Chapter Four - Good and bad news
Merry was distraught. He had not seen hide nor hair of Pippin for almost 20 minutes now. He must have fallen asleep, and when he woke up Pippin was gone. He had assumed he had gone to stretch his legs, but he did not return. Merry could have kicked himself. Why did he fall asleep and leave little Pippin (for he still thought of him as 'little Pippin', even thought he was a grown hobbit) alone to watch?
Merry paced up and down, and still Pippin did not return. Worry grew inside him, and he knew he had to wake the others. He crept up to Aragorn, who was still and sleeping.
"Strider!" he whispered.
Aragorns eyes shot open.
"Is it my turn to watch?" he asked, voice somewhat bleary with sleep.
"No, it's not that," Merry said impatiently. "Its Pippin. He's gone."
"Gone? Where?" Aragorn asked, instantly becoming alert and attantive. He jumped up and quickly threw on his cloak..
"I don't know. He was watching with me and I...I fell asleep and when I woke up he was gone," Merry said, looking ashamed and averting his eyes to the ground.
Aragorn said nothing, only nodded, and quickly roused the rest of the company. He explained what had happened, and told them to look with haste.
"I'll cover the riverbanks. Legolas, you and Gimli look around the camp. Boromir, you stay with the hobbits. If something took Pippin I want them all to be safe," he dictated efficiently.
Merry, his face deathly pale, went over to where Frodo and Sam were sitting.
"He'll be all right Mister Merry," Sam said awkwardly, patting Merry softly on the back.
"Sam's right. Pippin's got a sensible head on his shoulders." Frodo said, trying his best to comfort his cousin who looked so shook up.
"But where is he? What if something's taken him? Merry said, anxiety bubbling inside him.
Neither Sam nor Frodo answered.
Boromir was pacing the camp, brandishing his sword. His eyes scanned over the trees and bushes, looking for movement. Just then something did move. A figure appeared through the trees, stooped and walking slowly.
"Who goes there?" Boromir cried, holding out his sword and straining his eyes against the darkness.
"It is I, Legolas," the elf answered, walking into the camp with something held in his arms.
"Pippin!" Exclaimed Merry, rushing over to where Legolas stood.
"Yes, I found him, but he is badly wounded. Step aside, let me lie him down."
The elf lay a blanket on the ground, then on top of it he gently placed Pippin.
"Sam, please go to the river and alert Aragorn," Legolas said. Sam nodded and rushed away.
"Let me get to him," he said to Merry, who was crouched at Pippin's side. Frodo approached Merry, and guided him away from where Pippin lay.
Legolas' keen elf eyes could see the extent of Pippins injuries better than any of the others could in the darkness. He gently examined Pippins battered body. His face was bruised and cut, and there was a dark red stain of blood just under his shoulder. His eyes were shut, and his skin cold and pale.
"Merry, please fetch me some water and a cloth," Legolas said, undoing the top of Pippins shirt so that he could get to the wound.
Merry stumbled to his pack, and searched for the water bottle. The relief he had felt when Pippin was found had now turned into despair and sadness. If anything happened to his cousin he did not think he could bear it. He located the water, and passed it to Legolas, who began to bathe Pippin's forehead.
Footsteps were heard, Sam and Aragorn had returned. Aragorn crouched down beside Pippin's lifeless form, and Merry heard Legolas telling him what he knew of the injuries. Aragorns eyebrows raised slightly as he looked at Pippin, and Merry's worry heightened.
At that moment, they heard thudding footfalls and the stocky figure of Gimli could be seen. He was holding a sword in his hand made of a dull, dark metal.
"Orcs!" He cried, his eyebrows knitted together angrily. "I found this sword in the clearing over there." He gesturing with his free hand to the trees behind him.
"Orcs?" said Frodo, puzzled. "But why would they come so close to us, and the Ring, hurt Pippin and then leave? It doesn't make sense."
"I know," replied Gimli, shaking his head. "When Pippin wakes up, I have no doubt he will have the answers."
"But will he wake up?"
Everyone's heads turned to look at Merry. He was sitting alone at the far side of the camp. His face looked drawn and worried. Aragorn stopped what he had been doing, and glanced fleetingly at the ground, unsure of what to say. When no one answered an angry look came across Merry's face.
"Answer me! Is he going to die?"
*-*
Authors Note: Thanks again for the reviews, I love getting all feedback! Here are some responses:
Aurora: Thanks for the tips about the apostrophes, I'm not the best at using them and even though I try to some words still slip through somehow. I'll check it over and correct it. And about the point of the orcs, these orcs are not the ones that the hobbits meet at Amon Hen, they are an independent (is that the right word?) group who want the Ring for themselves. I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear enough!
Boromir Lover: Its going to be 13 chapters long. I have them all written and I will be uploading one a day.
I don't think I got anymore questions, but thanks to all other reviewers! Also, I apologies for any mistakes I've made, I'm not that great at using apostrophes as I said earlier.
LOTR is not mine.
Merry was distraught. He had not seen hide nor hair of Pippin for almost 20 minutes now. He must have fallen asleep, and when he woke up Pippin was gone. He had assumed he had gone to stretch his legs, but he did not return. Merry could have kicked himself. Why did he fall asleep and leave little Pippin (for he still thought of him as 'little Pippin', even thought he was a grown hobbit) alone to watch?
Merry paced up and down, and still Pippin did not return. Worry grew inside him, and he knew he had to wake the others. He crept up to Aragorn, who was still and sleeping.
"Strider!" he whispered.
Aragorns eyes shot open.
"Is it my turn to watch?" he asked, voice somewhat bleary with sleep.
"No, it's not that," Merry said impatiently. "Its Pippin. He's gone."
"Gone? Where?" Aragorn asked, instantly becoming alert and attantive. He jumped up and quickly threw on his cloak..
"I don't know. He was watching with me and I...I fell asleep and when I woke up he was gone," Merry said, looking ashamed and averting his eyes to the ground.
Aragorn said nothing, only nodded, and quickly roused the rest of the company. He explained what had happened, and told them to look with haste.
"I'll cover the riverbanks. Legolas, you and Gimli look around the camp. Boromir, you stay with the hobbits. If something took Pippin I want them all to be safe," he dictated efficiently.
Merry, his face deathly pale, went over to where Frodo and Sam were sitting.
"He'll be all right Mister Merry," Sam said awkwardly, patting Merry softly on the back.
"Sam's right. Pippin's got a sensible head on his shoulders." Frodo said, trying his best to comfort his cousin who looked so shook up.
"But where is he? What if something's taken him? Merry said, anxiety bubbling inside him.
Neither Sam nor Frodo answered.
Boromir was pacing the camp, brandishing his sword. His eyes scanned over the trees and bushes, looking for movement. Just then something did move. A figure appeared through the trees, stooped and walking slowly.
"Who goes there?" Boromir cried, holding out his sword and straining his eyes against the darkness.
"It is I, Legolas," the elf answered, walking into the camp with something held in his arms.
"Pippin!" Exclaimed Merry, rushing over to where Legolas stood.
"Yes, I found him, but he is badly wounded. Step aside, let me lie him down."
The elf lay a blanket on the ground, then on top of it he gently placed Pippin.
"Sam, please go to the river and alert Aragorn," Legolas said. Sam nodded and rushed away.
"Let me get to him," he said to Merry, who was crouched at Pippin's side. Frodo approached Merry, and guided him away from where Pippin lay.
Legolas' keen elf eyes could see the extent of Pippins injuries better than any of the others could in the darkness. He gently examined Pippins battered body. His face was bruised and cut, and there was a dark red stain of blood just under his shoulder. His eyes were shut, and his skin cold and pale.
"Merry, please fetch me some water and a cloth," Legolas said, undoing the top of Pippins shirt so that he could get to the wound.
Merry stumbled to his pack, and searched for the water bottle. The relief he had felt when Pippin was found had now turned into despair and sadness. If anything happened to his cousin he did not think he could bear it. He located the water, and passed it to Legolas, who began to bathe Pippin's forehead.
Footsteps were heard, Sam and Aragorn had returned. Aragorn crouched down beside Pippin's lifeless form, and Merry heard Legolas telling him what he knew of the injuries. Aragorns eyebrows raised slightly as he looked at Pippin, and Merry's worry heightened.
At that moment, they heard thudding footfalls and the stocky figure of Gimli could be seen. He was holding a sword in his hand made of a dull, dark metal.
"Orcs!" He cried, his eyebrows knitted together angrily. "I found this sword in the clearing over there." He gesturing with his free hand to the trees behind him.
"Orcs?" said Frodo, puzzled. "But why would they come so close to us, and the Ring, hurt Pippin and then leave? It doesn't make sense."
"I know," replied Gimli, shaking his head. "When Pippin wakes up, I have no doubt he will have the answers."
"But will he wake up?"
Everyone's heads turned to look at Merry. He was sitting alone at the far side of the camp. His face looked drawn and worried. Aragorn stopped what he had been doing, and glanced fleetingly at the ground, unsure of what to say. When no one answered an angry look came across Merry's face.
"Answer me! Is he going to die?"
*-*
Authors Note: Thanks again for the reviews, I love getting all feedback! Here are some responses:
Aurora: Thanks for the tips about the apostrophes, I'm not the best at using them and even though I try to some words still slip through somehow. I'll check it over and correct it. And about the point of the orcs, these orcs are not the ones that the hobbits meet at Amon Hen, they are an independent (is that the right word?) group who want the Ring for themselves. I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear enough!
Boromir Lover: Its going to be 13 chapters long. I have them all written and I will be uploading one a day.
I don't think I got anymore questions, but thanks to all other reviewers! Also, I apologies for any mistakes I've made, I'm not that great at using apostrophes as I said earlier.
LOTR is not mine.