Chapter Six

When she got up the next morning, the first thing Estella did was change out of the awful nightgown and put on a dress that completely covered up every bit of her. She wasn't ever going to let Merry be able to look down her dress ever again.

She went into the small dining room for breakfast and sat as far from Merry as she could get. She hoped he would leave right away.

She was silent throughout the whole meal. Her parents happily chatted with Merry, and to her utter disgust, they seemed to really like him. She didn't know what they saw in him. If only they could see the way he treated her when they weren't around.

She ate quickly and immediately asked to be excused from the table. "Well, Estella, wouldn't you want to entertain your guest?" her father asked.

Estella felt like flinging tea in his face. She turned to Merry. "Well you're leaving soon, right? You won't stay around here much longer."

"Oh, so you're trying to get rid of me," he said, pretending to sound hurt. He laughed though. "I really should be going. There are still a lot of ruffians to get rid of."

"Get rid of?" Mrs. Bolger echoed.

"Well, yes," he said innocently. "Didn't you hear about the Battle of Bywater? Seventy ruffians were killed and the rest were driven away. But there are still a lot more lurking around and they'll have to be dealt with."

"I believe I heard something about a battle yesterday," said Mr. Bolger, "though it completely slipped my mind until now. Unbelievable. A battle in the Shire. What is the world coming to?"

"Yes, an actual battle in the Shire," said Estella. "Horrible, isn't it? And Merry is the one who took command of it. The battle would have never happened if it wasn't for him. He even killed the ruffian leader himself."

Merry gave her a look that would have been a glare, but he didn't want her parents to see him openly glowering at their daughter.

Estella laughed silently to herself. Her parents probably wouldn't want Merry in their house anymore after what she told them. She looked at their faces and saw that they were a bit shocked, though they did their best to conceal it.

Her parents were very respectable and proper and did not approve of anything out of the ordinary. They were strong believers in "hobbit sense" and felt that no hobbit should do things that were unusual for hobbits to do.

Mr. Bolger took a long gulp of tea. "Ah. So you're um, you're a type of solider then, are you, Merry? That's why you wore that armor and the sword." He said that last word rather hesitatingly, as if afraid to speak of such a thing.

"Actually, I'm a knight of Rohan," Merry said cheerfully.

"Rohan?" said Mrs. Bolger. "I can't say I've ever heard of that place before."

"It's a land far away, the land of the horse lords," Merry explained. "I was the king's esquire, and then I was later made a knight because of my bravery in battle."

"I see," said Mr. Bolger, trying to sound as calm and normal as possible. "A knight."

Estella desperately wished she could laugh out loud at her parents' reactions. They hadn't expected to house a knight of Rohan in their home.

"Well, I think I had better take my leave of you," said Merry. "I just have to get fully dressed-" He was talking about his armor, "-and get my pony."

"I will have the stable boy get the pony ready then," said Mr. Bolger. "And you can get ready yourself." He got up from the table and went outside. Merry went into the room he had slept in and came out wearing his green and white outfit and the armor with the horse on the breastplate. His sword was at his side and Mrs. Bolger eyed it rather fearfully.

Mr. Bolger came back inside the house. "Well, Merry, you may leave whenever you wish."

"I will do that then," he said. "It was nice meeting you and your wife."

"Farewell," said Mrs. Bolger. Merry went outside and Mrs. Bolger gave her daughter a little push. "Well go outside and say goodbye to him. You don't want to be rude."

Estella held back a sigh and did as she was told, though she longed to run off to her room. She opened up the front door and stepped outside. Merry was about to mount his pony. "What are you doing out here?" he asked her.

"I live here," she replied. "I may do whatever I like. My mother forced me to come here and say goodbye to you." There was an awkward silence. "So goodbye."

He was on the pony now. "Goodbye." He looked down at her. "You know, that really was some impressive rock throwing. You could take out a whole army that way if you practiced!" And then he rode away and was gone. Estella realized that she was watching him as he gradually became smaller and smaller, and hastily turned her head away and ran back into the house. He was gone at last. Good riddance.

She looked at her parents and saw that they were walking away together, probably to have a talk. Estella was very amused at the fact that her parents were rather intimidated by Merry. Once she was sure her parents were gone and out of earshot, she let out a shrill giggle. Their reactions had been just so funny. Once she gotten every bit of laughter out of her system, she went into her room and stayed there until it was time for second breakfast.

x-x-x

"Well, he was a very... interesting young man," said Mr. Bolger. He and his wife were in the tea room sipping hot cups of Bell's superb tea. "I must say I have never seen a hobbit in armor. And with weapons. Very un-hobbitlike. I'm surprised his parents allow that."

"Yes, I did receive a bit of a shock when Estella said he was the one who had brought about that battle," said Mrs. Bolger. She took a sip of tea and her face took on a worried expression. "Odovacar, you don't think he and our daughter are, well, interested in each other, do you?"

"It didn't seem like it," her husband replied. "If he was courting her than I think we would have met him earlier."

Mrs. Bolger nodded. "You're right."

Mr. Bolger poured some more tea into his cup. "I still like Mr. Brandybuck. I like him very much. I just don't know if I would want him involved with our daughter."

Mrs. Bolger nodded again. "Yes, I agree. I must say that I'm a bit relieved. I don't know what I would do if I had a knight for a son-in-law."

x-x-x

Later that day, a pony rode up to the Bolger home. Seated on the pony were two people: one was a hobbit dressed in black and silver, and the other was a thin hobbit who had his eyes closed.

Estella ran out of the house and bounded over to them. "Fatty!" In her excitement at seeing her brother, she had reverted back to his old nickname.

"Hello, Estella!" said Pippin. "I've brought your brother back, just as promised."

"Do you want to come in?" Estella asked.

Pippin shook his head. "There's a lot to do. Frodo and Sam expect me back at the Cotton farm, and then Merry and I will have to chase away the rest of the ruffians. I'll help you get Freddie into the house though." He got down from his pony and, with Estella's help, gently eased Freddie down and walked him over to the doorstep. Estella noticed her brother wasn't quite as weak as he was the day before. That was a good sign.

He smiled at her. "Hello, Estella."

Estella opened the door and she and Pippin got Freddie inside and sat him down in a soft chair. "I'll get my parents," Estella said. She noticed that Pippin wasn't wearing his armor or sword. She had seen him leave his sword on the pony, and knew that he had left his armor behind at the Cottons'. That was good. She didn't want her parents to be startled by another sword-wielding, armor-clad hobbit.

She quickly found her parents and said to them with a huge grin on her face, "There's somebody here who I'm sure you would like to see."

Mr. and Mrs. Bolger followed her into the sitting room where Freddie was. Her mother cried his name and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, Freddie! You're home!"

Her son nodded. "I'm home." He looked around the room fondly. "It's good to be back."

Mrs. Bolger let go of him and stared. He was so thin. And he had scars on his arms and face. What had those awful ruffians done to him? At least he seemed like he was going to be all right.

"Well, I'm glad to bring about this happy reunion," Pippin remarked cheerfully.

"So are we," said Mr. Bolger. "And we thank you."

"You're welcome." Pippin bowed. "Peregrin Took, at your service."

"Thank you, Mr. Took," said Mr. Bolger. "We are grateful to you and Mr. Brandybuck for rescuing Fredegar and bringing him back."

"Oh, it was nothing," said Pippin. "I'm sorry I'm unable to stay here longer, but I really must go." He opened up the door and waved. "I'll see you later, Estella!"

"Goodbye!" Estella called out. Pippin swung up onto his pony and rode away. The Bolger family was complete now.