Authors Note: Well I'm slapping on the mush at the end of this chapter! I found the explanation hard to write (damn it!) There are four more chapters to come before the end of the fic though, and I can say that there will be a little twist at the end, as well as some Boromir angst-like stuff.
Thanks for the reviews, and remember that more are always welcome (did you get the hint?)
I do not own LOTR,
*-*
Chapter Ten - The truth
Throughout the next day Pippin slipped in and out of sleep, all the while Merry sitting by his side, inquiring anxiously as to how he was feeling. Pippin was glad to have someone sitting by him each time he awoke, as he often felt sick and ill. The rest of the fellowship had no other option but to stay in the camp. The day was long and empty, punctuated only by Pippins waking moments and meals. Boromir was obviously frustrated that they were not moving on, regularly fidgeting and walking off into the woods with his sword swinging at his side. Aragorn was silent, sitting leaning on the sloped wall of the dell, chewing on the end of his pipe. He only occasionally got up to check on Pippin, to change his bandage and take his temperature. Legolas and Gimli sat together, conversing about woods and mines.
Eventually, when the day was almost spent, Pippin began to show signs of recovering. The colour came back to his face, and he seemed more alert. At last, Aragorn said the words that they had all been secretly wondering ever since Pippin was discovered.
"Pippin, are you ready to tell us what happened?"
Pippin nodded slowly, so Aragorn lay him up against the grassy bank so he could speak to them. Pippin swallowed, his eyes dark and wide.
"I heard voices," he began, somewhat shakily. "I went to find out what they were." Merry nodded as if to encourage Pippin, holding his hand tight.
"There were orcs. About thirty of them, not far from the camp. They were going to come and...and kill you all. They wanted the ring," Pippin continued.
Everyone started slightly at Pippins revaluation. They could not see how a small hobbit could defeat a gang of orcs.
"That's strange," Aragorn mused. "They weren't coming from the direction of Mordor or Isengard."
"They weren't sent by Sauron, or Saruman. They wanted the ring for themselves," Pippin explained.
Aragorn raised his eyebrows, obviously thinking along the same lines that Pippin had when he first heard this information. Boromir made as if to speak, but Legolas held up a hand to silence him, at the same time urging Pippin to carry on speaking.
"I knew I had to stop them. I couldn't let them attack you all while you slept."
"Oh Pip, what did you do?" Merry said, grasping Pippins hand harder.
"I pretended to be Frodo. I let them see me, and pretended I had the ring."
"But you didn't have the ring," Frodo said.
"No, but I had something that looked like it. I had my parents ring, you know..." Pippin explained, glancing at Merry for verification
Merry did not speak, but stared at the ground. He was realizing what Pippin had done.
"I did not give it to them at first, so they got angry. They beat me, and..." Pippin paused, gesturing at his wound.
"I gave them my ring, and the believed that it was the One Ring. They left, but could not resist giving me one last beating," Pippin finished, bitterness creeping into his voice as he recalled the fateful night.
There was silence in the group, then:
"You clever, brave, stupid hobbit." Merry cried, his voice choking. He hugged Pippin hard, burying his face in Pippins shoulder. Pippin was stunned momentarily, but then recovered and returned the embrace. Meanwhile, the rest of the Fellowship looked on with expressions of admiration on their faces.
"That explains it them," Frodo said, sitting back on his heels, obviously still thinking it over in his head. He looked at his cousin, a feeling of gratitude welling up inside of him. He smiled, and nodded at Pippin. Pippin smiled back, accepting Frodo's thanks without words.
"That was a sly trick you played," Boromir said briefly, ruffling Pippins hair with a half smile on his lips. He then stalked off to patrol the camp. Looking after him, Merry saw that his face was tense and his smile was somewhat strained.
"That was indeed good thinking, Master Pippin," Aragorn said, smiling slightly at the hobbit. "But now we must think. We cannot stay here much longer, even after my efforts we could be found."
"How long do we have?" Gimli asked.
"I should hope three days if we are unlucky, six or more if we are fortunate," Aragorn answered.
Then, Pippin spoke. "I hope I am not too much of a burden," he began weakly. "I know you had to waylay the journey."
Gimli interrupted him. "Don't you worry. If you are a burden then I am an elf!" Pippin smiled at this absurd image, and he saw Legolas roll his eyes fondly.
Merry grinned, much happier after Pippin showed signs of recovering. He sat at his cousins' side, much lighter of heart than he had been previously. As he stole a glance at Pippin's face, pale yet alert, he felt pride for him. He had saved them all; he had proved his worth to the Fellowship.
Pippin himself felt glad that he had told all. Now someone else could deal with the problem of the orcs, he did not have to worry himself anymore. The effort of waking and talking began to take its toll on him. He leant against Merrys side, and Merry turned and smiled at him.
"Thanks Pip," he said, gently pulling his hair, something they had done when they were young hobbits.
Pippin yawned. "I wasn't going to let them get at any of you." He said.
His eyes drooped, and he slipped further down the bank until he was lying down. Merry set a rug over him and tucked it gently under his body, being careful of his many scrapes and bruises.
"Especially you Merry," he said sleepily.
"Especially me what?" Merry questioned.
"Especially you. I wasn't going to let them get you."
*-*
Thanks for the reviews, and remember that more are always welcome (did you get the hint?)
I do not own LOTR,
*-*
Chapter Ten - The truth
Throughout the next day Pippin slipped in and out of sleep, all the while Merry sitting by his side, inquiring anxiously as to how he was feeling. Pippin was glad to have someone sitting by him each time he awoke, as he often felt sick and ill. The rest of the fellowship had no other option but to stay in the camp. The day was long and empty, punctuated only by Pippins waking moments and meals. Boromir was obviously frustrated that they were not moving on, regularly fidgeting and walking off into the woods with his sword swinging at his side. Aragorn was silent, sitting leaning on the sloped wall of the dell, chewing on the end of his pipe. He only occasionally got up to check on Pippin, to change his bandage and take his temperature. Legolas and Gimli sat together, conversing about woods and mines.
Eventually, when the day was almost spent, Pippin began to show signs of recovering. The colour came back to his face, and he seemed more alert. At last, Aragorn said the words that they had all been secretly wondering ever since Pippin was discovered.
"Pippin, are you ready to tell us what happened?"
Pippin nodded slowly, so Aragorn lay him up against the grassy bank so he could speak to them. Pippin swallowed, his eyes dark and wide.
"I heard voices," he began, somewhat shakily. "I went to find out what they were." Merry nodded as if to encourage Pippin, holding his hand tight.
"There were orcs. About thirty of them, not far from the camp. They were going to come and...and kill you all. They wanted the ring," Pippin continued.
Everyone started slightly at Pippins revaluation. They could not see how a small hobbit could defeat a gang of orcs.
"That's strange," Aragorn mused. "They weren't coming from the direction of Mordor or Isengard."
"They weren't sent by Sauron, or Saruman. They wanted the ring for themselves," Pippin explained.
Aragorn raised his eyebrows, obviously thinking along the same lines that Pippin had when he first heard this information. Boromir made as if to speak, but Legolas held up a hand to silence him, at the same time urging Pippin to carry on speaking.
"I knew I had to stop them. I couldn't let them attack you all while you slept."
"Oh Pip, what did you do?" Merry said, grasping Pippins hand harder.
"I pretended to be Frodo. I let them see me, and pretended I had the ring."
"But you didn't have the ring," Frodo said.
"No, but I had something that looked like it. I had my parents ring, you know..." Pippin explained, glancing at Merry for verification
Merry did not speak, but stared at the ground. He was realizing what Pippin had done.
"I did not give it to them at first, so they got angry. They beat me, and..." Pippin paused, gesturing at his wound.
"I gave them my ring, and the believed that it was the One Ring. They left, but could not resist giving me one last beating," Pippin finished, bitterness creeping into his voice as he recalled the fateful night.
There was silence in the group, then:
"You clever, brave, stupid hobbit." Merry cried, his voice choking. He hugged Pippin hard, burying his face in Pippins shoulder. Pippin was stunned momentarily, but then recovered and returned the embrace. Meanwhile, the rest of the Fellowship looked on with expressions of admiration on their faces.
"That explains it them," Frodo said, sitting back on his heels, obviously still thinking it over in his head. He looked at his cousin, a feeling of gratitude welling up inside of him. He smiled, and nodded at Pippin. Pippin smiled back, accepting Frodo's thanks without words.
"That was a sly trick you played," Boromir said briefly, ruffling Pippins hair with a half smile on his lips. He then stalked off to patrol the camp. Looking after him, Merry saw that his face was tense and his smile was somewhat strained.
"That was indeed good thinking, Master Pippin," Aragorn said, smiling slightly at the hobbit. "But now we must think. We cannot stay here much longer, even after my efforts we could be found."
"How long do we have?" Gimli asked.
"I should hope three days if we are unlucky, six or more if we are fortunate," Aragorn answered.
Then, Pippin spoke. "I hope I am not too much of a burden," he began weakly. "I know you had to waylay the journey."
Gimli interrupted him. "Don't you worry. If you are a burden then I am an elf!" Pippin smiled at this absurd image, and he saw Legolas roll his eyes fondly.
Merry grinned, much happier after Pippin showed signs of recovering. He sat at his cousins' side, much lighter of heart than he had been previously. As he stole a glance at Pippin's face, pale yet alert, he felt pride for him. He had saved them all; he had proved his worth to the Fellowship.
Pippin himself felt glad that he had told all. Now someone else could deal with the problem of the orcs, he did not have to worry himself anymore. The effort of waking and talking began to take its toll on him. He leant against Merrys side, and Merry turned and smiled at him.
"Thanks Pip," he said, gently pulling his hair, something they had done when they were young hobbits.
Pippin yawned. "I wasn't going to let them get at any of you." He said.
His eyes drooped, and he slipped further down the bank until he was lying down. Merry set a rug over him and tucked it gently under his body, being careful of his many scrapes and bruises.
"Especially you Merry," he said sleepily.
"Especially me what?" Merry questioned.
"Especially you. I wasn't going to let them get you."
*-*