Aelfgifu: Ha - ha! You know I won't kill Frodo. How right you are! And I
made Pippin this evil because I felt tempted by some of the last reviews. I
had written a bit before reading them but changed it completely. That
really proves how nice it is to get your story reviewed! And - oh! I would
LOVE to see Frodo in the bath scene. I'm looking forward to them.
Alisaundre: Pact? Hmm..
Endymion: Goodness! Apologize? But what's that for? No, no. I'm honestly glad to get any kinds of review. You see, my job is writing course books, so being criticized, in any forms, is my daily thing. About the wargs, actually I did some research in the Internet and found out that they come in the form of dog/wolf. So, that's not purely my idea. Mm, I kinda forgot to mention the orcs. But I will this chapter. Thanks. And I wouldn't say anything about Frodo's salvation if I were you. :D Tus too soon, although I am nearing the end of the story, too. Another Frodo story? I would love to do that!
Krista: LOL. Wolves killing each other will be better! And sadly, I will have to finish the story some time. Probably a sequel, as someone mentioned before, is not a bad idea.
John Lennon Across the Universe: Jessica, I read your essay on LOTR at frodand sam.net. Very interesting. I have to admit that although people know I love the movie very much, I wouldn't dare to openly talk about it. And strange but I think I can feel what you felt when your grandma gave a comment on Lij. I will usually feel relieved when people give good comments on something/one I like. Did you feel that too?
Oddwen: John Rhys as Denethor?
Warning: AU, angst
Chapter 42
One of the men nodded to Merry. The hobbit looked doubtful. He didn't say anything. Instead, he reached for Pippin's shoulder.
"Pip, where is Frodo?" whispered Merry. Pippin froze. It shouldn't have worked this way. Merry couldn't have asked HIM. He should find Frodo himself or not find the hobbit at all. Pippin couldn't say anything about his own bad deed, for sure!
So, he kept quiet, even when Merry reluctantly drew back and three or four men stepped forward and snatched Pip's arms. The young hobbit squeaked and protested confusedly when a man secured his wrists behind his back with a length of rope.
"Mer - r - ry?" Pip went back to his old self once more.
"Ssh!" Merry snapped irritatedly. "I promised them something. They are supposed to get Frodo. But instead, you came out alone. They don't want to wait any longer."
The men continued tying Pippin up, not paying attention to Merry at all. Pip's heart sank. What actually had happened here?
Looking at his cousin's eyes, Merry couldn't help feeling pity. Pip deserved at least a little information. Merry sighed heavily.
"Relax, Pip," he whispered in Pippin's ear. "This is just for a while, you know, until Frodo returns. They will take him then."
To be taken, even just for a short time, by these ruthless, big people didn't seem to be appealing for little Pippin. He thrashed forcefully, enraging many who got a hold on him.
"Frodo!" he wailed. "Frodo is at the river!"
Then his eyes went wide at a sudden realization.
"But he is - he is dead!" his voice croaked.
Dead! Merry gulped hard. He grabbed Pippin's jaw.
"Is that right?! Where? How?"
"He - he was drowned!" Pippin trembled violently. He started to regret what he had done. Because of his senseless outburst, he had put himself in a terrible situation. His mind went wild. What did men usually 'do' to their captives?
Merry couldn't believe his ears. His precious jewel - drowned! No, not Frodo. He was like a fish in the water. He couldn't have drowned himself.
"How could this happen, Pip?" He tightened his hand against the jaw. He felt enraged. This would definitely ruin his whole plan. Frodo was his key. Merry wasn't sure everything would go smoothly without the hobbit, who was such a dear to everyone.
"I - " Merry touched a man's elbow. "This is not the one I mean, dear sir. He is still at the river. But we must go quickly!"
Without waiting for an answer, he stormed away toward the river. His eyes swept along the surface and finally spotted a form floating a bit too far in the middle. Quickly Merry put off his shirt and coat, and jumped into the water. He grabbed Frodo's body and dragged it to the riverside. It was not too difficult as Frodo was not in his complete clothes and besides, he was awfully thin to begin with.
Merry pulled him until they came to dry land, turned him over. Frodo looked terrible. He had turned bluish. There was a bruise on his chin where he had hit himself and on the shoulder where Pippin had gripped him. Merry could also see a trace of - blood? - on one of the corners of Frodo's pale lips. Groggily he bent down to Frodo's chest.
Nothing. He couldn't feel any movement, pulse, or anything that could be the sign that Frodo was still alive. Frustrated, Merry slammed his fist sideway to Frodo's chest.
"No!" he cried desperately. "You can't die now, Frodo! You're far too important to me. You must wake up! Wake up and tell me who did this to you. Was it Pippin? Was it Pippin, Frodo!?"
He shook his cousin on the shoulders like a mad man. And worse, he was expecting to hear answers for his questions!
Frodo! Merry gasped suddenly. Why all this madness? Why did everything have to end this way? For a moment, everything that had clouded his brain for some time was swept away. Merry was 'Merry' again. And this 'Merry' could only stare blankly at the frozen body in front of him. Why he ever came to this place was not even registered by his mind. A tear slipped gracefully down his cheek and stooped once more, scooping Frodo's face in his hands and gently kissing Frodo on his brow and both of his cheeks.
They felt dreadfully cold.
The Brandibuck was totally drowned in his misery. He still thought that Frodo was his dearest cousin - until he heard noisy steps approaching. Those men - and Pippin!
His blood felt like boiling again. He had decided, once he laid down his eyes on this younger cousin, to still have Pippin kept by the big people, even if Frodo turned to be alive.
Merry silently defended himself that none of these was his idea - turning over one of his cousins to the big people. He had to do something when he had been suddenly captured.
/flashback/
"Let me go!" he thrashed fiercely when two men got a grip on his arms. Yet all he got was only pain, as they would not release him.
"Aahhh!" Merry screamed when the men pulled him tight to two directions, left and right. Not being able to do anything with the upper part of his body, Merry turned his struggle to his legs. Now he strove to kick the men ton his sides, front, and back. His struggle seemed to work as he heard some of them groan in pain.
Huh! No one should take his sturdy and strong feet lightly. Indeed they didn't, as one of them, supposedly the leader, stomped hard on Merry's right foot. His hairy feet might be tough bit they didn't match with the man's booted one. Merry howled again, more loudly this time, only to be silenced at once by a stinging slap across the face. That subsided his fight altogether. He felt his eyes warm with tears. The man bent down and took Merry's curls. He whimpered.
"We are sent from Isengard," said the man in a harsh tone. "Three men had left far earlier than us but they failed. Our lord doesn't want to risk any more failure, so here we are, men and those creatures!"
He yanked Merry's head to the opposite direction, making some bones go cracking. If that hurt Merry, it would mean nothing compared to the horrible sight before his eyes. Hundreds of four-legged animals and their riders, none less frightening.
"There are only few of us, men. The rest are these wargs and orcs. They are the one who will fight if necessary. We men are just dealing with tactics."
The man was suddenly laughing, shocking Merry to death. He tried to squirm free.
A hot sensation suddenly came from his pocket. The ring! Merry soon forgot his fear.
"Why did you tell me all this? What is it that your lord wants?" he talked back.
The man told Merry, who knew the answers immediately, Frodo and the ring. He cleared his throat.
"What then, do you want to offer as a trade?" he asked calmly. The men's leader's brow creased deeply, surprised at Merry's sudden braveness.
"Offer?" his voice thundered. "I won't give any offer. I will take what I'm ordered to take, even if it is you."
"Ah," Merry breathed. His unfavorable condition gave a little effect to him, if not none. "But I'm not the one you're looking for." The man was stunned briefly, but then he nodded in agreement.
"What will you do for me if I show you the correct hobbit?" asked Merry.
"What?"
"Hobbit. You men usually call us halflings."
The men nodded again. He felt something was going wrong but he couldn't tell. It was as if his mind had gone dull. Shouldn't he be the one who threatened and scared this little creature off so he would spill out any information the man needed?
"What do you want?" asked the man as though he were under a spell. Merry smiled victoriously.
"I want you to help me. Come with me and do what I tell you to."
"And we will get the halfling?" Merry tugged at his arms and surprisingly the men let them go just like that.
"Yes, you will get him-" Merry looked hesitant at first. "Until - no. You will get the halfling," he promised eventually.
/flashback/
Now those people, who had mistakenly captured Pippin, looked down gravely at the paled form lying on the shore in front of Merry.
"Is that the halfling we looked for?" asked the leader icily.
Merry gazed up, streaks of tears still visible on his cheeks.
"He - he is! But he is gone now. Oh, I don't know what I should do!" Merry hit Frodo's chest again and again. He was stopped suddenly, his hand held by the man.
"No, that's not how it works. Here, you have to do this." The man put his hands, palm down, on the stiff hobbit's chest, and started to pump softly. "All right? But it's you who have to do this. My hands are too big. I can break his bones."
Sobbing silently, Merry replaced the man's hands and started to do the same.
TBC
Alisaundre: Pact? Hmm..
Endymion: Goodness! Apologize? But what's that for? No, no. I'm honestly glad to get any kinds of review. You see, my job is writing course books, so being criticized, in any forms, is my daily thing. About the wargs, actually I did some research in the Internet and found out that they come in the form of dog/wolf. So, that's not purely my idea. Mm, I kinda forgot to mention the orcs. But I will this chapter. Thanks. And I wouldn't say anything about Frodo's salvation if I were you. :D Tus too soon, although I am nearing the end of the story, too. Another Frodo story? I would love to do that!
Krista: LOL. Wolves killing each other will be better! And sadly, I will have to finish the story some time. Probably a sequel, as someone mentioned before, is not a bad idea.
John Lennon Across the Universe: Jessica, I read your essay on LOTR at frodand sam.net. Very interesting. I have to admit that although people know I love the movie very much, I wouldn't dare to openly talk about it. And strange but I think I can feel what you felt when your grandma gave a comment on Lij. I will usually feel relieved when people give good comments on something/one I like. Did you feel that too?
Oddwen: John Rhys as Denethor?
Warning: AU, angst
Chapter 42
One of the men nodded to Merry. The hobbit looked doubtful. He didn't say anything. Instead, he reached for Pippin's shoulder.
"Pip, where is Frodo?" whispered Merry. Pippin froze. It shouldn't have worked this way. Merry couldn't have asked HIM. He should find Frodo himself or not find the hobbit at all. Pippin couldn't say anything about his own bad deed, for sure!
So, he kept quiet, even when Merry reluctantly drew back and three or four men stepped forward and snatched Pip's arms. The young hobbit squeaked and protested confusedly when a man secured his wrists behind his back with a length of rope.
"Mer - r - ry?" Pip went back to his old self once more.
"Ssh!" Merry snapped irritatedly. "I promised them something. They are supposed to get Frodo. But instead, you came out alone. They don't want to wait any longer."
The men continued tying Pippin up, not paying attention to Merry at all. Pip's heart sank. What actually had happened here?
Looking at his cousin's eyes, Merry couldn't help feeling pity. Pip deserved at least a little information. Merry sighed heavily.
"Relax, Pip," he whispered in Pippin's ear. "This is just for a while, you know, until Frodo returns. They will take him then."
To be taken, even just for a short time, by these ruthless, big people didn't seem to be appealing for little Pippin. He thrashed forcefully, enraging many who got a hold on him.
"Frodo!" he wailed. "Frodo is at the river!"
Then his eyes went wide at a sudden realization.
"But he is - he is dead!" his voice croaked.
Dead! Merry gulped hard. He grabbed Pippin's jaw.
"Is that right?! Where? How?"
"He - he was drowned!" Pippin trembled violently. He started to regret what he had done. Because of his senseless outburst, he had put himself in a terrible situation. His mind went wild. What did men usually 'do' to their captives?
Merry couldn't believe his ears. His precious jewel - drowned! No, not Frodo. He was like a fish in the water. He couldn't have drowned himself.
"How could this happen, Pip?" He tightened his hand against the jaw. He felt enraged. This would definitely ruin his whole plan. Frodo was his key. Merry wasn't sure everything would go smoothly without the hobbit, who was such a dear to everyone.
"I - " Merry touched a man's elbow. "This is not the one I mean, dear sir. He is still at the river. But we must go quickly!"
Without waiting for an answer, he stormed away toward the river. His eyes swept along the surface and finally spotted a form floating a bit too far in the middle. Quickly Merry put off his shirt and coat, and jumped into the water. He grabbed Frodo's body and dragged it to the riverside. It was not too difficult as Frodo was not in his complete clothes and besides, he was awfully thin to begin with.
Merry pulled him until they came to dry land, turned him over. Frodo looked terrible. He had turned bluish. There was a bruise on his chin where he had hit himself and on the shoulder where Pippin had gripped him. Merry could also see a trace of - blood? - on one of the corners of Frodo's pale lips. Groggily he bent down to Frodo's chest.
Nothing. He couldn't feel any movement, pulse, or anything that could be the sign that Frodo was still alive. Frustrated, Merry slammed his fist sideway to Frodo's chest.
"No!" he cried desperately. "You can't die now, Frodo! You're far too important to me. You must wake up! Wake up and tell me who did this to you. Was it Pippin? Was it Pippin, Frodo!?"
He shook his cousin on the shoulders like a mad man. And worse, he was expecting to hear answers for his questions!
Frodo! Merry gasped suddenly. Why all this madness? Why did everything have to end this way? For a moment, everything that had clouded his brain for some time was swept away. Merry was 'Merry' again. And this 'Merry' could only stare blankly at the frozen body in front of him. Why he ever came to this place was not even registered by his mind. A tear slipped gracefully down his cheek and stooped once more, scooping Frodo's face in his hands and gently kissing Frodo on his brow and both of his cheeks.
They felt dreadfully cold.
The Brandibuck was totally drowned in his misery. He still thought that Frodo was his dearest cousin - until he heard noisy steps approaching. Those men - and Pippin!
His blood felt like boiling again. He had decided, once he laid down his eyes on this younger cousin, to still have Pippin kept by the big people, even if Frodo turned to be alive.
Merry silently defended himself that none of these was his idea - turning over one of his cousins to the big people. He had to do something when he had been suddenly captured.
/flashback/
"Let me go!" he thrashed fiercely when two men got a grip on his arms. Yet all he got was only pain, as they would not release him.
"Aahhh!" Merry screamed when the men pulled him tight to two directions, left and right. Not being able to do anything with the upper part of his body, Merry turned his struggle to his legs. Now he strove to kick the men ton his sides, front, and back. His struggle seemed to work as he heard some of them groan in pain.
Huh! No one should take his sturdy and strong feet lightly. Indeed they didn't, as one of them, supposedly the leader, stomped hard on Merry's right foot. His hairy feet might be tough bit they didn't match with the man's booted one. Merry howled again, more loudly this time, only to be silenced at once by a stinging slap across the face. That subsided his fight altogether. He felt his eyes warm with tears. The man bent down and took Merry's curls. He whimpered.
"We are sent from Isengard," said the man in a harsh tone. "Three men had left far earlier than us but they failed. Our lord doesn't want to risk any more failure, so here we are, men and those creatures!"
He yanked Merry's head to the opposite direction, making some bones go cracking. If that hurt Merry, it would mean nothing compared to the horrible sight before his eyes. Hundreds of four-legged animals and their riders, none less frightening.
"There are only few of us, men. The rest are these wargs and orcs. They are the one who will fight if necessary. We men are just dealing with tactics."
The man was suddenly laughing, shocking Merry to death. He tried to squirm free.
A hot sensation suddenly came from his pocket. The ring! Merry soon forgot his fear.
"Why did you tell me all this? What is it that your lord wants?" he talked back.
The man told Merry, who knew the answers immediately, Frodo and the ring. He cleared his throat.
"What then, do you want to offer as a trade?" he asked calmly. The men's leader's brow creased deeply, surprised at Merry's sudden braveness.
"Offer?" his voice thundered. "I won't give any offer. I will take what I'm ordered to take, even if it is you."
"Ah," Merry breathed. His unfavorable condition gave a little effect to him, if not none. "But I'm not the one you're looking for." The man was stunned briefly, but then he nodded in agreement.
"What will you do for me if I show you the correct hobbit?" asked Merry.
"What?"
"Hobbit. You men usually call us halflings."
The men nodded again. He felt something was going wrong but he couldn't tell. It was as if his mind had gone dull. Shouldn't he be the one who threatened and scared this little creature off so he would spill out any information the man needed?
"What do you want?" asked the man as though he were under a spell. Merry smiled victoriously.
"I want you to help me. Come with me and do what I tell you to."
"And we will get the halfling?" Merry tugged at his arms and surprisingly the men let them go just like that.
"Yes, you will get him-" Merry looked hesitant at first. "Until - no. You will get the halfling," he promised eventually.
/flashback/
Now those people, who had mistakenly captured Pippin, looked down gravely at the paled form lying on the shore in front of Merry.
"Is that the halfling we looked for?" asked the leader icily.
Merry gazed up, streaks of tears still visible on his cheeks.
"He - he is! But he is gone now. Oh, I don't know what I should do!" Merry hit Frodo's chest again and again. He was stopped suddenly, his hand held by the man.
"No, that's not how it works. Here, you have to do this." The man put his hands, palm down, on the stiff hobbit's chest, and started to pump softly. "All right? But it's you who have to do this. My hands are too big. I can break his bones."
Sobbing silently, Merry replaced the man's hands and started to do the same.
TBC
