Pippin awoke with a start, 'dreams' he thought to himself. He had seen visions of Frodo and Sam near Mount Doom. "Humph, I'm hungry," he said in a sing-song voice, 'and all I have is dreams,' he thought grumpily. Merry, Fae and Ruby were all asleep. Ruby's head was gently resting on his shoulder. Pippin yawned, letting the sleep engulf him, weaving her inky black fingers over his eyes and pressing them shut, he fell into a dreamless slumber.
Something was wrong, digging, niggling at the back of Merrys' head. This thought brought him unwillingly from his deep sleep. He opened his, and blinked as they got used to the darkness that surrounded the woods, sneakily sliding through the trees. He tried to remember why he had woken. The ents looked disturbed. They were all sitting cross-legged, (or cross trunked as you'd say), deep in discussion and thought. He even thought he saw one asleep. "I wonder what time it is?" he wandered aloud.
"About midnight, I'd say," a voice answered sweetly.
He jumped and looked to see Fae smiling at him.
"Oh," was his only answer.
"Nice nap?"
"Mmm."
"Ah yes, one syllable answers, very 'in' this spring I hear," she laughed softly.
"Oh sorry, it's just that…" he trailed off.
"What?"
"Never mind."
Fae smiled and nudged him, "look," she nodded towards where Pippin and Ruby lay, their foreheads gently pressed together. Pippin was snoring. Merry yawned and stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"I need to find some water, I'm dying of thirst," he said,
walking away.
"Merry?"
"Yeah?" he turned around.
"There's a river in that direction," she pointed opposite of where he was
heading.
"Oh, thank you," he bowed slightly, as hobbit custom, and before Fae could ask anymore, he was gone.