Chapter Five
The funeral was held the very next day. The entire Shire showed up, for Paladin was greatly loved among the hobbits. Pip said very little during the ceremony, but stayed very close to Merry. He felt Merry was the only other one who keenly felt his loss. Diamond had known the old Took for only a year, his three sisters hadn't even seen him for the past five years, as they had long past moved out and gotten married. Estella barely knew him. But Merry.Merry had lived with Pip almost since the great adventure had ended, and Saradoc had passed on.
Pip only began to cry once during the service, and it was not the crying that he had done in the Mines of Moria after Gandalf fell. It wasn't the crying that he had done when he thought Frodo and Sam were lost in the eruption of Mount Doom. Both times were keenly out of raw emotion. Paladin was ready to die, and it was more of a crying that Paladin was in a happier place, yet beyond Pip. A soft crying of where, though he was happier, Pip could never see him again.
At this point Merry softly put his hand on Pip's shoulder, and Pip could see he was crying as well. The two felt a keen moment of understanding at this moment, but said nothing.
After the service Pip returned to his hobbit hole. Before entering, he checked the mail, as he had started receiving condolence letters that morning. But what he found was something entirely different.
My friend Pippin,
I have been informed that you will become Thain soon, and good Merry to be Master of Buckland. I know Sam is already mayor. I would like you three to be Counsellors to the North-kingdom. I am entirely left in the dark on events in the Shire mostly, and to be frank, I see not enough of you three. If you would even be so kind as to make a trip to Minas Tirith, I'm sure we all here would be most pleased. Or, be it easier, I could travel to the Shire, but I myself have issued a mandate keeping Men out of the Shire, and I dare not break my own laws.
Please write back soon.
Your companion, Aragorn (or King Elessar if you prefer; but to you I just believe I am Aragorn)
Pip smiled. This would be a chance to get away from his grief, a chance to perhaps move on. He could even bring Diamond, and she could meet the great king, but moreover great friend. Merry could bring Estella, and they could get to know each other, and Sam could bring Rosie and the children. It was an excellent opportunity. He ran to find Merry.
"Merry! Merry!" he ran through Hobbiton shouting. He found his friend under a tree with Estella, talking softly. He looked up when he heard his name.
"Dear Pip, what's got ye in such a right mood?"
"We've got a letter! A letter from Aragorn!"
At this Merry popped up. "Really?"
"Yes, he wants to make us his counsellors and he wants us to visit Gondor!"
"Gondor!" Merry sighed. "How I miss it! It was such a nice place to visit.and I miss Aragorn as well, or Elessar, whatever he goes by now. And Arwen.all our companions."
"Perhaps he invited Gimli and Legolas as well!" Pip said excitedly.
"We must go, Pip!" Merry said.
They looked to Estella. "Would ye like to go with us?" Merry asked her.
Estella blushed. "I've.never been outside the Shire before. I'm not a big traveler."
"It'd be a great first experience!" Pip piped up.
At this point Diamond walked up. "What would be a great first experience!"
"Travelin' to Gondor!" the two hobbits said together.
Diamond's face fell. "All the way.to Gondor?"
"Minas Tirith, to be exact," Pip said knowingly.
"Do.do you really like traveling that much?"
Pip's eyes probably portrayed his reaction to that statement. But what Diamond had said had made him realize that most hobbits did not enjoy traveling or adventures of any sort. They would most likely not join them.
"I do. But after all we've been through, you kind of have to." Pip said with a downcast tone. "I understand that ye don't want to travel. I had thought.perhaps.your heritage." his voice trailed off.
Early in their relationship Pip had learned Diamond was half-human. Thus was why she was almost as tall at Merry and Pippin, the two tallest hobbits in the Shire, thanks to some Ent Draught they had along their journey.
"I know.I." Diamond took a deep breath. "I would like to go with you."
"Would you really?" Pip asked excitedly. "Or are ye just sayin' that?"
"I would. It would be an honor to meet King Elessar - "
"I'm sure he'll have you call him Aragorn," Pip pointed out.
"Or Aragorn, whatever the case may be," Diamond finished. "What about you, Estella?"
Estella seemed to be lost in thought. "I don't know.it'd be terribly frightening being so far from home."
"I'll protect ye!" Merry spoke up. "I won't let anythin' bad happen to ye!"
Estella smiled at him. Merry made a few sword movements in the air. "I've had training from the best, ye know. Aragorn, Boromir.both taught me a lot about fighting."
"Aye, then," said Estella. "I will go."
Pip and Merry smiled, and began jumping up and down, singing, "We're going to Gondor! We're going to Gondor!"
Perhaps it would be the happiest moment the hobbits could have under the circumstances. Perhaps they knew that the good ol' Took who was so dear to them was happier where he was now. Either way, no one could quench the great joy both felt in their hearts.
The funeral was held the very next day. The entire Shire showed up, for Paladin was greatly loved among the hobbits. Pip said very little during the ceremony, but stayed very close to Merry. He felt Merry was the only other one who keenly felt his loss. Diamond had known the old Took for only a year, his three sisters hadn't even seen him for the past five years, as they had long past moved out and gotten married. Estella barely knew him. But Merry.Merry had lived with Pip almost since the great adventure had ended, and Saradoc had passed on.
Pip only began to cry once during the service, and it was not the crying that he had done in the Mines of Moria after Gandalf fell. It wasn't the crying that he had done when he thought Frodo and Sam were lost in the eruption of Mount Doom. Both times were keenly out of raw emotion. Paladin was ready to die, and it was more of a crying that Paladin was in a happier place, yet beyond Pip. A soft crying of where, though he was happier, Pip could never see him again.
At this point Merry softly put his hand on Pip's shoulder, and Pip could see he was crying as well. The two felt a keen moment of understanding at this moment, but said nothing.
After the service Pip returned to his hobbit hole. Before entering, he checked the mail, as he had started receiving condolence letters that morning. But what he found was something entirely different.
My friend Pippin,
I have been informed that you will become Thain soon, and good Merry to be Master of Buckland. I know Sam is already mayor. I would like you three to be Counsellors to the North-kingdom. I am entirely left in the dark on events in the Shire mostly, and to be frank, I see not enough of you three. If you would even be so kind as to make a trip to Minas Tirith, I'm sure we all here would be most pleased. Or, be it easier, I could travel to the Shire, but I myself have issued a mandate keeping Men out of the Shire, and I dare not break my own laws.
Please write back soon.
Your companion, Aragorn (or King Elessar if you prefer; but to you I just believe I am Aragorn)
Pip smiled. This would be a chance to get away from his grief, a chance to perhaps move on. He could even bring Diamond, and she could meet the great king, but moreover great friend. Merry could bring Estella, and they could get to know each other, and Sam could bring Rosie and the children. It was an excellent opportunity. He ran to find Merry.
"Merry! Merry!" he ran through Hobbiton shouting. He found his friend under a tree with Estella, talking softly. He looked up when he heard his name.
"Dear Pip, what's got ye in such a right mood?"
"We've got a letter! A letter from Aragorn!"
At this Merry popped up. "Really?"
"Yes, he wants to make us his counsellors and he wants us to visit Gondor!"
"Gondor!" Merry sighed. "How I miss it! It was such a nice place to visit.and I miss Aragorn as well, or Elessar, whatever he goes by now. And Arwen.all our companions."
"Perhaps he invited Gimli and Legolas as well!" Pip said excitedly.
"We must go, Pip!" Merry said.
They looked to Estella. "Would ye like to go with us?" Merry asked her.
Estella blushed. "I've.never been outside the Shire before. I'm not a big traveler."
"It'd be a great first experience!" Pip piped up.
At this point Diamond walked up. "What would be a great first experience!"
"Travelin' to Gondor!" the two hobbits said together.
Diamond's face fell. "All the way.to Gondor?"
"Minas Tirith, to be exact," Pip said knowingly.
"Do.do you really like traveling that much?"
Pip's eyes probably portrayed his reaction to that statement. But what Diamond had said had made him realize that most hobbits did not enjoy traveling or adventures of any sort. They would most likely not join them.
"I do. But after all we've been through, you kind of have to." Pip said with a downcast tone. "I understand that ye don't want to travel. I had thought.perhaps.your heritage." his voice trailed off.
Early in their relationship Pip had learned Diamond was half-human. Thus was why she was almost as tall at Merry and Pippin, the two tallest hobbits in the Shire, thanks to some Ent Draught they had along their journey.
"I know.I." Diamond took a deep breath. "I would like to go with you."
"Would you really?" Pip asked excitedly. "Or are ye just sayin' that?"
"I would. It would be an honor to meet King Elessar - "
"I'm sure he'll have you call him Aragorn," Pip pointed out.
"Or Aragorn, whatever the case may be," Diamond finished. "What about you, Estella?"
Estella seemed to be lost in thought. "I don't know.it'd be terribly frightening being so far from home."
"I'll protect ye!" Merry spoke up. "I won't let anythin' bad happen to ye!"
Estella smiled at him. Merry made a few sword movements in the air. "I've had training from the best, ye know. Aragorn, Boromir.both taught me a lot about fighting."
"Aye, then," said Estella. "I will go."
Pip and Merry smiled, and began jumping up and down, singing, "We're going to Gondor! We're going to Gondor!"
Perhaps it would be the happiest moment the hobbits could have under the circumstances. Perhaps they knew that the good ol' Took who was so dear to them was happier where he was now. Either way, no one could quench the great joy both felt in their hearts.