Chapter Four
The next morning was full of surprises, no all of which were good. The first was definitely the latter. A messenger came, speaking of destruction and violence in the West. Legolas was outraged, Thranduil was angry, Gandalf looked very upset and the hobbits were greatly saddened. Thranduil spent the best part of an hour talking to his advisor, with Legolas listening in from the door for the most part. Arwen consoled Legolas, and Aragorn talked with Frodo, Sam and Gandalf. All was very solemn and there was no laughter, not even the strained kind of the night before. Until the second surprise of the morning, which came in the form of Merry and Pippin. (Who else could create laughter at a time like this?) They arrived at midday, causing quite a fuss because the new head maid (who was on door duty at the time) did not recognise them. "We're great friends of Thr-" "His royal highness," cut in Merry, indignantly. "We have known him for many, many years," this was slightly exaggerated by Pippin. "Yeah, ages." "If you just ask him, or Legolas-" "He means the prince..." "If you'll just ask one of them to come-" "Enough," said the stern looking maid. "The King is far too busy to come and see two practical jokers trying to get their way into the palace. Now leave." "But-" "LEAVE!" The two hobbits were just about to turn round, all hope lost, when they heard Gandalf's voice. "What's going on here then?" Merry and Pippin stopped and smiled up at him.
"These two halflings, Mr. Gandalf, sir. They were trying to sneak into the palace." "We were not trying to sneak anywhere, we-" "They are friends of mine, Greta, and they are also friends of Thranduil's." Merry and Pippin looked at the poor woman and gave her superior smiles. "I suggest you let them in, as they look a little cold," said Gandalf giving the two mischievous hobbits a stern look. Greta looked from the wizard to the two "halflings" and moved aside so that they could get past. "It is just-we must all be very careful, affairs as they are..." "Yes, yes, we understand. Thank you, Greta." Gandalf nudged Merry and Pippin, who muttered, "Yeah, thank you..." and "We understand..." to the floorboards.
Gandalf led them through the long passageways until they reached the room in which Arwen, Frodo and Sam were talking. Merry and Pippin came in, and there was chaos. Sam and Frodo hugged Merry and Pippin and then they swapped and hugged the other one. Arwen, who had been watching, amusedly, and then she hugged both of them at the same time. "How did you get here?" asked Frodo. Right on cue, Madeline came in. "Please sirs, madam," she added-seeing Arwen. "Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin's horses are causin' a right fuss," the maid had a bit of hay in her hair and a smudge of dirt on her cheek. "They're eatin' all the carrots that are on their way to the kitchen." Merry and Pippin blushed slightly. "Er...have you tried telling them 'no'?" This was Pippin's bright idea. "Yes sir, nothing seems to work." There was suddenly a loud neigh from somewhere outside the window. One of the stable hands came in, and saw Madeline. "Got them. Got the wretched things in the stable." He suddenly looked down at the hobbits stunned faces. "Er, right, I'll be off then," he said. Madeline smiled politely, yet embarrassedly at all of them and followed him out. There was silence, only for a little while, and then- "Bill said that they were the only two horses he had left." "When Bill gave us the message, we couldn't believe that you had left without us." "So we borrowed the horses and were on our way before you could say..." "Hobbit," finished Merry. Legolas came in, followed by Aragorn. Again, there were joyous greetings and laughter.
That night, all four hobbits gathered in Frodo's room, and discussed the matter at hand. They all sat on his bed, which was large enough as it was Elvin sized. Four candles spookily lighted up the room. Two were in a wall- mounted holder on the head left of the bed, and two on the right. The hobbits sat cross-legged in a circle on the top of the heavenly white cotton bed covers. "How bad is it?" "Very. This is serious, Pip." Frodo sighed. "Why don't they just fight them?" asked Merry. "They're not going to fight unless reasoning won't work-they're elves, not orcs," said Frodo. "Orcs or elves," said Sam, speaking up for the first time that night. "They need to sort this out, before it gets out of hand." They all nodded gloomily, it was unanimous.
The next morning was full of surprises, no all of which were good. The first was definitely the latter. A messenger came, speaking of destruction and violence in the West. Legolas was outraged, Thranduil was angry, Gandalf looked very upset and the hobbits were greatly saddened. Thranduil spent the best part of an hour talking to his advisor, with Legolas listening in from the door for the most part. Arwen consoled Legolas, and Aragorn talked with Frodo, Sam and Gandalf. All was very solemn and there was no laughter, not even the strained kind of the night before. Until the second surprise of the morning, which came in the form of Merry and Pippin. (Who else could create laughter at a time like this?) They arrived at midday, causing quite a fuss because the new head maid (who was on door duty at the time) did not recognise them. "We're great friends of Thr-" "His royal highness," cut in Merry, indignantly. "We have known him for many, many years," this was slightly exaggerated by Pippin. "Yeah, ages." "If you just ask him, or Legolas-" "He means the prince..." "If you'll just ask one of them to come-" "Enough," said the stern looking maid. "The King is far too busy to come and see two practical jokers trying to get their way into the palace. Now leave." "But-" "LEAVE!" The two hobbits were just about to turn round, all hope lost, when they heard Gandalf's voice. "What's going on here then?" Merry and Pippin stopped and smiled up at him.
"These two halflings, Mr. Gandalf, sir. They were trying to sneak into the palace." "We were not trying to sneak anywhere, we-" "They are friends of mine, Greta, and they are also friends of Thranduil's." Merry and Pippin looked at the poor woman and gave her superior smiles. "I suggest you let them in, as they look a little cold," said Gandalf giving the two mischievous hobbits a stern look. Greta looked from the wizard to the two "halflings" and moved aside so that they could get past. "It is just-we must all be very careful, affairs as they are..." "Yes, yes, we understand. Thank you, Greta." Gandalf nudged Merry and Pippin, who muttered, "Yeah, thank you..." and "We understand..." to the floorboards.
Gandalf led them through the long passageways until they reached the room in which Arwen, Frodo and Sam were talking. Merry and Pippin came in, and there was chaos. Sam and Frodo hugged Merry and Pippin and then they swapped and hugged the other one. Arwen, who had been watching, amusedly, and then she hugged both of them at the same time. "How did you get here?" asked Frodo. Right on cue, Madeline came in. "Please sirs, madam," she added-seeing Arwen. "Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin's horses are causin' a right fuss," the maid had a bit of hay in her hair and a smudge of dirt on her cheek. "They're eatin' all the carrots that are on their way to the kitchen." Merry and Pippin blushed slightly. "Er...have you tried telling them 'no'?" This was Pippin's bright idea. "Yes sir, nothing seems to work." There was suddenly a loud neigh from somewhere outside the window. One of the stable hands came in, and saw Madeline. "Got them. Got the wretched things in the stable." He suddenly looked down at the hobbits stunned faces. "Er, right, I'll be off then," he said. Madeline smiled politely, yet embarrassedly at all of them and followed him out. There was silence, only for a little while, and then- "Bill said that they were the only two horses he had left." "When Bill gave us the message, we couldn't believe that you had left without us." "So we borrowed the horses and were on our way before you could say..." "Hobbit," finished Merry. Legolas came in, followed by Aragorn. Again, there were joyous greetings and laughter.
That night, all four hobbits gathered in Frodo's room, and discussed the matter at hand. They all sat on his bed, which was large enough as it was Elvin sized. Four candles spookily lighted up the room. Two were in a wall- mounted holder on the head left of the bed, and two on the right. The hobbits sat cross-legged in a circle on the top of the heavenly white cotton bed covers. "How bad is it?" "Very. This is serious, Pip." Frodo sighed. "Why don't they just fight them?" asked Merry. "They're not going to fight unless reasoning won't work-they're elves, not orcs," said Frodo. "Orcs or elves," said Sam, speaking up for the first time that night. "They need to sort this out, before it gets out of hand." They all nodded gloomily, it was unanimous.