Date: 8/5/03 6:22:42 (pm eastern daylight time)

4: Found


Night had fallen over the residences of Hobbition rather quickly. Over at Bag End Frodo slept somewhat soundly in his bedroom trying to ignore the pain that took residence in his broken arm. His mind was constantly replaying the earlier events of his and Peregrin's mishap, unable to think of anything else. There was a creek behind his door, followed by an quiet "Eek!" His eyebrows raised at sound. Carefully he pushed himself up from his lying position, he climbed out of his bed careful not to mak a sound. He adanced toward his door.

Outside, Merry and Sam could heard approaching footsteps inside Frodo's bedroom, which made them halt in their steps. Their legs seized with panic, undecided on wheather or not to run from the Baggins or just tell him the truth as to why they were up so late. The two (or at least Merry) decided not to come up with a clever excuse as to why they stood in the corridor, all dressed to go out. Merry and Sam ducked into a nearby room, leaving the door ajar and prayed Frodo would not bother to check inside.

Frodo opened his door slowly, poking his head into the hallway. His brow furrowed, Frodo glanced to both ends of the hall; There was not a sign of of person ever being outside his doorway. He sighed relaxing a bit. "I must be hearing things, already," Frodo muttered, his shoulder slouching a bit. From inside the other room, Sam and Merry exchanged glances at each other, their eyebrows raised in question while they waited for Frodo to return to his bed. After a moment of staring out into space, Frodo shut his door slowly, his eyes still peering through the doorway as he did so.

Click.

Merry and Sam opened the well oiled door and sliped out of the room. Sam followed after Merry who stealthily crept down the hall in a manner fit for a feline. Sam was against leaving, being worried for Frodo's well being over the kidnapping of Mr. Pippin. It didn't seem right at all. However, letting Merry go off by himself didn't seem too right to the gardner neither. Merry had objected to his company at first, knowing Sam would be much more content if next to Frodo, but the Gamgee would hear none of it. Thus, bringing them to their current situation. Quickly pushing his thoughts aside, Samwise crept after Merry, just as the Brandybuck hurried silently out the front door, his cloak waving behind him majestically.


Pippin opened his eyes slowly as his mind became conscious once more, his pain rekindled. He wondered where he had landed or at least how far he had fallen from the mountain. As far as he could tell, his upper body lay up on the shore in the shallow part of the river. Every part in his body felt busted and bruised. He lifted himself off ground and proceeded to crawl, with one hand and both legs, away from the shore. He found a nearby tree, which he leaned against for support. Pippin did his best to ignore his agony as he got himself to stand up upright; The bone in his arm that aided him, gave a sickening snap.

Pippin fell back onto the ground, howling, his cry echoed throughout the forest. The birds birds nestled in the trees took flight into the sky. Pippin rolled about ont he ground, holding back whatever remnant of liquid in his bladder remained in him. He stared at his damaged arm through his tears, it was bent in an akward position, part of the bone had periced his skin. His wrist and hand was errect, twitcting only sightly. Pippin got back on his feet with little effort. He held back his tears and ventured through the woods hoping to find a road back to Hobbiton. His gaze shifted upward, his eyes fell on the moon. As he listened to the sounds of the night, he noitced some of birds returned to their posts, possibly for a nap. Focusing his attentions on the road ahead, Pippin pressed on.

He spent what felt like months walking through the woodland and across rivers, slipping on the wet rocks. Pippin did his best not move his arm, all the while praying he wouldn't slip and fall into the unsettled waters. Pippin stepped out of the water onto firm damp ground; He continued on, his feet beginning to drag. Pippin's spirits lifted suddenly when he caught sight of smoke rising from a chimney, Pippin dashed down the dusty trail with rekindled hope. "Home!" He whimpered happily. "Merry! Sam! Frodo! Warm beds!" Before he even got to the outskirts of Hobbiton, Pippin loss consciousness and fell to the ground.


When Merry set out, accompanied by Sam, to search for Pippin, he did not expect the task would be easy. They headed toward Famer Maggots farm where Frodo began his search, from there the duo ventured into the forest where they found several trees uprooted from their place, lying about the landscape. Merry and Sam followed the path of desturction out onto the field where Pippin had been taken. Sam marveled at the large hole in the ground where dragon's claws had taken the earth. From there they set out toward the nearest mountain almost out of the Shire, where they found hobbit footprints; They began from the river venturing deeper into the forest. Sam would occasionally search his pockets for nothing in particular to keep himself busy, Merry whistle a little tune as the two followed on the young Took's trail. After a long uncomfortable silence Sam spoke up. "I feel bad about leaving Mr. Frodo," Sam whispered.

"Well why did you come along, Sam?" Merry asked, stopping in his tracks. He turned to face the hobbit, Sam looked down at his feet, his hand fiddled with the button on his jacket. Merry's feet began tapping impatiently his eyebrows knitted in annoyance. Sam looked up at the Brandybuck finally with an uncertain look about him. "Because I, well, I wanted to find Mr. Pippin, so Frodo would stop worryin'," Sam shot back. "Besides, I care about him too Mr. Merry, its not just you."

Merry rolled his eyes and continued down the path following the tracks, Sam followed after him quickly. "He went through the deeper part of the woods no doubt," Merry whispered, leaping over a bush. He tripped landing on something soft and fell on his chin. "Mr. Merry!" Sam cried coming over to his side. "Are you hurt?" The was a long pause from Merry who had groaned as he shifted trying to get his arm from under him, which didn't help Sam's cause for concern.

"No Sam, thank you," Merry grunted, getting back on his feet. Sam helped him brush the dirt off of him, the Brandybuck grimanced. "But whatever I stepped on is." Sam arched his eyebrows, he didn't find that fact that someone else was hurt and not Merry, funny at all.

The sound of moaning startled both hobbits, causing them to pull away the dark shape. "What is it?" Sam whispered. Reaching over to grab the shape, Merry realized it had a shoulder. His expression raised a great deal in surprise. "It's a person! Or hobbit, or something!" He sputtered, turning it completely over. Merry's heart leaped into his throat, he soon realized was staring into the half-opened green eyes of his cousin. The Took's face was smuged with dirt, his lip was busted, and possibly sustained many other injuries that Merry couldn't see. "Pippin!" He yelped. "Pip, what happened? How'd you escape the dragon?"

How'd Mr. Merry find about the dragon? Sam thought curiously.

Pippin could barely make out what Merry was trying to say to him. Desperate, he tried to speak but his thoat was dry from lack of no water, it closed up on him. All that came out was a scratchy sound, indicating that Pippin was trying to say something to them. "Errry, ammm?" He croaked. "M . . . erry?" Merry was taken aback by the sound of Peregrin's voice, it made Sam more worried than he was now.

"What's Mr. Pippin trying to say, Merry?" Sam asked, coming to kneel beside the blond. Merry shrugged as he checked over his cousin's body. "I don't know, Sam," Merry said, taking his cousin into his arms. Pippin screamed in pain at the movement of his broken arm and the bone pierced his skin again. Merry almost dropped him but held on tight as he stood up. "Sam! He needs a healer!" Merry cried. Sam got a glance of the Took's broken arm, he grimanced. "Aye, that he does, sir," Sam agreed, "I'll lead the way!"

Merry followed after Sam, through the woods making their way back to Hobbiton.


TBC