fic update: Luster of Snow

[auntiemeesh]

I've decided that in order to move Luster along, I need to just post a little bit each day. So, this is only a little snippet really, and unbetaed, but it's better than nothing, I hope. There's actually not a lot of Pippin in this segment, other events taking center stage.

Chapters 1-5

Chapter Six

It was a long night for Paladin and Eglantine. Pippin was restless, the pain in his leg keeping him from settling into deep sleep but the sedatives preventing him from real wakefulness. Just shy of dawn there was a soft knock at the door. Eglantine had just given Pippin his latest dose of medicine and was crooning softly to him, easing him back into whatever rest he could get, so Pal went to see who it was.

Answering the summons, Paladin was surprised to find his cousin Reginard outside the room, looking rather pale. Stepping into the hall so as not to disturb Pippin, he waited to hear the news.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Pal, but it’s Ferumbras. He took a turn for the worse a few hours ago. Dag’s with him now, but it doesn’t look good. I doubt he’ll live out the day. The others have begun to gather.”

Paladin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before nodding. “Thank you for letting me know, Reggie. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be right along.”

“Aye,” Reggie answered solemnly, “I’ll let the family know you’re on the way.”

Cursing the timing of this, Pal returned to the room quietly. Inside the door, he just stood for a moment, looking at his youngest child, wrapped in blankets except for the bandaged and splinted leg which lay atop the covers. The lad looked alarmingly fragile and Pal didn’t want to leave his side. He had no choice, however, and felt an unexpected flash of anger that Ferumbras couldn’t have held on just another day or two. Shaking those thoughts away, he approached the bed. Eglantine looked up as he walked over to her, face softening into sorrow as she read his body language.

“Ferumbras?” she asked quietly.

“Aye. I’m sorry, love, but I have to go and I don’t expect I’ll be able to get away again any time soon.” Bending, he pressed a light kiss to her temple, lingering just a moment before pulling away. “I’ll make sure Dag’s apprentice comes by shortly to check on Pippin.”

A few minutes later, Paladin stood at the side of another sickbed, this one surrounded by grim, sorrowing faces. Ferumbras was struggling for each breath, eyes closed, skin yellow and papery, lying in folds over a frame that had shrunk considerably in these last few months of illness. The room was hushed, the Thain’s gasping breaths the only sound.

Ferumbras had no immediate family left to him, having no siblings or children, but several cousins had gathered to ease his passing. Reginard and his father, Adelard, stood to one side of the bed, while Rosamunda and Oldovacar Bolger stood at the foot. Ferdinand Took stood on the opposite side of the bed, leaving a space beside him, near the head of the bed. Paladin nodded to each of his cousins as he moved into the space left for him. In this way they provided a guard of honor for their cousin and head of family. Although they moved aside for Dag as the healer moved about the room, checking his patient, mixing and measuring medicines by the fire and administering doses, they never left Ferumbras’ side.

It was nearly noon when Ferumbras awoke, looking around him through clouded eyes. “Paladin?” he rasped weakly.

“I’m here,” Paladin answered, moving closer to the bed and gently clasping the Thain’s age-spotted and gnarled hand.

“Now…is your…turn,” Ferumbras said, pausing to breathe between words. “You…will make…good…Thain and…Took. Have…my…” there was a long pause while he struggled to find the strength to continue. “Have…my…approval.” The old hobbit smiled, just a slight hint of curving lips, and then closed his eyes with a sigh.

Paladin set Ferumbras’ hand back down upon the coverlet gently and stepped back slightly, allowing Dag to move closer. The healer fussed around the dying hobbit for several minutes before settling at his side, fingers pressed lightly to the pulse point on Ferumbras’ wrist.

They waited another half hour like this, listening to each harsh, rattling breath, waiting for the next, until inevitably there came a silence, a moment when the awaited breath did not come. Finally, Dag stood and turned to Paladin. “He is gone.”

Comments

[shirebound]

Oh my, what an emotional time for Paladin, and everyone at the Great Smials!

I think posting a little at a time is a great idea, BTW. That's what I did with "Shelter", and it was great just to get something posted and the story moving steadily forward.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Now I just have to stay motivated and make myself actually write a little bit each day before I allow any reading of other people's fic. :)

[dreamflower]

Oh my! Yes, of course--the year Pippin turned twenty-five was the year Ferumbras died!! You are ever so clever, my dear! Now I am most eager to see what complications this new event will have on Pippin's recovery! (And I am holding my breath to see when his cousins find out what's happened!)

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

All sorts of loose threads dangling right now, lol. I may write a bit with Frodo and Merry tonight, although if I intend to post as I go, I have to make sure I'm working on things in the correct order. :)

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

It seems that everything has hit at once this time. Now Paladin has to face becoming Thain on top of everything else.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Yeah, poor Paladin has a lot on his plate right now.

[slightlytookish]

What bad timing! Now I can't wait to see how this impacts Pippin's situation. It'll certainly keep Paladin busy for some time. And I'm also looking forward to the cousins' arrival.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Paladin's definitely going to be a busy, busy hobbit for a while. I think I'll probably be writing some Frodo and Merry fic tonight, but they may not arrive at Great Smials for a while yet.

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

Another great installment! I'm glad you are getting back to this, even though I know your heart is in SG Atlantis fic right now (or am I behind the times on that?)

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Thank you! My heart is with SGA fic right now, but I'm determined to do at least a little bit of Luster every day until it's done or I erase the entire damn thing from my hard drive.

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

No, no, don't do that!!!!! It's a lovely story - even from the perspective of non-hobbity me!

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I'll try to restrain myself. I was going to work on it some more this afternoon, but now I've got a headache. I think I'll just read other people's fic until the headache goes away, then maybe I'll be able to be productive.

[topaztook.livejournal.com]

It's nice for Ferumbras to have an honor guard of relatives at the time of his passing, but oh! the conflict for Paladin. Very nice setup for what you have said is your vision of Pippin's later "irresponsibility" growing out of resentment at having his childhood usurped by responsibility -- especially at a time like this when he is so vulnerable?

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I would imagine that those hours Paladin spent waiting for Ferumbras to die were really painful. Not only because he's worried about Pippin, but because he also respected Ferumbras and it's never easy to watch someone suffer like that. Not a fun day, no, not at all.