Chapter 34: Never To Be Forgotten

The days, as they wore on, were filled with much sadness and despair as the dead were slowly identified and buried. Merry and Pippin had taken to driving out the rest of the ruffians that had occupied the southern parts of the Shire, while Diamond and Estella remained at Estella's home.

They were in the cellar one morning when there came a sharp knock on the door. When they answered the door, they were surprised to find that it was Merthian, and he looked quite distraught.

"What's wrong, Merthian?" asked Estella, motioning for him to come inside and going to make a fresh batch of tea.

"I...I mean we...well we...have to...you know..." he trailed off unable to finish his sentence because of a bout of sobs. Diamond and Estella looked uncomfortably at each other before Estella finally finished his sentence for him, "...bury Chrysie."

There were thankfully very few Hobbits lost in the Battle of Bywater but those who were lost were looked upon with the utmost respect and honor, and their families were taken care of. Most of the dead had been burried together just beyond the edges of Hobbiton and Bywater, but Merthian had kept Chrysie's body when he retrieved it from the field surrounding the storehouses and Aleathiel had helped him to preserve it temporarily before she had taken her leave. They all knew in their hearts that sooner or later she would have to be put to rest.

"It should be private, only close friends and family," said Diamond softly, using all of her strength to keep a straight face.

"The only family she has left is with me. I took in her siblings...when...when..." Merthian stopped again, and put his head into his hands. Diamond and Estella were crying now too and they both put a reassuring had on his shoulder.

"We all miss her," said Estella, sniffling a little. "I don't think she would want us to be unhappy, and so we must try and get through this because it is what Chrysie would have wanted."

"It is what she would have wanted," agreed Diamond, wiping her own tears. "But where would she have wanted to be buried?"

"Somewhere quiet and peaceful perhaps," suggested Estella.

"Nay, that does not fit in with her flaring personality and unquenchable spirit. There must be somewhere that would suit..." said Diamond, trailing off in thought.

"Along the banks of the Brandywine River," said Merthian suddenly, regaining some of his composure.

"Why there, Merthian?" asked Estella.

"It is perfect," Diamond answered for him. "The river runs freely like her never-ending energy, and it is always changing. At times it is violent and wild, like the trickster in her, while other times it is calm and serene and tickles the feet of passersby. There is no other place in the Shire that would be worthy, or as appropriate."

Estella nodded, and Merthian allowed a half-smile to flicker across his face. "Now that we know where she shall be buried, how will the funeral take place? Who will speak, as is custom?" he asked.

"All three of us," said Estella, "and perhaps Merry and Pippin would like to say something as well."

"Are you sure you want me to speak?" asked Diamond sadly, wondering what she could possibly say. "It was...it was my fault she died..."

"No it wasn't!" said Merthian strictly, sitting up staight. "Would I have helped you both if you had killed my Chrysie? You may have done some bad things, but they were beyond your control, and you avenged her death. Don't fool yourself into thinking that it was your fault, please do not. If you will remember I was a Shirriff as well. I was working for the very people that killed her. I am as much to blame as any."

Diamond nodded. She knew Merthian was right, but she still felt like there was something that was missing. Something that she could have done to prevent her friend's death, or at least something else that she could do to preserve the memory.

"The story should be told, and not forgotten. Chrysie was a hero," said Diamond, sitting up as the idea came to her. "Estella, you were stealing food for the poor starving children, were you not?"

Estella nodded and Diamond continued saying, "I will speak at the funeral if both of you will as well, but I will also write down the story because it needs to be remembered. There were some Hobbits that did not simply stand by and watch the Shire be destroyed and taken over, and they are truly heroes. I will write her story down..."

When Merry and Pippin finally returned in the next few days they were informed of the plans for the funeral. They both agreed to speak at her funeral, and that the banks of the Brandywine was the perfect place for the burial.

All of the arrangements were made, and the once happy mood had turned sullen once more. They knew that times would come when happiness would return, but it was the loss of one so dear to their hearts that made all of the good seem to fade into the distance, unwanted and unfelt. The funeral would be small as planned, and the guests only included Diamond's family, the Took family, Estella and Fredegar Bolger, Merthian and Chrysie's siblings, Frodo, Sam, and Rosie Cotton and her family.

It soon became apparent that the unfortunate task of preparing the body could no longer be neglected as they did not know how long the preservations that Aleathiel had performed would last. Estella and Diamond went to the cellar in Merthian's hole where the body was being kept.

When they reached the bed that Chrysie had been lain upon, the two slowly pulled back the sheets that covered her. Her scared face was frozen in time, pale and afraid. There was still some blood caked upon her body near her stomach but the wound had been cleaned. While attempting not to look upon her face, they dressed her wound in clean bandages and brushed her matted and tangled hair. The whole time there were tears flowing freely down the faces of both lasses. When they had brushed her flowing black curls and pulled them back away from her face they dressed Chrysie in one of her prettiest dresses and then left the cellar for they could no longer bear to look upon her face any longer.

The coffin and burial site were prepared, and those who were to speak at the funeral were developing their speeches. Diamond was having an incredibly difficult time coming up with the right thing to say. Everything she wrote down sounded false and insincere. At last she knew what she would say, but she told no one.

When the day of the funeral finally arrived there was a slight fog about, and the ground was still damp from the previous day's rain. It seemed that even the weather knew it was a solemn and terrible affair, and was acting accordingly. The guests slowly assembled and the coffin was brought out, though it was closed, for they had decided that because of the nature of her death an open coffin would not be approproate.

Everyone took their seats as the ceremony slowly began. The first to speak was Merry, who had chosen not to wear his armor because Chrysie would not have remembered him that way. Pippin had done the same. Merry told of how Chrysie had wanted to come with them on the journey, but that he had forbid it, and how she had always been happy and optimistic in sad times. There was not a single dry eye when he was finished.

Estella followed Merry, and she told of the many trips they would take to Farmer Maggot's fields and of the day when they discovered the initials. Pippin had even blushed beneath his tears when she told that part of the story. As Estella stood up there talking, Diamond leaned into Pippin and whispered in his ear, "I can't do this. I can't tell them all what I intended to say. My knees will give out on me or something of that sort, I just know it."

"You will be alright," he said, taking her hand in his. "Just remember all of the fun we had together and concentrate on the good times."

"The good times have all been told. It is my unfortunate task to tell the sad part of the tale," she replied, laying her head on his shoulder. Pippin rose to talk himself, followed by Merthian, who by the end of his speech was so emotional that he had to excuse himself from the area. When at last it was Diamond's turn, the gathering was dead silent, and she looked out at all of the tear stricken faces with fear behind her gaze.

"Chrysie was...more than just a friend to me," she started. "She was like one of my own sisters, like Estella, and though our blood shared no resemblance it was something buried deep inside that made me feel this way. Everyone else has come up here and told you stories and tales of the fun that we had in the Shire before the times of war, and of our frolicking through the fields and up in trees. But there is another aspect of her life, and of all of our lives, that must be remembered no matter how painful it is. I must be honest with everyone here in saying that...that...the infiltration of our...our...beloved home was in large part due to me."

She paused, and looked around as looks of shock rose to many faces who had heard naught of Diamond having any part in it at all. She wanted to go on, but found that her words had left her, and Diamond stood there looking incredibly desperate and afraid. Suddenly she felt a reassuring hand take hers and looked back to see Pippin standing behind her, urging her to go on.

"It's alright, Diamond. I am here with you. You can do it," he whispered to her.

With new found strength Diamond continued on, and went on to tell the entire gathering of her capture in Bree, her torture in Isengard as well as her corruption, and of the invasion of the Shire as she saw it. When she had reached the part where Horro reported the theft to her she stopped the normal tale and said, "I did not know it at the time, but the theft that Horro spoke of was Chrysie and Estella. They had taken food from the storehouses so that the starving children could eat. I foolishly assigned the watch to...to...be increased."

She went on to describe the night of Chrysie's death in great detail, watching the expressions on all of the startled people's faces change with every new addition to the tale. It was something they would most likely never forget.

When the whole tale had been told, Diamond squeezed Pippin's hand assuringly and finished by saying, "Every person has their own weaknesses and strengths. These weaknesses and strengths make up that person's character, and character is the sole key in determining ones destiny. Whether you be a trickster like Chrysie, an artist like Estella, or a...a writer like myself, you must not be afraid of who you are because what you do with your life is how people will remember you, and memories are the most important things that we have. Without memories, there would be no part of Chrysie left with us today. There would be no stories or tales of times past. I know now that these times and these memories are not to be taken for granted, and I realize how precious they truly are to me and to everyone. Whether they be memories of good times, or memories of times we would rather never remember they are all there to teach us a lesson about the future while at the same time preserve the past, and the past must never be forgotten."

The entire crowd applauded Diamond's speech with teary eyes. Some, like Merthian were past the point of sobbing, while other simply looked on with a gleam in their eyes, but none were left untouched by her sentiments. Estella and Merry joined Diamond and Pippin on the stage, and as they all linked arms Diamond stepped forward once more and presented a book to the audience.

"Much has happened over the past years, all of it important and much of it unexpected," she said. "I have taken it upon myself to write down our story. The story of five friends whose lives were changed in so many ways. It is a story filled with happiness, despair, hope, and even love. It is a story that should not, and never will be forgotten."