Bronwe: Trouble (16/?)
By ALBA
******
DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story do not belong to me, they belong to J.R.R. Tolkien's estate. I merely borrowed them and will return them when I'm finished with them. I am making no money off this fiction. I am merely using them for my own enjoyment. ;) So don't sue me because I am flat broke.
DEDICATION: For Kris, my beloved, nasty elfslut. :) For Janelle, my smutmuse who gives me the needed boots to the head. And to Daisy Gamgee for her kind words and her go-ahead for me to write this series. A big thank you to everyone who's reviewed this little fic of mine. It's a real blast writing it!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Bronwe" is Sindarin for "enduring, lasting quality, faith" (according to http://www.jrrvf.com/~hisweloke/cgi-bin/sintrans.cgi). No, Elves don't have anything to do with the story. I just liked the word. :)
******
Bronwe: Trouble
"PEREGRIN!" came the roar from The Took's study. Said child cringed in his bedroom, knowing his father only shouted like that when he was in serious trouble. "PEREGRIN TOOK, IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME RIGHT THIS SECOND, SO HELP ME, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SIT *OR* STAND FOR A WEEK!"
"Coming, Da," Pippin called back, trying not to sound as terrified as he felt. Slipping out of his room, he crept down the hall silently until he stood outside his father's study. Nervously peeking around the door, his spirits sank even further when he saw the look on his father's face.
"Sit down," The Took ordered tersely, pointing at a chair before his desk. Pippin sat down in a hurry. "I've had a letter," Paladin continued, tapping a letter on the table beside him. "A very interesting letter. Do you know what it says?"
Heart sinking, Pippin tried to play innocent. "No, Da."
"Apparently, a certain child of mine and that Brandybuck brat have been in Farmer Maggot's fields, causing TROUBLE."
"Merry's not-"
"SILENCE!" Paladin thundered, shaking his desk with the force of his voice. Pippin fought the urge to hide under his chair. The Took continued, "I am *very* disappointed in you, Peregrin. You KNOW you're not allowed to go into Maggot's fields! Yet you disobeyed me. And what's even WORSE is that he caught you stealing mushrooms! Mushrooms! My own son is a common thief because of some damn mushrooms!"
"But Da."
"I thought I told you to be silent! I'll have none of your excuses and lies, boy."
"It was a joke, Da. A dare."
"A JOKE?" Paladin laughed in a decidedly non-humorous way. "So disobeying your father is a JOKE now?"
"That's not what I meant!" Pippin protested, half-rising out of his chair. "We didn't mean any harm!"
"SIT DOWN AND BE SILENT!" Pippin sat back down and his father glared at him, interlocking his fingers as he thought. "You will be punished, of course," Paladin said finally. "And I will be writing to Saradoc Brandybuck, if Farmer Maggot has not done so himself. One way or another, Saradoc will know what a troublemaker his son is."
"Blame me! It was my idea!"
"I don't care whose idea it was, Peregrin Took! Meriadoc is old enough to know better than to go along with your childish games."
"Yes, Da." Knowing he was never going to win this argument, Pippin just sat back in his chair.
"As for your punishment." Paladin looked down at the letter again. "You are confined to the hole for the next two months-" Pippin looked up, again, eyes wide "-and you will have no visitors. Your meals will be taken in your room, not with the rest of the family. And each night you will come in here and tell me what you did wrong and why you will never do it again."
Thinking he had gotten off fairly lightly, Pippin sighed. "Yes, Da."
"I'm not finished yet. Even when your punishment is over, Peregrin, you will have no contact with Meriadoc."
Pippin looked at his father in horror. Not to be allowed to see Merry! "DA!"
"SILENCE! You seem to get in the most trouble when you are with him. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to see him." I will also inform Saradoc of my decision, so he can tell that brat of his not to come around." Nodding, Paladin picked up a quill from the inkpot on his desk. "You will go to your room now. If I hear one peep out of you until tomorrow at noonday, I shall beat you within an inch of your life."
"Yes, Da," Pippin murmured, staring at the floor.
"Your mother may bring you something later for dinner."
"Yes, Da."
"And I mean what I said about that Brandybuck brat. You're not to see him at all anymore. Not even if that means you don't go to any birthday parties, or visits with relations. He's been far too negative an influence on you. Now go before I change my mind and give you the beating you deserve!"
"Yes, Da," Pippin whispered before fleeing the room, fighting back tears. Once safely back in his own room, he locked the door and flung himself on his bed, letting the tears fall freely.
"Stupid, stupid hobbit-child!" he yelled at himself. "You just had to go and do that now, didn't you? Why didn't you say no when Merry dared you to steal mushrooms? Why did you even challenge Merry to that stupid game anyway?" Pounding his fist on the bed fiercely, Pippin cursed himself with every word he knew. His stupidity had cost him his best friend. Being confined to his room was nothing new, but not being allowed to see Merry was going to be the hardest thing.
"And it's my own fault," Pippin muttered sadly, sitting up and staring out the window, tears still streaming down his face. "All my fault."
******
DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story do not belong to me, they belong to J.R.R. Tolkien's estate. I merely borrowed them and will return them when I'm finished with them. I am making no money off this fiction. I am merely using them for my own enjoyment. ;) So don't sue me because I am flat broke.
DEDICATION: For Kris, my beloved, nasty elfslut. :) For Janelle, my smutmuse who gives me the needed boots to the head. And to Daisy Gamgee for her kind words and her go-ahead for me to write this series. A big thank you to everyone who's reviewed this little fic of mine. It's a real blast writing it!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Bronwe" is Sindarin for "enduring, lasting quality, faith" (according to http://www.jrrvf.com/~hisweloke/cgi-bin/sintrans.cgi). No, Elves don't have anything to do with the story. I just liked the word. :)
******
Bronwe: Trouble
"PEREGRIN!" came the roar from The Took's study. Said child cringed in his bedroom, knowing his father only shouted like that when he was in serious trouble. "PEREGRIN TOOK, IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME RIGHT THIS SECOND, SO HELP ME, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SIT *OR* STAND FOR A WEEK!"
"Coming, Da," Pippin called back, trying not to sound as terrified as he felt. Slipping out of his room, he crept down the hall silently until he stood outside his father's study. Nervously peeking around the door, his spirits sank even further when he saw the look on his father's face.
"Sit down," The Took ordered tersely, pointing at a chair before his desk. Pippin sat down in a hurry. "I've had a letter," Paladin continued, tapping a letter on the table beside him. "A very interesting letter. Do you know what it says?"
Heart sinking, Pippin tried to play innocent. "No, Da."
"Apparently, a certain child of mine and that Brandybuck brat have been in Farmer Maggot's fields, causing TROUBLE."
"Merry's not-"
"SILENCE!" Paladin thundered, shaking his desk with the force of his voice. Pippin fought the urge to hide under his chair. The Took continued, "I am *very* disappointed in you, Peregrin. You KNOW you're not allowed to go into Maggot's fields! Yet you disobeyed me. And what's even WORSE is that he caught you stealing mushrooms! Mushrooms! My own son is a common thief because of some damn mushrooms!"
"But Da."
"I thought I told you to be silent! I'll have none of your excuses and lies, boy."
"It was a joke, Da. A dare."
"A JOKE?" Paladin laughed in a decidedly non-humorous way. "So disobeying your father is a JOKE now?"
"That's not what I meant!" Pippin protested, half-rising out of his chair. "We didn't mean any harm!"
"SIT DOWN AND BE SILENT!" Pippin sat back down and his father glared at him, interlocking his fingers as he thought. "You will be punished, of course," Paladin said finally. "And I will be writing to Saradoc Brandybuck, if Farmer Maggot has not done so himself. One way or another, Saradoc will know what a troublemaker his son is."
"Blame me! It was my idea!"
"I don't care whose idea it was, Peregrin Took! Meriadoc is old enough to know better than to go along with your childish games."
"Yes, Da." Knowing he was never going to win this argument, Pippin just sat back in his chair.
"As for your punishment." Paladin looked down at the letter again. "You are confined to the hole for the next two months-" Pippin looked up, again, eyes wide "-and you will have no visitors. Your meals will be taken in your room, not with the rest of the family. And each night you will come in here and tell me what you did wrong and why you will never do it again."
Thinking he had gotten off fairly lightly, Pippin sighed. "Yes, Da."
"I'm not finished yet. Even when your punishment is over, Peregrin, you will have no contact with Meriadoc."
Pippin looked at his father in horror. Not to be allowed to see Merry! "DA!"
"SILENCE! You seem to get in the most trouble when you are with him. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to see him." I will also inform Saradoc of my decision, so he can tell that brat of his not to come around." Nodding, Paladin picked up a quill from the inkpot on his desk. "You will go to your room now. If I hear one peep out of you until tomorrow at noonday, I shall beat you within an inch of your life."
"Yes, Da," Pippin murmured, staring at the floor.
"Your mother may bring you something later for dinner."
"Yes, Da."
"And I mean what I said about that Brandybuck brat. You're not to see him at all anymore. Not even if that means you don't go to any birthday parties, or visits with relations. He's been far too negative an influence on you. Now go before I change my mind and give you the beating you deserve!"
"Yes, Da," Pippin whispered before fleeing the room, fighting back tears. Once safely back in his own room, he locked the door and flung himself on his bed, letting the tears fall freely.
"Stupid, stupid hobbit-child!" he yelled at himself. "You just had to go and do that now, didn't you? Why didn't you say no when Merry dared you to steal mushrooms? Why did you even challenge Merry to that stupid game anyway?" Pounding his fist on the bed fiercely, Pippin cursed himself with every word he knew. His stupidity had cost him his best friend. Being confined to his room was nothing new, but not being allowed to see Merry was going to be the hardest thing.
"And it's my own fault," Pippin muttered sadly, sitting up and staring out the window, tears still streaming down his face. "All my fault."