A/N: Bet you're all getting a little sick of me now, but I have a chapter
for every character of the fellowship, and the little detour I took with
Gimli added on one - but the end is in sight! Hopefully my stories aren't
getting *too* tired and boring for you.
Anyway, thankyou once again to everyone who took their time to read and review - and can I just take this moment to say: this has been one of my first ventures into multi-chaptered fics (yeah, alright, I'm cheating just a tad with having each chapter as just a scene, I admit) and the fact that ya'll were so nice and welcoming about it... and seem to get upset when the characters are blue, and happy when they're being daft... means a hell of a lot to me - there you go, that's the official end to my Oscar-winning speech of greatfulness, but I do mean it. And I hope I don't lose you on author-alert when this story's done, I want to hear from you all whenever I get my act together and venture forth into an action fic!
We shall see, but I will say this to Amorous... I know *exactly* what you mean - and it is pure coincidence, I assure you! I just can't help myself! (If you want to know what the hell we're talking about, read her last review!)
Anyway, Now a chapter from our youngest hobbit, I think... The last two chapters have been huge - so here's some short, light relief...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pippin: The Notorious Instigator ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Just because you are able to climb really high trees doesn't mean you have to show off about it, you know..."
Pippin scowled up at Legolas' distant form, his small face radiating bad- temper. Peregrin had just a moment or so earlier been stating to Gimli what a champion he was when it came to wrestling - that he was the best in all the Shire and none could beat him - and he challenged both of his cousins in turn to wrestling matches, his restless spirit getting the better of him once again.
He had been thoroughly trounced by them both - and now his pride was shattered. Consequently, he was in a foul mood.
Legolas must have seemed to him to be the easiest target to vent his frustration upon and regain some much-needed status quo at that time, for the elf hadn't taken sides during the proceedings unlike the rest of the fellowship, and had spent the time maturely thinking about deep things, probably - and checking the fletches on his arrows as he sat high up in his reatreat - the grand crown of a large sycamore tree, and didn't really know about Pip's tempest-mood. But why Peregrin would choose the one member of the company who was *guaranteed* to put up the most formidable defense in all arguments instigated against him to direct his ire at completely escaped Aragorn and Boromir, who had looked up at his angry words. Perhaps it was Legolas' shorn head? It could possibly give him a weaker-look to those who underestimated him.
In any case, the elf looked down as soon as he realised this remark had been aimed at him. "Excuse me?" he asked politely, eyes wide and annoyingly- sincere.
"Well, we all know you can climb trees better than anyone else - do you have to do it *all* the time?" Pippin's vexed tone of voice made the rest of the fellowship wonder for just a split-second if he really knew how unreasonable he was being. They all glanced at one another anxiously. ~Of course~ they realised ~he knows - but isn't about to back out now that he's started it~
Legolas merely looked at him for a quiet moment, a look of complete bemusement adorning his features, mouth open slightly as if to reply but the words never came. "I really don't know what you want me to say to that, Peregrin," he finally stated smoothly, putting down his arrows and balancing them upon the nearest fork in the branches that he nested in, and looking back at the hobbit fully, hands folded calmly in his lap.
"He wants you to yell at him and then come down and fight him - he's bored and he needs something to do," said Frodo succinctly from where he sat beside the sleeping Samwise, stroking the soft curls of Sam's unruly mop of dirty-blonde hair absently.
"I see... whatever would you want me to do that for, Pip?" asked Legolas calmly, his voice as sweet as honey, genuinely intrigued - as always - by the manner of the hobbits, and most especially this youngest one who it seemed had picked up strange habits from somewhere or other. Though the elf did have the feeling that none of the hobbits he was traveling with were by any measure ordinary.
Pippin blushed scarlet at once, and frowned even deeper, annoyed now that the whole of the company was now interested in what he had to say for himself, for they were all watching in interest - and also that Frodo knew him way too well. "It doesn't matter - stop being so... I think - you... you know... it - I... It doesn't matter!" he cried eventually with an angry shake of his head. "I am not an instigator!"
Frodo raised a dark brow, a look of amused-disbelief evident in his large blue eyes, "Peregrin, you know full well that you are a notorious instigator in Hobbiton. Legolas," he implored suddenly to the curious prince, "he's lying."
The youngest hobbit, the subject of the conversation, spluttered with ire, and threw dagger eyes at the elf, convinced this unfortunate turn of events was all the warrior's fault.
Legolas shrugged at the look, as though not all that concerned really, and lay back comfortably against the bough he was sitting upon, making Aragorn grin and shake his shaggy head. The elf was acting in that infuriatingly calm manner he did when he knew the mortal he was dealing with was just being irritable and intentionally difficult, and once he knew it was nothing serious, the elf would endure with this act it for a very *very* long time, until the mortal had calmed himself down a bit - the ranger had faced this behaviour many a time in the past, and knew just how much it frustrated those not blessed with Elven patience.
The annoyed halfling was silent for a moment, scowling darkly at his own large, hairy feet, trying to think of someone who would lose their rag and get angry easily... it seemed he had underestimated that wily elf. ~But he'll crack some time~ he thought sneakily ~he must do...~ Plans were already beginning to form in his quick little mind of how he would reduce the elf to box his ears. But for now, he had to find someone else.
Obviously, Merry and Frodo were out of the question - they had just beaten him, and he knew he could not take on the pair of them together without a disadvantage on their side... that was just one of the many problems with being the youngest relation. He looked to Boromir, who was lying on the ground, leaning against the wide base of the tree Legolas was currently up, and was therefore the second easiest and closest victim. But the Gondorimm, now quick in the ways of Peregrin Took, just raised a long finger and waved it at him with a shake of his head. "Nay, I am not the one you want," he said assuredly. His golden-brown eyes glinted then with a sudden mischief as a thought occurred to him, and he nodded his head slowly and extremely obviously in the direction of Aragorn, who was in the middle of scraping clots of mud off his worn-in leather boots with one of his knives, trying to make them look at least half-decent again. The look on Boromir's face plainly screamed, 'The *ruffian* is the one you are wanting' to Pip.
Pippin grinned wickedly and nodded back, his dark mood seemingly to have receeded dramatically as the once-pissy point-scoring turned into much more of a fun game. He cleared his throat, and tossed a well-honed - and might he say, rather witty - comment by way of the ranger, "Don't you ever wash your clothes, Strider? I mean, if I hadn't have actually *witnessed* you doing so, I would think that you never bathed yourself, even."
But, as with Legolas, the wise northerner just flat-out refused to be baited, didn't even look up, just carried on scraping his boots - however, a wide and amused smile did appear on his stubbled face. But other than that, he made no sign that he had heard the auburn-topped halfling at all - and Pippin's irritation grew to a broil again. ~Why do they all have to be so damn mature?~ He'd *seen* Aragorn lose his temper with Legolas many a time, why did it not work on him? He was *far* more annoying than Legolas could ever hope to be.
~I'm losing my touch~ Pip thought mournfully, and that thought panicked him somewhat.
He squared his shoulders, determined to get a reaction from someone, and turned his mind to Gimli. He didn't really want to be forced to do this - Gimli was becoming a great friend to him, as all the fellowship were, but the dwarf in particular stood up for him in times of need when the rest of them ganged up - on the other hand, desperate times call for desperate measures. He now called out at the dwarf, who was sat on a small slab of rock, chin resting on the upturned shaft of his largest axe, and very nearly succeeded in his task. "Gimli, I was wondering, why *did* you cut off all Legolas' hair."
The dwarf froze, as did the rest of the fellowship - Legolas' cheeks and ears pinkened slightly before he returned his attention with a regal sniff back to his arrows, as if he hadn't heard anything, but Gimli flushed bright red and cleared his throat, averting his eyes away from everyone's stare - and three wide, identical grins formed on the faces of Aragorn, Merry and Boromir as their eyes lighted with mischievious amusement. All knew how much the moment of weakness still niggled at the dwarf's mind - and how bitter Legolas really was under all that maturity and higher-path rubbish.
"I mean," Pippin continued digging; he was getting somewhere, "It seems to me to be a rather foolish thing to do - *especially* for a *dwarf*."
He held his breath, waiting for the outcome - he might get beaten into the ground but, oh my, would it be funny. But he noted after a moment that none had come. Peregrin, his older cousin and the two distracted men all waited patiently for some sort of fireworks display, some entertainment at last, but none arrived! How very disappointing!
The rusty-headed dwarf just turned his head slowly, fiery-beard twitching, and fixed Pip with dark, and yet frustratingly good-natured, eyes and then proceeded to pointedly ignore him, turning back to his own thoughts and leaving the hobbit with nothing! No reward at all! The Took breathed out an angry sigh and, deciding to disregard the snickers coming from the annoying elf in the tree above him, went back to brooding. All that work had been for nothing - he could have had a heart-attack with the tension of it all, and still not get what he deserved!
~Hang about~ he thought suddenly, and an idea sprung to him. He turned straight away to Gandalf, mouth open to remark upon something, anything he could find - for Mithrandir was the one person *sure* to be vexed by anything that particular halfling did or said - but he found with surprise that the wizard was already looking at him, eyebrows raised and arms folded, waiting for him. His deep blue eyes were fierce and had that dangerous look of a person not to be messed with, by anyone.
And so, by complete coincidence, Pippin decided to *not* go down that particular road just at the last possible moment. ~And a good job, too~ he thought in retrospect ~Gandalf would have me on the ground and turned into something unnatural long before you gould say Bobs-your-uncle, Fanny's-your- aunt.... could have been dangerous~ So he looked to his feet again, as if they might have the answers writen upon them.
Sam.
Pippin's head snapped up immediately ~Of course!~ Samwise Gamgee was a brilliant victim for pranks; for the humble halfling would never strike out physically at you, but would just get madder and madder, the redness in his tanned cheeks growing, until the source of annoyance left him and he could vent his anger onto an innanimate object. Usually his weeds. And so, slightly amazed by his own ingenius, Pippin got up, and sidled casually over to the sleeping hobbit.
As he neared, however, one fatal flaw in his plan made itself known at once... Frodo.
The gentlehobbit glared up at him as soon as the cousin was within smacking- distance of his slumbering garderner. One slender hand curled protectively about Sam's blonde head as the Baggins stared daringly up at at Pip, large eyes ice-cold and fearsome as his dark brows drew down in instinctive aggression. Peregrin immediately considered re-thinking his original idea - for he knew how fast Frodo was, and was well acquainted with his elder cousin's effective forms of punishment. He backsped quickly and hovered just out of reach, pondering mildly the fact that Frodo was usually had such polite manners, was soft-spoken and kind, until he came into contact with either himself or Merry - and also, howe frightening the thin hobbit could make himself look when he wished to.
"I am warning you, Peregrin Took, come near him and I'll..." Frodo trailed off, trying to speak his thoughts on this matter eloquently enough for his blockheaded relative to understand. "You see this foot?" he suddenly asked, indicating said appendage, "You *know* as well as I that it has the ability to land you into next Tuesday if applied with the proper amount of force, so be warned."
Pip gulped. ~Eeeep~ he thought, but he was too far gone, now - there would be no saving him, he had to do what he had to do. He wondered vaguely whether he had a will. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Merry put his head into both hands in pity, but he decided to ignore this slightly foreboding gesture. "Me? I'm not doing anything," he protested shrilly as he edged closer, voice betraying his nervousness.
"This is bad, right?" whispered Aragorn anxiously to Meriadoc as Frodo's eyes narrowed dangerously once more at Pip's innocent words. Boromir also leaned in, wishing to know whether any of his fellows would be harmed *too* seriously.
"Oh, yeah," said the young Brandybuck softly, eyes never straying from his three friends, lifting his chestnut head out of his hands to nod slowly, "This is bad." And the two men turned back to the unwinding drama, anxiety and excitement coursing through them.
There was a stand-off going on between the halflings. Pippin glanced up into the branches of the sycamore - Legolas usually prevented much damage being done to him in such situations, and the Took had gotten used to having his Elven-bodyguard, whatever he said otherwise. But the prince was conveniently looking in the other direction to the proceedings, and Pip's eyes, seeing this, narrowed with suspicion - it was very coincidential that while everyone else was watching what was happening, the one person who would even think about saving him was looking the *other* way! Mayhap he had underestimated Legolas even furthur, and the elf *did* take revenge when it suited him. ~Damn that misleading haircut of his!~ he thought wildly, desperate to blame a being other than himself.
And so, knowing full well that he was all alone with no support, Peregrin nevertheless set out bravely to do what he had intended, and he took another, faltering step forwards, sighing deeply at the bleakness of it all.
Frodo's eyes gleamed, mildly astounded that his cousin was even tempting this fate. "Don't do it, Pip - you know you'll regret it."
Oh, Pippin knew, he knew that all too well. The young halfling gulped and wiped his hand across his sweating brow - the jeopardy getting a bit too much for him all of a sudden. And decided that the time was now. He looked round at the rest of the fellowship, who were all leaning forward slightly where they sat, eyes round as dishplates. He then looked back at Samwise, paused and took a huge breath in...
"*SAM!!!*"
The garderner jolted awake at once at Pippin's bellow, thinking that his master was in danger somehow. But Frodo was right there beside him... or not, because now he was away at the other end of the camp, chasing an auburn-coloured, wildly-laughing streak of a hobbit. Samwise felt incredibly confused, and put a hand to his head as he glanced to Aragorn, who shrugged - what in mushrooms had just happened?
The fellowship laughed loudly, none tempted to moving as muscle as Frodo caught up with his cousin, and Pippin paid dearly for his fun. Legolas even looked down from the saftey of his tree with a broad grin - leaving the Took to fight this one out on his own - it'd teach him for trying to get the better of an elf.
Or a hobbit, for that matter - because as they watched on, Frodo executing his wrath perfectly, the message was clear to all: no one should mess with a Baggins... and most especially if you messed with their garderners.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Go on, review it... you know you want to!
Anyway, thankyou once again to everyone who took their time to read and review - and can I just take this moment to say: this has been one of my first ventures into multi-chaptered fics (yeah, alright, I'm cheating just a tad with having each chapter as just a scene, I admit) and the fact that ya'll were so nice and welcoming about it... and seem to get upset when the characters are blue, and happy when they're being daft... means a hell of a lot to me - there you go, that's the official end to my Oscar-winning speech of greatfulness, but I do mean it. And I hope I don't lose you on author-alert when this story's done, I want to hear from you all whenever I get my act together and venture forth into an action fic!
We shall see, but I will say this to Amorous... I know *exactly* what you mean - and it is pure coincidence, I assure you! I just can't help myself! (If you want to know what the hell we're talking about, read her last review!)
Anyway, Now a chapter from our youngest hobbit, I think... The last two chapters have been huge - so here's some short, light relief...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pippin: The Notorious Instigator ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Just because you are able to climb really high trees doesn't mean you have to show off about it, you know..."
Pippin scowled up at Legolas' distant form, his small face radiating bad- temper. Peregrin had just a moment or so earlier been stating to Gimli what a champion he was when it came to wrestling - that he was the best in all the Shire and none could beat him - and he challenged both of his cousins in turn to wrestling matches, his restless spirit getting the better of him once again.
He had been thoroughly trounced by them both - and now his pride was shattered. Consequently, he was in a foul mood.
Legolas must have seemed to him to be the easiest target to vent his frustration upon and regain some much-needed status quo at that time, for the elf hadn't taken sides during the proceedings unlike the rest of the fellowship, and had spent the time maturely thinking about deep things, probably - and checking the fletches on his arrows as he sat high up in his reatreat - the grand crown of a large sycamore tree, and didn't really know about Pip's tempest-mood. But why Peregrin would choose the one member of the company who was *guaranteed* to put up the most formidable defense in all arguments instigated against him to direct his ire at completely escaped Aragorn and Boromir, who had looked up at his angry words. Perhaps it was Legolas' shorn head? It could possibly give him a weaker-look to those who underestimated him.
In any case, the elf looked down as soon as he realised this remark had been aimed at him. "Excuse me?" he asked politely, eyes wide and annoyingly- sincere.
"Well, we all know you can climb trees better than anyone else - do you have to do it *all* the time?" Pippin's vexed tone of voice made the rest of the fellowship wonder for just a split-second if he really knew how unreasonable he was being. They all glanced at one another anxiously. ~Of course~ they realised ~he knows - but isn't about to back out now that he's started it~
Legolas merely looked at him for a quiet moment, a look of complete bemusement adorning his features, mouth open slightly as if to reply but the words never came. "I really don't know what you want me to say to that, Peregrin," he finally stated smoothly, putting down his arrows and balancing them upon the nearest fork in the branches that he nested in, and looking back at the hobbit fully, hands folded calmly in his lap.
"He wants you to yell at him and then come down and fight him - he's bored and he needs something to do," said Frodo succinctly from where he sat beside the sleeping Samwise, stroking the soft curls of Sam's unruly mop of dirty-blonde hair absently.
"I see... whatever would you want me to do that for, Pip?" asked Legolas calmly, his voice as sweet as honey, genuinely intrigued - as always - by the manner of the hobbits, and most especially this youngest one who it seemed had picked up strange habits from somewhere or other. Though the elf did have the feeling that none of the hobbits he was traveling with were by any measure ordinary.
Pippin blushed scarlet at once, and frowned even deeper, annoyed now that the whole of the company was now interested in what he had to say for himself, for they were all watching in interest - and also that Frodo knew him way too well. "It doesn't matter - stop being so... I think - you... you know... it - I... It doesn't matter!" he cried eventually with an angry shake of his head. "I am not an instigator!"
Frodo raised a dark brow, a look of amused-disbelief evident in his large blue eyes, "Peregrin, you know full well that you are a notorious instigator in Hobbiton. Legolas," he implored suddenly to the curious prince, "he's lying."
The youngest hobbit, the subject of the conversation, spluttered with ire, and threw dagger eyes at the elf, convinced this unfortunate turn of events was all the warrior's fault.
Legolas shrugged at the look, as though not all that concerned really, and lay back comfortably against the bough he was sitting upon, making Aragorn grin and shake his shaggy head. The elf was acting in that infuriatingly calm manner he did when he knew the mortal he was dealing with was just being irritable and intentionally difficult, and once he knew it was nothing serious, the elf would endure with this act it for a very *very* long time, until the mortal had calmed himself down a bit - the ranger had faced this behaviour many a time in the past, and knew just how much it frustrated those not blessed with Elven patience.
The annoyed halfling was silent for a moment, scowling darkly at his own large, hairy feet, trying to think of someone who would lose their rag and get angry easily... it seemed he had underestimated that wily elf. ~But he'll crack some time~ he thought sneakily ~he must do...~ Plans were already beginning to form in his quick little mind of how he would reduce the elf to box his ears. But for now, he had to find someone else.
Obviously, Merry and Frodo were out of the question - they had just beaten him, and he knew he could not take on the pair of them together without a disadvantage on their side... that was just one of the many problems with being the youngest relation. He looked to Boromir, who was lying on the ground, leaning against the wide base of the tree Legolas was currently up, and was therefore the second easiest and closest victim. But the Gondorimm, now quick in the ways of Peregrin Took, just raised a long finger and waved it at him with a shake of his head. "Nay, I am not the one you want," he said assuredly. His golden-brown eyes glinted then with a sudden mischief as a thought occurred to him, and he nodded his head slowly and extremely obviously in the direction of Aragorn, who was in the middle of scraping clots of mud off his worn-in leather boots with one of his knives, trying to make them look at least half-decent again. The look on Boromir's face plainly screamed, 'The *ruffian* is the one you are wanting' to Pip.
Pippin grinned wickedly and nodded back, his dark mood seemingly to have receeded dramatically as the once-pissy point-scoring turned into much more of a fun game. He cleared his throat, and tossed a well-honed - and might he say, rather witty - comment by way of the ranger, "Don't you ever wash your clothes, Strider? I mean, if I hadn't have actually *witnessed* you doing so, I would think that you never bathed yourself, even."
But, as with Legolas, the wise northerner just flat-out refused to be baited, didn't even look up, just carried on scraping his boots - however, a wide and amused smile did appear on his stubbled face. But other than that, he made no sign that he had heard the auburn-topped halfling at all - and Pippin's irritation grew to a broil again. ~Why do they all have to be so damn mature?~ He'd *seen* Aragorn lose his temper with Legolas many a time, why did it not work on him? He was *far* more annoying than Legolas could ever hope to be.
~I'm losing my touch~ Pip thought mournfully, and that thought panicked him somewhat.
He squared his shoulders, determined to get a reaction from someone, and turned his mind to Gimli. He didn't really want to be forced to do this - Gimli was becoming a great friend to him, as all the fellowship were, but the dwarf in particular stood up for him in times of need when the rest of them ganged up - on the other hand, desperate times call for desperate measures. He now called out at the dwarf, who was sat on a small slab of rock, chin resting on the upturned shaft of his largest axe, and very nearly succeeded in his task. "Gimli, I was wondering, why *did* you cut off all Legolas' hair."
The dwarf froze, as did the rest of the fellowship - Legolas' cheeks and ears pinkened slightly before he returned his attention with a regal sniff back to his arrows, as if he hadn't heard anything, but Gimli flushed bright red and cleared his throat, averting his eyes away from everyone's stare - and three wide, identical grins formed on the faces of Aragorn, Merry and Boromir as their eyes lighted with mischievious amusement. All knew how much the moment of weakness still niggled at the dwarf's mind - and how bitter Legolas really was under all that maturity and higher-path rubbish.
"I mean," Pippin continued digging; he was getting somewhere, "It seems to me to be a rather foolish thing to do - *especially* for a *dwarf*."
He held his breath, waiting for the outcome - he might get beaten into the ground but, oh my, would it be funny. But he noted after a moment that none had come. Peregrin, his older cousin and the two distracted men all waited patiently for some sort of fireworks display, some entertainment at last, but none arrived! How very disappointing!
The rusty-headed dwarf just turned his head slowly, fiery-beard twitching, and fixed Pip with dark, and yet frustratingly good-natured, eyes and then proceeded to pointedly ignore him, turning back to his own thoughts and leaving the hobbit with nothing! No reward at all! The Took breathed out an angry sigh and, deciding to disregard the snickers coming from the annoying elf in the tree above him, went back to brooding. All that work had been for nothing - he could have had a heart-attack with the tension of it all, and still not get what he deserved!
~Hang about~ he thought suddenly, and an idea sprung to him. He turned straight away to Gandalf, mouth open to remark upon something, anything he could find - for Mithrandir was the one person *sure* to be vexed by anything that particular halfling did or said - but he found with surprise that the wizard was already looking at him, eyebrows raised and arms folded, waiting for him. His deep blue eyes were fierce and had that dangerous look of a person not to be messed with, by anyone.
And so, by complete coincidence, Pippin decided to *not* go down that particular road just at the last possible moment. ~And a good job, too~ he thought in retrospect ~Gandalf would have me on the ground and turned into something unnatural long before you gould say Bobs-your-uncle, Fanny's-your- aunt.... could have been dangerous~ So he looked to his feet again, as if they might have the answers writen upon them.
Sam.
Pippin's head snapped up immediately ~Of course!~ Samwise Gamgee was a brilliant victim for pranks; for the humble halfling would never strike out physically at you, but would just get madder and madder, the redness in his tanned cheeks growing, until the source of annoyance left him and he could vent his anger onto an innanimate object. Usually his weeds. And so, slightly amazed by his own ingenius, Pippin got up, and sidled casually over to the sleeping hobbit.
As he neared, however, one fatal flaw in his plan made itself known at once... Frodo.
The gentlehobbit glared up at him as soon as the cousin was within smacking- distance of his slumbering garderner. One slender hand curled protectively about Sam's blonde head as the Baggins stared daringly up at at Pip, large eyes ice-cold and fearsome as his dark brows drew down in instinctive aggression. Peregrin immediately considered re-thinking his original idea - for he knew how fast Frodo was, and was well acquainted with his elder cousin's effective forms of punishment. He backsped quickly and hovered just out of reach, pondering mildly the fact that Frodo was usually had such polite manners, was soft-spoken and kind, until he came into contact with either himself or Merry - and also, howe frightening the thin hobbit could make himself look when he wished to.
"I am warning you, Peregrin Took, come near him and I'll..." Frodo trailed off, trying to speak his thoughts on this matter eloquently enough for his blockheaded relative to understand. "You see this foot?" he suddenly asked, indicating said appendage, "You *know* as well as I that it has the ability to land you into next Tuesday if applied with the proper amount of force, so be warned."
Pip gulped. ~Eeeep~ he thought, but he was too far gone, now - there would be no saving him, he had to do what he had to do. He wondered vaguely whether he had a will. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Merry put his head into both hands in pity, but he decided to ignore this slightly foreboding gesture. "Me? I'm not doing anything," he protested shrilly as he edged closer, voice betraying his nervousness.
"This is bad, right?" whispered Aragorn anxiously to Meriadoc as Frodo's eyes narrowed dangerously once more at Pip's innocent words. Boromir also leaned in, wishing to know whether any of his fellows would be harmed *too* seriously.
"Oh, yeah," said the young Brandybuck softly, eyes never straying from his three friends, lifting his chestnut head out of his hands to nod slowly, "This is bad." And the two men turned back to the unwinding drama, anxiety and excitement coursing through them.
There was a stand-off going on between the halflings. Pippin glanced up into the branches of the sycamore - Legolas usually prevented much damage being done to him in such situations, and the Took had gotten used to having his Elven-bodyguard, whatever he said otherwise. But the prince was conveniently looking in the other direction to the proceedings, and Pip's eyes, seeing this, narrowed with suspicion - it was very coincidential that while everyone else was watching what was happening, the one person who would even think about saving him was looking the *other* way! Mayhap he had underestimated Legolas even furthur, and the elf *did* take revenge when it suited him. ~Damn that misleading haircut of his!~ he thought wildly, desperate to blame a being other than himself.
And so, knowing full well that he was all alone with no support, Peregrin nevertheless set out bravely to do what he had intended, and he took another, faltering step forwards, sighing deeply at the bleakness of it all.
Frodo's eyes gleamed, mildly astounded that his cousin was even tempting this fate. "Don't do it, Pip - you know you'll regret it."
Oh, Pippin knew, he knew that all too well. The young halfling gulped and wiped his hand across his sweating brow - the jeopardy getting a bit too much for him all of a sudden. And decided that the time was now. He looked round at the rest of the fellowship, who were all leaning forward slightly where they sat, eyes round as dishplates. He then looked back at Samwise, paused and took a huge breath in...
"*SAM!!!*"
The garderner jolted awake at once at Pippin's bellow, thinking that his master was in danger somehow. But Frodo was right there beside him... or not, because now he was away at the other end of the camp, chasing an auburn-coloured, wildly-laughing streak of a hobbit. Samwise felt incredibly confused, and put a hand to his head as he glanced to Aragorn, who shrugged - what in mushrooms had just happened?
The fellowship laughed loudly, none tempted to moving as muscle as Frodo caught up with his cousin, and Pippin paid dearly for his fun. Legolas even looked down from the saftey of his tree with a broad grin - leaving the Took to fight this one out on his own - it'd teach him for trying to get the better of an elf.
Or a hobbit, for that matter - because as they watched on, Frodo executing his wrath perfectly, the message was clear to all: no one should mess with a Baggins... and most especially if you messed with their garderners.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Go on, review it... you know you want to!