CHAPTER TWO
Merry had not eaten much during the meal, his eyes had felt a little heavy throughout it all. He, Frodo and Sam were all together at the table, and he noticed that Frodo was all but picking at his food as well. Their eyes met and it was clear to the Brandybuck that something was amiss with his cousin, more so than worry. Deep fear lay in the back of Frodo's eyes, fear and sorrow. He did not know whether or not they could continue without Gandalf.
"Are you alright Merry? You haven't even touched the little flowery bread thingies. You'd like them, especially with this sauce. Here...try.." Pippin nudged his cousin encouargingly. "Come -on-. You haven't had hardly anything to eat all day. I know you haven't."
"Lay off it, Pip." Merry said irritably, and immediately regretted his words for a hurt look entered his cousin's eyes and the younger hobbit turned away to Sam, who -was- eating. Thus effectively hiding his feelings as Pippin was wont to do.
Merry grumbled and looked at his plate again, snatching a piece of fowl and stuffing it into his mouth. Honestly, all Pippin seemed to think about was food. Then he shook his head, no, that wasn't true. There was much more to his cousin, much more, and Merry well knew. He wasn't being fair. He gave a sigh. "Sorry, Pip. I'm not myself. Didn't mean to snap."
"Its alright, Merry." Pip said cheerfully. Now that he had a huge table laid out in front of him, the youngest of the hobbits was quite thoroughly satisfied. He would at least be getting some sleep.
Frodo glanced at Merry, puzzled by his demeanor. Merry had always been his 'rock'. The one who never changed, the one who had all the answers. Nothing ever seemed to phase him or to bring him down. Merry was always Merry, and yet now...something was wrong. It was more than just Gandalf's death which weighted heavily on Frodo's mind and heart. It was something more. He seemed jumpy and nervous, looking over his shoulder far too much as though he expected something to leap out at him.
"Merry..." Frodo began, but he didn't know what to say. His cousin looked over at him with a guarded expression, fingers figiting with his fork as played with some of the vegetables upon his plate. Frodo's eyes dropped at he took a deep breath. "Merry I'm glad your here." he said very softly, his voice quiet enough that no one else could hear.
Merry shifted uncomfortably upon his chair. Would he really be glad if he knew what was going on in his friend's mind and heart? Doubtless he would not. This close to Frodo, Merry could feel the ring, and he could feel the eyes of others upon them, even though when he looked up no one seemed to be watching them. Galadriel smiled calmly in his direction and he rose from the table. "I need to go for a walk." he said apologetically to his friends.
Frodo frowned when Merry abruptly left, unsure of what he might have said to cause such a reaction. The elder hobbit then resolved to figure out what was going on with his oldest friend and excused himself from the table, citing a desire to relieve himself.
He shadowed his cousin for a little while down one path and watched him stop suddenly. Merry's eyes shifted off into the forest as though he was seeing something. Then, he turned...away from the path and began to walk hurriedly into the trees!
Frodo's mouth opened as though to call to his friend, but he bit his lip. They were alone now and he wasn't sure yet what was in Merry's mind. Was it the Ring? Frodo hoped it wasn't. Merry was one of the few people he could really trust and when it came down to it, the Ringbearer didn't know if he could fight Merry if the hobbit turned on him. The decision to follow his cousin came very quickly when he heard Boromir's voice speaking to someone else somewhere behind him. Frodo had no desire to be caught alone with the man. He should not be afraid of his companions, he should not. But after what Galadriel had implied. He shuddered and hurried after his cousin who was now moving farther and farther away from the city.
Merry had not eaten much during the meal, his eyes had felt a little heavy throughout it all. He, Frodo and Sam were all together at the table, and he noticed that Frodo was all but picking at his food as well. Their eyes met and it was clear to the Brandybuck that something was amiss with his cousin, more so than worry. Deep fear lay in the back of Frodo's eyes, fear and sorrow. He did not know whether or not they could continue without Gandalf.
"Are you alright Merry? You haven't even touched the little flowery bread thingies. You'd like them, especially with this sauce. Here...try.." Pippin nudged his cousin encouargingly. "Come -on-. You haven't had hardly anything to eat all day. I know you haven't."
"Lay off it, Pip." Merry said irritably, and immediately regretted his words for a hurt look entered his cousin's eyes and the younger hobbit turned away to Sam, who -was- eating. Thus effectively hiding his feelings as Pippin was wont to do.
Merry grumbled and looked at his plate again, snatching a piece of fowl and stuffing it into his mouth. Honestly, all Pippin seemed to think about was food. Then he shook his head, no, that wasn't true. There was much more to his cousin, much more, and Merry well knew. He wasn't being fair. He gave a sigh. "Sorry, Pip. I'm not myself. Didn't mean to snap."
"Its alright, Merry." Pip said cheerfully. Now that he had a huge table laid out in front of him, the youngest of the hobbits was quite thoroughly satisfied. He would at least be getting some sleep.
Frodo glanced at Merry, puzzled by his demeanor. Merry had always been his 'rock'. The one who never changed, the one who had all the answers. Nothing ever seemed to phase him or to bring him down. Merry was always Merry, and yet now...something was wrong. It was more than just Gandalf's death which weighted heavily on Frodo's mind and heart. It was something more. He seemed jumpy and nervous, looking over his shoulder far too much as though he expected something to leap out at him.
"Merry..." Frodo began, but he didn't know what to say. His cousin looked over at him with a guarded expression, fingers figiting with his fork as played with some of the vegetables upon his plate. Frodo's eyes dropped at he took a deep breath. "Merry I'm glad your here." he said very softly, his voice quiet enough that no one else could hear.
Merry shifted uncomfortably upon his chair. Would he really be glad if he knew what was going on in his friend's mind and heart? Doubtless he would not. This close to Frodo, Merry could feel the ring, and he could feel the eyes of others upon them, even though when he looked up no one seemed to be watching them. Galadriel smiled calmly in his direction and he rose from the table. "I need to go for a walk." he said apologetically to his friends.
Frodo frowned when Merry abruptly left, unsure of what he might have said to cause such a reaction. The elder hobbit then resolved to figure out what was going on with his oldest friend and excused himself from the table, citing a desire to relieve himself.
He shadowed his cousin for a little while down one path and watched him stop suddenly. Merry's eyes shifted off into the forest as though he was seeing something. Then, he turned...away from the path and began to walk hurriedly into the trees!
Frodo's mouth opened as though to call to his friend, but he bit his lip. They were alone now and he wasn't sure yet what was in Merry's mind. Was it the Ring? Frodo hoped it wasn't. Merry was one of the few people he could really trust and when it came down to it, the Ringbearer didn't know if he could fight Merry if the hobbit turned on him. The decision to follow his cousin came very quickly when he heard Boromir's voice speaking to someone else somewhere behind him. Frodo had no desire to be caught alone with the man. He should not be afraid of his companions, he should not. But after what Galadriel had implied. He shuddered and hurried after his cousin who was now moving farther and farther away from the city.