Chapter 6
Pipeweed
A/N: I wanted to thank everybody that reviewed this story so far.they really mean a lot to me. Is Merry 7 or 8 years older than Pippin? I was just taking an estimated guess.if he is than I apologize for my mistake *blushes* I'm not sure if Tolkien actually says how much older Merry is but hey.maybe I missed that. Oh well. Anyway.you can only guess where this chapter is going! ;) I just wanted to make another note: I start college on September 3rd so I'll have very limited time on the internet, unless it involves school-related stuff, so if I go for long periods w/o updating that's why. School comes first after all! ( Again.thanks for reviewing & keep them coming along!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(One year later)
One particularly dull afternoon at Brandy Hall, Merry sat in the enormous parlor gazing out at the rain that splattered against the window. Merimas was telling Mellilot a rediculous story about his first "outing" with Belinda Proudfoot. Personally, Merry felt that watching the grass grow would be more exciting. He missed Frodo immensly-at least HE always had something interesting planned!
'Of course he's not here when I want him,' the young hobbit thought miserably as he left the room and decided to see what the rest of the household was up to. He wandered aimlessly into his father's study to find it empty, but something caught his eye: his father's pipe lay on the desk!
"Well now," Merry told himself, feeling the wheels in his mind begin to turn. If his father wasn't around then perhaps he could have a go on the pipe? "No-that's a rediculous idea!" he said. "You'll get yourself into dreadful trouble." Merry sighed and sat on the floor but his eyes never left the pipe. "Male hobbits smoke so it wouldn't be bad manners," a little voice in his head spoke. "And you'll learn eventually!" He turned the idea over quite a few times before he decided and he crawled up into his father's overstuffed armchair.
Lucky for Merry a pack of matches sat on the desk right beside the pipe so he took one and lit the end of the pipe. Smoke immediately began to billow up from the pipe as Merry stuck the long end into his mouth. The smoke, when it went into his lungs, made him gag but after the first few times he began to enjoy the feeling.
Unfortunately Esmerelda entered the study a few moments later and coughed when she found that it was filled with smoke! She saw her son who was swaying back and forth on the floor and then noticed the lit pipe on the table. "Oh Merry.you didn't." she gasped. "You wouldn't! I am going to KILL your father!" she immediately lifted the lad into her arms and put out the pipe so it wouldn't burn down the room.
"Muuuum." Merry said in a high-pitched voice as he attempted to put his arms around her. "Look at all of those pretty colors!"
Esmerelda immediately stormed out of the room and headed outside to find her husband.
"Now there are going to be two patches there that need work, but if we water everything once or twice a day we should."
"SARADOC!"
Saradoc Brandybuck stiffened at the sound of his wife's harsh voice and turned away from Rorimac.
"Y-yes dear?" he stuttered, wondering what in the name of the Shire he could have possibly done to offend her. Then he noticed Merry in her arms but that confused him even further.
"Your son was smoking your pipe in the study," Esmerelda snapped. "How many times have I told you not to leave your things out? Goodness knows how children get their hands into every little thing! Now look at him.nearly wasted because of your carlessness!"
Saradoc blushed .he felt like a child again, being scolded by his mother. "I-I'm awfully sorry about that-stupid of me."
"Wheeeeeee!" squealed Merry as he attempted to get down from his mother's arms.
"Oh no you don't!" Esmerelda warned as she steadied him.
"Oooh.Mama.there are two of you!" Merry gasped, blinking his chocolate-colored eyes.
Rorimac laughed heartily. "Merry will learn the proper way to smoke when he gets older. It takes practice."
Esmerelda glared at him. "He shouldn't have to smoke at all!" she snipped. "It isnj't good for you-yes darling, I am still here." She promised Merry who was feeling her cheek. Then she looked at her husband again. "I am going to put him into bed and hope that this hangover wears off soon. Just remember next time to either put the pipe in a drawer or up high.where he can't reach it." She headed back into the hall leaving Sardoc in complete surprise.
When she and Merry entered Merry's bedroom she put her son under the covers and pulled up a chair beside him. "Mama." Merry sobbed. "I don't feel good."
Esmerelda stroked his bangs. "You probably don't." She kissed him gently. "Now-even though your father was partially responsible for this, you should not have touched it without asking first."
"Am I in trouble?" Merry asked weakly.
Esmerelda shook her head. "Not this time Merry. But if it happens again then yes-I will have to come up with a punishment for you."
Merry was quiet for a moment. "Mama?"
"Yes dear?"
"Is it true what Uncle Rorimac said?"
"About what?"
"About being able to smoke better when I got older? All of the other men smoke.what would I look like if I couldn't?"
Esmerelda sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Merry. If you turn out like your cousin Pippin who is terribly allergic to the smoke then you may not be able to do so. That won't be the end of the world! Now try and get some sleep.if you don't feel better by luncheon then I'll bring you something small to eat in bed."
Merry smiled as his mother planted one more kiss on his cheek and left the room.
A/N: I wanted to thank everybody that reviewed this story so far.they really mean a lot to me. Is Merry 7 or 8 years older than Pippin? I was just taking an estimated guess.if he is than I apologize for my mistake *blushes* I'm not sure if Tolkien actually says how much older Merry is but hey.maybe I missed that. Oh well. Anyway.you can only guess where this chapter is going! ;) I just wanted to make another note: I start college on September 3rd so I'll have very limited time on the internet, unless it involves school-related stuff, so if I go for long periods w/o updating that's why. School comes first after all! ( Again.thanks for reviewing & keep them coming along!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(One year later)
One particularly dull afternoon at Brandy Hall, Merry sat in the enormous parlor gazing out at the rain that splattered against the window. Merimas was telling Mellilot a rediculous story about his first "outing" with Belinda Proudfoot. Personally, Merry felt that watching the grass grow would be more exciting. He missed Frodo immensly-at least HE always had something interesting planned!
'Of course he's not here when I want him,' the young hobbit thought miserably as he left the room and decided to see what the rest of the household was up to. He wandered aimlessly into his father's study to find it empty, but something caught his eye: his father's pipe lay on the desk!
"Well now," Merry told himself, feeling the wheels in his mind begin to turn. If his father wasn't around then perhaps he could have a go on the pipe? "No-that's a rediculous idea!" he said. "You'll get yourself into dreadful trouble." Merry sighed and sat on the floor but his eyes never left the pipe. "Male hobbits smoke so it wouldn't be bad manners," a little voice in his head spoke. "And you'll learn eventually!" He turned the idea over quite a few times before he decided and he crawled up into his father's overstuffed armchair.
Lucky for Merry a pack of matches sat on the desk right beside the pipe so he took one and lit the end of the pipe. Smoke immediately began to billow up from the pipe as Merry stuck the long end into his mouth. The smoke, when it went into his lungs, made him gag but after the first few times he began to enjoy the feeling.
Unfortunately Esmerelda entered the study a few moments later and coughed when she found that it was filled with smoke! She saw her son who was swaying back and forth on the floor and then noticed the lit pipe on the table. "Oh Merry.you didn't." she gasped. "You wouldn't! I am going to KILL your father!" she immediately lifted the lad into her arms and put out the pipe so it wouldn't burn down the room.
"Muuuum." Merry said in a high-pitched voice as he attempted to put his arms around her. "Look at all of those pretty colors!"
Esmerelda immediately stormed out of the room and headed outside to find her husband.
"Now there are going to be two patches there that need work, but if we water everything once or twice a day we should."
"SARADOC!"
Saradoc Brandybuck stiffened at the sound of his wife's harsh voice and turned away from Rorimac.
"Y-yes dear?" he stuttered, wondering what in the name of the Shire he could have possibly done to offend her. Then he noticed Merry in her arms but that confused him even further.
"Your son was smoking your pipe in the study," Esmerelda snapped. "How many times have I told you not to leave your things out? Goodness knows how children get their hands into every little thing! Now look at him.nearly wasted because of your carlessness!"
Saradoc blushed .he felt like a child again, being scolded by his mother. "I-I'm awfully sorry about that-stupid of me."
"Wheeeeeee!" squealed Merry as he attempted to get down from his mother's arms.
"Oh no you don't!" Esmerelda warned as she steadied him.
"Oooh.Mama.there are two of you!" Merry gasped, blinking his chocolate-colored eyes.
Rorimac laughed heartily. "Merry will learn the proper way to smoke when he gets older. It takes practice."
Esmerelda glared at him. "He shouldn't have to smoke at all!" she snipped. "It isnj't good for you-yes darling, I am still here." She promised Merry who was feeling her cheek. Then she looked at her husband again. "I am going to put him into bed and hope that this hangover wears off soon. Just remember next time to either put the pipe in a drawer or up high.where he can't reach it." She headed back into the hall leaving Sardoc in complete surprise.
When she and Merry entered Merry's bedroom she put her son under the covers and pulled up a chair beside him. "Mama." Merry sobbed. "I don't feel good."
Esmerelda stroked his bangs. "You probably don't." She kissed him gently. "Now-even though your father was partially responsible for this, you should not have touched it without asking first."
"Am I in trouble?" Merry asked weakly.
Esmerelda shook her head. "Not this time Merry. But if it happens again then yes-I will have to come up with a punishment for you."
Merry was quiet for a moment. "Mama?"
"Yes dear?"
"Is it true what Uncle Rorimac said?"
"About what?"
"About being able to smoke better when I got older? All of the other men smoke.what would I look like if I couldn't?"
Esmerelda sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Merry. If you turn out like your cousin Pippin who is terribly allergic to the smoke then you may not be able to do so. That won't be the end of the world! Now try and get some sleep.if you don't feel better by luncheon then I'll bring you something small to eat in bed."
Merry smiled as his mother planted one more kiss on his cheek and left the room.
