Notes to Readers:
The last chapter! For a long time I thought it wouldn't happen. Thanks, Jodancingtree, for your generous contribution of ideas,
writing, and re-writing to help shape this story into workable form.
Thank you for the comments! Reviews are very motivating and give me insights
into the stories that make me dig deeper in writing, which I probably wouldn't
do were I the only one reading these stories... Even though this is the last
chapter, comments will be read and appreciated. Do you know, even if you read a
story months after it is posted, ffnet will send your
review to the author? Your words are never wasted.
Xena, I can't believe this story is ending, either.
For too too long it was "the story that wouldn't die"
... and wouldn't write itself, and wouldn't end. But hurrah.
It ended.
The next story in the sequence, for anyone interested, is "At the End of His
Rope". Don't worry about the length of that story. You can stop after five
chapters (that was the original length), or after twenty if you like; those are
natural breaks. The readers asked for more, and I just kept writing more...
sometimes I just cannot seem to help myself.
If you cannot access ff.net, try www.storiesofarda.com.
You can leave reviews there, as well (thanks SoA
reviewers! See replies at SoA as well), and there is
a "reply" feature where an author can reply to a review right there
rather than within the text of the story. I have also discovered the
"author alert" feature. Amazing place, that SoA.
The next chapter of "Shire" goes up today as well. Look for more of "A Small
and Passing Thing" tomorrow or the next day.
Enough admin notes. Let's get to the story.
***
Chapter 35. Whispers
Two heavily-cloaked figures stepped lightly into the Spotted Duck, seeking a
table in the darkest, least popular corner — the one farthest from the cheerful
fire on the large central hearth, well away from the game of darts in progress.
'Two mugs and a pitcher of your finest,'
one whispered from the depths of his hood. 'There's a good lass.' A coin worth
considerably more than a pitcher of the Duck's finest appeared on the table.
'And then leave us quite alone, if you please.'
'Yes, sir,' she said with a quick bob.
Looking back with a puzzled expression, she saw that neither removed hood nor
cloak though they sat deep in shadow. With a feeling of disquiet, she wondered
if she ought to tell someone about the mysterious guests who looked to be up to
no good.
As she placed well-filled pitcher and mugs on a tray, together with a few bowls
and plates of nibbles — deep-fried sausage-wrapped eggs, pickled vegetables,
slices of cold meats enfolding chunks of cheese, roasted nuts — for the mugs
looked lonely there by themselves and the mysterious patron had paid
generously, the innkeeper jerked his head towards the far corner. 'Who've we
got there?' he asked.
'Haven't the faintest,' she admitted
with a shrug. 'Someone as wants a private chat, it seems. They said bring them
their order and leave them alone.'
'Hmmm,' the innkeeper said doubtfully.
'I don't like the sound of that. Perhaps someone ought to get word to the Thain…' He glanced back at the shadowy figures that sat as
if carven from stone. 'Take their order to them, and then go and fetch young
Grim. We'll have him keep an eye on these fellows and follow them when they
leave so as he can take a report to the Great Smials
of their whereabouts.'
'Good thinking,' the serving lass said
with a decisive nod. Grim was her younger brother, the most inquisitive hobbit
of her acquaintance. What he couldn't find out, when he set his mind to a
problem, well... let's just say that no secret could evade his determined
investigation. The two shadows remained silent as she served them, only a nod
from the one who'd whispered the order showing that they were alive and not
turned to stone.
When she returned to the innkeeper to fill her tray for another order, he was
staring openly. 'They haven't even touched their mugs yet,' he said
incredulously. As if aware of being under scrutiny, one picked up his mug,
raising it in a toast to the other, and quaffed some of the brew, still wearing
the muffling hood. The other followed the gesture, then
took a handful of nuts from a bowl. The innkeeper relaxed subtly. 'Well,' he
said. 'I was beginning to think we were hosting a pair of wraiths, but they
seem solid enough.' He nodded to a table near the darts tournament. 'They've
been waving for a refill for some moments now.'
To all appearances the two in the corner were forgotten. The serving lass went
out for a moment, and a little later a half-grown lad wandered in, sausage-roll
in hand, and sat down by the door to watch the darts players. From where he sat
he had an excellent view of the entire common room, and didn't seem to mind the
draught when the door opened to admit more guests.
'How's your head, Ferdi?'
said one of the shadows to the other.
'It's been worse,' Ferdi
said with a sip of his beer. 'How about you? You're
not taking a chill sitting this far from the fire, are you, Pip?'
'I don't dare take a chill,' Pippin
answered. 'Diamond would have my hide. I'm wrapped in enough layers to clothe
an army of Tooks.' He picked up his mug and put it
down again, making a pattern of wet circles on the tabletop. 'I believe if we'd
sat close to the hearth I'd melt away completely.'
Ferdi shoved a bowl at him. 'Here,' he said. 'As long
as the food's here you might as well eat.' He took another handful of nuts from
the bowl nearest him and nodded. 'Perfectly roasted, lightly
salted. Just the thing to complement the brew.'
Pippin ignored the food. 'Are you leaving?' he said abruptly.
'I told you I wouldn't,' Ferdi answered.
'Nell said —' Pippin argued.
'I may reverence the ground she walks
on, but I'm not face-down in the dirt waiting for her to lead me around by the
nose,' Ferdi said. 'I swore an oath you know, even if
my wife didn't.'
'Tolly —'
Pippin began, only to be interrupted once more.
'Tolly will
stay,' Ferdi said. 'O, Sweetie will make his life
miserable for a time, but he'd be miserable anyhow; he always is in the winter
months. Come Spring he'll cheer up again.' The angle of the hood changed and
Pippin imagined Ferdi's stare. 'Now eat,' Ferdi added implacably.
'I'm eating,' Pippin said, picking up
his own handful of nuts. 'You're right,' he said in surprise. 'They do
complement the beer nicely.' He heard a soft snort from his special assistant.
'I'm always right,' Ferdi
said.
'Except when you're wrong,' Pippin said
equably. The hood opposite him nodded, and he envisioned Ferdi's
smile. He gave a snort of his own.
'What is it?' Ferdi
asked.
'Here we are, two of the most powerful
hobbits in Tookland, hiding away,' he said.
'Where are you supposed to be?' Ferdi reminded him.
'I'm supposed to be in bed,' Pippin said
wryly. 'That silly coughing fit at the bonfire—so a little smoke blew my way;
that'll set even a hobbit with good
lungs to coughing, wouldn't you say?' Ferdi nodded
silently as the Thain took a long swallow of his
beer. Pippin added, 'Not to mention Woodruff heard that we slept out in the
open air the other night, mild as it is—it's Winter, you know.'
'I'd heard something to that effect,' Ferdi admitted. Lowering his voice, he said, 'Nell popped
me into bed, said she wouldn't let me up until I lost the lines about my eyes.'
He sipped again, and putting his mug down added, 'Do I have lines about my
eyes?'
Pippin peered at Ferdi's shadowy face, barely
distinguishable under its hood in the darkened corner. 'Not that I can see,' he
said honestly.
'She says I have lines about my eyes
when my head pain gets bad,' Ferdi grumbled. 'Who
wouldn't, I ask you? With a wife nagging at me all the day to put my feet up
and put my head back and close my eyes, it's a wonder my head isn't worse than it is!'
'I know,' Pippin said. 'My wife does the
same.' He took another handful of nuts. Ferdi picked
up the pitcher to refill both mugs. 'So you're staying then,' the Thain added.
Ferdi put the pitcher down to place a reassuring hand
on his cousin's arm. 'If you want to get rid of me you'll have to discharge
me,' he said.
'That means you're staying,' Pippin
said, wanting confirmation.
'You can be so thick sometimes,' Ferdi grumbled. 'It means I'm staying,' he added.
'Good,' Pippin said. 'Now drink up and
let's get back to the Smials before our wives finish
their late suppers and come back to check our beds.' Both drained their mugs
and rose.
As they left the Duck the lad by the doorway ate the last of his sausage roll
and threw on his cloak. 'I'm going for a walk,' he announced.
'Be back in time to wash the mugs,' the
innkeeper snapped. The tween shrugged irritatingly
and let himself out the door. Unnoticed by the two, he
sauntered along behind them. They were heading in the direction of the Great Smials...
Some time later Grim returned to the Spotted Duck. 'About time you got back
here,' the innkeeper grumbled. 'You could have walked to the Great Smials and back in the time you were gone.'
'I did,' the tween
said with another shrug.
'And?' the innkeeper whispered. No one
was paying them any mind.
'I don't think we have to worry the Thain about those two,' the lad said.
