Chapter 7
Pippin reached Estella's door, out of breath from the run. Pounding on the
door, he caught his breath. Once again, Fatty answered the door.
"Fatty, where's Estella and Willow?" he asked.
Estella approached from behind her brother, "She left awhile ago. I tried
to stop her but she wouldn't listen. Said the only thing she could do was
run away. I chased her out but I just couldn't catch up." Estella looked
mournful, "I do hope she's all right."
Pippin dashed away without saying goodbye. He reached Merry's hole as
quickly as his hobbit legs could take him. Without knocking he ran in
searching for his cousin. He was there, sitting at a table smoking his
pipe.
"What is it Pippin?" he asked.
"Willow. She's gone. Come on, I'll explain it on the way."
Merry jumped up from his chair and grabbed his cloak. The two decided Merry
would search the nearby towns, informing others to search as well. Pippin
would take to the Old Forest and surrounding lands.
As the formulated their search plan, I was still running, hoping never to
return. I had a distant cousin whom lived in Bree and I'm sure a surprise
visit would be just the way to get out of this mess.
* * * The sun was now set, but I did not feel I far was far enough away from home. Unknown to me at that time, but when I became lost, I started to roam in circles, distancing myself in miniscule amounts. I has reached a new area of the forest, and decided to explore for a spot to spend the night. Feeling around, I stumbled on a large tree root that surfaced from nowhere. I cried out, but stifled the noise in knowledge of the creatures lurking in the shadows. Quieting my cries, I hobbled over to the nearest tree stub. The wind groaned and I looked to the sky. A sigh escaped my lips, as deep gray rain clouds formed above. I looked to my sides, hoping for a cave of some sort, but only found a jutting rock to huddle underneath. The sky boomed, and rain fell to the ground, the amount increasing as the seconds torturously passed slowly by.
* * * Pippin and Merry had went their own ways, one leading himself towards town, the other running frantically to the Old Forest where I now lay. The rain beat down on Pippin's back and he covered his head with an old hat that once belonged to his father. Searching, he approached the entrance to the forest, pushing away tree branches from his face. He held a lantern, for the only other light source was the occasional strike of lightning. He squinted through the darkness, and, after a large crack of lightning followed my ominous thunder, he saw a jutting rock, and a huddled formed, about the size of a petite hobbit. Pippin started to run, almost slipping twice before reaching my makeshift shelter. "What are you doing here?" he cried out in disbelief. "Running away," I stated with a shiver. "Give me your hand. I'm taking you back." He held out his hand, shifting the light to the other. "I'm never going back," I spat, "I'm not marrying that old dirty hobbit if it kills me not to. I've got family in Bree. I live with them." I shuffled over to the other side of the rock. "You don't have to marry Otho. Your father. changed his mind. Now come on, I'm soaked." He crouched lower; entering the muddy tabernacle I had rested under. Tentatively, I crawled over to Pippin, a suspicious look still leering in my eyes. I took his hand in mine and walked out into the rain. I hobbled, crying out in pain when he proceeded to pull me forwards. "What is it?" He gasped, spitting out water from the harsh rain. "It's my ankle; I hurt it earlier. I think it might be sprained," I winced and supported my weight on the nearby rock. Pippin looked around subconsciously as if looking for acceptation, and grabbed me by the waist. I let out a cry of surprise. He rushed through the dense mass of trees, picking up speed each step he took. Not once did he fall while holding me, but there was one or two times in which I prayed he was able to support us with more confidence than his face portrayed. We reached the town in approximately twenty minutes, fully drenched, teeth chattering in an obnoxious rhythm. Pippin managed to balance me as he opened the door to a familiar and cozy pub. All eyes faced the doorway now and a few hobbit lasses let out gasps. Pippin found a old man, "Find Merry. Tell him to come straight away; tell him I've found her." The man shook his head and fumbled with his jacket as he scurried out the door. We put me down into a old wooden chair and I grabbed my dripping cloak to gain warmth. I gave the idea up quickly however and threw the sloshing coat to my feet. Pippin too removed his cloak and hurried to the bar. He ordered drinks and prepared to warm the two of us. "What were you thinking?" he asked angrily, letting worry escape in his words. He was still shaking when I looked into his eyes. I saw the detail of his worry, his concern. His brow furrowed slightly and his lips parted, letting out a slow breath. Before I could answer, Merry rushed in, "Thank the heavens Pip! You've found her! And it looks like just in time!" He grabbed me in a bear hug, but let me down when I whimpered once again from the pain my ankle brought me. "Her ankle's hurt Merry; be careful." Merry looked at Pippin, and then returned his gaze to me, "Why did you leave Wil?" His voice suggested a thought that had reached his mind a million times during his search for me through the town. He did not know of recent events. He knew nothing of the broken engagement, the trade of my freedom or some of the Boffins' riches, or of Pippin's discussion with my father. "I." I stumbled on my words, teeth still chattering slightly, "I ran from the engagement my father forced upon me with Otho Boffins." "What's she talking about?" queried Merry. "Her father sold her off to Otho. She left when she heard," Pippin explained. I nodded in agreement. "But," he continued, "It was still a stupid idea to run of-into the Old Forest no less!" "Wil," Merry ignored his cousin's statement of my stupidity, "What are you going to do? You don't want to marry Otho." I was about to speak when Pip interrupted, "She's not going to marry him. Her father called it off." I was curious now, for even though he had said this before, I hadn't paid attention to it until now. "How do you know this Pippin?" I asked urgently. It was now that Pippin stumbled on his words, "He told me that he changed his mind when I met him in the pub. I was looking for you and decided to check in at The Dragon's Breath pub. So then.I got Merry and we went looking for you." I cocked my head and looked at him askance, "That doesn't sound like my father." He changed the subject, "You should change Wil; you must be freezing." "You too," Merry added looking at the dripping hobbit. I nodded and we walked out towards my hole. As I opened the door, I was greeted by the screeching of my little sister. "Mom!" she screamed, "Willow! She's here!" My mom rushed in with a gasp, running up to me and wrapping me in a bear hug, "Where have you been? You look terrible!" She turned without an answer and grabbed a bundle of towels. "You're soaked!" She handed us towels and we happily obliged to dry our frozen bodies.
* * * The sun was now set, but I did not feel I far was far enough away from home. Unknown to me at that time, but when I became lost, I started to roam in circles, distancing myself in miniscule amounts. I has reached a new area of the forest, and decided to explore for a spot to spend the night. Feeling around, I stumbled on a large tree root that surfaced from nowhere. I cried out, but stifled the noise in knowledge of the creatures lurking in the shadows. Quieting my cries, I hobbled over to the nearest tree stub. The wind groaned and I looked to the sky. A sigh escaped my lips, as deep gray rain clouds formed above. I looked to my sides, hoping for a cave of some sort, but only found a jutting rock to huddle underneath. The sky boomed, and rain fell to the ground, the amount increasing as the seconds torturously passed slowly by.
* * * Pippin and Merry had went their own ways, one leading himself towards town, the other running frantically to the Old Forest where I now lay. The rain beat down on Pippin's back and he covered his head with an old hat that once belonged to his father. Searching, he approached the entrance to the forest, pushing away tree branches from his face. He held a lantern, for the only other light source was the occasional strike of lightning. He squinted through the darkness, and, after a large crack of lightning followed my ominous thunder, he saw a jutting rock, and a huddled formed, about the size of a petite hobbit. Pippin started to run, almost slipping twice before reaching my makeshift shelter. "What are you doing here?" he cried out in disbelief. "Running away," I stated with a shiver. "Give me your hand. I'm taking you back." He held out his hand, shifting the light to the other. "I'm never going back," I spat, "I'm not marrying that old dirty hobbit if it kills me not to. I've got family in Bree. I live with them." I shuffled over to the other side of the rock. "You don't have to marry Otho. Your father. changed his mind. Now come on, I'm soaked." He crouched lower; entering the muddy tabernacle I had rested under. Tentatively, I crawled over to Pippin, a suspicious look still leering in my eyes. I took his hand in mine and walked out into the rain. I hobbled, crying out in pain when he proceeded to pull me forwards. "What is it?" He gasped, spitting out water from the harsh rain. "It's my ankle; I hurt it earlier. I think it might be sprained," I winced and supported my weight on the nearby rock. Pippin looked around subconsciously as if looking for acceptation, and grabbed me by the waist. I let out a cry of surprise. He rushed through the dense mass of trees, picking up speed each step he took. Not once did he fall while holding me, but there was one or two times in which I prayed he was able to support us with more confidence than his face portrayed. We reached the town in approximately twenty minutes, fully drenched, teeth chattering in an obnoxious rhythm. Pippin managed to balance me as he opened the door to a familiar and cozy pub. All eyes faced the doorway now and a few hobbit lasses let out gasps. Pippin found a old man, "Find Merry. Tell him to come straight away; tell him I've found her." The man shook his head and fumbled with his jacket as he scurried out the door. We put me down into a old wooden chair and I grabbed my dripping cloak to gain warmth. I gave the idea up quickly however and threw the sloshing coat to my feet. Pippin too removed his cloak and hurried to the bar. He ordered drinks and prepared to warm the two of us. "What were you thinking?" he asked angrily, letting worry escape in his words. He was still shaking when I looked into his eyes. I saw the detail of his worry, his concern. His brow furrowed slightly and his lips parted, letting out a slow breath. Before I could answer, Merry rushed in, "Thank the heavens Pip! You've found her! And it looks like just in time!" He grabbed me in a bear hug, but let me down when I whimpered once again from the pain my ankle brought me. "Her ankle's hurt Merry; be careful." Merry looked at Pippin, and then returned his gaze to me, "Why did you leave Wil?" His voice suggested a thought that had reached his mind a million times during his search for me through the town. He did not know of recent events. He knew nothing of the broken engagement, the trade of my freedom or some of the Boffins' riches, or of Pippin's discussion with my father. "I." I stumbled on my words, teeth still chattering slightly, "I ran from the engagement my father forced upon me with Otho Boffins." "What's she talking about?" queried Merry. "Her father sold her off to Otho. She left when she heard," Pippin explained. I nodded in agreement. "But," he continued, "It was still a stupid idea to run of-into the Old Forest no less!" "Wil," Merry ignored his cousin's statement of my stupidity, "What are you going to do? You don't want to marry Otho." I was about to speak when Pip interrupted, "She's not going to marry him. Her father called it off." I was curious now, for even though he had said this before, I hadn't paid attention to it until now. "How do you know this Pippin?" I asked urgently. It was now that Pippin stumbled on his words, "He told me that he changed his mind when I met him in the pub. I was looking for you and decided to check in at The Dragon's Breath pub. So then.I got Merry and we went looking for you." I cocked my head and looked at him askance, "That doesn't sound like my father." He changed the subject, "You should change Wil; you must be freezing." "You too," Merry added looking at the dripping hobbit. I nodded and we walked out towards my hole. As I opened the door, I was greeted by the screeching of my little sister. "Mom!" she screamed, "Willow! She's here!" My mom rushed in with a gasp, running up to me and wrapping me in a bear hug, "Where have you been? You look terrible!" She turned without an answer and grabbed a bundle of towels. "You're soaked!" She handed us towels and we happily obliged to dry our frozen bodies.