Chapter Thirty-Eight
I didn't go to the caves as I was told. I milled around until the armory was empty except for Strider, who was putting on his battle gear. As he reached for his sword, it lifted from the table and Legolas handed it to him.
"We have trusted you this far. You have not led us astray. Forgive me, I was wrong to despair,"
Strider responded in Elvish. They both smiled and put a hand on each others shoulders. Gimli walked into the armory, trying to hold chain mail up.
"If we had more time I'd get this adjusted," he dropped a bundle of the chain mail to the floor. "It's a little tight about the chest." I too smiled.
Suddenly there was a loud horn coming from outside the tower. "That is no Orc horn." Legolas said. Strider and Gimli ran out to the forum, but Legolas paused when he saw me. "Why aren't you in the caves?"
"I didn't get a chance to say good-bye to Frodo or Sam. Or Merry...not even Pippin...and I didn't want you to go out there..." he came to my level. "Good-bye, Legolas."
"Do not say good-bye, we will see it through the night," he placed a hand on my shoulder. I returned the gesture, the embraced him one last time. He pulled away and stood. "Go to the caves. Stay."
******
:: Merry sat as I paced. The Ents were still discussin' about the war. "This is takin' too long." I said. Merry dinn'a respond. Merry let out a smile grin. "What?"
"This just...reminds me of the time that you were born,"
"What are you talkin' about?" I stopped my pacin' and cocked my head at my older cousin.
"Your father called all of us to the house, because you were being born. We were all just sitting there waiting in the hallway, and we just sat there for hours and hours and hours. Your sisters were in and out of the room, checking on your mom, Frodo was in the corner reading a book or something and I just sat there, being bored out of my wits,"
I grinned. "Mum always did tell me I was the hardest."
I was happy that Merry was thinkin' of better times, instead of focusin' on the bad. I wish I could do the same.
Suddenly I saw Treebeard turnin' to us. I patted Merry in the shoulder. "Merry." We both stood and moved closer to the Ents.
"We have just agreed," Treebeard started. He dinn'a quiet finish, he was takin' a long pause and shut his eyes.
Merry and I exchanged glances, then Merry turned back to Treebeard. "Yes?"
The Ent shook his head and put his attention back on us. "I have told your names to the Entmoot and we have agreed; you are not Orcs." He grinned.
"Well, that's good news," I rolled out.
Merry was not as acceptin' of the answer as I. "And what about Saruman? Have you come to a decision about HIM?"
"Now, don't be hasty, Master Meriadoc,"
"Hasty?" Merry growled. "Our friends are out there! They need our help, they cannot fight this war on their own!"
"War, yes...it affects us all, but you must understand, young hobbit. It takes a long time to say anything in old...Entish...and we never say anything...unless it is worth...taking...a long time...to say. The Ents cannot hold back this storm. We must weather such things as we have always done."
"How can that be your discussion!?" I wanted to calm Merry, but I couldn't move.
"This is not our war,"
"But you're part of this world, aren't you?" the Ents looked at one another, shocked that such a small creature could be this out spoken. "You must help, please! You must do something!"
"You are young and brave, Master Merry. But your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home."
Merry bit his tongue in anger and stormed to where we had been restin'. I simply nodded at the Ents and followed my cousin.
"Maybe Treebeard's right. We don't belong here Merry. It's too big for us. What can we do in the end? We've already lost so much...we've still got the Shire. Maybe we should finally go home."
Merry dinn'a face me. "The fires of Isengard will spread, and the woods of Tookborough and Buckland will burn and all that was once green and good in this world will be gone." He turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "There won't be a Shire, Pippin. And what about Wisteria?" at the mention of her name, I lowered my head. "Do you think that she'd want us to give up? Just leave our friends and family to die? Don't let her have died in vain." He walked away. ::
----
Hope you all are enjoying it. Just saw the extended FOTR in theaters, it was awesome, they should have kept my drunken, singing hobbits at the Green Dragon. ::sigh:: oh well.
Next week, extended TTT, and the 19th...(for me anyway) RETURN OF THE KING! woot! yay!
I didn't go to the caves as I was told. I milled around until the armory was empty except for Strider, who was putting on his battle gear. As he reached for his sword, it lifted from the table and Legolas handed it to him.
"We have trusted you this far. You have not led us astray. Forgive me, I was wrong to despair,"
Strider responded in Elvish. They both smiled and put a hand on each others shoulders. Gimli walked into the armory, trying to hold chain mail up.
"If we had more time I'd get this adjusted," he dropped a bundle of the chain mail to the floor. "It's a little tight about the chest." I too smiled.
Suddenly there was a loud horn coming from outside the tower. "That is no Orc horn." Legolas said. Strider and Gimli ran out to the forum, but Legolas paused when he saw me. "Why aren't you in the caves?"
"I didn't get a chance to say good-bye to Frodo or Sam. Or Merry...not even Pippin...and I didn't want you to go out there..." he came to my level. "Good-bye, Legolas."
"Do not say good-bye, we will see it through the night," he placed a hand on my shoulder. I returned the gesture, the embraced him one last time. He pulled away and stood. "Go to the caves. Stay."
******
:: Merry sat as I paced. The Ents were still discussin' about the war. "This is takin' too long." I said. Merry dinn'a respond. Merry let out a smile grin. "What?"
"This just...reminds me of the time that you were born,"
"What are you talkin' about?" I stopped my pacin' and cocked my head at my older cousin.
"Your father called all of us to the house, because you were being born. We were all just sitting there waiting in the hallway, and we just sat there for hours and hours and hours. Your sisters were in and out of the room, checking on your mom, Frodo was in the corner reading a book or something and I just sat there, being bored out of my wits,"
I grinned. "Mum always did tell me I was the hardest."
I was happy that Merry was thinkin' of better times, instead of focusin' on the bad. I wish I could do the same.
Suddenly I saw Treebeard turnin' to us. I patted Merry in the shoulder. "Merry." We both stood and moved closer to the Ents.
"We have just agreed," Treebeard started. He dinn'a quiet finish, he was takin' a long pause and shut his eyes.
Merry and I exchanged glances, then Merry turned back to Treebeard. "Yes?"
The Ent shook his head and put his attention back on us. "I have told your names to the Entmoot and we have agreed; you are not Orcs." He grinned.
"Well, that's good news," I rolled out.
Merry was not as acceptin' of the answer as I. "And what about Saruman? Have you come to a decision about HIM?"
"Now, don't be hasty, Master Meriadoc,"
"Hasty?" Merry growled. "Our friends are out there! They need our help, they cannot fight this war on their own!"
"War, yes...it affects us all, but you must understand, young hobbit. It takes a long time to say anything in old...Entish...and we never say anything...unless it is worth...taking...a long time...to say. The Ents cannot hold back this storm. We must weather such things as we have always done."
"How can that be your discussion!?" I wanted to calm Merry, but I couldn't move.
"This is not our war,"
"But you're part of this world, aren't you?" the Ents looked at one another, shocked that such a small creature could be this out spoken. "You must help, please! You must do something!"
"You are young and brave, Master Merry. But your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home."
Merry bit his tongue in anger and stormed to where we had been restin'. I simply nodded at the Ents and followed my cousin.
"Maybe Treebeard's right. We don't belong here Merry. It's too big for us. What can we do in the end? We've already lost so much...we've still got the Shire. Maybe we should finally go home."
Merry dinn'a face me. "The fires of Isengard will spread, and the woods of Tookborough and Buckland will burn and all that was once green and good in this world will be gone." He turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "There won't be a Shire, Pippin. And what about Wisteria?" at the mention of her name, I lowered my head. "Do you think that she'd want us to give up? Just leave our friends and family to die? Don't let her have died in vain." He walked away. ::
----
Hope you all are enjoying it. Just saw the extended FOTR in theaters, it was awesome, they should have kept my drunken, singing hobbits at the Green Dragon. ::sigh:: oh well.
Next week, extended TTT, and the 19th...(for me anyway) RETURN OF THE KING! woot! yay!