13. Standing Fast

Reginard was up early, breakfasting with Mardibold and his family, for they had not yet gone back to their home in Tuckborough, choosing instead to stay and help in the Smials. The older children sat bedside watches, while the younger ran errands for the healers and messages. Faramir's nurse took young Hilly under her wing, and the lads spent much time together when Faramir was not with his parents. Mardi's animals had not yet been found; he wondered if perhaps they'd run all the way to the Crowing Cockerel. He might have to make a journey there, when his services were no longer needed at the Great Smials. Find his animals, perhaps, and toast their reunion with the best beer on the Stock road. Or drown his sorrows, should the animals remain missing. One had to take the good with the bad, after all.

Everard stopped to drink a cup of tea with them, refusing breakfast. 'I ate early,' he said.

'Where's that rain?' Reginard asked him.

'On its way,' his brother answered loftily. 'These things take time, you know. I'd wager the rain'll be here by tomorrow at the latest.'

'How much would you wager?' Mardi asked.

'I wouldn't if I were you,' Regi said. 'He's got a weather eye, from all the time he's spent in the fields.'

'Hah, why'd you stop him?' Everard asked. 'I could use the pocket money, got a wedding coming up, you know.'

'So I'd heard,' Regi said, with a wink for Rosa. 'Seems to be a lot of it going around.' He drained his mug, set it down, and pushed himself back from the table. 'Well, there's work to be done, and it won't do itself.'

'Let it go long enough and someone else might do it for you,' Everard put in. 'Your brother, perhaps.'

Regi shook his head. 'No, my brother's to be busy this day, pulling down snags in the woods and salvaging what can be salvaged.'

'Ah,' Everard said, finishing his own tea. 'Sounds as if he'd better get right on it, then.' He rose, bowing to Rosa and Lili. 'Ladies,' he said, 'my thanks for your excellent company.' Lili giggled and Rosa smiled.

Reginard rose as well, taking Rosa's hand and bowing over it. 'Fairest lady,' he said. 'I will look for you at teatime.' Glancing at her father, he added, 'I'm going to look in on Ferdibrand; if there's any change with the Thain I want to know at once.'

'Of course,' Mardi said.

***

Reginard was sitting with Ferdibrand when Mardi came in search. 'The Thain's asking for you,' he said to Ferdi.

'For me?' Ferdi said stupidly.

'Aye, lad,' Mardi answered.

'Is he awake, then?' Regi asked, rising abruptly.

'No, not awake, not really, but he wants Ferdi and he'll tire himself if he doesn't get him, is my way of thinking,' Mardi said.

'Come along, then, Ferdi, let us not keep him waiting,' Regi said, taking Ferdibrand's arm and urging him forward.

They entered the room, to find Diamond leaning forward, holding her husband's hand. As the door opened, she looked up, then back to her husband. 'Ferdi's here, now, Pippin,' she said soothingly. 'He's here, my love, it's all right.'

The Thain moved his head slightly on the pillow. 'Ferdi,' he breathed. 'Stand, Ferdi. Stand fast.'

Reginard gave Ferdibrand a push, and the latter moved forward to take Pippin's other hand. 'I'm here, Pip,' he said.

'Stand fast,' Pippin whispered.

'The fire's coming, Pippin, but I'll stand,' Ferdibrand said, understanding suddenly, realising that Pippin was reliving the fire in his dream. 'But you've got to get out of this smoke.'

'I'm fine,' Pippin whispered. He took a few more rapid breaths. 'Stand, Ferdi.'

'I'm standing, cousin,' Ferdi said. 'Tooks aren't going to see me run this time.'

'Good,' Pippin said, and relaxed. 'That's good.' Ferdi started to pull away, and Pippin moved again. 'Ferdi...'

'I'm here,' Ferdibrand said.

'My fault,' Pippin whispered. His eyes were half-opened, and he seemed to be seeing Ferdi there beside him. 'It was my fault, and you got the blame.'

Ferdi swallowed hard, and Regi could see he was fighting for control. 'Not your fault, Pip,' he said. 'We were both in it, and I was old enough to know better.'

'My fault, my idea... in the first place,' Pippin said again. 'Ruined your life for you, and then went off on an adventure and left you to the Tooks.' This long speech took what little energy the Thain had, and he settled back on the pillows, limp and spent, gone away from them again.

'Yes, cousin,' Ferdi said, squeezing the hand in his. 'You did go off without me, 'tis true, and I was angered for a long time. But you hardly ruined my life; I did a fine job of that myself.'

He gazed searchingly into the still face. 'Pip?' he said softly. 'Do you hear me? I do not have to keep on the path to ruin, I can choose another way. I do choose another way. Pippin? I'm standing fast now.' He squeezed the hand again. 'You keep fighting, do you hear me, cousin? Stand fast, yourself.'

'Why don't you sit with him awhile, Ferdi?' Mardi suggested. Ferdi sank into the chair by the bed, and Mardi turned away to pour a cup of water. 'Here, drink this,' he urged. 'You took in enough smoke yesterday, you need to keep drinking.' Still holding Pippin's hand, Ferdibrand sipped obediently.

Mardibold looked over at Diamond. 'I'll be back soon, Mistress,' he said. 'I need to fetch some more herbs to be simmering.'

At sunset, Woodruff chased Ferdibrand from the room. 'You've sat here all day,' she said, 'with hardly a thought for yourself.'

'I've eaten,' Ferdi said, and Diamond smiled. She'd seen to that. If she couldn't stuff her husband with food, she'd settle on the next available hobbit.

'That's a good thing,' Woodruff said. 'You've eaten, and now you go take your rest. I will need you here again in the morning, to keep watch. Promptly after breakfast, mind.'

'Yes'm.' Ferdi laid the hand he held gently upon the coverlet, nodded to Diamond. 'You rest, too, cousin,' he said.

'Don't you worry about me,' Diamond said. 'I didn't breathe any smoke, after all.'

'Good night, Pippin,' Ferdi said. 'I hope to see you in the morning.'