The Unexpected Hero
Chapter One - A long day on the river
"Come on Pip. Time to go back to the boats." Merry clapped his cousin on the shoulder as he walked past him on his way to the river. Pippin smiled grimly, catching Merry's eye before he walked past. Neither of them had enjoyed the trip by boat, and were not looking forward to another long eventless day on the river. Pippin hoisted himself up from the tree root he had been sitting on and grasped his pack. He followed Merry down to the river, slipping down the loose earth on the banks. They made their way over to Boromir who was putting the last of their things into the boats.
"Good morning little ones," he said to them as he heard them approach, smiling kindly when he saw the dark rings around their eyes. Pippin had not slept at all last night, the dark, menacing trees had made him feel uneasy, and even the figure of Aragorn, silhouetted against the night sky failed to make him feel safe. Any slight rustle of leaves had made him jump, and the memory of the fair woods of Lothlorien preyed on his mind. He felt a dull sadness in his heart as he thought of the fact that he would never set eyes upon them again.
Pippin was jolted from his thoughts by Merry hissing in his ear. "I wish he'd stop calling us 'little ones," he said indignantly whilst Boromir's back was turned. "We're not that much younger than him."
"I don't think he's referring to our age, Merry," Pippin whispered back.
They both stifled their laughter as Boromir turned around to face them. Pippin passed his pack to him and then, following Merry's lead, scrambled into the boat. He looked wistfully at the nice, solid ground as Boromir pushed the boat away from the bank with his paddle. He envied Merry, who had been brought up on the banks of the Brandywine River. He could swim, as well as man a boat, and Pippin could do neither. The boat, caught up in the current, took them swiftly away from their camp, and soon it was out of Pippin's view.
Peering over Merrys shoulder he caught sight of Aragorn's boat, which was further down the river. Sitting behind Aragorn was Frodo. Pippin knew, from a recent talk with Sam, that Frodo was finding the ring more of a burden than ever before. It showed in his face, he had worry lines on his forehead and his cheeks looked sullen and pale. Pippins gaze moved to Sam. Looking distinctly uneasy, Sam was clutching at the side of the boat and looking out at the water miserably. Pippin laughed to himself as he recalled Sam's lament from last night; 'Boats are not places for hobbits, Its unnatural. We're not designed to be water folk. No, give me a garden in the place of a river any day. You know where you are with gardens.'
As the boats were carried south by the flow of the river, the Fellowship seldom spoke. Aragorn seemed intent on watching the river ahead of them, and paddled strongly without pausing. Boromir, on the other hand, looked uneasy and restless. Pippin noticed his troubled gaze, and he frequently paddled faster, so as to catch up with Aragorn's boat. Pippin was beginning to feel anxious about Boromir. He had always trusted him, but now he was acting different, edgy and distracted. He had recently noticed Aragorn giving him sideways looks, as if to check up on him. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. Pippin shivered slightly. The cold breeze that was flitting around the boats caught his bare neck and hands. He drew his elven-cloak around his shoulders and sank down further in his seat. Merry, who had heard his movements, turned around to speak to him.
"Are you okay, Pip?" he asked.
Pippin grimaced slightly as he tried to stretch out his legs without rocking the boat too much. "I'll be fine," he answered. " The breeze is making me cold, and my legs are cramped from being stuck in this wooden tub."
Merry grinned at him. "Think of it like this. If we were walking it'd be more likely that the orcs would find us. I'd rather be stuck in a boat for days and days than have to fight those foul orcs again.
Pippin sighed. "I suppose your right."
'After all', he thought, as he moved into a more comfortable position, 'Merry is always right.' When they were children Pippin had considered Merry's opinion to be of much higher authority than anyone else's. Merry had always looked out for him; Merry was concerned for him if he was in trouble. Pippin was glad that he was with him. He felt that he was sometimes over looked, after all, Frodo was of much more importance than he was. Pippin smiled to himself. At least Merry noticed him, Merry cared.
For the rest of the long, empty day Pippin watched the banks of the river slip past them. The environment seemed to grow even more hostile as they moved down the river. Pippin inwardly longed for the light, warm woods that they had left only yesterday. As he sat, silently lost in his thoughts, the sun rose high up in the sky, then slowly slipped down towards the horizon.
*-*
Authors Note: I have worried that the first chapter is rather slow moving and not very captivating. If you think something needs to be done, please tell me in a review. However, I do feel the story gets better, so please carry on! I'm expecting to upload each chapter every day, as I have it all written already. The story is PG because of violence in later chapters. Remember to review!
LOTR is not mine.
Chapter One - A long day on the river
"Come on Pip. Time to go back to the boats." Merry clapped his cousin on the shoulder as he walked past him on his way to the river. Pippin smiled grimly, catching Merry's eye before he walked past. Neither of them had enjoyed the trip by boat, and were not looking forward to another long eventless day on the river. Pippin hoisted himself up from the tree root he had been sitting on and grasped his pack. He followed Merry down to the river, slipping down the loose earth on the banks. They made their way over to Boromir who was putting the last of their things into the boats.
"Good morning little ones," he said to them as he heard them approach, smiling kindly when he saw the dark rings around their eyes. Pippin had not slept at all last night, the dark, menacing trees had made him feel uneasy, and even the figure of Aragorn, silhouetted against the night sky failed to make him feel safe. Any slight rustle of leaves had made him jump, and the memory of the fair woods of Lothlorien preyed on his mind. He felt a dull sadness in his heart as he thought of the fact that he would never set eyes upon them again.
Pippin was jolted from his thoughts by Merry hissing in his ear. "I wish he'd stop calling us 'little ones," he said indignantly whilst Boromir's back was turned. "We're not that much younger than him."
"I don't think he's referring to our age, Merry," Pippin whispered back.
They both stifled their laughter as Boromir turned around to face them. Pippin passed his pack to him and then, following Merry's lead, scrambled into the boat. He looked wistfully at the nice, solid ground as Boromir pushed the boat away from the bank with his paddle. He envied Merry, who had been brought up on the banks of the Brandywine River. He could swim, as well as man a boat, and Pippin could do neither. The boat, caught up in the current, took them swiftly away from their camp, and soon it was out of Pippin's view.
Peering over Merrys shoulder he caught sight of Aragorn's boat, which was further down the river. Sitting behind Aragorn was Frodo. Pippin knew, from a recent talk with Sam, that Frodo was finding the ring more of a burden than ever before. It showed in his face, he had worry lines on his forehead and his cheeks looked sullen and pale. Pippins gaze moved to Sam. Looking distinctly uneasy, Sam was clutching at the side of the boat and looking out at the water miserably. Pippin laughed to himself as he recalled Sam's lament from last night; 'Boats are not places for hobbits, Its unnatural. We're not designed to be water folk. No, give me a garden in the place of a river any day. You know where you are with gardens.'
As the boats were carried south by the flow of the river, the Fellowship seldom spoke. Aragorn seemed intent on watching the river ahead of them, and paddled strongly without pausing. Boromir, on the other hand, looked uneasy and restless. Pippin noticed his troubled gaze, and he frequently paddled faster, so as to catch up with Aragorn's boat. Pippin was beginning to feel anxious about Boromir. He had always trusted him, but now he was acting different, edgy and distracted. He had recently noticed Aragorn giving him sideways looks, as if to check up on him. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. Pippin shivered slightly. The cold breeze that was flitting around the boats caught his bare neck and hands. He drew his elven-cloak around his shoulders and sank down further in his seat. Merry, who had heard his movements, turned around to speak to him.
"Are you okay, Pip?" he asked.
Pippin grimaced slightly as he tried to stretch out his legs without rocking the boat too much. "I'll be fine," he answered. " The breeze is making me cold, and my legs are cramped from being stuck in this wooden tub."
Merry grinned at him. "Think of it like this. If we were walking it'd be more likely that the orcs would find us. I'd rather be stuck in a boat for days and days than have to fight those foul orcs again.
Pippin sighed. "I suppose your right."
'After all', he thought, as he moved into a more comfortable position, 'Merry is always right.' When they were children Pippin had considered Merry's opinion to be of much higher authority than anyone else's. Merry had always looked out for him; Merry was concerned for him if he was in trouble. Pippin was glad that he was with him. He felt that he was sometimes over looked, after all, Frodo was of much more importance than he was. Pippin smiled to himself. At least Merry noticed him, Merry cared.
For the rest of the long, empty day Pippin watched the banks of the river slip past them. The environment seemed to grow even more hostile as they moved down the river. Pippin inwardly longed for the light, warm woods that they had left only yesterday. As he sat, silently lost in his thoughts, the sun rose high up in the sky, then slowly slipped down towards the horizon.
*-*
Authors Note: I have worried that the first chapter is rather slow moving and not very captivating. If you think something needs to be done, please tell me in a review. However, I do feel the story gets better, so please carry on! I'm expecting to upload each chapter every day, as I have it all written already. The story is PG because of violence in later chapters. Remember to review!
LOTR is not mine.