Chapter Two: Rivendell, A Miracle
"I can't believe it we actually made it to Rivendell Merry!" Pippin exclaimed, jumping for joy, as they ran across towards the main buildings.
"Well, you better believe it Pip, we're here," Merry said, then his smile faded.
"What's wrong?" asked Pippin.
"Where are all the elves?" he said, more to himself then to Pippin.
"They're not here," Pippin said.
"Well, that's obvious," Merry stated.
"Stop where you are!" said a female voice from above them. The two looked up.
"Spoke to soon," Pippin said.
A blade suddenly went across Pippins throat. Merry turned sharply when he heard Pippin shriek. Another girl was behind Pippin holding a sword to his throat.
"Stop right there or I'll cut his throat," she said.
"Who are you?" the woman on the ledge asked.
"Who wants to know?" Merry said sharply.
The one on the ledge hopped down and slowly walked to him. The one with the sword lowered it and smiled.
"I'm Limalo."
The walking ones gaze snapped to her. "Limalo! You break too easily under pressure." She shook her head, and then kneeled in front of Merry and Pippin. "I am Kilikai Riscol, an archer from Gondor. And who be you?"
Merry bowed. "I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck. And this is..."
Pippin hopped forward and right up to her. "I'm Peregrin Took, son of Paladin!" he said nobly. Limalo couldn't help but laugh. He blushed and grinned. "You can call me Pippin."
Kilikai sheathed her sword and stood. "The elves, my hobbit friends, are gone to the new world across the sea."
Merry's face fell. "Across the sea? All of them?"
"Save Lady Arwen Evenstar and Limalo here."
"Lady Arwen? Is she here?" Pippin asked.
"No," Limalo said. "She has left on a journey to Gondor."
"Do you know of Lady Arwen Evenstar?" Kilikai asked.
"Yes, we met her once," Merry said. "Here in Rivendell, when Frodo Baggins still had the ring."
"Oh yes, the ring" Limalo looked at Merry "but why have you traveled to Rivendell?"
"The shire has burnt down," Pippin said sadly
Kilikai looked at Pippin. "Then you should stay here tonight," she said
"But Kilikai, we travel to Gondor on the morn" Limalo complained
"Gondor?" Merry asked
"That's were everyone is," Pippin said looking over at Merry happily "Merry that's where Everyone is, we could see Mr. Frodo, and Strider"
Merry smiled "yes Pippin"
"Are you traveling to Gondor as well?" Kilikai asked
"Well we were coming to Rivendell but there is no one here" Pippin said "well except you of course"
"You should travel with us then, the Journey to Gondor may not be safe for halflings"
"Safe? We're the ones that fought in the war of the ring, that helped the ents destroy Isengard! I don't think you're in line to tell us what's safe," snapped Pippin.
"There's no need to get emotional, little master," said Kilikai quietly. Limalo cringed at his harsh yelling, and grabbed Merry and dashed into the next room.
"I can't stand people getting angry."
"He doesn't usually get this worked up."
Limalo smiled. "Tell me about what your home was like Merry."
"The Shire?"
"Yes, the shire."
Merry sat back, his face betraying the emotionality of memories. "Well, there was always the scent of food wherever you went. We hobbits love to eat you know. Although pippin and me didn't get many meals since we left. There were fields, and hobbit houses built right into hillsides." He smiled at the memory, and then turned when his eyes grew watery. "And now there's only a burning wasteland."
Limalo put a hand on his shoulder. "There there, Merry. The shire will be lively soon again, you have only to wait for it."
Merry smiled. "Thank you Limalo, but my grief will never truly be gone"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kilikai spent the next hour calming Pippin, then finally he collapsed and burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?"
He rolled on his back and laughed hard, tears coming from his eyes. Kilikai looked at him annoyed, then laughed with him.
"You are such a funny one Pip."
"I know."
They both settled into a pile of leaves and stared up at the stars.
"There's no telling when we might enjoy freedom like this again."
Pippin smiled and put his hand on Kilikai's. "Then enjoy it while you can."
She looked at him surprised, then grinned. "You are a wise one Pippin. For so small a boy."
"I'm not a boy! I'm a full-grown hobbit" he said a little hurt.
"No, I didn't mean it like that! I don't view you as a little boy Pippin, but your size...your so small."
Pippin sighed. "I know. I swear, if there was any way for me to grow to the size of a man I would."
Kilikai acted as if she didn't hear, but inside she filed the thought away in her head. She would see to helping him later.
"Good night Pip."
"Good night Kili."
She smiled. No one had dared give her a nickname before; she was one of the most intimidating women in Minas Tirith.
"Sweet dreams," she whispered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Morning
Merry lifted his head from an uneasy sleep. Beside him Limalo sat up listening to the wind.
"Didn't you sleep?"
"Elves do not need sleep."
He crawled over to her and listened. "What do you hear?"
"I hear the birds singing."
Merry listened again. Nothing, complete silence.
"I can't hear it."
Suddenly Limalo gasped. "Merry, your...your..."
"I'm what?!" He frantically looked around, but nothing seemed out of order.
"Your...taller."
"How much? An inch, because that's rare!" he said ecstatically.
"You've grown to at least six feet."
Merry's face paled.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pippin let out the loudest shriek anyone in middle earth would have ever heard, and then repeated it.
Kilikai woke with a start and frantically looked around.
"What's wrong?"
Pippin stood up as Kilikai did and she was shocked to find out he was at least three inches above her.
"Oh my..."
"I know!" At first he looked around shocked, then smiled and started to scream with happiness.
"I'm tall!"
"So am I!" Merry said entering the room with Limalo
Merry and Pippin both joined hands and danced in a circle, the girls watching astounded. They then turned to the girls and pulled them in a circle. Eventually the females had to join in the shrieking; it was impossible not to share their happiness.
"I can't believe it we actually made it to Rivendell Merry!" Pippin exclaimed, jumping for joy, as they ran across towards the main buildings.
"Well, you better believe it Pip, we're here," Merry said, then his smile faded.
"What's wrong?" asked Pippin.
"Where are all the elves?" he said, more to himself then to Pippin.
"They're not here," Pippin said.
"Well, that's obvious," Merry stated.
"Stop where you are!" said a female voice from above them. The two looked up.
"Spoke to soon," Pippin said.
A blade suddenly went across Pippins throat. Merry turned sharply when he heard Pippin shriek. Another girl was behind Pippin holding a sword to his throat.
"Stop right there or I'll cut his throat," she said.
"Who are you?" the woman on the ledge asked.
"Who wants to know?" Merry said sharply.
The one on the ledge hopped down and slowly walked to him. The one with the sword lowered it and smiled.
"I'm Limalo."
The walking ones gaze snapped to her. "Limalo! You break too easily under pressure." She shook her head, and then kneeled in front of Merry and Pippin. "I am Kilikai Riscol, an archer from Gondor. And who be you?"
Merry bowed. "I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck. And this is..."
Pippin hopped forward and right up to her. "I'm Peregrin Took, son of Paladin!" he said nobly. Limalo couldn't help but laugh. He blushed and grinned. "You can call me Pippin."
Kilikai sheathed her sword and stood. "The elves, my hobbit friends, are gone to the new world across the sea."
Merry's face fell. "Across the sea? All of them?"
"Save Lady Arwen Evenstar and Limalo here."
"Lady Arwen? Is she here?" Pippin asked.
"No," Limalo said. "She has left on a journey to Gondor."
"Do you know of Lady Arwen Evenstar?" Kilikai asked.
"Yes, we met her once," Merry said. "Here in Rivendell, when Frodo Baggins still had the ring."
"Oh yes, the ring" Limalo looked at Merry "but why have you traveled to Rivendell?"
"The shire has burnt down," Pippin said sadly
Kilikai looked at Pippin. "Then you should stay here tonight," she said
"But Kilikai, we travel to Gondor on the morn" Limalo complained
"Gondor?" Merry asked
"That's were everyone is," Pippin said looking over at Merry happily "Merry that's where Everyone is, we could see Mr. Frodo, and Strider"
Merry smiled "yes Pippin"
"Are you traveling to Gondor as well?" Kilikai asked
"Well we were coming to Rivendell but there is no one here" Pippin said "well except you of course"
"You should travel with us then, the Journey to Gondor may not be safe for halflings"
"Safe? We're the ones that fought in the war of the ring, that helped the ents destroy Isengard! I don't think you're in line to tell us what's safe," snapped Pippin.
"There's no need to get emotional, little master," said Kilikai quietly. Limalo cringed at his harsh yelling, and grabbed Merry and dashed into the next room.
"I can't stand people getting angry."
"He doesn't usually get this worked up."
Limalo smiled. "Tell me about what your home was like Merry."
"The Shire?"
"Yes, the shire."
Merry sat back, his face betraying the emotionality of memories. "Well, there was always the scent of food wherever you went. We hobbits love to eat you know. Although pippin and me didn't get many meals since we left. There were fields, and hobbit houses built right into hillsides." He smiled at the memory, and then turned when his eyes grew watery. "And now there's only a burning wasteland."
Limalo put a hand on his shoulder. "There there, Merry. The shire will be lively soon again, you have only to wait for it."
Merry smiled. "Thank you Limalo, but my grief will never truly be gone"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kilikai spent the next hour calming Pippin, then finally he collapsed and burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?"
He rolled on his back and laughed hard, tears coming from his eyes. Kilikai looked at him annoyed, then laughed with him.
"You are such a funny one Pip."
"I know."
They both settled into a pile of leaves and stared up at the stars.
"There's no telling when we might enjoy freedom like this again."
Pippin smiled and put his hand on Kilikai's. "Then enjoy it while you can."
She looked at him surprised, then grinned. "You are a wise one Pippin. For so small a boy."
"I'm not a boy! I'm a full-grown hobbit" he said a little hurt.
"No, I didn't mean it like that! I don't view you as a little boy Pippin, but your size...your so small."
Pippin sighed. "I know. I swear, if there was any way for me to grow to the size of a man I would."
Kilikai acted as if she didn't hear, but inside she filed the thought away in her head. She would see to helping him later.
"Good night Pip."
"Good night Kili."
She smiled. No one had dared give her a nickname before; she was one of the most intimidating women in Minas Tirith.
"Sweet dreams," she whispered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Morning
Merry lifted his head from an uneasy sleep. Beside him Limalo sat up listening to the wind.
"Didn't you sleep?"
"Elves do not need sleep."
He crawled over to her and listened. "What do you hear?"
"I hear the birds singing."
Merry listened again. Nothing, complete silence.
"I can't hear it."
Suddenly Limalo gasped. "Merry, your...your..."
"I'm what?!" He frantically looked around, but nothing seemed out of order.
"Your...taller."
"How much? An inch, because that's rare!" he said ecstatically.
"You've grown to at least six feet."
Merry's face paled.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pippin let out the loudest shriek anyone in middle earth would have ever heard, and then repeated it.
Kilikai woke with a start and frantically looked around.
"What's wrong?"
Pippin stood up as Kilikai did and she was shocked to find out he was at least three inches above her.
"Oh my..."
"I know!" At first he looked around shocked, then smiled and started to scream with happiness.
"I'm tall!"
"So am I!" Merry said entering the room with Limalo
Merry and Pippin both joined hands and danced in a circle, the girls watching astounded. They then turned to the girls and pulled them in a circle. Eventually the females had to join in the shrieking; it was impossible not to share their happiness.
