law."
Pearl's hand covered her mouth. "Such joyous news had to come on such a rotten day."
"Well we can't just sit here!" Pip exclaimed, standing. "There's no time to waste!"
He jumped up and began running to his hole. He could hear Diamond and Pearl's footsteps behind him, but that mattered naught. Right now he had one thing on his mind, and that was his father.
Pip bounded through the door and into his father's bedroom. Paladin Took was lying on the bed very still, surrounded by doctors and such.
"Get out!" Pip screamed. "We have a better doctor here! Leave us be!"
The doctors saw the almost madness in Pip's eyes, and departed hastily. Diamond rushed up to him, and began feeling for his pulse. "What happened?" she asked him breathlessly.
"I.couldn't breathe," said Paladin, "Everything went black, and." he began coughing and could not finish his sentence.
"Do not try to speak any more," Diamond said, and she sighed. "They were right Pip. He hasn't much hope."
"It's my time," Paladin said between coughs. "I don't mind, I'm off to see your mother, dear Eglantine, and that fool of my best friend.dear Saradoc.we were just like you an' Merry, Pip."
At this moment Merry rushed in, followed by Sam and Rosie. Pip saw Estella standing by the door. "Paladin!" Merry shouted, and ran over. "You'll be getting better, yes?"
"I'm afraid not, Master Merry." Paladin said and coughed once more. "I suppose since I will be leaving, I should bequeath your title to you.your father told me to do so, dear Saradoc." Paladin erupted into a massive coughing fit. "Meriadoc, Master of Buckland.
Merry's eyes welled up. "Aye."
"And you Pip," Paladin said. "Peregrin Took, Thain of the Shire."
"That'd be me," Pip said, his eyes now welling up.
Paladin looked to Diamond. "You two will be getting married, yes?"
"Aye," Diamond said, also crying.
"Take.care of him. Keep him and Master Merry out of trouble, you know how they are.Sam?"
"Aye," Sam said.
"You'd better do the same, the fools they are," Paladin coughed. "And you, Pearl, Pimpernel, Pervinca.you'd better help as well. They need all the help they can get."
All three girls were quite choked up and could do naught but nod.
Paladin smiled and looked upon Pip one last time. "You fool of a.fool of a Took."
And with that, Paladin relinquished his life.
The room was quiet, excepting assorted sniffles. It was Pip who stood up and broke the silence.
"Do we have the Took family history nearby?" he asked. Pearl wordlessly reached into a drawer and pulled it out. Pip found a quill and began writing.
"On this day, May fourth, 1434 in Shire-Reckoning, the great Paladin Took passed on, and his only son, Peregrin Took, became Took and Thain of the Shire. At this time, Merry the Magnificent became Master of Buckland, a title given him by the great Saradoc Brandybuck, who gave it to Paladin to pass to Meriadoc upon his death."
He closed the book and set it on the mantle. The companions slowly filed out of the room, Pip being last. He said a short farewell to his father, then entered the sun of the Shire once more.
The longer he sat there with Diamond, the last apprehensive Pip felt. At the beginning of this he was sure he was shaking horribly and noticeably, but now he felt calmer, and collected.
Pippin now held Diamond's hands, an action he felt responsible for now. He didn't exactly know why, but he thought it partially had to do with the fact that he did not want her to leave, or be dragged off by some other hobbit lad who might think he could do better with her. Yes, that had to be it.
Just then, Pip heard footsteps quickening behind them. He whirled his head around to see Pearl, one of his three sisters. "Pearl!" he exclaimed, standing. "I haven't seen you in ages! What brings you back to this part of the Shire?"
"Pip," she said quickly, "Pimpernel is off finding Sam and Rosie, and Pervinca is looking for Merry. Our father, he's been taken very ill." her voice trailed off and he could tell she was fighting back tears. "The physicians don't think he'll make it."
"They know nothing," Diamond said. "I am a physician as well, I will see to my father-in-law."
Pearl's hand covered her mouth. "Such joyous news had to come on such a rotten day."
"Well we can't just sit here!" Pip exclaimed, standing. "There's no time to waste!"
He jumped up and began running to his hole. He could hear Diamond and Pearl's footsteps behind him, but that mattered naught. Right now he had one thing on his mind, and that was his father.
Pip bounded through the door and into his father's bedroom. Paladin Took was lying on the bed very still, surrounded by doctors and such.
"Get out!" Pip screamed. "We have a better doctor here! Leave us be!"
The doctors saw the almost madness in Pip's eyes, and departed hastily. Diamond rushed up to him, and began feeling for his pulse. "What happened?" she asked him breathlessly.
"I.couldn't breathe," said Paladin, "Everything went black, and." he began coughing and could not finish his sentence.
"Do not try to speak any more," Diamond said, and she sighed. "They were right Pip. He hasn't much hope."
"It's my time," Paladin said between coughs. "I don't mind, I'm off to see your mother, dear Eglantine, and that fool of my best friend.dear Saradoc.we were just like you an' Merry, Pip."
At this moment Merry rushed in, followed by Sam and Rosie. Pip saw Estella standing by the door. "Paladin!" Merry shouted, and ran over. "You'll be getting better, yes?"
"I'm afraid not, Master Merry." Paladin said and coughed once more. "I suppose since I will be leaving, I should bequeath your title to you.your father told me to do so, dear Saradoc." Paladin erupted into a massive coughing fit. "Meriadoc, Master of Buckland.
Merry's eyes welled up. "Aye."
"And you Pip," Paladin said. "Peregrin Took, Thain of the Shire."
"That'd be me," Pip said, his eyes now welling up.
Paladin looked to Diamond. "You two will be getting married, yes?"
"Aye," Diamond said, also crying.
"Take.care of him. Keep him and Master Merry out of trouble, you know how they are.Sam?"
"Aye," Sam said.
"You'd better do the same, the fools they are," Paladin coughed. "And you, Pearl, Pimpernel, Pervinca.you'd better help as well. They need all the help they can get."
All three girls were quite choked up and could do naught but nod.
Paladin smiled and looked upon Pip one last time. "You fool of a.fool of a Took."
And with that, Paladin relinquished his life.
The room was quiet, excepting assorted sniffles. It was Pip who stood up and broke the silence.
"Do we have the Took family history nearby?" he asked. Pearl wordlessly reached into a drawer and pulled it out. Pip found a quill and began writing.
"On this day, May fourth, 1434 in Shire-Reckoning, the great Paladin Took passed on, and his only son, Peregrin Took, became Took and Thain of the Shire. At this time, Merry the Magnificent became Master of Buckland, a title given him by the great Saradoc Brandybuck, who gave it to Paladin to pass to Meriadoc upon his death."
He closed the book and set it on the mantle. The companions slowly filed out of the room, Pip being last. He said a short farewell to his father, then entered the sun of the Shire once more.