Authors Note: This is the last chapter of this fic. I'd just like to say thank you to all of my reviewers. It's so encouraging to get reviews, and they're very pleasant to receive. They make the job worthwhile. So thanks for taking the time!
-*-
Chapter 13 The Ending
"Pippin?" Merry called. "Pippin?" he cried again when there was no answer, growing more frantic by the second. He sprang to his feet, his head swiveling to and fro searching for signs of Pippin. Aragorn was then at his side, his sword drawn.
"What's happened?" he asked.
"Pippin's gone. One minute he was here and the next he had vanished," Merry told him quickly.
Aragorn nodded. "It is as I feared," he said grimly. "The orcs have come back for him."
"What?" Merry exclaimed, panic showing in his voice. "I must find him, they can't take him."
With that, he grasped his sword from the ground where it lay and ran from the camp, in the direction of where Pippin had been last.
"Wait!" Aragorn shouted. "It's not safe!"
His cries fell on deaf ears. Merry was filled with anger and determination to save Pippin, and he ran from the camp without turning or heeding Aragorn's words.
"Loathsome scum. How dare they take him!" He muttered to himself as he ran. He was not going to let them take Pippin again if it was the last thing he did. Hatred and anger fueled him on, and he did not think of anything but his determination to find Pippin.
He drew to a halt when he heard their voices. Ducking behind a tree, he peered out from behind the trunk. There were six orcs, just as Aragorn had predicted. They looked worn and tiered, and madness shone in their eyes, more so than it usually did in such creatures. Two of them had Pippin up against a tree, and the third was speaking to him. Their weapons were drawn, and they looked ready to strike. Merry was close enough to be able to catch his words.
"Filthy little maggot." he was saying venomously. "You made the wrong decision when you tried to fool us," the largest one growled, looking down on Pippin threateningly. Pippin gritted his teeth and said nothing, yet Merry could see fear and hopelessness in his eyes.
"Here's your confounded ring," one of the orcs spat. "Stupid piece of tin." Merry saw him throw Pippin's ring to the ground with such force that it bounced many feet away. It came to rest not far from where Merry stood, and without thinking he bent over and pocketed it. He saw the glint of a sword in the corner of his eye. The orc had raised his weapon, and was holding it close to Pippin's neck. Pippin was shaking with fear, yet still trying to keep a brave face.
"You'll pay, you slimy little halfling. You'll think twice before you try to catch us out!"
Merry felt anger explode inside him. How dare they talk like that to Pippin! He grasped his sword, and ran out from his hiding place, without a second thought to how he was going to defeat six armed orcs twice the size of him.
"Pippin!" he shouted. Before the orcs knew what was happening, he had plunged his sword into one of their backs. As its body fell to the floor the five that remained shouted in rage and turned on Merry.
"Run Pippin!" he cried, for they had let Pippin fall to the floor when Merry had appeared.
"I'm not leaving you!" Pippin shouted back, pulling himself up doggedly from where he had fallen.
Merry dodged away from the orcs, backing away from them swiftly. He ducked and dived from their blows, but he could not keep it up for much longer. There were more of them than of him, and he was tiring already. Just he had a near miss from one of their blades, a shout came from Pippin. He had picked up the sword from the orc that Merry had slain, and advanced on the others that were attacking Merry. With a terrifying scream, he launched himself onto one of their backs, and bought the sword down onto his neck. His face was pale yet set with determination as he dropped to the floor, landing like a cat on his feet. Merry used the opportunity to slay the third orc, and remembered what Boromir had taught him as he killed it with a swift stroke of his sword.
"Watch out Pip!" he cried, and Pippin ducked just in time to avoid a heavy blow from the enemy's blade.
The remaining three closed in on them. They were very angry after seeing the hobbits kill their kin. Merry and Pippin backed into a tree, terrified. They wielded their weapons, but in vain.
Just as one of them was about to bring down his sword, a sharp twang was heard, and he fell dead to the floor. Merry and Pippin turned in surprise, and saw Legolas standing but a short distance away, his bow taut and ready. One of his arrows was impaled in the orcs neck. Almost instantly Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli leapt forth with a horrible cry, and made light work of slaying the remaining two orcs.
There was suddenly quietness after the speed and noise of the battle. Everyone was still and silent. Surrounded by six orc bodies stood Merry and Pippin. Pippin slumped to the ground, exhausted by the effort of the fight.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Aragorn said, rushing to his side.
"We are fine," Merry said, fighting for breath. "We're not injured."
Just then footfalls were heard, and Frodo and Sam came running up. Aragorn had made them stay at the camp incase Pippin returned, but after hearing the sounds of battle they had hurried away to find the rest of the company.
"What on earth happened?" Frodo asked, taking in the sight of six dead orcs and the rest of the Fellowship standing still wielding their weapons.
"They came back for Pippin," Merry explained. "But," he said, drawing breath, "We saw them off."
"Quite right you did," Aragorn said to Merry. "But did you not heed my calls? That was a foolish thing to do, running off," he said sternly.
Merry hung his head.
"But," he carried on, "You may have saved Pippins life."
Pippin pulled himself up off the ground, and stood clinging to Merry's side.
"I thought they had me," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Merry smiled. "They almost did."
"Well, young Merry," Boromir said, stepping forward. "It looks like you have repaid Pippins debt."
"I did not mean it like that. I did not protect him for glory," Merry said defensively.
"I know you didn't Merry," Pippin said. "You did it because you had to."
"That's right," Merry agreed. "And because I couldn't let them get you again. If they'd of hurt you, or...or, well you know, I wouldn't have been able to cope again."
Pippin smiled. "I understand. Thank you Merry."
The two hobbits exchanged looks, and it was evident that they did not words to communicate what each other was thinking.
"I hate to have to say it, but we must move on before something else happens," Aragorn announced, breaking the silence. "We have a rather long walk ahead of us."
They all made their way back to their camp, where they collected their remaining belongings. Boromir made as if to pick up Pippin, but Pippin stopped him.
"I should like to walk with Merry, if you do not mind," he said.
"As you wish." Boromir said, pausing for a moment to nod to both of them before striding away to the head of the line.
"I believe this is yours," Merry said to Pippin after they had been walking for a few minutes. "It's your ring that you gave to those orcs. I picked it up when it fell." He pressed the ring into Pippin's palm.
"Oh!" Pippin exclaimed, holding the ring up so that it glinted in the sunlight. "I thought I'd never see it again." He gave Merry a grateful glance as he tucked the ring into his pocket.
The two hobbits walked on in companionable silence, Merry holding Pippins arm to make walking easier for him. They soon reached the river, and located the place where their boats were hidden. As Legolas and Aragorn pulled the boats into the river, Merry chuckled to himself as he remembered his words of so many days ago. He turned to Pippin, who was resting atop a tree root.
"Well Pip," he said, his lips stretching into a smile. "Its back to the boats again."
----------
THE END
----------
-*-
Chapter 13 The Ending
"Pippin?" Merry called. "Pippin?" he cried again when there was no answer, growing more frantic by the second. He sprang to his feet, his head swiveling to and fro searching for signs of Pippin. Aragorn was then at his side, his sword drawn.
"What's happened?" he asked.
"Pippin's gone. One minute he was here and the next he had vanished," Merry told him quickly.
Aragorn nodded. "It is as I feared," he said grimly. "The orcs have come back for him."
"What?" Merry exclaimed, panic showing in his voice. "I must find him, they can't take him."
With that, he grasped his sword from the ground where it lay and ran from the camp, in the direction of where Pippin had been last.
"Wait!" Aragorn shouted. "It's not safe!"
His cries fell on deaf ears. Merry was filled with anger and determination to save Pippin, and he ran from the camp without turning or heeding Aragorn's words.
"Loathsome scum. How dare they take him!" He muttered to himself as he ran. He was not going to let them take Pippin again if it was the last thing he did. Hatred and anger fueled him on, and he did not think of anything but his determination to find Pippin.
He drew to a halt when he heard their voices. Ducking behind a tree, he peered out from behind the trunk. There were six orcs, just as Aragorn had predicted. They looked worn and tiered, and madness shone in their eyes, more so than it usually did in such creatures. Two of them had Pippin up against a tree, and the third was speaking to him. Their weapons were drawn, and they looked ready to strike. Merry was close enough to be able to catch his words.
"Filthy little maggot." he was saying venomously. "You made the wrong decision when you tried to fool us," the largest one growled, looking down on Pippin threateningly. Pippin gritted his teeth and said nothing, yet Merry could see fear and hopelessness in his eyes.
"Here's your confounded ring," one of the orcs spat. "Stupid piece of tin." Merry saw him throw Pippin's ring to the ground with such force that it bounced many feet away. It came to rest not far from where Merry stood, and without thinking he bent over and pocketed it. He saw the glint of a sword in the corner of his eye. The orc had raised his weapon, and was holding it close to Pippin's neck. Pippin was shaking with fear, yet still trying to keep a brave face.
"You'll pay, you slimy little halfling. You'll think twice before you try to catch us out!"
Merry felt anger explode inside him. How dare they talk like that to Pippin! He grasped his sword, and ran out from his hiding place, without a second thought to how he was going to defeat six armed orcs twice the size of him.
"Pippin!" he shouted. Before the orcs knew what was happening, he had plunged his sword into one of their backs. As its body fell to the floor the five that remained shouted in rage and turned on Merry.
"Run Pippin!" he cried, for they had let Pippin fall to the floor when Merry had appeared.
"I'm not leaving you!" Pippin shouted back, pulling himself up doggedly from where he had fallen.
Merry dodged away from the orcs, backing away from them swiftly. He ducked and dived from their blows, but he could not keep it up for much longer. There were more of them than of him, and he was tiring already. Just he had a near miss from one of their blades, a shout came from Pippin. He had picked up the sword from the orc that Merry had slain, and advanced on the others that were attacking Merry. With a terrifying scream, he launched himself onto one of their backs, and bought the sword down onto his neck. His face was pale yet set with determination as he dropped to the floor, landing like a cat on his feet. Merry used the opportunity to slay the third orc, and remembered what Boromir had taught him as he killed it with a swift stroke of his sword.
"Watch out Pip!" he cried, and Pippin ducked just in time to avoid a heavy blow from the enemy's blade.
The remaining three closed in on them. They were very angry after seeing the hobbits kill their kin. Merry and Pippin backed into a tree, terrified. They wielded their weapons, but in vain.
Just as one of them was about to bring down his sword, a sharp twang was heard, and he fell dead to the floor. Merry and Pippin turned in surprise, and saw Legolas standing but a short distance away, his bow taut and ready. One of his arrows was impaled in the orcs neck. Almost instantly Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli leapt forth with a horrible cry, and made light work of slaying the remaining two orcs.
There was suddenly quietness after the speed and noise of the battle. Everyone was still and silent. Surrounded by six orc bodies stood Merry and Pippin. Pippin slumped to the ground, exhausted by the effort of the fight.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Aragorn said, rushing to his side.
"We are fine," Merry said, fighting for breath. "We're not injured."
Just then footfalls were heard, and Frodo and Sam came running up. Aragorn had made them stay at the camp incase Pippin returned, but after hearing the sounds of battle they had hurried away to find the rest of the company.
"What on earth happened?" Frodo asked, taking in the sight of six dead orcs and the rest of the Fellowship standing still wielding their weapons.
"They came back for Pippin," Merry explained. "But," he said, drawing breath, "We saw them off."
"Quite right you did," Aragorn said to Merry. "But did you not heed my calls? That was a foolish thing to do, running off," he said sternly.
Merry hung his head.
"But," he carried on, "You may have saved Pippins life."
Pippin pulled himself up off the ground, and stood clinging to Merry's side.
"I thought they had me," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Merry smiled. "They almost did."
"Well, young Merry," Boromir said, stepping forward. "It looks like you have repaid Pippins debt."
"I did not mean it like that. I did not protect him for glory," Merry said defensively.
"I know you didn't Merry," Pippin said. "You did it because you had to."
"That's right," Merry agreed. "And because I couldn't let them get you again. If they'd of hurt you, or...or, well you know, I wouldn't have been able to cope again."
Pippin smiled. "I understand. Thank you Merry."
The two hobbits exchanged looks, and it was evident that they did not words to communicate what each other was thinking.
"I hate to have to say it, but we must move on before something else happens," Aragorn announced, breaking the silence. "We have a rather long walk ahead of us."
They all made their way back to their camp, where they collected their remaining belongings. Boromir made as if to pick up Pippin, but Pippin stopped him.
"I should like to walk with Merry, if you do not mind," he said.
"As you wish." Boromir said, pausing for a moment to nod to both of them before striding away to the head of the line.
"I believe this is yours," Merry said to Pippin after they had been walking for a few minutes. "It's your ring that you gave to those orcs. I picked it up when it fell." He pressed the ring into Pippin's palm.
"Oh!" Pippin exclaimed, holding the ring up so that it glinted in the sunlight. "I thought I'd never see it again." He gave Merry a grateful glance as he tucked the ring into his pocket.
The two hobbits walked on in companionable silence, Merry holding Pippins arm to make walking easier for him. They soon reached the river, and located the place where their boats were hidden. As Legolas and Aragorn pulled the boats into the river, Merry chuckled to himself as he remembered his words of so many days ago. He turned to Pippin, who was resting atop a tree root.
"Well Pip," he said, his lips stretching into a smile. "Its back to the boats again."
----------
THE END
----------