Chapter 22: A Good Joke, A Bad Joke, and Berilac
Notes (where the author pleads for forgiveness and rewards good patience): My good-hearted ladies and gentlemen, (or perhaps just ladies), I shame myself. I made cheap promises the last time I updated, and I officially feel that I am a disgrace to all fanfiction and its dedicated authors and readers. Whether you've forgotten I existed or just placed me at the back of your mind, forever waiting, I am sure that when you have seen this at the top of the list or see a notification in your inbox, you have fallen victim to late update shock. I hereby apologize royally to all readers who have felt short-changed by my procrastination. There have been so many responses to this story, and so much love. Writing this story reminds me why writing is fun in the first place, and you guys make it so much more. I can't begin to tell you how much your encouragement and suggestions and butt-kicking pleadings have helped me evolve as a writer.
Now that I've finished the pleading, here is the reward: the story is written out and finished! I have nothing more to write. There are only six chapters left to this story, and I for one will be very sorry to let it go. I will post the next chapter maybe this Sunday and every weekend after until the epilogue is uploaded and I can officially say good-bye to this once in a lifetime joy. And without further ado, here is chapter twenty- two.
Sunrays broke through the clouds just as they tipped over the green hillsides of Buckland. Tinier, darker clouds lingered in the west, the larger and lighter ones floating east over the land to dampen some other people's spirits. Merry didn't care whose spirits—just as long as the rain did not stay over his head. Water had, unfortunately, down-poured in such an abundance that thin trickles of rainwater had seeped under the door and ran down the main hallway of Bridgewater, soaking every floorboard on its way. Merry grimaced as he sloshed through the hallway towards the kitchen, intent on finding some towels or blankets to soak up the muddy, disgruntling intrusion.
Pippin was still asleep in his bed, and Merry had no intent to wake the exhausted Took. Berilac must, however, already be awake since his bedroom was rather empty.
After rummaging through the kitchen, Merry only came up with a small dishtowel and dropped it in front of the door. The towel floated on the water for a minute then sank the few inches to the floor. It seemed to add more to the debris than help soak up the water, and Merry sighed. He might have to pull the bedsheets off the beds and use them for awhile. He smiled as he had another idea and opened the front door hurriedly, only to have a great tide of water splash over his feet and into the hole. He growled and kicked at the water, only to nearly tumble onto his bottom in the ankle- deep pool. He grabbed the doorframe at the last second and pulled himself up to stand, looking outside for the first time. And he gasped.
The entire front path leading to the door looked no better than the hallway, even though steady rivulets ran from the standing water into the river Brandywine. The river churned up around the banks of the Brandywine, rushing and pounding against the rocks beneath, creating white foam here and there.
Stagnant water stood in gardening pots and ditches all over the front garden. Merry absently kicked at one gardening pot and sighed as it barely moved with the weight of the water. He jumped as laughing suddenly swept past his ears and his eyes shot over to the river. Berilac Brandybuck crouched there in the middle of a small raft with a short paddle clutched in his hands. "Good morning, cousin!"
"Berilac!" Merry scampered to the river's edge, peering out at Berilac. "You fool! Get out of there!"
"Oh, Merry, stop worrying. I've got this thing quite under control!" Berilac grinned and pushed his paddle down into the water, turning the raft towards the bank. "When's the last time you've been out in one of these, yourself? I can't quite remember."
"I can't remember either. But you shouldn't be. The water is rushing too fast. You could hit a rock and sink!" Merry fisted his hands, wanting to knock some sense into Berilac. The river was carrying the stockier Brandybuck farther down the river, and Merry was not very sure if he could save him if he should happen to run into trouble.
"No, Merry, that wouldn't happen. The river is too full for that." Berilac grinned wider and turned his gaze past Meriadoc. "Hullo, Pippin! Nice day, isn't it?"
Merry also glanced over his shoulder to see Pippin scrambling up the roadside towards him, still clad in his pajamas, his feet drenched. "Not a nice day, at all, Berilac! Merry, the bedroom's flooded! And the kitchen! The food's getting wet, Merry!"
"Berilac, come now! Get out of the river! We have real work to do!" Merry shouted as Pippin grabbed his coat's sleeve roughly. Pippin's eyes were alight with fear, probably because the pantry might be out of stock the longer they waited.
Berilac nodded and pushed his paddle into the water, trying to turn the raft towards the bank again. But the river had other ideas, its swift current tugging at the opposite end of the raft and spinning it around Berilac's paddle. The Brandybuck's eyes widened as he realized what had happened. He paddled harder, reaching around his back to stop his flow. Nothing worked, and the raft rocked furiously beneath him. "Merry!"
The two on the bank went scurrying down the riverside when they saw the calamity that Berilac was in. The pounding of the rapids grew louder, quickly drowning out Berilac's cries for help. Merry swallowed dryly and raced through his options in his mind, edging on a state of panic. There were saplings growing down the river, but as soon as he'd be able to snap them into a line, Berilac would be too far from his reach. Bridgewater was quickly becoming farther and farther away, so he couldn't turn back and find something to cast out to Berilac.
He growled in dismay. He had to keep following Berilac down the river, no matter how far it led.
A sudden snapping sound interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced at Berilac again. A part of the raft had ripped off from the base, and Berilac was holding the sides of the remaining raft in a death-grip. His fearful gaze shot over to Merry again. Merry shouted, "Hold on, Berilac!" He was not sure if Berilac had heard or not. The blood rushing in his own ears nearly deafened him.
Merry half-smiled and puffed as he remembered that a low-lying stone bridge was farther downstream. He ran harder, shouting behind him for Pippin to hurry. If he could just get to that bridge before Berilac did . . .
An urgent shout rang out from behind him, and Merry looked over his shoulder just in time to see Pippin stumble over some wet rocks and gyrate towards the river. His feet slamming hard into the ground, Merry could barely cry out before Pippin splashed into the water. Merry stopped with his arms outstretched, scanning over the river frantically. He sighed in short relief as Pippin's head resurfaced a distance away from him among the rapids. "Pippin! PIPPIN!" Merry yelled at the top of his lungs. "Hold on!"
He began to run again, barreling down the path towards the bridge. Berilac had already gained some distance, and he didn't think he would make it for either of them. It was a good three or four minutes later when Merry didn't think he could run anymore, his lungs aching, when he saw that Berilac, abandoning his fear, had swam out with all his might to grab Pippin and hold him beside the raft as they were spun down-river. This gave Merry a burst of hope and speed, and with renewed courage he raced harder down beside the river. The bridge appeared soon, just beyond his vision. His feet barely hit the road as he ran, the gravel and dirt flying up with every step. His breathing turned to gasping as he rounded the bridge's corner, his feet suddenly drenched by the flooding water. The current swept up onto the bridge between the rails, the area beneath the bridge completely underwater. He searched the river, catching sight of Berilac still on the raft with Pippin following the river toward him.
Merry crouched down on his hands and knees and slid his upper body between two of the rails, reaching out towards the river as far as he could reach. His knees were submerged beneath the overflow of water, but he kept them supported by the stone fencing as best he could. Berilac shifted on the raft as they came closer to Merry, his grip on Pippin changing so that one hand held Pippin's pajama collar and the other reached out to Merry's hand. Their hands clasped each other's mid-way, and Merry tugged upwards mightily with that arm, still reaching out for Pippin with his other hand. He caught him by the left elbow when he floated close enough. Carefully, he helped Berilac onto the space beside him. When Berilac was fully through the rails, he swung his other hand around and gripped Pippin by the arms, pulling him up as he retreated through the rails and onto the bridge. Pippin wheezed and floundered around like a fish as Merry fully pulled him up into his arms.
Berilac coughed water from his throat and crawled over to Merry and Pippin, glancing over the both of them. Merry gathered Pippin into a strong embrace, rocking him back and forth and cooing gently into Pippin's ear to calm him. The young Took breathed a sigh of relief and clutched Merry's arms tightly. He looked up to Merry and smiled gently. "I'm all right, Mer. I'm all right. Just no more swimming for me."
"Nor me," Berilac agreed and laid his head down on Merry's free shoulder. Merry wrapped his arm around him and clutched both his dearest cousins to him, realizing just how shaken the ordeal had left him.
"I thought I'd lost you both, for sure." He buried his face into their wet hair, regaining his breath.
"You'll never lose me, Merry," Pippin whispered. His eyes closed momentarily and then snapped open, wide. "Merry, the pantry is probably flooded by now."
Merry paused, sweeping his hand through Pippin's hair and smiling. "We'll worry about that, later, Pip."
Notes: There will be a deeper chapter next time. Until then, peace and happiness. -Lula