A/N: *handing out Merry plushies to all her reviewers* I think, now that I have some kind of a plot, that the chapters will start picking up in pace. So, here goes! And I must apologize for the format of chapter 3. It's just, well, FF.Net did it.
Rusta Iira
By: PTB
Chapter 4: Rain may fall, and wind may blow
Three hobbits came splashing in the door of Bag End with a gust of wind, and it took all three of them to shut the door behind them. They were talking to each other when Bilbo hurried in the hall to see what had happened.
"That came up quick!" Sam said, leaning against the green door panting.
"Good thing we didn't stay another day, and were on our way home when it came up." Frodo agreed, looking like he was enjoying the summer storm. Merry looked completely miserable.
"Even if we'd planned another day, I don't think we would be staying." He said miserably, and Frodo and Sam gave him sympathetic looks.
"Lads your soaked!" Bilbo gasped, coming into the entryway. All three looked at the puddle they'd created in the entry way sheepishly. "Where's Pippin?"
"His dad came and got him." Frodo said, not looking up, and Merry turned his face away so that Bilbo would not see him cry. Bilbo, however, was not so easily deceived.
"What happened, lads? Tell old cousin Bilbo all about it." Merry's bottom lip began to tremble, and soon a dry sob escaped his throat. Frodo became so involved in comforting the distraught teen that the lot fell to Sam to try and explain to Bilbo what had happened.
"Well, Mister Bilbo sir, it's like this. Mister Paladin met us as we were back. Said he'd heard Mister Merry and young Mister Pippin had been fighting, you understand. Mister Merry said he had, and Mister, that is Thain, Paladin said Mister Merry was no longer allowed to see little Mister Pippin, if you follow me." Bilbo looked thunderstruck.
"Just like that? He can't do that!"
"He did," Merry said shakily, brushing of Frodo's comforting hug with a shrug of his shoulders. "And he threatened to tell my Papa, but that won't happen. I've never seen him and my papa speak." Bilbo, however, could see past the façade to the deepness of hurt the young hobbit was feeling. He took the small boy into his arms, and held him tightly.
"There, there Merry-lad. It's alright, it's alright." Merry sobbed dryly, shaking as his body tried to find real tears to cry.
"It's not alright Bilbo, and will never be! Not until I get Pippin back. He's my best friend Bilbo, I can't live without him!" Frodo looked frightened at this revelation, and dropped down by the embracing hobbits.
"Now, come on now Merry! Don't talk like that! You'll see Pippin again, and everything will be alright." Sam could only stand by the door, feeling awkward. This really wasn't his place, watching gentle hobbits like Mister Merry cry like he was. But...he could almost understand what it was like to lose something that precious.
"I know how you feel, Mister Merry." He whispered quietly to his feet. Bilbo and Frodo looked up at him, curious, even if Merry didn't. Sam blushed; suddenly shy at being the center of attention, so Bilbo prompted him.
"Why is that, Samwise?" Sam's face went an even darker red, and they could scarcely hear him when he spoke next.
"My mum." Merry looked up at him, startled, and so did Frodo. Bilbo just gave him a sympathetic look, knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"Oh Sam..." Frodo sighed, looking like he wanted to hug the younger hobbit but knowing it would only make the young boy feel awkward.
"She died," Sam continued, for Merry mostly, "when I was small. Not long after my sister Marigold was born." Merry gave him a look of sympathy, and he stood up shakily out of Bilbo's grasp.
"Thank you Sam." He whispered, and the two looked at each other with new understanding for a moment, before Merry turned to Bilbo and Frodo.
"I will get Pippin back," he resolved, "no matter what. I won't lose him!"
"Da'? What's going on?" Pippin asked, sitting by the fire in Tuckbraugh, drying off as best he could. They'd been almost home on the pony when the storm came up. "Why can't I see Merry Da'?" Paladin sighed, and got down on his knees so that he was eye level on his little son sitting on his stool.
"It's very complicated Pippin. I don't know that you'd understand yet."
"I'm big now." The nine-year-old said, pulling up to his full height, which didn't amount to much. "I'd understand." Paladin sighed, rubbing his head with one hand, before drawing Pippin into his lap.
"It's like this, little one. The Brandybucks are...well they're not the same as us."
"That's what Merry said!" Pippin exclaimed, "Merry said that they were different from us 'cause they live in Buckland and they can swim!"
"Well, there's more to it then that Pippin." Paladin tried to grab and his sliding thoughts and stick them into words that a nine-year-old child could understand. "They live near the old forest. They wander in there sometimes..."
"Why's that wrong Da'? Frodo and I go into the forest all the time!"
"Yes, well," Paladin now tried to explain, "that's not the old Forest Pippin. The old forest is evil, and puts evil into those who enter. The trees move and whisper." Pippin's eyes widened.
"Do they really, Da'?"
"Yes Pippin, they really do. And Brandybucks, they do things different from us..."
"How?" Pippin asked, hazel eyes now wide.
"Well, they always kill more animals then they need, and their ponies are always under kept. They forget about their children, because they all drink too much, and the children all fight with each other. Brandybucks like to wreck things, and often leave a good Smials or hobbit hole in shambles. And they take good, well bred, shire girls for their own without asking." Paladin's eyes darkened as he thought of this, and unconsciously held Pippin close.
"You mean they kidnap them?" Pippin's mouth was hanging open in the way that meant he was horrified by something, and Paladin nodded.
"Aye, they do."
"How do you know that, Da'?" The young Took demanded. He had to know, because he didn't want to believe that Merry would be related to anyone that would do that.
"Because it happened to me, Pip. I went up to North Farthing for a few weeks, on some business for my father, and when I came back my little sister was gone and married to a Brandybuck. They'd taken her and married her without asking me, her older brother, and there wasn't even a courtship."
"Aunt Esmie?" Pippin gasped, staring in shock. He wasn't serious, was he?
"Yes Pippin, your Aunt Esmerelda was taken like that. That's why your sisters have never been allowed in Buckland, because I don't want the same thing to happen to them." The small hobbit's eyes widened. What would it be like, without one of his older sisters around? Without Pearl to mend his button? Without Pervincia to make his boo boo's better? Or without Pimpernel to tell him stories at night? But Merry wouldn't...he'd never...
"I didn't want your sisters to have to live in that miserable place like my sister Pip. That's why I did what I did today. To protect you, because I love you." Paladin kissed his son's forehead, and set him back on his stool. He wrapped a warm towel around him and left.
Pippin sat in front of the fire; eyes glazed as he looked at it but didn't see. He felt all tangled up inside, like a ball of yarn Pearl's cat had chased all over. He loved his Da'! After all, he was grown up and knew an awful lot. And he was his Da', so he had to respect him too, and he was almost always right.
But what about Merry? Merry played with him, and let him hang out with him, even if he was eight years older. Merry was always so nice! He wouldn't do stuff like his Da' said Brandybucks did, would he? He wouldn't take his sisters away, or do anything like that, would he? Tears welled up in his eyes, and his small chest heaved in a dry sob. He didn't know what to think anymore! Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Merry's voice came through the thick fog.
"Do you trust me Pip? Then don't believe."
End A/N: Okay so this chapter didn't pick up pace, but you're getting the idea of the plot. Next chapter will have more, I think.
Rusta Iira
By: PTB
Chapter 4: Rain may fall, and wind may blow
Three hobbits came splashing in the door of Bag End with a gust of wind, and it took all three of them to shut the door behind them. They were talking to each other when Bilbo hurried in the hall to see what had happened.
"That came up quick!" Sam said, leaning against the green door panting.
"Good thing we didn't stay another day, and were on our way home when it came up." Frodo agreed, looking like he was enjoying the summer storm. Merry looked completely miserable.
"Even if we'd planned another day, I don't think we would be staying." He said miserably, and Frodo and Sam gave him sympathetic looks.
"Lads your soaked!" Bilbo gasped, coming into the entryway. All three looked at the puddle they'd created in the entry way sheepishly. "Where's Pippin?"
"His dad came and got him." Frodo said, not looking up, and Merry turned his face away so that Bilbo would not see him cry. Bilbo, however, was not so easily deceived.
"What happened, lads? Tell old cousin Bilbo all about it." Merry's bottom lip began to tremble, and soon a dry sob escaped his throat. Frodo became so involved in comforting the distraught teen that the lot fell to Sam to try and explain to Bilbo what had happened.
"Well, Mister Bilbo sir, it's like this. Mister Paladin met us as we were back. Said he'd heard Mister Merry and young Mister Pippin had been fighting, you understand. Mister Merry said he had, and Mister, that is Thain, Paladin said Mister Merry was no longer allowed to see little Mister Pippin, if you follow me." Bilbo looked thunderstruck.
"Just like that? He can't do that!"
"He did," Merry said shakily, brushing of Frodo's comforting hug with a shrug of his shoulders. "And he threatened to tell my Papa, but that won't happen. I've never seen him and my papa speak." Bilbo, however, could see past the façade to the deepness of hurt the young hobbit was feeling. He took the small boy into his arms, and held him tightly.
"There, there Merry-lad. It's alright, it's alright." Merry sobbed dryly, shaking as his body tried to find real tears to cry.
"It's not alright Bilbo, and will never be! Not until I get Pippin back. He's my best friend Bilbo, I can't live without him!" Frodo looked frightened at this revelation, and dropped down by the embracing hobbits.
"Now, come on now Merry! Don't talk like that! You'll see Pippin again, and everything will be alright." Sam could only stand by the door, feeling awkward. This really wasn't his place, watching gentle hobbits like Mister Merry cry like he was. But...he could almost understand what it was like to lose something that precious.
"I know how you feel, Mister Merry." He whispered quietly to his feet. Bilbo and Frodo looked up at him, curious, even if Merry didn't. Sam blushed; suddenly shy at being the center of attention, so Bilbo prompted him.
"Why is that, Samwise?" Sam's face went an even darker red, and they could scarcely hear him when he spoke next.
"My mum." Merry looked up at him, startled, and so did Frodo. Bilbo just gave him a sympathetic look, knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"Oh Sam..." Frodo sighed, looking like he wanted to hug the younger hobbit but knowing it would only make the young boy feel awkward.
"She died," Sam continued, for Merry mostly, "when I was small. Not long after my sister Marigold was born." Merry gave him a look of sympathy, and he stood up shakily out of Bilbo's grasp.
"Thank you Sam." He whispered, and the two looked at each other with new understanding for a moment, before Merry turned to Bilbo and Frodo.
"I will get Pippin back," he resolved, "no matter what. I won't lose him!"
"Da'? What's going on?" Pippin asked, sitting by the fire in Tuckbraugh, drying off as best he could. They'd been almost home on the pony when the storm came up. "Why can't I see Merry Da'?" Paladin sighed, and got down on his knees so that he was eye level on his little son sitting on his stool.
"It's very complicated Pippin. I don't know that you'd understand yet."
"I'm big now." The nine-year-old said, pulling up to his full height, which didn't amount to much. "I'd understand." Paladin sighed, rubbing his head with one hand, before drawing Pippin into his lap.
"It's like this, little one. The Brandybucks are...well they're not the same as us."
"That's what Merry said!" Pippin exclaimed, "Merry said that they were different from us 'cause they live in Buckland and they can swim!"
"Well, there's more to it then that Pippin." Paladin tried to grab and his sliding thoughts and stick them into words that a nine-year-old child could understand. "They live near the old forest. They wander in there sometimes..."
"Why's that wrong Da'? Frodo and I go into the forest all the time!"
"Yes, well," Paladin now tried to explain, "that's not the old Forest Pippin. The old forest is evil, and puts evil into those who enter. The trees move and whisper." Pippin's eyes widened.
"Do they really, Da'?"
"Yes Pippin, they really do. And Brandybucks, they do things different from us..."
"How?" Pippin asked, hazel eyes now wide.
"Well, they always kill more animals then they need, and their ponies are always under kept. They forget about their children, because they all drink too much, and the children all fight with each other. Brandybucks like to wreck things, and often leave a good Smials or hobbit hole in shambles. And they take good, well bred, shire girls for their own without asking." Paladin's eyes darkened as he thought of this, and unconsciously held Pippin close.
"You mean they kidnap them?" Pippin's mouth was hanging open in the way that meant he was horrified by something, and Paladin nodded.
"Aye, they do."
"How do you know that, Da'?" The young Took demanded. He had to know, because he didn't want to believe that Merry would be related to anyone that would do that.
"Because it happened to me, Pip. I went up to North Farthing for a few weeks, on some business for my father, and when I came back my little sister was gone and married to a Brandybuck. They'd taken her and married her without asking me, her older brother, and there wasn't even a courtship."
"Aunt Esmie?" Pippin gasped, staring in shock. He wasn't serious, was he?
"Yes Pippin, your Aunt Esmerelda was taken like that. That's why your sisters have never been allowed in Buckland, because I don't want the same thing to happen to them." The small hobbit's eyes widened. What would it be like, without one of his older sisters around? Without Pearl to mend his button? Without Pervincia to make his boo boo's better? Or without Pimpernel to tell him stories at night? But Merry wouldn't...he'd never...
"I didn't want your sisters to have to live in that miserable place like my sister Pip. That's why I did what I did today. To protect you, because I love you." Paladin kissed his son's forehead, and set him back on his stool. He wrapped a warm towel around him and left.
Pippin sat in front of the fire; eyes glazed as he looked at it but didn't see. He felt all tangled up inside, like a ball of yarn Pearl's cat had chased all over. He loved his Da'! After all, he was grown up and knew an awful lot. And he was his Da', so he had to respect him too, and he was almost always right.
But what about Merry? Merry played with him, and let him hang out with him, even if he was eight years older. Merry was always so nice! He wouldn't do stuff like his Da' said Brandybucks did, would he? He wouldn't take his sisters away, or do anything like that, would he? Tears welled up in his eyes, and his small chest heaved in a dry sob. He didn't know what to think anymore! Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Merry's voice came through the thick fog.
"Do you trust me Pip? Then don't believe."
End A/N: Okay so this chapter didn't pick up pace, but you're getting the idea of the plot. Next chapter will have more, I think.