Author's Note: Finally, my first LOTR fic! Set in pre-LOTR times, it
focuses on the young Merry and Pippin.
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Chapter 1: The prank goes awry.
Picture the scene; a warm, quiet afternoon in Buckland, most of the residents dozing peacefully in the gentle autumn sunshine. Now add the sound of two voices whispering rapidly to each other, and the patter of feet scurrying through the near deserted streets, and what do you get? Yep, Pippin and Merry are up to their old tricks.
"So, which end do you light?" Pippin asked.
"Whaddayamean, which end do you light?" replied Merry, trying to sound knowledgeable as he turned it over in his hand. "You figure it out," he shoved the object into his pal's hand.
Pippin stared down at it completely perplexed. He had never seen one of these before. He and Merry were well acquainted with most of Gandalf's fireworks, but apparently, this wasn't a firework. He looked up at Merry with a blank stare.
"This end?" he hazarded.
"As good as any other end, I suppose," Merry shrugged. Pippin and his parents had come over to Buckland to stay with the Brandybucks for a while and the two young hobbits, as always, were ensuring that they made the most of their time together. When they were together, they were inseparable, each hobbit's mischievous side being magnified by the other's influence.
Their latest plan had been to 'borrow' an exploding cracker from Gandalf's cart and set it off under old Olo Proudfoot's nose whilst he was sleeping. He was a miserable old hobbit, at least in Merry and Pippin's eyes, always grumbling about the pranks they played. It wasn't as if they had ever played a prank on him. . . not until today that is! The hobbits' eyes gleamed mischievously as they held a lit straw against the end of the cracker. As the spark caught hold, they dashed towards old Proudfoot's hammock and flung it underneath him.
They raced back to the end of the street and hid behind the corner, waiting with gleeful grins on their faces. They waited in that position for a while, but nothing happened.
"Do you think we picked a faulty one?" Pippin asked his companion. As they stared at each other uncertainly, the air was shattered by an ear- splittingly loud series of noises. They two hobbits jumped, and reached protectively for their ears. As they looked on, the whole population of Buckland leapt out of their hammocks, chairs and gardens, jerked out of their slumber. Under old Proudfoot, the cracker was jumping around and spitting sparks. The focus of the prank was, by now, screaming in panic and running for the other end of the street. Merry and Pippin rolled on the floor, unable to contain their laughter.
"You know, Pip," began Merry in between giggles. "I think we set light to a bundle of crackers!" Pippin risked a peek around the corner and collapsed in renewed giggles as he realised his friend was right. A whole bundle of crackers had just exploded in the middle of the sleepy town.
"Meriadoc Brandybuck," came a shrill female voice from behind them.
"Peregrin Took," came another one. The two pals turned around fearfully, the humour of the situation long forgotten. Two stern female hobbits stood, hands on hips, glaring at the young hobbits. "This is the last time you two pull a stunt like this."
"Oh, mum, we never meant for. . ."
"I'm not listening to excuses, Peregrin. You are coming home with me, NOW."
"Actually, I think I may have a more appropriate punishment for these two, Eglantine," Merry's mother grinned as a thought entered her head. The two young hobbits looked at each other nervously. When Esmeralda Brandybuck smiled like that, it was time to start panicking.
All the way back to Merry's house, the mothers whispered and plotted behind them. Every time one of them turned around, they would get a clip round the ear and told to walk on. Finally they arrived and were ushered in by the mothers.
"Sit," barked Merry's mum as she pointed threateningly to a couple of chairs. "You two deserve much worse than this, I can tell you. It just so happens that I need a couple of young hobbits to do me a favour, so you're going to help me."
Merry and Pippin looked at each other fearfully.
"Favour?" squeaked Pippin.
"An old friend of mine, haven't seen her for years, is coming to Buckland for a visit. She's thinking of moving here as there are more young hobbits here and her daughter is lonely. She has three sons and just the one daughter, you see," she said as an aside to Pippin's mother. Eglantine Took nodded sympathetically.
Pippin and Merry looked blankly at Esmeralda, fearing the worst and knowing that with their luck, it would occur.
"I want you two," she pointed at the pair of shell-shocked hobbits, "to look after her daughter. Show her around, introduce her to people, that sort of thing."
"Awwww, muuuuum," complained Merry. "We don't want a GIRL hanging around."
"You're going to do as you're told, and what's more, you'll stay out of trouble whilst she's here. She's a nice young hobbit lass, and you two are going to be extra nice to her." Pippin and Merry scowled at the news. They didn't want anything to do with nice young, above all boring, hobbit lasses.
"If you don't do as you're told," Eglantine added, "I shall personally lock you both in your rooms during Gandalf's next fireworks show." The two hobbits' faces fell as they heard the news. That was blackmail, and a hit below the belt. They lived for Gandalf's visits, and his next one was rumoured to be very soon.
"She's arriving tomorrow afternoon, so I want you two scrubbed and neatly dressed on my doorstep for when she arrives. Now off you go."
Pippin and Merry scampered out before the two mothers got it into their heads to make the situation worse.
"A hobbit lass!" exclaimed Pippin. "What fun can we have with HER hanging around?"
"Put it this way, would you rather put up with her, or miss the next fireworks show?" asked Merry resignedly. They both nodded together. They knew what had to be done, even if it was their worst nightmare.
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Please R&R (yes, I'm an insecure person in need of reassurance and reviews!) and preferably no flames unless they're constructive. Also, let me know if I've got anything wrong. I made sure I researched everything I needed, but I may get some little details wrong. Knock yourselves out! :oD
&&&
Chapter 1: The prank goes awry.
Picture the scene; a warm, quiet afternoon in Buckland, most of the residents dozing peacefully in the gentle autumn sunshine. Now add the sound of two voices whispering rapidly to each other, and the patter of feet scurrying through the near deserted streets, and what do you get? Yep, Pippin and Merry are up to their old tricks.
"So, which end do you light?" Pippin asked.
"Whaddayamean, which end do you light?" replied Merry, trying to sound knowledgeable as he turned it over in his hand. "You figure it out," he shoved the object into his pal's hand.
Pippin stared down at it completely perplexed. He had never seen one of these before. He and Merry were well acquainted with most of Gandalf's fireworks, but apparently, this wasn't a firework. He looked up at Merry with a blank stare.
"This end?" he hazarded.
"As good as any other end, I suppose," Merry shrugged. Pippin and his parents had come over to Buckland to stay with the Brandybucks for a while and the two young hobbits, as always, were ensuring that they made the most of their time together. When they were together, they were inseparable, each hobbit's mischievous side being magnified by the other's influence.
Their latest plan had been to 'borrow' an exploding cracker from Gandalf's cart and set it off under old Olo Proudfoot's nose whilst he was sleeping. He was a miserable old hobbit, at least in Merry and Pippin's eyes, always grumbling about the pranks they played. It wasn't as if they had ever played a prank on him. . . not until today that is! The hobbits' eyes gleamed mischievously as they held a lit straw against the end of the cracker. As the spark caught hold, they dashed towards old Proudfoot's hammock and flung it underneath him.
They raced back to the end of the street and hid behind the corner, waiting with gleeful grins on their faces. They waited in that position for a while, but nothing happened.
"Do you think we picked a faulty one?" Pippin asked his companion. As they stared at each other uncertainly, the air was shattered by an ear- splittingly loud series of noises. They two hobbits jumped, and reached protectively for their ears. As they looked on, the whole population of Buckland leapt out of their hammocks, chairs and gardens, jerked out of their slumber. Under old Proudfoot, the cracker was jumping around and spitting sparks. The focus of the prank was, by now, screaming in panic and running for the other end of the street. Merry and Pippin rolled on the floor, unable to contain their laughter.
"You know, Pip," began Merry in between giggles. "I think we set light to a bundle of crackers!" Pippin risked a peek around the corner and collapsed in renewed giggles as he realised his friend was right. A whole bundle of crackers had just exploded in the middle of the sleepy town.
"Meriadoc Brandybuck," came a shrill female voice from behind them.
"Peregrin Took," came another one. The two pals turned around fearfully, the humour of the situation long forgotten. Two stern female hobbits stood, hands on hips, glaring at the young hobbits. "This is the last time you two pull a stunt like this."
"Oh, mum, we never meant for. . ."
"I'm not listening to excuses, Peregrin. You are coming home with me, NOW."
"Actually, I think I may have a more appropriate punishment for these two, Eglantine," Merry's mother grinned as a thought entered her head. The two young hobbits looked at each other nervously. When Esmeralda Brandybuck smiled like that, it was time to start panicking.
All the way back to Merry's house, the mothers whispered and plotted behind them. Every time one of them turned around, they would get a clip round the ear and told to walk on. Finally they arrived and were ushered in by the mothers.
"Sit," barked Merry's mum as she pointed threateningly to a couple of chairs. "You two deserve much worse than this, I can tell you. It just so happens that I need a couple of young hobbits to do me a favour, so you're going to help me."
Merry and Pippin looked at each other fearfully.
"Favour?" squeaked Pippin.
"An old friend of mine, haven't seen her for years, is coming to Buckland for a visit. She's thinking of moving here as there are more young hobbits here and her daughter is lonely. She has three sons and just the one daughter, you see," she said as an aside to Pippin's mother. Eglantine Took nodded sympathetically.
Pippin and Merry looked blankly at Esmeralda, fearing the worst and knowing that with their luck, it would occur.
"I want you two," she pointed at the pair of shell-shocked hobbits, "to look after her daughter. Show her around, introduce her to people, that sort of thing."
"Awwww, muuuuum," complained Merry. "We don't want a GIRL hanging around."
"You're going to do as you're told, and what's more, you'll stay out of trouble whilst she's here. She's a nice young hobbit lass, and you two are going to be extra nice to her." Pippin and Merry scowled at the news. They didn't want anything to do with nice young, above all boring, hobbit lasses.
"If you don't do as you're told," Eglantine added, "I shall personally lock you both in your rooms during Gandalf's next fireworks show." The two hobbits' faces fell as they heard the news. That was blackmail, and a hit below the belt. They lived for Gandalf's visits, and his next one was rumoured to be very soon.
"She's arriving tomorrow afternoon, so I want you two scrubbed and neatly dressed on my doorstep for when she arrives. Now off you go."
Pippin and Merry scampered out before the two mothers got it into their heads to make the situation worse.
"A hobbit lass!" exclaimed Pippin. "What fun can we have with HER hanging around?"
"Put it this way, would you rather put up with her, or miss the next fireworks show?" asked Merry resignedly. They both nodded together. They knew what had to be done, even if it was their worst nightmare.
&&&
Please R&R (yes, I'm an insecure person in need of reassurance and reviews!) and preferably no flames unless they're constructive. Also, let me know if I've got anything wrong. I made sure I researched everything I needed, but I may get some little details wrong. Knock yourselves out! :oD