Author's note: I've had an interesting morning doing chocolate tasting with
Sunday School. It's amazing what you can relate to religion if you think
hard enough. Harry Potter has featured in several sessions, but we haven't
used LotR yet. Maybe if we did a session on racism we could talk about
elves and dwarves.
***
"Your Majesty?" Aragorn saw the nervous servant standing in the doorway and beckoned him in.
"What is it?"
"Your Majesty, the halfling is not in his room."
"He's probably gone off in search of the kitchens," Aragorn said, but even as he said it he knew it wasn't that. Something was wrong. "Start looking for him in the citadel and find out if he passed the guards at the gate."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The servant bowed and left.
"You won't find him in the city." Boromir walked in, having heard the end of the conversation.
"What do you mean, Boromir?"
"I mean, that he is no longer in the Minas Tirith."
Aragorn's voice went stern as he realised the true meaning behind Boromir's statement. "Then where is he?"
"He wanted to return to Ethrin."
"Alone!" Aragorn roared, his temper getting the better of him, "And you let him?"
"You would not have kept him here," Boromir stated, "Not unless you meant to hold him prisoner. He needed to return." As Aragorn fought to control his temper he realised Boromir was probably right, but it didn't make it easier for him to know that Pippin could be in great danger and that his friend had helped the situation come about.
"It is possible he could do a lot of good in the south," Boromir continued, "He knows the language and the people and can find out what's really going on better than any of our spies." Aragorn tried to see Boromir's point, but all he could think of was the fact that Pippin was out there in the wild, alone. He had only just found his friend after believing him dead for so long, he couldn't lose him again so soon.
"If anything happens to Pippin," Aragorn said, "anything at all, I will hold you personally responsible." Boromir nodded, silent.
***
The sunrise was gloriously golden, but Pippin was too tired to notice. He had been walking for most of the night now and felt as though he might collapse. He sat down to rest for a few minutes. He had to keep going, but a brief halt would make it that much easier.
Yawning widely, he closed his eyes. He'd just rest for a few moments then he'd start off again. Just a few mo. . .
Pippin woke up suddenly when a bird cried overhead. He looked around and realised he must have been asleep for hours. The sun was already past the midpoint and beginning its descent towards the western sky. He was on his feet instantly, grabbing his bag and walking as fast as he could manage. He'd never meant to go to sleep and now he'd lost so much precious time.
After a while he slowed to a pace he would be able to keep up, but still he was walking fast. It had taken five days to travel from Ethrin to Gondor, and it would most likely take Pippin longer to make the journey back, as now there was no one to carry him when he couldn't walk any further.
He trudged on as the sun grew lower in the sky. He trudged on as the sun turned the sky on his right red, and lit up a heavy bank of clouds to a deep purple. He trudged on when the sun had disappeared and the stars began to appear. He walked until his legs were aching and his eyelids were beginning to close of their own accord. He walked until he was exhausted and still he kept on walking.
Always his mind was fixed on Merry. He missed him so much it hurt. He hadn't thought about Merry when he'd gone out to see if he'd been mistaken when he saw Legolas, and he'd regretted it ever since. He'd left Merry alone without giving him a reason why. He'd been thoughtless, and now he couldn't help thinking about how his actions must have hurt Merry. He'd left the one he loved with all his heart for the sake of a face glimpsed through the trees that had probably been nothing more than his imagination.
Tears blurred his vision. He stumbled along in the dark, crying, until it became clear he wasn't going to get anywhere until he could see properly. The only thing he could do was wait until dawn. Pippin collapsed on the ground and sobbed. He fell asleep crying and thinking of Merry.
***
How long had it been since Legolas had tried to rescue him? It felt like a year at least, but Merry knew it couldn't be more than four days at the most, one at the least. He was fairly sure it was more than two. They had brought blankets and a pillow for him so he could be more comfortable. King Elmas had allowed him to remain unbound.
He sat on the floor in the darkness. Then when his muscles started to stiffen he would stand and walk back and forth. Four steps from one side of the room to the other, then four steps back. That was all the activity he could do. So there was nothing to take his mind of worrying. Where was Pippin? And what was happening to Legolas?
Merry became aware of footsteps on the other side of the door. Moments later the door opened and Acs came in with a tray of food. Breakfast or dinner, Merry didn't know.
"Where's Legolas?" Merry asked, since there was no point in asking about Pippin.
"They took him to the room of fire and haven't brought him out," Acs replied, compassion and pity in his voice.
"I want to see him."
"I don't know if that would be allowed."
"Then ask. I need to see him."
"I will ask." Acs left, and Merry ate the meagre portion of bread and meat he had been given. Still, it was better than nothing.
The door opened again and a guard came in. It was one Merry didn't know, and he knew most of the palace guards by sight at least.
"You are to come with me," the guard said. Merry stood and followed the guard out. The room he was taken to was away from the rest of the cells. As soon as the door was opened Merry felt a blast of heat hit him and knew why the room had its name. The guard pushed Merry inside and the door closed behind him.
Merry looked round at the instruments on the walls and shuddered. He couldn't even guess what most of them were for, and he didn't want to. Legolas lay held down on a metal table above the grate that gave the room its name. A strange metal tube was above the grate, which Merry supposed must be the chimney, but it bent and dropped through the floor. Still, it must be doing its job for there was no smoke in the room and there were warm ashes on the grate.
Merry ran to Legolas' side and pulled of the blindfold that covered his eyes. He could see no sign of injury on his friend, but there was a thin sheen of sweat covering his skin.
"Are you alright?" Merry asked.
"Yes," Legolas replied, "I am not affected by temperature as much as humans or hobbits." Merry remembered the way Legolas had seemed perfectly comfortable up Caradhras while the rest of them had felt as though they were turning to ice. "Have they hurt you?"
"No," Merry shook his head. "I was more worried about you."
"The king wants me to tell him about Gondor's army, but I would not even if I knew enough to satisfy him. He says Gondor is planning war but I don't believe it. Aragorn would not act that way."
"I know," Merry said. "But you mustn't make him angry. He has a very short temper."
"He has no honour."
"I wouldn't say that. There are some things he'd never do. He wouldn't break his word, or harm a child, or anything like that."
The door suddenly opened again and the guard returned, abruptly ending their conversation. He grabbed Merry firmly by the arm and pulled him out of the room. Merry looked back at Legolas before the door closed between them, and wondered if that would be the last time that he saw his friend.
***
Author's note: Wow, I got the cliffhanger on the end of the chapter that time. I'm getting better.
***
"Your Majesty?" Aragorn saw the nervous servant standing in the doorway and beckoned him in.
"What is it?"
"Your Majesty, the halfling is not in his room."
"He's probably gone off in search of the kitchens," Aragorn said, but even as he said it he knew it wasn't that. Something was wrong. "Start looking for him in the citadel and find out if he passed the guards at the gate."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The servant bowed and left.
"You won't find him in the city." Boromir walked in, having heard the end of the conversation.
"What do you mean, Boromir?"
"I mean, that he is no longer in the Minas Tirith."
Aragorn's voice went stern as he realised the true meaning behind Boromir's statement. "Then where is he?"
"He wanted to return to Ethrin."
"Alone!" Aragorn roared, his temper getting the better of him, "And you let him?"
"You would not have kept him here," Boromir stated, "Not unless you meant to hold him prisoner. He needed to return." As Aragorn fought to control his temper he realised Boromir was probably right, but it didn't make it easier for him to know that Pippin could be in great danger and that his friend had helped the situation come about.
"It is possible he could do a lot of good in the south," Boromir continued, "He knows the language and the people and can find out what's really going on better than any of our spies." Aragorn tried to see Boromir's point, but all he could think of was the fact that Pippin was out there in the wild, alone. He had only just found his friend after believing him dead for so long, he couldn't lose him again so soon.
"If anything happens to Pippin," Aragorn said, "anything at all, I will hold you personally responsible." Boromir nodded, silent.
***
The sunrise was gloriously golden, but Pippin was too tired to notice. He had been walking for most of the night now and felt as though he might collapse. He sat down to rest for a few minutes. He had to keep going, but a brief halt would make it that much easier.
Yawning widely, he closed his eyes. He'd just rest for a few moments then he'd start off again. Just a few mo. . .
Pippin woke up suddenly when a bird cried overhead. He looked around and realised he must have been asleep for hours. The sun was already past the midpoint and beginning its descent towards the western sky. He was on his feet instantly, grabbing his bag and walking as fast as he could manage. He'd never meant to go to sleep and now he'd lost so much precious time.
After a while he slowed to a pace he would be able to keep up, but still he was walking fast. It had taken five days to travel from Ethrin to Gondor, and it would most likely take Pippin longer to make the journey back, as now there was no one to carry him when he couldn't walk any further.
He trudged on as the sun grew lower in the sky. He trudged on as the sun turned the sky on his right red, and lit up a heavy bank of clouds to a deep purple. He trudged on when the sun had disappeared and the stars began to appear. He walked until his legs were aching and his eyelids were beginning to close of their own accord. He walked until he was exhausted and still he kept on walking.
Always his mind was fixed on Merry. He missed him so much it hurt. He hadn't thought about Merry when he'd gone out to see if he'd been mistaken when he saw Legolas, and he'd regretted it ever since. He'd left Merry alone without giving him a reason why. He'd been thoughtless, and now he couldn't help thinking about how his actions must have hurt Merry. He'd left the one he loved with all his heart for the sake of a face glimpsed through the trees that had probably been nothing more than his imagination.
Tears blurred his vision. He stumbled along in the dark, crying, until it became clear he wasn't going to get anywhere until he could see properly. The only thing he could do was wait until dawn. Pippin collapsed on the ground and sobbed. He fell asleep crying and thinking of Merry.
***
How long had it been since Legolas had tried to rescue him? It felt like a year at least, but Merry knew it couldn't be more than four days at the most, one at the least. He was fairly sure it was more than two. They had brought blankets and a pillow for him so he could be more comfortable. King Elmas had allowed him to remain unbound.
He sat on the floor in the darkness. Then when his muscles started to stiffen he would stand and walk back and forth. Four steps from one side of the room to the other, then four steps back. That was all the activity he could do. So there was nothing to take his mind of worrying. Where was Pippin? And what was happening to Legolas?
Merry became aware of footsteps on the other side of the door. Moments later the door opened and Acs came in with a tray of food. Breakfast or dinner, Merry didn't know.
"Where's Legolas?" Merry asked, since there was no point in asking about Pippin.
"They took him to the room of fire and haven't brought him out," Acs replied, compassion and pity in his voice.
"I want to see him."
"I don't know if that would be allowed."
"Then ask. I need to see him."
"I will ask." Acs left, and Merry ate the meagre portion of bread and meat he had been given. Still, it was better than nothing.
The door opened again and a guard came in. It was one Merry didn't know, and he knew most of the palace guards by sight at least.
"You are to come with me," the guard said. Merry stood and followed the guard out. The room he was taken to was away from the rest of the cells. As soon as the door was opened Merry felt a blast of heat hit him and knew why the room had its name. The guard pushed Merry inside and the door closed behind him.
Merry looked round at the instruments on the walls and shuddered. He couldn't even guess what most of them were for, and he didn't want to. Legolas lay held down on a metal table above the grate that gave the room its name. A strange metal tube was above the grate, which Merry supposed must be the chimney, but it bent and dropped through the floor. Still, it must be doing its job for there was no smoke in the room and there were warm ashes on the grate.
Merry ran to Legolas' side and pulled of the blindfold that covered his eyes. He could see no sign of injury on his friend, but there was a thin sheen of sweat covering his skin.
"Are you alright?" Merry asked.
"Yes," Legolas replied, "I am not affected by temperature as much as humans or hobbits." Merry remembered the way Legolas had seemed perfectly comfortable up Caradhras while the rest of them had felt as though they were turning to ice. "Have they hurt you?"
"No," Merry shook his head. "I was more worried about you."
"The king wants me to tell him about Gondor's army, but I would not even if I knew enough to satisfy him. He says Gondor is planning war but I don't believe it. Aragorn would not act that way."
"I know," Merry said. "But you mustn't make him angry. He has a very short temper."
"He has no honour."
"I wouldn't say that. There are some things he'd never do. He wouldn't break his word, or harm a child, or anything like that."
The door suddenly opened again and the guard returned, abruptly ending their conversation. He grabbed Merry firmly by the arm and pulled him out of the room. Merry looked back at Legolas before the door closed between them, and wondered if that would be the last time that he saw his friend.
***
Author's note: Wow, I got the cliffhanger on the end of the chapter that time. I'm getting better.