Wherever You Are Is Home Chapter One - "The Beginning" It is 1393 in the Shire Reckoning Merry is 8, Pimpernel is 10 and Pippin is brand new "Nel?" Pimpernel gave a start at the sound of her name being shouted down the hallway. She glanced down nervously at the sleeping baby as she rose, moving towards the door. "Nel?" Pimpernel winced. The voice was louder this time, more insistent. "Pimpernel!" Pimpernel opened the door and slipped out into the hallway and located the source of the voice. The eight year-old hobbit boy jumped with delight when he saw her, and dashed down the hall towards her, armed with a large net in one hand and a mason jar in the other. "Quiet, Merry." She said, making a shushing gesture. "You'll wake the baby." "Oh. Sorry." He mumbled, looking abashed briefly, then he shrugged. "Where is Vinca? I want her to come catch butterflies with me." He said, waving the net close to Nel's face. "Stop." Nel waved the net away. "Pervinca is sick." "Oh." Merry looked at the net and jar and furrowed his little brows in frustration. "Well, maybe I can sit with her until she feels better. I know my letters now, so I could read to her." "But she is not here." "Not home?" Merry's tone was getting whiny. "If she is sick, why is she away?" "Because of the baby, Merry." Pimpernel said. "Da was worried that she would get the baby sick, so soon after he was born, so he sent her to Uncle Adelard's. "Oh." He looked close to pouting. "Do you want to catch butterflies with me?" He looked at her only half-hopefully. Sometimes Nel thought she was too old to play. "No, cousin, I can't. I have to watch the baby." Pimpernel said, a bit proud of herself for being given the responsibility. "Why you?" Merry said, pouting. "Where is everyone else?" "Everyone else is busy." Pimpernel said with a sigh. "Pearl and your mother are helping with lunch, and Pervinca is sick. But she is not old enough to watch the baby, anyhow." "What about Aunt Egg?" Merry inquired. "She is the baby's mother, anyway." "My mother is sleeping." Pimpernel said, impatiently. "Having a baby is hard work, Meriadoc Brandybuck. And she is not well. She lost a lot of blood. The Healer wanted her to get as much sleep as possible." "Oh." Merry said, wrinkling his nose at the mention of Aunt Egg's blood. He looked at Pimpernel again hopefully, but realizing that she was not going to be persuaded, his face grew petulant. Pimpernel sighed again, feeling sorry of the boy. In all the fuss and feathers about the birthing, Merry had been quite forgotten and ignored. She gave Merry a warm smile, and ruffled his unruly, sandy curls. "I can go when Pearl gets back." She said. "When will that be?" Merry asked, bouncing up and down. "I don't know. Later." "But I am bored now!" He said, stamping his foot. "Meriadoc Brandybuck." She said sharply, but it was too late. Soft, mewling cries sounded from the other side of the door. She opened her mouth to chide him, but let it go, as Merry looked like he was going to cry as well. "Well, come and see the baby, since you woke him up." She said, taking her cousin by the hand. Merry made a grumpy sound, but did not pull his hand free. Pimpernel scooped the baby up and rocked him, making soothing sounds. Again forgotten, Merry abandoned his butterfly-catching gear and climbed up into a stuffed armchair. Pimpernel continued to fuss with the baby, until she heard a sigh from Merry. "Oh, here." She said, handing the baby over to him. Merry took the blanket-wrapped bundle and peered at it, looking unimpressed. He looked up and Nel, and then looked back down at the baby. Suddenly, he expression grew softer. "He is beautiful." He breathed. "What?" Pimpernel asked. Young boys were not usually amused by babies, thinking them to be ugly, pink, fussy annoyances. Merry had been three when Pervinca was born. He had been less than impressed when he first saw her, and really did not seem to care much about her until she turned three herself and was able to play with him. "He is beautiful." Merry repeated. He cradled the baby with one arm, and reached up to touch his tiny nose lightly. The baby made soft, contented noises. Merry giggled at that, and then staring at the baby, rapt, he touched his nose again. "What's his name?" "Peregrin." Pimpernel said, drawing each syllable out. "Pearl and Da have taken to calling him Pippin." "Pippin." Merry said. He studied the baby, stroking his cheek lightly. "I like him." "Of course you do, goose, he is your cousin." Nel eyes her younger cousin, oddly. This was out of character for him, to want to sit and cuddle a baby when he could be out turning the Smials upside down. "Pippin." He said again, smiling. The baby made a few more contented sounds, and then his eyes began to slide shut. "Well, give him here." Pimpernel said, reaching. "No." Merry said. "I want to keep him." Merry jerked lightly, pulling Pippin closer to him. Pippin's eyes snapped open, but he didn't fuss. Pimpernel eyed her cousin, wondering what kind of mad fancy had taken him. "He has to sleep, Merry. If he stays up much longer he will get hungry, and I will have to wake my Ma." "Then we will sleep." Merry said. All at once, he laid the baby on the seat of the chair and slid himself down to the floor. Pimpernel gasp and the young boy's wiggling about with the baby so close. She moved to snatch him up before Merry accidentally hurt him, but something stayed her hand. Merry's movements were so gentle and intent that she somehow did not have the heart to take Pippin away from him, even though she knew that she probably should. Merry scooped the baby back up, and walked gingerly over to the bed, under Pimpernel's watchful eye. He laid the Pippin on the bed, pushed him over towards the middle, and climbed up. "Merry." Pimpernel began in a warning tone. "Quiet, Nel." He said, adopting the chiding tone that Pearl used with him and Pervinca. "Pippin and I are going to sleep." He laid down, wrapping Pippin in the curve of his arm. He pulled the baby close, and wrapped his free arm around him. Nel stared for a good, long time. Something was quite off about this whole thing. With an incredulous snort and a shrug of her shoulders, Pimpernel climbed into the now empty armchair and went to sleep herself. "Pearl?" Esmeralda Brandybuck turned and looked at her niece." How is that stew coming. "I think it is just about done, Aunt Esmy." Pearl said, peering into the large pot. "It should simmer a little more." "Oh good." Esmeralda said. "I just passed your father in the hall, and he is insists that he is close to starving to death." "I am sure he is." Pearl said with a laugh. " He only had one helping at elevensies." She gave the stew one more stew for good measure, and then wiped her hands on her apron. "I should go check on Nel." She said. "She is young to be watching the baby for too long by herself." "I'll go with you." Esmeralda offered. "I would like to see the little mite again. Besides, I need to look for my son. I have not seen him in close to an hour, and that worries me." "It would worry me, too." Pearl said, giggling. "If he has been out of sight this long, he is probably up to no good." "Indeed." Esmeralda agreed." Pearl paused at the door to the baby's room, listening. "Well, the baby is not crying." "And neither is Nel, by the sound of things, so everything is probably fine." Her aunt said. We just check anyway." "You don't fool me, Aunt Esmy. You just want to see the baby." Pearl joked. Esmeralda gave her a guilty smile. Pearl pushed the door open, and gave a gasp. "Well, I have seen everything." Pearl exclaimed in a whisper. "What's wrong?" Esmeralda asked. "Nothing." Pearl said, shaking with quiet laughter. "However, I have found your son." Esmeralda stepped around Pearl, and gave the same sharp gasp. Her whirling dervish of a son was laying complacently on the bed, curled up around Pippin. The baby was awake, as was Merry, who was watching him with fascination. "Son?" Esmeralda ventured. "Ma!" Merry sat up on the bed, folding his legs under him. He carefully moved Pippin around in front of him. He laid his palm on Pippin's stomach, and began rub in light circles. Pearl and Esmeralda looked over to Nel, who had apparently been banished to the chair, with questioning faces. Nel only shrugged. "You like Pippin?" Pearl asked, amused. It had been her experience that young boys did not care for babies. "Very much. He is a very good baby." Merry said. "Can I take him home, Ma?" Esmeralda laughed. "No son. Your Aunt would not like that." "But I want to take him." Merry said crossly. "Meriadoc." She warned. "But Aunt Egg is sick." He reasoned. "Maybe just until she is feeling better?" "No." His mother said. "Pippin is not a toy, he is a baby. He can't play with you. If we did take him back with us, you would grow bored with him within a few hours. Angry too, because babies cry and fuss." "No. Never." Merry said, his voice hurt and shocked. He laid a protective hand over Pippin, and moved him closer. Suddenly, Esmeralda remembered a story that her brother had told her about own birth. One of their older sisters had become similarly enamored with her when right after she was born. She had spent countless hours with her, and was loath to give anyone else time with her, even their own parents. "When he is a bit older, he can come visit at Brandy Hall as often as he likes." Esmeralda said, her tone softening. "For as long as he likes." "Promise?" Merry bounced with excitement on the bed. The baby made protesting sounds. Pimpernel rose from the chair, and Pearl went stiff. They both moved to take the baby, but Merry was faster. "Shush, Pippin. I am sorry." Merry said, scooping Pippin back up. "I didn't mean to upset you." The baby made more contented sounds. "Did you hear what your Aunt Esmy said, Pippin?" He asked the baby, as if expecting a response. Pippin gurgled. "Yes. She said that when you are older, you can come visit as often as you want." "Now come along, Merry. It is time for lunch. You can visit Pippin later." Later never came. Merry's mother had worked hard to keep him well and fully occupied for the rest of the day. After lunch she had made Merry help with the washing up. Then she had sent Merry on numerous trips to the Smials' various pantries to collect things for tea. She had soon run out of things to send him for, lest they have a tea that was a bigger meal than lunch and elevensies combined, so she sent him to the Thain's office. "Uncle Paladin could use your help, dear one." Esmeralda explained. "He has been busy with Aunt Egg and the baby, and is probably behind in his work." Esmeralda had been sweet-toned and all smiles while she sent him about, but her tone was firm, and Merry knew better than to fuss too much. She felt bad each time she watched her crestfallen son padding down the hallway to complete each task, but she knew it was for the best. Eight year-old hobbit boys were carefree and unconcerned about anything. She doubted that Merry would harm the infant on purpose, but she worried. He could drop him, or roll over on him, or let him fall off the bed. Merry returned from the Thain's office only to be recruited to help with making supper. She set him at peeling potatoes, which he had done with a forlorn determination. Supper came and went. Much to Merry's disappointment, Eglantine or Pippin did not make an appearance. Esmeralda had been at a loss as to what to do with him after dinner, but luck would have it that an opportunity had presented itself. Uncle Adelard had dropped by, with a smiling and healthy Pervinca. She had handed Merry over to Pervinca, who was play-starved after the quarantine at Uncle Adelard's. Pervinca kept him busy until afters, to which Esmeralda had packed Merry off to bed quickly and efficiently. Merry was unable to sleep, frustrated tears stinging at his eyes. He had known well what his mother had been doing. She did not want him to play with the Pippin, and it made him furious. Silly old woman, she thought he would hurt the baby. Merry would never hurt him. He was so small, and good, and perfect. He slipped off his bed, and padded quietly out of his room. All the Smials was asleep, and there was no one to be seen. It was dark in the large burrow, the hallways lit by only a few torches that were threatening to gutter out at this small hour of the night. He pushed open the door to Pippin's room quietly. The baby was quiet. The only noise in the room was Pearl's soft breathing as she slept near by on the bed. He stared in the almost-darkness at the chair to see if Nel was still in the room, but she was not. Merry pulled a stool over to the cradle, and peered inside. Pippin was sleeping peacefully. He smiled down at his baby cousin, and reached into the cradle to stroke his face. Pippin sighed in his sleep. Impulsively, Merry reached in and picked him up. Pippin made a small noise. Merry froze, afraid to breathe. If Pippin started to wail, Pearl would wake up, and he would get strapped for sure. He watched the baby fearfully for a minute, but when Pippin did not start crying, he relaxed. He had only wanted to hug his cousin, but now that he had picked him up, he decided that he did not want to put him back. He gave half a thought to taking Pippin and slipping into the bed with Pearl, but his older cousin was a noisy sleeper, and she was managing to take up the whole bed. Sticking his tongue out at Pearl's sleeping form, he slipped out the door and back to his room, Pippin still in his arms. "Meriadoc Brandybuck!" Merry woke up with a start. His room was full of people. Angry people. His mother was there, as was Pearl, Uncle Paladin, and Uncle Adelard. Pearl was weeping, both is uncles were red-faced and blustering. And his mother. He had never seen such a furious look on his mother face in all of his short life. All were still dressed in their night clothes, and were glaring at Merry with enough ferocity that he wanted to take Pippin and hide under the bed. He was getting strapped for sure. He picked up the baby before facing them, figuring no one would haul off and slap him if he was holding him. "Do you have any idea what a fright you gave us?" His mother shouted. Pippin flinched at the sound of Esmeralda's shout. Merry patted him, keeping an eye on his angry relations. "Fool of a Brandybuck!" Uncle Paladin boomed. He got a sharp look from Merry's mother for that, she had married a Brandybuck, after all, but it was half-hearted. "We thought Peregrin had been stolen!" "He was right here." Merry said weakly, holding Pippin out as evidence. There was no explaining his way out of this strapping, so he did not even try. "We didn't know that until right now!" Uncle Adelard put in. He scowled at Merry. "Pearl woke up and found him gone!" His mother said, cutting Adelard off. "What did you expect her to think?" "I, uh, … I don't know." Merry stammered, tears welling up in his eyes. "I just wanted to see him." "That is not the point!" Pearl said, snuffling. "The point is that I woke up and he was gone. I was so scared." "I am sorry." Merry said, looking sadly the group of people, at Pippin, and then back at the others. "What ever possessed you?" His mother asked. She was no longer shouting, but she her voice was still angry. "You said I could see him later." You said!" Merry said, beginning to snuffle himself. "You told me I could see him later." Big, fat tears began to slide down his reddening cheeks. "You did." "I know, but--" His mother began." "Ma, you said I could, but then you kept me busy all day. You made me do all this stuff, and I never got to go back to see him." Merry curved one arm around Pippin, and used the other to wipe his nose on the sleeve of his nightshirt. "You did it on purpose. I know it." He snuffled again. "Not fair." Esmeralda sighed, realizing that this mess was, in truth, her own doing. She had hoped if she kept him busy enough, he would forget about the Pippin. Not only had he not forgotten, but he had figured out her intentions. "What is all this fuss?" Asked Eglantine Took from the doorway. "You've made enough noise to wake people sleeping soundly in Michel Delving." "Wife, you should not be up." Paladin Took said in a concerned, loving tone. He moved towards her, but she patted him away gently. "I would not be up, husband, if people were not shouting a few yards from my room." She responded lightly. Eglantine studied her young nephew, who sat on the bed, seemingly holding her new son hostage, then turned to eye her irate family members questioningly. "Merry stole the baby!" Pearl said, eager to snitch. Merry glared at her, and Pearl stuck his tongue out at him. "I didn't steal him, honest, Aunt Egg. I just borrowed him." A smile passed over Eglantine's pale face. She moved slowly past the others, walking with care, and sat gingerly in the edge of the bed. "What happened, Merry?" "Ma told me I could see Pippin later, but then she kept me so busy that I didn't get too. I just wanted to see him." Merry started crying again. In his arms, Pippin fussed. He patted him reassuringly, even as he cried himself. "Everyone thinks I am going to hurt him." He said, narrowing his eyes at his mother, uncles, and Pearl. "I wouldn't do that." He insisted. "Pippin?" Was all that his aunt said, with a wry smile. She turned and raised an eyebrow at her husband, who looked guilty. "I didn't mean to scare Pearl. I meant to bring him back before she woke up." He offered, when his aunt remained quiet. His mother raised an eyebrow, and he realized he had not made his case any better. "I know that you didn't, sweetheart." She said gently, smoothing Merry's curls. "But you need to think things through." She said, tapping the center of his forehead lightly. "Pearl had no way of knowing that you had the baby." "Yes, Merry." His mother said, joining them on the bed. "You really gave us an awful fright." "I am sorry, Aunt Egg." Merry said softly. "I am sorry Ma." His mother gave him a prodding look. He looked over at the remainder of his abashed family members, and mumbled. "I am sorry, everybody. I am, really. I didn’t mean to scare anyone." "Very well, Meriadoc." His aunt said. "You are forgiven." Merry smiled widely, thinking that he had escaped the strapping. "However, you are going to go and tell your father what you did, Before breakfast." His mother said. Merry's smile slipped again. "Breakfast sounds like a wonderful idea." Eglantine said, taking her son from Merry's arms. Merry surrendered him reluctantly. "And I am feeling a bit better, so perhaps we will join you." She rose carefully, cradling Pippin close. Pippin began to fuss, making sucking motions with his mouth. Merry sat upright in the bed, looking worriedly at his cousin. "He is just hungry, nephew." Eglantine said. Saying that, she realized that she had not fed Pippin during the night. Pearl had insisted on keeping the baby so that Eglantine could sleep, promising that she would bring him to her in the night when he got hungry. "He did not wake last night?" She asked Pearl. "No." Pearl and Merry said at the same time. "When did you take the baby, Merry?" Is aunt asked, rocking the fussing baby. "When you woke up this morning?" "No." He said, shaking his head. "I went and got him right after everyone went to bed." "He was here with you all night?" Eglantine asked. "And he didn't cry once?" She looked at her son, and then at Merry, thinking he was lying. A newborn sleeping through the night was unheard of. "Not once." She said again, in disbelief. "I guess he wasn't hungry." Merry said, shrugging. "You are a wonder." Eglantine said softly, looking at the three-day old baby that had slept peacefully through the night, and then at his stalwart, eight year-old sworn protector. She was not sure which one she had been talking to. br> "What stinks?" Merry asked. Eglantine looked at Merry, but did not say anything. "Aunt Egg?" He questioned. "Something smells." Eglantine Took smiled at her nephew from where she had been dozing in a chair. After breakfast had soothed the indignity he had suffered from the strapping; which she was sure consisted of two or three half-hearted swipes with a rolled up paper, if she new Saradoc Brandybuck, she had rescued Merry from the toil and tribulation of helping his mother with the washing up. "Pearl and Pimpernel have been very helpful to me." Eglantine had said, to no one in particular, when she had passed through the kitchen with Pippin. "I would very much like them to be able to spend the day enjoying their young lives, and not worrying about the baby." She glanced at Merry, who was despondently drying dishes. "Or me, for that matter." She waited for Merry to volunteer. He opened his mouth, looked at his mother, and snapped it shut again. "Merry, would you like to spend the day with me and Peregrin?" Esmeralda had raised an eyebrow at her sister-in-law, but had kept her tongue when Eglantine had given her a knowing wink. Esmeralda immediately figured out what her brother's wife was on about. "I would." Merry had said, glancing at his mother. "Aunt Egg?" He tried again. He glanced at the baby who was sitting in his lap, leaned back against his chest. Merry bent his neck and sniffed at the top of Pippin's head, wrinkling his nose at the smell and the light brown fuzz tickling his nose. He bent over further, sniffing closer to his lap. "It’s Pippin." He exclaimed. He turned the baby around, and looked at him. "You smell, baby." He said with mock-sternness. "We will have to change his cloth." His aunt said, smiling to herself. She was playing a game that many hobbit parents played with their young daughters, when the girl had gotten it into her brain that she wanted to get married and start a family before she had even entered her tweens. They would saddle the girl with some infant relative; a sibling, a cousin, it didn't matter, and leave the girl to care for the child at all hours for a few days. Usually, after a day or two the girl would think the better of it. Saradoc and Esmeralda were not planning to leave for two more days, and she intended to keep Merry with her and Pippin until the moment that Saradoc bellowed for the boy to meet him at the front door of the Smials. She was gambling, though, and she knew it. Sometimes, the game backfired, and only served to make the girl, usually the more stubborn kind, more determined. Meriadoc was as stubborn as they come, and would not back down from anything. Either Merry would leave the Smials not wanting to lay eyes on Pippin again or he would leave hoping no one had noticed that he had tucked Pippin into his pack. "How?" Merry asked, wrinkling his nose again. It was a ferocious smell for such a small hobbit. "Bring him here, and I will show you." She said. She grabbed a few things from a nearby table and moved to the bed. She laid a large cloth over the coverlet, patting it. "Put him here, and wet this rag in the washbasin." Carefully, she unpinned her son's cloth. The unpleasant smell enveloped the room. Merry put his hand over his nose, and handed his aunt the damp cloth. "You wanted to help," She said, with a laugh, "so help." She captured most of the mess in the soiled cloth, and set it aside. Merry gave his aunt a suspicious face, but did not argue. Taking Eglantine's careful instructions, Merry used the wet cloth to clean his cousin up. He slowly folded a clean cloth, the way that his aunt told him to, chewing at his bottom lip in concentration. He put the thing on Pippin, looking proud of himself when he was done. "Well done." Eglantine said, as she pinned the cloth that Merry had wrapped him in. "Now that you have done it once, it will go faster next time." "Next time?" Merry looking at Pippin questioningly. Pippin made soft cooing sounds. He bent over the baby and touched his nose against Pippin's, giggling. "Oh yes." Eglantine said lightly. "He will do that another ten times today." She said. Merry narrowed his eyes at his cousin fleetingly, before scooping him back up into his arms. "Well, I suppose it is not his fault." Merry replied. "Can you take this down to the laundry?" She asked Merry, pointing to the wad of soiled cloth. Merry considered the soiled cloth for a minute. "Can I take Pippin with me?" He asked, gingerly picking up the mess by the clean corners between two fingertips. "Would you like that, Pippin? To go for a walk?" He looked at Pippin like the baby would answer. "Of course, sweetheart." She said with a sigh. Merry left the laundry with light-hearted steps. Everyone was so fussy. Except Aunt Egg. Aunt Egg understood. Aunt Egg knew that Merry wouldn't hurt Pippin, ever. Merry hugged Pippin close. Putting a hand up behind Pippin's head to support it, he shifted him up so that he was peeping out above his shoulder. "You don't cry much, for a baby." He said to Pippin, pulling him back from his shoulder to brush a quick kiss on his cheek. He didn't remember much about Pervinca when she was a baby, he had still been half a baby himself, but he did remember that Pervinca made a fearsome amount of noise, morning, noon and night. "Merry! Did you steal the baby again?" He heard behind him. He turned carefully, not wanting to jostle Pippin. Pearl, flanked by Nel and Vinca, was staring at him with disbelieving eyes. "No." He said sullenly. "I did not steal him. Aunt Egg said I could take him for a walk." "I don't believe it!" Pearl said. She tried to take Pippin back, but Merry kept him close. Afraid to hurt the infant, she settled for snatching Merry's ear and hauling him back to her mother's room. "Mother." She said, opening the door." Merry stole Pippin again." She declared in a satisfied sing-song. "I didn't." Merry said, stamping his foot. Pippin made a protesting noise, and Merry soothed him quickly. "Tell her, Aunt Egg. Tell her I didn't." "He didn't." Eglantine said. "I asked him to go to the laundry for me, and I said he could take Pippin with him." Pearl blushed with embarrassment, pointedly not looking at Merry. She mumbled something at the floor that could have been an apology before herding her sisters out the door. "Merry?" Pervinca stopped in the doorway and turned. "I am gonna play outside with Nel. Did you wanna come?" "Nah." Merry said, not even taking the time to consider, settling in the armchair with the baby. "I think I'll stay here with Pippin." Sighing, Eglantine made a mental note to check Merry's pack before he left for Brandy Hall, lest she find herself lacking a son. It was plain that her plan was not working at all. Meriadoc Brandybuck was stubborn enough for a Took. Saradoc Brandybuck paced outside the front door of the Smials impatiently. He had wanted to leave a half hour past, but the womenfolk were no where near done with the good-byes. He sighed at the sight of the women, yammering to each other like they would never see each other again. He stood in the half-light of early morning, with the Thain, who looked as impatient as he did. The sooner the women said goodbye, the sooner that he would be on the road, and the sooner the Thain could return to his warm bed. Unnecessary, really. Brandy Hall was only on the other side of the Shire from Great Smials, not all the way off in Gondor. He shook his head, and muttered, gently, on the silliness of women. When the time finally came to leave, he would turn to the Thain and say Farewell, Master Took. I am sure we will see you soon, to which the Thain would say Quite right, Master Brandybuck, I am sure we will be out that way in a couple of weeks or so. He glared at the doorway to discover that the hold-up was not the women, as he originally thought, but his son. Meriadoc was hugging his baby cousin, and wore an expression that said he was wondering if the infant would fit in his pack. Fool of a Took, he thought to himself. Merry was half a Took, after all. "Come along, son." He bellowed. "The road waits for no hobbit." "You sound like Bilbo, Master Brandybuck." The Thain chuckled. "At this rate, I'll be as old as Bilbo before we get back to Brandy Hall." Saradoc retorted with a grin. "And probably at least half as mad." The pair laughed, and grew relieved that the women were stirring from the doorway. "Goodbye, Pippin." Merry said sadly. He hugged the baby one more time before reluctantly handing him back to Aunt Eglantine. "You be a good boy for Aunt Egg." "By the Shire!" Saradoc chortled. "I do believe I have heard everything. My son telling someone to behave himself. Now that beats all!" "Indeed it does." The Thain said with a yawn. Saradoc turned to the Thain as his wife and Merry finally too their leave of the Smials' doorstep. "Farewell, Master Took. I am sure we will see you soon." "Quite right, Master Brandybuck." The Thain replied. "I am sure we will be out that way in a couple of weeks or so." Chapter Two back to the Blue Book