Chapter 9-Of.um, Flattened Hobbitlassies
There was a shriek as he dropped out of the tree. He tried to check himself, but landed on something which didn't feel at all like the ground. He tumbled over in a heap with whatever he'd landed on. It was still shrieking, and punching at him with surprisingly hard fists. He rolled away from the dangerous little thing and looked at it, still kicking in his direction and yelling blue murder.
It was a Hobbitlassie. She was very small and delicate looking, with dark, almost-black hair. His fall had tangled her shawl up, and it was draped over her face so she couldn't see. Pippin blushed to the roots of his hair, and lifted her lilac shawl off her head, whilst babbling frantic, tongue-tied apologies.
She pushed her long curls out of the way to reveal a furious-looking, scarlet-cheeked face. She placed her hands on her hips and glared squarely at the man- hobbit in front of her. ' How dare you!!! You great clumsy oaf!! Couldn't you see I was sitting here ?!!! What harm did I ever do you, eh?'
Pip just stared. She was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. He couldn't believe he'd been foolish enough to just do that! He could think of absolutely nothing to say, he just flushed even darker red with embarrassment.
' I'm talking to you, you twerp!' She stuck an arm out and tried to prod Pippin for effect. As his stomach was just about concave and there wasn't too much of it to prod, this didn't work very well. 'I don't suppose you have a reason for dropping on my head like a chestnut? Let me guess- you mistook me for a flower?'
Pippin said the first thing that came into his head: 'N-no, but ye aire as beautiful ais one!' he blurted. As he said it he realised it was true.
'What?' She was taken aback. What a strange thing to say. She flicked her hair out of her eyes and tried again. 'Well - well that's not an excuse. It hurt.' She sniffed, and took a proper look at the man-hobbit. She'd seen him around the place, but didn't know him.
'Och, ahm so sorry! Ah reely didnea mean tae hert ye! Och, aire ye okay? Here..,' He stood up and helped her to her feet, fascinated by how small and lovely she was. She dusted herself off, straightening out her skirts. She looked strangely at Pippin. 'What in Middle-Earth happened to you? You're like the Jolly Green Giant!' Pip looked down at her. She stood nearly two feet shorter than him. He felt very self-consious of his height and also of the fact he must look a bit of a mess to this groomed, pretty little lassie. 'Um, weel put it this wey- don't accipt drinks frae strengers. Aind they don' come much stenger than an eint.'
She looked confused, then said: 'Ents? Oh! You're Peregrin, aren't you? The famous one? Who went off on that adventure a few years ago and came back to save the whole shire' she said excitedly. 'Famus? Me? Weel..um, ca' me Pippin. Whit- whits your name?' She smiled 'I'm Diamond, and I'm sure I'd be delighted to meet you if we'd met in any other way.' Diamond. What an absolutely beautiful name. The most precious jewel of them all. It did suit her.
They grinned at each other. There was a moment of uncomfy silence, and then she looked down. She got down on her knees and started picking up her books and her lunch off the rug she'd been sitting on.
'Och.' Pip got down on his hands and knees to help, and put her books in a little basket which had been laying beside her. 'Well, I suppose I've got something to be thankful for. It would have been a very boring day today if a giant,' she paused to smile shyly at him '...giant, handsome- looking hobbit hadn't made me think it was raining hobbits, and landed on my lunch.' She realised this sounded somewhat bizarre. Luckily Pippin didn't seem to think so.
He was smiling at her dopily as if the sun was shining out of her.. wait a minute, when people give you looks like that the top buttons of your bodice are usually unfastened. Ahem. They weren't. Phew.
When all her belongings were in the basket, she daintily folded up her rug and stuck it under one arm. They looked at each other in silence, unsure of quite what to say. Pippin knew that part of him badly wanted to see this hobbitlassie again, and part of him was still cringing in utter embarrassment, and another part was too flipping shy to even decide what it thought..
There was a shriek as he dropped out of the tree. He tried to check himself, but landed on something which didn't feel at all like the ground. He tumbled over in a heap with whatever he'd landed on. It was still shrieking, and punching at him with surprisingly hard fists. He rolled away from the dangerous little thing and looked at it, still kicking in his direction and yelling blue murder.
It was a Hobbitlassie. She was very small and delicate looking, with dark, almost-black hair. His fall had tangled her shawl up, and it was draped over her face so she couldn't see. Pippin blushed to the roots of his hair, and lifted her lilac shawl off her head, whilst babbling frantic, tongue-tied apologies.
She pushed her long curls out of the way to reveal a furious-looking, scarlet-cheeked face. She placed her hands on her hips and glared squarely at the man- hobbit in front of her. ' How dare you!!! You great clumsy oaf!! Couldn't you see I was sitting here ?!!! What harm did I ever do you, eh?'
Pip just stared. She was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. He couldn't believe he'd been foolish enough to just do that! He could think of absolutely nothing to say, he just flushed even darker red with embarrassment.
' I'm talking to you, you twerp!' She stuck an arm out and tried to prod Pippin for effect. As his stomach was just about concave and there wasn't too much of it to prod, this didn't work very well. 'I don't suppose you have a reason for dropping on my head like a chestnut? Let me guess- you mistook me for a flower?'
Pippin said the first thing that came into his head: 'N-no, but ye aire as beautiful ais one!' he blurted. As he said it he realised it was true.
'What?' She was taken aback. What a strange thing to say. She flicked her hair out of her eyes and tried again. 'Well - well that's not an excuse. It hurt.' She sniffed, and took a proper look at the man-hobbit. She'd seen him around the place, but didn't know him.
'Och, ahm so sorry! Ah reely didnea mean tae hert ye! Och, aire ye okay? Here..,' He stood up and helped her to her feet, fascinated by how small and lovely she was. She dusted herself off, straightening out her skirts. She looked strangely at Pippin. 'What in Middle-Earth happened to you? You're like the Jolly Green Giant!' Pip looked down at her. She stood nearly two feet shorter than him. He felt very self-consious of his height and also of the fact he must look a bit of a mess to this groomed, pretty little lassie. 'Um, weel put it this wey- don't accipt drinks frae strengers. Aind they don' come much stenger than an eint.'
She looked confused, then said: 'Ents? Oh! You're Peregrin, aren't you? The famous one? Who went off on that adventure a few years ago and came back to save the whole shire' she said excitedly. 'Famus? Me? Weel..um, ca' me Pippin. Whit- whits your name?' She smiled 'I'm Diamond, and I'm sure I'd be delighted to meet you if we'd met in any other way.' Diamond. What an absolutely beautiful name. The most precious jewel of them all. It did suit her.
They grinned at each other. There was a moment of uncomfy silence, and then she looked down. She got down on her knees and started picking up her books and her lunch off the rug she'd been sitting on.
'Och.' Pip got down on his hands and knees to help, and put her books in a little basket which had been laying beside her. 'Well, I suppose I've got something to be thankful for. It would have been a very boring day today if a giant,' she paused to smile shyly at him '...giant, handsome- looking hobbit hadn't made me think it was raining hobbits, and landed on my lunch.' She realised this sounded somewhat bizarre. Luckily Pippin didn't seem to think so.
He was smiling at her dopily as if the sun was shining out of her.. wait a minute, when people give you looks like that the top buttons of your bodice are usually unfastened. Ahem. They weren't. Phew.
When all her belongings were in the basket, she daintily folded up her rug and stuck it under one arm. They looked at each other in silence, unsure of quite what to say. Pippin knew that part of him badly wanted to see this hobbitlassie again, and part of him was still cringing in utter embarrassment, and another part was too flipping shy to even decide what it thought..