Confronting Conscience
By Lady Aurian
Prologue
'Gandalf!'
Gandalf was hanging there, trying to hold on to the edge of the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm. We looked at him with utter shock. I stepped forward, wanting to help him, but two strong arms held me captured. Gandalf slid down a little more. I clenched the arms that held me. Gandalf looked at us and whispered:
'Fly, you fools!'
Then he fell down into the abyss.
'Noooooo!' I cried, and I called his name again, hoping in vain that it was not real what I just had seen. 'GANDALF!'
The one holding me bore me away as I struggled to get onto the bridge again.
These images kept haunting my steps ever since we arrived in fair Lothlórien. The remainder of the journey to the other side of the mines of Moria had passed as if in a trance. I did not remember much of it. Only, that once outside, I had walked away from the Company, in need for solitude and some time to assimilate my grief.
But Aragorn had led us on to the borders of Lórien. Just as I recalled the memory I realized that a tear slid down my cheek. How am I to cope with this situation? In the last few months I've been through more than I have ever been. All because of that accursed Ring.
A golden leaf got stuck in my hair as I walked a small path leading to the- Valar-know-what. I brushed it away impatiently and bit my lip when the thought occurred to me that I made the wrong choice going on this quest. I could've stayed in Rivendell with Bilbo and the others, if only I would've let someone else take the Ring.
I walked on, making as little noise as I could. In the distance I heard the sound of a little river running through the forest, and my feet were leading me in that direction. The winding path led me round a corner, and I got sight of the river.
On the nearest bank sat a small figure with hanging shoulders. I recognized Pippin's curly head and his red cloak. I approached, and I noticed that he was trembling, and the noises coming from his direction implied that he was almost choking on his tears.
When I went to stand beside him he took no notice of me. I sat down beside him and let my feet dangle into the water.
'I'm so sorry, Frodo.' he sobbed without looking at me. 'I really am.'
'What are you talking about, Pippin?'
'It's my fault. If I hadn't touched that skeleton, it wouldn't have fallen into the well, waking all those orcs, and our fight wouldn't have awoken that Balrog.' he said in a trembling vice, before breaking down to sobs again.
So he was blaming himself. I felt really sorry for him, although I would probably have blamed myself too in his situation.
'Pippin, I want you to understand this.' I started, but I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from crying.
'Pippin, look at me.' I lifted his chin gently with my hand.
His face was a mess. His eyes were red and his cheeks tear-stained. It hurt me a lot to see the usually so cheerful hobbit in such grief.
'We don't blame you, Pippin. Nobody does, so stop blaming yourself.'
Pippin remained silent for a while.
'He does.' he whispered at last.
'What?' I asked carefully
'He keeps calling me a fool, and blaming me for what happened, and he never leaves me alone!'
More sobs and tears followed. If this was the work of someone of the Fellowship, he was going to pay dearly.
'Who, Pippin?'
Suddenly, I heard someone running through the forest behind us.
'Mr. Frodo!'
I sighed. Please don't tell me it's Sam following me around again.
Sam halted thirty feet behind us, panting.
'Dinner is ready, Mr. Frodo.' he reported
'Not now, Sam.' I mouthed
'Are you coming, Mr. Frodo?'
'No, Sam.' I whispered
Pippin wiped his face with his sleeve and prepared to get up. I put my arm around his shoulders and motioned for him to sit down again.
'Well?' asked Sam. He obviously didn't want to hear that I had no time for him.
'No, Sam!' I said, a little louder than necessary. Pippin jumped slightly.
'Oh well, I guess I'll be going then.' Sam announced.
I did not reply; neither did Pippin. Sam walked away. I waited for Pippin to say something, to answer my question.
'Pippin?' I asked at length
His head jerked towards me. Fresh tears had stained his face.
'Who?' I asked once again, but he would say no more.
~*~*~*~
Hullo people! Here's my new fic, no Harry Potter this time. I love Lord of the Rings equally, so I decided I had to write a LotR fic too, and when I came up with this idea a couple of days ago, I thought I'd start it immediately. Sorry for the short chappy, but it switches POV and this was good point to do that.
Kisses, Aurian
By Lady Aurian
Prologue
'Gandalf!'
Gandalf was hanging there, trying to hold on to the edge of the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm. We looked at him with utter shock. I stepped forward, wanting to help him, but two strong arms held me captured. Gandalf slid down a little more. I clenched the arms that held me. Gandalf looked at us and whispered:
'Fly, you fools!'
Then he fell down into the abyss.
'Noooooo!' I cried, and I called his name again, hoping in vain that it was not real what I just had seen. 'GANDALF!'
The one holding me bore me away as I struggled to get onto the bridge again.
These images kept haunting my steps ever since we arrived in fair Lothlórien. The remainder of the journey to the other side of the mines of Moria had passed as if in a trance. I did not remember much of it. Only, that once outside, I had walked away from the Company, in need for solitude and some time to assimilate my grief.
But Aragorn had led us on to the borders of Lórien. Just as I recalled the memory I realized that a tear slid down my cheek. How am I to cope with this situation? In the last few months I've been through more than I have ever been. All because of that accursed Ring.
A golden leaf got stuck in my hair as I walked a small path leading to the- Valar-know-what. I brushed it away impatiently and bit my lip when the thought occurred to me that I made the wrong choice going on this quest. I could've stayed in Rivendell with Bilbo and the others, if only I would've let someone else take the Ring.
I walked on, making as little noise as I could. In the distance I heard the sound of a little river running through the forest, and my feet were leading me in that direction. The winding path led me round a corner, and I got sight of the river.
On the nearest bank sat a small figure with hanging shoulders. I recognized Pippin's curly head and his red cloak. I approached, and I noticed that he was trembling, and the noises coming from his direction implied that he was almost choking on his tears.
When I went to stand beside him he took no notice of me. I sat down beside him and let my feet dangle into the water.
'I'm so sorry, Frodo.' he sobbed without looking at me. 'I really am.'
'What are you talking about, Pippin?'
'It's my fault. If I hadn't touched that skeleton, it wouldn't have fallen into the well, waking all those orcs, and our fight wouldn't have awoken that Balrog.' he said in a trembling vice, before breaking down to sobs again.
So he was blaming himself. I felt really sorry for him, although I would probably have blamed myself too in his situation.
'Pippin, I want you to understand this.' I started, but I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from crying.
'Pippin, look at me.' I lifted his chin gently with my hand.
His face was a mess. His eyes were red and his cheeks tear-stained. It hurt me a lot to see the usually so cheerful hobbit in such grief.
'We don't blame you, Pippin. Nobody does, so stop blaming yourself.'
Pippin remained silent for a while.
'He does.' he whispered at last.
'What?' I asked carefully
'He keeps calling me a fool, and blaming me for what happened, and he never leaves me alone!'
More sobs and tears followed. If this was the work of someone of the Fellowship, he was going to pay dearly.
'Who, Pippin?'
Suddenly, I heard someone running through the forest behind us.
'Mr. Frodo!'
I sighed. Please don't tell me it's Sam following me around again.
Sam halted thirty feet behind us, panting.
'Dinner is ready, Mr. Frodo.' he reported
'Not now, Sam.' I mouthed
'Are you coming, Mr. Frodo?'
'No, Sam.' I whispered
Pippin wiped his face with his sleeve and prepared to get up. I put my arm around his shoulders and motioned for him to sit down again.
'Well?' asked Sam. He obviously didn't want to hear that I had no time for him.
'No, Sam!' I said, a little louder than necessary. Pippin jumped slightly.
'Oh well, I guess I'll be going then.' Sam announced.
I did not reply; neither did Pippin. Sam walked away. I waited for Pippin to say something, to answer my question.
'Pippin?' I asked at length
His head jerked towards me. Fresh tears had stained his face.
'Who?' I asked once again, but he would say no more.
~*~*~*~
Hullo people! Here's my new fic, no Harry Potter this time. I love Lord of the Rings equally, so I decided I had to write a LotR fic too, and when I came up with this idea a couple of days ago, I thought I'd start it immediately. Sorry for the short chappy, but it switches POV and this was good point to do that.
Kisses, Aurian