Dearest Father,

I am glad to hear that you are feeling better and that you had a nice birthday. Thank you for the daisies; they were very pretty. I am sorry to hear that nothing has been found of our kin. I hope you aren't too disheartened and I hope Hildiwin will treat you fairly if he's not inclined to be in the command of others.

I wonder at you wondering why I asked about our female cousins. I know so few Tooks (particularly other ladies) that it's only natural I should be curious. I have taken pains to forget Aunt Lalia.

Little has happened here. Sango, Uncle Hortenbold and I went camping a few nights ago. Can you remember which of the Old Took's sons taught Grandfather to make a fire? Uncle H couldn't remember, but I know you would know.

The Boffins had a farewell party at the farm. I don't think you would have enjoyed it, so it goes to show that there are advantages to being away from home! I have started working on Bandobold's bow myself, to save Uncle H the effort, though I am not sure my craft is sufficient. In Sango's absence I have been trying to make some new acquaintances. It has been difficult, but I have been able to find some success.

I hope you and the rest of our family will soon succeed in your endeavour.

Your Loving Daughter,

Tiger Lily

"Draw."

"…"

"Properly."

Bandobold glared at her and lowered the bow. There was an overly-long, unfinished arrow nocked on the string. "I am."

"No, you're not." Tiger Lily went to stand beside him and placed a hand on his back. "Shoulder blades together, please."

When Bandobold came to full draw again, she walked around to better see the arrow. "Hold…" She made a quick pencil mark on the shaft. "Relax."

Their mother was watching them from a seat in the corner, Tiger Lily's letter in her hands. She didn't often come into the woodworking shed and she looked distinctly out of place in her lacy gown.

"I'd like you to make a few changes, dear," she said. "You can't write such things about Lalia the Great."

"Why not? Again, please, Bandobold."

"Because she was the Thain's wife, and head of the family for twenty years."

"But no one liked her and she's been dead for so long," Tiger Lily said, making a mark on the arrow. "And again, Bandobold."

"In a way that makes it worse. I'd also like you to omit the comment about him not enjoying the Boffins' party. It's not appropriate, given the circumstances."

Bandobold un-nocked the arrow and handed it to Tiger Lily. "I just wanted to make Father laugh," she said.

Her mother never replied to this, as Uncle Hortenbold chose that moment to enter the shed. "Here you all are," he said. "I've got this to send off." He handed his own letter to Mrs Took.

"Thank you, Hortenbold, that's lovely."

"It's not like you to be in here, sister," he said as he ran a finger over one of the work tables.

"I thought it best someone supervise them. We don't want any accidents."

"Quite." He grimaced at the grime his finger had collected and turned to Tiger Lily. "You're worse than your father. It wouldn't hurt you to run a cloth around."

"I was going to clean after I'd finished making the arrows," Tiger Lily said. "I thought that was the most sensible way to do things." It hadn't actually occurred to her to clean when she'd finished, but she wanted it to seem like it had. A real adult would have thought of it.

"A tidy workspace reflects a tidy mind. Are you finished, then?" he said, nodding at the bow in Bandobold's hands.

"Yes."

"May I see?" He held a hand out to Bandobold, who handed the unstrung bow over to him. "I'll admit I was surprised when I heard you were making it yourself," Uncle Hortenbold said as he ran his hand and eyes over the stave.

"Mother says she's being contrary," Bandobold said. Tiger Lily scowled at him.

"Is that so?" Uncle Hortenbold said in a tone of voice that showed he wasn't really listening. "Your father hadn't made a start on this before he set out, had he?"

"No."

"No." He bent the stave to set the string into the grooves and handed it back to Bandobold. "Let me see you at full draw."

Bandobold huffed, but took the bow from him and drew back, bringing his shoulder blades together.

Uncle Hortenbold took out his pocket watch. "Hold…" Time passed. Bandobold's arm started to tremble. Hortenbold closed the case of his watch with a snap. "That's enough."

Bandobold relaxed his arm, and lowered the bow.

"How does it feel?" Uncle Hortenbold said.

"It's a bit strong," Bandobold said. "I'll get used to it. It's just that my old one was too weak."

"Mm."

"Can I go now?"

"Yes. Do."

"Come along, dear," Mrs Took said as she rose from her chair. "It should be time for luncheon."

Tiger Lily wrung her fingers as Uncle Hortenbold took the bow back and watched her with a critical eye. They stood in silence as the others left the shed.

"He's a little overbowed," Uncle Hortenbold said.

"Oh." Tiger Lily bent her head down as her heart sank. "Sorry."

"I can observe him using it properly the next time we go hunting. I'll take his old bow with us so he can switch if it's too much for him. I might need to make him another in the interim. Otherwise…" He turned the stave over in his hands. "It's fine work."

Tiger Lily raised her head again. "Is it?"

"Yes. Well done."

She wasn't able to hold back her grin. "Is it really?"

"You seem surprised," Uncle Hortenbold said.

"I am," she said as she followed him out of the shed. "It's the first time I've made a bow without Father there to make sure I was doing it properly."

"Improvements could be made. But you could be a good bowyer, if you keep at it." He put his hands in his pockets as they left the yard. "Does this mean you'll start accompanying me and Bandobold again?"

"I don't think so," Tiger Lily said carefully. "Do you have the time?"

Hortenbold took his pocket watch out again. "Coming up to quarter past five."

"Thank you." It was all she could do not to rush on ahead. She didn't want to be late to dinner with the Delvers—not least because she had never been to that part of Bywater before and she wasn't entirely sure how long it would take her to get there. She started to trot on ahead.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"I have errands to run."

"Of what sort?"

"The general sort." She left the garden before he could ask her anymore.

Tiger Lily had been planning to go to the market to get a contribution for the Delver's table. But when she arrived she found a small group of angry Hobbits outside the bakery. She hung back, not sure of what was happening and too nervous to ask.

She inched towards the group in hope of overhearing their conversation and gaining some understanding of what was going on.

"What're we expected to do?" one lady said. "This is the third time this week."

"They can't keep open if they've got nothing to sell," a second lady said.

"Next time I see Trolen Baker I'll give 'im a kick up the backside."

None of them noticed Tiger Lily as she slipped away. Not sure of what else to do, she made her way towards East Warren Lane, but couldn't stop worrying about what would happen when she got there; if they'd be angry with her for not having anything to give.

It didn't take Tiger Lily nearly as long as she thought to reach the lane, and she found herself looking uncertainly at the door to Number 12. She had gone up the path twice already, but hadn't had the nerve to knock. Now she was back on the lane, hoping that the chestnut tree obscured her from the view of anyone who might be inside.

A young lass walked past, carrying a full bucket of water. She gave Tiger Lily a funny look as she entered the smial.

Tiger Lily peeked out from behind the tree. At least now she knew for certain that someone was inside. She took a few steps towards the gate, but hesitated. It would be too strange to knock immediately. On the other hand, it would also be strange for her to wait, with the lass knowing that Tiger Lily was stood outside for no good reason. She remained where she was, frozen and trembling, no more able to move than the tree she was hiding behind.

She heard the sound of the door opening and a matron came to stand at the gate. Her fair skin was offset by black hair, only just starting to turn grey. "You all right out here, love?"

Tiger Lily felt her cheeks growing warm. "Yes. Thank you."

Mrs Delver nodded. She cast her unsettlingly blue eyes over Tiger Lily, and judging by her expression she wasn't impressed by what they saw. "Would you be Miss Took by any chance?"

Tiger Lily's mouth hung open stupidly. "Uh…"

"If you're here to see our Rob he an' the others won't be back for another half hour or so."

"Oh. Thank you."

"What's your name, love?"

Tiger Lily turned her face to the ground and mumbled her reply.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

She raised her head again. "Tiger Lily."

Mrs Delver gave a slight roll of the eyes. "Why don't you come in and have some tea while you wait?"

"I wouldn't want to trouble you…"

"I insist," Mrs Delver said, and grinned dangerously. It was a grin that said: You will come inside, you will have tea, and you will be grateful.

Tiger Lily quietly followed Mrs Delver inside without further objection. She suspected that attempting to argue would only result in her appearing more foolish that she already did, which may or may not have been Mrs Delver's intent.

Tiger Lily inhaled sharply as she entered the smial, but did her best no to make her shock obvious. It was a far cry from the clean panelled walls and polished floor tiles of her own home. The floor here was slightly damp. The kitchen was windowless, and the only light came from two candles; one on the long table that too up most of the room, and one on a work surface. By the smell of it the meat was already in the oven. This made her feel a little better about not checking the butcher's.

The lass from earlier was shelling peas at the long table and gave Tiger Lily a silent, nervous glance.

"This is our Myrtle," Mrs Delver said briskly. "Myrtle, this is Miss Tiger Lily Took."

"Hello, miss," Myrtle said quietly.

"Myrtle, I need you to go out an' get some more water for tea. For our guest."

Tiger Lily's stomach dropped. "No, really, that's—"

"Off you go, Mert," Mrs Delver said, picking up the bucket.

Myrtle obediently got up to take the bucket, giving Tiger Lily one last distrustful look before leaving. Mrs Delver started busying herself shelling the peas, leaving Tiger Lily to stand alone in the corner. She waited for some acknowledgement—at the very least to be told she could sit down. But it was as though Mrs Delver had forgotten she existed. It was excruciating.

"Could… could I help you with anything, Mrs Delver?" she said, wringing her fingers.

"You could help with the carrots if you like," she said, indicating a basket that was sat next to the bowl of peas. "There should be a little bit of water left in the jug to wash 'em with."

The relief from being of use was like a cool bath in a heatwave. She washed the carrots as best she could with the dregs from the jug. Tiger Lily looked over at Mrs Delver, and was surprised to find that the matron was turning her head away to look at her own work. She had been watching Tiger Lily.

"Is everything all right, mistress?" she said.

"Aye."

"May I use this knife?" Tiger Lily said, moving to the knife and chopping board on a different part of the table.

"Aye," Mrs Delver said in a disconnected sort of way.

Tiger Lily started to top and tail the carrots, aware that Mrs Delver was continually looking at her. She started putting too much focus on what she was doing—on where she was holding the knife and where she was placing her fingers to avoid the blade. Even if she was only chopping vegetables, she wanted to show that she could. She didn't cook much, only usually helping her mother on a Friday when the servants had the afternoon off. This only made her desire to prove her ability greater, despite knowing the absurdity of it. At the very least she knew how to handle a knife. She removed the roots from the final carrot and started to peel it.

"Don't do that," Mrs Delver said.

Tiger Lily dropped the knife and jumped back, as though burned. "Sorry," she said automatically.

Mrs Delver sighed. "We don't peel carrots is all. It's a waste."

"Sorry," Tiger Lily squeaked. "Mother always tells me to—"

"It's all right," Mrs Delver said wearily. "Here, I'll do it."

Tiger Lily chewed her lip. "Sorry. Is there anything else I can do?"

"No. Just sit yourself down."

Myrtle returned a little while later with the water. Tiger Lily spent the remainder of her time there sipping tea while Myrtle eyed her suspiciously and Mrs Delver asked her questions: where she lived, if her father had a business, if she had any siblings…

The difficulty came when she started asking about the Tooks and who had disappeared on adventures. There was an unspoken rule that these things were not to be talked about. Especially to people outside the family.

She started to wonder when Rob would arrive…

"You shouldn't give in to him," Mr Delver said, looking up at Martin, who was being carried on Rob's back. "You'll do your back in."

"I'm all right," Rob said, shifting his grip on Martin's legs.

"He's old enough to walk himself."

"My feet were hurting," Martin said, half-hiding his face in Rob's neck.

Rob tilted his head up slightly to try and get a look at his brother's face. "I thought martins could fly," he said.

"I'm not a real martin."

"Right. I see."

As they entered the smial Rob ducked down under the doorframe, making Martin squeal. He froze when he saw Tiger Lily sat in the kitchen. "Wuh…"

Tiger Lily felt faint when she saw his stricken expression.

He hadn't been expecting me…

"For goodness sake, Rob, get 'im off your shoulders, he'll hit his head," Mrs Delver said.

Rob knelt, still pale, and allowed Martin to climb down.

Maizey whooped as she entered into the kitchen with the stream of other Delvers. "You turned up, then."

Tiger Lily couldn't reply. There were too many people in too little space and the noise took up all the room in her head.

As the rest of the Delvers came in, the kitchen was suddenly filled with a rush of activity. Tiger Lily stumbled away from the table as two of Rob's other sisters bustled to help their mother with the food.

"Who's this?" one of the younger Delvers said.

"Rob's young lady," Mrs Delver said. "She's dropped by for a visit. Uninvited."

Tiger Lily looked to Rob. He had slumped in a chair, looking just at overwhelmed by the noise as she was.

Mr Delver gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "Good day, love?"

"Good enough." She glanced at Tiger Lily and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Tiger Lily and Bandobold, that's all you need to know about her parents."

Mr Delver turned his attention to Tiger Lily. He stood before her and folded his arms, looking over her from head to toe.

"You're a mite taller than when we last spoke," he said gruffly.

This wasn't something Tiger Lily had been expecting. "What?"

"I was one of them that found you an' Master Boffin when you got lost. Years ago."

"I remember that," Mrs Delver said, smiling sincerely for the first time since she had seen Tiger Lily. "That was quite a nice evening."

"That's all right for you to say," Mr Delver said. "You weren't out there looking for 'em."

"No, but I waited up for you, and it was only a week or so before Martin was born, so I was out to here." She indicated the size of her bump with her hands. "And little Rob couldn't sleep for worry so we waited together. Do you remember that, Robby?"

"Yes," Rob mumbled. He had ducked his head down between his shoulders.

"And you was feeling the baby kick, and you asked if I thought it was a lad or a lass. I said a lass because then we'd have six of each. Then I asked you if you wanted a brother or sister, and you said, 'I don't mind, Mum, I've got plenty of each,'" Mrs Delver was grinning from ear to ear. She looked at Tiger Lily; the only one in the room who hadn't heard this story many times over. "Ain't that sweet?"

"It is," Tiger Lily said, doing her best not to smile. Even though Rob's face wasn't visible, the points of his ears were red.

"I suppose I'd best make the introductions…" Mr Delver said, and proceeded to point out each of his children and give their name. Tiger Lily tried desperately to keep track as the Delvers moved around the room to take their seats.

"That's Martin," he said, indicating the child who'd been on Rob's shoulders. "An' these are the twins: Danny and Fastad."

"I'm older!" Danny said.

Tiger Lily looked from Danny to Fastad and back again. The former had a mop of loose brown locks, and brown eyes to match. The latter was shorter and had black curls with striking green eyes.

"I thought all twins looked the same," she murmured.

Danny and Fastad looked at each other.

"You soft in the head?" Danny said.

"Aldan!" Mr Delver barked from across the room.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I thought all Tooks was fair an' pale."

Tiger Lily tried not to look at anyone while she murmured about her grandmother being of Harfoot descent.

"Do you know any fairies?" Fastad said.

"Uh… Not that I know of. Sorry."

"Fetch a box from the parlour, would you, Jon?" Mrs Delver said. "I can sit on that while the guest has a proper chair."

By now the table was laid with fifteen plates, with portions of bread, peas and carrots. There wasn't much on each plate. Even with the current shortages the Tooks has at least twice as much at their table. But the scent of meat cooking was still heavy in the air.

"Don't you have to get the meat out of the oven?" Tiger Lily said.

Mrs Delver averted her eyes. "There isn't any."

Tiger Lily frowned in surprise. "But… the smell…"

There was an uncomfortable silence and none of the Delvers seemed to want to answer her.

"It's the candles," Jack said.

"What?"

"Tallow candles. They smell like meat when you burn 'em."

"Oh…"

Suddenly all the plates seemed much emptier and were made emptier still by the fifteenth plate laid out for her. Her panic rose to a point where it was unbearable. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was never supposed to be here.

"I think… I'm just going to wait outside," she said.

"But we've laid out a place for you," Mrs Delver said. "Aren't you hungry?"

"No. Thank you. Sorry for intruding," she mumbled, leaving the room as quickly as she could. She stumbled past Mr Delver and didn't reply as he asked where she was going.

Tiger Lily sat on the step and cradled her head in her hands, relishing the cool air on her warm face. She had always known that there were people worse off than her, but she had never had to face the reality of it before. Fiery guilt filled her limbs, consuming her from the inside.

She waited for the longest time. Eventually various Delvers started to come out of the smial and she had to move from the step. Raised voices could he heard from inside. Eventually the door was opened by Rob, who turned back to shout, "Stay out of my bloody business, Maizey!" before slamming the door. He sighed heavily and passed a hand over his face before turning to Tiger Lily. "You all right, lass?" he said.

"Yes," she whimpered. "I'm sorry for embarrassing you. I thought you asked me to come."

"You weren't to know. You might want to step away from the woodpile, there's snakes live in there."

Tiger Lily carelessly took a few steps to her right but couldn't approach him. "You're not angry?"

"Not with you." He took her hand and they started to walk down the street.

"So…" Tiger Lily said, wrestling with a smile. "Plenty of each?"

"Shut up," he said mildly.

"I didn't think you minded what others think of you."

"I have my limits."

Tiger Lily swallowed as she thought about how to phrase her concerns. "You didn't tell me things were so dire with your family."

His expression became stormy again. "They're not."

She sighed as she tried to reword what she meant. "Sorry. I only meant that it's dire for everyone at the moment and some of your little brothers and sisters are so… little."

This seemed to relieve some of his anger and his expression relaxed. "Aye." He sighed. "Naught to be done. Times are hard."

Tiger Lily looked fixedly at the ground and thought. "There might be something…"

"Lass?"

Tiger Lily looked askance at Rob, smiled and put a finger to her lips.

"Right," he said in a whisper. "But—"

A little frustrated, Tiger Lily put a hand on his shoulder and again pressed the finger to her lips, glaring at him.

He turned away from her to look ahead, and sighed.

It was night now, and they were knelt behind a gap in the hedgerow—small enough to hide them from their quarry but big enough to get a reasonable shot. There were no voices or footsteps, no hoof beats or eyes. Just the two of them, the land beneath and the sky above.

It was like they were the only people in the world.

Tiger Lily heard what she had been listening out for: the unmistakable rustling of a living creature making its way through the grass.

Keeping a hand on her bowstring, she stood. Taking careful steps she moved to get a better look. In the moonlight she could just see the backs of two rabbits grazing, oblivious to her presence.

Tiger Lily drew, moving with a silence that can only be achieved by a Hobbit that does not want to be noticed. Looking down her arrow, she took aim at the closest rabbit and loosed.

There was a squeal, and a whooshing sound as the other rabbit shot away. The first rabbit was trying to scramble away in a panic.

"Bloody…"

Tiger Lily nocked another arrow as quickly as she could and loosed again. The rabbit fell onto its side and didn't move anymore. She nodded at Rob to follow her through the hedge.

"What were you trying to say before?" she whispered.

"I was just going to ask if we're allowed to be out here."

"It's common land, it's fine." She knelt by the rabbit and removed the arrows, wiping them on the grass to clean them. "Sorry. It was a clear shot, I should have been able to get it in one and now I've pierced the hide. Would you like me to gut him here for you?" she said, unbuckling a side-pocket of her quiver to get her hunting knife.

But Rob did something she hadn't expected. He knelt down beside her and started to stroke the dead rabbit between its ears. Tiger Lily suddenly felt awkward. She wasn't sure what this meant, or what he wanted her to do.

"I have to kill chickens sometimes," he said eventually. "An' even though they don't know what's happening you can see they're afeared. Hate seeing things afeared…"

Tiger Lily watched him—the drawn look on his face. "Is that why you spoke to me?"

He looked back at her and blinked. "What?"

"You came up to me in the Green Dragon, the day after the harvest festival. I sometimes wonder why. Was it because you could see I was afraid?"

Rob opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He looked ashamed.

Tiger Lily leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. "I don't mind."

He turned his head towards her and nuzzled into her hair.

Tiger Lily smiled. "I hate to ruin the mood, but we are knelt over a dead rabbit. It'll start to rot if I don't gut it now."

"You know how to talk sweet, don't you?"

"It's a gift."

"You can swear too," he said, a small smile on his lips.

"Of course I can swear," Tiger Lily said. "But it's unmaidenly, so don't ask me to curse on command, and especially not in public." She tutted as she examined her arrows.

"What?" Rob said.

"This." She held up one of her arrows from him to see. One of the fletchings had been partially torn away. "There's another I need to repair at home. Why do they never stick?" she muttered.

Rob looked intently at the arrow. "I remember our mum told us a story about Griselina Took, who had to travel over the mountains when her sweetheart was turned to a stag. Her arrows was fletched with feathers from a fire bird…"

"Yes…" Tiger Lily replaced the arrows in her quiver and set about skinning the rabbit. Her father was fond of that one. "Chicken feathers will do just as well."

"Can anyone tell me what these are?" Mrs Delver said lying two dead rabbits in the middle of the table while the Delvers were having breakfast.

"They're conies."

"Thank you, Martin, I can see that. I'm asking what they were doing in the pantry."

Jack rose from his seat and examined the bloody neck of one of the rabbits. He ignored the disgusted squeals that erupted from his siblings as he parted the matted hair.

"It's been shot," he said.

Rob silently got up and started trying to leave the room while attracting as little attention as possible.

Mr and Mrs Delver were looking at each other, deep frowns engrained on their faces.

"But who'd…" Mr Delver murmered.

Mrs Delver's eyes suddenly widened with understanding. "Rob!"

He bolted.

The Delver children laughed and whooped asMrs Delver rushed to the door, crying, "Bordon Delver, you get back here!"