Author's note: I've finally got rid of my sister. She's going back to
university today. Hurray! I won't have her practising taking blood samples
on me any more or leaving her brain lying around the lounge carpet in
pieces.
***
A purple bruise was growing on Merry's jaw where the man had struck him. It was painful, but bearable. It wasn't the bruise that worried him though, it was Pippin. Merry was worn out from the walking they were being forced to do, and the hunger was a constant pain in his stomach, but it wasn't enough to make him collapse.
Pippin just lay over the shoulder of one of the guards, head dangling down the man's back. He hadn't so much as moved since he had collapsed, and Merry began to worry that he was more than just unconsciousness.
After a while Pippin did begin to move, and for a few moments Merry was relieved. Then he realised Pippin was murmuring to himself in a strange mix of Ethrin and common. A garbled nonsense. It made Merry more afraid for him than when he had been still and silent. He called out to Merry several times, and Merry wanted nothing more than to take his hand, let him know he was there, but the ropes that bound him prevented it.
"Merry!" Pippin called pitifully, "Merry!" Why had King Elmas brought them with him, Merry wondered? What use would they be to him in a war?
When they stopped for the night, the guard carrying Pippin just dumped him on the ground. Merry winced as his bonded one hit the ground, and went immediately to his side. Pippin's cheeks were flushed, and though the ropes prevented Merry from feeling his head, he knew that it would be hot. Pippin murmured something Merry couldn't quite hear and began thrashing around.
"Keep still!" the guard ordered.
"He's sick," Merry protested, "Can't you see that?"
"Shut up!"
"He needs a healer."
"I told you to shut up."
Pippin suddenly shouted a garbled stream of nonsense. Merry lent close over his face and felt the warmth coming off him. Tears filled his eyes.
"Ssh," he whispered. "It's alright. It's alright. I'm here."
"Merry?" Pippin seemed calmer.
"I'm here, Pippin." A smile grew on Pippin's face, but it was clear he was still trapped in fever dreams. A terrible fear filled Merry's heart, that Pippin might not wake up. He didn't know how he would cope if Pippin died, but it was clear these men would do nothing to help him.
Merry became aware that someone was standing in front of him, and he looked up, bleary eyed, at King Elmas. Anger almost drowned his fear, as he glared up at the king. He was the one responsible for this. It was his fault Pippin was ill.
"He needs help," Merry said.
"How long will he last?" the king asked.
"Not long without a healer."
"I can't spare the time for him to be healed. He will have to fare on his own a few more days."
"Haven't you got a heart?" Merry shouted, forgetting that this man could order his death, forgetting everything but the fact that Pippin lay ill beside him.
King Elmas raised a hand as though to strike him, but changed his mind. He turned and walked away. Merry sobbed for the sake of the one he loved. One who might not even survive the night.
***
The next morning they reached the river Harnen. Merry could see the troops of Gondor arrayed on the other side of the river, and was dismayed to see that there were only about half the number of the Ethrin soldiers.
Merry was pushed forward, almost to the edge of the river, and the guard who carried Pippin set him down by his side. Another man was also brought to that position, one wearing the uniform of Gondor who was bound as the two hobbits were.
King Elmas rode away from the troops on his own, into the centre of the river. As the water flowed around the horse's legs, a rider separated himself from the Gondorian troops and rode to meet him. As he came closer, Merry recognised him as Strider.
The two kings sat on their horses in the centre of the river, their troops waiting on either side. Merry could see that the soldiers of both sides were uncomfortable, and felt often for their weapons. But he was more interested in what was happening between the kings.
They spoke for a long time. At one point, King Elmas pointed towards where he stood. Often afterwards, Strider would glance in their direction. Merry knew they were discussing him and Pippin, and wondered why. He was afraid of what King Elmas would make Strider give up in exchange for them.
Pippin moaned quietly, and said something about it being gone. Merry didn't know what he was talking about, but immediately crouched beside him, murmuring reassurances.
"You're not alone," Merry said, "I'm here with you. You're not alone." The Gondor soldier who stood beside them looked at them with pity. "You're not alone," Merry kept repeating, but the comfort his voice had brought Pippin previously seemed to have gone. Pippin just moaned as if with pain, and turned away from Merry.
A short while later, King Elmas rode back to this side of the river. He stopped by the three prisoners, and nodded to the guards. To Merry's surprise, one of the guards stepped up behind him and cut the ropes around his wrists, before continuing to do the same to the others. Rubbing his sore wrists in the hope of returning circulation to his hands, he looked up curiously at the king.
"You are free to go," the king said in common. Merry glanced across the river, and saw that a prisoner on that side was also being freed. So they were being exchanged.
The Gondor soldier bent down and lifted Pippin from the grass, before walking slowly into the river. Merry hurried in after him, the icy water freezing his legs. He walked beside the man who held Pippin as they waded through the river, passing the Ethrin soldier at the midpoint. Was this the man Pippin had met in Minas Tirith?
As soon as they reached the northern side of the river, Strider was there with them. He didn't say a single word of greeting to Merry, just looked at Pippin. He reached out and touched his forehead. Merry watched as Strider's expression became one of worry and fear, and the fear inside himself increased.
"Will he die?" Merry asked.
"I don't know," Strider replied.
***
Author's note: Well, I couldn't just let them be exchange now could I? That wouldn't be good for a cliffhanger at all.
***
A purple bruise was growing on Merry's jaw where the man had struck him. It was painful, but bearable. It wasn't the bruise that worried him though, it was Pippin. Merry was worn out from the walking they were being forced to do, and the hunger was a constant pain in his stomach, but it wasn't enough to make him collapse.
Pippin just lay over the shoulder of one of the guards, head dangling down the man's back. He hadn't so much as moved since he had collapsed, and Merry began to worry that he was more than just unconsciousness.
After a while Pippin did begin to move, and for a few moments Merry was relieved. Then he realised Pippin was murmuring to himself in a strange mix of Ethrin and common. A garbled nonsense. It made Merry more afraid for him than when he had been still and silent. He called out to Merry several times, and Merry wanted nothing more than to take his hand, let him know he was there, but the ropes that bound him prevented it.
"Merry!" Pippin called pitifully, "Merry!" Why had King Elmas brought them with him, Merry wondered? What use would they be to him in a war?
When they stopped for the night, the guard carrying Pippin just dumped him on the ground. Merry winced as his bonded one hit the ground, and went immediately to his side. Pippin's cheeks were flushed, and though the ropes prevented Merry from feeling his head, he knew that it would be hot. Pippin murmured something Merry couldn't quite hear and began thrashing around.
"Keep still!" the guard ordered.
"He's sick," Merry protested, "Can't you see that?"
"Shut up!"
"He needs a healer."
"I told you to shut up."
Pippin suddenly shouted a garbled stream of nonsense. Merry lent close over his face and felt the warmth coming off him. Tears filled his eyes.
"Ssh," he whispered. "It's alright. It's alright. I'm here."
"Merry?" Pippin seemed calmer.
"I'm here, Pippin." A smile grew on Pippin's face, but it was clear he was still trapped in fever dreams. A terrible fear filled Merry's heart, that Pippin might not wake up. He didn't know how he would cope if Pippin died, but it was clear these men would do nothing to help him.
Merry became aware that someone was standing in front of him, and he looked up, bleary eyed, at King Elmas. Anger almost drowned his fear, as he glared up at the king. He was the one responsible for this. It was his fault Pippin was ill.
"He needs help," Merry said.
"How long will he last?" the king asked.
"Not long without a healer."
"I can't spare the time for him to be healed. He will have to fare on his own a few more days."
"Haven't you got a heart?" Merry shouted, forgetting that this man could order his death, forgetting everything but the fact that Pippin lay ill beside him.
King Elmas raised a hand as though to strike him, but changed his mind. He turned and walked away. Merry sobbed for the sake of the one he loved. One who might not even survive the night.
***
The next morning they reached the river Harnen. Merry could see the troops of Gondor arrayed on the other side of the river, and was dismayed to see that there were only about half the number of the Ethrin soldiers.
Merry was pushed forward, almost to the edge of the river, and the guard who carried Pippin set him down by his side. Another man was also brought to that position, one wearing the uniform of Gondor who was bound as the two hobbits were.
King Elmas rode away from the troops on his own, into the centre of the river. As the water flowed around the horse's legs, a rider separated himself from the Gondorian troops and rode to meet him. As he came closer, Merry recognised him as Strider.
The two kings sat on their horses in the centre of the river, their troops waiting on either side. Merry could see that the soldiers of both sides were uncomfortable, and felt often for their weapons. But he was more interested in what was happening between the kings.
They spoke for a long time. At one point, King Elmas pointed towards where he stood. Often afterwards, Strider would glance in their direction. Merry knew they were discussing him and Pippin, and wondered why. He was afraid of what King Elmas would make Strider give up in exchange for them.
Pippin moaned quietly, and said something about it being gone. Merry didn't know what he was talking about, but immediately crouched beside him, murmuring reassurances.
"You're not alone," Merry said, "I'm here with you. You're not alone." The Gondor soldier who stood beside them looked at them with pity. "You're not alone," Merry kept repeating, but the comfort his voice had brought Pippin previously seemed to have gone. Pippin just moaned as if with pain, and turned away from Merry.
A short while later, King Elmas rode back to this side of the river. He stopped by the three prisoners, and nodded to the guards. To Merry's surprise, one of the guards stepped up behind him and cut the ropes around his wrists, before continuing to do the same to the others. Rubbing his sore wrists in the hope of returning circulation to his hands, he looked up curiously at the king.
"You are free to go," the king said in common. Merry glanced across the river, and saw that a prisoner on that side was also being freed. So they were being exchanged.
The Gondor soldier bent down and lifted Pippin from the grass, before walking slowly into the river. Merry hurried in after him, the icy water freezing his legs. He walked beside the man who held Pippin as they waded through the river, passing the Ethrin soldier at the midpoint. Was this the man Pippin had met in Minas Tirith?
As soon as they reached the northern side of the river, Strider was there with them. He didn't say a single word of greeting to Merry, just looked at Pippin. He reached out and touched his forehead. Merry watched as Strider's expression became one of worry and fear, and the fear inside himself increased.
"Will he die?" Merry asked.
"I don't know," Strider replied.
***
Author's note: Well, I couldn't just let them be exchange now could I? That wouldn't be good for a cliffhanger at all.