Author's note: I promise, I will get Merry and Pippin together in the next
couple of chapters. Probably.
***
Pippin blew on his hands to try and warm them as he walked. Autumn was rapidly fading to winter and the weather was beginning to show it. He pulled his cloak tightly around him and walked onwards, but the exercise did nothing to keep him warm. The landscape seemed the same no matter how far he walked. He began to feel that he wasn't going anywhere at all.
At last, a dark shadow appeared on the horizon in front of him. As he walked, the shadow grew and took form. An hour or so later it was recognisable as a forest: the woodlands of Ethrin. He knew there was still a long way to go, but the proof that he was getting somewhere was enough to raise his spirits. Despite the cold and his damp clothes, he increased his speed and was almost cheerful as he reached the eaves of the wood. In a few days he would be with Merry again. In a few days, the hole in his heart would be filled.
He kept thinking of that, and every step forward seemed to lighten his grief a little. Soon now. He could almost feel the touch of Merry's hand, hear his voice. That gave him strength. The thought of who would await him at the end.
***
Merry waited in the darkness. He thought about a day had passed since he had seen Legolas, since he had slept for a time between sessions of just sitting and waiting. But he didn't know how long he had slept for, so it could have been much less than that.
After some immeasurable length of time, Acs came in bearing his meal. The guard stood in the open doorway watching carefully.
"How long have I been locked up?" Merry asked.
"Eight days in all," Acs replied. So Pippin had been gone nine days. It seemed like much longer. So much could have happened to him in that time and Merry had no way of knowing what. He ate his meal slowly, wondering where Pippin was, what those men who had taken him prisoner were doing to him. King Elmas talked about the northerners, and according to Legolas Gondor was the country directly north of Ethrin. If Pippin had been taken to Gondor then he would be alright. At least Merry hoped so. He just wished he could know for sure.
Once he had finished the meal, Acs took the tray up again. He left, but the guard didn't. He seemed to be waiting.
"Do you want to see your friend or not?" he asked at last. Merry stood quickly, understanding now why the guard had waited. So he was to be allowed to see Legolas each day. The king must be feeling kindly towards him.
Merry followed the guard to the room of fire. He knew something was different the moment the door opened. While it was still warmer inside the room, it wasn't as hot as it had been the day before. Merry only had a moment to wonder at this when he saw the reason. Legolas was lying on the table as before, but this time there was something over his chest. Merry ran to him, barely aware of the door closing behind him, and looked at it.
It was a block of heavy wood, with metal rods coming out so they reached over the edge of the table. Onto these rods were hung weights, so that the wood was pressed down on Legolas' chest. Merry quickly tried to undo the ropes that held the weights to the rods.
"No," Legolas said with some effort, "you will only be punished."
"But I can't just leave you like this." Legolas didn't answer. He was struggling with each breath he took and there was no energy to spare on idle words.
"Why did they do this?" Merry asked.
"I didn't answer," Legolas replied, simply.
"This is all my fault," Merry said, finally releasing the guilt he had held inside, "if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here."
"Not your fault." This reply didn't do anything to ease Merry's guilt. Legolas had come for him, and now he was being tortured. He hadn't even been grateful that Legolas had tried to rescue him.
"I'm sorry," Merry said, tears glistening on his cheeks. Legolas shook his head, trying to show he didn't blame Merry. Merry understood, but he couldn't help blaming himself. Neither of them knew what to say, so they stayed in silence for the short while they were allowed together.
The guard re-entered shortly, and told hold of Merry's arm. Merry didn't even bother resisting as he was taken back to his cell. He sank onto the floor and cried. His life seemed to be cursed. He had lost his home, his freedom and his friends. Now Pippin, the one thing he had been able to hold onto, was gone as well, and the curse seemed to be spreading so those he cared about suffered. Maybe it would have been better if the orcs had killed him.
***
Pippin walked under the trees in the gathering darkness. He knew it must be almost night, even though the sun was hidden by branches. He thought he hurt something in the trees, and glanced round. The movement was a mistake, as his foot slipped on the damp leaves and he fell heavily on his leg.
He gave a small cry of surprise and pain, then shifted to see if he'd damaged anything. His leg hurt, but not badly. It would probably just bruise. He shouldn't have been so clumsy. The movement he had heard was probably nothing more than some woodland animal.
Using a tree trunk for support he stood, and tested his weight gingerly on his leg. It was sore, but he could still walk. So walk he did, continuing into the trees while it was still light enough to see.
All too soon, the light was gone, and Pippin was stumbling almost blind through the trees. He heard something again, and looked round. He couldn't see anything in the dark. He began to worry that there might be dangerous animals in these woods. He and Merry had never been out alone, and never for more than a few hours, so no one had told them if there were any dangers in the woods.
Fearful, Pippin quickened his pace. This posed a problem, as he couldn't see the tree roots and low branches that made such a journey difficult. He caught his foot on something and fell flat on his face. The fall yanked at his bad leg, and pain shot up it. Cursing his stupidity, Pippin rolled over onto his back, only to find himself staring up at a sword, the point of which hovered close above his neck.
***
Author's note: I love cliffhangers. Review, or else I'll leave it like that.
***
Pippin blew on his hands to try and warm them as he walked. Autumn was rapidly fading to winter and the weather was beginning to show it. He pulled his cloak tightly around him and walked onwards, but the exercise did nothing to keep him warm. The landscape seemed the same no matter how far he walked. He began to feel that he wasn't going anywhere at all.
At last, a dark shadow appeared on the horizon in front of him. As he walked, the shadow grew and took form. An hour or so later it was recognisable as a forest: the woodlands of Ethrin. He knew there was still a long way to go, but the proof that he was getting somewhere was enough to raise his spirits. Despite the cold and his damp clothes, he increased his speed and was almost cheerful as he reached the eaves of the wood. In a few days he would be with Merry again. In a few days, the hole in his heart would be filled.
He kept thinking of that, and every step forward seemed to lighten his grief a little. Soon now. He could almost feel the touch of Merry's hand, hear his voice. That gave him strength. The thought of who would await him at the end.
***
Merry waited in the darkness. He thought about a day had passed since he had seen Legolas, since he had slept for a time between sessions of just sitting and waiting. But he didn't know how long he had slept for, so it could have been much less than that.
After some immeasurable length of time, Acs came in bearing his meal. The guard stood in the open doorway watching carefully.
"How long have I been locked up?" Merry asked.
"Eight days in all," Acs replied. So Pippin had been gone nine days. It seemed like much longer. So much could have happened to him in that time and Merry had no way of knowing what. He ate his meal slowly, wondering where Pippin was, what those men who had taken him prisoner were doing to him. King Elmas talked about the northerners, and according to Legolas Gondor was the country directly north of Ethrin. If Pippin had been taken to Gondor then he would be alright. At least Merry hoped so. He just wished he could know for sure.
Once he had finished the meal, Acs took the tray up again. He left, but the guard didn't. He seemed to be waiting.
"Do you want to see your friend or not?" he asked at last. Merry stood quickly, understanding now why the guard had waited. So he was to be allowed to see Legolas each day. The king must be feeling kindly towards him.
Merry followed the guard to the room of fire. He knew something was different the moment the door opened. While it was still warmer inside the room, it wasn't as hot as it had been the day before. Merry only had a moment to wonder at this when he saw the reason. Legolas was lying on the table as before, but this time there was something over his chest. Merry ran to him, barely aware of the door closing behind him, and looked at it.
It was a block of heavy wood, with metal rods coming out so they reached over the edge of the table. Onto these rods were hung weights, so that the wood was pressed down on Legolas' chest. Merry quickly tried to undo the ropes that held the weights to the rods.
"No," Legolas said with some effort, "you will only be punished."
"But I can't just leave you like this." Legolas didn't answer. He was struggling with each breath he took and there was no energy to spare on idle words.
"Why did they do this?" Merry asked.
"I didn't answer," Legolas replied, simply.
"This is all my fault," Merry said, finally releasing the guilt he had held inside, "if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here."
"Not your fault." This reply didn't do anything to ease Merry's guilt. Legolas had come for him, and now he was being tortured. He hadn't even been grateful that Legolas had tried to rescue him.
"I'm sorry," Merry said, tears glistening on his cheeks. Legolas shook his head, trying to show he didn't blame Merry. Merry understood, but he couldn't help blaming himself. Neither of them knew what to say, so they stayed in silence for the short while they were allowed together.
The guard re-entered shortly, and told hold of Merry's arm. Merry didn't even bother resisting as he was taken back to his cell. He sank onto the floor and cried. His life seemed to be cursed. He had lost his home, his freedom and his friends. Now Pippin, the one thing he had been able to hold onto, was gone as well, and the curse seemed to be spreading so those he cared about suffered. Maybe it would have been better if the orcs had killed him.
***
Pippin walked under the trees in the gathering darkness. He knew it must be almost night, even though the sun was hidden by branches. He thought he hurt something in the trees, and glanced round. The movement was a mistake, as his foot slipped on the damp leaves and he fell heavily on his leg.
He gave a small cry of surprise and pain, then shifted to see if he'd damaged anything. His leg hurt, but not badly. It would probably just bruise. He shouldn't have been so clumsy. The movement he had heard was probably nothing more than some woodland animal.
Using a tree trunk for support he stood, and tested his weight gingerly on his leg. It was sore, but he could still walk. So walk he did, continuing into the trees while it was still light enough to see.
All too soon, the light was gone, and Pippin was stumbling almost blind through the trees. He heard something again, and looked round. He couldn't see anything in the dark. He began to worry that there might be dangerous animals in these woods. He and Merry had never been out alone, and never for more than a few hours, so no one had told them if there were any dangers in the woods.
Fearful, Pippin quickened his pace. This posed a problem, as he couldn't see the tree roots and low branches that made such a journey difficult. He caught his foot on something and fell flat on his face. The fall yanked at his bad leg, and pain shot up it. Cursing his stupidity, Pippin rolled over onto his back, only to find himself staring up at a sword, the point of which hovered close above his neck.
***
Author's note: I love cliffhangers. Review, or else I'll leave it like that.