Notes to Readers:

Please be sure to leave a review! They are very motivating, and each review you leave entitles you to a free cup of cyber-tea in the parlour (The Muse and I do try to make our guests feel welcome). What you are seeing here is the edited draft. (Thanks to my editor who prefers to work behind the scenes.)

Thanks for the comments! I certainly appreciate my three faithful reviewers. For all I know the four of us are the only ones reading this! How do you like your tea?

No time to respond to comments today, sorry, but the Muse and I do read and appreciate each one! Am posting in haste so that you might have a new chapter today.

Runaway Update: The last chapter is written! Now we just need to finish the in-between material—two chapters? Three? Not quite sure yet. Another chapter exists in rough draft and will be ready to post next week, I hope.

Expect another chapter of "Small and Passing Thing" the day after tomorrow, if all goes well. My editor is helping me whip the thing into shape, chapter by chapter. Thank you for your patience. Work continues on "Shire" and Pearl Took's story.

***

Chapter 24. Back at the Great Smials

By the time they reached the Smials it was dark, and Merry was leaning heavily against one of the Tookish archers.

'We want a healer here!' Rudi shouted. The doorwards burst into frenzied activity, one running for Healer Woodruff, another for the Thain, who'd come in with his own group of hunters earlier in the day to check on the Great Smials and re-stock his troop's supplies. The third moved forward to catch Merry as he slumped from the saddle, easing him down on the stones, taking off his own cloak to wrap around the mail-clad hobbit.

Rudi took Estella by the arm to help her slide from the pony's back, then dismounted to go to Merry.

'Merry-lad?' he said. 'Merry, are you with us?'

'A lot of fuss and bother about nothing,' Merry grumbled blearily, but even by the light of the torches he was pale and Rudi could see him shivering.

'Let's get him inside,' he said to the doorward, taking Merry's arm. Inadvertently he grasped at the bandage and felt wetness there. He brought his fingers away, staring at the dark stain. 'You're bleeding again,' he said. 'We've got to get you to the healer!'

A couple of Tookish archers jumped down from their ponies and took Merry's legs while Rudi and the doorward took his arms, carrying him into the Smials. They were met just inside by Thain Paladin who asked anxiously, 'Pippin?'

'No, Merry,' Rudi said.

The Thain nodded. 'We'll take him to the guest quarters, the suite reserved for the Master of Buckland,' he said. Turning to address a hovering servant he snapped, 'Find Woodruff and send her to us there!'

'Yes, Sir,' the servant said, hurrying away.

***

Outside in the torchlit courtyard, Mum, Hardy, and Twig stood in an uncertain huddle. Even the dog Nip seemed unsure of himself, sitting with his back firmly against Mum's knees, crowding against her in this unfamiliar place. She put a hand down and stroked the downy head. 'S'all right there, Nip,' she said softly. 'Naught to harm you here.'

Her husband and sons had gone after the ruffians with young Master Peregrin and she was at something of a loss, never having been to the Great Smials before. They were so... great. Hundreds of windows blinked their lamps at her, and she wasn't quite sure what to do.

One of the escort, a Took of the Great Smials by the cut of his clothing, had been talking with a stable lad and now came to her. 'We'll find you rooms to stay in,' he said. 'The dog ought to sleep in the stables with the ponies however.'

As if understanding the words Nip pressed himself harder against Mum's knees and growled very low in his throat. 'He comes with me,' she said bravely. 'He'll raise a ruckus if'n he doesn't.'

The escort nodded. Evidently she'd given the right answer; perhaps the Thain did not approve of such a thing as a ruckus. She'd heard he was a hobbit of exacting standards. 'Follow me,' was all the escort said and the little group of refugees did just that.

He led them into the Smials. It wasn't all that different from any other hobbit hole, Mum decided, just much bigger. The tunnel went far back into the great hill and had corridors branching off and twists and turns and many doors and openings to either side. Their guide stopped to question a servant and then they were shown to a comfortably appointed suite of rooms: a common room something like a parlour with two sleeping rooms attached.

'There is a bath room across the corridor from your rooms,' the servant said with a sniff, and Mum looked down at herself and the lads with new awareness of their grimy state.

'We've no clean things to change into,' she said, raising her chin to look the condescending hobbit in the eye. 'The ruffians took or spoilt all we had.'

'Ruffians!' the servant said, instantly solicitous. 'Why, we'll be happy to provide you with fresh clothing and anything else you might require.' He measured them with his eye, told them their bath would be made ready immediately and that he would return with tea, late supper and clean clothes.

'Come, Twig, I'll help you bathe first,' Mum said. 'Hardy, you wait here until I come for you.'

'Yes'm,' Hardy answered, taking Nip by the scruff to keep him from following Mum.

In the bath room servants were already pouring buckets of hot water into a copper tub. Mum waited with an arm about Twig's shoulders, saying, 'I'll take care of the lad myself; we're plain Tooks and he's not used to having lots of other folk about.'

'Yes, mistress,' one servant said, nodding to the others to follow him out. Mum placed a screen between tub and door and then turned to Twig.

'All right, "lad"—and I think we'll keep up the play a little longer, for it would be quite a scandal amongst the Tooks for a lass to be pretending to be a lad, riding about without proper escort and such...'

Twig sighed and nodded. Etiquette and protocol, the things she'd hated most, were closing about her again. She undressed quickly and jumped into the tub before a servant could come in and discover her secret. Truly it was a relief to unwind the tight wrappings that disguised her true nature and gave her a boyish appearance.

'Here you are,' Mum said, lathering a flannel and handing it to Twig to manage her own scrubbing whilst Mum washed her short-cropped curls. Twig had just ducked under to rinse when a knock came on the door. Mum stepped around the screen to answer the knock, receiving a pile of neatly-folded garments. 'Thankee,' she said with a nod. 'Just wait outside and we'll call if we need anything.'

'Yes, mistress,' the servant said tonelessly. These ignorant country Tooks didn't even know that they were supposed to have help with bathing and dressing.

Twig stood up from the wondrously warm water and Mum wrapped her in a luxurious bath sheet. 'Here,' she said. 'Stand before the fire and dress yourself. I don't want you to take a chill.'

Twig laughed. Surely any chill to be taken would have been found in the diggings! But she obediently stood before the fire, wrapping herself tightly again, then donning one set of boy's clothes.

'You'll do,' Mum nodded. She undressed quickly and eased herself into the warm water. Ah, now this was the way to live. A bath at the farm was taken standing in a small tub before the kitchen fire. She'd never been able to immerse herself before. It was odd but very soothing. She scrubbed quickly, but lingered a bit after rinsing her hair, before coming to herself with a start. 'Foolish!' she muttered to herself. 'The poor lad will have cool water to bathe in if I keep on this way.'

She climbed reluctantly from the tub, took the bath sheet Twig held out to her with a smile of thanks, and dressed before the fire in garments finer than any she'd ever worn. 'Ah, if only Harliburt could see me now,' she murmured. 'Well,' she said, 'we had better stir ourselves before the water goes completely cold!'

Mum and Twig opened the door cautiously, to find the servant still waiting. 'I'll just go and get the other lad,' Mum said.

'We'll warm up the tub,' the servant answered, and Mum's eyebrows went up. They'd add hot water to the tub? Luxury indeed.

They found Hardy asleep on the thick carpet, head pillowed on Nip's side. 'Hardy-lad,' Mum whispered, taking him by the shoulder. 'Hardy, it's time to make yourself presentable.' He awakened with a start and his mother led him from the room.

Twig wandered about the parlour and then explored the two bed rooms, finding all sorts of comforts that she'd not missed much up until now. Coming back to the parlour, she found a tray had silently appeared with cosied teapot, plates, and cups. She poured out tea for herself and settled on the floor next to Nip to sip and consider.

Late supper arrived together with Mum and Hardy and the three sat down at the little table and fell to with appetites sharpened by the rich surroundings and sumptuous fare. A tap came at the door. Expecting a servant, Mum called out, 'Enter!' as if she'd lived in the Great Smials all her life.

The door opened to admit Rudivacar. 'Uncle Rudi!' Twig greeted him.

'Estella,' he said, looking at her quizzically.

'Those were the clothes provided, and I thought it just as well,' Mum said to him. She made him a courtesy then. 'Chrysanthemum Took, at your service, sir.'

'And at your family's,' Rudivacar answered formally, with a bow. 'I cannot thank you enough for keeping my niece safe all these months. Things have been very grim in Bridgefields.' He looked at his niece again, dressed as a lad. 'Just as well?'

'Tooks like to talk,' Mum said simply. 'I thought it best that if Twig arrived as a lad, then Twig might as well continue a lad until you take "him" away to his folks.'

'You probably have the right of it,' Rudi said thoughtfully.

Twig broke in with an urgent, 'How's Merry?'

'He's asleep,' Rudi answered. 'He broke something loose, riding as he did when he ought to have rested a day, and the healer had to stitch him up again. He'll be well, probably even out chasing ruffians the day after tomorrow.'

'Ah,' Mum said. 'Feed 'im lots of liver, that's the thing.'

'Indeed,' Rudi said. 'I believe that is what they'll give him.'

Twig shuddered, and her uncle chuckled. 'By the way,' Rudi said, 'I've someone who wants to see you.'

'Wants to see me?' Twig asked incredulously.

'Yes, and I do not know how long he will stay awake, so let us be off,' Rudi said, but then he turned to Mum. 'If you don't mind, madam?'

'Go right ahead,' Mum said. 'We'll just have another cup of tea whilst we're waiting for you to return Twig to us, and then I'll tuck the lads into bed and turn in myself. It's been quite a day.'

'Indeed it has,' Rudi said. 'Come along, "Twig",' he added, and bowing to Mum, he left the room with niece-lad in tow.

'Who wants to see me?' Twig asked as they walked.

'A cousin of yours,' Rudi answered.

'I have lots of cousins at the Smials,' Twig retorted but her uncle only laughed.

They did not go far before Rudi knocked upon a door that stood slightly ajar. 'Enter!' came from within.

'Here we are!' Rudi announced, pushing the door wide and then shutting it firmly behind them once they were in the room.

Rosemary Bolger looked up from the bed, her eyes narrowing when she saw the lad by Rudi's side. Finally she said, 'Twig?'

'In the life!' Rudi laughed, pushing Twig forward. 'Safe and sound, thanks to your brother there!'

Twig was staring at the bandage-swathed figure in the bed. Rosemary leaned over now, saying, 'Ferdi? Ferdi? They're here.'

The eyes opened hazily, blinking, trying to focus. 'Come closer,' Rosemary said. 'He doesn't see very well yet. The healers hope his vision will clear, but...' Rudi pushed Twig before him.

'Twig?' Ferdi said, blinking at her. Then he smiled. 'Es... Estell... you're safe,' he added.

'That's the most words you've put together yet!' Rosemary said, pleased.

Estella moved forward of her own accord, taking Ferdi's good hand in hers. 'Thank you,' she said softly, then a mischievous smile lit up her face. 'I've had a simply marvellous time!'