Authors Note: Sorry about the dull chapter, it will get more interesting before the end, I promise!
In the next chapter of this fic, the truth finally comes out to the rest of the Fellowship about what happened to Pippin. Check back tomorrow, It'll be uploaded!
LOTR is not mine.
*-*
Chapter Nine - Feeling the guilt
The first thing Pippin saw when he awoke was Merrys face staring anxiously down on him. He felt woozy and dizzy, and had the strong urge to vomit. He managed to pull himself away from where he was lying, and retched on the grass. Merry rubbed his back so as to comfort him, and Pippin flopped back onto the ground, feeling exhausted.
"Would you like some water?" e heard Merry say. He nodded weakly, and Merry put the canteen to his mouth. The water washed away the sour, acid taste in his mouth, and cooled his burning throat. He shut his eyes, his head was aching again.
"He's trying to get rid of the poison," Aragorn said, crouching down beside Pippin. "Hopefully he'll feel a bit better now."
Aragorn was right, Pippin did feel a bit more like himself. Still, he was wearied and his wound hurt him terribly. He put his hand to it, and felt a bandage over it. He turned his head slightly, trying to see where he was. He did not recognize the place, it was not where they had been camping when...Pippin gasped. The memories of the orc attack flooded back into his mind. He felt panic again, was anyone hurt? Was everyone alive? He tried to speak; though his voice was croaky and cracked.
"Frodo...Strider...Sam. Are you all alive?" He whispered, grasping Merrys hand tighter.
"Of course, you silly hobbit," Merry said, looking confused. "Why shouldn't we be alive?"
"You forget what happened to him." Aragorn said, also hearing what Pippin said. "He was attacked by orcs."
"Oh yes," Merry said, feeling foolish. "But you'll be able to tell us what happened, Pip."
"Not now. He needs to rest," Aragorn said firmly.
Pippin wanted to tell them what had happened, but he could not find the strength to. He wanted to warn the others that there could be orcs out there again, looking for them. But it looked as though they had moved camp. They would be safe here for a while. Pippin felt nausea in his stomach, and his head was again aching. He wanted to sleep, he wanted to leave this world of pain. He relaxed his body, and drifted away.
Merry watched this happen, and then turned to Aragorn.
"What do you suppose happened that night?" he asked, suddenly feeling very weary himself.
"I do not fully know. Pippin was obviously attacked, but he must have somehow prevented the orcs from finding us. He is certainly very brave," Aragorn answered, looking down at Pippin with a small smile on his lips.
"Yes, he is. He may well have saved us all." Merry said, feeling pity and then admiration for Pippin. These feelings were soon replaced by guilt. If he had not fallen asleep Pippin would not have gone off on his own. Pippin had almost been killed and it had been his fault. Merry scowled at his own stupidity.
"Fool of a Brandybuck," he muttered to himself.
Frodo, who was sitting nearby, saw Merrys expression, and walked over to him.
"What ails you Merry?" he asked, looking puzzled.
Merry did not say anything at first. He gathered his thoughts, then spoke. "It is my fault," he said dully. "I did not look after him. I fell asleep."
Frodo smiled. "Come Merry, you must not blame yourself. I dare say, even if you had been awake, that you both would have wandered off, and instead of one casualty we would have two."
Merry pondered on what Frodo had said. "I suppose your right," he said at length.
"There!" Frodo said, patting Merry on the shoulder. "Now take off the glum face and stop feeling sorry for yourself!" he said, grinning at him.
Merry smiled reluctantly.
"As always, you are right," he admitted simply.
Frodo clapped him on the back, and left. Merry felt happier after that. 'Good old Frodo', he thought. 'He has the fate of Middle Earth on his shoulders, yet he is still able to be happy and cheery.' Then Merry felt uncomfortable again. Frodo had an immense task laid upon him, and here was he, groaning about feeling guilty to him when really it should be him comforting Frodo. It was then Merry decided to stop feeling sorry for himself, and to instead care about the ones who had a much greater burden to carry.
The night drew in around them, and Gimli, who was on first watch, urged Merry to sleep. Merry at last gave in, and lay down beside the sleeping Pippin. He drew a rug over himself, and it was not long before he too drifted away.
*-*
In the next chapter of this fic, the truth finally comes out to the rest of the Fellowship about what happened to Pippin. Check back tomorrow, It'll be uploaded!
LOTR is not mine.
*-*
Chapter Nine - Feeling the guilt
The first thing Pippin saw when he awoke was Merrys face staring anxiously down on him. He felt woozy and dizzy, and had the strong urge to vomit. He managed to pull himself away from where he was lying, and retched on the grass. Merry rubbed his back so as to comfort him, and Pippin flopped back onto the ground, feeling exhausted.
"Would you like some water?" e heard Merry say. He nodded weakly, and Merry put the canteen to his mouth. The water washed away the sour, acid taste in his mouth, and cooled his burning throat. He shut his eyes, his head was aching again.
"He's trying to get rid of the poison," Aragorn said, crouching down beside Pippin. "Hopefully he'll feel a bit better now."
Aragorn was right, Pippin did feel a bit more like himself. Still, he was wearied and his wound hurt him terribly. He put his hand to it, and felt a bandage over it. He turned his head slightly, trying to see where he was. He did not recognize the place, it was not where they had been camping when...Pippin gasped. The memories of the orc attack flooded back into his mind. He felt panic again, was anyone hurt? Was everyone alive? He tried to speak; though his voice was croaky and cracked.
"Frodo...Strider...Sam. Are you all alive?" He whispered, grasping Merrys hand tighter.
"Of course, you silly hobbit," Merry said, looking confused. "Why shouldn't we be alive?"
"You forget what happened to him." Aragorn said, also hearing what Pippin said. "He was attacked by orcs."
"Oh yes," Merry said, feeling foolish. "But you'll be able to tell us what happened, Pip."
"Not now. He needs to rest," Aragorn said firmly.
Pippin wanted to tell them what had happened, but he could not find the strength to. He wanted to warn the others that there could be orcs out there again, looking for them. But it looked as though they had moved camp. They would be safe here for a while. Pippin felt nausea in his stomach, and his head was again aching. He wanted to sleep, he wanted to leave this world of pain. He relaxed his body, and drifted away.
Merry watched this happen, and then turned to Aragorn.
"What do you suppose happened that night?" he asked, suddenly feeling very weary himself.
"I do not fully know. Pippin was obviously attacked, but he must have somehow prevented the orcs from finding us. He is certainly very brave," Aragorn answered, looking down at Pippin with a small smile on his lips.
"Yes, he is. He may well have saved us all." Merry said, feeling pity and then admiration for Pippin. These feelings were soon replaced by guilt. If he had not fallen asleep Pippin would not have gone off on his own. Pippin had almost been killed and it had been his fault. Merry scowled at his own stupidity.
"Fool of a Brandybuck," he muttered to himself.
Frodo, who was sitting nearby, saw Merrys expression, and walked over to him.
"What ails you Merry?" he asked, looking puzzled.
Merry did not say anything at first. He gathered his thoughts, then spoke. "It is my fault," he said dully. "I did not look after him. I fell asleep."
Frodo smiled. "Come Merry, you must not blame yourself. I dare say, even if you had been awake, that you both would have wandered off, and instead of one casualty we would have two."
Merry pondered on what Frodo had said. "I suppose your right," he said at length.
"There!" Frodo said, patting Merry on the shoulder. "Now take off the glum face and stop feeling sorry for yourself!" he said, grinning at him.
Merry smiled reluctantly.
"As always, you are right," he admitted simply.
Frodo clapped him on the back, and left. Merry felt happier after that. 'Good old Frodo', he thought. 'He has the fate of Middle Earth on his shoulders, yet he is still able to be happy and cheery.' Then Merry felt uncomfortable again. Frodo had an immense task laid upon him, and here was he, groaning about feeling guilty to him when really it should be him comforting Frodo. It was then Merry decided to stop feeling sorry for himself, and to instead care about the ones who had a much greater burden to carry.
The night drew in around them, and Gimli, who was on first watch, urged Merry to sleep. Merry at last gave in, and lay down beside the sleeping Pippin. He drew a rug over himself, and it was not long before he too drifted away.
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