Disclaimer- Middle-earth, the wonderful creatures known as hobbits, and all the rest of it belong to JRR Tolkien and thus, his estate. I only created this story and some characters.

A/N- I would like to apologize profusely for the ridiculously long wait for this (and the next) chapter. My mind was concentrationg on anything but this, it seemed, and my teachers gave me an enormous workload. But, recently, I finally figured out where this story is going and how to get it there. So, hopefully, updates won't take this long. Also, I had only one review for the last chapter (thank you, cheerleader15!). I'd like to get more than that, so if you like this story- review. If you don't like it- review. If you have no opinion- review anyway. Thank you.

Chapter 11- Of Ponies and Long Talks

Eomer had gone outside to talk with some older hobbits about the oddity of Men in the Shire. Poppy, Dandelion, and Tru began to saddle their ponies. Since Theo had gone back to Brandy Hall to get some warmer clothes (Mrs. Hazelwood's orders), Tru got Theo's pony ready. The pony, Roan, a young male that was aptly named (as he was reddish-brown in color), was a descendant of one of the ponies Master Meriadoc had brought from Rohan, as were many of the other ponies in Brandy Hall's stables. Tru had of course ridden his own pony, a silvery male called Dusk, to the Hall, but Dandelion and Poppy had not. Therefore, they chose two of the stabled ponies. Dandelion found a golden colored female she had often rode while in Buckland, an energetic pony named Sunbeam. Poppy picked a white female that was called Snow.

Poppy saddled and bridled Snow quickly (on purpose, Dandelion thought), and left the stable, leaving Dandelion and Tru alone. 'Talk to him, Dandelion,' thought the hobbit lass, and finally she cleared her throat. "Thank you for getting Theo's pony ready for him, Tru." 'Oh, that was wonderful. Now what's he going to say, thank you?' she thought sarcastically. As if sensing her thoughts, Sunbeam snorted in displeasure.

"'Twas nothing, Dandelion. I'm happy to do it; Roan, and all of the other ponies at the stable are handsome animals. I've never seen such strong ponies before." Tru smiled, but Dandelion was currying Sunbeam and did not see him.

"That's because these are ponies from Rohan," Dandelion explained, glad her comment was turning into a conversation.

"Rohan? What's that?"

The Took looked at him in some surprise. "Oh, I forgot you wouldn't know. It's a country far south of the Shire, where there are no hobbits, only Men. They're called the Horse-lords because they care so much for horses and raise them so well." She finished grooming the pony and found a bridle, moving slowly intentionally so the two hobbits could talk longer. "Master Meriadoc brought some ponies back from there. He was considered a knight of Rohan and was very famous there."

"I never knew that. How did he get to be a knight in a country of the Big Folk?" Tru asked.

"I wonder if I could get Aunt Elanor to let you see the Red Book, or one of its copies," Dandelion pondered. "It has the whole tale in it. And every word of it is true," she added, remembering Fred Sandyman's rude remarks angrily.

"Everyone always says it's just some nonsense made up by the four hobbits to explain why they were gone for so long. 'It's just the oddities of the Tooks and Brandybucks and Gardners,' they say, and usually they add, 'Frodo and old Bilbo were mad for years anyway,'" explained the hobbit lad. "I never knew it was real, except for the Battle of Bywater, of course. Since the Thain, the Master, and the Mayor were very important in that, most people can ignore their strange tales."

"That's the problem with all of the hobbits in the Shire," Dandelion replied, becoming irritated at the insults and untruths said about her family. "They don't understand something, or something goes against what they've known, so they say it isn't real or another hobbit is mad to say it is."

There was silence for a few moments and Dandelion wondered if Tru was taken aback at her statement. "I wanted the stories to be genuine," he murmured, half to himself. "But everyone else was so sure the tales were flights of fancy that I just went along with them. What about the tree?" he asked turning to Dandelion.

"Which tree?" asked Dandelion, confused by the sudden turn in the discussion.

"The really tall one, in the Party Field in Hobbiton."

"Oh, that. What about it?"

"Where's it from? Nobody's ever been able to come up with a suitable explanation for it."

"It was a gift to Mayor Samwise from the Elven Lady Galadriel," Dandelion answered. "It's called a mallorn, and it's the only mallorn tree to ever grow outside of Lothlorien. That's one of the most Elvish of places you could ever go to, even more so than Rivendell. Not so much now though," she added sadly. "Not since the Lady sailed into the West with Lord Elrond and the other Ringbearers." She went on in a lighter tone. "My father climbed it once."

Tru was shocked at this statement. "He did? But- how? The lowest branches are far too high for a hobbit to get to, even if the tree was a lot smaller."

Dandelion laughed, recalling when her father told her the story. "Well, he didn't really. What happened was one day when my father was little, his father- Thain Peregrin, y'know- was walking with Mayor Samwise and Master Meriadoc. Papa was sitting on my grandpa's shoulders, listening as they talked about their past journeys. Grandpa and the Master were both taller than normal hobbits from their adventures, so Papa was very high up. As they passed under the mallorn tree, he grabbed at the closest branch and was lifted off of Grandpa's shoulders. He scrambled on top of it and began swinging his legs back and forth, trying to keep balanced. Grandpa and the others were yelling at him to get down from there, so he let go of the branch and fell- right on top of Grandpa. Papa said that the Thain didn't think it was very funny, but Master Meriadoc and Mayor Samwise always laughed whenever they remembered it. 'Your son's growing to be a regular Took, Pip,' the Master said."

"That's a funny story. It's hard to imagine your dad being a mischievous little hobbit lad," Tru said, smiling at Dandelion again. This time, the lass saw and she smiled back. "How did the Thain and the Master get to be taller than normal hobbits?"

"Oh, that was from the Ent-draughts."

"'Ent-draughts'? I suppose those are from the Red Book as well," Tru mused. "I don't really remember the Thain being much taller than the other adult hobbits. Of course, I was only a teenager when my family left the Smials, and usually when I saw him before that we were in trouble yet again." He glanced over at Dandelion. To his amazement, her cheeks were reddening.

"Yes, about that Tru- I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Tru repeated wonderingly. "I'm the one that should be sorry. I was always picking on you and provoking you to no end. I'm sorry, Dandelion."

"Let's not argue over such a silly thing. Besides, I'm the one who always started the fighting," Dandelion countered.

"Now who's arguing!" Tru laughed. He had never suspected that once a conversation had started between the Took lass and himself that it would wander around so much and that he would be so reluctant for it to stop. He suddenly realized that they both had their ponies saddled and ready to go. He mock bowed to Dandelion in an indication that she could go out first, then followed the laughing girl outside. Therefore, they were, with Poppy, witnesses to the strange scene of June Brandybuck pulling her struggling son by the ear toward the stables.

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If you would like to know what initiated this peculiar sight, we must go back to when Theo was gathering some warm clothing for use on the trip. He quickly put on a sweater, some thick trousers, and wrapped a scarf around his neck, but, of course, he did not wear shoes. Then, he donned a coat and, feeling quite warm, decided against wearing anything else. He grabbed a few handkerchiefs, just in case, and left his room.

As he walked down the hall, feeling better than he had in a week, Theo began to whistle a tune. He was so intent upon the exciting prospect of going to see a Man and, perhaps, having an adventure, that he failed to see his mother approaching him until she had halted in front of him with her arms folded and one eyebrow raised. "Oh, hello Mum," he said, paying no heed to her disapproving look.

"And where, might I ask, are you going, Theo?" his mother queried suspiciously as she took in his warm clothes and carefree manner.

"To the stables. I'd better hurry, I don't want them to leave without me." Theo attempted to edge past his mother, but June stopped him with a firm grip on his pointy ear. "Ow!"

"Who is 'them' and where, after the stables, are you going, Theoden?"

Theo knew by the use of his proper name that his mother was in no mood for riddles. "Father, Dandy, Poppy, Tru, an' me are going to talk to that Man the Bounder told Father about."

"Oh, no, you most certainly are not," June replied.

"But Mum, Father said I could go!"

"Did he now? Well then, let's go have a talk with Master Eomer." With that, June marched down the hall to the nearest outside door and stalked to the stables, Theo in tow. The lad's lighthearted manner had been effectively squashed, and he cast many beseeching looks at his mother, who ignored them. Poppy, Dandelion, and Tru watched them go past curiously. Eomer had been bidding his friends farewell, but he sensed the approach of his wrathful wife. He turned quickly to face her and seemed more than a little surprised at seeing Theo held by his ear.

"June! I didn't think I'd see you before we left, m'dear. I--"

"Don't 'm'dear' me, you rascal, father of a rascal. What do you mean by gallivanting out in the wild with our ill son on a cold evening just to talk to some Man?!"

"I'm not ill--"

"Quiet, Theoden. Well, Eomer, what have you got to say for yourself, hmm? Speak up, you're a grown-up hobbit, stop acting like a naughty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar."

Eomer was a good head taller than his wife, but he wilted in front of her furious accusing glare. "Well, I... Mrs. Hazelwood said he was well enough to go and I..."

"I don't care what Mrs. Hazelwood says! She may be a good healer and all but I am not risking Theoden's health on something so trivial as a visit with a Man!"

Eomer knew when he was beat. He could stand up to most any hobbit, except for his wife when she was in a towering rage. "Yes, June. I should've asked your opinion on the subject before I told Theo he could go."

Theo looked in disbelief at his father, sensing he was losing his most valuable ally. "But, Mum, Father, I'm not ill. I don't even feel sick an'--"

Completely ignoring her son's pleas, June said, "Now, Eomer, does Theo have permission to go anywhere while he's not feeling well?" Theo let out a frustrated groan.

"No, June, he does not," Eomer answered dutifully.

"As I thought. Come along, Theo. We're getting you out of those clothes and back into bed where you belong."

"Can't I at least say good-bye to everyone, Mum?"

June was about to hustle him back into the Hall when she saw his sad demeanor. She felt badly about not letting Theo go to see the Man, but she, even more so than her husband, keenly knew not to let young hobbits that weren't fully recovered go out into the cold. Her sister had made that mistake at a very young age, and had not lived to regret it. "If you are quick," she sighed.

Theo sprang off to bid his friends a safe and pleasant journey. The young hobbit was very upset about not being allowed to go, but that did not mean he was planning to stay at home. Quite the opposite; even as he told his friends good-bye with mock cheerfulness, he was plotting a way to go with them, with or without his parents' permission.

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A/N continued- This next chapter is the long awaited mathom for acorngirl, cheerleader15, and GreyLadyBast. Please review it as well!