~Chapter 1~
Disclaimer: Still don't own the characters Tolkien created.
A/N: Now the story starts switching POVs.
~~
Merry's POV
"Is she awake yet, Merry?"
Meriadoc Brandybuck's head shot up, the echoing noise surprising him out of sleep. He had dozed off in a wooden chair he sat in, it seemed. He blinks a couple times, then rubbed them, trying to make it so his eyesight wasn't blurry anymore. He had fallen asleep in his papers that he had been working on, that his father had asked him to do. He yawned loudly, rubbing his curls sleepily. His eyes drifted to his young cousin, whom's infectious energy made Merry almost wake up immediately. Merry had heard Pippin ask a question, but hadn't perceived what was being asked.
"What's that, Pip?"
"Is she awake yet?" he asked and tapped his foot. The impetuous imp of a Took walked over, finally greeting his cousin properly by wrapping his arms around his neck in a greeting hug.
"I haven't checked her since I sat down here for second breakfast." He replied, hugging Peregrin back almost instinctively. He put his cousin at an arm's length when he remembered what he had sent Pippin out to do. "Pippin, you fetched Frodo, did you not?"
"Of course, cousin." He bobbed his head yes, beaming proudly. "An' I didn't even get into Mister Samwise's garden."
Merry gave a smirk, understanding Pippin's pride. Samwise did not particularly like the young Took, mostly because of his behavior that he once heard Sam tell his Gaffer was 'not unlike a wild animal on the charge', and Merry was always inclined to believe. Granted, he did not stay out of trouble all the time himself, but he was still better then Pippin when it came to being good. Of course, such a thing was expected as Merry WAS technically older then his cousin, even If by an unknowing eye they could have been twins. They certainly were around each other enough to at least warrant them brothers.
"Then where is he?" he questioned before swatting Pippin's hand away from the loaf of bread on the table.
Pippin scowled a bit, withdrawing his hand. "He and Mister Gandalf had to stay back for a while. Mister Gandalf told me to run ahead and tell you to make up a room for them tonight."
"Gandalf!" Merry exclaimed.
"Yes. He and Frodo are helping with the party." He eyed the bread again. "Can I have some, Merry? I'm hungry!"
Merry sighed, pushing the bread toward him. He grabbed a slice and started nibbling on it as though he hadn't eaten in days, which was definitely impossible. If he knew Pippin, the boy probably ate whatever Sam made for Frodo and Bilbo before getting thrown out for being a food hog. He moved the bread away before Pippin could take any more. He had given Pippin plenty of food for the short trip to Bag End and did not want to get in trouble for allowing Pippin to exhaust their food supply.
"When did Frodo say he was going to leave?" Merry asked as he absently closed the book of papers that was in front of him.
"He said he would leave very soon, as soon as they finished up what they were doing. They looked almost done, so I'm guessin' they left a bit after me." He finished the bread, wiping his face with his slightly grubby arm, which rid his face of crumbs but added a slight streak of dirt. "Can I see the girl? You wouldn't let me before."
Merry paused, thinking about it. He had to check on her anyway, as he had been doing for the last four days. Pippin and he had found her lying in a patch of grass, her body pretty bloodied and bruised up and unconscious. At first he had trouble even figuring out what it was, because she was so short – not short enough to be a hobbit, not tall enough to be of the Big People. He and Pippin carried her all the way to Brandy Hall, which wasn't easy as, even though she was shorter, she was still heavy. His mother helped him bandage her up, and since then, she had been out. It was even less easy taking care of her. He worried she may not ever come out of whatever she was in.
"Alright, come on." He pushed his seat in and motioned Pippin to follow.
They walked through a couple hallways – Brandy Hall was quite a large smial, of course – and stopped in front of one door. He slowly opened the door, stepping in. She was still lying there, breathing in and out softly. As they approached, he winced at all the bandages on her. Her forehead had had a huge gash on it that got bandaged pretty quickly when she was brought in. That was her worst injury by far, as all the other cuts were visible but smaller. Her biggest bruise was around her left eye. Merry could not even speculate what happened to her.
"What is she?"
The voice startled Merry – he nearly forgot Pippin was standing there. He shook his head, understanding the question.
"One of the Big Folk, I suppose. Only smaller. I imagined them bigger, didn't you?"
"M'sister always told me they were so big they could step on me and squash me like a bug." He explained, shuddering. He smirked – most likely Pimpernel had said that.
"Well, not that tall." He chuckled. Pippin shuddered again for good measure. "It's a bit sad. I wonder what happened to her…"
"She was pretty beaten up." Pippin added, leaning over to peer at her closely. Merry turned and walked toward the table, where there were extra cloths and herbal paste that made up her bandages. He took them and walked back, pulling a chair up next to her bedside.
"Since you're here, I need you to pick up her head. I need to change her bandages."
Pippin nodded mutely, almost seeming excited to help out. He walked to the other side of Merry, leaning over to delicately pick up her head. Merry went to work unrolling the old bandages from her head wound. He winced again at the sight of the lesion on her head. As he got the new bandage ready to put it on when Pippin made a little squeak. Merry looked up, surprised.
"She moved!"
Merry looked down at the girl and saw no movement. He sighed, his hopes dashed. He was actually pulling for her to come out, if only to find out how she got to how she became.
"Just your imagination, Pip. Keep her still."
He went to go back to work, but something that definitely wasn't imagination made him jump. A very soft, nearly inaudible groan came from her lips. His head snapped up and Pippin was so startled he actually let her head fall to the pillow before jumping back. Merry stood up, peering down as he did. She was moving. Much more then she had since they found her and she came to for a few seconds. Suddenly her eyes slid open, slowly, and Merry only stared, wide mouthed. Pippin must have run over to hide behind Merry, as he felt Pippin's hand grasping his shirtsleeve.
"Urgh." The girl moaned, blinking rapidly.
"Dear me, she's awake!" Merry exclaimed under his breath. He dared to take another step toward her. Her eyes seemed to focus on him and blinked a few more times – she had to be groggy from sleep. "Can you hear me? Are you alright?"
"Ngh…" she groaned, putting her hand to her head. She stopped on the cut, seemed to feel it as if she wanted to know what it was.
"You've been out for days, m'lady."
Finally a coherent sentence came from her mouth. "…Where am I?"
"You're in Brandy Hall! Merry and I brought you here!" Pippin quipped in, his voice showing his excitement.
"Brandy…Hall?" she repeated. She slowly pushed herself up on her arm, putting her head in her hand again as a headache came to her.
"Yes. We found you in the forest…why were you there?"
"Forest?" she asked, confused. She seemed to finally truly look toward them and her eyes widened. "W…what are you?!"
She actually seemed frightened, which, if it was any other situation, Merry could laugh at – one of the Big People afraid of Shire-folk? "We're hobbits, Lady. We found you in our forests."
"Hob…bits?" she repeated. Had she lost her memory? Merry bit his lip. Suddenly it seemed to dawn on her, and she only got more afraid. "Hobbits? You're a hobbit?"
"Aye." He confirmed. "I am Meriadoc Brandybuck – this is my cousin Peregrin Took." He motioned toward the Took behind him. "Are you alright now, Lady?"
She seemed visibly green. "…Merry and Pippin?"
They both looked at her, shocked. Pippin was the first to speak. "How'd you know that?"
The girl regarded them with fearful eyes. "I…"
"Hello there, is anyone about?"
The voice caused all of them to look at the door. It took Merry a second to realize who it was. He gave another glance at the strange girl before turning back to the door. "Gandalf, in here!"
Creaking of wood sounded and soon the door opened, and with it came the sight of the elderly man who was bent over double trying to walk through the halls, which was to be expected considering the ceiling was built for people that never reached even close to Gandalf's size. He ducked down even lower to get through the door and then went back to his regular stooping position. Gandalf always had an odd regal presence to him that caused Merry to stand up straighter and actually care of his appearance, especially when he came with news such as the one he visited for at that moment. Merry turned to see the girl had shrunk herself against the wall and drew the covers up to her chin, which in turn uncovered her legs that were still clothed in the strange clothing that she had been found in. She was quivering; looking like a scared animal caught in a corner by a predator, and his heart nearly broke for her. He had forgotten all sense in greeting a person who was probably feeling very alarmed at the moment in waking up in a strange place.
"So she has awoken." Gandalf said, his eyes following Merry's gaze. Pippin nodded in answer to the question as he moved aside to let Gandalf through. The wizard sat down in the chair Merry had sat in, nudging aside the bandages that lay on the ground next to it. He leaned over, peering at the girl, who had dared to look toward him with wide eyes. "M'lady, you do not need to fear. You are of good company." He glanced toward the two hobbits again. "Merry, take Pippin and fetch her some food. Frodo will be in any minute and he will help you. I must speak with this girl."
Merry nodded, and took Pippin lightly by the arm to lead him out. He resisted at first, but finally reluctantly followed. Merry shut the door behind Pippin. Pippin immediately spoke up, but very quietly.
"How'd she know our names, Merry? Our nicknames?"
Merry did not know the answer to that, and merely shrugged. "Maybe she's heard of us? Folk talk about how we cause trouble."
"You think it would be told to one of her kind?" he asked as he fell in step with Merry, who had started to walk to grab the food Gandalf requested.
"No." he admitted. "If you ask me, Pip, something's real peculiar about her, and I think Gandalf sees that too. That's why he sent us out so he can talk to her."
"What are you two whispering about?"
Merry knew the voice instantly, and smiled warmly as he turned to see a pleasant looking Frodo Baggins standing in their presence, his cheeks red from what Merry guessed from all the walking outside. He hadn't seen his cousin in a good while – well, at least a longer period of time then usual – and that was attributed to all the fuss over Bilbo's birthday. They hugged in greeting, and Frodo reciprocated that smile Merry was flashing him.
"Frodo, it is very good to see you again!"
"It's been a while, my dear friend. I hear you found a girl that seemed to have come from nowhere?"
"Yes. Gandalf is looking at her now. She has just awoken." Merry nodded.
"She woke up? Well that is good news! Did she tell you where she has come from?"
They had begun walking again, Merry and Frodo in front, Pippin tagging along behind. "…Not really. She was quite disturbed. And an odd event happened…I only introduced ourselves by our proper names, and she goes and calls us 'Merry and Pippin'."
"And you did not inquire further?"
"Gandalf came then, and sent us away. To speak to her, he says. Perhaps he will find out for us."
"If anyone can, Gandalf will. At least she is okay. From how Pippin spoke of her, she was in a bad way for a bit."
"'Till Merry bandaged her up right and proper! He knows a lot more then me when it comes to such things!" Pippin voiced, and Merry almost blushed at the praise.
"It was nothing." He spoke modestly. "Merely cleaned the would and wrapped it in cloth. I've done it dozens of times for you, Pippin."
"Your help probably speeded up the healing process, though, so do not be so modest cousin." Frodo patted Merry on the back and he chuckled, turning a bit red in the cheeks.
"What do Big Folk eat, anyway?" Merry asked as they entered the pantry where all the food was kept. The three hobbits looked at each other and collectively shrugged.