"Well," Frodo said yawning, "How about we all get settled down for the night? I think we'll need the energy tomorrow to keep up with everyone and all their stories!" Everyone else agreed, even though everyone but Frodo feared that they would have to stay in the same place another night because of the ferocity of the storm. No one had the heart to break it to Frodo, and they were all at least a bit weary of their traveling for the day, so they decided to go unload the packs with their blankets from the back of the wagon. Legolas hardly ever slept after the manner of his kind, and Gandalf was always too alert to totally relax and rest, but everyone welcomed being able to get warm and relax and just be able to think to themselves if they couldn't sleep.
Legolas got up and went to the wagon to get everyone's belongings and then gasped with surprise. Gandalf immediately went over, fearing something bad had happened, and Gimli and Frodo closely followed.
Nestled between their packs and blankets were two young hobbits. One had light curls that lay neatly on his head. He was slightly bigger than the other one and was wearing a neatly fitted weskit beneath his coat and cloak. Frodo knew that the lad was a Brandybuck immediately. Frodo then was the one to gasp with surprise. The younger lass could only be a Took. He looked over each of her features, the chestnut curls that sprang from her head at every possible angle, the slightly pointy noise and chubby cheeks, the rosebud shaped mouth. Legolas saw that Frodo was now inspecting the lass and told him to look at her scarf. It was wrapped around her neck tightly and only a bit of the end was visible from underneath her cloak, but it was without a doubt Peregrin's scarf, the one that had went from one side of Middle Earth to the other and back.
"It, It, It can't be." Frodo muttered to himself. By then all four companions knew who they had sleeping in the back of their wagon. Gimli and Legolas both wore fond smiles for the two young hobbits; Frodo had warm tears falling down his face, blurring his vision a bit but still being cried out of pure happiness. Gandalf was the only one that wasn't smiling. Gimli noticed and jokingly asked, "Are you going to punish them Gandalf, the newest little Fool of a Took and her caretaker?"
Legolas noticed Gandalf's concern and asked what was bothering him. Gandalf finally said "We must get them warm, they are in danger of pneumonia." Frodo shuddered, thinking that these two, most likely his youngest cousins, would get pneumonia and die. Gandalf took each of the young hobbits, wrapped them tightly in blankets and settled each on his lap. He felt their foreheads and knew they had a fever.
Poppy opened bleary eyes and looked up, expecting to see the sky but instead seeing the tall man with the beard. She tried to close her eyes to make it look like she had never awaken, but it was too late. She felt horrible, her body was hot but there wasn't a force on the earth that could make her get out of the blankets someone had bundled her in. She let her Tookish curiosity get to her and blearily asked "Who are you?"
Gandalf smiled at the brogue that he hadn't heard in so long, and noticed that everyone else was too. Just as he was beginning to answer the young Brandybuck awoke and found himself in the same state as Poppy was, hot and cold at the same time.
"I am Gandalf the White, and I'm here to help you. I believe you ha" he started but before he finished the Took had another question. "How are you Gandalf, when Gandalf left with Cousin Frodo years ago?" she asked. "I am Gandalf, I came back from the Havens with Frodo, and this is Legolas and Gimli, we are here to help you for I fear you ha" he didn't get to finish yet again, this time it was the young Brandybuck lad asking "Frodo's here? How did you get back? Is this a horrible joke?" "I think it is." Poppy said as she began to yawn hugely.
"Hush!" Gandalf ordered the pair, and they immediately were silent. Frodo smiled at the way he was still able to command a Took and Brandybuck pair. Poppy started to cry, thinking she had done something wrong. Gandalf knew now that there were yet another Pippin and Merry pair and for a second felt sorry for all the farmers and all the people that got in the way of these two. Then he noticed that the littlest was crying and cradled her close. "Hush little ones," he said calmly. "Can you tell me what your names are?" "Meriadoc Brandybuck, and I guess I'm the second one, you know my father." Merry said. "P-Poppy Took" Poppy said, still stuttering a little from her tears. " And my da is Peregrin Took, he's the Thain now, and I think you know who he is but I feel bad and I don't know."
Gandalf told them both that he did know who they were and that they would be safe. "You both have fevers." He said gently. "We'll help you, but now you must sleep, you are safe, don't worry." Gandalf slowly rocked the two to sleep as if they were babies and heard soft snoring coming from the bundle that was Merry. He thought he had Poppy to sleep when felt her shift and look up at him with her huge green eyes. "Gandalf?" She asked. "Yes Poppy?" Gandalf wondered what could be troubling the little one now. "Don't tell Sam that we came this far, or that we were lost, or that we got into your wagon without asking, or that, or anything." She said quickly. Gandalf smiled, "Don't worry, I'll make you two sound like angels when we bring you back to Sam."
