Chapter 33: Restoration

When at last everyone arrived in Hobbiton, they found that the effort of cleaning and rebuilding had already begun. They took their places among the groups, Estella and Merry helping Sam to sprinkle his dirt from Lothlorien around the Shire, Frodo reestablishing Bag End, and Diamond and Pippin converting the Lockholes back into storehouses.

Restoring the storehouses of the Michel Delving was tedious work, but Diamond didn't mind. She was simply enjoying being near Pippin while trying to keep her saddened thoughts about Chrysie out of her mind. They had to first remove all of the chains from the walls and the bars from the doors.

"I'll bet I can rip these chains out of the wall faster than you can," said Pippin laughing a little.

"Now why does that sound so familiar?" Diamond shot back jokingly. Pippin gave her a curious look and she added, "Perhaps because the last time we fought over something like this we both ended up falling more than ten feet out of a tree and I got lost in the forest!"

His face lit up at the memory and he said, "Ah, but I don't see any trees around here, now do you?"

"You're impossible do you know that?"

"I'm not impossible, I'm just right!"

The bickering went on for several minutes, when finally Pippin reached forward, grabbed Diamond around the middle and said, "Alright, love, you win."

"Good, now lets actually get some work done," she replied.

The pair worked on through the night, and with the help of many others they were able to complete the restoration. After they had taken all of the bars and chains out they had to work to rebuild the store compartments that had once occupied the space.

When the work was finally done, and Diamond and Pippin were relaxing by the side of the road, Diamond noticed for the first time Pippin's gleaming armor and the crest of Gondor that he bore upon his chest. She had been so preoccupied before now that she had not noticed it at all.

"Where did you get the livery?" she asked him.

"I am a soldier of Gondor now. I pledged my service to the late Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor, and I now serve under King Elessar and Denethor's son, Faramir. Merry is a soldier of Rohan, and he gave his allegiance to the late King Theoden. He now serves under Theoden's sister-son Eomer," replied Pippin.

"You have both accomplished so much. Who would have thought that two Hobbits of the Shire would become great soldiers of the outside lands and even fight in a war for the good of all of Middle-earth?"

"It is a bit overwhelming isn't it," Pippin said. "Merry and I are both accomplished swordsmen, though it seems you have had some practice with that yourself."

Diamond smiled, and simply nodded. As she was looking at him, evaluating the armor and taking everything in, Diamond noticed another change. "You must have grown at least a foot since you left!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"Oh, that I can explain as well. When Merry and I met Treebeard we had nothing to eat, nor to drink, except the ent-draught. There is something in that water that made us grow, and we can't explain how it happened. It just did..."

"I should like to hear more of this Treebeard, and of all of your travels," said Diamond. "Perhaps we could write them down."

Pippin replied, "That would be a good idea. Frodo intends to write down his journey with Sam, but we should record the other pieces of the tale. As for my telling the tale, I don't think that now is the time or the place to do it, as much of it is very dark and I don't wish to recall it at all. In time, I suppose, it will have to be told, but I should like to wait until then."

Merry and Estella walked along the dirt ridden path, following Sam as he walked through the Shire, spreading his gift throughout hoping that it would make some difference in the now nearly destroyed Shire.

It had been Frodo's suggestion to spread the soil around the Shire, and Sam was quite happy to oblidge as he had been quite distraught about the fact that most of the trees had been cut down or simply burned in the fires that had been wraught.

Even the Party Tree, that had served as the sole largest reminder of Bilbo Baggins's long-expected party and mysterious disappearance, was lost in the flames.

"I think, Sam," started Merry, "That the Lady would think that you have used her gift in a most unselfish and excellent way."

"Well I couldn't very well keep it to myself when so many people have suffered. It's only right to share the gift with them...but..."

"What is it Sam?" asked Rosie, who had come along as well.

"It's just that even if the soil does help to regrow the trees and make the Shire beautiful once more I will be long burried in my grave by the time it's work will show. It will be enjoyed by my children's children, and that does leave some regret on my mind, but I think thatn it is worth it all the same," replied Sam wisely.

"It seems as if you two have got this task under control, so I think we will leave you be and take a walk of our own," said Merry, grasping Estella's hand and leading her away from Sam and Rosie.

When they were well out of earshot Estella looked curiously at Merry and asked, "Why did you wish to be alone?"

"Well, I had hoped we could perhaps discuss the plans for our wedding. I know it takes a dreadfully long time to plan a wedding, and I figure that with all of the happenings in the Shire it would most likely take double the normal time so we should probably start as soon as possible. Don't you agree?"

"Of course, you are right, but I...well..."

"What is it?" asked Merry, quite concerned now.

"I just dont think that we should begin to plan anything of the sort until we have had a proper funeral for Chrysie. It's so hard to think about the fact that she is no longer part of our lives," replied Estella, looking to the ground.

Merry looked at her sympathetically and pulled her into a tight embrace saying, "You are right. We will wait, and if you truly think about it she is still a large part of our lives. As long as we let her memory live on."

Over the next few days they worked steadily, and soon Hobbiton was beginning to come alive once more, though it would take a long time before it was completely restored to how it once was. When they all gathered together at the end of a full week of nothing but hard labor Sam looked at the last remaining piece of his gift: the seed of Lothlorien.

"Where should I plant it?" he asked them all. "I cannot think of a place worthy of such a gift."

"What about the Party Tree?" suggested Rosie, looking down from Bag End and noticing its absence.

"That is a wonderful idea," agreed Frodo. "I was beginning to miss it."

So it was agreed and the seed was planted at the base where the old Party Tree had once stood. Now, everyone's thoughts turned to a much darker task that they had to handle. They had to bury the dead.