No one knew quite what to say. Everything that had happened,
everything they had seen and watched in horror had left them all
speechless. All eight of them. They had just barely left Rivendell and
already had they lost a life to the quest. Gandalf fell, the last person
any of them had expected to die had fallen into the dark caverns of Moria.
What was there to said about that? There was nothing to be said, but quiet
tears fell from their eyes as they all stood in the freezing snow.
Pippin could barely even feel the small salty tears running from his eyes. His face was stinging from the cold, and his whole body ached with sorrow. The others began to fall from his view as his vision became blurry with guilty tears.
"It's my fault," he whispered in a small voice. He could hardly force the words past his pale lips. The emotions inside were all too much for the young hobbit. This was all his fault. Gandalf had been right about him all this time, he was just a worthless fool. Pippin soon found he was crying so hard he had began to hiccup, which really didn't help him feel too much better about himself.
"Hey Pippers," said a gentle voice. It was familiar to Pip's ear, but at the same time sounded so alien. Looking up, he could see a mess of blonde hair and a caring smile.
"Merry?" Pippin tried wiping his tears away to get a better look.
"Yes it's me. I wanted to make sure you were all right, with everything that's happened, well, Pippin, you looked like you needed someone." Pippin felt Merry's hand enclose over his. "You're freezing you know that." Pippin made no response except for a few hiccups. Merry just smiled.
"It's my fault," Pip said at last, "If I hadn't been so clumsy, if I had been more careful, we," Merry placed a finger over his lips.
"Gandalf died so that we could continue with the quest. He wanted to be sure we all made it, he wanted to make sure the ring was safe."
"But if hadn't been such a clutz," Pippin was fast becoming hysterical, "those orcs never would have found us and," Pippin suddenly found himself being pulled into a warm embrace. Merry, his good friend, had pulled him into a deep bear hug. But it really wasn't enough.
"Merry, he'd still be here, he'd still be alive! It's my fault!" Poor Pip was now screaming into his friend's vest. Tears were streaming uncontrollably, and his body was shaken from hiccuping.
"Calm down now," Merry soothed, "you shouldn't blame yourself for such things." Pippin suddenly felt a hand move tenderly through his hair.
"Merry," Pippin said softly.
"What is it?" Pippin hiccuped, and snuggled into his friends embrace. Merry chuckled to himself, and continued to stroke Pip's hair.
"What's all this now?" Pippin heard another familiar voice. Suddenly, he felt himself being lifted from Merry's warm grasp. He squeaked a little in shock, then soon found himself grasping onto something large, something very safe.
"Boromir," he whispered.
"How you feel there Little One?" Pippin didn't answer.
"Just a bit shaken," Merry stood up. Boromir tightened his grasp on the little hobbit in his arms and sat beside Merry.
"I'd say everyone is a bit upset now, but there is no blame to be placed. Come on now Pippin, show me one of your carefree smiles." Again Pippin said nothing, hiding his face in Boromir's chest. "It'd make me happy to see you smile."
"It's my fault Gandalf fell," Pippin finally croaked out.
"Not it's not, and besides, that doesn't even matter now. You're both safe now, that's what matters to me. I care about you and Merry here. Now, how about that smile, eh?" Pippin looked up to meet the gaze of the gray eyed man. Boromir was so good to them. His words, gentle and friendly. Pippin couldn't but to give him a smile.
"There we are, there's my Little One," Boromir reached down and wiped one remaining tear from Pip's eye.
"Will we be all right?" Pippin asked softly. Boromir simply kissed his small friend on the forehead.
"As long as we have one another we are safe."
"Right," said Merry, "as long as we have Boromir here, we're going to be okay."
"I'll never let anything happen to you," Boromir whispered gently into Pip's ear. He gave him another kiss then dropped him gently back into Merry's arms. The two rested there until it was time to move again. The others walked alone, secluded in their sadness. But Pippin did not walk alone. One hand was clasped in Merry's the other in Boromir's. They did not blame him, they did not hate hi, they wanted to keep him safe and keep him smiling. As long they were there, Pip would smile. As long as he never lost Merry as long as he never lost Boromir.
"Come on Little One, pick up those feet!" And Pippin would smile and laugh.
Pippin could barely even feel the small salty tears running from his eyes. His face was stinging from the cold, and his whole body ached with sorrow. The others began to fall from his view as his vision became blurry with guilty tears.
"It's my fault," he whispered in a small voice. He could hardly force the words past his pale lips. The emotions inside were all too much for the young hobbit. This was all his fault. Gandalf had been right about him all this time, he was just a worthless fool. Pippin soon found he was crying so hard he had began to hiccup, which really didn't help him feel too much better about himself.
"Hey Pippers," said a gentle voice. It was familiar to Pip's ear, but at the same time sounded so alien. Looking up, he could see a mess of blonde hair and a caring smile.
"Merry?" Pippin tried wiping his tears away to get a better look.
"Yes it's me. I wanted to make sure you were all right, with everything that's happened, well, Pippin, you looked like you needed someone." Pippin felt Merry's hand enclose over his. "You're freezing you know that." Pippin made no response except for a few hiccups. Merry just smiled.
"It's my fault," Pip said at last, "If I hadn't been so clumsy, if I had been more careful, we," Merry placed a finger over his lips.
"Gandalf died so that we could continue with the quest. He wanted to be sure we all made it, he wanted to make sure the ring was safe."
"But if hadn't been such a clutz," Pippin was fast becoming hysterical, "those orcs never would have found us and," Pippin suddenly found himself being pulled into a warm embrace. Merry, his good friend, had pulled him into a deep bear hug. But it really wasn't enough.
"Merry, he'd still be here, he'd still be alive! It's my fault!" Poor Pip was now screaming into his friend's vest. Tears were streaming uncontrollably, and his body was shaken from hiccuping.
"Calm down now," Merry soothed, "you shouldn't blame yourself for such things." Pippin suddenly felt a hand move tenderly through his hair.
"Merry," Pippin said softly.
"What is it?" Pippin hiccuped, and snuggled into his friends embrace. Merry chuckled to himself, and continued to stroke Pip's hair.
"What's all this now?" Pippin heard another familiar voice. Suddenly, he felt himself being lifted from Merry's warm grasp. He squeaked a little in shock, then soon found himself grasping onto something large, something very safe.
"Boromir," he whispered.
"How you feel there Little One?" Pippin didn't answer.
"Just a bit shaken," Merry stood up. Boromir tightened his grasp on the little hobbit in his arms and sat beside Merry.
"I'd say everyone is a bit upset now, but there is no blame to be placed. Come on now Pippin, show me one of your carefree smiles." Again Pippin said nothing, hiding his face in Boromir's chest. "It'd make me happy to see you smile."
"It's my fault Gandalf fell," Pippin finally croaked out.
"Not it's not, and besides, that doesn't even matter now. You're both safe now, that's what matters to me. I care about you and Merry here. Now, how about that smile, eh?" Pippin looked up to meet the gaze of the gray eyed man. Boromir was so good to them. His words, gentle and friendly. Pippin couldn't but to give him a smile.
"There we are, there's my Little One," Boromir reached down and wiped one remaining tear from Pip's eye.
"Will we be all right?" Pippin asked softly. Boromir simply kissed his small friend on the forehead.
"As long as we have one another we are safe."
"Right," said Merry, "as long as we have Boromir here, we're going to be okay."
"I'll never let anything happen to you," Boromir whispered gently into Pip's ear. He gave him another kiss then dropped him gently back into Merry's arms. The two rested there until it was time to move again. The others walked alone, secluded in their sadness. But Pippin did not walk alone. One hand was clasped in Merry's the other in Boromir's. They did not blame him, they did not hate hi, they wanted to keep him safe and keep him smiling. As long they were there, Pip would smile. As long as he never lost Merry as long as he never lost Boromir.
"Come on Little One, pick up those feet!" And Pippin would smile and laugh.