Authors Note: All I have to say is: I'm not sure if Boromir smokes.
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Chapter 12 Tracks, pipes and a disappearance
On the fifth day at their hidden camp it was not Boromir, but Aragorn who was feeling uneasy. As dawn was breaking he took Legolas and Boromir with him to roam the area around their camp, leaving Gimli and the hobbits behind. They were gone for much of the day, and the ones who stayed at the camp grew increasingly worried. Gimli paced around wielding his axe whilst the four halflings sat huddled together in the centre of the dell. Frodo kept his sword, Sting beside him at all time, feeling wary of even the slightest noise. Merry re-bound Pippin's wound as best he could, but his efforts could not match those of Aragorn. Pippin was awake more often than not, and had regained enough strength to sit himself up. Merry was glad to see him recovering but he wished that the others were here to tend to him properly. And Sam was miserable because everybody else was, plus the fact that he had not had a half-decent meal for days. He longed for a fire to warm his feet and for some nice, wholesome Shire-food.
"A good, meaty stew would go down a treat," he mumbled to himself, thinking of the warm hearth at the hobbit hole in Bagshot Row.
At midday when the sun was high in the sky, the wanderers returned. They sat down, looking weary and tired. After they had taken a drink, Aragorn began to speak.
"I presume we all have news to report. I shall go first, if I may."
Legolas and Boromir nodded their approval.
"I traveled back upstream to our old camp. I found orc footprints but it appears that there were no more than six. I guess that the others that Pippin saw have been slain or gone back to wherever it was they came from. They ransacked our old camp and it looks like they attempted to track us. I followed their trail, which took a long time for they were scattered all over the place. They eventually crossed over the river, and then I lost their track, for the ground on the other side is firm and hard. I can only guess that they have either given up, or are still looking."
"Only six, you say?" Gimli said, "They surely cannot be a threat to us."
"True, but we still must be wary," Aragorn answered. "Legolas, what have you to report?"
"I crossed over the river as well as the orcs," The elf answered. "I made use of one of the boats that we hid. I found nothing close to our camp, but further afield I saw tracks made by their loathsome feet. I could not make out what way they were going, but Aragorn was right, they did cross the river."
"Alas, for my tale is not so encouraging," Boromir said. "I carried on downstream from here, and on the bank many miles away they left tracks. They may have seen or heard a sign of us and crossed back across the river. They are far from our camp but the tracks were a day or more old, so I do not know where they could be now."
"That is not such good news" Aragorn said. "I fear that we must move on soon."
"But Pippin surely cannot walk yet!" Merry cried.
Aragorn smiled. "Do not worry, we do not intend to go without him. He is recovering quickly and I dare say that Boromir will carry him back to the boats again."
"Do not worry about me, I am feeling much better in myself already. I dare say I could stand if I put in the effort," Pippin said.
"You are a stout fellow," Legolas said, smiling as he looked at the hobbit's determined face.
"When do we intend to leave?" Frodo asked.
"Today, if possible," Aragorn answered. "It is but midday, so we have many hours before we must leave. I suggest that we spend our time here resting and regaining our strength, especially Pippin."
"I do not think I can sit still for much longer," Pippin said, smiling. "My legs are so stiff, they need some exercise."
"Steady on. You're not better yet," Merry said hastily.
"If you say so, but I still must walk a little before we leave," Pippin replied stubbornly.
"As you wish, young Pippin," Aragorn said, shaking his head slightly. "Hobbits are indeed stronger than they appear," he murmured to himself.
They all busied themselves with packing away their bedding and organizing their packs. Sam was overjoyed when he found a forgotten supply of pipe weed at the bottom of a saucepan ("Of all places!" he exclaimed), and soon everyone, with the exception of Legolas and Pippin (for Merry would not allow him any) had their pipes lit and the fragrant smell of tobacco was soon light in the air.
"If you are all to puff away without me, I think I shall take a walk," Pippin announced, moving the rug from over his knees and standing with slightly weak legs. "I do not think I like the smell of pipeweed if I do not myself have a pipe in my hand."
"Wait for a moment, I shall come with you," Merry called out as Pippin walked away from the came. When Pippin did not reply, he spoke again.
"Don't be playing tricks on us Pip. I know you're there." he said, assuming that Pippin was playing some kind of joke on him. No reply came from Pippin, but instead the sound of feet on leaves, and a muffled gasp.
Merry felt a vague sense of fear close around him. His body tensed and his mouth felt dry.
"Pippin?" he called, turning around to face the way that Pippin had been standing.
Pippin was not there.
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Chapter 12 Tracks, pipes and a disappearance
On the fifth day at their hidden camp it was not Boromir, but Aragorn who was feeling uneasy. As dawn was breaking he took Legolas and Boromir with him to roam the area around their camp, leaving Gimli and the hobbits behind. They were gone for much of the day, and the ones who stayed at the camp grew increasingly worried. Gimli paced around wielding his axe whilst the four halflings sat huddled together in the centre of the dell. Frodo kept his sword, Sting beside him at all time, feeling wary of even the slightest noise. Merry re-bound Pippin's wound as best he could, but his efforts could not match those of Aragorn. Pippin was awake more often than not, and had regained enough strength to sit himself up. Merry was glad to see him recovering but he wished that the others were here to tend to him properly. And Sam was miserable because everybody else was, plus the fact that he had not had a half-decent meal for days. He longed for a fire to warm his feet and for some nice, wholesome Shire-food.
"A good, meaty stew would go down a treat," he mumbled to himself, thinking of the warm hearth at the hobbit hole in Bagshot Row.
At midday when the sun was high in the sky, the wanderers returned. They sat down, looking weary and tired. After they had taken a drink, Aragorn began to speak.
"I presume we all have news to report. I shall go first, if I may."
Legolas and Boromir nodded their approval.
"I traveled back upstream to our old camp. I found orc footprints but it appears that there were no more than six. I guess that the others that Pippin saw have been slain or gone back to wherever it was they came from. They ransacked our old camp and it looks like they attempted to track us. I followed their trail, which took a long time for they were scattered all over the place. They eventually crossed over the river, and then I lost their track, for the ground on the other side is firm and hard. I can only guess that they have either given up, or are still looking."
"Only six, you say?" Gimli said, "They surely cannot be a threat to us."
"True, but we still must be wary," Aragorn answered. "Legolas, what have you to report?"
"I crossed over the river as well as the orcs," The elf answered. "I made use of one of the boats that we hid. I found nothing close to our camp, but further afield I saw tracks made by their loathsome feet. I could not make out what way they were going, but Aragorn was right, they did cross the river."
"Alas, for my tale is not so encouraging," Boromir said. "I carried on downstream from here, and on the bank many miles away they left tracks. They may have seen or heard a sign of us and crossed back across the river. They are far from our camp but the tracks were a day or more old, so I do not know where they could be now."
"That is not such good news" Aragorn said. "I fear that we must move on soon."
"But Pippin surely cannot walk yet!" Merry cried.
Aragorn smiled. "Do not worry, we do not intend to go without him. He is recovering quickly and I dare say that Boromir will carry him back to the boats again."
"Do not worry about me, I am feeling much better in myself already. I dare say I could stand if I put in the effort," Pippin said.
"You are a stout fellow," Legolas said, smiling as he looked at the hobbit's determined face.
"When do we intend to leave?" Frodo asked.
"Today, if possible," Aragorn answered. "It is but midday, so we have many hours before we must leave. I suggest that we spend our time here resting and regaining our strength, especially Pippin."
"I do not think I can sit still for much longer," Pippin said, smiling. "My legs are so stiff, they need some exercise."
"Steady on. You're not better yet," Merry said hastily.
"If you say so, but I still must walk a little before we leave," Pippin replied stubbornly.
"As you wish, young Pippin," Aragorn said, shaking his head slightly. "Hobbits are indeed stronger than they appear," he murmured to himself.
They all busied themselves with packing away their bedding and organizing their packs. Sam was overjoyed when he found a forgotten supply of pipe weed at the bottom of a saucepan ("Of all places!" he exclaimed), and soon everyone, with the exception of Legolas and Pippin (for Merry would not allow him any) had their pipes lit and the fragrant smell of tobacco was soon light in the air.
"If you are all to puff away without me, I think I shall take a walk," Pippin announced, moving the rug from over his knees and standing with slightly weak legs. "I do not think I like the smell of pipeweed if I do not myself have a pipe in my hand."
"Wait for a moment, I shall come with you," Merry called out as Pippin walked away from the came. When Pippin did not reply, he spoke again.
"Don't be playing tricks on us Pip. I know you're there." he said, assuming that Pippin was playing some kind of joke on him. No reply came from Pippin, but instead the sound of feet on leaves, and a muffled gasp.
Merry felt a vague sense of fear close around him. His body tensed and his mouth felt dry.
"Pippin?" he called, turning around to face the way that Pippin had been standing.
Pippin was not there.
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