THE SPELLS GONE WRONG SERIES
No. 1
Hobbits, Ants, and the "Small" World That Binds Them
CHAPTER 3
Aragorn and Legolas finally got a fire started and roasted some mushrooms, much to the chagrin of Pippin.
"Relax," Merry said. "I had to give them some of mine too."
Pippin didn't look convinced as he folded his arms across his chest. "These are not hobbit conditions. They are the exact opposite. I require time to adjust."
Boromir choked on a piece of mushroom at Pippin's comment. "You need time to adjust?" he asked. "How much time do you think we have?"
"Well," Pippin contemplated. "I have as long as it takes."
Boromir huffed and hunched back over his sword, being meticulous about cleaning it.
"Come, Boromir," Aragorn laughed. "Can't you see that Pippin is absolutely distraught?"
Frodo and Sam laughed as they popped little pieces of their portions into their mouths.
"Who says that being small is has to be an awful experience?" Aragorn asked with a wide grin as he settled comfortably against the trunk, crossing his legs and putting his hands behind his head.
"We live with being small," Merry said.
"You get used to it," Pippin added.
"What will we do in the morning?" Frodo asked.
"We will need to move out and find another tree," Legolas answered. "Mithrandir is most likely combing the forest in search of us. We need only an opportunity to run into him."
"But we need to find a way to get his attention," Sam spoke up. "He didn't hear us last time."
"Do you think Gandalf has any idea about what happened?" Merry asked. "I mean, does he know that we turned small?"
Aragorn shrugged. "I don't know, Merry. But Gandalf is a wizard and thank goodness an intelligent one. He'll find out what happened if he doesn't know already. And if he does know, he's trying to find us and discover how to reverse it."
"We really should get some rest," Frodo said quietly. "Who will keep first watch?"
After some discussion, it was decided that Legolas would take first watch, followed by Boromir, and then Aragorn would go last and wake them up when it was time.
Aragorn roused his companions as the sun began to wink through the trees. They quickly moved out, deciding to travel in a large circle. To help himself keep track of where they were, Aragorn had Gimli chop an unmistakable mark in the bark.
"Aragorn," Pippin whimpered. "We've traveling all day!" he paused, then made a sudden outcry. "And that is the fifth time we've passed that tree!"
"It is not," Aragorn waved. "I am Dunadan, I do not travel in circles. I am perfectly capable of navigating."
"It's the same tree!" Pippin argued.
"How do you know?" Aragorn asked.
"Because I remember that rock," Pippin said simply.
"Pippin, there are many rocks," Aragorn sighed, looking around.
"Not ones that have moss on them," Pippin answered tartly.
Aragorn stopped and turned around to face his company. "I know how to navigate. I told you that we were going to travel in a big circle."
"Yes," Legolas nodded. "We were going to travel in."
He was cut off by Merry. "A big circle. Not a little one."
"Okay, so I'm having a little trouble. Let's see how well you can find your way through a forest when you are the size of a midge!" Aragorn threw up his hands. "Unfortunately, unlike a midge, I do not have wings and cannot fly through the air, skimming the forest."
"That's it!" Merry said. "We can build wings and fly around the forest!"
"What will we build them with?" Boromir asked. "Leaves?"
Merry nodded. "Yes! Pippin and I have built similar things."
"When?" Sam asked, surprised.
"That time when we dropped the armload of vegetables on you," Merry replied with a smirk.
"That would also be what caused you to send the sheep stampeding through the market," Frodo frowned. "So you can see where your inventions lead."
"A stampede?" Legolas asked.
"It was only two sheep," Pippin smiled. "So stampede is such a strong word. And it wasn't the invention itself, but Sam here chased us and we needed to escape his wrath."
"My wrath?" Sam exclaimed. "What wrath? I had no wrath!"
"We beg to differ," Merry folded his arms across his chest. "No, all we need to do is chop up some thin and light pieces of twig and grab a few leaves and then we'll be set!"
"Who is going to fly it?" Gimli asked.
"I say that the best navigator should fly it," Boromir said slowly, looking directly at Aragorn.
"Who said that I can navigate?" Aragorn asked, feigning to be stunned.
CHAPTER 3
Aragorn and Legolas finally got a fire started and roasted some mushrooms, much to the chagrin of Pippin.
"Relax," Merry said. "I had to give them some of mine too."
Pippin didn't look convinced as he folded his arms across his chest. "These are not hobbit conditions. They are the exact opposite. I require time to adjust."
Boromir choked on a piece of mushroom at Pippin's comment. "You need time to adjust?" he asked. "How much time do you think we have?"
"Well," Pippin contemplated. "I have as long as it takes."
Boromir huffed and hunched back over his sword, being meticulous about cleaning it.
"Come, Boromir," Aragorn laughed. "Can't you see that Pippin is absolutely distraught?"
Frodo and Sam laughed as they popped little pieces of their portions into their mouths.
"Who says that being small is has to be an awful experience?" Aragorn asked with a wide grin as he settled comfortably against the trunk, crossing his legs and putting his hands behind his head.
"We live with being small," Merry said.
"You get used to it," Pippin added.
"What will we do in the morning?" Frodo asked.
"We will need to move out and find another tree," Legolas answered. "Mithrandir is most likely combing the forest in search of us. We need only an opportunity to run into him."
"But we need to find a way to get his attention," Sam spoke up. "He didn't hear us last time."
"Do you think Gandalf has any idea about what happened?" Merry asked. "I mean, does he know that we turned small?"
Aragorn shrugged. "I don't know, Merry. But Gandalf is a wizard and thank goodness an intelligent one. He'll find out what happened if he doesn't know already. And if he does know, he's trying to find us and discover how to reverse it."
"We really should get some rest," Frodo said quietly. "Who will keep first watch?"
After some discussion, it was decided that Legolas would take first watch, followed by Boromir, and then Aragorn would go last and wake them up when it was time.
Aragorn roused his companions as the sun began to wink through the trees. They quickly moved out, deciding to travel in a large circle. To help himself keep track of where they were, Aragorn had Gimli chop an unmistakable mark in the bark.
"Aragorn," Pippin whimpered. "We've traveling all day!" he paused, then made a sudden outcry. "And that is the fifth time we've passed that tree!"
"It is not," Aragorn waved. "I am Dunadan, I do not travel in circles. I am perfectly capable of navigating."
"It's the same tree!" Pippin argued.
"How do you know?" Aragorn asked.
"Because I remember that rock," Pippin said simply.
"Pippin, there are many rocks," Aragorn sighed, looking around.
"Not ones that have moss on them," Pippin answered tartly.
Aragorn stopped and turned around to face his company. "I know how to navigate. I told you that we were going to travel in a big circle."
"Yes," Legolas nodded. "We were going to travel in."
He was cut off by Merry. "A big circle. Not a little one."
"Okay, so I'm having a little trouble. Let's see how well you can find your way through a forest when you are the size of a midge!" Aragorn threw up his hands. "Unfortunately, unlike a midge, I do not have wings and cannot fly through the air, skimming the forest."
"That's it!" Merry said. "We can build wings and fly around the forest!"
"What will we build them with?" Boromir asked. "Leaves?"
Merry nodded. "Yes! Pippin and I have built similar things."
"When?" Sam asked, surprised.
"That time when we dropped the armload of vegetables on you," Merry replied with a smirk.
"That would also be what caused you to send the sheep stampeding through the market," Frodo frowned. "So you can see where your inventions lead."
"A stampede?" Legolas asked.
"It was only two sheep," Pippin smiled. "So stampede is such a strong word. And it wasn't the invention itself, but Sam here chased us and we needed to escape his wrath."
"My wrath?" Sam exclaimed. "What wrath? I had no wrath!"
"We beg to differ," Merry folded his arms across his chest. "No, all we need to do is chop up some thin and light pieces of twig and grab a few leaves and then we'll be set!"
"Who is going to fly it?" Gimli asked.
"I say that the best navigator should fly it," Boromir said slowly, looking directly at Aragorn.
"Who said that I can navigate?" Aragorn asked, feigning to be stunned.