Notes to readers:

FantasyFan, your comments, as usual, hit the nail right on the head. As you'll see in this chapter, Ferdi draws the same conclusions you did.

Bookworm, as far as Pippin feeling guilt... well, he's going to have a lot on his mind for awhile... and plenty of time for regrets, and it will all be part of the growing process that leads to maturity.

All that said, here is today's installment. Comments, as always, are very welcome. Hope to catch you tomorrow! (p.s. Am also adding a new chapter to "Merlin" today, in case you were following that story as well.)

***

28. Recovering

Ferdibrand slept heavily through the day, rousing only once, to stagger with Everard's aid to take care of necessities, after which Everard guided him back to the bed where he collapsed and was dead to the world. Tolly looked in about teatime.

'I heard,' he said grimly. 'How's he taking it?'

'How would you think?' Everard countered.

Tolly shook his head and leaned against the doorframe. 'I thought Pip was growing up, and then he pulls a stunt like this. What was he thinking?'

'Likely he wasn't thinking at all,' Everard answered. 'He's got a lot to answer for, this time.'

'I tried to warn him,' Tolly said, meaning Ferdi.

'Hah. As if he had a choice in the matter,' Everard countered. 'The Thain told him he'd be heading up Pip's escort, he didn't ask. Ferdi was a lamb led to slaughter, is all.'

The corner of Tolly's mouth tightened, to hear Ferdi likened to a lamb.

'And now Pip's off at Budge Hall, or in Buckland drinking brandy, without a care in the world.' Everard's tone was bitter. 'Ferdi is one of the finest hobbits I know; he gave Pip his friendship and his loyalty, and what does our illustrious cousin do? He throws Ferdi away without a thought...'

'He'll be sorry, and he'll make it up when he comes back,' Tolly said.

'Will he?' Everard said darkly. 'The damage has been done. Ferdi'll never trust him again.'

'He ought never to have trusted him in the first place,' Tolly said. 'The Thain, now, he's as set in his course as the Sun in her path through the sky... except where his son is concerned.' He straightened up in the doorway. 'Who'll dance attendance on old Ferdinand this eve? Ferdi doesn't look as if he's quite up to the task.'

Everard looked startled. 'I hadn't thought of that,' he admitted.

Tolly snorted softly. 'You can bet that Ferdi will have thought of it, when he wakens. Let's not give him any more cause for regret this day, shall we?' He pushed off from the door frame. 'I'll go sit with Ferdinand in his son's stead. If Ferdi wakens, you can tell him I've taken care of things.'

'Thank you,' Everard said.

'Hilly's to watch after late supper?'

'That's right,' Everard answered.

'I'll spell him, then, at dawn,' Tolly muttered. 'What with all this ice about, the Thain won't need me to be riding out as his escort on the morrow. Looks as if Hilly and I will have the next few days off, at least until the ice melts.'

'Good, perhaps between the three of us we can keep Ferdi from doing himself some mischief,' Everard answered.

Tolly looked keenly at him. 'Whatever do you mean? He's not the sort to do himself harm, more likely to bury himself in his misery as he did the last time.'

'He might try to ride out after Pip and freeze himself to death,' Everard said, and the other nodded slowly.

'Aye, you have the right of it, he just might see it as his duty. After all, escort is his job, and he'd see a late-arriving escort as better than none at all. He'd see Pippin safe back to the Smials before laying down his duties, for all the Thain sacked him early this morning.'

He shook his head again. 'It's a bad business.'

'Tell me about it,' Everard answered, and Tolly sighed and went off to sit an hour or two with Ferdi's father.

***

The ice continued thick on the stones for some days, and hobbits going between the Smials and outbuildings slipped about even with spikes strapped to their feet. Between them, Everard, Tolly, and Hilly kept a close watch on Ferdibrand, who hardly seemed to notice. He drifted between his room and the great room, closely attended by a cousin, sat quietly staring at his untouched plate while being urged to eat something, finally wandering back to his room again to sit and stare at the wall, or lie on the bed staring at the ceiling. He did not respond to his cousins' attempts to draw him out, and all the other Tooks avoided him, out of courtesy, or pity.

He seemed to waken when the sun came out, nearly a week after Pippin's ill-considered departure, and the ice began to melt.

'Ferdi?' Hilly said softly.

'I'm here,' Ferdi answered. 'Where else would I be?'

'I think you went off your head for a few days, there,' Hilly said.

Ferdi's lips tightened in a humourless smile. 'Likely I did,' he said. 'I felt as if Pip had punched me in the stomach and left me no air to breathe.' He looked about the room. 'I suppose I had better start packing.'

'Reginard smoothed things over with the Thain,' Hilly said hastily. 'He won't throw you out, Ferdi, you can stay if you like.'

'Ah,' Ferdi answered. 'I'll wager I still don't have a job.' Hilly didn't have to answer that.

Ferdi sat up suddenly, saying, 'What time is it? I've got to see my da...' but Hilly was quick to reassure him.

'You missed a few days, Ferdi, but we took care of him between us, Tolly, Ev'ard and myself. Your da's fine.'

Ferdi relaxed with a sigh. 'At least somebody's fine,' he said wryly.

'Things'll get better, you'll see,' Hilly said encouragingly. 'Pip will come back, the Thain will take him to task, he'll apologise and things will be back to normal.'

'Will they?' Ferdi asked softly. 'You think the Thain will take me on again, after what I did?'

'What you did?' Hilly gasped, thunderstruck.

'I knew he was getting restless,' Ferdi said. 'It's not as if he hasn't pulled this trick before, to go off to the Duck alone.'

'It's not the same thing at all!' Hilly protested.

'O aye,' Ferdi said bitterly. 'I should have kept a closer eye on him, I ought not to have trusted him, knowing that he'd slipped his escort on more than one occasion.'

'It is not your fault!' Hilly said.

'That's how the Thain saw it,' Ferdi returned calmly. 'I should have seen it coming, Hilly. I fell down on the job, and if the Thain sticks by his decision I cannot blame him.' He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'Besides,' he added, measuring his words. 'I do not want the job back. As a matter of fact, I don't care if I never lay eyes on cousin Peregrin again.'

'What will you do? Go to Woody End?' Hilly asked after a pause.

'Not unless my da agrees to go. I cannot leave him here, Hilly, with no one to look after him.'

'Lots of hobbits look after him,' Hilly countered. 'The Mistress sees to that. She would not let him go neglected.'

'It's not the same as a son or a daughter,' Ferdi said stubbornly. 'Since Rosemary married Hally and left the Smials, there's no one to care for him, and you know that, Hilly. I won't leave him in the care of cousins, no matter how well-meaning.'

'So what will you do?' Hilly asked again.

'I'll pick up the odd job here and there,' Ferdi answered. 'I can work with my hands, you know. There'll be another tournament this summer; if I start now I can fletch enough arrows to sell at the fairing, to keep me going for months...'

'Ferdi the Fletcher,' Hilly said morosely, but Ferdi smiled.

'I can think of worse things to be called,' he said.

Hilly nodded soberly, thinking of their cousin, Pippin.