Author's Note: If you've read Stone and Sky, you'll know where I got the
idea of mirrored eyes from. If you haven't, you should. It's a good book. I
can't remember who it's by though.
***
Merry and Pippin waited where Treebeard had left them. They were a short distance from Isengard, but could see everything that was happening there. Merry was glad he wasn't the one facing the anger of the Ents, as he saw them tear rocks from the ground as easily as a hobbit might tear apart a piece of bread. They might not be hasty, but once their anger was started it was like a flood. Merry sat on the grass and wondered at this change of fortune, but Pippin rose slowly, and walked forward a few paces as if in a dream. Merry watched him, puzzled. Pippin was facing Isengard, and though Merry could only see his back he could see there was something strange about his friend.
"Pippin?" Pippin didn't respond. Concerned now, Merry stood up and put a hand on Pippin's shoulder. "Pippin?"
Slowly, Pippin turned his head to look at Merry. Merry cried out at what he saw. His friend's expression was stern and so unlike him, but his eyes. his eyes were mirrored orbs staring into Merry's. Merry stepped backwards, afraid. As Pippin's face was staring at him, he knew it wasn't really Pippin. He took another step backwards, eyes fixed on Pippin, only to have his foot catch on a stone.
He hit the ground, foot twisting painfully over the stone. An instant later Pippin was by his side, concerned and anxious and once more the hobbit Merry knew. But still Merry was afraid. Whatever it was that had had control of Pippin could come back. It could still be there, hiding behind Pippin's face. Merry knew that he could no longer trust his friend.
"It's me," Pippin said, as Merry tried to scramble away.
"That wasn't you," Merry said, "I don't know what that was, but it wasn't you!"
"It's me now," Pippin said, "I'm not going to hurt you." Merry noticed that he didn't try to deny there had been something else in control of him.
"How do I know you'll stay you?" Merry asked, "If whatever that thing was takes control, would you be able to stop it hurting me if it wanted to?" Pippin paused.
"I don't know," he replied, "probably not. But I don't think he wants to hurt anyone." Pippin sat back, and Merry pushed himself up to sitting, his ankle still painful. The two look at each other for a short while, Pippin looking sad and concerned, Merry suspicious and even more concerned for his friend. Pippin was a victim here, and Merry didn't think there was anything he could do to help.
"Who is he?" Merry asked at last.
"I don't know. I keep asking his name, but he always replies that I'm not ready to know. He sounds a lot like Aragorn when he talks."
"And he takes control of you?"
"I don't think he's evil," Pippin said uncertainly, "He took control of me on the Weathertop and in Moria. He fought using my body." Pippin paused. "He speaks kindly to me, calls me 'little prince', but I don't know why." He paused again. Merry sat waiting. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe what Pippin was saying. Pippin wouldn't lie to him, but if this person could get inside his head he could easily influence him.
"Why you?" Merry asked.
"I'm not sure," Pippin replied, "He said something about." Pippin's eyes suddenly flashed silver and the mirrors returned.
"Do not try to understand our purposes, little knight," Pippin said in a voice stern but not cruel, "You are not ready yet." Merry tried to draw away, but then Pippin blinked and was himself again. The two sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in his own thoughts.
"What did he mean?" Merry asked, "About not being ready?"
"I don't know," Pippin seemed to be saying that a lot, "he says that about me too." Again there was silence, neither knowing what to say. Merry wanted to believe Pippin, but wasn't sure he could.
"Merry," Pippin said at last, "Don't be afraid." Merry didn't have a chance to ask what he shouldn't be afraid about, when a man appeared out of nowhere. He was robed in black, a hood covering his face and all his features shrouded in black cloth. Merry almost cried out in shock, as the man knelt down beside him. A hand was extended from beneath the robes, showing signs of age but still strong, and placed on Merry's ankle. He was paralysed in fear while the hand touched his flesh, then suddenly the pain was gone. It was as though the injury had never been there.
Then the man was gone.
"Was that him?" Merry asked after a long pause.
"I think so," Pippin said, "I've never seen him. Only heard his voice."
"How did he do that?" Merry felt his ankle, but all the pain had gone.
"I don't know. I asked him to help and he did." Pippin paused. Merry thought he might be listening to the promptings of this mysterious man. "He asks that we don't tell anyone about this."
"Why?"
"He just said that he doesn't want us to. He could probably stop us if he wanted to, but I think he's leaving the choice to us." Pippin looked at him pleadingly, and Merry thought about what had happened over the last few minutes.
"You don't think he's evil." Pippin shook his head. "Then I won't say anything. But if you start acting strangely, or if it seems that he is taking over, I will tell. As long as you're you and you don't do anything to hurt anyone, I'll keep your secret." Pippin smiled, but Merry wasn't sure if he'd made the right decision.
***
Merry and Pippin waited where Treebeard had left them. They were a short distance from Isengard, but could see everything that was happening there. Merry was glad he wasn't the one facing the anger of the Ents, as he saw them tear rocks from the ground as easily as a hobbit might tear apart a piece of bread. They might not be hasty, but once their anger was started it was like a flood. Merry sat on the grass and wondered at this change of fortune, but Pippin rose slowly, and walked forward a few paces as if in a dream. Merry watched him, puzzled. Pippin was facing Isengard, and though Merry could only see his back he could see there was something strange about his friend.
"Pippin?" Pippin didn't respond. Concerned now, Merry stood up and put a hand on Pippin's shoulder. "Pippin?"
Slowly, Pippin turned his head to look at Merry. Merry cried out at what he saw. His friend's expression was stern and so unlike him, but his eyes. his eyes were mirrored orbs staring into Merry's. Merry stepped backwards, afraid. As Pippin's face was staring at him, he knew it wasn't really Pippin. He took another step backwards, eyes fixed on Pippin, only to have his foot catch on a stone.
He hit the ground, foot twisting painfully over the stone. An instant later Pippin was by his side, concerned and anxious and once more the hobbit Merry knew. But still Merry was afraid. Whatever it was that had had control of Pippin could come back. It could still be there, hiding behind Pippin's face. Merry knew that he could no longer trust his friend.
"It's me," Pippin said, as Merry tried to scramble away.
"That wasn't you," Merry said, "I don't know what that was, but it wasn't you!"
"It's me now," Pippin said, "I'm not going to hurt you." Merry noticed that he didn't try to deny there had been something else in control of him.
"How do I know you'll stay you?" Merry asked, "If whatever that thing was takes control, would you be able to stop it hurting me if it wanted to?" Pippin paused.
"I don't know," he replied, "probably not. But I don't think he wants to hurt anyone." Pippin sat back, and Merry pushed himself up to sitting, his ankle still painful. The two look at each other for a short while, Pippin looking sad and concerned, Merry suspicious and even more concerned for his friend. Pippin was a victim here, and Merry didn't think there was anything he could do to help.
"Who is he?" Merry asked at last.
"I don't know. I keep asking his name, but he always replies that I'm not ready to know. He sounds a lot like Aragorn when he talks."
"And he takes control of you?"
"I don't think he's evil," Pippin said uncertainly, "He took control of me on the Weathertop and in Moria. He fought using my body." Pippin paused. "He speaks kindly to me, calls me 'little prince', but I don't know why." He paused again. Merry sat waiting. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe what Pippin was saying. Pippin wouldn't lie to him, but if this person could get inside his head he could easily influence him.
"Why you?" Merry asked.
"I'm not sure," Pippin replied, "He said something about." Pippin's eyes suddenly flashed silver and the mirrors returned.
"Do not try to understand our purposes, little knight," Pippin said in a voice stern but not cruel, "You are not ready yet." Merry tried to draw away, but then Pippin blinked and was himself again. The two sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in his own thoughts.
"What did he mean?" Merry asked, "About not being ready?"
"I don't know," Pippin seemed to be saying that a lot, "he says that about me too." Again there was silence, neither knowing what to say. Merry wanted to believe Pippin, but wasn't sure he could.
"Merry," Pippin said at last, "Don't be afraid." Merry didn't have a chance to ask what he shouldn't be afraid about, when a man appeared out of nowhere. He was robed in black, a hood covering his face and all his features shrouded in black cloth. Merry almost cried out in shock, as the man knelt down beside him. A hand was extended from beneath the robes, showing signs of age but still strong, and placed on Merry's ankle. He was paralysed in fear while the hand touched his flesh, then suddenly the pain was gone. It was as though the injury had never been there.
Then the man was gone.
"Was that him?" Merry asked after a long pause.
"I think so," Pippin said, "I've never seen him. Only heard his voice."
"How did he do that?" Merry felt his ankle, but all the pain had gone.
"I don't know. I asked him to help and he did." Pippin paused. Merry thought he might be listening to the promptings of this mysterious man. "He asks that we don't tell anyone about this."
"Why?"
"He just said that he doesn't want us to. He could probably stop us if he wanted to, but I think he's leaving the choice to us." Pippin looked at him pleadingly, and Merry thought about what had happened over the last few minutes.
"You don't think he's evil." Pippin shook his head. "Then I won't say anything. But if you start acting strangely, or if it seems that he is taking over, I will tell. As long as you're you and you don't do anything to hurt anyone, I'll keep your secret." Pippin smiled, but Merry wasn't sure if he'd made the right decision.