I awoke the next morning to face the hobbits curled up on the grass and fern too. I looked at both of them very closely. Pippin was pillowing his head on an arm , on his stomach. Merry had at some point after I'd fallen asleep put his cloak over his younger cousin and wrapped an arm around him .
It reminded me how seriously Merry took his role as Pippin's defender , comforter and most of all best friend. There were very few friendships just like this one and they were rare indeed. It was actually hard to imagine Merry without Pippin , or the other way around. You could see how they'd do anything for the other and would die if necessary. And there was something in their eyes , hope in Merry's blue and joy in Pippin's green .
And it hit me that they were the good in Middle Earth the Fellowship was trying to protect. Hey , as far as I could tell from their tales they hadn't done much. But I think the whole Fellowship loved and were extremelly protective of them.
Frodo well , they were his younger cousins. And Sam , because they were Frodo's younger cousins. Gimli , for all his grumbling was always laughing at some tale or recent prank they had pulled. Aragorn - well even though he did reprimand them a lot , I think he really did like having them around. Legolas - probably because he was a lot like them , a bit more serious maybe , but absolutely crazy at some points. I missed the Mirkwood elf too , he was always talking to me even when there were a lot of grumbles about " The girl " ( *cough* Gimli *cough* ).
And Boromir he was always out for us , and always making sure we were alright and being a willing victim for wrestling ( I'd been put into a headlock by Merry tooooo many times ). At least before he..he.. I stopped thinking about it so I wouldn't bawl my eyes out.
I wandered outside into the tree hall. Sunlight was filtering in the tree leaves and everything smelled of cold clean air. I was rosy-cheeked and white skinned in moments. A slight breeze ruffled my short hair.
I sat down on ground and tried doing meditation .
"Ohmmmmmmm ohmmmmmmmm ohmmmmmmm , " I chanted feeling stupid , and giggling.
I heard a slight rustling sound behind me and I cracked an eye open.
"Who disturbs my deep meditation ? " I said mock seriously.
" Hmm hoom, certainly early to be up . "
Treebeard. Oopsies.
"I can never sleep in late but if you want me to go back to bed , I will ," I stammered.
Treebeard made a curious breathy sound like laughing. Guess he wasn't mad. He stalked off somewhere to laugh some more. Which was fine with me. If somebody had to laugh at me , go somewhere else to do it.
Now that I had thought of it , I was kinda tired . There was no way I was sleeping on the bed again. But it was so soft and warm , I thought. I flopped down upon the soft fern and closed my eyes. I drempt of fall walks with my friends in the woods and milkshakes at the diner across the road. Of ' Singing In The Rain ' and climbing trees. I wanted to go home .
I must have been crying in my sleep cause when I woke up my face hurt and it was swollen. Merry and Pippin were sitting up and gazing with sympathy in their eyes. I hate pity.
Somebody pried my hands off my legs and sat me up. Somebody was rubbing my back in an attempt to soothe me.
" Don't cry , you'll make me start again , " Pippin said handing me a hankerchief (probably Merry's). I smiled remembering what I had said to him.
" What's wrong ? " he asked.
" I want to go home ! "
" Where is home Little Maiden ? "
" I don't know ! I don't know how to get back!"
Merry gave me one of those little kid hugs like when they don't want you to leave. Treebeard entered at the most inopportune time.
He gave one of those treeish stares (hard to describe) and picked all of us up . I clung to the smooth bark- like skin.
We had been walking, er , Treebeard had been walking for a while , when we reached an almost bowl shaped shallow valley. Hard to explain . It had a barrier of seemingly impenetrable evergreen hedge at the rim , but from there on in , everything was grass clad. At the bottom there were 3 silver barked birch trees.
Ents were gathered and more were coming in. Every one was entirely different , shining beeches , saplings , oaks , birches . They had any number of limbs and height and the same deep pooled eyes of Treebeard. When they had all gathered together they spoke in low musical tones. It seemed like they were chanting together falling in rhythm and then booming out their voices. I found it relaxing and leaned against the trunk of Treebeard.
I could see Pippin beginning to fidget. How long had it been since they began? 10 minutes? 15 ? 30? I stifled a yawn and Treebeard was aware of Pippin and me.
"Hmm ha hey , Pippin and Little Maiden! You are a hasty folk I was forgetting ...."
I lost my place in the conversation again , I couldn't help it , Treebeard's voice was so musical . You didn't concentrate on words , you concentrated on the music. This was due to the fact I had been in band for three years. Treebeard put me down and I stretched my legs by walking , but noticing Merry and Pippin were bowing to them , I did as the Romans did . I curtsied. There was a flicker in the Ents' eyes and murmurs of amusement .
I walked on out of the path to the west . Trees surrounded the meeting place , with a mountain in the distance , and little green spot I thought was Rohan.
" What's Isengard like ? " I asked.
" Yes , I wonder where Isengard is ? " said Pippin.
Merry explained it was a ring of rocks with a flat space inside and a pillar of rock in the middle called Orthanc. Didn't sound impressive . Just sounded like some rocks with a big tower in the middle. We went back into the bowl also called a dingle (?) . o_0 I was getting bored. Very bored . There's only so much Zen I could take at one time. We wandered around not really having any purpose and watching the clouds. I lay on the grass .
"That one looks like a rabbit."
"Nuh uh , eagle. See the wings ? "
" No no no , you've got it all wrong! It's a tree , " Merry the perfectionist pointed out.
" Is not . "
"Is too ! "
This went on for quite a while until Treebeard came towards us with another Ent with him. I listened to the music in his voice and once again missed the point of the conversation. All I managed to figure out was that :
a) A tree picked me up
b) His name was elvish - Bregalad which means Quickbeam (v. nice in my opinion)
c) I was hungry
We all spent the day singing and laughing which was fine with me. I laughed at everything , even if was because someone else was too. We spent the night in his 'ent house' and Bregalad/ Quickbeam told us about the beautiful rowans he loved so much and how they were laid to waste by the hordes of orcs Saruman had sent.
If he had sent that many orcs to destroy trees , how many would he send upon us ? I hoped Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli were alright. I had seen them in battle before , it seemed like there was nothing they couldn't handle. But I had thought that of Boromir and looked what happened to him! On the bright side , he wouldn't have to see the destruction of the world , if it came to that.
I was awakened the next day's afternoon by drums and marching music followed by the Ents' musical voices.
We come , we come with roll of drum : ta-runda runda runda rom! I had taken the opportunity for a nap which didn't happen.
" Arrrrrrrrrghhm , come back later , " I growled. The drums kept playing and Bregalad snatched me up into his arms and strode toward the voices even before I had the chance to yawn.
" Hm , what ?" I squinted. Oh , army of trees , I thought. Nothing too unusual for Middle Earth. We joined the rest of the Ents and I was still stuck on Bregalad while Merry and Pippin were passed on to Treebeard.
Damn , there went my chance for socialization. I clung to Bregalad's trunk and daydreamed about milkshakes. The scenery changed from thick forest to bare slopes where grey dusk fell. A noise like a ripple of wind went through the group . I craned my neck to look at the army and it seemed like the forest had followed us here. We were drawing near the ridge of Nan Curunir , The Valley of Saruman. Bregalad stopped beside him. "Night lies over Isengard, " said Treebeard. Whoop de doo.
It reminded me how seriously Merry took his role as Pippin's defender , comforter and most of all best friend. There were very few friendships just like this one and they were rare indeed. It was actually hard to imagine Merry without Pippin , or the other way around. You could see how they'd do anything for the other and would die if necessary. And there was something in their eyes , hope in Merry's blue and joy in Pippin's green .
And it hit me that they were the good in Middle Earth the Fellowship was trying to protect. Hey , as far as I could tell from their tales they hadn't done much. But I think the whole Fellowship loved and were extremelly protective of them.
Frodo well , they were his younger cousins. And Sam , because they were Frodo's younger cousins. Gimli , for all his grumbling was always laughing at some tale or recent prank they had pulled. Aragorn - well even though he did reprimand them a lot , I think he really did like having them around. Legolas - probably because he was a lot like them , a bit more serious maybe , but absolutely crazy at some points. I missed the Mirkwood elf too , he was always talking to me even when there were a lot of grumbles about " The girl " ( *cough* Gimli *cough* ).
And Boromir he was always out for us , and always making sure we were alright and being a willing victim for wrestling ( I'd been put into a headlock by Merry tooooo many times ). At least before he..he.. I stopped thinking about it so I wouldn't bawl my eyes out.
I wandered outside into the tree hall. Sunlight was filtering in the tree leaves and everything smelled of cold clean air. I was rosy-cheeked and white skinned in moments. A slight breeze ruffled my short hair.
I sat down on ground and tried doing meditation .
"Ohmmmmmmm ohmmmmmmmm ohmmmmmmm , " I chanted feeling stupid , and giggling.
I heard a slight rustling sound behind me and I cracked an eye open.
"Who disturbs my deep meditation ? " I said mock seriously.
" Hmm hoom, certainly early to be up . "
Treebeard. Oopsies.
"I can never sleep in late but if you want me to go back to bed , I will ," I stammered.
Treebeard made a curious breathy sound like laughing. Guess he wasn't mad. He stalked off somewhere to laugh some more. Which was fine with me. If somebody had to laugh at me , go somewhere else to do it.
Now that I had thought of it , I was kinda tired . There was no way I was sleeping on the bed again. But it was so soft and warm , I thought. I flopped down upon the soft fern and closed my eyes. I drempt of fall walks with my friends in the woods and milkshakes at the diner across the road. Of ' Singing In The Rain ' and climbing trees. I wanted to go home .
I must have been crying in my sleep cause when I woke up my face hurt and it was swollen. Merry and Pippin were sitting up and gazing with sympathy in their eyes. I hate pity.
Somebody pried my hands off my legs and sat me up. Somebody was rubbing my back in an attempt to soothe me.
" Don't cry , you'll make me start again , " Pippin said handing me a hankerchief (probably Merry's). I smiled remembering what I had said to him.
" What's wrong ? " he asked.
" I want to go home ! "
" Where is home Little Maiden ? "
" I don't know ! I don't know how to get back!"
Merry gave me one of those little kid hugs like when they don't want you to leave. Treebeard entered at the most inopportune time.
He gave one of those treeish stares (hard to describe) and picked all of us up . I clung to the smooth bark- like skin.
We had been walking, er , Treebeard had been walking for a while , when we reached an almost bowl shaped shallow valley. Hard to explain . It had a barrier of seemingly impenetrable evergreen hedge at the rim , but from there on in , everything was grass clad. At the bottom there were 3 silver barked birch trees.
Ents were gathered and more were coming in. Every one was entirely different , shining beeches , saplings , oaks , birches . They had any number of limbs and height and the same deep pooled eyes of Treebeard. When they had all gathered together they spoke in low musical tones. It seemed like they were chanting together falling in rhythm and then booming out their voices. I found it relaxing and leaned against the trunk of Treebeard.
I could see Pippin beginning to fidget. How long had it been since they began? 10 minutes? 15 ? 30? I stifled a yawn and Treebeard was aware of Pippin and me.
"Hmm ha hey , Pippin and Little Maiden! You are a hasty folk I was forgetting ...."
I lost my place in the conversation again , I couldn't help it , Treebeard's voice was so musical . You didn't concentrate on words , you concentrated on the music. This was due to the fact I had been in band for three years. Treebeard put me down and I stretched my legs by walking , but noticing Merry and Pippin were bowing to them , I did as the Romans did . I curtsied. There was a flicker in the Ents' eyes and murmurs of amusement .
I walked on out of the path to the west . Trees surrounded the meeting place , with a mountain in the distance , and little green spot I thought was Rohan.
" What's Isengard like ? " I asked.
" Yes , I wonder where Isengard is ? " said Pippin.
Merry explained it was a ring of rocks with a flat space inside and a pillar of rock in the middle called Orthanc. Didn't sound impressive . Just sounded like some rocks with a big tower in the middle. We went back into the bowl also called a dingle (?) . o_0 I was getting bored. Very bored . There's only so much Zen I could take at one time. We wandered around not really having any purpose and watching the clouds. I lay on the grass .
"That one looks like a rabbit."
"Nuh uh , eagle. See the wings ? "
" No no no , you've got it all wrong! It's a tree , " Merry the perfectionist pointed out.
" Is not . "
"Is too ! "
This went on for quite a while until Treebeard came towards us with another Ent with him. I listened to the music in his voice and once again missed the point of the conversation. All I managed to figure out was that :
a) A tree picked me up
b) His name was elvish - Bregalad which means Quickbeam (v. nice in my opinion)
c) I was hungry
We all spent the day singing and laughing which was fine with me. I laughed at everything , even if was because someone else was too. We spent the night in his 'ent house' and Bregalad/ Quickbeam told us about the beautiful rowans he loved so much and how they were laid to waste by the hordes of orcs Saruman had sent.
If he had sent that many orcs to destroy trees , how many would he send upon us ? I hoped Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli were alright. I had seen them in battle before , it seemed like there was nothing they couldn't handle. But I had thought that of Boromir and looked what happened to him! On the bright side , he wouldn't have to see the destruction of the world , if it came to that.
I was awakened the next day's afternoon by drums and marching music followed by the Ents' musical voices.
We come , we come with roll of drum : ta-runda runda runda rom! I had taken the opportunity for a nap which didn't happen.
" Arrrrrrrrrghhm , come back later , " I growled. The drums kept playing and Bregalad snatched me up into his arms and strode toward the voices even before I had the chance to yawn.
" Hm , what ?" I squinted. Oh , army of trees , I thought. Nothing too unusual for Middle Earth. We joined the rest of the Ents and I was still stuck on Bregalad while Merry and Pippin were passed on to Treebeard.
Damn , there went my chance for socialization. I clung to Bregalad's trunk and daydreamed about milkshakes. The scenery changed from thick forest to bare slopes where grey dusk fell. A noise like a ripple of wind went through the group . I craned my neck to look at the army and it seemed like the forest had followed us here. We were drawing near the ridge of Nan Curunir , The Valley of Saruman. Bregalad stopped beside him. "Night lies over Isengard, " said Treebeard. Whoop de doo.