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‘Well, don’t you all make a pretty picture!’
Tomlin and Fallon scrambled to their feet, hastily wiping their dirt smudged faces on the sleeves of their shirts. There stood Buttercup, hands on hips surveying the outcome of their mighty efforts. Next to her, and just a little behind, was Gil, a pleased look on his face. From his hand swung the basket of food Cook had sent. Ferrin, by this time, had gotten up and offering a hand to Jinniver, had helped her to her feet. Gil raised his brows at the sight of the four of them; then looking quickly at Buttercup and back to the other Hobbits let a smirking grin turn up the corners of his mouth.
The four stump conquerors tramped off to the bucket of water Andwise had brought from the well, and began to wash up as best they could. Derufin, too, had come down from the roof, laughing as he approached the Hobbits and woman at their ablutions. ‘That was quite the site!’ he chuckled. ‘Poor horse looked scared to death when the cats rolled by.’ ‘Hadn’t been for the stump attached to him,’ said Andwise, ‘we’d have to have been chasing him down the road back to Bree, I think.’
While the dirt was being scrubbed off, Derufin led Nutkin to the small fenced in area where ‘Falmar rambled, chomping at clumps of grass and swatting at the flies, her tail making lazy sweeps across her back. She stamped once as Nutkin was led in, then, sniffing the horse’s muzzle, nickered at him in a seeming welcome.
Washed and dried, Fallon, Ferrin, and Tomlin spread out the blanket Gil had tucked under one arm and set the basket of food in the middle of it. Scones and sweet buns were handed round as Buttercup poured them all mugs of cold cider from the stoppered ewer or tea, as they wished, from the cosied pot. She smiled prettily at each of them as she gave them their mugs, and the lads responded in kind. It was only after she’d left that one would jostle the other saying her gaze was on him longest, didn’t you know. And did you see how she winked as she left for the Inn?
Andwise and Derufin sat a little ways away from the lads, beneath the shade of the Rowan tree. Jinniver had come to join them. ‘There’s some bigger saw horses there in my wagon,’ Andwise offered. ‘Just have to nail them together. Thought you might want to use hem if you’re going to buck that stump.’ Derufin chimed in saying there was a splitting maul in the stable and one of the heavier saws hanging above the worktable. ‘Just what are you planning on doing with it?’ Andwise asked, eyeing the huge chunk of wood.
‘Whatever it is, it’s going to look nice, Jinniver,’ Derufin said with a satisfied sigh at how the little place was coming together. Looking to where she had cleared the beds and turned up the soil, he smiled at her. ‘Zimzi will love it, as will I.’ Andwise was about to remark how he might like a small slab of it, if it could be spared, when a familiar voice called out his name.
‘Da! We’re needing to talk . . . now . . .’
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