It was Merry who found him. Veiled in smoky shadows, he was sat in a corner off the inn, staring down into a half-drunken mug off ale.
"Pippin." Merry's voice was barely above a whisper. As he sat down on the stool beside his cousin, he placed a gentle hand on his. It was strangely chilly and clammy in the heat of the inn. "Pip?"
It took a while for Pippin's gaze to return from unknown territory, and when he finally looked at Merry his eyes were full of pain and fear. "I'm so scared, Merry." His voice quivered slightly and his right-hand gripped the mug a little tighter.
Merry swallowed and nodded. "I know." He had spent the last five hours searching for his little cousin, and he had been able to see no other reason for Pippin's disappearance than just that.
"Do you understand?" Pippin's gaze searched him, willing him to understand.
Merry nodded. "Yes." In the back off his mind, Sam's words echoed. 'If you'll excuse me, I don't think that he's quite ready for this. And he ain't fully healed, neither, if you get me.'
Of course, none off them were fully recovered, they would never recover. The shadows still haunted them, but Sam and himself had come to a stage where they had learnt to live with it, where sudden fears became part of everyday life and they no longer avoided things and places that may awaken them. Pippin had not yet reached that stage; the events had hurt him too deeply. Not physically, but it had shaken his innocence, crushed his imaginative world and thrown him into the misery of adult-hood far too early.
"What are you thinking off?" Pippin's voice penetrated his thoughts, green inquisitive eyes looking at Merry with an eager interest. Still so naïve…
Merry pressed his hand a little tighter. "Nothing." He shrugged, as if it would shake off the doubt that was on him. "Come on, Pip, let's get you home."
**End of part one**
"Pippin." Merry's voice was barely above a whisper. As he sat down on the stool beside his cousin, he placed a gentle hand on his. It was strangely chilly and clammy in the heat of the inn. "Pip?"
It took a while for Pippin's gaze to return from unknown territory, and when he finally looked at Merry his eyes were full of pain and fear. "I'm so scared, Merry." His voice quivered slightly and his right-hand gripped the mug a little tighter.
Merry swallowed and nodded. "I know." He had spent the last five hours searching for his little cousin, and he had been able to see no other reason for Pippin's disappearance than just that.
"Do you understand?" Pippin's gaze searched him, willing him to understand.
Merry nodded. "Yes." In the back off his mind, Sam's words echoed. 'If you'll excuse me, I don't think that he's quite ready for this. And he ain't fully healed, neither, if you get me.'
Of course, none off them were fully recovered, they would never recover. The shadows still haunted them, but Sam and himself had come to a stage where they had learnt to live with it, where sudden fears became part of everyday life and they no longer avoided things and places that may awaken them. Pippin had not yet reached that stage; the events had hurt him too deeply. Not physically, but it had shaken his innocence, crushed his imaginative world and thrown him into the misery of adult-hood far too early.
"What are you thinking off?" Pippin's voice penetrated his thoughts, green inquisitive eyes looking at Merry with an eager interest. Still so naïve…
Merry pressed his hand a little tighter. "Nothing." He shrugged, as if it would shake off the doubt that was on him. "Come on, Pip, let's get you home."
**End of part one**