Like Brothers
Chapter 9
The News Spreads
Pippin lay gloomily on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, "A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and... Z," he sighed, "I'm bored." He sat up and walked down the hall to his sister Pervinca's room.
His sister sat at a desk drawing. Pippin stood on his tip toes peering at her art work. Pippin never really liked Pervinca's drawings. In his opinion they weren't very good. He always found her artwork to be... well... not art. He tilted his head to one side, studying the piece she worked on now, "What are you drawing?"
"A cat."
Pippin smiled and held in his laughter. It looked nothing like a cat, "Pervinca?"
"Yes, Pippy?"
"Can you help me with my spelling?"
"No. I'm busy."
"No you're not."
"Pippin, I'm working."
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"
"NO."
Pippin stomped his foot, "Merry would've helped me!"
"What's wrong?" asked Pimpernel who just walked into the room.
Pippin ran over to her, "Can you help me practice my spelling?"
Pimpernel shook her head, "Sorry, Pippin I have to go help Mother with laundry."
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"
"Sorry. I can't," she sighed, "Go play outside."
"What am I supposed to do by myself?"
Pimpernel didn't answer. She just walked away.
Pippin turned to Pervinca, "PLEASE!"
"No. I'm busy, Pippin."
Pippin stomped his foot again. He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. He began to walk back to his room, but he stopped. He heard voices down the hall... It was his aunt Esmeralda and uncle Saradoc, "Merry's here!" squealed Pippin. He ran down the hall singing, "Merry! Merry! Merry!"
He stopped when he saw only his aunt and uncle, both looking very upset. His uncle wore a worried expression and his aunt was in tears, while Pippin's mother tried to comfort her, "Now, now... I'm sure he's alright..."
"Where's Merry?" asked Pippin, "Aunt Esmeralda, where's Merry?"
Pippin regretted the question, for his aunt began to cry even more. Pippin turned to his father and uncle who were in a deep conversation.
"I found Strawberry just outside the smial... She looked like she had quite a scare..."
"Do you think Merry took her out?"
"Uncle Saradoc, where's Merry?"
"It couldn't have been anyone else," Saradoc paused, "So, he isn't here?"
"Who's not here? Merry?" questioned Pippin.
"I'm afraid he isn't."
"Uncle where's Merry?"
"What do you supposed happen?" asked Pippin's father.
"Not sure. Perhaps just a ride for some fresh air..."
"What has happened to Merry?!"
"How long has he been missing?"
"Since lunch... Esmeralda went to call him to eat, and we couldn't find him... went crazy, searching all over the Hall for him..."
"So it's been... five or six hours?"
"What's happened to Merry?!" he tugged on his father's shirt.
Paladin looked at him, "Go play, Pippin."
"But... I want to know what's happening!"
"Come here, Pippy," said Pearl and she took him by the hand.
"But, Pearl! I want to know what's--"
"Shhhh... I'll explain everything."
Pearl led Pippin into the dinning room and sat down with him at the table. The serious look on his face told Pippin that there was bad news... and it was about his beloved cousin... his best friend.
Pippin frowned, "Pearl? Pearl, what's happening? Has something happened to Merry? Is he all right? Pearl, where's Merry? Pearl, what has--"
"Pippin... calm down, let me explain. Now I don't know too much, but what I've come to understand is that Merry's missing. They don't know where he is."
"Maybe he's playing hide and seek."
"No, Pippy. He's not playing hide and seek."
"Where did he go?"
"They don't know. His mother and father can't find him."
"Is he OK?"
"They don't know. That's why Aunt Esmeralda is so upset. Did you see her crying?"
Pippin nodded, "She's really sad..."
"She is. She doesn't know what's happened to Merry, and she's scared."
"But... but Merry has to be all right. Pearl, Merry isn't hurt or anything... right? He's big and strong and... he's fine, Pearl... isn't he?"
"I hope so."
Pippin stood, "Let's go and look for him."
Pearl shook her head, "No, Pippy... it's not like that."
Pippin sat down again. He and his sister were silent as they each reflected on their own thoughts. "Pearl?"
"Yes, Pippin?"
"Who's going to look for him? Someone has to... If he's missing, we have to find him. Pearl, someone has to look for him."
Pearl nodded, "They'll be constructing a search party."
"When?"
"As soon as Bilbo and Odovacar Bolger come... they'll be a part of the party."
"Can I be a part of the party, too?"
"I don't think so, Pippin," she paused, "Pippin, how about you help me with dinner? I can see mother will have her hands full tonight."
Pippin nodded, "Alright."
Pearl smiled, "Go wash your hands."
**
Merry sat on the ground, he was too afraid to move, for fear he would walk in the wrong direction, and deeper into the untamed forest. What if the way he ran was the wrong way? Why had he panicked like that? Such a foolish act might've doomed him.
"What am I to do?" he asked himself, "If I move... how do I know if I'm going the right way? If I stay... will someone ever find me? Do... do they even know I'm gone?" he looked up, "It's getting a little dark..." He looked around. There were trees, trees, and more trees. It was impossible to see anything further than a few yards, and it would grow worse when night came.
Merry wanted to cry, but he tried hard not to, "You've spent enough time crying, Meriadoc," he lectured himself. He stood, "I can't stay here forever... If I walk in just one direction, then I'll be sure to reach a road sometime... right?" He paused almost as if he expected someone to answer. He took a step forward, then stepped back, "But... but how do I know I'll be walking in one direction? What if I walk in circles?" He sat down again, "I'll wait here tonight... then tomorrow... tomorrow I'll try to find my way out."
He looked around nervously, "O, please, somebody find me..." he whispered softly. He took off his vest and laid it down, resting his head on it. He lay there staring up at the sky, watching to sun slowly disappear. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
Chapter 9
The News Spreads
Pippin lay gloomily on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, "A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and... Z," he sighed, "I'm bored." He sat up and walked down the hall to his sister Pervinca's room.
His sister sat at a desk drawing. Pippin stood on his tip toes peering at her art work. Pippin never really liked Pervinca's drawings. In his opinion they weren't very good. He always found her artwork to be... well... not art. He tilted his head to one side, studying the piece she worked on now, "What are you drawing?"
"A cat."
Pippin smiled and held in his laughter. It looked nothing like a cat, "Pervinca?"
"Yes, Pippy?"
"Can you help me with my spelling?"
"No. I'm busy."
"No you're not."
"Pippin, I'm working."
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"
"NO."
Pippin stomped his foot, "Merry would've helped me!"
"What's wrong?" asked Pimpernel who just walked into the room.
Pippin ran over to her, "Can you help me practice my spelling?"
Pimpernel shook her head, "Sorry, Pippin I have to go help Mother with laundry."
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"
"Sorry. I can't," she sighed, "Go play outside."
"What am I supposed to do by myself?"
Pimpernel didn't answer. She just walked away.
Pippin turned to Pervinca, "PLEASE!"
"No. I'm busy, Pippin."
Pippin stomped his foot again. He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. He began to walk back to his room, but he stopped. He heard voices down the hall... It was his aunt Esmeralda and uncle Saradoc, "Merry's here!" squealed Pippin. He ran down the hall singing, "Merry! Merry! Merry!"
He stopped when he saw only his aunt and uncle, both looking very upset. His uncle wore a worried expression and his aunt was in tears, while Pippin's mother tried to comfort her, "Now, now... I'm sure he's alright..."
"Where's Merry?" asked Pippin, "Aunt Esmeralda, where's Merry?"
Pippin regretted the question, for his aunt began to cry even more. Pippin turned to his father and uncle who were in a deep conversation.
"I found Strawberry just outside the smial... She looked like she had quite a scare..."
"Do you think Merry took her out?"
"Uncle Saradoc, where's Merry?"
"It couldn't have been anyone else," Saradoc paused, "So, he isn't here?"
"Who's not here? Merry?" questioned Pippin.
"I'm afraid he isn't."
"Uncle where's Merry?"
"What do you supposed happen?" asked Pippin's father.
"Not sure. Perhaps just a ride for some fresh air..."
"What has happened to Merry?!"
"How long has he been missing?"
"Since lunch... Esmeralda went to call him to eat, and we couldn't find him... went crazy, searching all over the Hall for him..."
"So it's been... five or six hours?"
"What's happened to Merry?!" he tugged on his father's shirt.
Paladin looked at him, "Go play, Pippin."
"But... I want to know what's happening!"
"Come here, Pippy," said Pearl and she took him by the hand.
"But, Pearl! I want to know what's--"
"Shhhh... I'll explain everything."
Pearl led Pippin into the dinning room and sat down with him at the table. The serious look on his face told Pippin that there was bad news... and it was about his beloved cousin... his best friend.
Pippin frowned, "Pearl? Pearl, what's happening? Has something happened to Merry? Is he all right? Pearl, where's Merry? Pearl, what has--"
"Pippin... calm down, let me explain. Now I don't know too much, but what I've come to understand is that Merry's missing. They don't know where he is."
"Maybe he's playing hide and seek."
"No, Pippy. He's not playing hide and seek."
"Where did he go?"
"They don't know. His mother and father can't find him."
"Is he OK?"
"They don't know. That's why Aunt Esmeralda is so upset. Did you see her crying?"
Pippin nodded, "She's really sad..."
"She is. She doesn't know what's happened to Merry, and she's scared."
"But... but Merry has to be all right. Pearl, Merry isn't hurt or anything... right? He's big and strong and... he's fine, Pearl... isn't he?"
"I hope so."
Pippin stood, "Let's go and look for him."
Pearl shook her head, "No, Pippy... it's not like that."
Pippin sat down again. He and his sister were silent as they each reflected on their own thoughts. "Pearl?"
"Yes, Pippin?"
"Who's going to look for him? Someone has to... If he's missing, we have to find him. Pearl, someone has to look for him."
Pearl nodded, "They'll be constructing a search party."
"When?"
"As soon as Bilbo and Odovacar Bolger come... they'll be a part of the party."
"Can I be a part of the party, too?"
"I don't think so, Pippin," she paused, "Pippin, how about you help me with dinner? I can see mother will have her hands full tonight."
Pippin nodded, "Alright."
Pearl smiled, "Go wash your hands."
**
Merry sat on the ground, he was too afraid to move, for fear he would walk in the wrong direction, and deeper into the untamed forest. What if the way he ran was the wrong way? Why had he panicked like that? Such a foolish act might've doomed him.
"What am I to do?" he asked himself, "If I move... how do I know if I'm going the right way? If I stay... will someone ever find me? Do... do they even know I'm gone?" he looked up, "It's getting a little dark..." He looked around. There were trees, trees, and more trees. It was impossible to see anything further than a few yards, and it would grow worse when night came.
Merry wanted to cry, but he tried hard not to, "You've spent enough time crying, Meriadoc," he lectured himself. He stood, "I can't stay here forever... If I walk in just one direction, then I'll be sure to reach a road sometime... right?" He paused almost as if he expected someone to answer. He took a step forward, then stepped back, "But... but how do I know I'll be walking in one direction? What if I walk in circles?" He sat down again, "I'll wait here tonight... then tomorrow... tomorrow I'll try to find my way out."
He looked around nervously, "O, please, somebody find me..." he whispered softly. He took off his vest and laid it down, resting his head on it. He lay there staring up at the sky, watching to sun slowly disappear. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep.