Chapter Five

Blotmath (cont.), 1425

"Would you like some more tea, Merry?" asked Estella, proffering the teapot.

"Gladly, Dearest Estella," he replied. She smiled and started pouring.

"You should hear yourselves," Estella's brother Fredegar mocked. They hadn't seen him enter the room. "What has my sister done to you, Merry?"

"What are you doing here, Fatty?" Estella asked, somewhat annoyed.

"This is my house, Estella." He proceeded to the pantry and began making himself a sandwich.

"Let's take our tea into the garden," suggested Estella, shooting a venomous look at her brother. Merry nodded and picked up his teacup.

"Merry, what happened when you were gone?" Estella asked, gently rocking on the porch swing. She felt him tense up against her. Maybe she shouldn't have asked, she thought.

"I lean away from telling you, for fear it will darken your thoughts," he said seriously. She opened her mouth to protest, against her better judgement. "But look at me, Estella," he continued, "If you really wish for me to tell you, then I shall and without regret."

"I need to know," she said. How could she ever be truly close to him if she didn't know such an important thing in his past?

He nodded and recounted the tale of the Fellowship to her. He left out no detail, that she could tell, from the fearsome orcs and ringwraiths, to the icy beauty and courage of the Lady Éowyn and the majestic presence of the king.

When he had finished, she could not stop her eyes brimming with tears and she wept openly. After a long moment, she leaned closer to him and kissed him softly. She trembled with the weight of what she was about to say.

"Take me there. I wish to see those lands."

He just looked at her. Surely he had heard wrong. She wanted to—no—it was an impossibility.

"I cannot take you, Estella," he heard himself say.

"Take me there," she repeated firmly, "I must see." He knew he was losing this battle. Estella, he wanted to say, you know I can't do that. Estella, it would not work; we can't just leave. But he couldn't bear her pleading gaze.

"We'll do it," he said, "tonight. Meet me at the Brandywine Bridge at eight. Be ready for a journey of several months at the very least."

The Next Day

"Estella?" Diamond rapped insistently on Estella's door. Fatty opened it, his face lined with concern.

"Do you know where she is?" he asked. She trembled. What if something had happened to her?

"Isn't she here?" He looked away. Finally he spoke.

"I've not seen her since yesterday afternoon."

"Are you sure?" she asked anxiously, biting her lip.

"I'm sure," he said, "and I can't go and look for her myself; I have the household to manage and my father can't be left alone."

"I'll look for her," Diamond said, "but first I must speak with Pippin."

Pippin was in the dining hall at the Smials, where he was staying, on a visit. His sister Pearl had a new baby, and he had been invited to see his newest nephew.

He was sitting, eating his fifth meal of the day and thinking about Diamond. He sighed, wondering if she really loved him or was just looking for a suitable husband. He hated even thinking it of her, but it was something you had to think about if you were a local hero and heir to the Thain.

"Stop thinking about that!" he said aloud to the stares of many other hobbits around him. She loves you. Still, he couldn't seem to shake the doubt from his mind.

His train of thought was broken by a loud yell.

"Master Peregrin!"

"Yes?" he inquired, wondering what could possibly cause such commotion and getting up from his seat.

"A lass is here to see you," he replied.

"Was it really necessary for you to cause such a commotion?" he asked. It was really quite irritating; he'd had visitors before without this happening.

"She said it was urgent. Her appearance was rather disheveled, as if she had come here in a hurry." Before the messenger could say another word, Pippin was off down the long hallway to the entrance. It had to be Diamond, he thought. What if someone was hurt? He increased his speed, flying to the entrance, and flung the door open. It was Diamond. She launched straight into her tirade without even saying hello.

"Have you seen Merry lately, Pippin?" She was breathing hard, her face flushed from the cold. She really was very pretty even with her hair and clothing in disarray, he mused. "Pippin?" Her breath formed a cloud in the chill air.

"Oh, right." Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Merry in a while. "No, I haven't. Why do you ask?" This sounded a bit suspicious to him, as she didn't even say hello to him, but she wanted to know where Merry was.

"Well, I haven't seen Estella either and I thought she might be with him." He breathed a sigh of relief, nothing suspicious; she was just worried about her friend. Not that she would have asked me where Merry was if anything had been going on anyway, he reasoned.

"Do you have any idea where they might be?" he asked, really starting to worry.

"No, I have no idea."

"We should go to Brandy Hall and see if Merry left a note there," he said, "Wait here. I'll get a couple of ponies for us to ride."

What in Middle Earth was this about? Pippin wondered, as he crunched through the frosted leaves on his way to the stable. This sort of a thing didn't seem at all like Merry. Of course, it must have seemed like we disappeared when we went with cousin Frodo to—he stopped, thinking about Frodo was upsetting, and not something he needed right now.

He took a deep breath, then brought out Rabbit, his sleek brown riding pony and Rabbit's stable-mate, a grey mare named Dove, for Diamond.

He led the ponies to Diamond and helped her onto hers.

"What say we wake these lazy ponies up?" he said, mounting Rabbit. "We'll need to gallop if we're to make it to Buckland in any amount of time." She nodded, dug her heels into her pony's sides, and was off. He was a bit far behind her, but fortunately for his competitive sensibilities, he caught up quickly enough.

It was dark when they reached Brandy Hall, but they had made it in relatively short order, considering the distance. They quickly dismounted and tied the ponies at the front gate, rapidly making their way to the hall.

"Have you seen Merry in the past few days, Aunt Esme?" he asked when Merry's mother opened the door.

"No, now that I think about it, I haven't." She didn't seem very concerned, however. "Wait a moment. You mean he isn't with you," she said accusingly."

"No," he replied, solemnly. There was a long silence.

Then Aunt Esmeralda spoke. "You must go after them," she said, "bring my Merry back to me." Pippin nodded and then pulled Diamond outside to where the ponies stood waiting.

"We'll see if he's at Crickhollow," he suggested. They mounted their ponies in worried silence, and rode over to the house.

Pippin opened the door. The house was dark and empty. He shivered.

"Merry?" No answer. He hadn't expected one. They crept over to Merry's chamber. There was a note on the door. Pippin lit a lamp and started to read.

I have taken Estella to see the lands of our adventure. Do not worry about us, we will be fine.

-Merry

Diamond fainted.

Blotmath (still), 1425

Merry stood leaning against the damp wood of the Brandywine Bridge. Drawing his cloak tighter around him in the late autumn chill, he gazed out across the frost-laced Brandywine. The frigid waters seemed to match his mood.

How could I have been so stupid? He wondered. Telling her I'd take her to the lands of my journey? It's not safe and I surely... still, a promise was a promise, so here he was; waiting with his riding pony and several days' provisions at the Brandywine bridge, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

"Merry?" Estella's voice asked softly from behind a bush on the edge of the bridge.

"I'm here," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, "Are you sure about this, Stella?" He brushed a golden-brown curl from her face.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck," she said defiantly, "when I have I ever not been sure?" There was the Estella I knew. She had been so solemn, asking me about my journey.

"I'm glad that's settled." he laughed nervously and helped her onto the pony.

They rode for a while in the direction of the North-gate.

"Why are we going this way?" she asked. For a moment he was confused, but then he remembered that he had told her about the Old Forest.

"I'm not taking you into the Old Forest and that's final."

"Hmph," she said.

"Now don't be that way," he reached around and kissed her soundly on the mouth. "We only went that way because we had no other choice. We nearly died. I refuse to take that risk with you." He had been trying to make light of it, but somehow his words came out more seriously than he had intended.

"Well if you insist." She grinned, this time kissing him.

There was no trouble at the gate (for Merry had often passed it going to Bree in the past on business) and they made good time, reaching a small inn halfway in between Buckland and Bree by the time night fell. The inn was empty but for a small group of travelers in the corner and they had no trouble securing a suite of rooms.

"Goodnight Merry," said Estella, lightly kissing him and then walking away and softly closing the door to her room. I really do love her, he thought to himself as I undressed and lay down on the bed he was to use. He would later vaguely remember thinking as he drifted off to sleep that compared to the feather beds of Brandy Hall, this mattress left much to be desired.