Notes to Readers:

Thanks for the comments!

Those who have read "FireStorm" and "Striking Sparks" will notice some material in common; a fair amount was lifted from those stories and rewritten from Ferdi's viewpoint. This is in order to make this story stand-alone. I am trying not to make the assumption that a reader will automatically be familiar with the facts of the fire. We are about to move beyond "Striking Sparks", however, into new territory.

Bookworm, I think "getting up" is common to Tooks. They just have too much energy to stay in the bed. Kind of like my children.

Aratfeniel, yep, Pip is well-loved and very stubborn. He has something else going for him, in that the Professor says he doesn't die until he's passed the 100-year mark (or at least, Merry has).

PansyChubb, yes, those Tooks... they hold very high standards for themselves, and everyone else around them, and they are not very forgiving of someone else's (or their own) shortcomings. Making excuses is not common amongst Tooks...

FantasyFan, excellent insights, as always. How far is this story to go? Well, we have to get through a few more events (Remembering Day, Yule, the annual Pony Races, and the Tournament) and then we will be bringing this one in for a landing.

Dana, you're a Ferdi fangirl? Was that you, giggling, with the tea tray? You disguised yourself so skillfully as a hobbit tween, I didn't even realise...

Xena, the funny thing is, I am very un-hobbitlike when it comes to being ill. I just want to be left alone. Hmmm. Maybe I'm Tookish. Leave me alone when I'm too sick to get up, and let me get up when I feel well enough to get up...

Expect an update in this story every other day unless otherwise informed. Angst warning, we are in heavy surf and more breakers loom ahead for the foreseeable future, both in this story, and in "Merlin".

Thankfully, the Muse came through with bridging material to link the first 29 chapters with the already-finished later chapters in "Merlin", plus more chapters are now being added, heading steadily towards that wedding on the Far Downs, I am happy to say, which means I can guarantee you a new chapter in that story every other day for the next week or two, hoorah! (so long as ff.net cooperates)--and managed to finish future chapters of "Flames", hoorah again. I must say, the Pony Races look to be very exciting this year... A new chapter to "Merlin" will be added in between updates to "Flames", in case you are following that story.

***

50. Wakening

Promptly after breakfast, Ferdi appeared in the Thain's chambers. He'd been out to check on Penny; Old Tom said the smoke had not broken her wind, which was a great relief. Dapple was fine, too, seeming glad to be back in her own stall after the curious experience of being taken into the Smials proper, where no pony had ever gone before.

A gentle, misting, soaking rain had begun before the dawn, and Ferdi stood a long moment in the yard, face to the sky, letting the tiny droplets of water bless his cheeks, before taking up his post by Pippin's side. Droplets clung to his hair as he greeted Diamond, and she said 'It's raining?'

'Aye,' Ferdi said. 'Soft rain. 'Twill put the fire to bed, and bless the crops rather than blast them.'

'Good,' she said, more to herself than to him. 'P'rhaps our luck is turning.' Her eyes went back to her husband's face, and she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. 'It's raining, my love,' she said. 'Remember how we used to walk in the rain together by the River in Buckland?' Of course there was no answer, but she kept spinning stories of their life together, and in her weaving Ferdi could see the depth of the love that bound them.

Regi poked his head in several times, and Faramir came twice, to sit for an hour each time, and tell stories for his father's ears. Ferdibrand marvelled anew at the lad's gift for words at the tender age of five, but then, he'd inherited the magic from mother and father as well.

The hours crawled by with no apparent change in the Thain's condition, though Ferdi thought he might be breathing easier than the previous day. The healer had said something to the effect that each day brought more healing to the damaged lungs.

After the late nooning trays were cleared away, Ferdibrand could see Diamond beginning to nod.

'Why don't you lie yourself down,' he urged. 'You've had no rest since the fire.'

She shook her head stubbornly. 'I am well,' she insisted. Ferdi said nothing, simply sat very quietly, waiting. Woodruff had started a fresh pot of herbal mixture simmering, and the fragrant steam wafted through the room, more soothing than the last pungent mixture. Ferdi felt himself growing drowsy, when he noticed Diamond's head drop forward; she laid her head upon her husband's lap and with a sigh, gave herself up to sleep. Ferdi caught Woodruff's eye. The healer was nodding in satisfaction. She put a finger to her lips and Ferdi smiled his agreement.

Just before teatime, Woodruff went out, returning some minutes later with a tea tray, bearing a mug and a few biscuits, preventing a servant's knock that might have awakened the Mistress. She deftly served Ferdi in silence, giving him a stern look that was better than a flow of words. He ate what was on his plate and drank down the strong, hot herbal mixture. Sure and it would be a relief when they took him off the herbs and gave him actual tea to drink again.

After he finished, she took up the tray again with a whispered. 'I'm off to get more herbs for the simmering, and you ought to be taking a bit of a nap yourself.' She indicated the sleeping Diamond.

'I am well,' Ferdi murmured, and indeed, he felt much better than he had this time the day before.

'You're on the mend,' she corrected, 'but you're not there, yet.' Just then, Reginard poked his head in at the door. Woodruff gave him a nod and turned back to Ferdi. 'Very well, you've been here all the day, now as soon as I get back I want you to go and make a proper tea, and get yourself some rest.' She nodded for emphasis, looked to the steward, said, 'Still no change,' and slipped out the door.

'Went to get more herbs for the simmering,' Ferdibrand said quietly.

Regi moved to the side of the bed, looking down upon his cousin. 'I wonder if he'll ever wake?' he said morosely. 'It's been three days now.'

'He's still breathing,' Ferdi answered. 'That's something.' There seemed no more to be said, and so Regi sat himself down in an extra chair, and the minutes crawled by.

Ferdi's head jerked up as the rhythm of breathing changed, and Pippin's eyes blinked open; his hand pulled free from Diamond's, groping, coming to rest upon her head, fingers twined in her hair. 'How...?' the word came out little more than a croak, and the eyes closed again.

Reginard bent closer, to say urgently, 'Pippin.' Ferdibrand got up from his chair and moved to the table, taking up pitcher and cup. He knew how dry his own smoke-blasted throat had been. He could only imagine how dry his cousin's was.

The eyes blinked open again, searching before finally finding Reginard, awareness sharpening the gaze, not dreaming or half awake, but really with them this time. Pippin moved a dry tongue over cracked lips and whispered, 'How... long?'

'We stopped the fire three days ago,' the steward said softly.

Ferdibrand poured a cup of water and brought it to Pippin's lips. 'Here, Pip,' he said. 'Sip some of this... Small sips.' He was encouraged to see the Thain swallow half the cup of water, a sip at a time.

When Pippin turned his face slightly away from the cup, Ferdi took it away. 'That's better,' Pippin whispered, and the words came more easily this time.

Reginard placed a gentle hand on Diamond's shoulder. 'Diamond,' he said. Her head stirred under Pippin's hand, and the fingers moved in her tangled curls. She raised her head, to stare unbelieving into her husband's face, and then the tears came and she nestled her head gently against his labouring chest, carefully circling him with her arms.

Reginard spoke again. 'You had us a bit worried.'

Pippin managed to nod, but didn't seem to have the energy to speak further.

Ferdibrand bent down to say, 'The fire's out; we managed to stop it with the fire breaks. We still have hobbits out watching for flare-ups and hot spots, but the rains started this morning, so our troubles ought to be finished soon.' Pippin's eyes showed his understanding, and Ferdi smiled. His cousin really was awake this time. He was no longer lying unresponsive, fighting for each breath. Pippin had cheated death yet again, and Ferdi felt like climbing to the top of the Great Smials and shouting the news to the sky.

Instead, he held up the cup. 'Would you like more?'

The head moved feebly on the pillow, and Ferdi put the cup back down. After a few more words, Pippin drifted off to sleep.

'He's going to be all right,' Diamond whispered.

'Yes,' Reginard said. 'He is.' Ferdi nodded, drawing a careful breath of his own. He didn't want to start coughing and waken Pippin again, not now when he was in a real sleep.

Woodruff came in with the herbs; glancing sharply at her patient, she said, 'What's happened?'

'He wakened, spoke a few words, and went back to sleep,' Regi said.

Woodruff closed her fingers about the Thain's wrist, watched the rise and fall of the chest, and smiled, her first genuine smile since the fire. 'His heart is stronger, and he's breathing almost normally... well, normally for him, anyway,' she said. 'I do believe we've turned a corner.'

She looked to Reginard then. 'Go tell Faramir,' she said. 'Set the lad's mind at ease. Perhaps he'll let himself eat and sleep now.'

'Farry's not been eating?' Diamond said softly, in alarm.

'Don't you worry, Mistress,' Woodruff said. 'Regi's been looking after him, getting him to eat and soothing him to sleep. He'll be a good father someday... but I was forgetting,' she added. With a keen glance at Ferdi, she said, 'Go, now, make a proper tea and take yourself off to bed.'

'Yes'm,' Ferdi said meekly.

'I'll see to it,' Regi said. 'We'll both tell Faramir, and then I'll mind Ferdi until he's had a bite and dropped off.'

'I'm no lad,' Ferdi protested.

'Don't try me,' Reginard warned. 'You heard the healer. I'll be a good father someday, so I might as well get some practice in now.'