Chapter Two: A Discontented Merry
"We've got to do something about this girl," Merry said, pacing the floor of the Took hobbit-hole later that night. "We cannot be treated like this."
"It took me an hour to get the honey on the bread out of my hair," Pip said mournfully. "I don't like it."
Merry came over and sat by his friend. "Any ideas, Pip?"
"No, none really."
"She seemed like such a nice girl too," Merry said sorrowfully.
"Aye, I thought she'd help us," said Pip, "Not get us into trouble and then run off."
"I never did that to you," said Merry. "And you never did that to me. It's just not done. We may have accidentally got hurt a few times, but not like this."
"My head hurts," Pip complained. "I need to sleep."
"All right," Merry said, "We'll figure this out in the morning." He climbed into his bed. "Goodnight Pip. Sleep well."
Pip climbed into his bed. "Goodnight Merry."
*
The sun rose bright the next morning, but the two hobbits were still asleep and did not see it. They did not wake until almost noon, and even then it was not to their enjoyment.
Diamond of Long Cleeve was in the Took house. She had come over and was hovering anxiously above Pip's head, with a wet rag. Carefully and softly she lay it there on the bruise, and then sat by the bed to wait, hugging her knees and hoping for Pip's soon awakening.
Merry awoke first. He stumbled out of bed and rubbed his eyes. "When he saw Diamond, he jumped.
"Wha' are ye doin' in our house? Did Paladin let you in?"
"Aye," said Diamond softly, and she looked up to Pip. She rubbed the cloth a little, for the bruise seemed to be hot to the touch, and she very much wanted to help. "I'm really quite sorry about last night."
"As ye should be!" exclaimed Merry. "Look a' our poor Pip!"
"Shh." Diamond said. "You'll wake him. He needs rest."
"O' course he does, he won't get none o' that wit' you around here!"
"I've doctored many Men when in Bree, please let me help him," Diamond stood up and pushed back Pip's curls, looking over his troubled face as he slept. "I am a physician as well. Waitresses at inns and taverns need these skills for when fights break out, or when one drinks too much. Now let me explain about last night."
Merry sat on his bed. "I'm listening."
"Last night.well.Sam knows me well, he journeys to Bree on occasion, for he is a more adventuresome hobbit than most. He knew I'd be quite shy at his party and he wanted me to have some fun. I had never drunk ale before. I know it's odd, a waitress at a tavern never drinking, but.I've always been so busy working. You can imagine. Well he got me drunk.and that was how I was. I'm so terribly sorry," she said to Merry, and gently placed her hand over Pippin's heart. "I don't think he's too terribly injured.."
"We've got to do something about this girl," Merry said, pacing the floor of the Took hobbit-hole later that night. "We cannot be treated like this."
"It took me an hour to get the honey on the bread out of my hair," Pip said mournfully. "I don't like it."
Merry came over and sat by his friend. "Any ideas, Pip?"
"No, none really."
"She seemed like such a nice girl too," Merry said sorrowfully.
"Aye, I thought she'd help us," said Pip, "Not get us into trouble and then run off."
"I never did that to you," said Merry. "And you never did that to me. It's just not done. We may have accidentally got hurt a few times, but not like this."
"My head hurts," Pip complained. "I need to sleep."
"All right," Merry said, "We'll figure this out in the morning." He climbed into his bed. "Goodnight Pip. Sleep well."
Pip climbed into his bed. "Goodnight Merry."
*
The sun rose bright the next morning, but the two hobbits were still asleep and did not see it. They did not wake until almost noon, and even then it was not to their enjoyment.
Diamond of Long Cleeve was in the Took house. She had come over and was hovering anxiously above Pip's head, with a wet rag. Carefully and softly she lay it there on the bruise, and then sat by the bed to wait, hugging her knees and hoping for Pip's soon awakening.
Merry awoke first. He stumbled out of bed and rubbed his eyes. "When he saw Diamond, he jumped.
"Wha' are ye doin' in our house? Did Paladin let you in?"
"Aye," said Diamond softly, and she looked up to Pip. She rubbed the cloth a little, for the bruise seemed to be hot to the touch, and she very much wanted to help. "I'm really quite sorry about last night."
"As ye should be!" exclaimed Merry. "Look a' our poor Pip!"
"Shh." Diamond said. "You'll wake him. He needs rest."
"O' course he does, he won't get none o' that wit' you around here!"
"I've doctored many Men when in Bree, please let me help him," Diamond stood up and pushed back Pip's curls, looking over his troubled face as he slept. "I am a physician as well. Waitresses at inns and taverns need these skills for when fights break out, or when one drinks too much. Now let me explain about last night."
Merry sat on his bed. "I'm listening."
"Last night.well.Sam knows me well, he journeys to Bree on occasion, for he is a more adventuresome hobbit than most. He knew I'd be quite shy at his party and he wanted me to have some fun. I had never drunk ale before. I know it's odd, a waitress at a tavern never drinking, but.I've always been so busy working. You can imagine. Well he got me drunk.and that was how I was. I'm so terribly sorry," she said to Merry, and gently placed her hand over Pippin's heart. "I don't think he's too terribly injured.."