Well, I had to do one at some point...
Tired. That was the word he had been searching for. He was tired. They all were, come to think of it. Not just the fuzzy-headed blurriness that accompanied a night of too much ale and not enough sleep, nor the muscle-aching sleepy that came after a day of constantly chasing stubborn hogs. No, this kind of tired was something the young hobbit had never experienced beforeāit was the pounding-head, quivering-muscle, extreme-effort-to-keep-one-eye-open-at-a-time mental and physical exhaustion that was always there and you didn't notice until it caught you by the leg and dragged you down when you least expected. After weeks of running and hiding, brave fronts and terror, heartbreak and farewells, it had finally caught him.
But I found Merry came a small, sleepy voice inside his head. And that's what counts, right now.
Peregrin Took curled up beside his sleeping cousin and let himself watch Merry's pale face. A single tear traced it's way down the Hobbit's cheek as he thought of what might have happened with the Witch King.
When will Merry wake up? Pippin tried to keep his eyes open. Well, at least one. But the dark, sweet relief that is sleep came to claim him.
Hush now it whispered in a voice much like Merry's Go to sleep, Pippin.
Mmm...Merry? Will you still be here in the morning? it was more of a plea than a question, with no answer expected...
'Course I will, Pip.
