Chapter Six
Pip buzzed happily about the Took hobbit hole, grabbing assorted items and throwing them in a bag. "Aye, there's me pipe.an' me pipe weed.an' some clothes.can't forget the pipe weed.and some food.an' some more pipe weed."
"Pip I hear you in there!" Merry shouted from the other room. "You have got to slow down on the smoking!"
"But Merry - "
"Ye heard me!"
"Did ye tell Sam yet 'at we were goin'?" Pip said, trying to change the subject.
"Aye. He said he'd get Rosie an' the kids packed an' ready as soon as possible."
"Why.that makes.eight of us."
He stopped shuffling around, and heard Merry do the same in the other room. "Almost a fellowship," he said softly. He took in a deep breath, and then continued packing.
"Did ye get yer blanket, Merry?" Pip asked.
"Aye, can't ye see it's not on the bed?"
"I didn't look - I just asked."
Pip could almost see Merry shaking his head in disgust in the other room. Pip smiled. He mimicked Merry saying the words, 'would you think before you talk, Pip? Honestly.'
"Would you think before you talk Pip? Honestly.you drive me mad sometimes."
Pip smiled. All too many times he had heard that speech. "I think we've got enough packed, Merry."
"Ye did remember the beer, didn't ye?"
"Merry, Merry, Merry," Pip said disapprovingly. "Ye drink too much."
Merry laughed in the other room. "That I do, Pip. But yes, I believe we have everything. Where'd you tell the rest to meet us?"
"On the outskirts of town.by that little pond, with the trees."
"Aye," Merry said, walking into the room. His reddish hair was slightly ruffled, but his face portrayed all the excitement of traveling. "Shall we go, then?"
The two companions walked outside and down to the pond. No one was there yet, so Pip and Merry sat along the edge to talk, much like Pip and Diamond had done the day before.
"I can't believe yer getting married, Pip," Merry said. "Whoulda thought ye'd beat me to it?"
"Not I," said Pip with a laugh. "But that's okay.we did a lot of things no one would ever expect of us."
"Aye," Merry said. "Going on our journey, being captured by orcs, meeting the ents, saving Isengard, fighting to save Minas Tirith.I really do feel a great connection with that city."
"So do I," said Pip. "I was the assistant to the steward, ye know."
"So you've said many times," Merry said, smiling. "You never cease to bring it up."
"Well it was quite an accomplishment!" Pip said. "And I saved Faramir!" His face fell. "Oh how I'd like to see Faramir again! He was so kind to me.and he recognized me as a hobbit! And then he told Gandalf and I how he had seen Frodo." his voice trailed off.
"I would much like to see Eomer," said Merry. "Perhaps we could ride through Rohan on the way?"
"If you would like, Merry. It wouldn't hurt anything, and I would much like to see him too."
"We do not get to see our good friends as much as we would like." Merry said with a slight sigh.
"Tis our doom, Merry. We are destined to live in the Shire, for that is where our duty is. Of course we can visit these people, but not for too long, for we're needed here."
"Yes. Sam got Master Tolman Cotton to act as deputy mayor. He's goin' to watch out for our jobs as well."
"Rosie's pap?"
"Aye."
Pip looked behind him, and over the hill came Sam and his family, Diamond, and Estella, the afternoon sun giving them an unearthly glow, and Pip was once again reminded of the fellowship. He realized this journey may be harder than he thought.emotionally harder.memories would come back.
But now was not the time to think of that. Now was the time to head to Minas Tirith, the city of Kings.
Pip buzzed happily about the Took hobbit hole, grabbing assorted items and throwing them in a bag. "Aye, there's me pipe.an' me pipe weed.an' some clothes.can't forget the pipe weed.and some food.an' some more pipe weed."
"Pip I hear you in there!" Merry shouted from the other room. "You have got to slow down on the smoking!"
"But Merry - "
"Ye heard me!"
"Did ye tell Sam yet 'at we were goin'?" Pip said, trying to change the subject.
"Aye. He said he'd get Rosie an' the kids packed an' ready as soon as possible."
"Why.that makes.eight of us."
He stopped shuffling around, and heard Merry do the same in the other room. "Almost a fellowship," he said softly. He took in a deep breath, and then continued packing.
"Did ye get yer blanket, Merry?" Pip asked.
"Aye, can't ye see it's not on the bed?"
"I didn't look - I just asked."
Pip could almost see Merry shaking his head in disgust in the other room. Pip smiled. He mimicked Merry saying the words, 'would you think before you talk, Pip? Honestly.'
"Would you think before you talk Pip? Honestly.you drive me mad sometimes."
Pip smiled. All too many times he had heard that speech. "I think we've got enough packed, Merry."
"Ye did remember the beer, didn't ye?"
"Merry, Merry, Merry," Pip said disapprovingly. "Ye drink too much."
Merry laughed in the other room. "That I do, Pip. But yes, I believe we have everything. Where'd you tell the rest to meet us?"
"On the outskirts of town.by that little pond, with the trees."
"Aye," Merry said, walking into the room. His reddish hair was slightly ruffled, but his face portrayed all the excitement of traveling. "Shall we go, then?"
The two companions walked outside and down to the pond. No one was there yet, so Pip and Merry sat along the edge to talk, much like Pip and Diamond had done the day before.
"I can't believe yer getting married, Pip," Merry said. "Whoulda thought ye'd beat me to it?"
"Not I," said Pip with a laugh. "But that's okay.we did a lot of things no one would ever expect of us."
"Aye," Merry said. "Going on our journey, being captured by orcs, meeting the ents, saving Isengard, fighting to save Minas Tirith.I really do feel a great connection with that city."
"So do I," said Pip. "I was the assistant to the steward, ye know."
"So you've said many times," Merry said, smiling. "You never cease to bring it up."
"Well it was quite an accomplishment!" Pip said. "And I saved Faramir!" His face fell. "Oh how I'd like to see Faramir again! He was so kind to me.and he recognized me as a hobbit! And then he told Gandalf and I how he had seen Frodo." his voice trailed off.
"I would much like to see Eomer," said Merry. "Perhaps we could ride through Rohan on the way?"
"If you would like, Merry. It wouldn't hurt anything, and I would much like to see him too."
"We do not get to see our good friends as much as we would like." Merry said with a slight sigh.
"Tis our doom, Merry. We are destined to live in the Shire, for that is where our duty is. Of course we can visit these people, but not for too long, for we're needed here."
"Yes. Sam got Master Tolman Cotton to act as deputy mayor. He's goin' to watch out for our jobs as well."
"Rosie's pap?"
"Aye."
Pip looked behind him, and over the hill came Sam and his family, Diamond, and Estella, the afternoon sun giving them an unearthly glow, and Pip was once again reminded of the fellowship. He realized this journey may be harder than he thought.emotionally harder.memories would come back.
But now was not the time to think of that. Now was the time to head to Minas Tirith, the city of Kings.