Chapter Eight - Tending the Downtrodden

It was after midnight; all was quiet throughout the Smial. Everyone was sleeping comfortably in their warm feather beds. Then out of nowhere, a child's scream pierced the serenity of a few other inhabitants.

Eglantine was the first one to her feet. Pulling on her night-coat she took a lit candle and quickly padded out to the hallway and headed straight for Merry's room, followed by a groggy husband.

Merry was sitting up in his bed; his face a deep scarlet from screaming and crying so fiercely. Eglantine sat down next to him to try and soothe him back to sleep, but the boy fell back onto his pillows and cried all the more.

Paladin watched the entire scene, "What's wrong with him?"

"He's had a bad dream and he's upset." Said Eglantine.

Paladin sighed, "I can see that!"

Eglantine picked up her nephew and sat him in her lap and held the crying child. "He's crying for his Mum."

"Mummy," Merry sobbed. "Where's my Mummy?"

"Shhh!" Eglantine rocked him where she sat on the bed. "You're safe with auntie, Merry." But that didn't console him in the least. She noticed Pearl and Pimpernel standing in the doorway. "Go on back to bed, girls, he's just had a bad dream."

"May I?" Paladin asked, holding out his arms towards the child; he wanted to try and quiet him.

"You can try while I put the girls to bed. I'll return as soon as I am finished." She gave him the lad as she got up from the bed, ushering her daughters back to their rooms.

Paladin held the child in his arms. Surely I can calm a small boy from a bad dream!, he thought. Paladin tried walking while carrying him, he tried cradling him while talking softly to him. But nothing seemed to help. Paladin was relieved when his wife returned a few moments later. Eglantine took the crying boy back from her husband. Paladin watched as Eglantine sat propped up against the pillows and cradled him, rocking and humming a lullaby. A few more minutes went by before Merry began to quiet down. Eglantine whispered to her gawking husband, "It's the female touch!"

Paladin watched the whimpering lad, "No, Tina," He smirked, "I think it's the touch of the thumb in his mouth!"

Eglantine took a bit of blanket and covered Merry, still cradled in her lap, and whispered, "He can stick whatever fingers he wants to into his mouth at this hour of the night!" He'd finally stopped crying, though his erratic breathing would keep him awake for another few minutes.

Paladin handed her a handkerchief to clean Merry's face. "I wonder if he's had night terrors at home."

"They can't be like this one." She said. "He misses his mother, dear. I wish Essie had heeded your advice."

Paladin sat and waited with his wife, pondering what activity he would plan for him and his nephew tomorrow. Something that will get his mind off of missing his mother. He had an idea.

"I'll take him on a camp out tomorrow!" Paladin almost spoke aloud, receiving a stern look from Eglantine.

"What are you talking about?" She whispered.

"I'm thinking of ways to occupy him--to keep his mind off Essie."

Eglantine thought about it, "A camp out seems like a fine idea. I'll pack your provisions right after breakfast tomorrow."

~~~~~

"Shhh!" Paladin instructed Merry with his finger to his mouth. They crept in the dimness of dusk towards the pond. Merry peered over the high grasses and watched wide-eyed as his uncle pounced on the quarry, unaware of its predicament. Paladin held onto his prize as he and Merry ran out of the shadow of the trees to the fading sunset. Both crouched down on their knees for a better look at their prey.

Merry startled at the large green face and black eyes, his own were wide in typical child-like wonder. He looked at his uncle, "Can I touch it?"

Paladin smiled, marveling at his own renewed wonder. "Do you want to hold it?"

Merry was in awe, of the frog....and his uncle. "I can hold it?"

"Sure! Just don't squeeze him." Paladin handed it over to Merry to examine closer.

"It's cold!" Merry held his breath as he brought it closer to his own face. "Can I keep it?"

"No, Merry, we can't keep him."

"Why not?" Asked Merry, still looking over the creature.

"Because he has a job to do here in this pond, just as we have a job to do in the Shire." He watched as his nephew turned the frog about, continuing to look over the whole frog. "And what if it's a she and not a he? She may have babies to feed."

"My Mummy's gone away, too." Said Merry to the frog. "I shall put you back." Paladin gazed at the young boy striding towards the pond to release the captured prey.

After Merry ran back to Paladin, they returned to camp hand-in-hand towards their makeshift shelter; a blanket pinned to a low tree limb, reaching to the ground and pinned there with wooden pegs.

Merry jumped onto his bedroll and scooted under the covers. He could see a few stars twinkling between the branches. "Uncle Paldin?"

"Hmm?" Paladin was busy arranging his blankets.

"Where do the stars come from? Are new ones made every night?"

Paladin smiled; he was enjoying this little camping out as much as his little nephew. "No, Merry, they are the same stars each night, but they do change every so often, then come back at a later day."

"But where do they come from?"

"Well," Paladin laid down and snuggled against Merry, "my great-great-grandfather, Gerontius Took--also known as the Old Took--told my father that the stars were made by the Father of the Elves."

'The Elfs have a Dad?"

He looked into Merry's big blue eyes full of wonder. "Yes, but we can't see him from here", Paladin said then got up to throw more wood on the fire.

"Oh." Merry was wide-eyed, taking in everything his uncle spoke.

Paladin came back inside the shelter and then lay down again close to Merry, "Do you know what else?"

"What?"

"Do you see that bright star? The one that's towards the north?" Paladin pointed to where Merry could see it.

Merry only knew from Frodo that North was "up" and South was "down". He followed where Paladin pointed. "That one is bigger than all of them!" He said.

"Yes, and do you know why?" Merry shook his head. "The Father of the Elves made it brighter than all the rest; it is the one star that guides everyone who is lost. All you have to remember is that is sits in the north."

Merry stared at the most brilliant star in the darkening sky. "You mean when I get lost, the bright star will take me home?"

"No," Paladin grinned, "What I mean is that when you are lost, the star will be your guide to help you find home, but it won't take you there. Just remember the star sits in the north."

Merry continued to gaze at it until weariness swept over him. The whole, long day he and Paladin went exploring, skimming rocks, or just traipsing along the little glen located no more than a mile from the back of Paladin's Smial. As his eyes closed, he felt his uncle kiss his head. Merry fell asleep safe and secure in the loving shelter of his uncle.