****
Aragorn looked at the two hobbits. He had made it a habit, to always have a look at them before going to sleep. Merry and Pippin were sound asleep, looking peaceful and happy. He didn't know why he did it, probably to make sure they were safe. Sadness struck him. Tomorrow would probably be the last time he watched them sleep, they still had a bit left to ride. He thought that the hope for his own survival existed, great warrior as he was, but them? He almost laughed. (or would have if he had not been struggling against tears) How many times had he been over this? They would not survive, maybe he would, and he could probably never be happy again, even if he became king, evil was defeated and he could marry Arwen. No, not with the knowledge that he had sent two young, innocent lives into death. The weird thing was that so many people were going into this war, and many would die. Still he wouldn't feel guilty, maybe because he didn't feel responsible for them. Merry and Pippin were still children in his eyes, and they were his responsibility. He straightened himself. These two were not warriors, and the only ones in this group he were responsible for. (A/N How many times will I use the word responsible? Anyone got a good synonym?) He had made his decision. First thing in the morning they were going back, they were not prepared to fight yet, maybe they could help with something else instead. He put away the thoughts in his head that he shouldn't send them back just because he cared to greatly about them and instead thought that there were other reasons.
****
'What? You said we could go!'
'Yes, I said so, and that was stupid. You have no idea what you will face, and you are not warriors.'
'We know! We know we will die, and we have accepted that. Maybe we can be of help though we are small, and I think you're discriminating us just because we are not as tall as you!' Aragorn was taken back at Pippin's words. Merry had been quiet all the time, he had just been looking angrily at Aragorn, but now he spoke up.
'He's right. Why don't you send back other people who also will die? Why us? Tell us the truth Strider, why will you send us back?' Aragorn closed his eyes. He could not admit in front of all these warriors, that he sent them back of personal reasons, so he said nothing. He would still not allow them to go. Merry and Pippin looked expectantly on him, until they looked at each other and nodded.
'So you say nothing. Come on Pippin, we can go to the war on our own feet if necessary.' And they turned around, and started to walk. Aragorn ran up at them, lowered himself down so they stood face to face. (And another face, but that would sound stupid.)
'I care to much about you to let you go. You are too young to die, you are still children.' They both opened their mouths to protest about being children, since they really were not, but Aragorn continued. 'Next time perhaps, next time.'
'Would anybody volunteer to take them back to the village we passed on the way here, that wouldn't take to much time, and you can return immediately. Anyone?' A young rider stepped forward and spoke in a grave voice.
'I will take them back to the village quickly, and then I will return to you.'
Aragorn nodded his head and motioned for Merry and Pippin to get up on the big horse. Though the horse now had three people on it's back, it didn't seem like much weight to it. The young rider seemed light, not to mention the hobbits. The big horse galloped away like a wind. Aragorn sighed, both of guilt and relief. He noticed some of the soldiers watched him strangely. The probably thought he didn't do things right, but they didn't care if the hobbits lived or died. He started to shout to everyone to get started so they could move towards Gondor.
****
'Mr Frodo? You must wake up now, I'm afraid.' The elder hobbit moved in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes.
'Good morning Sam. Though I sincerely doubt it will be. I wonder what that "Cirith Ungol" that Sméagol takes us to will be like.'
'Probably dark, slimy and disgusting, I bet' said Sam, apparently not very optimistic today. But then again, who would be in his position?
'Come on now, nice hobbitssss, we must go now, yes yessss, my preciousss.' Sam raised his eyebrow toward Frodo and they both started to walk behind the creature that called itself Gollum. Sam was still as reluctant to trust him as earlier, but had given up his attempts to voice his opinions since Frodo trusted him and sincerely wanted to help him. Sam decided to be on his guard and watch the little creep.
'We have to go up all these stairs?' Sam looked devastated when Gollum said yes. He started to climb, always seeing if Frodo needed help with something.
****
'Stay here and I'll be right back.' The young rider left Merry and Pippin in a bush and then left.'
'What was that all about? Why is he leaving us here?' said Pippin.
'Maybe he had to...you know. Maybe we can go away now and run after the riders, maybe we can help a little in the war at least in the end.' Merry looked out from the bush, but saw that he had no idea where to go.
'I'll guess we'll stay here.' They sat for a few minutes, until the young rider was back.
'Get up on the horse,' he said and they did as he said. When they started to ride, Pippin noticed something was wrong.
'Isn't this the way we came? I mean, not that I mind, but didn't Aragorn tell you to take us back?' The young rider looked at him.
'You want to fight, do you not?'
'Well, yes, but I thought...'
'I'm taking you back to the war, you will not have to go back to the village. Just hide under my coat when we meet up with the others.'
'Thank you indeed, thank you very much. Though we don't know your name.'
'Do you not?' said the Rider softly. 'Then call me Dernhelm.'
A/N I'm back again, and I hope you haven't given up on me yet! And don't think I've forgotten all about Saruman's revenge, because I haven't! This is turning out to be a long story...I'm just a M & P-freak, so I've got to write! The Frodo-Sam pieces I only put in so you will know where they are. I don't make up anything. (I mean events, not thoughts or things they say)
Aragorn looked at the two hobbits. He had made it a habit, to always have a look at them before going to sleep. Merry and Pippin were sound asleep, looking peaceful and happy. He didn't know why he did it, probably to make sure they were safe. Sadness struck him. Tomorrow would probably be the last time he watched them sleep, they still had a bit left to ride. He thought that the hope for his own survival existed, great warrior as he was, but them? He almost laughed. (or would have if he had not been struggling against tears) How many times had he been over this? They would not survive, maybe he would, and he could probably never be happy again, even if he became king, evil was defeated and he could marry Arwen. No, not with the knowledge that he had sent two young, innocent lives into death. The weird thing was that so many people were going into this war, and many would die. Still he wouldn't feel guilty, maybe because he didn't feel responsible for them. Merry and Pippin were still children in his eyes, and they were his responsibility. He straightened himself. These two were not warriors, and the only ones in this group he were responsible for. (A/N How many times will I use the word responsible? Anyone got a good synonym?) He had made his decision. First thing in the morning they were going back, they were not prepared to fight yet, maybe they could help with something else instead. He put away the thoughts in his head that he shouldn't send them back just because he cared to greatly about them and instead thought that there were other reasons.
****
'What? You said we could go!'
'Yes, I said so, and that was stupid. You have no idea what you will face, and you are not warriors.'
'We know! We know we will die, and we have accepted that. Maybe we can be of help though we are small, and I think you're discriminating us just because we are not as tall as you!' Aragorn was taken back at Pippin's words. Merry had been quiet all the time, he had just been looking angrily at Aragorn, but now he spoke up.
'He's right. Why don't you send back other people who also will die? Why us? Tell us the truth Strider, why will you send us back?' Aragorn closed his eyes. He could not admit in front of all these warriors, that he sent them back of personal reasons, so he said nothing. He would still not allow them to go. Merry and Pippin looked expectantly on him, until they looked at each other and nodded.
'So you say nothing. Come on Pippin, we can go to the war on our own feet if necessary.' And they turned around, and started to walk. Aragorn ran up at them, lowered himself down so they stood face to face. (And another face, but that would sound stupid.)
'I care to much about you to let you go. You are too young to die, you are still children.' They both opened their mouths to protest about being children, since they really were not, but Aragorn continued. 'Next time perhaps, next time.'
'Would anybody volunteer to take them back to the village we passed on the way here, that wouldn't take to much time, and you can return immediately. Anyone?' A young rider stepped forward and spoke in a grave voice.
'I will take them back to the village quickly, and then I will return to you.'
Aragorn nodded his head and motioned for Merry and Pippin to get up on the big horse. Though the horse now had three people on it's back, it didn't seem like much weight to it. The young rider seemed light, not to mention the hobbits. The big horse galloped away like a wind. Aragorn sighed, both of guilt and relief. He noticed some of the soldiers watched him strangely. The probably thought he didn't do things right, but they didn't care if the hobbits lived or died. He started to shout to everyone to get started so they could move towards Gondor.
****
'Mr Frodo? You must wake up now, I'm afraid.' The elder hobbit moved in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes.
'Good morning Sam. Though I sincerely doubt it will be. I wonder what that "Cirith Ungol" that Sméagol takes us to will be like.'
'Probably dark, slimy and disgusting, I bet' said Sam, apparently not very optimistic today. But then again, who would be in his position?
'Come on now, nice hobbitssss, we must go now, yes yessss, my preciousss.' Sam raised his eyebrow toward Frodo and they both started to walk behind the creature that called itself Gollum. Sam was still as reluctant to trust him as earlier, but had given up his attempts to voice his opinions since Frodo trusted him and sincerely wanted to help him. Sam decided to be on his guard and watch the little creep.
'We have to go up all these stairs?' Sam looked devastated when Gollum said yes. He started to climb, always seeing if Frodo needed help with something.
****
'Stay here and I'll be right back.' The young rider left Merry and Pippin in a bush and then left.'
'What was that all about? Why is he leaving us here?' said Pippin.
'Maybe he had to...you know. Maybe we can go away now and run after the riders, maybe we can help a little in the war at least in the end.' Merry looked out from the bush, but saw that he had no idea where to go.
'I'll guess we'll stay here.' They sat for a few minutes, until the young rider was back.
'Get up on the horse,' he said and they did as he said. When they started to ride, Pippin noticed something was wrong.
'Isn't this the way we came? I mean, not that I mind, but didn't Aragorn tell you to take us back?' The young rider looked at him.
'You want to fight, do you not?'
'Well, yes, but I thought...'
'I'm taking you back to the war, you will not have to go back to the village. Just hide under my coat when we meet up with the others.'
'Thank you indeed, thank you very much. Though we don't know your name.'
'Do you not?' said the Rider softly. 'Then call me Dernhelm.'
A/N I'm back again, and I hope you haven't given up on me yet! And don't think I've forgotten all about Saruman's revenge, because I haven't! This is turning out to be a long story...I'm just a M & P-freak, so I've got to write! The Frodo-Sam pieces I only put in so you will know where they are. I don't make up anything. (I mean events, not thoughts or things they say)
