By Sunrise
Diamond Took had left her home by the pale silvery glow of moonlight. Now, as she arrived home, the sun was just beginning to rise. The sky was still dark and a few stars still shone, even though the horizon had begun to glow with a warm, rosy hue. Diamond could hear birds singing and the far off sound of cows and sheep, but there were few other signs of anything yet stirring.
She had been in the Shire for the better part of a day already. She had stopped in at Brandy Hall, where Merry and Estella had greeted her with an equal measure of affection, relief, and chastisement. No one knew where she had been, and Pippin had been out of his mind with worry. She explained that she had left him a note, but Merry said that Pippin had never mentioned it. This grieved Diamond terribly. She couldn't imagine what might have happened to the note that she had left on her pillow. It also made her wonder very much about the note that she had received off in Mirkwood. The note had ostensibly been from Pippin, but Merry and Estella assured her that this was not so. Pippin had torn off to Long Cleeve looking for her, but had then returned home to the Great Smials in Tuckborough to await news of her.
That news more than anything else had given Diamond even more cause to rush through the final few miles to home. And there it was now, the reknowned Great Smials, the historic home of the Took clan since the very earliest days of the Shire. If the sight of her home weren't enough to bring a smile to her face, the sight of her cat Smoky certainly did. There he was, sitting in the same open window that he had perched in the morning that she had left. He jumped out of the window and ran over to her as she pulled up outside of the house. She picked up the cat and gave him an affectionate squeeze and then set him down again while she tended to Plum.
Once she had finished with the pony, she went into the smial and tiptoed down the hallway. There was her son Faramir, still fast asleep. Then, to the next door. There was Pippin, also still asleep. She crossed over to him, sat down on the bed, and waited for him to wake.
Then, and only then, was she truly home.
She had been in the Shire for the better part of a day already. She had stopped in at Brandy Hall, where Merry and Estella had greeted her with an equal measure of affection, relief, and chastisement. No one knew where she had been, and Pippin had been out of his mind with worry. She explained that she had left him a note, but Merry said that Pippin had never mentioned it. This grieved Diamond terribly. She couldn't imagine what might have happened to the note that she had left on her pillow. It also made her wonder very much about the note that she had received off in Mirkwood. The note had ostensibly been from Pippin, but Merry and Estella assured her that this was not so. Pippin had torn off to Long Cleeve looking for her, but had then returned home to the Great Smials in Tuckborough to await news of her.
That news more than anything else had given Diamond even more cause to rush through the final few miles to home. And there it was now, the reknowned Great Smials, the historic home of the Took clan since the very earliest days of the Shire. If the sight of her home weren't enough to bring a smile to her face, the sight of her cat Smoky certainly did. There he was, sitting in the same open window that he had perched in the morning that she had left. He jumped out of the window and ran over to her as she pulled up outside of the house. She picked up the cat and gave him an affectionate squeeze and then set him down again while she tended to Plum.
Once she had finished with the pony, she went into the smial and tiptoed down the hallway. There was her son Faramir, still fast asleep. Then, to the next door. There was Pippin, also still asleep. She crossed over to him, sat down on the bed, and waited for him to wake.
Then, and only then, was she truly home.