|
Hawthorne Brandbuck:
Hawthorne sat in the back courtyard of the Inn holding her head in her hands and rocking back and forth. The small hobbit was moaning deliriously, "What have I done? What have I done? Even Uncle Merry can't get me out of this!"
Then she sternly pulled herself together. "What a mess! I've got to get help!" Running into the stables, she vaulted onto the back of a horse and took off at a gallop, disappearing down the lane in the direction of Hobbiton and Bag-end.
A short time later, in response to Hawthorne's summons, a large contingent of hobbit helpers came running and riding up the road heading straight for the Dragon, their arms loaded down with pails of water. Samwise Gamgee rode at the head of the group on his pony Billie-lad, with Shirriff Halfred and Dumpling coming up just behind him. Amaranthas, one of the the oldest hobbits in the Shire and reputed to be a fine healer, came bumbling up in her cart, bearing her kit of herbs and other medicines.
Once Hawthorne had reached Bag-end and blurted out her painful news, Mayor Samwise had acted quickly in calling for extra help. Riders on horseback roared up and down every lane in Hobbiton and Bywater, urging the folk to come out and join the fire brigade. There was a large bell on the grounds of the Inn. Two of the younger hobbits were tugging down on the rope as hard and fast as they could to make sure everyone heard the summons to come out and help.
Within a short time, Samwise had organized a bucket brigade that started at the back door of the Inn and snaked down all the way to the Pond. Elves, hobbits, and men formed a single line, passing the pails of water forward and back as quickly as they could. The bravest of the folk went into the Inn itself to battle the flames that were crawling up the walls of the kitchen and spreading into the Common Room. Others climbed on top of the Inn using ladders, removing the thatching over the kitchen with large scythes to make sure that the fire did not blaze up on the roof. Very, very slowly, they began to make a bit of headway.
*********************************************
Amaranthas had gotten down from the cart with Hawthorne dismounting from her horse and coming up to offer her help. "You're the one who started all this?" the older woman barked to the younger.
"Yes, maam. I made a terrible mistake. I tried to do something I shouldn't have done without someone helping me."
Amaranthas scowled and shook her head, "Then you'd best help me tend to these sick ones, since you're partly responsible for them being here." Hawthorne meekly nodded and went to work, doping everything that Amaranthas told her to do.
The two hobbits hastily made their rounds to anyone who needed medicine or water, laying out pallets on the other side of the road and administering herbal salves in cases where it was needed. Hawthorne lugged a water bucket around with several cups so those fighting the fire could quench their thirst.
The only person seriously injured seemed to be Hama whose coatails had indeed caught on fire until someone had doused him with a pail of water. Fortunately, the flames had only singed his body, but he was still in considerable pain. Gently, they laid him out on one of the pallets. Hawthorne looked on while Amaranthas tended to the needs of the Man.
"Will he be alright?" Hawthorne probed.
"I expect so, but he has some nasty burns. And he can't be feelng very well."
Hawthorne tried to push down her mounting feeling of guilt and concentrate on doing whatever she could to bring this mess under control.
|