Pippin had the upper hand of the battle, and he could feel it would soon be finished. He mentally squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared to deliver the killing blow, so as to not see the anguish on his opponent's face. As he felt his sword pierce flesh, he heard the sickening crunch of ribs being broken. As a last reflex, the ruffian brought his sword up clumsily and nicked Pippin's arm. Pippin's stomach flopped, but not from the sight of his own blood or the fact he was destroying life. He had the vaguest flash in his mind of when Boromir had been sparring with Merry and him. Training them. Preparing them for this very moment. He had been nicked in the same way. Back then, he recoiled, appalled at the pain, but he was different now. The hobbit he once was wasn't present in battle. Here was a stronger, weathered, and mature Pippin fighting for his home.
The ruffian fell, and time seemed to slow incredibly. Pippin turned to see Merry's battle winding down in the same manner. Pippin whirled, only to face another attacker. Gathering energy and strength from who-knew-where, he crouched into a fighting stance.
Diamond couldn't bear to go ashamedly back to Eglatine. Guiding the pony back into the stable, she found a patch of hay in the corner and sunk down. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she rocked and shivered from the cold. Slowly and quietly, she began to sing a song that she had heard long ago, but she didn't remember where.
In western lands beneath the Sun,
the flowers may rise in Spring,
the trees may bud, the waters run,
the merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night
and swaying beeches bear
the Elven-stars as jewels white
amid their branching hair.
Pippin slunk down to his knees, forced breath into his lungs. The battle was over. As the adrenaline coursing through his body subsided, fatigue saturated every muscle, joint, and bone of his body. He wasn't even aware of his sword slipping from his hand until he heard it clatter against the ground. Half crawling, half dragging himself to the side of the road, he curled up into a ball and was just about to fall into blissful slumber when he was rudely awoken by Merry gently prodding him with his sword.
"Come on, Pip, time is of essence. You're not injured are you?"
Pippin groaned, half tempted to say that he was injured, all for the sake that he would be left alone. He forced himself to stand, trying to ignore that annoying ache that seemed to happily occupy his entire body.
"Come on, we're going out to Cotton's for some food."
Pippin brightened a little at the mention of food, and he followed Merry.
The few calm moments of Pippin's midday meal seemed far too short. Soon, he and the others were traversing out to Bag End, intending on apprehending Lotho.
Inside Bag End, it was damp and rotting inside, full of filth and disorder.
"Where is that miserable Lotho hiding?" said Merry.
Pippin came out of a guest bedroom, some mangy rats scurrying away in terror ahead of him. No Lotho in there.
"This is worse than Mordor!" cried Sam. He bent down and set a dining room chair upright, carefully trying to not break the damp wooden legs. "Much worse in a way. It comes home to you, as they say, because it is home, and you remember it before it was all ruined."
Frodo sighed sadly, looking around the place that had once been his home.
"Yes, this is Mordor. Just one of its works. Saruman was doing its work all the time, even when he thought he was working for himself. And the same with those that Saruman tricked, like Lotho."
Merry became disgusted with it all.
"Let's get out! If I had known all the mischief he had caused, I should have stuffed my pouch down Saruman's throat," he grumbled. Pippin nodded in agreement, thinking of his own ways of getting vengeance on Saruman. Suddenly, a voice interrupted all of their thoughts.
"No doubt, no doubt! But you did not, and so I am able to welcome you home."
Silhouetted in the doorway was Saruman. He looked much better than he had those months ago at that encounter on the road.
Saruman? Why is he here, that scum?! Then, the thought broke on Pippin the same time Frodo spoke aloud.
"Sharkey! You're Sharkey!"
___________________________________________________________
Argh, this too was meant to be longer. I am SO sorry this took so long...with the ending of school coming up and finals and all, I am running out of writing time! :~( Anyway, leave your review, I haven't reached writer's block yet!
The ruffian fell, and time seemed to slow incredibly. Pippin turned to see Merry's battle winding down in the same manner. Pippin whirled, only to face another attacker. Gathering energy and strength from who-knew-where, he crouched into a fighting stance.
Diamond couldn't bear to go ashamedly back to Eglatine. Guiding the pony back into the stable, she found a patch of hay in the corner and sunk down. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she rocked and shivered from the cold. Slowly and quietly, she began to sing a song that she had heard long ago, but she didn't remember where.
In western lands beneath the Sun,
the flowers may rise in Spring,
the trees may bud, the waters run,
the merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night
and swaying beeches bear
the Elven-stars as jewels white
amid their branching hair.
Pippin slunk down to his knees, forced breath into his lungs. The battle was over. As the adrenaline coursing through his body subsided, fatigue saturated every muscle, joint, and bone of his body. He wasn't even aware of his sword slipping from his hand until he heard it clatter against the ground. Half crawling, half dragging himself to the side of the road, he curled up into a ball and was just about to fall into blissful slumber when he was rudely awoken by Merry gently prodding him with his sword.
"Come on, Pip, time is of essence. You're not injured are you?"
Pippin groaned, half tempted to say that he was injured, all for the sake that he would be left alone. He forced himself to stand, trying to ignore that annoying ache that seemed to happily occupy his entire body.
"Come on, we're going out to Cotton's for some food."
Pippin brightened a little at the mention of food, and he followed Merry.
The few calm moments of Pippin's midday meal seemed far too short. Soon, he and the others were traversing out to Bag End, intending on apprehending Lotho.
Inside Bag End, it was damp and rotting inside, full of filth and disorder.
"Where is that miserable Lotho hiding?" said Merry.
Pippin came out of a guest bedroom, some mangy rats scurrying away in terror ahead of him. No Lotho in there.
"This is worse than Mordor!" cried Sam. He bent down and set a dining room chair upright, carefully trying to not break the damp wooden legs. "Much worse in a way. It comes home to you, as they say, because it is home, and you remember it before it was all ruined."
Frodo sighed sadly, looking around the place that had once been his home.
"Yes, this is Mordor. Just one of its works. Saruman was doing its work all the time, even when he thought he was working for himself. And the same with those that Saruman tricked, like Lotho."
Merry became disgusted with it all.
"Let's get out! If I had known all the mischief he had caused, I should have stuffed my pouch down Saruman's throat," he grumbled. Pippin nodded in agreement, thinking of his own ways of getting vengeance on Saruman. Suddenly, a voice interrupted all of their thoughts.
"No doubt, no doubt! But you did not, and so I am able to welcome you home."
Silhouetted in the doorway was Saruman. He looked much better than he had those months ago at that encounter on the road.
Saruman? Why is he here, that scum?! Then, the thought broke on Pippin the same time Frodo spoke aloud.
"Sharkey! You're Sharkey!"
___________________________________________________________
Argh, this too was meant to be longer. I am SO sorry this took so long...with the ending of school coming up and finals and all, I am running out of writing time! :~( Anyway, leave your review, I haven't reached writer's block yet!
