Disclaimer: I do not own Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, or Frodo Baggins. Please, sueth me noteth. I do own, however, these particular rules to the game Tig. I suppose you can invent your own, but these ones belong to me. Attempt to take them, and I shall have Legolas and Haldir hunt you down.
A/N: Yes, I have made up rules to Tig. Will I tell them to you? No. I think part of the point of the game is to half figure it out for yourselves. Good luck trying. I was pretty extensive, methinks. Oh, and just so you know…Tig can be played for hours and it won't get dull.
~*~ Tig ~*~
Frodo Baggins, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, and Samwise Gamgee sat silently as they watched Strider walk away. The four Hobbits and human had been travelling for what felt like ages until they reached Weathertop. It was a sinister sort of place, but it gave enough shelter for need.
"Well then. What should we do now?" asked Peregrin, also known as Pippin.
"I don't know. Perhaps we should be getting some sleep. We'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." said Sam, giving Frodo a concerned look. Frodo remained silent, looking out across the land before Weathertop.
"Where do you think Strider's gone off to?" asked Merry, "Kind of rude of him to just up and leave, don't you think?"
"Oh what I wouldn't give for one of those pints at the Prancing Pony. A nice slightly warm Burgen Beer, with lots of foam on top. And then after that I'd have - " Pippin began but was cut off when Merry hit him in the shoulder.
"What? What I do?" asked Pippin in confusion, looking between Merry and Sam. "What did I do?"
"Nevermind, Pippin. Just - do something." said Merry.
Pippin blinked at him, then started humming to himself.
"Mr. Frodo, are you feelin' alright? You look kind of, I dunno, wearied, and sick-like." said Sam walking over to where Frodo was sitting and staring out into space. For a while, it seemed to Sam that Frodo wouldn't answer.
"No. No Sam, I'm fine. I just feel a bit tired, that's all. I think I'll go to sleep now. Good night Sam."
"Good night, Mr. Frodo."
"Good night, Frodo." said Merry.
"Night, Frodo." said Pippin.
"Good night." Frodo said and laid down to sleep.
About fifteen minutes had passed, and still the Hobbits had neither seen nor heard any sign of Strider. Pippin was still humming.
"What are you humming?" asked Sam, "I can hear it's the same tune, but what is it?"
Pippin stopped humming and grinned.
"Just a little something I was continuing. Here, I'll sing it for you, and from the beginning." Merry and Sam traded wary looks before turning back to Pippin. As soon as Pippin sang the first word, Merry and Sam recognized it immediately.
Hey ho to the tavern I go,
To heal my heart and drown my woe!
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
but there still beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee many miles to go!
Sweet is the sound of the pouring rain,
And stream that falls from hill to plain,
Better than rain or rippling brook
Is a mug of beer inside this Took!
Hey ho to the tavern I go,
To heal my heart and drown my woe!
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
but there still beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee many miles to go!
Far from home and scared are we,
But we'll still journey happily!
I'll get up and dance, maybe do a jig,
And then we'll all sit down and play some Tig!
"Wait, wait a moment. What in all of The Shire is Tig?" asked Merry.
"Well, I don't rightly know." answered Pippin.
"You don't know? How can you not know? It's in your song!" exclaimed Sam.
"Well, I just needed something to rhyme with jig, really, and the first thing I though of was tig, you see?"
Merry and Sam stared at him and Pippin stared back. Until -
"Tig." said Pippin, poking Merry.
"What?" asked Merry.
"I'm playing Tig!" he exclaimed.
"Well, how do you play then?"
"Well……I'm going to figure that out right now! Uh, you're turn, by the way."
"Well, Tag." said Merry, punching Pippin in the arm very lightly.
"Tig Tag Tig." said Pippin, poking, then punching, and then poking again. "I just sunk your Tag!"
"What does that mean?"
"It means you……have to immitate an Oliphant!"
"Immitate an Oliphant!? I've never even seen an Oliphant! Let alone heard one! They might not even be real! How am I supposed to imitate an Oliphant!" exclaimed Merry.
"Make it up then!"
"Why don't you?"
"What do you think I'm doing right now?"
Merry glared Pippin and then 'imitated' and Oliphant, which sent Sam and Pippin into peals of laughter that they couldn't stop for a while. But then again, Merry's glaring wasn't helping.
"Alright, alright. We'll stop laughing now. Ah……Tig." said Pippin.
"Teg." said Merry, giving Pippin a noogie.
"Ow! Why so rough, Merry?"
"I just imitated an Oliphant.
"Point taken."
"Um….Hm, I can't seem to think of anything right away. I think I burned out my brains with the song."
"10 Second Gat!" exclaimed Merry.
"What?"
"10 Second Gat! You didn't make a move in ten seconds so I get to…Tag Tag!"
"Hey can I join in?" asked Sam.
"Sure, I don't see why not." said Pippin.
"10 Second Gat-Gat!" exclaimed Merry.
"What?" asked Sam and Pippin.
"Teg Tag Tag!" hollered Merry.
"Well I hope you understood that Sam, because that just went right over my head. Tig." said Pippin, poking Sam.
"Tag." said Sam, punching Merry.
"Tig Tag Tig." said Merry smirking while Sam groaned, realizing his mistake.
"Now it's your turn to imitate an Oliphant!" grinned Pippin.
"ROOOOUUUUWWW!!!" yelled a blushing Sam as Merry and Pippin rolled on the ground, clutching their stomachs.
"Just you wait, you Took, I'll get you yet!" Sam said, glowering darkly. Pippin tried to reply, but his laughter was too strong and too contagious, and soon all three were rolling on the ground laughing. Once they calmed down Pippin told Sam that it was his turn to start out and he had to start with Tig.
"Tig." Sam poked Pippin.
"Teg."
"Tag."
"Tig Teg." said Merry.
"Teg Tig." said Sam.
"Tag."
"Tig."
"Tug." said Pippin.
"That's not allowed!" exclaimed Sam.
"Alright then, what's my punishment?" asked Pippin, looking confident.
"Well, I don't think I rightly know, Pippin Took. What do you think his punishment should be Merry Brandybuck. He can't imitate an Oliphant like we did. He didn't get a Tag sunk, so what should his punishment be?
"Well, it was awfully embarrassing, imitating an Oliphant, Sam Gamgee. I think we should make him do something scary."
"Like what, Merry Brandybuck?"
"He should scream, Sam Gamgee."
"That's not scary at all!" exclaimed Pippin.
"Like one those Wraiths." replied Sam.
Naught but the wind could be heard after Sam's statement. Pippin looked back and forth between Merry and Sam.
"Are - are you serious?"
"Yes, Pippin, we are serious. I can't stand those Black Riders, and neither can Sam or you. That's why we say scream like it. It'll be taking some of the fear out of it, you see?" Pippin merely nodded. He opened his mouth a couple times before he was able to scream his Black Rider scream.
He sounded like a neighing horse.
Sam, Merry, and even Pippin were on the ground, literally rolling with laughter. It felt like ages before they were calm enough to sit up and breathe correctly.
"That - that was most funniest of things I've ever heard." said Sam, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.
"I - I haven't laughed so much since that day in the Green Dragon!" laughed a hiccupping Pippin. Merry sighed in content.
"That was wonderful, Pippin. I think we all really needed that."
"Well," Pippin hiccupped, "you know me!" he hiccupped again, "Always here to help the needy," another hiccup, "and save the day!" He hiccupped again. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, save Pippin's everlasting hiccups, simply enjoying the moment.
"I'm hungry." Sam stated. Pippin hiccupped.
"I've still got some tomatoes and some mushrooms. I think we can make a type of stew out of that." said Merry, looking slightly thoughtful. Pippin hiccupped.
"Oh good! I'll go find some firewood!" exclaimed Sam, who immediately jumped up and went searching for firewood, yet staying close enough to be out of harm's way. Pippin hiccupped.
"Thank goodness you're cooking something Merry," said Pippin with another hicup, "the aroma of food always gets rid of these," he hiccupped again, "blasted hiccupps!"
"Always glad to help a friend out, Pip, you know that!" grinned Merry.
"Thanks a lot, Merry." asked Pippin, again with another hiccup, "Oh I hate getting the hiccups!"