Those Mischevious Years
Chapter One
" And the same about your mother!" a voice yelled. A young hobbit, about sixteen years old, sped around the corner and lept into the natural fray of the Hobbiton Market Place.
Glancing behind him, Merry Brandybuck caught a glimpse of his pursuers, four big burly hobbits. Adrenaline slammed through his veins and he pushed on.
" Oops! Sorry Mrs. Sackville-Baggins!"
" Sorry Sam!"
" Watch out Rosie!"
" Ah! Sorry Mr. Gamgee!"
" Ohhh....Mushrooms!"
A hobbit with azure eyes glance up and smiled as his ypunger cousin gleefully shot through the chaos, almost slamming into Mrs. Bolger who was carrying a basket full of the best mushrooms. The hobbit watched as a few of the mushrooms disapeared into Merry's mouth.
Frodo Baggins laughed. " That Meridoc."
***
Thunk.
An irritated hobbit girl looked up, her curls bouncing angrily. A young boy sat on the tree branch above her, innocently munching on an apple.
" You stop that Pippin Took!" the girl cried.
" Stop what?" Pippin asked vaguley.
She threw him an insolent look and went back to reading.
Crunch. Crunch.
Clill looked at the boy above her who smiled back. " Stop it!" She pursed her lips. " You're chewing too loud."
Pippin put a hand to his ear. " Eh? Whats that? I can't hear you."
Clill growled, gathered her skirts and stalked off down the hill.
The boy laughed and crunched loudly on his apple. He sat back looking up at the sky. A sudden yell perked his interest and he looked around for the source.
The boy saw a hobbit in his early tweens leaping up the hill towards him, four burly hobbits close in pursuit. Pippin frowned slightly. He knew this hobbit from somewhere...but where?
Still bored and looking for entertainment the dark-haired boy gathered a bunch of his apples in his lap. The chased hobbit stopped under his tree and leaned upon it for support.
" Lure them over here," the Took hissed. The other hobbit glanced up at him and nodded slowly. Then he turned to the oncoming attackers.
" Oy! Wartface!"
As the four hobbits came into the boy's range, Pippin began to throw apples at them. The other sandyhaired hobbit snatched an apple out of the air that was off course and smashed it into the leaders head. As they began to run away, he snatched another juicy apple out of the air and began to munch on it. Then he looked up into the tree.
" So whos up there?"
Pippin dropped down, landed nimbly and stuck his hand out. " Peregrin Took, but everyone calls me Pippin or Pip."
The boy nodded. " Ah I know you. You're the raascal that got caught my Farmer Maggot the other day. I'm Meridoc Brandybuck. But my friends call me Merry."
Pippin nodded. " Yeah but at least I don't get caught in the Brandy Hall store rooms." He winked and Merry groaned.
" Oh yeah...that..."
The younger hobbit began to laugh and Merry tapped him roughly on the head.
" Thats just about enough of that....so Pip do you like mushrooms?"
***
Aurora, Pippin's nurse, glanced outside at the falling sun. Where was that boy?
As if on cue, the door slammed open to reveal a small dark haired boy and a taller sandy haired hobbit. Both of them were laughing hysterically and they fell into the kitchen.
Aurora glanced at them. It was Pippin...and her old charge, Meridoc!
" Aurora!" Pippin cried. " This is my friend Merry!"
The maid laughed, a pretty sound, like bells. "Yes, yes I know this culprit." Merry blushed crimson. Aurora raised her eyes to the ceiling. " Oy, a Took and a Brandybuck. Whatever did I do to deserve this?"