Warning: I used a bit of text from “The ghost of Grania O Malley” here, so…there you go. Another warning, bit of kissing here that may not classify as exactly mild. Sorry that part’s so odd, it just feels so weird writing that kind of thing! (Partly because I’m imagining one of my friends in the place of Estella, and the picture is not a pretty one!)

‘ “You shouldn’t listen to all you hear, Sandyman,” said the Gaffer, who did not much like the miller.’ From a long-expected party, the Fellowship of the Ring. That bit of text will prove relevant in the story.

*****

“Merry did WHAT?!?!” Frodo yelped.

“Yeah, kissed Estella and now is floating in this weird in-love cloud that he is refusing to come down from.”

“Good sharp bonk on the head would do it,” The young hobbit lad rubbed his head, “Great birthday turnout, eh?”

“I reckon we should tell him,” Rosie murmured, “He’ll find out this way, and believe me, if he hears it from Estella it will be WAY harsher than how we would tell him.”

“I don’t know,” Sam shrugged, “Leave him for a few days and see if he comes out of it. And keep him away from Estella at all costs.”

Lilly snorted, “Like we’ll be able to do that.”

“I know,” Cath sighed, and took another long gulp of the ale she’d brought over, noticed Sam’s stern look and put it down hastily, “Let’s leave it for tonight and enjoy ourselves, following with Sam’s plan. Anyone who sees Merry, point him in the opposite direction to where Estella is. That’s what we did.”

“And how d’you know it’s worked?”

The lass chuckled, “If it hadn’t done, we’d have seen Merry limp in with a broken leg and two fractured wrists by now.”

The rest of the group split up, but Rosie stayed next to Cath as she took another gulp of the ale, away from her brother’s watchful eye, “You really like that stuff, huh?”

Cath jumped, “Oh, yeah, it’s….um…..very nice.”

Rosie glared at her reproachfully, “Cath, you shouldn’t be drinking it, you’re only eleven for flips sake!”

“I know, I know, alright! You’re sounding like Daisy with a sore head. Why won’t you stop nagging?”

Rosie stepped back, looking astonished, “No-one said anything about nagging!” She looked hurt.

Cath sighed, “I’m sorry Rosie…no really, I am. I don’t know, I just feel sleepy and irritable.”

Rosie chuckled, “Probably first encounters with alcohol. Come on, put it down and let’s go somewhere else.”

The two walked round the field, occasionally bumping into the others. The topic of the short conversation was always the sameÂ….they hadnÂ’t seen Merry.

“Perhaps it’s a good thing they haven’t,” Rosie said, after talking to Diamond and Bess, “I mean, what would have happened if they did?”

“I don’t want to think about it. Uh-oh, there’s Estella. From the looks of things she hasn’t seen him either . I don’t even want to have to think about what would have happened if she did.”

Indeed, Estella was looking remarkably happy, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why she was looking so overjoyed. That was, until she saw the two girls, “Oh, it’s you,” She sniffed as they passed her, “What do you want?”

“We’re allowed to walk here aren’t we?” Cath asked sarcastically, “Or is that something that is not permitted anymore?”

“Shut it Cath. Well, does Merry know of me courting Olco, or must I tell him myself?”

“Oh, he should know alright.” Cath muttered, though not quietly enough for Estella not to hear.

“What’s that meant to mean?”

Cath forced a sweet, sickly smiled on her face, “Nothing. Come on Rosie, we have to go.”

As they turned Estella voice carried itself to their ears, “Don’t know why I ever bothered myself with you….Peasants, outlandish folk, I must have been mad.”

The two girls spun round to face the spiteful girl. Cath made a furious movement with her clenched fist, but Rosie had already stridden forwardÂ…..

SMACK!

She had slapped Estella with all the strength she could muster. Estella had already clasped her hand to her burning face, but she was glaring at Rosie, “You’re just a thick-headed peasant, Rosie Cotton.” She spat.

“And you’re a sluttish cow,” Rosie told her, “Come on Cath.” Cath had to run to catch up with her strides.

“Electric, Rosie!” Cath grinned, “Just electric.”

She may have been mistaken, but Cath thought she saw a glimmer of a smile on RosieÂ’s face.

Just a glimmer.

*******

“You seen anything?”

“Absolutely nothing of Estella, but I heard Merry talking to Bess and Diamond a couple of seconds ago. He didn’t sound too happy, which means he didn’t find Estella and has probably twigged that the directions we have been giving him for the past three hours have all been duds.” Lilly shrugged, “And then, there’s the problem of Estella coming up to him and telling him she’s courting Olco, which may put an end to all our hard work.”

“Hey you guys,” Sam, Frodo, Rosie and Cath trailed over to the table where Lilly and Pippin were sitting, “Rosie slapped Estella,” Cath was smirking, and Frodo had to duck behind Old Mr Proudfoot to stop laughing.

“Impressive,” Lilly grinned, nodding happily. She immediately stopped at Merry coming round the corner, “Hiya Merry!” She greeted him.

“Hiya. Bilbo says if we don’t go now we’ll have to be rolled up in one of the tents and dragged home.”

“Ooh, a ride!” Pippin piped up, just as Cath shouted, “I’m game!”. The older ones grinned and shook their heads.

“Not this time you two,” Frodo smiled, “But when the snow comes you can go on the sledges. Anyway, you’re tired.”

“Am….am….am not,” Cath muttered, as an especially big yawn escaped from her mouth. Frodo smirked.

“Come on you guys, let’s go,” As they trailed out of the field, Cath gave a disgusted yelp.

“What is it Cath?” Merry asked. Cath shook her head and said nothing, but gave Pippin a darkly significant look.

When no-one was looking Pippin spun round to see, in the clearing by the field, Olco and Estella kissing like there was no tomorrow.

**************

“We…are…dead.” Cath muttered, “Let us review that facts one more time; Merry is STILL insanely in love with Estella, Estella is STILL insanely in love with Olco and is courting him, Merry thinks she’s forgiven him and has KISSED her…”

“And so possibly thinks that she is courting him now,” Lilly added grimly, “So he’ll be trying to find her every second of every day….”

“And on finding her will greet her with another kiss, which will earn him something quite different…” Bess carried on.

“Yeah, a punch on the nose and a long and detailed statement that she is completely and totally in love with Olco, which will make Merry go suicidal….”

“Which will make Saradoc Brandybuck figure out what had happened and will try and murder you and Pippin.” Diamond carried on from Rosies statement.

Cath groaned and rolled over in her bed, “I’m going to sleep,” She announced, “Maybe I’ll wake up a find out that this party has all been a bad dream…..”

*********

No it had not been a bad dream. Yes, Merry was still floating around in a state of happiness. Yes, when Bess went down to market, Olco and Estella were still passionately kissing behind the dress stall. And yes, rumours were beginning to float around about Olco and Estella, aided and abetted by that mother of all gossip, BessÂ’ Mum.

“Did you see those two after the party?”

“Disgrace, if the girls father just got wind of it….”

“Boy, Estella sure has changed!”

Yes, it was true. No, it was not a bad dream. Life was justÂ….peachy.

In CathÂ’s book, nothing could make things worse. But they did. A lot worse.

Cath came in a week after the party with a face like thunder. Sam looked up, “What’s up Cath?”

“Mrs Gotherton,” She scowled, “She’s got this idea that each child in Hobbiton should have, and I quote, ‘a proper education’. So, oh joy, I get one day learning my letters when I could be staying with you guys.”

May poked her head up from her sewing, “So?”

“So?” Cath was incredulous, “One, I don’t need an education, Two, if I did, Bilbo and Frodo say they’ll teach me, Three, when I could be being taught by my friends, I have to be taught by that old WITCH, Four, Maisetta Clayman is in my ‘class’, and Five, please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten Mrs Gotherton already?”

May shook her head. Marigold sighed, “She was that one who started spreading all those rumours about Cath being crazy.” Cath held her arms up in mock celebration, “About us being filthy peasants who are only fit to eat the dust from carts. And about Mum…no, I’m not going to say. Too horrid.”

May looked worried, “You sure you’re okay with going?”

Cath snorted, “No, I wasn’t okay with going in the first place. But I will go. I’m gonna show her!”

**************

The next day Cath set off for the spinney where the ‘class’ would be held, Nessa the fox still trotting by her side. Then her face brightened.

“Oi, Nick! Nibs!” The two boys spun round.

“Hello nugget-head! Are we ready to fill your teeny-tiny brain with knowledge?” Nick smirked and ruffled her hair. Cath scowled up at him.

“What are these lessons like?”

“Absolute rubbish,” Nibs said bluntly, “The old cow picks on us all the time, if we answer any questions, or say nothing, it’s just the same, bla, bla, bla, bla, bla. She mumbles a lot.”

Cath put on a fake puzzled face, “Does she mumble when you don’t pay attention?”

“Yeah,” Nibs looked genuinely confused, “Funny that.”

Cath laughter died on her lips, “Here we go,” She muttered, and stepped inside the old cabin. Mrs Gotherton, who was a very thin, sarcastic, and altogether abominable lady, nodded curtly at Cath, who sat down next to a pale, timid looking girl. She smiled wanly.

The first few hours went smoothly enough. Then Mrs Gotherton peered round the class, an awful grin on her face. Cath swallowed. She did not like the look of this.

“Now,” Mrs Gotherton put on her ‘caring old lady’ voice on, “Can anyone tell me an interesting thing about this class?”

The timid girl put her hand up, “We’re all from Hobbiton?” She asked.

Mrs Gotherton glared at her, “Of course not, you stupid girl. Can’t you see some of us are from Bywater?” The girl looked close to tears and there were a few mutterings and grins. Cath glared round at the others and grinned encouragingly. The girl gave a thankful smile.

A few more suggestions came up, some sensible (“We are all willing for a good education?” asked a prim little girl from Bywater.) and some completely ridiculous (“We all want to go home?” suggested Nick, to roars of approval and a glare from Mrs Gotherton). It was only when Maisetta put her hand up that everyone went quiet.

“Is it because,” Maisetta’s voice was taunting and mocking, and she stared straight at Cath, “We aren’t any of us Tooks or Brandybucks?” Cath glared back at her.

“Perfect!” Mrs Gotherton rubbed her hands, “We wouldn’t want Tooks or Brandybucks disrupting our lesson, would we? Let me give a words of warning to each one of you; keep away from them. They are mad and stupid, and they will only get you into trouble.”

Something inside Cath flared up. The teacher gave a little smirk in her direction and carried on.

“Take the two heirs for ruling Buckland and Tuckborough, for instance,” There was a malicious laugh from Maisetta, “A perfect example of two mad hobbits. Brought up in completely the wrong way, their families hopeless. The whole place must be falling to pieces. So, like it or lump it, that’s why Tooks and Brandybucks do not come to this school. No-one can change that. That’s total common sense for you.”

Cath couldnÂ’t leave it at that. She had to speak up for her friends and (she realised with a jolt) her mother. Her anger made her braver than ever, and she put up her hand.

“Yes, Catherine?” asked Mrs Gotherton.

“My mother,” There was collective little gasp from around the classroom, even from Nick and Nibs, and Cath knew why. It was the first time she’d spoken of her mother. All eyes were on her, but that didn’t stop her, “My mother used to say that the opinion of people that have that idea, Miss, is all very well, but just because an opinion or an idea is popular doesn’t make it right. She doesn’t believe Tooks or Brandybucks are crazy, and neither does Old Mister Bilbo.” She was about to list a lot of other people, but the look on Mrs Gothertons face made her falter, and sit down.

The old teacher glowered at her for a few minutes with a look that could fry an orc, than looked at the clock, “I think that will by all for today,” She said, her voice shaking with suppressed anger, “Tidy your table, children.”

*******

They were walking out of the spinney, shrugging on coats, when the skirmishing began, with Maisetta Clayman starting it, as usual. She sauntered up to Cath with a vicious lipcurl, the smile that Cath knew to mean trouble. She smirked.

“Your mum,” She said, “Was she mad in the head or what? My mum said that your mum used to just like the men to look at her, and that’s why she went to Buckland with that crazy friend of hers; to get attention for both sides. Used to stand up and to talking for the gits as well…that got her a lot of attention. A bit of a tart my mum said. Married a lousy peasant as well.”

“YouÂ’ve got a filthy mouth Maisetta Clayman,” Cath spat at her, fixing her with a glare. But Maisetta kept smirking, so she carried on. “My mum had a perfect right to stand up for what she believes in – and anyways she was right and the rest of youÂ’s wrong. The Bucklanders and Tooks are not crazy, and they do have a perfect right to have an education like us, and they are just as bright as us, and they do not do all those thick things your daft dads say about,” She threw a glare at a smirking Ted Sandyman, “TheyÂ’re both lying. And if the men did look at my mum, and were upset when she died, itÂ’s because she was beautiful and nice, and if they still donÂ’t at your mum, after sheÂ’s practically thrown herself at them, thatÂ’s because sheÂ’s an ugly old cow.”

SheÂ’d gone too far. Cath knew it, she was trembling with fear, and anger. Out of the corners of her eyes she could see the whole crowd from school gathering round them; but she was fixing her attention on Maisetta Clayman.

She was furious. “Mad!” She screamed at her, “You and your pathetic mum were both mad, you know that. My mum says you shouldn’t be let in this school, they should lock you up. They should send you away so no-one has to look at your pathetic little self anymore!”

“If your mum spoke such rubbish all the time no-one would look at her, for fear they actually saw the rubbish coming out of her mouth,” Cath told her scornfully.

Something inside Maisetta snapped. Suddenly she had hurled herself at Cath, punching and kicking. It didnÂ’t look too good for Cath.

But Cath hadnÂ’t been nick-named Crazy for nothing. In another moment she was fighting back at Maisetta. She could taste blood on her mouth.

“I do hope that’s her blood and not mine,” She thought, hitting out again. She could feel sudden pain underneath her arms….

And it was all over. Cath swivelled round to glare at Nick, who had her under the armpits, preventing her from lashing out again.

“What,” She snapped, “Did you do that for?”

Maisetta was in the same position, being held at bay by Liana, “Let me go!” She half-shrieked, “Do you want her to get away with that?”

“Me?” Cath spat, “You, more like.”

Maisetta clenched her fists, and the fight would probably have started again if Nick had suddenly dragged Cath to her feet and pulled her away. Behind her Cath could hear Maisetta, “You wait! I’ll get you back, you see if I don’t!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cath muttered, then stopped on the look at Nicks face, “What?”

“You IDIOT, Cath!” Nick half-yelled, “You’ll get in real trouble when your Dad finds out!”

“Yeah, sure I will.”

“I’m serious! And what about your Grandmother, you think she’s just going to let this slide or what?”

Cath’s pallor changed dramatically, “You think?” She swallowed.

“Oh, Nick, stop beating her up about it!” Nibs told his brother, “I think you did a very good job of it. Are you hurt at all?”

“No….Yeah, actually, I am.” Cath hadn’t realised before how in pain she was. Her side was burning like it was on fire, there were enough scratches on her forehead to make you lose count, and when she moved her left wrist it went all floppy. She had a strong suspicion that it was broken, or at the very least, fractured.

“I reckon I’ll be okay though. Hey, can we stop off at Lilly’s house? I think we’re gonna need a lot of bandages…..”

*****

“Honestly. I mean…..Honestly!” Even Daisy had been dragged out of her bed (albeit reluctantly) to tend to the injured Cath, who was sitting at the table surrounded by reproachful sisters, “I mean, we leave you alone at school for one day, ONE day, mind you, and what happens? You get into a massive fight and end up half-dead!”

“I’m not half-dead! And you should have heard what Mrs Gotherton and Maisetta said, didn’t you, Nick, Nibs?” Both the boys had to agree with her.

“But honey,” May cut another piece of linen to bind round Cath’s fractured wrist, “Causing fight isn’t the best way to solve things….”

“Hey you guys!” Kella Rosebush strolled in, “Anyone……Oh, Cath, what happened?”

“I got in a fight with Maisetta Clayman.” Cath beamed happily.

“Ooh, that’s great; good for you!”

“KELLA!” Daisy, May and Marigold stood up and shouted at her. Sam hid behind the cabinet and smirked.

“Kella, saying that Cath getting herself into fights is brilliant is NOT A GOOD IDEA! She really should be punished!” Marigold snapped.

“But why? And why should she be punished? It’s only Maisetta Clayman after all.”

“But that’s not the point!”

“Well, what is the point then?”

“The point….oh never mind, I’m going to answer the door…..” Marigold strode through the kitchen and opened the door, “Oh! Come in Mister Clayman….”

Cath choked on her piece of bread. Mister Clayman, a short rich man who smiled slimily at the rich and scowled profusely at the poor, entered the kitchen, followed my Sandyman the Miller, who always scowled. The two were both scowling.

“You,” Mister Clayman said, shoving past Marigold and pointed at Sam, “I want to speak with your father.”

He obviously expected Sam to mutter some sort of humble apology and run off to fetch his father, But Sam did neither. Firmly standing his ground, Sam asked, “Why would that be? Sir?” He added hastily.

“As if you don’t know,” Nibs muttered under his breath. Mister Clayman glared at him.

“Because! Because your mad sister,”

Cath grinned sheepishly and waved with her good hand. It didnÂ’t improve his temper.

“Because your mad sister beat up,”

“Huh!” Nick muttered.

“My little girl, who is now at home with a twisted ankle…”

“Cath’s got a fractured wrist!” Marigold retorted, “And from what I heard, Maisetta started it!”

“Wasn’t she saying a minute ago how naughty I was and how such a mad little girl such as I should be punished most severely?” Cath asked Daisy, a small smirk on her face.

“Not to mention pulling on your wrist bandages so hard you almost fainted for a few seconds.” Sam couldn’t hep adding.

“Naa, it’s because our Marigold’s a big softy, aren’t you?” Hamson appeared from nowhere and hugged her one-armedly.

“Soft as a pillow.” Halfred appeared from the other side and did the same thing. The family was pulling together.

“Guys, from the way Marigolds staring daggers at you, I don’t think she’s enjoying the soppy stuff,” Daisy told them. It was true, Marigold was glaring at the two brothers.

“Get ready to see some severed heads guys.” May smirked. Mister Clayman and Sandyman were being ignored, and it didn’t cheer them up.

“If we could get back to the point, boy, we are going to see your father, whether you like it or not.” Sandyman’s threat was lazy and drawling, but it was obvious to see he wasn’t kidding around. Even some of Hamsons cockiness disappeared.

“Daisy? Who is….” Ham Gamgees voice trailed off at the sight of Mister Clayman and Sandyman. It was common knowledge that the Gaffer and Sandyman disliked each other, and the feeling was much the same for him and Mister Clayman, “What can I do for you two?” His voice was icy.

“We’d like to have a few minutes to talk to you, Gamgee, if we may,” Mister Clayman said. The three men disappeared into the next room.

“This is all my fault,” Cath muttered, dropping her hands into her head.

Surprisingly, it was Marigold who spoke next, “No it wasn’t,” She comforted her little sister, “Who went on horridly about your best friends? Mrs Gotherton. Who confronted you? Maisetta Clayman. Who actually started fighting? Maisetta Clayman, again. Who’s just using this as an excuse to start a fight with Dad? Mister Clayman and Sandyman. So really, you’re completely innocent. Within reason.” She came over to Cath and hugged her, “And I don’t want this to be seen as me getting soft.” She whispered in her ear. Cath giggled.

Hamson and Halfred came over at put their arms around their sisters shoulders, Hamson hugging May and Halfred comforting Daisy. Sam sat down beside Cath, and even Nick and Nibs sat at the girls feet. It would have made a perfect picture.

The three men came out from the room; the Gaffer looking grimly pleased, Mister Clayman and Sandyman looking nothing short of furious.

“You say that you’ll….deal with her, eh?” Mister Clayman asked, glancing round nervously. Even though him and Sandyman were grown hobbit-men, Hamson, Halfred and Sam were strong lads, and a sign that he was threatening their sister could soon lead to trouble. The Gamgee family were famous for sticking by each other.

“Absolutely,” The Gaffer replied confidently. Cath’s pallor increased, “Glad we understand each other.” Mister Clayman gave him a curt nod and strode out. Sandyman followed him, but turned round in the doorway.

“Crazy daughter you have there Gamgee,” He remarked, nodding at Cath, “Better keep a tag on her or she could get worse than those Breelanders.”

Both Hamson and Halfred stood up suddenly, their fists clenched. Sandyman took a step backwards, “Say that again,” Hamson growled.

“Boys,” Ham warned his sons. Reluctantly they sat down again. Ham gave a nod to Sandyman, who swept out the door wordlessly. The Gaffer turned to face his youngest daughter.

“You’re going to get it, you’re going to get it…” Halfred muttered, who even when was faced with a dire situation, still found time to joke around.

“Shut it Halfred, shut it Halfred…” Cath retorted in the same annoying singsong voice. Ham rolled his eyes at his children and turned to the kitchen selves, reaching up and taking down a tin. Sam and Cath looked at each other in confusion.

The Gaffer held it out to Cath, revealing it to be full of their NanÂ’s famous batter-cakes.

“Have one Cath.” Cath thought she was going deaf.

“Um….pardon?” She asked. The whole family looked gobsmacked.

“I said, have one.” Cath took one gingerly and then, like suddenly thinking it would disappear in one second, stuffed the whole lot in her mouth. As the cakes were quite large, this was not a pretty sight.

“Ew,” May winced. Cath gulped the whole lot down and turned back to face her father.

“What was that for?”

“Well,” The Gaffer had a small smile on his face, “Did I, or did I not, tell those two that I would, and I quote, “deal with you”?”

“Yeah, but I thought….Oh Dad!” She flung her arms around her fathers neck and hugged him. Crumbs were scattered and Hamson and Halfred, ever hungry, decided to nick a few.

“But Cath, if something like that does happen again, I shall have to deal with you, is that understood?”

“Perfectly,” Cath grinned and stood on the kitchen table, “Cakes all round!”

****

“This is so not fair!!!” An angry Maisetta screamed. Estella tore her mouth away from Olco’s to look at her. One seething thirteen year old.

“UmÂ….what isnÂ’t fair Maisetta?” Estella asked tensely. The lass was prone to breaking things when life didn’t go her way, and Estella didn’t want her collar bone to get added to the list.

“That…..girl!” Maisetta half shrieked. The rest of the gang nodded, knowledgeable to her vocabulary. Estella, however, was not.

“Um…Pardon?”

“Cath,” Liana muttered. Estella nodded, mentally shoving a mental picture of her and Cath paddling in Bywater Pool out of her mind.

“Does she think she is going to get away with this?”

“Away with what? Maisetta, sit down and take a couple of breaths before saying anything else.” Ted coaxed her down onto a chair and started rubbing her back, occasionally kissing her ear. Estella did her best not to look to revolted. Sure, one of the things she’s learnt here was that people in this gang kissed each other in front of each other, god knows she and Olco did it all the time, but still…..

“She started a fight with me,” Maisetta whimpered, “ And Daddy and your Dad went over to their house, but Daddy says that her father will deal with her, but I don’t believe a word of it.”

“She…started a fight with you, you say?” Liana asked. Maisetta nodded, and Estella had to hide her face to stop Maisetta seeing her from smirking. That was a typical thing for Cath to do. Surprisingly, she saw, quite a few of the gang were doing that, including Liana, her boyfriend and (oddly) Ted.

“I tell, you, she’s going to be sorry,” Maisetta threatened, “I’ll get even with her, I’ll make her sorry if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Come on Maisetta, your dad will be wondering where you are,” Ted told her. In threes and fours the gang eventually dispersed, leaving Olco and Estella.

He nuzzled up against her ear, gently biting it, “Do you reckon she’ll get even with her?” He murmured in her ear.

“Mm? I don’t know. Probably. I’ve never seen her so angry.”

“Yeah,” Without warning he tilted back her head and kissed her, shoving his tongue into her mouth and stroking her hair. Estella didn’t worry. Why would she? But all the same, something about him kissing her after the party didn’t seem quite right somehow…..

Olco stepped back, “You know, I’d never have thought you’d have done this.”

Estella grinned wickedly, “Well, maybe…..” She trailed off.

“You know, ‘cause, before I thought you had feelings for Meriadoc.” He brushed back the hair from her eyes, “You don’t, do you?”

Estella shook her head firmly, planting a passionate kiss on his mouth. She didnÂ’t have to think twice about her answer. Why would she? She was courting Olco, Merry was nothing but a lousy Brandybuck, and nothing was going to change that.

****

“Hands up for….The Master of Getting out of Trouble!” Cath crowed, dancing along the gutter next to Rosie, “And you should have SEEN Sandymans face when Dad said he’d deal with me, it was like he didn’t reckon I’d get punished, and for the first time in his life, he was right and I WAS NOT PUNISHED!!!!”

“Remind me to get some ear-plugs when we get home,” Rosie muttered, “What did you bag off Mrs Fostred?” The girls had a little habit of nicking spare bits of pastry and icing from the old cook.

“About two pounds of pastry, three pounds of sugar and icing and five cakes.” Cath told her, producing the acquired items.

“Cath! We aren’t meant to nick the actual cakes!”

“Relax! They didn’t want them! Mrs Fostred told the maid to put them out for some ‘very special visitors’. I know she calls the mice that, and the mice are too fat already, so we’re okay!”

Rosie groaned, knowing that the visitors were, in fact, a couple to get married the following day, “Cath…..” A lengthy explanation followed.

“Oh, well, I suppose they’ll cope,” Cath shrugged dismissively, once Rosie had stopped talking and they were safely in the old barn, “People usually do….”

Out of sight and ear-shot, two hobbits were plottingÂ…..

“Okay, you got it?” Merry asked.

“Yup. One barrel of flour and one of pollen.” Pippin produced the two barrels.

“Right, and?”

“And?”

“We put one scoop of pollen in a large pot of flour and mix it, so Cath doesn’t exactly die!”

“Roger.”

“Hey Pip?” A puzzled expression crossed Merry’s face, “What are we going to do to Estella?”

“Probably you kissing her was punishment enough,” Pippin commented dryly. Merry whacked him over the head, just as something caught both their attentions.

“It’s Rosie and Cath!” Merry hissed, “Quickly and quietly now, get the pollen into the flour and let’s go!”

“Uh-huh….aah.”

“Oh for….what is it now?”

“Which barrel’s which?” Pippin panicked. Sure enough, the two looked similar enough to be mistaken as each other.

“The pollen’s in….that one. Yup, definitely that one.” Merry said confidently pointing. Pointing at the wrong one.

“Okay. So one scoop of that one into a pot of that one….. Come on, up into the rafters….” The two lads climbed up, Pippin keeping his hand firmly on the jar. Merry sat astride a beam and held the jar as Pippin climbed on.

“You realise there are probably about half a dozen couples in here snogging…..” Pippin grinned impishly.

“Each of which will get a shock at Caths yelling…..”

“They’ll be furious,” The young Took grinned at the thought of annoying so many people, “A job well done.”

Merry smirked, “Okay, poor it slowly. Tilt it first though, don’t just capsize the whole thing.”

“Don’t worry. Tilting things slowly is easy. Gently and slowly.”

“Hey, what are these specks of stuff?” Cath asked. Sure enough, tiny specks of white powder had begun to drift down, not to many to worry about, but enough to get their guard up.

“Gently and slowly, my foot,” Merry snorted.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Pippin shrugged, “I’m working on it.”

“Rosie,” Cath couldn’t help moaning, “My chest hurts.”

“You don’t think it’s the pollen, do you?”

“Well, if it’s a little bit, then it would be. It’s only a lot that makes me do something drastic.”

“Such as?”

“Choking, passing out, going slightly…. un-normal,”

“We’re okay then, huh?”

Rosie didnÂ’t get an answer. Cath didnÂ’t even try to make her vocal chords work. Maybe because she wouldnÂ’t; maybe because she couldnÂ’t.

“Cath? Cath, what the….”

“Uh-oh,” Pippin muttered.

Cath felt like a large arm was slowly tightening itself around her chest. The feeling had only happened once, the first time sheÂ’d encountered the pollen in a large dose. That time Bilbo and Gandalf had been near and Gandalf had given her a special herb from his pack. Was Gandalf around now? Nope, didnÂ’t think so.

“Cath? Cath, what the….”

Shut up Rosie, IÂ’m trying to breath here, Cath thought. Then a roaring sound entered her ears. Rosie may have been speaking now, but her voice sure was coming through.

Cath rolled over onto her side. The pain was most definitely not stopping, which explained why she now felt like a human dartboard. Albeit one which seemed to be having trouble staying conscious.

Cath closed her eyes and let darkness sweep over her headÂ….