A/N: Been a bit of a long time hadn't it? But those reviews do work! They
gave me a right good kick up the bottom and got me moving. Thanks, I needed
that.
Pippin wandered back to the clearing, all sense of the urgency he had earlier was washed away. He now took his time gazing at the before unseeable sky. To his eyes it was brighter than it was before but still it was swirling and angry, in turmoil and being torn in twain by an unknown force. He stared harder at the sky, willing it to be calm again and out of a far off memory the image of a blue sky floated before his eyes. The sky as it once was in Gondor. Pippin snapped back to himself, where were all these memories coming from? For he was certain they weren't his. If he were to think of a blue sky, it would be a blue sky of the Shire. In his confusion, he failed to notice the change in the sky above to its normal dull grey self.
Pippin walked and pondered upon what had happened to him. As he pondered, he kept no track of where he was going and his path wandered. Pippin soon realised that it was taking longer than it should be to reach his destination. He gazed around at the trees, as individual and different from one another as Frodo was different from Merry. At the thought of his friends, the light around him grew bluer again, how were they faring? Was Merry still ill and how well were the others looking after him? He could answer the second part of the question easily, they were taking perfect care of him. Unless, they were out looking for him, which brought him back to his own dilemma, where had he got himself? He was getting far too reflective and he kept getting lost in his thought!
Looking around he saw immediately that he had gone too far east of the clearing and turned back to the path. Only a little way further, however, he found himself in trouble once more. He was face to face with five evil wolf creatures that seemed in abundance in this wood. Pippin backed up against a tree, he couldn't run they would catch him by the heels, bring him down and tear him to pieces and there were no sticks for self-defence. His light became a sickly yellow colour as the situation seemed more and more dire. The beasts came closer and closer to Pippin, cutting off all ways of escape, unless he found a new flying ability. The beasts were now in the perfect position to spring upon him, but they didn't. Pippin became confused by their hesitation, but then realisation hit him and he smirked. The light around him disappeared and in its stead was a cloud of darkness. The creatures around him became even more unsure of themselves and one began to whimper. The noise fuelled Pippin's malice towards these foul animals, they attacked him while he was weak, playing with him as a cat plays with an injured mouse but now he was stronger than they and was able to teach them a lesson.
Pippin moved away from his tree towards the whimpering being cowering in front of him. The shadow around him grew and the creature ran howling into the trees. The remaining four growled and advanced upon him, but he would not be pushed back. The creatures were baffled by his actions; he was their prey and prey always ran it always ran to the thorns and impaled itself there. Then they would drag the still feebly struggling body from the bushes and into the darkness where they would do what they will with it. But this morsel was different, almost not worth the danger of fighting it. But not quite, there was nothing in their realm that could fight them. Well, nothing solid.
They drew their circle in. Pippin grinned, if he could see himself he would have scared himself out of his skin. This grin looked to contain nothing but evil intentions and it was most unlike anything Pippin had ever looked like. One of the creatures ran and pounced at him. Pippin's hands were as quick as Legolas' and they caught the beast by the throat and they squeezed. They squeezed and they wouldn't stop. The thing's eyes were bulging out of its head and its tongue was lolling out of its mouth. The remaining three made off into the safety of the trees, lest they found themselves on the other end of this new foe's arms. Things popped and cracked beneath Pippin's grip, small as it was and his fingers soon broke the skin. The feel of the warm blood washing over his hands was like a smack to Pippin. The shadow was instantly washed away by his returning light and he dropped the body.
Pippin stared at his hands in dismay, what had happened to him? He was never so violent and malicious, even in battle. The troll had only been killed in defence of his good friend Beregond. He looked back to the lifeless carcass, lifeless by his hands. He left the scene as fast as his small legs would allow. He stopped only to wipe the incriminating red liquid from his hands and then ran again for the clearing. When he got there, something told him everything would return to normal.
***
Frodo entered the house, closely followed by Merry and finally Sam. All three of them looked to the lady for answers immediately and she was very obliging. After showing them into her sitting room and showing them to some chairs she remained standing and began to talk.
"It started not too long ago, when the forest first moved here. We thought it mighty strange to say the least but we lived with it. Until the bodies started coming." She began to pace. "They found them in the plants, all old and wrinkled but with the body of someone no more than 10 years. The plants could fell the forest as well, they went mad, like a wild dog straining to get at something if you get my meaning sirs. Then Hob on the end was taken down by his own raspberry patch. Saved only by his son. Lucky he was. He left son after." Her hands were restless and she was wringing them together as she continued pacing. "Then next-door began hearing noises in the night. Twigs scratching at the windows when there weren't no tree there, then I wakes up one morning to find them gone, my first thought is that the plants took 'em, but I got a note delivered next post saying how it were to dangerous around here. They're right too, I'm leaving as soon as is possible.
You can't make no loud noises for them plants is only sleeping and you don't want to be nowhere near them when they wake up. Twist around your neck they will, they'll squeeze the life out of you." She stopped pacing but instead stood, eyes wide, staring at the floor, giving off a feeling of one who is scared beyond reason.
"Please, my dear lady, don't speak of it any more, you are obviously distressed." Said Frodo as kindly and soothingly as he could. The scared hobbit nodded vaguely at him. "Please," continued Frodo, "Do you know of anyway of entering the forest?" The woman stopped stock still, staring at Frodo as though he had lost his mind, but said nothing.
"Please!" said Merry loudly, making her jump, "Out friend is in there he needs our help. We have to help him!" Merry had none of the softness of Frodo and the woman looked shaken but then she began talking and babbling, positively pushing them out of her home.
"No no no, you don't want to go in there, no, you can't go in there, you'll never come out, you friend will never come out. Dead he is, can't do anything about it. Dead, dead, dead. All them are, another body he'll be, nothing more, dead." She was getting beyond comprehension as she shooed them outside back onto the overgrown road and shut the door firmly behind them. The three were going to have some trouble getting into that forest it seemed.
Pippin wandered back to the clearing, all sense of the urgency he had earlier was washed away. He now took his time gazing at the before unseeable sky. To his eyes it was brighter than it was before but still it was swirling and angry, in turmoil and being torn in twain by an unknown force. He stared harder at the sky, willing it to be calm again and out of a far off memory the image of a blue sky floated before his eyes. The sky as it once was in Gondor. Pippin snapped back to himself, where were all these memories coming from? For he was certain they weren't his. If he were to think of a blue sky, it would be a blue sky of the Shire. In his confusion, he failed to notice the change in the sky above to its normal dull grey self.
Pippin walked and pondered upon what had happened to him. As he pondered, he kept no track of where he was going and his path wandered. Pippin soon realised that it was taking longer than it should be to reach his destination. He gazed around at the trees, as individual and different from one another as Frodo was different from Merry. At the thought of his friends, the light around him grew bluer again, how were they faring? Was Merry still ill and how well were the others looking after him? He could answer the second part of the question easily, they were taking perfect care of him. Unless, they were out looking for him, which brought him back to his own dilemma, where had he got himself? He was getting far too reflective and he kept getting lost in his thought!
Looking around he saw immediately that he had gone too far east of the clearing and turned back to the path. Only a little way further, however, he found himself in trouble once more. He was face to face with five evil wolf creatures that seemed in abundance in this wood. Pippin backed up against a tree, he couldn't run they would catch him by the heels, bring him down and tear him to pieces and there were no sticks for self-defence. His light became a sickly yellow colour as the situation seemed more and more dire. The beasts came closer and closer to Pippin, cutting off all ways of escape, unless he found a new flying ability. The beasts were now in the perfect position to spring upon him, but they didn't. Pippin became confused by their hesitation, but then realisation hit him and he smirked. The light around him disappeared and in its stead was a cloud of darkness. The creatures around him became even more unsure of themselves and one began to whimper. The noise fuelled Pippin's malice towards these foul animals, they attacked him while he was weak, playing with him as a cat plays with an injured mouse but now he was stronger than they and was able to teach them a lesson.
Pippin moved away from his tree towards the whimpering being cowering in front of him. The shadow around him grew and the creature ran howling into the trees. The remaining four growled and advanced upon him, but he would not be pushed back. The creatures were baffled by his actions; he was their prey and prey always ran it always ran to the thorns and impaled itself there. Then they would drag the still feebly struggling body from the bushes and into the darkness where they would do what they will with it. But this morsel was different, almost not worth the danger of fighting it. But not quite, there was nothing in their realm that could fight them. Well, nothing solid.
They drew their circle in. Pippin grinned, if he could see himself he would have scared himself out of his skin. This grin looked to contain nothing but evil intentions and it was most unlike anything Pippin had ever looked like. One of the creatures ran and pounced at him. Pippin's hands were as quick as Legolas' and they caught the beast by the throat and they squeezed. They squeezed and they wouldn't stop. The thing's eyes were bulging out of its head and its tongue was lolling out of its mouth. The remaining three made off into the safety of the trees, lest they found themselves on the other end of this new foe's arms. Things popped and cracked beneath Pippin's grip, small as it was and his fingers soon broke the skin. The feel of the warm blood washing over his hands was like a smack to Pippin. The shadow was instantly washed away by his returning light and he dropped the body.
Pippin stared at his hands in dismay, what had happened to him? He was never so violent and malicious, even in battle. The troll had only been killed in defence of his good friend Beregond. He looked back to the lifeless carcass, lifeless by his hands. He left the scene as fast as his small legs would allow. He stopped only to wipe the incriminating red liquid from his hands and then ran again for the clearing. When he got there, something told him everything would return to normal.
***
Frodo entered the house, closely followed by Merry and finally Sam. All three of them looked to the lady for answers immediately and she was very obliging. After showing them into her sitting room and showing them to some chairs she remained standing and began to talk.
"It started not too long ago, when the forest first moved here. We thought it mighty strange to say the least but we lived with it. Until the bodies started coming." She began to pace. "They found them in the plants, all old and wrinkled but with the body of someone no more than 10 years. The plants could fell the forest as well, they went mad, like a wild dog straining to get at something if you get my meaning sirs. Then Hob on the end was taken down by his own raspberry patch. Saved only by his son. Lucky he was. He left son after." Her hands were restless and she was wringing them together as she continued pacing. "Then next-door began hearing noises in the night. Twigs scratching at the windows when there weren't no tree there, then I wakes up one morning to find them gone, my first thought is that the plants took 'em, but I got a note delivered next post saying how it were to dangerous around here. They're right too, I'm leaving as soon as is possible.
You can't make no loud noises for them plants is only sleeping and you don't want to be nowhere near them when they wake up. Twist around your neck they will, they'll squeeze the life out of you." She stopped pacing but instead stood, eyes wide, staring at the floor, giving off a feeling of one who is scared beyond reason.
"Please, my dear lady, don't speak of it any more, you are obviously distressed." Said Frodo as kindly and soothingly as he could. The scared hobbit nodded vaguely at him. "Please," continued Frodo, "Do you know of anyway of entering the forest?" The woman stopped stock still, staring at Frodo as though he had lost his mind, but said nothing.
"Please!" said Merry loudly, making her jump, "Out friend is in there he needs our help. We have to help him!" Merry had none of the softness of Frodo and the woman looked shaken but then she began talking and babbling, positively pushing them out of her home.
"No no no, you don't want to go in there, no, you can't go in there, you'll never come out, you friend will never come out. Dead he is, can't do anything about it. Dead, dead, dead. All them are, another body he'll be, nothing more, dead." She was getting beyond comprehension as she shooed them outside back onto the overgrown road and shut the door firmly behind them. The three were going to have some trouble getting into that forest it seemed.