CHAPTER Nine - Where Roads Meet

Merry was once again being jostled, but this time he was riding a horse, not sitting in a wagon. He looked over to Perva, and she glanced back at him. Her expression told him that this wasn't all a dream.

Pippin was still and quiet underneath Thorongil's cloak. He took his finger out of his mouth and asked Thorongil, "Where do woofs come from? Do they have mammas?"

"They are creatures left over from a fell winter long ago", answered Thorongil, "and, yes, I do believe they have mothers!". He smiled and patted Pippin's head. Pippin felt warm to his touch.

Pippin asked, "Do their papas come find them when they're scared?"

Thorongil's smile disappeared. Where was this child's father?, he wondered. "Yes, little one", he answered softly, "their papas come to find their children when they are frightened." Thorongil preferred to stay out of Hobbit business, but he found himself focusing all his hope on this little child's father finding him.

"Where is my papa? Will da woofs eat him?", Pippin was now worried over his papa. Merry also turned to look at Thorongil.

"No, child," then he looked at Merry, his face full of concern. "We scattered the wolves; there are none left to eat your papa". Then Thorongil snuggled Pippin closer to keep him warm and whispered, "Go to sleep, Pippin." Pippin put his finger back in his mouth and closed his eyes.

They all rode further on in silence for a while. Thorongil patted Merry on the shoulder and pointed up ahead. Merry could barely make it out, but at once knew that it was Whitwell. He soon made out the flickering of lanterns in the windows, and he could smell the wood burning in stoves and fireplaces...but where was Uncle Paladin?

Merry heard something whir in the wind. Elladan shouted something in his

language. "Stop!", Thorongil shouted, and hunkered over Merry and Pippin to shield them.

Merry heard another whir, and this time he heard Thorongil yell something under his breath. Who's shooting arrows? "Stop!!", Merry heard himself scream to the darkness.

Someone yelled a muffled sound, and the whirring arrows stopped. "Who goes there?!"

"It's us!", yelled Merry. "Merry, Perva, and Pippin!", purposely omitting the two Men.

"Are those two Big Folk with you? Are you alright?"

"Yes, we're fine; these two Men rescued us from the wolves!"

"Wolves!", cried the voice, "That's who we've been flinging arrows at all

night!" The voice stepped out into the moonlight; it was Mister Woodcot, one of Paladin's trusted farm hands.

"Where's my uncle?", Merry asked.

"He's yonder in the smials; he was attacked by one of the wolves." Merry blanched at the thought of his uncle being attacked by a wolf. "We were searching for you three children when the wolves came out and

surrounded us. We were all able to escape them, but your uncle put up a fight with one wolf in particular; he had a bit of your coat in his mouth." Mister Woodcot nodded to Merry. "Paladin was furious, thinking you all had been attacked, and wanted whatever bit was left of you. Some of us had our arrows stored not too far away, and were able to help

defend him."

Merry hurried to get down off the horse, but was stopped by Thorongil. "Wait Merry! You will be injured if you jump from this height." Thorongil woke up Pippin, and handed him over to Elladan to hold while he himself dismounted. Soon everyone was off the horses and standing on the dirt road.

"And who are these Big Folk with you, Mister Merry?", Woodcot squinted in the darkness.

"I am Thorongil, and this is my companion, Elladan.", answered Thorongil. A little blood trickled down his hand; an arrow nicked the back of it. "I would like to deliver these children directly to their father; who will take me to him? Is he well enough to receive his own?"

Woodcot nodded, "He's able to receive his own, as you put it; he'll be glad to see them."

The entire group walked the distance to where the children lived, walked

up to the door and knocked. Perva felt strange waiting for an answer to her own door, so she turned the knob and opened it.

Eglantine and Dahlia sat at the kitchen table and looked up. Eglantine gasped upon seeing the two huge Men escorting her children

"Momma! Momma!!", cried Perva and Pippin, and ran into their mother's waiting arms. Eglantine wrapped her arms around her daughter and little son. Pippin had much to report to his mother, "Momma! I ride a big pony--and we saw mean woofs--and da woofs have mommas and papas--an' da Big Fokes didn't eat us--an', an'...", the excited little mouth kept on going, but Eglantine took it all in and enveloped him in a tight embrace. "Momma, I can't...breathe!"

Merry, still wearing the huge blanket, touched her arm as she hugged Pippin, "Auntie...these Men saved us."

Holding her little son, safe in her own arms, and looking over her other

children, as any mother would, for signs to tell other stories. There were none. Still gaping at the sight of the two Men in her kitchen, she found her tongue, and said, "Half a moment while I fetch their father; he will certainly want to meet you." She turned and left the kitchen.

Thorongil and Elladan, stood hunkered over in the kitchen, looked at each other, and thought, And we will want to meet him. They, indeed, were glad to know the children's father had survived the wolf attack; not many did.

Moments later, Paladin appeared in the kitchen, holding Pippin close to him; he wore a clean white bandage around his thigh and upper arm. Eglantine, Pearl, and Pim followed him into the kitchen. "Perva!! Merry!!", he wept as he knelt down to receive them all in his arms, and held them for a long time. He looked up at the Men stooped over in his kitchen. "Who are you?"

Once again, Thorongil introduced himself and Elladan.

"I am Paladin Took", he stood up, "and these are my children. I understand you found them in the road?"

"Yes," Thorongil began, "We were traveling on the road and saw wolves blocking our path, and charged at them. We found your children in a tree surrounded by the same wolves, sir", Thorongil said, and nodded to Merry, "This young one guarded his charges well."